The aim of this study was to explore perceptions of parents in Sweden of children with special education needs, including whether perceptions varied with regard to the child's age, diagnosis or placement. The parents' general perception of their degree of effort to influence their child's education, as well as their perceived degree of influence, were analysed. The findings demonstrated relationships between child's age and parental perceptions, suggesting that parents of older children with special education needs, regardless of diagnosis or placement, do not want to disengage themselves from their child's education. The results also revealed that placement affected parental perceptions of their child's school situation, with parents of children enrolled in the special education programme being more satisfied with their relationship to school and the teachers' knowledge than parents whose children were not enrolled. Findings also revealed positive correlations between parents' perceived degree of effort and their perception of having influenced their child's school situation. The results are discussed in terms of improving family-school linkages within a systems framework.