Abstract:

Problem statement:
The idea of inclusive education and its gradual implementation are the priority in Kazakhstan's education policy up to 2020 [1]. Research on identifying and exploring the organizational, legal, and environmental (local and school) factors influencing inclusion has only been conducted for a short time. A review of Kazakh sources shows that the factors relating to perceptions of children with disabilities as playmates, schoolmates, and friends in children with normal development and their parents have been analyzed in few publications [2]. Therefore, the exploration of perceptions of students with disabilities is topical and important both from a social perspective - in the context of developing the system of inclusive education in Kazakhstan, and from a scientific perspective - as this issue has not been sufficiently analyzed.

Purpose of the study:
The study aimed to explain the following:
1) How are children with disabilities perceived as social partners (playmates, schoolmates, and friends) by parents and their children attending two types of schools: noninclusive and inclusive schools?;
2) Are parents’ and their children's perceptions coincident and to what extent?;
3) Are there differences in participants’ perceptions of children with disabilities depending on the type of school?

The study covered 204 people, including 102 parents and 102 first-graders (50 students in an inclusive school and 52 students in a noninclusive school).

Methods:
The Social Attractiveness of Students with Disabilities for Children questionnaire, the Social Attractiveness of Students with Disabilities for Parents questionnaire, and a projective test Two Houses for children were used. All the tools were developed by Ewa M. Kulesza. Statistical analyses were performed with the use of the SPSS.

Results of the study:
The vast majority of parents (96.0%) and their children (80.0%) in the inclusive school gave high ratings to children with disabilities in terms of their attractiveness as playmates, schoolmates, and friends. Children with disabilities were positively perceived by 46.7% of parents and 40.4% of children in the noninclusive school. No statistically significant differences were found between parents’ perceptions of children with disabilities as social partners and those of their children. In contrast, the comparison of the social attractiveness of children with disabilities in terms of the type of school showed statistically significant differences (p<0.001) in favor of the inclusive school.

Conclusions:
Inclusive settings promote the development of a positive image of children with disabilities as social partners in parents and their children.

References :
[1] National Programme of Education Development in Kazakh Republic for 2011-2020. Act 1118, July 12, 2010.
[2] L. Butabayeva, E.M. Kulesza, A. Autayeva, & A. Konysbayeva "Social attraction of first-grade pupils with disabilities by age-mates and their parents", Man in India, 97 (15), 573-585, 2017.

Keywords:

Children, parents, disability, inclusion, school, playmate, schoolmate, friend.