There is an old African proverb that says, “It takes a village to raise a child” which conveys the message that it takes many people (“the village”) to provide a safe, healthy environment for children, where children are given the security, they need to develop and flourish, and to be able to realize their hopes and dreams. In today’s society, this saying is applicable to the idea of parent-teacher partnerships in education. The underlying assumption of such partnerships is that everyone who has a stake in a child’s life, including the parents, teachers, and community, should work together to give that child the best education possible.

Since parents and teachers are the most important adults in a child’s life, they are best suited to help that child prepare for and face challenges and new experiences.

Children with special educational needs deserve more parental support in their learning than ordinary children do. Hence, the early intervention and parent involvement plays a very important role in the child’s life. When parents are partners with health experts and educators from the beginning, the process of determining the best pathway for a child with special needs becomes more of a discovery.

Along the journey, parents with the special education educator develop a relationship of trust. Also, parents are at ease to make their own observations and share their perceptions and concerns with the educators who would help them navigate through the Special Education process. The educator can work to provide strategies and the parent can collaborate with the teacher to support those strategies.

The sooner a parent of a special needs child becomes part of a team the sooner support for the student can begin to foster professional collaboration.