Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs最新文献

This study aimed to investigate the experiences of education professionals in their efforts to provide education and support to children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and to gain insights into the perceived repercussions of pandemic-related restrictions on the educational development and overall wellbeing of these children. Mixed-methods surveys (N = 100) and semi-structured qualitative interviews (N = 6) were utilised. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Findings indicate substantial challenges faced by education professionals in delivering appropriate and effective education and well-being support to children with SEND during periods of school ‘closures’, resulting in hindered academic progression and adverse impacts on the well-being of children with SEND, their families and the education professionals themselves. It is vital that effective support strategies and appropriate training are implemented, in addition to further research to establish what would be most beneficial for all teachers, and particularly those supporting children with SEND.

It could be argued that autistic females, attending high school, have a distinct set of needs when compared to their male counterparts. The purpose of this review is to synthesise reported findings on what could be considered as effective for supporting the needs of autistic females in high school settings. The review adhered to PRISMA guidelines. Searches identified 12 papers that included direct perspectives of autistic females, their families and the professionals supporting them. Data were analysed using thematic synthesis. The findings indicate seven main themes for support related to: mental health; identification of specific needs and post-diagnostic support; friendship interventions and skills development; tiered support; relationships between home and school; transitions between levels of education; self, peer and staff advocacy, and sense of belonging. Social and emotional experiences of autistic females in high school are key areas to target in ensuring successful education. Findings are discussed in relation to integrated, inclusive practices that high schools may adopt to support this cohort of students. Implications for professional practice, policy and research are discussed, which will be of interest to educators and helping professionals alike.

As schools in Russia become more inclusive for students with special educational needs (SEN), there is a scarcity of research on stakeholders' perspectives. Parents are one of the main actors in education, who possess valuable knowledge about their children and can represent their children's needs in a vicarious manner. This study gives voice to the parents of children with SEN and offers parents' perspectives on the liaison between families and schools. The article focuses on the experience of two families with children with special educational needs (namely, Autistic Spectrum Disorder and intellectual disability). Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires and analysed using the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The main findings demonstrate that parents' expertise is sometimes neglected and marginalized for different reasons and the school system in Russia is rigid and not able to adjust its approaches to different learners as well as address and allay parents' concerns. Lack of direct interaction blocks the pathway for compromises and mutual understanding. In the parents' view, teachers act on their own assumptions which are oftentimes emotionally loaded and not clearly articulated for the parents. However, parents believe that all the actors of the educational process, that is, teachers, learners and parents, would benefit if teacher-parent relationships involved a more sensitive and attentive attitude towards each other's requirements and wishes, providing opportunities for negotiating and discussing arguable issues. The paper demonstrates two cases of misunderstanding between teachers and parents and offers implications for practice in teacher education, policy-making and social work.

Inclusion classes (IC) are one of Greece's most crucial educational inclusion policies. This paper explores the institution of inclusion classes as a supportive educational framework for students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) for their inclusion in the mainstream education system through teachers' conceptualisations. In this research, interpretive phenomenological analysis was used. Nine teachers of inclusive education in primary schools were involved in the study. The results showed that teachers had approached inclusion classes as closed structures with specific clinical criteria for selecting students with SEND and facing institutional barriers. At the same time, participants stressed through their discourse that the attitudes of school community members depend on the characteristics of students with SEND, which sometimes leads to their stigmatisation and categorisation and raises issues of educational and social exclusion. An implication of existing policies is the necessity to incorporate fully inclusive education principles and establish a learning framework of functional emancipatory pedagogical practices.

Although the estimated prevalence of ADHD in the school population is 5%, various studies carried out in Latin America have obtained higher figures. This descriptive-cross-sectional research analysed the prevalence of ADHD symptomatology in a random and probabilistic sample of 1535 schoolchildren from Cuenca-Ecuador (aged from 72 to 164 months, 51.3% were female and 50% attended public schools). IQ was evaluated using the Raven's Progressive Matrices Test. The ADHD symptomatology was evaluated using the short version of Conners-3. Descriptive statistics, chisquares and prevalence data were calculated. We found a total prevalence of ADHD symptomatology of 20.3%. A higher prevalence of ADHD symptomatology was reported among girls compared to boys; and in public schools (compared to private schools). These findings may reflect a higher occurrence of ADHD in vulnerable populations that tend to be less well cared for. Although the results do not come from complete individual clinical evaluations, the representativeness of the sample and the simultaneous presence of scores above the cut-off points in the home and school contexts show a worrying situation that should be taken into account by agents responsible for the design of public health and education policies.

Special education teachers' attitudes to teaching students with disabilities in the regular classroom were investigated alongside demographic characteristics. They had positive attitudes to inclusive teaching, with males, expatriates and Cycle. Two teachers being more positive. Attitudes towards inclusion were not, however, significantly correlated with age, place of residence, education, teaching experience or specialty. These findings offer the Ministry of Education important evidence on teacher attitudes to inclusive education, for the promotion of collaboration, respect and equality. Through inclusion, students with disabilities can form positive relationships with peers and grow to become fully participating members of the learning community.

One prominent change in the amendment to the Special Education Law in the State of Israel (2018) concerns the dissolution of placement committees and their transformation into characterization and eligibility committees. These characterization and eligibility committees determine children's eligibility for special education, whereas parents decide the nature of their school placement. Through in-depth interviews with parents of school-aged children with various disabilities, this study examined parents' perceptions of the change in the law and its effects on their children. The interviews revealed four key findings regarding parents' experiences of shifting to a characterization and eligibility committee. The ramifications of the gap between legislative intentions (top-down educational policy) and parents' experiences as policy subjects (bottom-up educational implementation) are discussed.

Various childhood and education theorists affirm the benefits of hands-on and contextual learning opportunities for children and young people. Learners with special educational needs and disability (SEND) often display low levels of engagement. Teachers may utilise innovative pedagogical approaches to increase learning engagement and participation, such as taking their classes on a school trip. This study explores primary school teachers' views of using school trips to enhance learning and development for learners with SEND in the United Kingdom (UK). A questionnaire was distributed through Microsoft Forms, and 54 primary school teachers from the United Kingdom participated in this study. A range of open-ended and closed questions facilitated the opportunity for the teachers to discuss the benefits and challenges of educational school trips for learners with SEND. The primary school teachers identified extensive affordances of educational school trips, with 100% of participants responding that school trips can have learning and developmental benefits for learners with SEND. Additionally, various skills were identified that the teachers believe school trips facilitate children with SEND to acquire and develop, including social skills. However, the teachers identified challenges and limitations to planning and implementing school trips, including accessibility and socio-economic barriers.

This study investigated teachers' intentions to adopt inclusive teaching practices along with factors affecting teachers' intentions to implement inclusive practices. According to the theory of planned behaviour, an individual's intention can be predicted by their attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control. Using convenience and snowball sampling, 1110 Hong Kong primary and secondary teachers were recruited to complete a 5-part questionnaire for the study. The results show that teachers' intentions were moderate – that is, teachers were somewhat likely to adopt inclusive teaching practices for students with disabilities. Teachers' attitudes (beliefs and feelings), perceived support needs related to expert guidance and teacher self-efficacy (in inclusive instructions, managing behaviour and collaboration) significantly influenced their intentions to use inclusive classroom practices for students with disabilities. The findings of this study provide clear implications to policymakers and teacher-education providers to address teachers' needs and promote the practices of inclusive education.

Over the past few decades, there has been a shift from the traditional family structure, with more acceptance of different structures, including those led by single parents. This qualitative photo-narrative study aimed at making the voices of single mothers raising children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) heard. According to the literature, parenting a child with a disability can be very stressful on several different levels. Seven single mothers living in southern Israel and parenting children with ASD told their life stories and took photographs depicting their motherhood experience. The data underwent thematic content analysis. The main themes that emerged were the shattering of the family dream, the mothers and the educational setting, the present in the shadow of the future, single parents' support resources and the mothers' search for meaning. The data demonstrated that the mothers' daily life was rife with challenges. Providing assistance and support during different stages, including diagnosis, educational transitions and daily struggles, as outlined in the Dual Process Model of Coping with Bereavement, was crucial. The mothers also stressed that they drew strength from their love for their child and their existing support systems.