British Journal of Special Education最新文献

Diverse learning groups in schools are a reality. In inclusive classrooms, teachers have to deal with diverse demands and therefore must adjust their teaching to the individual needs of every learner. Even though many teachers agree that the implementation of inclusive education is necessary as well as beneficial, at the same time many teachers in school practice do not feel ready or adequately prepared to deal with heterogeneous learning groups. Thus, there is a demand for concrete practices that help to realise inclusive teaching and learning that allows everyone to succeed. This contribution provides concrete practice-oriented suggestions of differentiated teaching practices that can be implemented by teachers in order to teach inclusively. In this article, the concept of differentiated instruction is clearly defined. A comprehensive overview of possible differentiation variants is also presented, and the practical suggestions are discussed in light of the increasing impact of digitisation.

Young parents of children with autism spectrum condition (ASC) can find the task of parenting challenging, due to the frequently idiosyncratic behaviours of their children. Thus, improved awareness of these challenges is essential for young parents in order to bring about positive outcomes. This study conducted in-depth interviews with four parents of children diagnosed with ASC, comprising three mothers and one father aged 29 to 35 years old, to discover the challenges they faced when parenting their children. Inadequate knowledge among parents, psychological stress, lack of support, and anxiety and worries about their child's future were significant issues reported by the parents. The present study explores how having an awareness of such issues enables parents to take the necessary steps to respond to their personal needs and reduce their stress. To address these concerns, all stakeholders and agencies must collaborate in order to strengthen parental resilience.

This article reflects on government statistics that show that an increasing number of learners are being marginalised from mainstream education despite the UK's commitment to inclusion. Unclear definitions, rhetoric and a focus on placing the problem within the learner lead to an increasing demand for compensatory approaches. Instead, recognition is needed that the mainstream education system is not working and that this leads to school failure. Policy should be directed at building capacity, removing barriers to participation and shifting funding and resources towards prevention, thus reducing the need for individualised compensatory approaches.

In recent years, there has been a growing enrolment of students with specific learning disabilities (SLDs) in Italian higher-education programmes, underscoring the need for universities to support these students by identifying their strengths and weaknesses and developing targeted interventions. However, literature focusing on university students with SLDs remains limited. This study aims to describe the profiles of a sample of first-year Italian university students with SLDs, examining aspects such as instrumental skills, neuropsychological profiles and study-related abilities. Our results confirm that instrumental skills in students with SLDs are statistically lower than the normative average, indicating that difficulties in reading and arithmetic seem to persist into adulthood in students with SLDs. Additionally, a detailed neuropsychological assessment reveals significantly lower verbal working memory among students with SLDs, but statistically significant higher scores in visuospatial abilities. Furthermore, the results show that students with SLDs rate lower on learning approach scales; however, no differences were found in study strategies and learning goals. These findings highlight a unique profile among the university students with SLDs and underscore the need for tailored intervention programmes and support services to increase awareness and foster academic success among these students.

This article starts by reviewing the position that inclusion is a contested and difficult term to define and that there have been no attempts to link the policy challenges of inclusive education with the issues of democratic policymaking. The article then summarises contemporary ideas and practices about deliberative approaches to policymaking and politics (deliberative democratic approaches). This provides the context for an overview of a citizens' panel project that aimed to (i) obtain information about modifying a citizens' panel process to enhance the participation of young people with special educational needs and disabilities and (ii) generate more nuanced, grounded and integrated policy ideas about inclusion than can be found in recent English education policy. The organisation of the citizens' panel is then presented. It was planned as a two-stage process comprising a panel of young people with and without special educational needs and disabilities, their parents and education professionals. The panel was evaluated through interviews. The results show the importance of meticulously preparing a differentiated and strengths-based approach to running the panel. Almost all of the ideas about improving school inclusion were general school changes for all pupils, with some aspects pertinent to special educational needs and disabilities. The significance of the project is discussed in terms of preparing all young people for participation in democratic processes as a basic aspect of democratic citizenship.

Scotland is one of four nations that make up the UK. Its education system's roots lie within an inclusive and egalitarian approach to the education of young people. Subsequent legislation, policies and curriculum frameworks reflect this stance, and so the route that Scotland has taken towards supporting young people has differed from that of neighbouring nations. This article examines the current policy aspirations and reflects on the tensions that arise when these laudable documents are translated into practice.

Schools work with large numbers of young people, some of whom appear to have more noticeable needs than others. In a busy environment, it can be easy to notice and respond to those needs, while others may be missed or assumed to be less relevant. This can create situations where there are some young people that schools should be very concerned about and are not, or alternatively, schools may not always be concerned about the ‘real issues’ for particular students. It can also lead to excellent initiatives not working for some students, causing them to struggle because these are not matched to their real needs and are compounding feelings of failure. This article explores the importance of understanding students' individual circumstances and what can happen when some young people choose to not disclose very relevant parts of their lives, despite these impacting on their learning and social behaviour in school. Examples of students' situations within schools demonstrate how teacher investigations led to the design of more successful support strategies and increased inclusive practice.

The rise in numbers of children experiencing school attendance difficulties in recent years makes this an important focus for UK school inclusion. Simultaneously, increases in school deregistration in favour of home education have caught media as well as regulator attention. These figures disproportionately include children on schools' special educational needs registers. This article presents findings from a doctoral study of families' reflections on their educational transitions leading to school deregistration and undertaking of home education. Through a UK-wide online survey and interviews with seven parents and six children, the research explored the experiences of 99 families. Participants described cumulative traumatic events and liminal experiences as they sought inclusive education, negotiating with under-resourced and/or underprepared professionals in unsupportive or even hostile systems. The study employed reflexive thematic analysis using an original Bronfenbrenner–Turner conceptual framework to understand the data. The framework underpins the research recommendations and has potential for policymakers and as a school inclusion tool to help educators and allied professionals recognise and support—rather than ostracise—vulnerable children and their families.

School governing bodies (SGBs) are expected to be channels for democracy, equity and equality. The literature, however, suggests that SGBs in South Africa perpetuate apartheid-era practices by excluding learners from schools. While a large volume of literature describes the important role parents play in implementing inclusion at schools, there is a dearth of literature regarding the role of parents as SGB members. This qualitative study ascertained the perceptions of parent members of SGBs towards inclusion and how these perceptions impact the parents' role in the implementation of inclusion within the context of South African mainstream primary schools. This was achieved using nine semi-structured interviews and 40 surveys. Five core themes emerged from Braun and Clark's content analysis. The study revealed that parent members of SGBs do not fully understand the concept of inclusion, focusing instead on tangible elements to the exclusion of more abstract elements of inclusion. This narrow focus may impede parents' ability to promote inclusion within their role as SGB members.

Drama is a subject through which pupils can explore and develop their social learning. Previous research into drama-based pedagogy has predominantly centred on outcomes that benchmark Autistic socialising against non-Autistic standards. This corrective ideology has been critiqued in the light of emerging research into the damaging impact of masking on Autistic psychological health, the increased recognition of diversity within social intelligence, and in view of Autistic people's lived experiences of approaches that promote a normative agenda. In response, we examined the potential of a drama programme – Northern Line Laughs (NLL) – that replaces corrective social skill outcomes with a more affirmative approach centred on nurturing social emotional well-being. A multi-informant qualitative study was used to examine the potential utility of NLL in supporting the social emotional well-being of four Autistic pupils educated at an autism-specific special school in London, England. Interview data from the four pupils and five of their staff members were triangulated with observational data on the pupils and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results highlighted how the dramatic principles of play, openness and togetherness could positively contribute to Autistic pupils' experiences of social emotional well-being. Results resonate with both previous research in this area and broader neurodiversity-affirming literature. The project's inclusion of Autistic pupils with complex learning, sensory and regulatory support needs, including those who are non-speaking, also challenges theoretical assumptions that drama-based programmes are not suitable for this population.