Author's Name:	DR SYLOD CHIMHENGA
Subject Area:	Social Science and Humanities
Subject	Education
Section	Informative Article

parental involvement, disabilities, children with disabilities, inclusive education, early childhood development

The acceptance of inclusion varies across the regions in Zimbabwe. While countries within the advanced economies have gone beyond categorical provisions to full inclusion, Zimbabwe is still grappling with the problem of making provisions for children with special needs especially those who are physically challenged, even on mainstreaming basis. This paper attempts to highlight and the opportunities for parental involvement in assisting children with disabilities in early childhood development inclusive classes in Zimbabwe. It examines the concept of inclusion for children with disabilities in early childhood development classes and the prospects it holds, for special education practice in Zimbabwean primary schools. This research used a qualitative approach and used 25 parents and 25 ECD teachers as participants. The study concluded that parents’ positive involvement in the education of children with disabilities highly influences their children’s perception of school, which, in turn, positively contributes to children’s academic, social, and emotional learning especially at ECD level. It also concluded that parents can provide different information about the developmental characteristics of their children with disabilities in ECD inclusive classes.