A study on the inclusion of deafblind young people in mainstream schools: key findings and implications for research and practice

This article, written by Leda Kamenopoulou of Roehampton University, reports a research project on deafblindness and inclusion in education. Deafblindness is a rare and therefore significantly under‐explored disability. Even less systematic research has focused on deafblind young people enrolled in mainstream schools. The study presented here used a multiple case study and mixed methods design to explore the social inclusion and participation of four deafblind pupils in mainstream placements. Interviews were conducted with the pupils, their parents and selected teachers regarding their peer interactions and relationships. Semi‐structured observations of peer interactions during school breaks were also conducted to complement interview data, but due to space constraints, these are not discussed here. Findings from the interviews suggest that the young people were socially present in their schools, but all faced certain issues in terms of being fully included. Both barriers to and facilitators of social inclusion and participation are discussed with reference to implications for research and practice.     

Intervening to Improve Teachers’ Need-supportive Behaviour Using Self-Determination Theory: Its Effects on Teachers and on the Motivation of Students with Deafblindness

Research on Self-Determination Theory has shown that teachers’ need-supportive behaviour is associated with student motivation and engagement. The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of an intervention aimed at increasing the motivation of students with congenital and acquired deafblindness by enhancing teachers’ need-supportive behaviour. To assess the intervention effect, this study follows a multiple case-study design. Teacher questionnaires were administered and video observations of teacher–student interactions were made during pre-test, post-test and follow-up phases. The results showed that teachers provided involvement most, followed by structure and autonomy support. Teachers’ provision of structure and autonomy seems to improve most after the intervention. In general, teachers of students with congenital deafblindness showed larger intervention effects than teachers of students with acquired deafblindness. The results also provide indications that students’ levels of engagement improved after the intervention.     

Putting objects of reference in context

ABSTRACT

The use of objects of reference as part of the development of communication‐has become established practice in the education of deafblind and multi‐sensory impaired children and young people. Unfortunately, there is comparatively little written material available for those who wish to develop this approach in their own practice with learners who have severe or profound and multiple difficulties. The result of this has been that many of the ‘second wave’ of interested practitioners have overemphasized the objects themselves with little or no appreciation of their use within a supporting context. The paper considers the philosophies and theories that underpin the methodological framework in deafblind education, and suggests how these could be applied to develop practice with a wider group of learners     

Communication between Children with Deafness,Blindness and Deafblindness and their Social Partners: An Intersubjective Developmental Perspective

Trevarthen’s theory of innate intersubjectivity is relevant to understanding communication problems in children with sensory disabilities. Trevarthen and Aitken used the term “intersubjectivity” to describe “the ability of humans to detect and change each other’s minds and behavior”. When children lack auditory and/or visual means of interaction, they may not be able to fully develop intersubjectivity, which impedes the development of more complex interpersonal communication. This article presents a review of 31 studies about intersubjectivity in children with sensory disabilities. The results indicate that the intersubjective development of children with sensory disabilities is often delayed. The studies also describe similar strategies for mediating intersubjectivity in children with sensory disabilities and in typical children, but say that specific adaptations may be needed. From an intersubjectivity perspective, symbolic communication delays in children with sensory disabilities may be improved through specific, purposeful forms of social interaction.     

Adding scents to symbols: using food fragrances with deafblind young people making choices at mealtimes

This article is written by Heather Murdoch, research consultant for the Seashell Trust, Anne Gough, deputy headteacher at Royal School Manchester/Seashell Trust, Eileen Boothroyd, consultant for the Seashell Trust, and Kate Williams, a creative perfumer for Seven (PZ Cussons). It describes the use of food fragrances with deafblind students who are making lunchtime meal choices. The fragrances were added to picture symbols or objects of reference used to represent different menu options. A multiple case study, mixed methods design was used to evaluate three students' choice‐making before and after the introduction of the fragrances. Case study was chosen because of the complex and diverse needs created by deafblindness and because the project was an exploratory study of a new approach. The methods included semi‐structured interviews with students' 1:1 keyworkers and other staff, direct and videotaped observations of students' choice‐making, and written diary records of students' food choices and responses. The findings are necessarily tentative but support the use of food fragrances to assist students' understanding of mealtime choice‐making and their engagement with the process. The practicalities of using olfaction to support other sensory inputs are discussed, together with priorities for future research and practice in this area.     

A Socio-cognitive Approach to How Children with Deafblindness Understand Symbols

Children with congenital deafblindness are a population of learners who may need intervention in order to develop symbolic understanding. They experience a combination of vision and hearing impairments that can affect how they make sense of the world, develop relationships, and understand symbols. In this article, the author reviewed a socio-cognitive framework of symbolic understanding and suggested it as one way to organise the extant research on symbolic development of children with deafblindness. A socio-cognitive framework describes the development of children’s individual skills and how their abilities are supported by active participation in social and cultural experiences. Symbolic understanding is not an isolated cognitive skill, but rather a complex socio-cognitive developmental process that is intimately supported by meaningful interactions. A socio-cognitive framework may help teachers to support the symbolic understanding of school-aged children with deafblindness. Teachers of children with deafblindness can use the framework to understand their students’ individual socio-cognitive abilities and their social interactions. In other words, a socio-cognitive framework may support teachers of children with deafblindness to understand the abilities and environments that are critical to the development of symbolic understanding.     

Multi–sensory impairment: convenient label or recipe for confusion? A scoping review of research conducted in England (2001-20)

In England, the term ‘multi-sensory impairment’ (MSI) has come to overlap with other labels, which is problematic for both research and practice. We undertook a scoping review of empirical studies conducted in England over the past 20 years on MSI and overlapping labels. We designed and used a review protocol and combined multiple searching methods, including repeated database searches, manual searching of journals and expert recommendations. We identified 29 studies that met the criteria for inclusion in the review, and we analysed these according to three themes: (1) terminology used, (2) topic explored, and (3) methodology adopted. We found that terminology was varied and poorly defined, with a lot of overlap between key terms that were used sometimes interchangeably. Moreover, studies varied in the level of transparency provided when methodology was reported. Finally, there was a dearth of research into inclusion in mainstream schools and research gathering learners’ voices. Implications for future research include the need for: (1) identification of factors that have led to overlapping terminology, (2) greater transparency in how the methodologies used in the field are reported, and (3) more evidence, especially from research on strategies in settings that promote inclusion, and research that includes learners’ voices.