Mental health and special educational needs: exploring a complex relationship

The relationship between mental health and special educational needs is both complex and misunderstood. In this article, Richard Rose, Professor of Special and Inclusive Education, Marie Howley, Senior Lecturer, Ann Fergusson, Senior Lecturer, and Johnson Jament, a PhD student, all from the Centre for Special Needs Education and Research directed by Richard Rose at the University of Northampton, discuss findings from a national research project which explored the perceptions of pupil mental health needs by staff working in residential special schools. Teachers and other professional colleagues often feel ill-prepared to address mental health difficulties experienced by their pupils. This is, at times, exacerbated by a wider confusion when atypical behaviours are attributed to a diagnosed learning difficulty rather than being recognised as symptomatic of a mental health problem. The article suggests a need for clarification of the relationship between complex special educational needs and mental health and for increases in training opportunities and the development of resources for teaching about and supporting mental health and emotional well-being.     

What was it like for you?

Abstract

As LEAs and schools develop their inclusive policies and practices, arguments about how to provide the most effective education for pupils with EBD continue. Is it possible to provide high quality education for this group in mainstream schools whilst not adversely affecting the education of the other pupils? What are the consequences of placing the most disturbed pupils in special schools? What do the pupils themselves think? This article draws on findings from 26 interviews with former pupils of an EBD residential school. We were interested in their opinions about the quality of education and care they received at the school and the impact of the placement on their experiences as young adults. Overall, despite some concerns, the former pupils have very positive memories of the school and felt that it had helped them to overcome their learning and behavioural difficulties. The findings have key implications for the development of policy and practice.     

Controversial practices in the education of students with high support needs

The use of controversial practices unsupported by research is a concern in special education, especially for students with high support needs. Internet sites of Australian schools enrolling students with moderate to severe intellectual disability (moderate to severe learning difficulties) were located and reviewed to determine the kinds of controversial practices employed and the number of schools reporting their use. Almost half the sample reported utilising at least one unsupported practice and in general there were few convincing rationales provided for the adoption of these practices. The use of unsupported practices in schools may be related to the inaccessibility of research, teacher mistrust of research, teacher reliance on more informal and personal sources of information, and teacher desire to achieve results and build positive relationships. More research is needed to understand why these practices are adopted and the ways in which they are used.     

Looking back on school – the views of adult graduates of a residential special school for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties

The authors of this article, Garry Hornby and Chrystal Witte, conducted a follow-up study with adult graduates of a residential special school for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties in New Zealand. Twenty-one graduates were located and interviewed ten to 14 years after they had left the residential school. The interviews focused on various factors related to the graduates' quality of life (reported elsewhere) and on their views of their education, both at the residential school and at mainstream schools, which are reported in this paper. It was found that these adult graduates were overwhelmingly positive about the support they received while at the residential school. They talked, for example, about the help they received in addressing their learning and behavioural difficulties. However, they were consistently negative with regard to their experiences of mainstreaming. For example, respondents noted the lack of understanding that they experienced from mainstream teachers. In drawing out the implications of the findings from this study, Garry Hornby and Chrystal Witte suggest that one factor which could result in improving outcomes for these students is better special needs training for teachers in mainstream schools.     

RESEARCH SECTION: Out of sight,out of mind? Transition for young people with learning difficulties in out‐of‐area residential special schools and colleges

Young people with learning difficulties who go to residential special schools and colleges are highly vulnerable, often living a long way from home. Transition towards adulthood – from school to college, or college and beyond – requires careful planning and support for both young people and their families. Despite national policy and guidance in this area, this article suggests that young people with learning difficulties in out-of-area placements are being failed in terms of transition education and face huge uncertainty and very limited choices. David Abbott and Pauline Heslop, both Senior Research Fellows at the Norah Fry Research Centre based at the University of Bristol, set out, in partnership with the Home Farm Trust, to examine transitions for young people with learning difficulties who attend out-of-county residential special schools and colleges. Drawing on empirical research with 15 young people, their families, and the professionals that support them, they outline in this article the main barriers to effective transition planning. They suggest that a lot more focus on planning and commitment to good outcomes is required to ensure that this group of young people have similar life chances to their non-disabled peers.     

Challenges and management frameworks of residential schools for students with severe emotional and behavioural difficulties in Hong Kong

This study by Stella Suk‐Ching Chong, an assistant professor, and Ka‐wai Leung, a teaching fellow, both at the Hong Kong Institute of Education, focuses on the perspectives of hostel staff from six residential schools for students with severe emotional and behavioural difficulties. Individual or focus group interviews were conducted to explore the range of challenges perceived by staff and the strategies they employed to address the needs of the students. The software N‐Vivo was used to analyse both qualitative and quantitative data. This study finds that staff met a multiplicity of challenges, of which 67.9% were management‐related rather than student‐related (32.1%). In relation to effective strategies for staff, co‐ordinated and concerted efforts are frequently used between different stakeholders, such as intra‐hostel‐staff‐student collaboration (84%), inter‐hostel‐community collaboration (8.6%), inter‐hostel‐home collaboration (5.1%), and finally inter‐hostel‐school collaboration (2.2). In summing up the findings of various approaches deemed favourable by different residential staff, a residential school management framework is conceptualised and presented in this article. Implications and future research directions are also highlighted.     

School improvement in the context of the special school for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties

Abstract

This article examines the issues which are particular to the KEYWORDS development and improvement of schools for children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. Key issues such as team formation and teamwork, cooperation, problem solving capabilities and the school’s capacity to take ownership of the change process are analysed against the background of a case study of one EBD school. The process of change in this school is tracked through the evolution of the ownership of change and the dynamics involved in that process.     

Working with words

Abstract

Despite the rhetoric that students with learning difficulties are adequately supported within schools, the evidence suggests that they continue to experience school failure with devastating consequences. Students with learning difficulties are disproportionately represented as juvenile delinquents, as the unemployed and in mental health statistics. However, the defining of this group remains confused and imprecise and has not been a national priority. This has repercussions for both secondary schools and for the students themselves. This paper highlights research related to teaching practices, policies and school structure and their effects on the academic outcomes and emotional well being of students with learning difficulties. Finally, it makes a number of recommendations to change the status quo for these students.     

Developing the role of schools as research organisations: the Sunfield experience

We are entering a new phase in learning about childhood disabilities. While we have found out much of what we need to know about their causes and aetiology, solutions to many of the challenges we will face in the future will come from the evidence base held by practitioners. Practitioners are ideally placed to carry out 'real world' research but they often need support in carrying out setting-based enquiry. In this article, Barry Carpenter, Chief Executive and Director of Research at Sunfield, discusses the relationship between academic and practitioner research and the role of practitioners as researchers. He goes on to explore the development of a research culture in special schools, focusing on Sunfield, a residential special school for children with severe and complex learning disabilities. Barry Carpenter shows how research projects at Sunfield have generated evidence which has guided the school's development. The inter-disciplinary approach adopted in this setting has encouraged involvement in research from many staff in diverse professions throughout the school.     

Supporting the inclusion of pupils with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties in the primary school: the role of teaching assistants

During the past ten years in the UK there has been a considerable increase in the number of teaching assistants (TAs) appointed to work alongside teachers in schools. A significant number of these colleagues are appointed to support pupils with special educational needs (SEN), including those with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD). This paper reports on the ways in which the role of the teaching assistant in supporting pupils with SEBD has been developed in schools for pupils aged 7–11 years in one English Local Education Authority (LEA). It suggests that there are several models of support emerging and that the role of the teaching assistant is perceived as crucial to the effective inclusion of pupils with SEBD in mainstream classrooms.     

Perspectives of SENCos and support staff in England on their roles,relationships and capacity to support inclusive practice for students with behavioural emotional and social difficulties

With teachers under pressure to meet curriculum targets, responsibility for including students with behavioural emotional and social difficulties (BESD) in mainstream schools falls heavily on non‐teaching staff. In this article, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with special educational needs coordinators (SENCos) and support staff in a small sample of secondary education settings in England, to examine their perceptions of their role, their relationships with students with BESD and their parents and their ability to facilitate inclusive practice. Despite both SENCo and support staff roles having been regarded as low‐status roles in the past, findings reported here depict a set of highly skilled workers crucial to the inclusion of students with BESD. Through the creation of a nurturing environment combined with caring attitudes and accessibility, these staff were able to form positive relationships with these students and their parents. Implications regarding staffing, resources and inclusion are further discussed.     

上海市特殊教育学校音乐课现状调查

围绕上海市特教学校音乐课的开展状况及课本的使用情况,对各区、县共21所特教学校的相关教师进行问卷调查。内容包括:填写者的基本情况、对特教学校音乐课现状及教材使用情况的评估以及对改进和提高特教学校音乐课教学工作的意见、建议。结果发现:所有特教学校都配备了专职音乐课教师;几乎所有的特教学校设有专门的音乐教室;一半以上的学校使用人民教育出版社出版的《全日制培智学校教科书(试用本)———音乐》教材;音像磁带资料和挂图等视听辅助材料严重缺乏。针对这些结果,提出了对特教学校音乐课及课本形式的几点思考,以期为改革特教学校音乐课及课本形式提供研究材料。     

What are effective strategies to support pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD) in mainstream primary schools? Findings from a systematic review of research

This article describes the processes and findings of a systematic review of research into the effectiveness of strategies to support pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD) in mainstream primary schools. A search for studies carried out from 1975–1999 resulted in 265 citations, of which 96 were found to be within the scope of the review topic. Of these, 27 reported on 28 research studies, which could address the review question. Findings from these 28 studies indicated that a number of strategies, based on a range of theoretical frameworks, showed some positive impacts on pupil behaviour. However, the review highlighted a dearth of good quality research on strategy effectiveness. There is a need for higher quality research into strategies currently being used in schools. Practitioners, parents and children should all be involved in setting the parameters for interventions and research concerned with EBD.     

The place of separate provision in a policy climate of inclusion

This paper presents an analysis of a survey of separate provision for pupils with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD) in Scotland conducted in October 2002. First, the purpose of this study was to provide a map of separate provision for pupils with SEBD in Scotland. The findings raise concerns about a climate of uncertainty in separate provision linked to the context of the dominant inclusion agenda. Second, the type of curriculum on offer and perceived advantages and disadvantages of different approaches were investigated. Once again the findings point to the impact of the inclusion agenda on schools in this sector and what they feel able to offer. This paper argues that the findings can be interpreted, at least in part, as a consequence of a defensive stance adopted by separate schools in response to the current ideological climate.     

The electronic mirror and emotional growth

Abstract

The article examines the use of information and communication technology to enhance the educational achievement of a group of students evidencing a variety of EBD in a mainstream school setting. It is believed that ICT will have just as important a part to play in the education of students with EBD as it will with other sensory or physical special educational needs. The article examines within-child factors which make a cognitive-behavioural approach potentially powerful. It suggests that ICT can enhance the educational experience of EBD pupils if careful attention is paid to the creation of a therapeutic teaching environment and the interaction of the student/curriculum and teacher/student interfaces. The article discusses the implementation of an integrated learning system in an inner London comprehensive school and its effects on those pupils presenting with emotionally disordered learning difficulties.     

Teachers’ sense of efficacy in their work with pupils with learning,emotional and behavioural difficulties

This study investigates primary school teachers’ sense of efficacy in their work with pupils with learning, emotional, and behavioural difficulties (LEBD), both in mainstream inclusive classrooms and in special classrooms for pupils in residential treatment institutions. Using an online questionnaire survey, data were collected on teachers’ self-efficacy, efficacy beliefs on their ability to teach LEBD pupils, and perceived ability to apply knowledge from different socio-pedagogical areas. Mainstream classroom teachers perceived higher efficacy in collaborating with parents of LEBD pupils, in most aspects of their ability to handle pupils’ learning and behavioural problems, and in most aspects of their ability to use knowledge from different socio-pedagogical areas. Conversely, special classroom teachers perceived higher efficacy in aspects related to their pupils’ engagement and comprehension of learning material, and in their classroom management ability, particularly in managing pupils’ disruptive behaviour.     

‘They think that if you're a teacher here … you're not clever enough to be a proper teacher’: the courtesy stigma experienced by teachers employed at schools for pupils with behavioural,emotional and social difficulties (BESD)

A wealth of literature has identified that children with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD) and their families are frequently stigmatised due to the perceived controllable and ‘invisible’ nature of this special educational need (SEN). Yet little research has considered the impact of this stigma on another group of individuals, educational practitioners employed in BESD schools. This is despite these professionals working in close contact with pupils with BESD, a heavily stigmatised group, on a regular basis. This paper therefore, details a study which explored perceptions of stigma specifically with educational professionals employed in schools for pupils with BESD. Semi‐structured interviews with nine practitioners (including head teachers and class teachers with additional responsibilities) were conducted, all of whom had worked within the BESD sector for at least 10 years, with data being analysed via Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Findings revealed how educational practitioners employed in BESD schools experienced courtesy stigma, with many not being perceived as ‘proper’ teachers due to a discourse of care surrounding BESD. Other professionals reported much confusion from their mainstream colleagues and other individuals about how they could want to work with such ‘challenging’ pupils. This courtesy stigma was linked to the wider stigma surrounding BESD schools, which were often ignorantly perceived to be full of ‘bad boys’ or ‘absolute horrors’. This paper concludes by considering the implications of these findings for policy and practice, and provides recommendations for addressing the identified stigma towards practitioners employed in BESD schools.     

Preferential treatment or unwanted in mainstream schools? The perceptions of parents and teachers with regards to pupils with special educational needs and challenging behaviour

This study explored the perceptions of parents and teachers regarding the differential treatment or stigma experienced by pupils with challenging behaviour – more specifically, those with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD), as well as children with visible special educational needs (Down's syndrome and/or profound and multiple learning difficulties) who frequently displayed challenging behaviour as a characteristic of their SEN. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with ten parents of children with challenging behaviour, together with 15 educational practitioners employed in mainstream and BESD schools. Findings revealed how several parents, and staff employed in BESD schools, viewed pupils with challenging behaviour as ‘unwanted’ in mainstream schools. The remaining parents, as well as mainstream practitioners, reported the opposite and indicated that these pupils received treatment deemed to be ‘preferential’ in the mainstream. This has direct implications for those concerned with supporting pupils with challenging behaviour in mainstream settings.     

大学生听力训练的障碍及其克服办法

随着英语听力正式计入高考和考研成绩,英语听力的重要性日益受到学生的重视。英语教学也作了相应的调整,由原来的以精读为中心变为“既要培养学生具有较强的阅读能力,也要培养学生一定的听的能力”。但听力是英语教学中的难中之难。就如何提高学生的英语听力水平,本文将讨论听力训练中出现的一些障碍及其克服办法。     

City of Glasgow nurture group pilot scheme evaluation

Abstract

Three forms of objective evaluation were used to assess the impact of a nurture group pilot project on the lives of staff and pupils: Boxall Profiles, the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire, and questionnaires for staff. In addition, a micro study was carried out of two nurture groups using matched control groups. The article provides an overview of the project, as there was insufficient time for in-depth examination of the results, and some materials became available too late for inclusion. Nevertheless, the outcomes described are positive. It is hoped that analysis can be continued and that further evaluation of the progress of children can be carried out with more robust control groups in place from the outset.