Establishing a research base: school counsellors and students with disabilities

ABSTRACT Background Research suggests that school counsellors can have a positive influence on students’ academic, social-emotional and career development. Although school counsellors have had long-standing direct and indirect involvement in providing support and services to students with disabilities (SWD), research into how school counsellors directly support SWD remains relatively limited. Purpose In this study, we sought to review studies that examined school counsellors’ support and services for SWD by analysing topic coverage, methods and findings to discern the existing research base. Design and methods A systematic identification and review of research focused on studies about school counsellors and their support and services for SWD. A thematic analysis with an inductive approach was employed to uncover studies’ patterns and content. Findings In total, 32 studies were eligible for inclusion in the review. Analysis revealed that these studies were clustered into four themes: (a) interventions involving school counsellors; (b) school counsellors’ perceptions and roles; (c) school counsellors’ support of SWD through career development, transition or graduation; and (d) students’ or parents’ perceptions about school counsellors. Of the 32 studies, over half included surveys, primarily eliciting perceptions and attitudinal information from school counsellors, whilst fewer than one-quarter featured data about school counsellors delivering interventions to SWD. Conclusions Our review suggests that a substantial evidence base in this area has not yet been established, meaning that minimal research has taken place to guide school counsellors regarding support and services for SWD. Implications include a call to researchers to expand the supply of high-quality and rigorous studies focused on school counsellors and SWD, especially intervention studies, subsequently leading towards research-informed practices.