Including Families as Essential Partners in Inclusive Education by Heather Aldersey, Anne Hayes and Seema Acharya

Stories from Nepal. Ramesh (name changed), a 41-year-old man, moved to Kathmandu with his family from Jumla, a remote district in Karnali Province. Despite having a good income in their village, he decided to relocate to the city in search of better educational opportunities for his 9-year-old son, Raju, who has autism. Raju was admitted to a segregated school run by a non-profit organization. His mother, Situ, regularly attends school with her son to serve as additional classroom support as the school is unable to provide teacher assistants/paraprofessionals to support learners with disabilities.  She maintains regular communication with Raju’s teacher to discuss his progress and challenges.

Sita shares, “I am happy we found a school and a teacher who have truly helped me and my family. My son loves going to school and enjoys learning. We’ve seen significant progress in Raju—he can now write his name, recognize shapes, sizes, and colors, make eye contact, and respond to others. I am hopeful that one day my son will be able to attend a regular school like other children.”

This story shows the commitment that many families are able and willing to take to support their children with disabilities to attend school and the importance of an active family-school partnership in supporting children with disabilities. Ramesh and Sita’s dedication to Raju’s education, through l maintaining communication with the school, directly contributes to Raju’s progress and well-being. A strong partnership between families and schools is crucial to providing children with disabilities the support, encouragement, and resources they need to thrive.

The Importance of Families. Families can be important resources for teachers and schools, providing information about their child and helping the school know how to best support each individual learner. Strong family-school partnerships are beneficial for all children, however, strong partnerships with families of children with disabilities are particularly important because of the specialized knowledge that families have about their child. Research shows: 

• Family-school partnerships are important for student success (Henderson & Mapp, 2002; Smith et al., 2020).
• When schools and families work together, children have a better chance of being successful in school and beyond (Christenson & Havsy, 2004; Patrikakou, Weissberg, Redding, & Walberg, 2005). 
• Families, and particularly families of children with disabilities, can also benefit from strong family-school partnerships (Burke & Hodapp, 2014; Smith et al., 2020; Summers et al., 2007). For example, research has shown that positive family school partnerships have increased family quality of life, self-efficacy, confidence, and resilience. 
• Family-school partnerships also can benefit educator efficacy (Haines, McCart, & Turnbull, 2013; Lawson, 2003), providing teachers with insight about what each child in their classroom needs to be successful in school, and how to create avenues for the learner to extend their learning into the home and community.

Although our experience working in inclusive development spaces leads us to argue that improved family-school partnerships would be beneficial globally, it is critical to note that the vast majority of the research and reflection on family school partnerships to date have been conducted by Western researchers, families, and schools in Global North contexts. When there is attention to culture or context, it is most frequently related to engaging in family-school partnerships with culturally diverse families living in the Global North. This demonstrates the need for donors and organizations to address this gap in research by investing in studies that demonstrate the benefits of family-school partnerships for learners with disabilities in the Global South.

Challenges in Family School Partnership. In spite of the knowledge about the benefits of partnerships in inclusive education, many schools around the world are not focusing on building or maintaining relationships with the families of their learners. 

It is important to recognize that there could be many reasons why schools and families do not currently engage in partnership. For example, 

• If families are struggling to meet basic needs, they may not have the time or capacity to partner with their child’s school in a meaningful way. 
• Parents are often blamed for not sending their child with a disability to school but research conducted by IDP in Tanzania and through the Multi-Country Study for Inclusive Education (MCSIE) shows that parents want to send their children to school but have concerns related to their child’s safety, acceptance and if they will be allowed to enroll. 
• Teachers may find it challenging to engage in meaningful partnership with families if partnership practices are not supported or properly resourced in their school contexts.
• Different cultures have different expectations around the relationships between teachers and parents. Partnerships might be harder to foster and maintain in environments where, for example, there are strict social and educational hierarchies or cultural expectations around communication. 
• In Nepal, establishing a strong partnership between schools and families is challenging, particularly for children with disabilities. These children are often enrolled in special schools or resource classes, which are typically located far from their families’ homes. In many cases, children have to travel to other districts or even provinces for specialized education. This geographic distance makes it difficult for schools to maintain regular communication with the parents of students with disabilities.

IDP’s Position on Family School Partnership. In many of the countries where we work, we have identified critical opportunities to support outcomes of learners with disabilities through strengthened partnerships between families and schools. IDP advocates for increased “family-school partnership” in inclusive schools around the world, aligning with researchers who suggest using the term “family” instead of parent to recognize the diversity of roles that might support a child in the home and “school” instead of teacher to recognize that individual teacher practice can be a reflection of the whole school ecosystem in which that teacher is functioning. Family-school partnership means that schools and families work together to make decisions about the child’s learning. In genuine family-school partnership, each partner recognizes and values the strengths, culture, and expertise of the other, and engagements are based on a sense of mutual respect (National Family, School, and Community Engagement Working Group, 2009; Haines et al. 2022). 

IDP advocates for greater application of family-school partnership practices–especially for families of children with disabilities–in contexts around the world, with appropriate research and evaluation to better understand the specific partnership experiences and to develop more culturally appropriate and relevant partnership guidelines to support students, families, and schools.

Practical Tips and Strategies. Below, we offer some initial considerations to enhance opportunities for parent partnership in disability-inclusive education globally. For continued learning, there are many other websites that offer further information and strategies for family-school partnership, such as the Edmonton Regional Learning Consortium, the School Community Network, the Australian Department of Education, and many more. 

• For all families (and in particular children with disabilities) 
  • Share information about your child, the nature of their impairment, what supports they need, and how you believe they learn best 
  • Ask teachers what you could be doing to support and reinforce the child’s learning at home. 
  • Share your specific requirements and preferences for communication and engagement with the school. 
• For schools
  • Recognize that families may have limits or other responsibilities and provide opportunities for families to partner with the school in the most accessible way for them (e.g., providing resources, supports, and meetings in ways and times that work best for the family). 
  • Keep in mind that families of children with disabilities may have additional requirements and expenses related to their child’s disability. 
  • Create opportunities for families, students and teachers to build relationships and work together to set goals for individual student outcomes (e.g., through family-teacher conferences and school open houses)
  • Communicate regularly (and in varied formats) with families about what is happening at the school and how they can be involved. 
  • Promote a school culture where families are viewed as valuable partners. Involve families in decision making processes for developing school plans, policies and practices.
  • Understand that ability to partner may vary for different families at different times of the year (e.g., based on agricultural seasons).
  • Provide administrators, teachers, and school support staff with professional development opportunities to develop their family partnership skills. 
• For donors and international NGOs
  • Integrate family-school partnership content in all pre-service training of new teachers and address the specific needs to improve partnerships for families of children with disabilities. 
  • Explore national, state/provincial, and local education policies to more deeply embed values of family-school partnerships (e.g., mandated family and student participation in Individualized Education Plan (IEPs) meetings; requirements for family representation on school governance). 
  • Integrate family-school partnership issues within in-service training and professional development for schools (administrators, teachers, support staff). 
  • Fund local researchers to explore cultural nuances and how they should shape best practice recommendations for positive family-school partnerships including families of learners with disabilities.

For Government

1. Create national policies that specifically focus on fostering strong partnerships between schools and families, particularly for children with disabilities. These policies should emphasize collaboration, communication, and shared responsibility in the educational process.
2. Allocate financial resources to support schools in providing necessary accommodations and resources for children with disabilities. This includes funds for assistive technology, special education materials, and professional development for teachers to enhance their capacity to engage families.
3. Recognize the challenges that families face in accessing school-related activities, particularly in rural areas or for families involved in agricultural work. The government should encourage schools to provide flexible meeting schedules, and use a variety of communication methods (e.g., mobile phones, social media, local radio) to engage families.
4. Ensure that teacher training programs, both pre-service and in-service, include a strong focus on family-school partnerships. Teachers should be equipped with the knowledge and skills to effectively communicate with and involve families of children with disabilities in the learning process.
5. Integrate disability awareness and the importance of family-school partnerships into the national curriculum for both teachers and students. This can help create a more inclusive school culture and highlight the critical role that families play in supporting their child’s education.
6. Work with local governments to ensure that schools are physically accessible and located within reasonable proximity to the homes of children with disabilities, particularly in rural areas. This reduces barriers to family engagement and makes it easier for families to actively participate in their child’s education.
7. Foster partnerships between schools, local governments, and community organizations to provide additional support for families of children with disabilities. These partnerships can help create local support networks, such as caregiver groups or mentorship programs, to assist families in navigating educational challenges.
8. Encourage the formation of inclusive Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) that represent the needs of families of children with disabilities. These associations can serve as platforms for regular dialogue, providing an avenue for parents to voice concerns and work with school staff to resolve issues.
9. Establish incentives, such as awards or funding, for schools that demonstrate effective family engagement practices, especially for children with disabilities. Recognizing and rewarding successful partnerships can encourage other schools to adopt similar approaches.
10. Set up a monitoring and evaluation system to track the effectiveness of family-school partnerships in supporting children with disabilities. Regular feedback from both families and schools can be used to improve strategies and ensure that policies are achieving their intended outcomes.
11. Launch national and local campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of inclusive education and the role of families in supporting children with disabilities. The government should use media, public forums, and community outreach to promote understanding and collaboration.
12. Strengthen legal protections for children with disabilities and their families by ensuring that policies regarding inclusive education are enforced. Provide clear guidelines for schools on how to accommodate children with disabilities and establish a system for advocacy and support for families who face discrimination or exclusion.

Imagining a Positive End to Sunita’s Story.  After only greeting her in passing for weeks, Sunita’s teacher chose to go beyond the exchange of pleasantries during morning drop off to share what the students were learning about in the classroom and to bring up Sunita’s recent drop in performance. This opened the door for Sunita’s mother to ask questions that could help her better understand Sunita’s recent drop in school performance. Sunita’s teacher shared that Sunita was particularly struggling with the science-related concepts, and offered some ways that Sunita’s mother could reinforce and support what Sunita was learning in school. In that conversation, the teacher also identified that one of Sunita’s closest friends was one of the strongest students in the areas where Sunita was struggling. 

With that knowledge, Sunita’s mother began inviting that friend once a week to share a meal with the family and talk about the concepts they were learning in class. In the months that followed, Sunita’s engagement and performance in class improved. Sunita’s teacher continued offering updates of Sunita’s successes and challenges whenever she encountered her mother in the school yard. 

Over time, Sunita’s mother was also able to impress on the teacher how important having Sunita study in an inclusive school was to the family. The teacher was one of Sunita’s strongest advocates when the school principal suggested considering a placement change for Sunita later that year. Last week, the teacher also connected Sunita to her friend who is a neighborhood veterinarian, and they have set up an arrangement where Sunita is will begin volunteering once a week in the vet’s office. 

Sunita’s mother feels a deep sense of relief that she is now not the only one fighting for Sunita’s right to education and community inclusion. As this positive end to Sunita’s story shows, family-school partnership can go a long way to create the inclusive communities we want to see.

References

Burke, M.M. & Hodapp, R.M. (2014). Relating stress of mothers of children with developmental disabilities to family-school partnerships. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 52(1), 13-23. 

Christenson, S. L., & Havsy, L. H. (2004). Family-school-peer relationships: Significance for social, emotional, and academic learning. In J. E. Zins, R. P. Weissberg, M. C. Wang, & H. J. Walberg (Eds.), Building academic success on social and emotional learning: What does the research say? (pp. 59–75). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Haines, S.J., Kyzar, K.B., Francis, G.L., Aldersey, H.M. & Shepherd, K.G. (2022). Examining common theoretical orientations to family-school partnership research in special education to promote equity. In (Farmer, T. W., Talbott, E., McMaster, K., Lee, D., & T. C. Aceves, eds.) Handbook of special education research, volume I: Theory, methods, and developmental processes. Routledge.

Haines S. J., McCart A., Turnbull A. P. (2013). Family engagement within early childhood response to intervention. In Buysse V., Peisner-Feinberg E. (Eds.), Handbook on response to intervention (RTI) in early childhood (pp. 313-324). New York, NY: Brookes.

Henderson, A.T., & Mapp, K.L. (2002). A new wave of evidence: The impact of school, family, and community connections on student achievement. Annual Synthesis 2002. National Center for Family & Community Connections with Schools, Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. 

Lawson M. A. (2003). School-family relations in context: Parent and teacher perceptions of parent involvement. Urban Education, 38, 77-133.

National Family, School, and Community Engagement Working Group. (2009). Recommendations for Federal Policy. Retrieved from: https://archive.globalfrp.org/family-involvement/publications-resources/national-family-school-and-community-engagement-working-group-recommendations-for-federal-policy

Patrikakou, E. N., Weissberg, R. P., Redding, S., & Walberg, H. J. (2005). School-family partnerships: Enhancing the academic, social, and emotional learning of children. In E. N. Patrikakou, R. P. Weissberg, S. Redding, & H. J. Walberg (Eds.), School-family partnerships for children’s success (pp. 1–17). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Smith, T.E., Sheridan, S.M., Kim, E.M., Park, S., & Beretvas, S.N. (2020). The effects of family-school partnership interventions on academic and social-emotional functioning: A meta-analysis exploring what works for whom. Educational Psychology Review, 32, 511-544. 

Summers J. A., Marquis J., Mannan H., Turnbull A. P., Fleming K., Poston D. J., . . . Kupzyk K (2007). Relationship of perceived adequacy of services, family-professional partnerships, and family quality of life in early childhood service programmes. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 54, 319-338.