Practitioners' perspectives and experiences of supporting bilingual pupils on the autism spectrum in two linguistically different educational settings

With greater linguistic diversity in educational settings around the world as a result of international migration, and a rise in autism diagnoses, educators are more frequently teaching children who are both neurodiverse and linguistically different to their peers. The aim of the present study was to uncover the perspectives and experiences of educational practitioners who provide support for bilingual learners on the autism spectrum in two linguistically different educational settings: England and Wales. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 practitioners (5 teachers, 4 teaching assistants, 3 special educational needs coordinators and 1 speech and language therapist) working in mainstream schools. Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), which seeks to illuminate participants' lived experience. Three superordinate themes were extracted from the data: (1) perspectives on bilingualism in autism; (2) comparisons across two linguistically different settings; (3) creating inclusive learning environments. The results demonstrate that practitioners had concerns about the feasibility of bilingualism for some autistic pupils, and argued that exposure to two languages may have a negative impact on their development. Future research should focus on finding effective ways to identify and support learning needs among bilingual pupils to ensure that children who are ‘doubly different’ from their peers not only have access to educational provision, but also have opportunities to harness and celebrate their differences.     

Touching the void: arts education research in Australia

This article is an overview of arts education research in Australia. The authors argue that there is an urgent need for key arts organisations to form strategic partnerships with arts educators to provide stronger research in the area of arts education. This research base would enhance the ability of policymakers, arts administrators and arts educators to argue for a stronger presence for arts education in schools. Many arts educators and researchers believe that engagement with the arts has value beyond the specific arts subjects themselves. International studies have indicated that important cognitive and social processes and capabilities are developed in arts-enriched experiences, which can be particularly significant for students who are at risk, disengaged and/or underachieving. While this realisation has stimulated action in other countries such as China, Singapore and Japan, arts education researchers in Australia currently make do with small-scale and often ad hoc research in an attempt to argue their case. The conclusions and recommendations of this article call for a series of strategic partnerships to touch or even fill the current void in arts education research in Australia.     

Evaluating the Impact of Mediated Literature Searches at a Comprehensive Cancer Center

Research informationists at a comprehensive cancer center sought to evaluate the impact and value of mediated literature searches in support of their users’ work activities. An assessment tool was identified in the literature and modified by the investigators to solicit feedback from library users and identify the major reason(s) why scientists and health care professionals request literature searches, how they use the resulting information, and the impact that the results may or may not have on their research or patient care/decision-making activities. Survey results were qualitatively analyzed, and future avenues of outreach and promotion of mediated literature search services were identified.     

SERVICE PROVIDERS’ KNOWLEDGE AND MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT OLD AGE: COMPARISON OF THREE SERVICE NETWORKS

We report on knowledge about old age among social service providers from three service networks. Data are based on a survey of 245 respondents from Washington State's developmental disabilities, aging, and generic service networks. Palmore's Facts on Aging Quiz (FAQ; 1977, 1988) was used to measure the level of knowledge about old age. Key findings are as follows: (a) Overall, the respondents averaged 64% correct on the FAQ. (b) Developmental disabilities service providers scored lower than either aging service providers or generic service providers. (c) The content areas in which items were most often missed were the psychological aspects aging, the demographic trends of the aging population, and the socioeconomic status of the elderly. Implications of the results for training service providers are discussed.     

Developing a Reading Community: Involving LIS Students in Planning a Readers’ Advisory Event

Graduate students in an elective Readers' Advisory class created a variation of a one book–one community event. The event provided a forum for discussing issues related to technology and the future and how it relates to the evolving mission of the public library. Students gained experience in project management and reflected on how they expanded their readers' advisory skills. Future events could be improved with more careful task assignment, better marketing, and better timing.     

Promoting academic engagement among minority youth: implications from John Ogbu’s Shaker Heights ethnography

This article offers analysis and critique of John Ogbu’s last ethnography, titled Black American students in an affluent suburb, in which he described a set of community forces contributing to the academic disengagement of African American youth. Its purposes are threefold: first, to briefly layout Ogbu’s findings; second, to compare these to findings emerging from the author’s current research on school factors that promote and impede success in school for working‐class and migrant students of Mexican descent; and third, to point to ways in which Ogbu, by his almost singular attention to the role of community forces, discounted the power of school factors – both as barriers to achievement and as forces for promoting school engagement and academic success. The article concludes with a discussion of the policy implications that flow from Ogbu’s analysis, as well as the author’s research.     

AGING AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES: SERVICE PROVIDER HEALTH‐CARE TRAINING NEEDS

The numbers of aging and older persons with developmental disabilities are rapidly growing. Knowledge based on new and ongoing research is fast beginning to accumulate. Efforts to provide training, both preservice and in‐service, are beginning to be implemented. This article (a) reports on existing health‐care training materials, (b) discusses service providers’ training needs in the area of developmental disabilities and aging, and (c) provides recommendations for future training and curriculum development. The investigation included a search of library and archival records for existing information on health, aging, and developmental disabilities; semistructured interviews with 20 “expert” providers of health care to developmentally disabled elderly individuals; and a survey of 245 service providers for their perceptions of providers’ training needs in the area of health care for older adults with developmental disabilities.