Proposing an instructional framework for children with HIV/AIDS

HIV and AIDS infections are becoming an increasing problem all over the world. The education systems of developing countries are particularly burdened with the increased occurrence of the disease among children. The central nervous system is one of the major are as of the body that HIV/AIDS affects. Because scholastic performance is linked closely to the functioning of the brain, it is important to know which areas of the brain are affected by the virus and how the illness manifests, in order to provide an appropriate educational programme for these children. By understanding the weaknesses of HIV/AIDS children within the educational system, educators can focus on their strengths in order to provide these children with a well-structured and effective education. In this article, two researchers from the University of Pretoria, Dr Drienie (H) Naudé, Professor of Educational Psychology, and Dr Resia (E) Pretorius, senior lecturer in the Department of Anatomy, suggest that the receptive language abilities of children with AIDS and HIV infection might be less affected than their expressive and non-verbal skills. From this information, the authors propose an instructional delivery framework for children with HIV/AIDS. Specific recommendations focus on reading, arithmetic/mathematics, handwriting instruction and the use of computers. The aims of this programme are to assist teachers who might be confronted with the learning needs of children with HIV/AIDS and to promote a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the educational needs of this growing population of children.     

Working memory deficits in children with special educational needs

Susan Gathercole and Susan Pickering, of the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Bristol, compared the working memory abilities of children recognised by their schools as having special educational needs with those of children making normal curricular progress. All three components of the working memory model of Baddeley and Hitch (1974) were assessed by administering a working memory test battery when the children were aged seven and eight years. Children recognised as having special educational needs had marked impairments on the working memory measures, and in particular on the tasks tapping the central executive. These findings suggest that poor working memory capacity may be a key feature in unexpected failure to make normal curricular progress, and also indicate the potential utility of working memory assessments in identifying children at risk of low achievement in school in future years.     

The education of children with special educational needs in England

In the last few years, the Warnock Report and the 1981 Education Act have had a major effect on the education of children with special educational needs in English schools. This paper discusses the main points of the Report and the subsequent legislation and then takes examples of three local educational authorities — Leicestershire, Coventry, and Barnsley — to illustrate the range of responses that have been made. Although there is obvious overlap, the three approaches are rather different in emphasis and illustrate the ways in which an educational system based on local autonomy can respond to proposals and legislation made at national level.

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Zusammenfassung Der Warnock Report und das Schulgesetz von 1981 haben an englischen Schulen erheblichen Einfluß auf die Erziehung von Kindern ausgeübt, die einer Sonderschulerziehung bedürfen. Der vorliegende Artikel behandelt die in dem Warnock Report hervorgehobenen Schwerpunkte und die daraus hervorgegangene Gesetzgebung. Um die Verschiedenartigkeit der Reaktionen aufzuzeigen, werden Beispiele von drei kommunalen Erziehungsbehörden (local education authorities) aus Leicestershire, Coventry und Barnsley angeführt. Trotz offensichtlicher Überschneidungen unterscheiden sich die drei o.a. Ansätze in ihrer Akzentuierung; sie zeigen, wie ein auf lokaler Autonomie basierendes Erziehungssystem auf Vorschläge und Gesetzgebung reagieren kann, die auf nationaler Ebene Gültigkeit haben sollen.

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Résumé Au cours des dernières années, le rapport Warnock et la Loi de 1981 sur l'Education ont eu une répercussion remarquable sur l'éducation des enfants ayant des besoins éducatifs spéciaux en Angleterre. Cet article traite les principaux points du rapport et de la législation subséquente et cite en exemples trois autorités éducatives locales — Leicestershire, Coventry et Barnsley — pour illustrer les différentes réponses qui ont été données. Bien que les trois approches se chevauchent clairement, elles se focalisent sur des points plutôt différents, et illustrent les façons dont un système éducatif basé sur une autonomie locale peut répondre aux propositions et à la législation émanant du niveau national.

     

The early academic progress of children with special educational needs

Children with special educational needs (SEN) are known to experience lower average educational attainment than other children during their school years. But we have less insight into how far their poorer educational outcomes stem from their original starting points or from failure to progress during school. The extent to which early identification with SEN delivers support that enables children who are struggling academically to make appropriate progress is subject to debate. This is complicated by the fact that children with SEN are more likely to be growing up in disadvantaged families and face greater levels of behavioural and peer problems, factors which themselves impact attainment and progress through school. In this paper, we evaluate the academic progress of children with SEN in England, drawing on a large‐scale nationally representative longitudinal UK study, the Millennium Cohort Study, linked to administrative records of pupil attainment. Controlling for key child, family and environmental factors, and using the SEN categories employed at the time of data collection, we first establish that children identified with SEN in 2008, when they were age 7, had been assessed with lower academic competence when they started school. We evaluate their progress between ages 5–7 and 7–11. We found that children identified with SEN at age 7 tended to be those who had made less progress between ages 5 and 7 than their comparable peers. However, children with SEN continued to make less progress than their similarly able peers between ages 7 and 11. Implications are discussed.     

Distinctive working memory profiles in children with special educational needs

The working memory skills of children with four categories of special educational needs (SEN) were investigated: general learning difficulties, language problems, literacy problems, and attentional and behavioural problems. Children with general learning difficulties performed poorly on measures of all three components of the working memory model: the phonological loop, central executive, and the visuo‐spatial sketchpad. Children with problems specific to language had impairments of the phonological loop and the central executive only. The working memory abilities of the groups with literacy and behavioural problems fell within the normal range. These findings are explained in terms of specific roles played by components of working memory in supporting learning activities.     

Breaking through: Using educational technology for children with special needs

Barbara Albers Hill markets the book, Breaking Through: Using Educational Technology for Children with Special Needs, as a tool providing assistance with use of educational technology as it relates to children with special needs. The mention of specific special needs, such as children with Autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), leads readers to believe the book will provide detailed information on how educational technology will assist a child according to each specific need. Hill organizes the book in two parts. The first part provides an overview of tablet technology and how to use it to enhance learning for children with special needs. Part two of the book provides the reader with information that will assist a consumer with purchasing the right tablet for the special need. Upon review of the content, the book is less about detail and more about a shopping guide for the consumer as to the best tablet to select for children with special needs.     

Parental views on the statutory assessment and educational planning for children with special educational needs

In Norway more than 95 per cent of the students in each annual school-leaving cohort from the lower secondary school continue on to upper secondary education. The result is that there is a wide range of abilities among the students, and so various forms of adapted teaching are necessary. Each year almost 10 per cent of the new entrants in upper secondary are classified as students with special needs. The main focus of this paper is on how different forms of adaptation influence the flow of special needs students through upper secondary education. Two groups are compared: one with students who in their first year are taught exclusively within ordinary classes, and one with students who receive adapted teaching in small groups outside ordinary classes. The analysis controls for the level of functional difficulties among the students. The study illuminates how the organization of the specially adapted teaching influences successes as well as failures among the students. A sample of special needs students from six Norwegian counties has been followed prospectively through upper secondary education. Results of this follow-up study are presented within a theoretical framework based on transitions in the life course.     

Inclusive education: Ireland's education provision for children with special educational needs

The concept of inclusive education is a relatively new phenomenon within the Irish education system, with considerable developments in government policy only occurring since the early 1990s. These developments are aiming to advance special education provisions and legislation for individuals with disabilities and special educational needs (SEN). This increased attention is illustrated by the Special Education Review Committee (SERC) report, the report of the Government Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities, A Strategy for Equality (1996 Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities (1996) A strategy for equality , Report of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities . [Google Scholar]), the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) Discussion Document (1999), Special Educational Needs: Curriculum Issues, the Education Act, the Equal Status Act and the recently published Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Bill and the Disability Bill (2004). However, despite these advancements in SEN developments, it can be argued that the Irish government and education system still fall short of providing a rights-based education to all children with a disability or SEN in the state. This article discusses the educational provision for children with SEN from 1990 to 2004.     

The Code of Practice: new partnerships for children with special educational needs

Philippa Russell, Director of the Council for Disabled Children, considers the challenges and opportunities within the new Code of Practice for all statutory, professional, voluntary, and parent-led services and organisations concerned with special educational needs.     

Helping social workers address the educational needs of foster children

OBJECTIVE: The main aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Education Initiative, an intervention program in one of the largest urban counties in the US seeking to increase the responsiveness of social workers to the educational needs of foster children. METHOD: A pre-post test control group design was used. Data from case files and social workers were examined at the start of the project and 18 months later to determine changes in social workers' (a) knowledge and practices regarding school programs and services and (b) maintenance of educational records for children on their caseloads. RESULTS: Data were analyzed from approximately 300 case files and over 200 questionnaires completed by social workers. Findings indicated that social workers who received training and had access to an education liaison (1) increased their knowledge about the school system and (2) were more likely to gather current educational data and comment on schooling needs in the case files. On questionnaires measuring knowledge and practices, supervisory social workers showed no gains while case workers increased their levels of knowledge and involvement. CONCLUSIONS: Evaluative data from both sources support the effectiveness of this collaborative model between the school and child welfare agency for addressing the educational needs of foster youth. Social workers in the pilot offices knew more and focused more on the school experience of youth on their caseloads than workers in the control offices. They reported more educational information in the case files and solicited current progress reports from the schools. Discrepancies between worker and school reported performance data raise questions as to whether social workers by themselves are the most effective advocates for foster children.     

Classroom behaviour management strategies in response to problematic behaviours of primary school children with special educational needs: views of special educational needs coordinators

Children identified with special educational needs (SEN) and behavioural difficulties present extra challenges to educators and require additional supports in school. This paper presents views from special educational needs coordinators (SENCos) on various strategies used by educators to support children identified with SEN and problematic behaviours. The data were collected from telephone interviews with six SENCos from the UK’s South West Peninsula. The SENCos were invited to participate because their school was participating in a cluster-randomised trial of a teacher classroom management course (Incredible Years). Using thematic analysis to analyse the data, this paper illustrates strategies deemed by SENCos to be successful in the support of children identified with SEN. The management strategies generated by participating SENCos were then mapped onto those taught as part of the classroom management course for comparison. Findings indicate that strategies from the training programme appear to be appropriate for children identified with both SEN and behavioural difficulties.     

Secondary school transition for children with special educational needs: a literature review

Successful transition from primary to secondary school is important for psychosocial well‐being. Children with special educational needs (SEN) may face additional complexities at transition, although the impact of this process on children's psychosocial adjustment has been underexplored. The article aims to review systematically the literature exploring the impact of transition on the concerns and psychosocial adjustment of children with SEN in comparison to typically developing children. Published studies were identified through a systematic search of six electronic databases. Articles fulfilling inclusion criteria were reviewed and a quality criteria system was developed to rank studies. Children with specific learning difficulties perceive lower levels of social support and more peer victimisation after transition than typically developing children, but methodological limitations and the modest number of studies restricted the conclusions that could be drawn.     

School autonomy and educational inclusion of children with special needs: Evidence from England

In the past few decades, several countries have introduced reforms aimed at increasing school autonomy. We evaluate the effect of the introduction of autonomous academies in England on the educational trajectories of children with special educational needs. This has been done using longitudinal data on all schoolchildren in state schools in England, from the National Pupil Database. The results show that the effects of school autonomy on educational inclusion are not uniform and depend on schools’ previous performance and socio-economic composition. Schools that obtained autonomy under the control of an external sponsor (sponsored academies) were more likely to decrease the proportion of pupils with special needs and remove additional support for them. We do not observe these effects in the schools that voluntarily applied for the more autonomous status (converter academies).     

Science and pre-school children with special educational needs: aspects of home-based teaching sessions

This article focuses upon the role of the peripatetic pre-school teacher for children who have special educational needs. It explores the key issues involved in home-based teaching; the importance of developing meaningful partnerships with parents; early intervention; and the significance of play in promoting learning for young children. The research that informs this article is concerned with the possibility of teaching science to pre-school children with special educational needs. The author, Andrea Bennington, was herself an early years special educational needs inclusion teacher when she undertook the work described here. She is now an advisory teacher for children with physical disabilities. In this example of practitioner research, key scientific concepts are discussed in the context of intervention through play carried out in the home setting. The work focuses on the responses of six children to a sequence of six 'experiments' carried out through a period of teaching. Andrea Bennington asks whether science activities can be used to promote the learning experiences of pre-school children who have special educational needs and, therefore, their inclusion in teaching and learning situations.     

Autonomy,rights and children with special educational needs: the distinctiveness of Wales

ABSTRACT

Wales was the first UK country to incorporate the UNCRC into domestic law and the first to appoint a children’s commissioner. Wales is distinctive in the strong links between education and the promotion of the Welsh language as evidenced in successive Welsh language strategies. With regard to children with special educational needs, the 2018 Additional Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal Act makes provision for children’s voices to be heard in their own right. This paper examines the complexities in hearing the voices of children with severe and profound learning difficulties (SPMLD), and how these can be addressed in the language context of Wales. It concludes that there are cautious grounds for optimism about our ability to hear the views of children with SPMLD, as long as we are prepared to acknowledge the resource implications. However, there is a need for more debate about the potential tensions between the Welsh language strategy and making provision for children with special educational needs in their preferred language. This debate needs to be informed by research on the impact of immersion education on progress, access to the curriculum and inclusion for children with SPMLD, and on their views about all aspects of their provision.     

HIV/AIDS education for health care workers: needs assessment for a model tertiary curriculum

This paper deals with the learning needs of Health Care Workers (HCWs) in the field of HIV/ AIDS. Essentially the paper covers their perceived initial education and training needs at tertiary level through to the continuing vocational professional development of HCWs who are involved in the practice of health care of people living with HIV/AIDS. The focus of the paper provides an illustration of the theme of adult education that searches for roles of social relevance in both a community and continuing professional setting, notably in the context of challenging human needs. In this illustration, the identification of the tertiary level education and training needs of HCWs by the practitioners themselves, as well as other interested stakeholders, is designed to help others who follow them practice with competence and confidence in this complex area of human need. Ultimately the continuing education of HCWs in such a challenging context is concerned with empowering people living with HIV/AIDS to come to realistic and positive terms with their condition.