Parental Involvement Interventions in the Education of Children With Special Educational Needs: A Systematic Review

This study systematically mapped and synthesised literature on parental involvement (PI) interventions for parents of school-aged children with special educational needs (SEN). The study focused on both published and unpublished intervention studies conducted between 2001 and 2024. Five academic databases and three grey literature sources were searched, and 17 articles were selected for inclusion in the review. The Kmet et al. (2004) quality assessment checklist was used to assess study quality, and a narrative synthesis was conducted. Intervention durations ranged from single sessions to 20-week programmes. Most studies were conducted in North America and the United Kingdom, with limited research from other countries. Interventions with the most substantial impact were multi-component, delivered frequently, and included structured parent-child training and school collaboration. However, variation in intervention design and outcome measures limited comparability. Many studies were of moderate quality with small sample sizes and limited follow-up measures. Future research should prioritise rigorous research designs, diverse populations, and long-term evaluation to strengthen the evidence base.This manuscript has been submitted for peer review to Education Research Review