Stakeholder Experiences, Attitudes and Perspectives on Inclusive Education for Children with Developmental Disabilities in Sub-Saharan Africa: a Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies

Inclusive education (IE) is a key strategy in addressing the needs of children with autism and other developmental disabilities (DD) in sub-Saharan Africa, who rarely access specialist care or quality education. We aimed to systematically review qualitative research on stakeholder experiences, attitudes and perspectives on IE for pupils with DD in mainstream schools in sub-Saharan Africa. We searched five databases and selected relevant studies through a two-stage screening process. We synthesised the papers identified through template analysis of the Results and Discussion sections, guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Thirty-two publications met the inclusion criteria. The studies were conducted in seven countries and explored the experiences of pupils with DD, parents, peers without DD and teachers. Multiple barriers (e.g. unclear policies, insufficient training and support for teachers) and opportunities (e.g. teachers’ commitment to inclusion, collaboration between teachers, the work of NGOs) for implementing IE for pupils with DD in sub-Saharan Africa were identified, occurring across national and community contexts and school, classroom and individual teacher levels. To effectively implement IE for pupils with DD, teachers need access to appropriate training, resources and support. Governments can capitalise on motivated teachers and relevant work of NGOs.