Fostering collaborative family-school relationships to support students on the autism spectrum

Collaboration between schools and families is vital for ensuring the best outcomes possible for all students. Extensive evidence exists for the effectiveness of active parental involvement in improving academic and social outcomes for students with disabilities. For students on the autism spectrum, building collaborative relationships between home and school is crucial. This chapter reviews a range of established models and current initiatives in fostering collaboration to better support students with autism. Important prerequisites to and key elements of successful family–school collaboration are identified as well as common challenges to implementing collaborative practice. Finally, some current directions in education research that focus on the perspectives of families and students on the spectrum are briefly reviewed.