PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN PEDAGOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLCHILDREN WITH AUTISM

Parental involvement is an important component of educational and psychosocial support for children with autism. However, meaningful involvement cannot be reduced to parents' attendance at meetings or compliance with professional recommendations. It includes participation in educational planning, communication with professionals, decision-making, implementation of support strategies, and advocacy for the child's needs. This study examined the role of parental involvement in the pedagogical and psychological support of primary schoolchildren with autism and explored factors that facilitate or hinder such involvement. A mixed-methods design was used, combining semi-structured interviews, a structured questionnaire, and observation of non-verbal behavior. The purposive sample consisted of 30 parents of children with autism who were involved in school-based pedagogical and psychological support. The findings indicate a discrepancy between parents' recognition of the importance of their role and their actual participation in some formal educational processes. While 20 of 28 respondents (71.4%) considered parental participation very important, 13 of 27 respondents (48.1%) reported participation in the development of the Individual Education Plan. Twenty of 29 respondents (69.0%) reported cooperation with the support team, while 6 of 29 (20.7%) reported difficulties in such cooperation. Emotional burden was also prominent: 12 parents reported that anxiety, fatigue, and psychological distress sometimes affected their ability to take their child to school regularly. The findings suggest that effective parental involvement requires accessible communication, genuine participation in decision-making, psychological support for parents, and partnership-oriented relationships between families and professionals.