The quality of education received by students with special needs plays a crucial role in predicting their short and long-term life outcomes. With the advancement of societal expectations, pedagogical approaches, technologies, and educational practices for students with special needs, inclusive education has been receiving unprecedented attention, along with growing scrutiny from students, families, practitioners, researchers, and policymakers. Despite the well-intentioned efforts of these stakeholders, inclusive education is not always conceptualized, planned, or implemented with fidelity to research, evidence-based practices, and data-driven decision-making. Such inconsistencies may create confusion among practitioners and hinder the quality of education provided to this vulnerable population. Given the complex and multifaceted nature of our contemporary education systems, achieving quality inclusive education is only possible when various stakeholders actively participate in the conversation and work together toward this shared goal.

This Research Topic aims to facilitate a comprehensive and critical dialogue on a wide range of topics in inclusive education by bringing together a community of stakeholders who are actively engaged in the system and who share a common goal: supporting positive and sustainable long-term well-being for students with special needs. The Research Topic provides a platform for this international community – including families, students, practitioners, researchers, and policymakers across fields such as education, health, psychology, and policy studies to share perspectives and insights, as well as to provide practitioners with actionable, evidence-informed practices to enhance inclusive educational practices. Most importantly, the contributions will inform ongoing efforts to create and sustain effective systems of supports for students with special needs, while addressing current misconceptions and identifying future questions the community must collaboratively tackle. This Research Topic will also offer a channel for the global inclusive education community to connect, exchange ideas, and learn from each other’s strategies and lessons. Ultimately, this Research Topic aims to contribute to the realization of the UN Sustainable Development Goals—particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), by fostering meaningful dialogue and collaboration within the community.

We welcome works that advance the conversation on inclusive education, with particular emphasis on those that deepen understanding of, or enhance practices for systems of support within inclusive education. We especially encourage contributors who explore the following themes:

(1) Intervention: Research-informed interventions or frameworks that promote inclusion and strengthen systems of supports aimed at improving the quality of education, early childhood outcomes, transition and post-secondary success, motivation & self-determination, and overall well-being among students with special needs.

(2) Assessment: Research-based frameworks or tools targeting early identification, screening, progress monitoring, and their impact on facilitating inclusive education.

(3) Home-School Collaboration: Frameworks and practices that enhance the collaboration and synergy between schools and families.

(4) Students, Practitioners, & Family Voices: Works amplifying the voices, perspectives, and insights from stakeholders that are directly involved in or affected by the inclusive education systems.

(5) School-University Partnerships: Works that highlight collaborations between higher-education and schools including (but not limited to) teacher preparation and research-to-practice initiatives.

(6) Policy and governance: Works that examine frameworks and policies that enable or hinder inclusion, from local initiatives to national reforms.

Contributions may include but not limited to empirical studies (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods), systematic reviews, research reports, conceptual analyses, and practice-based innovations.

Are you interested in contributing a manuscript to this Research Topic?

Bringing voices together: Rethinking the systems of support for students with special needs in inclusive education