The transition to adulthood for autistic young people with additional learning needs: the views and experiences of education professionals in special schools

Education professionals (n = 41) in special schools were interviewed about supporting their autistic pupils transitioning to adulthood following the introduction of the Children and Families Act 2014. Our participants explained how they lacked the time to fully implement knowledge gained from training, leading to growing reliance on experiential expertise. While our participants reported employing a variety of methods to elicit the voices of pupils, they were uncertain how effective and ethical these were. Further, a lack of available opportunities meant that participants felt they could not always support young people in achieving their goals. Based on these findings, we recommend greater investment in the implementation of staff training, more flexibility for schools to be able to meaningfully elicit and act on pupils' voices, and better vocational opportunities for autistic young people with additional learning needs. This would enable the principles of the Act, which have been widely lauded, to become a closer reality.     

Capturing the Nurture approach: experiences of young pupils with SEBD

In the UK, children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD) may engage with the Nurture approach: a therapeutic model of educational intervention. Despite growing evidence that this approach can promote the developmental and educational attainment of these children, there has been little emphasis on how children might relate their own experiences here. In focusing on a group of young children with SEBD, this study used a combination of drawings and interviews to explore how these unique children perceived their immersion in this particular approach. Most children discerned differences in their past and present personal classroom experiences, and their understanding of the Nurture approach was of a positive nature. It is suggested that a combination of methods may be useful in helping to gauge pupil response and progress regarding this type of intervention. The benefits of acknowledging the perceptions of ‘challenging’ pupils and how this might inform future principles and practice are considered.     

Utilising creative methodologies to elicit the views of young learners with additional needs in literacy

The research described in this article aimed to explore and examine the dominant ‘assessment’ and ‘participation’ stories of upper‐primary pupils with long‐standing and marked literacy learning needs, their views on how their level of participation in the assessment and remediation of their additional needs might be increased and also how they perceive themselves as literacy learners. This qualitative small‐scale study adopted a case study approach and utilised creative methodologies in the context of focus groups to investigate sensitively the views and experiences of Key Stage 2 pupils with additional needs in literacy. The findings discussed here are based on the outcomes from the four Northern Irish schools that participated in the original cross‐border (Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland) study. Findings are discussed in the context of strategies for promoting holistic and empowering pathways for learners with additional needs in literacy.     

Consulting with children and young people who have disabilities: views of accessibility to education

The Education (Disability Strategies and Pupils' Educational Records) (Scotland) Act 2002 requires local authorities to prepare and implement an accessibility strategy to improve access to education for young people with disabilities. In this article, Dr Richard Woolfson, Principal Psychologist, Michael Harker, Depute Principal Psychologist, Dorothy Lowe, Senior Psychologist, Mary Shields, Senior Psychologist, and Hilary Mackintosh, Research Assistant, all from Renfrewshire Educational Psychology Service, report the response of one local authority. Staff from the psychological service carried out a two-stage research study with children and young people. Stage One involved a postal questionnaire for 290 pupils with a range of disabilities; parents and carers were asked to assist their children with the questionnaire. Stage Two involved young people with disabilities in a number of focus groups. The results recorded here confirm that the area of greatest pupil satisfaction is physical access to the school environment. Few problems are identified regarding access to information from school and most pupils with disability consider that their opinions are listened to and respected. Other findings suggest that pupils with disability generally view their teachers as supportive, while pupils often struggle to complete homework. Further, the pupils indicated that they would like to be more closely consulted about access to the curriculum, working independently and the provision of support. Older students suggested that preparation for post-school options should start much earlier. In the light of these findings, the authors discuss recommendations for future practice and for further research.     

A qualitative study of specialist schools’ processes of eliciting the views of young people with autism spectrum disorders in planning their transition to adulthood

Government legislation and research literature highlight the importance of the participation of pupils with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) in planning for their transition to adulthood. However, effective processes which enable their participation are under‐researched. In this study, nine teaching staff from two specialist schools in the north‐west of England were interviewed and a transition meeting was observed in one school to explore these processes. Analyses indicate that in both schools, enabling the participation of young people with ASD in the planning for their transition to adulthood involves three phases and is underpinned by a person‐centred ethos. Although the processes were perceived to be effective, the participation of pupils varied between schools. Final decisions still tend to be made by schools and the local authority due to limited external resources. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

Domestic abuse prevention education: listening to the views of young people

This paper reports on findings derived as part of a two-year project funded by the European Union's Daphne III scheme, involving collaboration between seven partner organisations across six European countries. The project involved an evaluation, using questionnaires and focus groups, of domestic abuse prevention education programmes delivered in schools in the UK, France and Spain. This paper presents the findings from the UK focus group discussions, conducted with young people aged 10–11 years, and 13–14 years to explore their opinions about the intervention delivered in their school. The focus groups revealed the following challenges for service providers in this area: young people can misunderstand issues related to domestic abuse, especially the role of power and control within relationships; there is a tension between educators giving young people free expression to share their opinions and challenging sexism and other prejudices; and boys can become disengaged with gender-based interventions. These issues point towards three key considerations when implementing a domestic abuse prevention education intervention: programme content (the what); the teaching methods used (the how); and whether teachers or external organisations should deliver the programme (the who).     

‘Take more time to actually listen’: students' reflections on participation and negotiation in school

Behaviour in schools is an emotive topic and one of enduring political interest and sensitivity. The media often portrays schools as violent and dangerous places and young people as ever more unruly. This paper explores findings from a recent large‐scale national study on behaviour and focuses on the data from primary and secondary school students within this study. The comments and suggestions offered by students move beyond a discussion of behaviour to focus on the broader questions of participation, engagement and meanings of active citizenship in school.     

Improving the transfer to secondary school: how every child's voice can matter

Children in their final year of primary school (Year 6) were asked about their experiences of transition to high school so far. This multi‐method study included questionnaires, discussion, drawing and writing. The children raised a range of issues including mixed feelings; friends; bullying; getting lost; race; being the only child from their primary school; teachers; growing up; and school choice. Learning issues were rarely raised, suggesting that the social aspects of the move are most important for children at the end of Year 6. Most students wanted as much experience of their new school as possible, before they start attending there as a pupil. A key finding from this study is that children can be a very valuable resource in improving transition. Given accessible opportunities, which need not take up large amounts of time or resources, all children can inform the transition process and contribute to ongoing improvement.     

Preparing to transition to secondary education: perceptions of Dutch pupils with migrant backgrounds

Background: The transition from primary school to secondary school is a crucial period of time for children and this may be especially the case for pupils with migrant backgrounds. While there has been considerable research on the transition from primary to secondary school, more needs to be known specifically about the experiences of this group of pupils during their final year of primary school, as they prepare for their transition to secondary school.

Purpose: The study investigated how Dutch children with migrant backgrounds in their final year of primary school perceive the preparatory process for the transition to secondary school. In particular, we were interested in who the children felt were the important ‘actors’ (e.g. pupils, parents, teachers and others) in the preparatory process.

Sample: We collected data from 76 primary school pupils from three schools in an urban city in the Netherlands. The sample included pupils who, according to the Dutch system, were preparing to follow an academic pathway (i.e. the tracks known in this system as ‘HAVO’ or ‘VWO’) and those who were preparing to follow a vocational pathway (i.e. the track known as ‘VMBO’) in secondary education.

Design and methods: We used photo elicitation (N = 76) and also conducted semi-structured interviews with a subsample of the pupils (N = 25) to examine the roles of the important actors in the preparatory process. Data were analysed qualitatively; responses were coded and underwent pattern analysis in order to identify and describe repeating structures in the data. Data were grouped according to whether the pupils received school recommendations for an academic track or a vocational track.

Results: Findings suggested that the pupils perceived the most important actors to be the pupil, the classroom teacher and the parents. Both teachers and parents were considered valuable resources for pupils in the preparatory process. Patterns representing the participants’ perceptions of the roles of three actors – namely, (1) the child, (2) the classroom teacher and (3) the parents, were identified. Six patterns were identified with respect to the child, four with respect to the classroom teacher and two with respect to the parents. For some patterns, it was apparent that the responses of children in the vocational group and the academic group had different emphases.

Conclusions: The study highlights the importance for teachers and parents of children in their final year of primary school to be aware of the pupils’ perceptions of and feelings about their preparation for secondary school, so as to be in the best position to support them collaboratively.     

New learning worlds: the significance of nature in the lives of marginalised young people

This article explores a hitherto neglected issue: the significance of nature in the learning lives of marginalised young people. Drawing on both post-human and sociocultural perspectives, it develops a theoretical analysis of this important subject. It uses research with 114 young people in jobs without training in rural South-west England to analyse how marginalised young people engage with nature and what they learn from it. It concludes that the intra-activity of young people and nature creates the potential for new worlds and bodies, but ones that are still shaped by social inequalities. Nature is often highly significant in the lives of marginalised young people, potentially offering them the freedom, equilibrium and expertise that had been denied in the formal educational context and opening them up to learning. However, these new learning worlds are transient and social inequalities need to be addressed in order to make them sustainable. Policy makers have become interested in harnessing nature to citizenship drives for young people, for example in the UK National Citizen Service Plan. But the article concludes that regimented initiatives are not the right approach to build on the personal, secret and playful qualities of this learning. The article draws out the important implications of this study for research, policy and practice.     

Let the children have their say: children with special educational needs and their experiences of Physical Education – a review

This paper reviews literature examining the perspectives of children with special educational needs related to their experiences of Physical Education (PE). The extent to which literature addresses inclusion in PE was determined and emerging themes arising from consultation with children with special educational needs regarding PE were examined. Qualitative studies, concentrating on consultation with special educational needs children, were reviewed and six key themes were identified: children's experiences of PE; their experiences of PE teachers; discrimination by others; feelings of self‐doubt; barriers to inclusion; and empowerment and consultation. Findings indicate children with special educational needs enjoy PE when fully included; however, participation is restricted by discrimination, limited teacher training and material barriers to inclusion. Consequently, teacher training in special educational needs and the education of non‐disabled children about special educational needs requires extensive consideration.     

Guided reading: young pupils' perspectives on classroom practice

Guided reading is widely perceived to be tricky in English primary schools; prior research has found difficulties with teacher interpretation and implementation. The study reported here suggests that to understand the problems associated with it we should also take into account pupils' perspectives on their guided reading lessons. In this case, the pupils were 4–7 years old. The special challenges of accessing young pupil perspectives were addressed through co‐authored drawings, a type of graphic elicitation. The drawings, together with other collected data, generated insights into pupil perceptions of literacy practices, of the role of friends and ability grouping in learning to read, and of their teachers' organisational challenges. A socio‐cultural analysis of these data indicates that these pupils were sensitive to the social and cultural contexts of their guided reading lessons. It may be that precise official advice for guided reading in England, originating in the National Literacy Strategy documents in 1999 and the Primary National Strategy documents in 2003 and 2008, has been insufficiently sensitive to the complex teaching and learning contexts of guided reading and that this discrepancy has contributed to the identified difficulties. The paper concludes that some rethinking of the literacy practice of guided reading would be valuable.     

From absent to active voices: securing disability equality within higher education

This article discusses the representation and participation of disabled students in the development of higher education policy and provision within the UK, at both a national and institutional level. Findings are drawn from a doctoral study, which identified the importance of student participation in securing equality and inclusion. Power relationships and established boundaries are explored to ascertain how vocal disabled students are in these processes. Questions are addressed in terms of the genuineness and effectiveness of participatory approaches, identifying those barriers that are likely to impede the process. These include the influence of dominant ideology, professional expertise and attitudes towards the capability of disabled students. All are important when considering the increased rights of disabled people.     

Challenges in planning transition to adulthood for young people who have special educational needs and disabilities: professional and managerial perspectives

This study reviewed perceived changes to planning and management of transitions to adulthood for young people with special educational needs and disabilities in three local authorities in England, following implementation of the Children and Families Act (2014). Wenger's ‘community of practice’ theoretical framework was used to examine how groups of professionals and managers working in education, health and social care in three areas, set about implementing selected radical changes required by the legislation. Telephone interviews with sixteen participants were transcribed and subjected to thematic analysis. Themes identified related to professional activity, planning and organisation, implications for young people and families and outcomes. There were indications of shifts in professional conceptualisations and reported practices as a result of the Act. Participants described enhanced cross‐service communication and co‐ordinated working practices, achieved though service restructuring, co‐location and changed lines of accountability. An increased emphasis on long‐term planning and involving young people in planning and decision‐making was evident with regard to defining outcomes, and living and working as an adult. The results are considered in relation to the extent that mandated change can influence attitudes and cultures within communities of practice, contributing to the contemporary theoretical debate to incorporate issues relating to power.     

The potential determinants of young people's sense of justice: an international study

This paper uses reports from 13,000 Grade Nine pupils in five countries to examine issues such as whether they were treated fairly at school, trust their teachers and adults in wider society, are willing to sacrifice teacher attention to help others, and support the cultural integration of recent immigrants. Using such reports as ‘outcomes’ in a multi‐stage regression model, it is clear that they are largely unrelated to school‐level pupil mix variables. To some extent, these outcomes are stratified by pupil and family background in the same way for all countries. However, the largest association is with pupil‐reported experience of interactions with their teachers. Teachers appear to be a major influence on young people's sense of justice and the principles they apply in deciding whether something is fair. The paper concludes by suggesting ways in which schools and teachers could take advantage of this finding.     

An easy A or a question of belief: pupil attitudes to Catholic religious education in Croatia

This paper describes the results of a mixed model research that, as the first of its kind, aimed to determine the nature of, and underlying factors influencing, Croatian elementary pupils’ attitudes towards confessional Catholic religious education (RE). Analyses of the questionnaire responses of the eighth-grade pupils from the stratified sample of schools revealed generally positive attitudes towards confessional RE as well as homogeneity with respect to academic achievement and higher estimations of girls. Qualitative analyses offered more critical pupil perspectives on RE and its delivery. From the triangulation of the data, three separate elements emerged as the foundation of the attitudes towards RE. The first and primary influence is the exposure to religious sentiment and values from their families. Secondly, pupil attitudes are affected by their own personal development and a growing ability to critically observe the world around them. Finally, the methods through which RE is delivered and assessed also serve as a strong contributor to pupils’ attitudes. The voices of pupils demand an adoption of a more dialectical approach to teaching and learning, and lesser reliance on catechesis which could reflect positively on the attitudes of all pupils, and especially of those who are most critical of the subject.     

Attention biases and social-emotional development in preschool-aged children who have been exposed to domestic violence

BackgroundSchool-aged children and adolescents exposed to domestic violence (DV) disproportionality attend to threatening and sad cues in their environment. This bias in attention has been found to predict elevations in symptoms of psychopathology. Studies have yet to explore attention biases using eyetracking technology in preschool-aged children with DV exposure.ObjectiveThis study investigated whether preschool-aged children exposed to DV show vigilance to angry and sad faces versus happy faces and a target non-face stimulus relative to non-exposed children, and whether such vigilance relates to child social-emotional development.Participants and settingPreschool-aged children were recruited from a large, diverse, urban community. DV-exposed children were recruited from a dyadic, mother-child treatment group specifically designed for, and restricted to, mothers who have experienced domestic violence (DV-exposed group, n = 23). Children with no prior exposure to DV and their mothers were recruited within the same community (non-exposed group, n = 32).MethodsChildren completed an eye-tracking task to assess their attention to face stimuli and mothers rated their children's social-emotional development. Total duration of fixations were analyzed.ResultsResults showed that DV-exposed children have a significantly stronger attention bias away from sad faces (p = 0.03; d = 0.62) and neutral faces (p = 0.02; d = 0.70) relative to non-exposed children, and this attention bias away from sad and neutral faces is associated with child social-emotional problems. Contrary to our hypothesis, no bias towards anger was found for DV-exposed versus non-exposed children.ConclusionsThis study contributes to growing evidence that young children's negative attention biases influence functioning and have important implications for children's well-being and development.     

Video-mediated interviews to reveal multiple voices in peer collaboration for mathematics learning in groups

Peer collaboration in schools can be a locus for negotiation of power and cultural norms. Set in the context of ethnically and linguistically diverse urban schools, this study discusses the possibilities and limitations of utilizing video-mediated interviews to reveal multiple voices. Our research method is based on video-recorded peer-to-peer interactions wherein a small group of students engaged in mathematics tasks, as well as video-mediated interviews with individual students while watching the video of themselves engaging in group work. Using the theoretical framework of ideological and sociohistorical nature of voice and figured worlds, our analysis revealed the ideologies and sociohistorical norms that influenced the ways in which the students collaborate with their peers. Based on our analyses of the video-mediated interviews, we raise awareness of potential conflicts that could affect the generation and development of ideas through collaboration. We also discuss ways to use video-mediated interviews as a methodology to interrogate the norms underlying collaboration among students in school settings.     

Towards equality: the voices of young disabled people in Disability Rights Commission research

Increased participation and success in education for disabled people will improve their social inclusion and benefit society in general. In this article Louca‐Mai Wilson discusses Disability Rights Commission research on education and its implications for policy and practice. Research findings are considered in relation to the need for the voices of young disabled people to be heard in research, policy and planning. A key finding was that young disabled people want to be regarded and treated as equal to their peers, with the same rights of access and educational opportunity. But schools and educational establishments vary in their willingness and capacity to address and remove existing access barriers. Inclusion is a key issue for many young disabled people; many feel isolated at school and college and often have lower expectations about their future than their non‐disabled peers. Inclusive practice and participation are key to ensuring that disability equality in education is achieved.     

Listening to young people with autism: learning from researcher experiences

This study explores the opportunities and dilemmas that have been encountered by researchers seeking the views of young people with autism. Twelve researchers were interviewed about their experiences in this field. Through exploration of the complex methodological and ethical issues that they encountered, this study aims to better understand how researchers can improve the way they listen to, and engage with, the views of children and young people with autism. This article discusses four themes that emerged from the interviews: power dynamics; building rapport; communication; and meaningful processes and outputs.