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The theme of this doctoral thesis is how lower secondary schools cater for pupils with intellectual disabilities and their opportunities for participation. The attention is drawn especially towards these pupils' opportunity to take part in democracy, learning activities and social interaction. The thesis is based on a qualitative study where the data collection has been sampled through fieldwork. Ten pupils (with intellectual disabilities), their parents/ guardians, employees at the pupils' schools and the pupils' professional contacts at the educational and psychological counseling services have been interviewed (N=55). In addition, participant observations have been carried out at the schools. The pupils attend ordinary schools, a department of special education, and special education schools. The collected data are analyzed from a hermeneutic perspective. Theoretically the study has a youth- and a citizenship perspective.
The study reveals considerable variations in the pupils' opportunities to participate, but certain common features have been found. The pupils' informal participation in democratic processes seems to be more extensive than for pupils in general, with these pupils having rather extensive influence on their own learning situation. However, the pupils' formal participation in class meetings and in the pupils' council, is minimal. Furthermore, the employees have limited ambitions concerning many of the pupils' participation in learning activities. The employees focus mainly on the pupils´ current well- being and in preparing them for a future in a home of their own, and do little to prepare them for participation in society.
When it comes to social participation the pupils interact less than pupils in general. Conditions which seem to influence the pupils' opportunity for participation is how their education is organized, choice of working methods and the educational content. However, adaptations that promote the pupils' participation in some contexts, can limit their opportunity to participate in other contexts. For example the pupils' extensive informal participation seems to limit their opportunity to take part in social interaction and cause limited learning. In the light of how the schools cater for the pupils with intellectual disabilities, the study questions the pupils' status as youth, equal pupils and citizens.
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