Special Educational Needs And Disabilities Research Articles

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.

‘Trying to stay afloat’: Education professionals' perspectives on the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on children with special educational needs and disabilities

AbstractThis 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.

Grandparenting children with typical development and special educational needs and disabilities

ABSTRACT The study compares the experiences of two groups of grandparents, one with a typically developing (TD) grandchild and one with a grandchild with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The extent and the kind of grandparents’ involvement, the quality of their relationship and the factors that could contribute to the quality were assessed. The study took place in Greece, a country with strong familial ties. 104 grandparents with a TD and 53 with a grandchild with SEND completed a structured questionnaire. The results revealed that grandparents are an important source of support in both groups. They are actively involved in the care and daily life of their grandchild. They are mentors and provide financial support especially to their grandchild with SEND. They enjoy a close relationship with their grandchild but the quality of the relationship was higher in the TD group. The knowledge of the grandchild and a close relationship with the parents were predictors of an emotionally close relationship with the grandchild in both groups. The findings of the study suggest that grandparents are actively involved in the upbringing of their grandchildren. Professionals and community services should recognize their contribution and provide them with skills, support and encouragement.

Investigating the academic attainment and progress of children in receipt of individual counselling: A matched comparison study of primary school age children in England

AbstractIntroductionIn 2016, the UK government identified the need for counselling services in schools to be evidence‐based (Department for Education, 2016). While there is more empirical evidence on counselling and improvement in mental health (Daniunaite et al., Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 2015, 15, 251; Finning et al., European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2022, 31, 1591), less is known about the associations of counselling with children's academic attainment and progress.MethodThe aim of the paper was to provide more pieces of evidence on the possible associations between school‐based individual counselling and the academic attainment and progress of primary school–aged children. The academic outcomes of children receiving one‐to‐one counselling were compared with those of children who did not receive counselling, but who had similar background characteristics. Coarsened exact matching method was used to match similar children for these comparisons based on national data sets available in England. Data were analysed with inferential statistics and multilinear regression.FindingsBefore matching the samples, analyses revealed children attending Place2Be's counselling services were significantly more likely to be boys (56.6% vs. 51.1%), of ethnic minority origin (46.4% vs. 21.5%), eligible for free school meals (FSM; 52.7% vs. 16.9%) and have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) status (43.1% vs. 21.1%) than the comparison group. They also had lower academic attainment than children who were not in counselling. However, after a coarsened exact matching on relevant background characteristics, the Place2Be sample was found to have similar levels of academic progress to the matched national sample, suggesting they did not fall behind similar children.ConclusionsFindings indicate that individual school‐based counselling may be helpful as a potential intervention for supporting vulnerable children's (defined as those identified by schools or parents as in need of individual counselling) academic progress in primary schools, as well as socio‐emotional outcomes; however, further research is needed.

Inclusion in education: Its bonds and bridges

Social AbstractSocial capital is one of the core concepts in the studies of education. This concept is broadly used in relation to inclusion. At the same time, the analysis of social capital of parents of children enrolled in mainstream schools in post-socialist countries is still missing in the literature. Based on a survey carried out in Russian mainstream schools in 2020 – 2021 by means of regression analysis with interaction terms and principal component analysis, we attempt to fill in this gap by examining and comparing social capital types among the parents of children with and without special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). On the one hand, the parents of a child with SEND have limited access to social capital resources. On the other hand, the level of structural social capital is higher for this group of parents as compared with those who have a child without SEND. This indicates that parents of children with SEND seek to interact with other parents more often than parents of children without SEND and are more actively involved in activities of public organizations and associations. When school policies prove to be more accessible and inclusive, parents of children with SEND decrease their bonding and increase bridging ties. This study outlines the main challenges of acquiring the social capital in post-socialist cultural and political context and formulates recommendations on how to facilitate social capital of families of children with SEND.

Family quality of life and family-school collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic: perceptions of Swedish parents of adolescents with special educational needs

IntroductionCompared to other countries, Sweden did not introduce sudden lockdowns and school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the country chose a less restrictive approach to managing the pandemic, such as staying at home with any symptoms of cold or COVID-19, washing hands, and maintaining social distancing. Preschools and compulsory schools remained open. In this context, limited evidence exists about how Swedish families of students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) experienced collaboration with school professionals to support their children during the COVID-19, and how the pandemic affected parents’ perceptions of quality of their family life. The present study investigated parental perceptions of satisfaction with family-school collaboration and with family quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsTwenty-six parents of students with SEND who attended general lower secondary schools (grades 7-9) completed a survey using three measures: the demographic questionnaire, the Beach Center Family Quality of Life scale (FQOL), and the Family-School Collaboration scale – the adapted version of the original Beach Center Family-Professional Partnership Scale. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations were used to analyse data.ResultsParents felt less satisfied with family-school collaboration related to child-oriented aspects; they were least satisfied with their emotional well-being aspect of family quality of life. Strong, significant and positive associations were found between family-school collaboration and disability-related support aspect of FQOL.DiscussionThe findings point to the importance of family-school partnerships in promoting students’ positive school achievements, and in enhancing FQOL. The findings have practical implications for professional development of pre- and in-service teachers within the existing curricula of teacher preparation programs. Implications for further research are discussed given the study’s small sample size and challenges in recruitment of participants.

‘Trips are the thing we all remember from our school days’: The learning value of school trips for children with special educational needs from the perspective of primary school teachers

AbstractVarious 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.

Failing children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in England: New evidence of poor outcomes and a postcode lottery at the Local Authority level at Key Stage 1

AbstractThis paper sets out original findings from analyses of the English National Pupil Database of Key Stage 1 (KS1) attainment, to examine educational outcomes of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The schooling of these children has been entirely within the context of the current SEND system, defined by the 2014–2015 policy of the Children and Families Act and Code of Practice. With a strong focus on children's needs and outcomes, the policy intends to achieve high educational outcomes for children with SEND. Our new results show, however, that children with SEND are one of the most disadvantaged groups in education, and they are far less likely to meet expected learning standards than their peers at KS1. For instance, about 44%, 31% and 23% of children with SEND met the standards in phonics, reading and writing, respectively, compared to 88%, 83% and 78% of children with no SEND. Further, our spatial analysis shows for the first time that this disadvantage displays large spatial variability across Local Authorities: there is a postcode lottery in the education of children with SEND. The new findings provide strong evidence that the new SEND policy is failing many children with SEND, and that this performance varies markedly across space. This adds further weight and evidence to a growing recognition, even from government, that the SEND system needs to change, and that the ambitious aims of the transformation of education and care for children with SEND in 2014 and 2015 are not being realised.

How Does Studying Online Affect the Well-Being of Students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities?

The current paper aimed to explore the impact of studying online during the coronavirus pandemic on the well-being of a sample of students (n=74) who were classified as students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in five Dubai-based schools. An online 18-item Likert scale survey was developed and distributed among participants; however, this resulted in no statistically significant findings. However, there was a slight negative trend, suggesting that the students’ well-being was somewhat affected by studying alone in an online context. Ultimately, the study recommended the need to provide counselling programs to improve the well-being of the students with SEND due to the circumstances imposed on them by the pandemic; and highlights the need for more support services for these students when they study online.

Special educational needs and youth justice: How effective is the code of practice at supporting the resettlement population? A conceptual review

This paper is a conceptual evaluation of the 2014 code of practice for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The focus of the evaluation is the efficacy of the code for the youth justice population of England, with an emphasis on the resettlement cohort of young people leaving prison. The resettlement cohort has a range of complex needs, including SEND. These needs are reflected in the code of practice, which creates statutory expectations regarding SEND support for young people transitioning through resettlement. The paper uses secondary evidence to consider the efficacy of the code of practice.

Modifying physical activities for maximizing learning opportunities: perspectives of Finnish physical educators and special educators on inclusive teaching strategies

ABSTRACT Background Recent curricular reforms have aimed to make the Finnish education system more inclusive which requires the implementation of differentiated and individualized teaching practices within schools. In Finland, as it is internationally, efforts have been made to increase adaptive teaching strategies and collaborative practices between different professionals in the physical education (PE) context. So far, current research has revealed significant findings on how pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can be successfully included in integrated/mainstream PE settings, focusing mainly on the perspectives of PE teachers. In comparison, little attention has been paid to the instructional strategies of different pedagogues involved in the PE classroom. Besides, little is known about how inclusive learning environments with an all-embracing approach that goes beyond the inclusion of pupils with SEND can be created in practice. Paying greater attention to these issues holds strong potential to enrich the existing knowledge regarding instructional strategies in PE and could help other teachers justify their educational choices. Methodology Drawing on the data from a multiple case study in a Finnish context, we explore how four PE teachers and four special education teachers attempted to work inclusively within PE. Document analysis of the current Finnish national curriculum and semi-structured interviews with special and physical education teachers were used to extend the current understanding of pedagogical practices for dealing with diversity in PE. The interviews have been content-analysed adopting deductive-inductive approach utilizing the TREE model and the Inclusion Spectrum. Findings The results of the present study illuminate how PE and special educators often showed willingness to modify the physical activities to meet the individual needs of all learners in PE which included the rules, equipment, and environmental modifications. The findings highlight the variety of instructional strategies used among participants in the PE context. Both teacher professions take individual responsibility for the teaching activities, but their traditional role as independent and autonomous professionals may also be an obstacle for collaboration. This research also identified the important role of collaborative structures and cultures which requires critical reflections of the individual aims and a shared vision of inclusive teaching. Conclusion Overall, this paper contributes to a growing body of pedagogical research portraying the perspectives of PE and special educators involved in the PE classroom. Future research should further examine the perspectives of different professionals as it may contribute to a more comprehensive perspective on diversity and inclusive teaching strategies.

Young people's views and experiences of person‐centred planning: A systematic literature review

AbstractPerson‐centred planning (PCP) is both a philosophy and method of service delivery across varied contexts. It is used in pathway planning for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to promote positive transition outcomes. Due to idiosyncratic use, it is unclear how PCP meetings are organised and structured and to what extent this reflects fidelity to PCP as a philosophy. It is also unclear how young people experience PCP meetings and how this impacts transition. To explore this further, a systematic literature review was undertaken from which six studies were included and their data reported using PRISMA guidelines. Drawing upon Gestalt theory as an interpretive lens, findings from these studies suggest that PCP meetings comprise intersecting ‘foreground’ and ‘background’ elements, making PCP meetings a complex space requiring skilled facilitation. Limitations and recommendations for further research and practice are included.