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It is of ongoing concern that disability continues to be connected with disadvantage and thatchildren with disability are less likely to experience an optimal school life than those without. It iswidely believed that an inclusive approach will address inequities in the schooling system, andmany governments have adopted this philosophy through the development of inclusive educationpolicies. In spite of these policies, the good school life that inclusive education promises hasremained elusive to many students, particularly those with intellectual disability. Traditionalpractices such as segregation persist, and students with intellectual disability continue to experienceeducational exclusion in many forms; one example is the continued provision of separate specialschools, unexpected given the widespread nature of inclusive education reform. The existence ofsegregated school settings within inclusive education systems has been explained in a number ofways. One explanation is that parents are divided in their school preferences when their childrenhave a disability. A policy of choice is necessary, it has been argued, in order to provide parentswith the options of both regular and special school enrolment. The literature is clear that parents are accorded significant authority regarding schoolenrolment for their children and that parental choice has been a driving force in both thepreservation of the special school system and inclusive education reform. It is unlikely, however,that a parent’s decision regarding school enrolment is merely a simple preference for a regular orspecial school. Research indicates that parental decision-making in this regard is …