Abstract

The ancient African adage that ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ has special relevance for this chapter. My discussion highlights parent and community partnerships as essential for educating children with ASD. In traditional African communities, children belong to the communities in which they are born and raised. Parents are responsible for participating in their children's development, especially in terms of moral development. Drawing on community partnerships may therefore be a viable strategy for providing access to quality education for children with ASD as well as Inclusive Inclusive Education For All children. My systematic evaluation of community outreach programmes leads me to suggest that failure to involve parents and community members would undermine the meaningful implementation of Inclusive Education. Furthermore, I provide suggestions that could strengthen relationships and result in more meaningful and effective partnerships. In particular, I consider how community and school-based management capacity could be enhanced through committees, parent-teacher-associations and school governing bodies. These structures should play an active role in establishing, implementing and monitoring programmes that promote quality Education For All children, including children with ASD. This approach advocates for valuing the social capital of parents and the community, since Inclusive Education is fundamental to social justice. The approach further acknowledges the complexity of providing support to children with ASD and recommends a multipronged strategy that is affordable and sustainable. When teachers feel supported by parents and the community, their confidence and commitment increase.