Social acceptance and the choosing of favourite classmates: a comparison between students with special educational needs and typically developing students in a context of full inclusion

Empirical data on the effects of inclusion regarding the social participation of typically developing students and those with special educational needs are still controversial. While some studies suggest that the more extensive the inclusion, the higher the social position of students with special educational needs, evidence from other studies indicates that the full inclusion of students with special educational needs into ordinary schools is not sufficient, per se, to increase their social participation. In this study, we set out to investigate the social position of students with special educational needs and typically developing students studying in regular classroom environments in Italian primary and secondary schools. Given that being accepted is far from the same as being chosen, besides examining rates of acceptance and rejection, we also considered the choices made by students regarding their favourite classmates. The results demonstrated that students with special educational needs are significantly less accepted and are very rarely chosen as favoured classmates by their typically developing counterparts. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.     

The role of a sense of school belonging in understanding the effectiveness of inclusion of children with special educational needs

This review integrates theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence of a sense of school belonging (SOSB) to highlight its importance in understanding the inclusion efficacy research for pupils with special educational needs (SEN). Specifically, it examines the role of a SOSB on pupils' cognitive, affective, behavioural and social developmental outcomes. In addition, it considers the inclusion efficacy research regarding the outcome of mainstream and special education for pupils with SEN. In turn, the review synthesises the two areas of research on school belongingness and inclusion to suggest that a SOSB is important in understanding the relationship between school placement and developmental outcomes for pupils with SEN.     

The placement of secondary school students with Statements of special educational needs in the more diversified system of English secondary schooling

This article examines the pattern of placement of students with significant special educational needs at Statement and School Action Plus levels in English secondary schools, comparing sponsored and converter academies, maintained schools and the newly created free schools, studio schools and university technical colleges for 2013 and 2014. The analysis shows a clear pattern of differences: converter academies (which are governed by their own governing body) had significantly lower proportions of students with significant special educational needs overall than maintained (those remaining under local authority management) and sponsored academies (those considered to be weak/failing schools forced to become academies with outside sponsors that oversee the schools). There was a similar pattern of findings for most areas of special educational needs, except visual impairment and autistic spectrum disorder. The pattern of placement of students with Statements in the newly created free schools also showed that some free schools have unusually high proportions of students with special educational needs. These findings are discussed in terms of the increasing stratification of English secondary schools and the potential of small secondary schools to be more inclusive.     

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).     

Effects of inclusion on students with and without special educational needs reviewed

In many countries, education policies are shifting towards inclusive education. Human rights have always been an important argument for this development, but the effects on students should be an important factor when designing policies. In this review, therefore, literature on the effects of inclusion on both students with and without special educational needs is described. The review covers not only effects on cognitive development, but also socio-emotional effects. In general, the results show neutral to positive effects of inclusive education. The academic achievement of students with and without special educational needs seems to be comparable to non-inclusive classes or even better in inclusive classes. However, there may be some differential effects for high- and low-achieving students without special educational needs. Regarding social effects, children with special educational needs seem to have a less favourable social position than children without special educational needs.     

Classroom effects are as large as grade-level effects on curriculum-based measurement maze reading scores of secondary school students with and without special educational needs

Background

Previous studies used curriculum-based measurement (CBM) maze scores as an indicator of the reading comprehension level of secondary school students with and without special educational needs in multiple grades, pinpointing a high influence of both student- and context-related variables. However, studies on cumulative influence are necessary for better understanding of data-based decision-making.

Methods

We examined a sample of 1066 secondary school students using four linear mixed-effect models: How much variance in maze scores exists between multiple student characteristics (i.e., gender, immigration background, learning disability and developmental language disorder) and context variables (i.e., classroom, grade and school type) across Grades 5–8?

Results

The intra-class correlation (ICC) results show that the influence by the context-related variable classroom (ICC = .094) is almost as large as by the variable grade level (ICC = .126). School type (i.e., inclusive school vs. special school) has the least influence (ICC = .02). In addition, the effects of student-related variables explain only a small proportion of the variance (marginal R² = .114).

Conclusions

Maze scores can be used as a screening instrument for students with multiple characteristics across grades; they also show that it makes no difference which type of school students attend. As teachers and further classroom-related variables have almost as much influence as grade level, we discuss that teachers can minimise classroom effects by using maze scores as a formative approach.     

‘Nowhere that fits’: the dilemmas of school choice for parents of children with Statements of special educational needs (SEN) in England

Giving parents a choice with regard to their children's education has been central to the political discourse of school reform at least since the 1988 Education Reform Act (ERA). With regard to children with a Statement of special educational needs (SSEN), a plethora of policies and laws have given parents the right not only to choose a school, but also to appeal to decisions in the best interest of their children. Yet, despite the discourse of school choice, the implementation and practice of such reforms is neither assured nor simple. Participants in this study indicated that they have little choice of suitable provision and are having to compromise either the academic or the social aspects of their child's schooling. This article argues that for many parents whose children have a Statement of SEN, the choice of a school is often a dilemma, as ‘nowhere seems to fit’.     

High school transition – an intervention that empowers children with special educational needs and improves school practice

This article discusses the process and results of a junior school initiative from a local authority in the East of England, to ensure that vulnerable pupils in the school experience a successful transition to high school. The resulting project is the consequence of an inter‐organisational collaboration between the junior school, a secondary school and the local educational psychology service. The transition intervention, which is the first product of this project, was borne from the ideas of year 7 students with special educational needs, which were analysed and presented visually into a transition booklet, later used in the intervention with year 6 pupils. At the end of the intervention, the year 6 pupils provided feedback, which informed first changes in the intervention. Overall, the intervention was successful and because of the interest drawn, it was decided to extend the initiative to other schools with year 6 pupils.     

Peer relationships of students with intellectual disabilities in special needs classrooms – a systematic review

Students with intellectual disabilities (ID) often experience difficulties in their peer relationships at school. Although a broad knowledge base on peer relationships in inclusive classrooms exists, much less is known about peer relationships in special needs classrooms. We conducted a systematic review of the literature on peer relationships in special needs classrooms for students with ID. Studies that provided information on social status, social interactions, friendships, or the classroom networks of students with ID in special needs classrooms were included. Findings from 36 studies suggest that students with ID in special needs classrooms develop and maintain differentiated peer relationships. The characteristics of these peer relationships vary depending on student (e.g., cognitive skills) and classroom factors (e.g., type of special needs classroom). Results are discussed in terms of their relevance for supporting peer relationships between students with ID. Future directions for studying peer relationships in special needs classrooms are proposed.     

Blame,guilt and the need for ‘labels’; insights from parents of children with special educational needs and educational practitioners

Previous research on home–school relationships and blame has concentrated on the experiences of parents with children with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD). This has led to the voices of educational practitioners, as well as parents of children with other special educational needs, being neglected. This article, by Karen Broomhead of Lancaster University, details part of a larger study examining socio‐emotional aspects of home–school relationships between parents of children with special educational needs and educational practitioners. The study reported in this article explored perceptions of blame via semi‐structured interviews with 15 educational professionals and 22 parents of children with various special educational needs. The findings reveal that parental experiences of blame and guilt were influenced by the nature of their children's special educational needs, which consequently influenced parental focus on obtaining ‘labels’ of special educational needs for their children. The implications of these findings for educational practitioners are discussed.     

The social and emotional functioning of students with an autistic spectrum disorder during the transition between primary and secondary schools

The transition from the primary to the secondary phase in education can be a pivotal moment for many students, but for students who have autism, their difficulties with socialisation and emotional regulation can make this time period especially challenging. This article explores the experiences of key stakeholders regarding the issue of students with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) transitioning from primary to secondary school. Five students with an ASD who were about to transfer to mainstream secondary schools, their parents and members of their primary and secondary school staff were invited to participate in the study. Using mixed methods of data collection, a complex picture of student experiences was discovered. The article highlights the need for further research in the field of school transitions for the student with ASD.     

Using the sensory garden as a tool to enhance the educational development and social interaction of children with special needs

This study summarises the findings based on two case study sensory gardens in the United Kingdom, in terms of the educational development and social interaction of children with special needs and the staff who care for them. The aim was to observe and record the users' behaviour when engaging with features in the sensory garden. The data collection included interviews with teachers and therapists, and behavioural observation, which was used in conjunction with affordance theory. The study was supported with a few noteworthy incidents that the author recorded as anecdotal evidence. A selection of photographs was chosen to illustrate these incidents.