Abstract

Parental involvement represents a critical yet under-realized dimension of inclusive education in India, where research demonstrates that active family engagement produces significantly stronger academic and developmental outcomes for children with disabilities compared to children without parental partnership. Yet, substantial systemic and contextual barriers prevent meaningful participation from marginalized families in rural, tribal, and urban-poor communities. This chapter examines parental involvement models grounded in Indian research, analyzes evidence on engagement outcomes demonstrating attendance increases of 15-20% and improved academic achievement, identifies context-specific barriers including social stigma (87.5% of parents of children with disabilities report feeling victimized), knowledge gaps (79.16% lack awareness of specialized teaching strategies), and systemic obstacles (75% experience absence of peer support services), explores evidence-based communication channels adapted to diverse literacy levels and technological access, investigates Individualized Education Plan (IEP) collaboration as foundational to inclusive practice despite limited legal mandate, provides detailed analysis of the Unessa Foundation case study demonstrating successful parent training models reaching 500 families in Uttar Pradesh, and offers systemic recommendations for reaching marginalized families through culturally responsive engagement, flexible communication systems, and institutional transformation. The chapter argues that parental involvement cannot be achieved through incremental school adaptations alone but requires deliberate institutional change recognizing parents as equal experts in their children’s education, community-driven solutions addressing non-academic barriers, and systemic support enabling diverse family participation regardless of literacy, language, economic circumstance, or geographical location.