Special Educational Needs And Disabilities Research Articles

Analytical leapfrogging? A conference presentation about ‘caring on the move’

AbstractThis paper discusses the idea of ‘analytical leapfrogging’ by considering how and why we can sometimes be tempted to jump over or ignore a more formal analytical phase in our research. It does this by discussing a vignette presented in a conference session relating to preliminary research on everyday mobilities, care and children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The paper offers some critical reflections on the implications of refracting early project ideas through our own lived experiences and the significance of our analytical histories in shaping the work that we do.

Personal reflections on inclusion

AbstractThe Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) landscape in England is bleak. Since the COVID‐19 pandemic, the number of pupils with SEND has increased. There is a shortage of places available in specialist SEND provision, and many pupils with SEND are being educated in alternative provision settings which arguably do not meet their needs. Mainstream schools are struggling to meet the needs of pupils with increasingly complex needs and there has been a lack of financial investment in specialist support services, resulting in delays to assessments and interventions. Drawing on personal and lived experience, I argue that impairment can be painful and sometimes disabling. I argue that although social model has made a significant difference to the lives of disabled people, its ambition has not been fully realised. Disabled people still experience discrimination within education, housing, employment and in other areas. I argue that impairment is real, painful and disabling and can result in personal struggle. I therefore make the case that people with impairments require additional support as a ‘step up’ to guarantee equality of opportunity. Urgent investment is required in specialist SEND services to ensure that unnecessary struggle is avoided.

Are school grades correlated with competencies in secondary school pupils with special needs?

IntroductionThe current correlative study investigates whether and to what extent school grades are related to competencies in adolescents with and without special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in inclusive secondary education.MethodsA sample of N = 2,998 adolescents with a mean age of 12 years were longitudinally assessed in German language and Mathematics in a nationwide project on inclusive schooling in Germany in 2018/19 (T1) and 2019/20 (T2) in secondary school. The hypothesis was that competencies and school grades should be significantly correlated in both adolescents with and without SEND, showing the reliability of school grades for either group.Results and discussionStatistical analyses showed (1) all adolescents improved their competencies independently of their SEND status while school grades were moderately stable over time, (2) more variability of competencies and school grades emerged only at the tail ends of the scales of fail and best scores, (3) correlations between competencies and grades were consistently higher in mathematics than in German language for both pupils with and without SEND indicating a more objective and reliable measure.

Enhancing public dialogue about inclusion in school education: a citizens’ panel pilot

IntroductionThis paper reports on a small-scale Citizens’ Panel pilot project using deliberative democratic methods to produce policy ideas about inclusion in school education of young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEN/D) in England. The project had two aims: (i) to obtain information about modifying a Citizens’ Panel process to enhance the effective participation of young people with SEN/D; and (ii) to generate more nuanced, grounded and integrated policy ideas about inclusion than can be found in recent English school education policy.MethodsThe Citizens’ Panel was a two phase deliberative process. Phase 1 involved working with six young people with SEN/D and their parents/carers to shape the Citizens’ Panel agenda, and to obtain information about how they could participate and communicate their perspectives during the events. Phase 2 involved the delivery of the Citizens’ Panel itself, which comprised 28 people: the six young people from phase 1, plus four young people without SEN/D, 13 parents/carers, and five education professionals.ResultsThe process evaluation revealed the need for and impact of meticulous planning using a differentiated and strengths-based approach to design. While participants reported that taking part in the Citizens’ Panel was overall, a positive and worthwhile experience, the differentiated approach involved trade-offs that affected the experiences of some participants without SEN/D, though not detrimentally. The panel produced distinctive ideas about more inclusive schools, where almost all of the themes were about general school changes for everyone. Most general themes involved some specific SEN/D aspects, with only one theme being SEN/D specific. This paper illustrates how these ideas are more nuanced, grounded and integrated than those in current national policy.DiscussionThis paper provides evidence of how deliberative approaches can be used within and between schools, groups of schools (e.g., multi academy trusts), local networks (including local authorities), as well as at the national level. Lessons drawn show how deliberative methods used by advocacy groups, protest movements and non-governmental organisations in support of more transformational change can be developed in ways that enable young people with SEN/D to participate and have their voices heard.

The academic achievement gap between students with and without special educational needs and disabilities

ABSTRACT Legislative frameworks in England have been designed to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Despite efforts from policy makers, achievement gaps persist between students with SEND and their typically developing peers. This study examines the extent and persistence of academic achievement gaps between students with various SEND classifications and their peers. Utilising data from the National Pupil Database, a comprehensive analysis of approximately 2.5 million Year 6 students across four academic years was conducted. The analysis focused on reading, mathematics, and writing achievements, exploring variations by SEND type and assessing changes over time. The findings revealed substantial, persistent gaps across all examined subjects, with the largest discrepancies noted in students with intellectual disabilities. Although some variability was observed based on the type of SEND, all students with SEND performed, on average, below their peers, with gaps widening over the examined period. The results underscore the need for a critical re-evaluation of educational practices and policies intended to support students with SEND.

‘Release them into the wild, but how far can they go?’ Improving social and emotional mental health through teaching bushcraft skills to children with special educational needs and disability: a preliminary case series evaluation study

ABSTRACT Previous research indicates that outdoor activity and learning programmes are a beneficial educational approach, but studies have neglected to consider how well this approach may address the social, emotional and mental health needs of children with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND). In this study, seven Key-Stage 3 children with SEND (aged 11 to 14) from a special educational needs provision within a mainstream school attended a five-week ‘bushcraft’ programme. Standardised psychometric measures of self-concept were completed by children before and after the intervention, and teachers rated pupils’ stress levels before and after. Results indicate that the programme was associated with a range of mental health, social and emotional benefits, suggesting that teaching bushcraft skills to this group is an acceptable, feasible and effective intervention leading to improvements in social and emotional function and mental health in children with SEND. Directions for future programme development and evaluation are considered.

How signature strengths develop positive interdependence and empowerment in an inclusive education context

AbstractThis study evaluates the Individual Strengths, Collective Power! program in fostering students' use of strengths vocabulary and improving classroom relationships in an inclusive education setting in Switzerland, where students with and without special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) attend school together. The study involved 179 students, ages 8 to 12, divided into an experimental group that received specific training and an active control group that had access to program resources, regardless of their SEND status. The study used the Strengths Use Scale (SUS) and the Gratitude Questionnaire to measure students' awareness of their strengths and gratitude. In addition, a sociometric measure, the Peer Acceptance Index (PAI), was developed to assess classroom dynamics. Results indicate that strengths‐based interventions significantly expanded students' vocabulary of strengths and increased positive discourse, particularly among girls. Time and age were the main predictors of positive peer commentary, rather than the interventions themselves, which had no significant effect on PAI scores. The study suggests that strengths‐based tools, even without guided use, can positively influence students' language about strengths, although they did not change classroom relationships within the 9‐week period. Further research is recommended to explore the specific effects and mechanisms of strengths‐based interventions in inclusive settings.

Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication between Coach and Trainees during Swimming Lessons

The article presents the process of communication between the coach and the trainees during swimming lessons. The focus falls on verbal communication through the use of terminology specific to the sport and non-verbal communication through the implementation of particular signs. Swimming is a sport that is a 465 Биляна Рангелова, Красимира Дешева, Петър Тодоров combination of specific physical movements of the body and a specific technique for breathing and exhaling in a non-human environment – water. Furthermore, swimming is suitable for practicing by children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), due to the fact that it allows the achievement of social integration, on the one hand, and the development of the physical condition of the body, on the other. Practicing the sport of swimming poses various challenges, as the person with SEND may have one or more disabilities that require an individual approach. Practicing the sport in an aquatic environment further complicates the communication between a coach and a trainee. In this respect, both verbal and non- verbal communication can be used. For instance, with visually impaired children, communication involves verbal commands and instructions that must be clear and understandable. For children with impaired hearing and/or speech, communication is carried out through gestures and facial expressions similar to sign language. The article will review the literature on the problem and will provide practical examples of the application of different types of communication during swimming lessons. The article has been written as part of the activities of the project “Innovative system of verbal and non-verbal means of communication within physical education and sports activities for children with SEND”, financed by the SUMMIT Sofia University Marking Momentum for Innovation and Technological Transfer Project.

What are the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the development of children with special educational needs and disabilities from parents’ experiences? An integrative review

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic led the United Kingdom (UK) into a national lockdown in March 2020. The UK government has acknowledged that children and young people (CYP) with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) were left behind during the pandemic. This integrative literature review aims to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the development of CYP with SEND from parents’ experiences. The review included 14 papers: quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods. Parents’ experience of the COVID-19 pandemic was mostly negative; CYP were left behind, experienced reduced or suspended services, and loss of social interactions and support networks. However, a few parents reported some positive effects; families could spend more time together, and children experienced reduced anxiety as strict routines were relaxed. Most papers identified were completed during or just after the first lockdown. Therefore, none of the papers included whether CYP’s development has been affected in the longer term.

Is inclusive education for children with special educational needs and disabilities an impossible dream?

Countries have been implementing inclusive educational practices for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) for at least 30 years. Some issues continue to present as unresolved and will be examined in this paper with possible ways forward suggested. 1. There is still a lack of clarity around the definition of inclusion, its theoretical underpinnings, its implementation in practice and evaluation of success. 2. Teachers often still report the same problems of insufficient resources and express the same concerns about lack of skills and knowledge as reported in the early days. 3. A key question is, do children with SEND achieve better outcomes in inclusive educational settings? The paper argues that an overarching executive framework applied to the education of children with SEND is needed to provide a common frame of reference that can be shared by educators, policymakers and researchers. New ways of resourcing inclusion are discussed including supporting collaboration between mainstream and special schools to better utilize the expertise located in special schools. The paper examines the evidence for improved academic and social outcomes for learners with SEND in inclusive schools and proposes that psychological outcomes now need to be measured too. It further suggests that future research needs to drill down to the level of teacher classroom instruction rather than rely on the broader mainstream school-special school comparison.

Perspectives of young people with SEND on a supported internship programme in the UK

AbstractIndividuals with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are currently underrepresented in employment, and supported internships have been promoted to increase the likelihood of young people with SEND gaining paid employment. The SEND Code of Practice and the Preparing for Adulthood agenda emphasise the need to improve future outcomes for young people with SEND. This study explored young people's views on a supported internship programme and perceived facilitators or barriers to preparing for adulthood. A qualitative approach was adopted, analysing semi‐structured interviews with eight young people with SEND on one supported internship programme. The findings indicated that the young people positively evaluated the supported internship, appreciating the availability of opportunities and the support provided while on the programme. Perceived barriers included adults not understanding or meeting their needs, perceptions of still being treated like children and the lack of availability of certain opportunities. Findings are discussed with relevance to existing research, and implications for practice and future research are also outlined.

Martial Arts Interventions for Inclusion and Wellness: A Case of Children with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND)

AbstractMartial arts are a Broad set of Activities that Offer the Opportunity to Engage in a Physical Activity that can Produce a Range of Benefits for Young People. The Broad Nature of Martial arts also Brings Merits to Children with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) as they have an Opportunity to Engage Better in more Activities and are not Limited to just Traditional Physical Activity Offered in Their Educational Settings. This Paper Draws on the Literature to show how Martial arts is Linked to Leisure Research and how it also fits into the Realm of Wellness Benefits for Young Children on SEND. The Paper Highlights the Potential Benefits of Martial arts Interventions and Discusses its Usefulness in Promoting Inclusion. The Preliminary Findings from a Pilot Study Suggest that SEND Children do Indicate some Changes in Their Behaviours through the Martial arts Interventions. Reduced Scores were Observed in Areas around those that might Cause Anxiety, Anger and Frustration, whilst Excitement and Calmness was Improved. The Reactions of Carers and Teaching Assistants Displayed Improvements in Anxiety and Positive Behaviours.

Formative Evaluation of an Interactive Personalised Learning Technology to Inform Equitable Access and Inclusive Education for Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

AbstractIn accordance with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal for Education, to promote equitable access and inclusive education for all, it is critical to explore if educational technologies can be used effectively by children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). It has been argued that educational technologies need to be tailored to the individual needs of children with SEND, otherwise they can create new layers of exclusion at school. The aim of this study was to examine the suitability of an interactive, personalised, educational technology, designed to support the learning of foundational skills, that is being introduced in several countries worldwide, for use by children with SEND. A participatory formative evaluation was conducted with ten academic experts in SEND. Each expert interacted with the technology individually, then gave written feedback through a semi-structured review form, before engaging with the other experts in an online group discussion. Qualitative data were analysed by reflexive thematic analysis. Six themes emerged pertaining to the strengths of the educational technology and areas of weakness where improvements are needed to support children with vision impairment, hearing, and functional difficulties through recommended hardware, and software updates, and by considering how the technology could be used to boost children’s motivation, and the role of the teacher in supporting children with SEND to use the technology effectively. Implications for instructional design decisions, based on research evidence, are considered for promoting equitable access and inclusive education for children with SEND through technology-supported personalised learning platforms.

My Perfect Partner: Using Creative Methods to Address Gender Based Violence

Young people aged 16-24 are most at risk of relationship abuse and intimate partner violence, The UK definition of domestic violence includes incidences of abuse between people aged 16 or over, but young people below the age of 16 are also at risk of relationship abuse. Relationship education became compulsory in schools in England and Wales in September 2020. There is increasing recognition of the need for whole school approaches to prevent gender-based violence from happening in the first place, and for equipping schools to teach relationship education and to feel more confident supporting young people affected by gender-based violence (GBV). Drawing on our experiences of delivering relationship education in both mainstream and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) schools in England since 2012, this paper argues creative arts-based methods can be an effective tool in DA prevention and intervention. The paper explores young peoples views of healthy and unhealthy relationships, and ideals of the 'perfect partner', mediated through gender, body image and social media. We present material co-produced with young people in school, including art, drama, poetry and song. We discuss how creative methods are useful as both a research and prevention tool, and the social impact of research derived knowledge on both participants and the wider school community.

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Mental Health and Wellbeing of Children with Special Education Needs and Disabilities: A Systematic Review

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has impacted greatly the mental health of children. We performed a systematic review to better understand the impact of the pandemic on children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) across different SEND categories. Following PRISMA guidelines, of 1699 search results, 66 studies were included in our analysis as they met our inclusion criteria concerning: a) children with SEND; b) focus on COVID-19; c) longitudinal or cross-sectional design; d) quantitative or qualitative measures; and e) mental health or well-being outcomes. Our review suggests that there was a typically negative impact on mental health and well-being for children with SEND, yet experiences varied on the basis of individual differences, rather than category of SEND. Findings highlight the need for interventions and policy implementations to improve the everyday mental well-being of this population.

Promoting social and emotional learning in pupils with disability. Special teachers’ perceptions and practices

Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are at risk for emotional, behavioural and social difficulties. Social and emotional learning (SEL) may be particularly beneficial to fostering these children’s resilience. Given the importance of teacher’s role in promoting SEL, the present study aimed to explore special teachers’ perceptions of SEL and the practices they use to enhance their pupils’ social and emotional skills. Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews with 15 Greek primary and secondary education special teachers and were analysed with the use of reflexive thematic analysis. The findings of the study revealed that the special teachers considered the creation of a supportive school environment a key prerequisite to addressing the pupils’ with SEND needs. They perceived SEL as a process aiming to the development of social and emotional skills which contributes to pupils’ emotional development and social inclusion. Although they used a number of practices for this purpose, their efforts were often hindered by the lack of collaboration with general education teachers and their limited knowledge on SEL. The findings are discussed with respect to the need to enhance cooperation between the members of the school community and teachers’ training on SEL.

School‐based anti‐bullying approaches for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities: A systematic review and synthesis

AbstractMainstream anti‐bullying interventions can reduce primary school‐level victimisation by 15–16% and bullying perpetration by 19%–20% (Aggression and Violent Behavior, 2019; 45: 111–133). Less is known about anti‐bullying interventions for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) even though they are at least 2–4 times more likely to be involved in bullying. This systematic review aimed to identify reported anti‐bullying approaches for pupils with SEND, what the evidence is for these approaches reducing bullying and which design factors are linked to a reduction in bullying. We searched 10 databases and four grey literature sources for articles that evaluated school‐based anti‐bullying strategies for children and young people aged 4–18 years with SEND. This review included 15 studies and used the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool for quality and risk of bias. Ten reported a reduction in bullying involvement, but the evidence was variable. A further 27 articles formed a ‘suggested strategies’ review which synthesised articles without evaluations of interventions but that suggested anti‐bullying strategies for use with pupils with SEND. The main suggestion was encouraging social skills and networks. Interventions should be evaluated for feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness. High‐quality randomised controlled trials are required to build an evidence base to support pupils with SEND.

Views and experiences of teachers working with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pupils with SEND

In contemporary discourse, sexuality is being presented as something fluid, with research persisting in framing sexuality as negotiable to some extent. This way of examining sexuality is problematic because as one discovers how identity changes, a certain terminology, such as ‘trend’ or ‘phase’ becomes prominent giving the illusion Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans + (LGBT+) pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) are easily influenced and too immature to form LGBT+ identities because of their SEND. Educators viewing sexuality and gender identity as a phase/trend can result in providing limited support due to the misconception that information about LGBT+ concepts is unimportant for pupils with SEND or that one can simply stop being LGBT+. This paper discusses Special Educational Needs (SEN) teachers’ views involving their pupils’ ways of exploring their LGBT+ identities and examines how this links to the misconception of their sexuality and gender as a phase/a trend due to their SEND. The paper is framed by intersectionality which allows for a detailed analysis of how identities interact when used as an analytic tool. The paper calls for more nuanced thinking of sexuality and gender in the lives of LGBT+ pupils with SEND, which will help to decrease inequality.

Teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education of children with special educational needs and disabilities in central Asia

Teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education, particularly towards students with special educational needs and disability (SEND), have become a focus of research in the past years. In many countries, the process of the implementation of inclusive education has either not been smooth or, in some cases, stalled by negative attitudes of teachers. Teachers are regarded as key drivers of the implementation of inclusive education as they are at schools and classrooms, which are strategic delivery points. Central Asian countries have embarked on a process of implementing inclusive education in their respective education systems. Therefore, in this quantitative study, using regression analysis, and one-way ANOVA, the attitudes of eight hundred and sixty-nine (869) teachers from Central Asian countries i,e Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan were surveyed. The analysis shows a noticeable shift from the segregation strategy embedded in defectology to inclusion and equity for students with SEND. However, the teachers’ attitudes still vary, the teachers could be classified into six groups according to their settings towards inclusive education.

To what extent do England's local offer websites adhere to the statutory guidance as set out in the special educational needs and disabilities code of practice?

AbstractIn England the 2014 Children and Families Act introduced wide ranging changes to the assessment of and provision for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Guidance underpinning implementation was then published in the Code of Practice. Our study focuses on a key component of that legislation, known as the ‘local offer’, which requires local authorities to establish and maintain, clear, comprehensive, accessible and up to date information for children and young people with SEND, and their families, about available SEND provision. Local authorities are expected to involve children and young people and their families in co‐designing and reviewing their local offer, alongside other key stakeholders, to ensure provision is responsive to local needs and aspirations. To support our assessment of local offers we first established six categories based on the criteria in the Code of Practice about expected availability of SEND‐related information (e.g. financial support, health service information, accessibility information). We used these categories to evaluate the relevant local offer websites of all 151 English local authorities with legal responsibilities for SEND assessment and provision. We further assessed whether each local offer website included three common website accessibility functions. Our findings demonstrate variation in the availability of information at local authority level, therefore limiting the ability of some young people and families to make informed decisions about the support available to them. This provides further evidence to support growing concerns about ‘postcode lottery’ inequities for families and their children with SEND.