Supporting parents and families in the development of inclusive practice

This chapter begins with a rationale for the importance of parental involvement (PI) in terms of benefits to children with special educational needs (SEN), their families and the inclusive schools that they attend. A model for the effective organization of PI in inclusive schools is then presented which focuses on meeting parents’ needs and utilizing their potential contributions. Emerging from the model is a list of key questions that schools can use to audit their provision for working with parents and families. Finally, findings from a survey of schools in New Zealand using the key questions are presented to highlight critical areas of parental involvement needing development in inclusive schools.