Editorial: Cultural and contextual challenges in the inclusion of children with developmental disorders

Vitor Franco, María de Fátima Minetto, Débora Deliberato, Suharsiwi Suharsiwi, Dolores María Peñalver García, Adilson Valdano Muthambe

Despite the diversity of themes and methodologies represented in this collection, the articles can be organized into four complementary areas that together provide a comprehensive perspective on contemporary inclusion.A first group of studies examines the implementation of inclusive education policies and the conditions required for their effective translation into everyday practice. Although conducted in different national contexts, these studies converge in showing that legislation alone is insufficient to ensure meaningful inclusion.The article Perspectives of guardians/parents in Portugal: interpreting the inclusive education policy through lived school practices explores how Portuguese parents perceive the implementation of inclusive education, revealing the gap that often exists between policy intentions and school realities. Similarly, Available resources and inclusive practices for students with special educational needs: perceptions of Brazilian and Portuguese teachers compares teachers' perceptions in Brazil and Portugal, highlighting common concerns regarding professional preparation, educational resources, and institutional support. Complementing these perspectives, Barriers to inclusive education and support services for children with autism and developmental delays in Brazil identifies structural and organizational barriers that continue to limit access to inclusive education and specialized services.Together, these studies reinforce the importance of strengthening educational systems by investing not only in legislation but also in professional development, resource allocation, and coordinated support services.A second group focuses on families and caregivers as central actors in children's developmental trajectories and inclusive experiences. These studies demonstrate that family well-being directly influences children's opportunities for participation and development.Program in Brazil presents encouraging evidence regarding the feasibility of delivering family-centered interventions through online formats. Resilience, parental stress, and family functioning associated with quality of life: a study with caregivers of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy further illustrates how resilience, family functioning, and parental stress interact to influence caregivers' quality of life.These contributions emphasize that inclusive policies should extend beyond schools and therapies to incorporate family-centered services that strengthen caregivers' competencies, resilience, and social support.The third thematic area addresses interventions designed to enhance children's developmental competencies and facilitate their participation in inclusive environments. Although targeting different developmental domains, these studies share a common commitment to evidence-based practice and children's rights.Collaboration between professionals and mothers to enhance oral communication competence in bilingual children with language disorders in inclusive contexts highlights the benefits of partnerships between professionals and families in promoting communication skills. Finally, Rethinking literacy instruction for nonspeaking autistic learners: a perspective on evidence, exclusion, and the right to read offers an important reflection on literacy as a fundamental human right and argues for more inclusive approaches to communication and learning.Together, these studies illustrate how targeted interventions, when implemented within collaborative and rights-based frameworks, contribute to greater autonomy, communication, and participation.The final group explores emerging pedagogical approaches that seek to respond to learner diversity across different educational levels.Pre-teaching to enhance inclusive learning: connecting cognition, motivation, volition, and emotion discusses the potential of pre-teaching strategies to facilitate inclusive learning. Inclusive practices mediated by AI and UDL: psychometric evidence and structural models among Italian teachers examines how Artificial Intelligence and Universal Design for Learning may support more inclusive educational practices. The relationship between constructivist approach and inclusive education in primary school argues that constructivist pedagogy provides a strong theoretical foundation for inclusive education by promoting active participation, collaboration, and responsiveness to individual differences. Extending the discussion to higher education, Factors fostering the inclusion of students with disabilities during their academic career at the University Center of Health Sciences of the University of Guadalajara identifies institutional, interpersonal, and personal factors that support the successful inclusion of university students with disabilities. Finally, Psychometric evaluation of the Perceived Stress Scale among university students in Northern Brazil, although not directly focused on developmental disorders, contributes valuable evidence regarding the assessment of students' psychological well-being, an increasingly relevant dimension of inclusive higher education.Taken together, these articles demonstrate that innovation in inclusive education extends beyond technological advances to encompass new pedagogical models, collaborative practices, and broader conceptions of participation across the lifespan.The studies presented in this Research Topic collectively illustrate that inclusion is a culturally situated and context-dependent process. While the challenges differ across countries and educational systems, common themes emerge: the importance of coherent public policies, adequately prepared professionals, engaged families, interdisciplinary collaboration, evidence-based interventions, and pedagogical innovation. Rather than proposing a single model of inclusion, this collection highlights the value of learning from diverse cultural experiences and adapting inclusive practices to local realities.We hope that the articles included in this Research Topic will stimulate further international collaboration and encourage researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to continue developing inclusive systems that recognize diversity as a source of strength and ensure meaningful participation for all children and young people with developmental disorders.