Evaluation Review

AbstractThe purpose of this article is to (a) provide a detailed description of how one school in the United States developed decision‐making guidelines for implementing a speech‐language/mental health (SLP/MHP) co‐therapy service delivery model, and (b) summarize study findings based on interviews conducted with school‐based speech‐language pathologists (SLPs), school‐based licensed mental health providers (MHPs), and administrators about their perceptions of using this co‐therapy model to provide services to students with intellectual/developmental disabilities (e.g., autism) and co‐occurring language and mental health support needs. We used qualitative analysis to identify key themes from the 19 interviews we conducted with school‐based staff, including SLPs, MHPs and administrators. Thematic analysis indicated that: (a) students demonstrated progress during co‐therapy and benefited from its more holistic approach to complex, interdisciplinary content and skills; (b) SLPs felt more confident handling their students' emotional regulation needs, challenging behaviours and/or other mental health support needs; and (c) MHPs felt more confident adapting language to make therapeutic content accessible to their students with language support needs. Interviewees also discussed logistical challenges and recommendations for further guidance/training. Findings from interviews indicate that SLP/MHP co‐therapy may offer a promising service delivery option for students with intellectual/developmental disabilities receiving both speech‐language and mental health services through their individualized education programs (IEPs).

AbstractIn times of crisis, resilience—the ability to cope with challenges—has become crucial, especially for primary school students facing issues such as the climate crisis, the war in Ukraine, educational disadvantages, or family‐related struggles. This is particularly true for students with special educational needs (SEN) or those from migrant backgrounds. The present study explores the factors that foster resilience in these students. Using a sequential explanatory design, the study involved two phases. In the first phase, resilience was measured through a paper‐and‐pencil questionnaire (N = 882 primary school students from Germany). In the second phase, 13 highly resilient students were interviewed using a semi‐structured guide. Quantitative results showed that overall, students demonstrated a high tendency towards resilience. Multilevel regression analysis revealed that personal factors (e.g., family language, SEN), relationships with peers and teachers, and school resources were significant predictors of resilience. Qualitative findings indicated that personal resources—such as self‐efficacy and emotional regulation—were more influential for resilience than external factors like family or community resources.

AbstractFlexi‐schooling, an approach involving at least some instruction both at home and at school, has potential to adapt education to meet the needs of autistic students while also providing in‐person school benefits. This systematic international literature review of flexi‐schooling for autistic students aims to understand the advantages and disadvantages of this practice, why flexi‐schooling is chosen and the factors for a successful implementation. Eight hundred and fifty‐five studies were screened, of which eight met the search criteria and were analysed using thematic analysis. Flexi‐schooling is seen as a way to provide autistic students with an education that is constructed to meet individual needs and is flexible enough to address changes. Nevertheless, it can also be a challenging process that requires commitment, trust and additional effort from parents and teachers and may face various barriers. Flexi‐schooling can be difficult to implement due to power imbalances between school and home and a lack of communication and cooperation. Flexi‐schooling is an idea that has not yet been widely implemented in practice, and there is little information available about how it is put into action. Although it is rarely a first choice, it is often considered as a positive solution to a challenging and constantly changing situation.

AbstractPsychoeducational reports prepared by the Educational Psychological Service are foundational for special educational support in Norway, ensuring equitable opportunities for development, learning and participation among children with special educational needs in mainstream Early Childhood Education and Care settings. This qualitative study examines the characteristics of recommended goals and support measures in these reports, and how they promote or inhibit inclusion. Through a holistic approach, the study explores individual and social contextual considerations within the recommendation sections of seven reports for children aged 3–5 years. Employing reflexive thematic analysis, our findings suggest that while certain measures promote children's participation in inclusive communities, there is a predominant focus on the individual child. This emphasis often centres on skill acquisition and ability development through performance‐based goals and compensatory measures. However, while most recommendations are individually oriented, certain measures appear generalised and broadly applicable to most children, highlighting the challenges of addressing each child's unique needs in their specific context. The study's implications underscore the necessity for a holistic approach in the field of special education, both at the policy and legislative levels. Such an approach is essential for enabling psychoeducational reports to promote inclusion in early childhood education and care settings.

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to investigate and describe tactile exploratory behaviours and strategies applied by students with deafblindness when they actively explore objects by touch in terms of their texture and weight. For the needs of the present study, a Delphi consultation methodology was applied by the authors and special education teachers. The students were invited to participate in matching activities with familiar objects focusing on texture and weight, respectively. The analysis revealed that the students adopted a combination of tactile exploratory behaviours and strategies in order to identify an object's texture and weight. It seemed that the tactile exploratory strategy ‘Pressure’ in combination with a variety of tactile behaviours such as banging, shaking or/and rotating was in common. The results may contribute to the formation of more sophisticated individualized educational plans giving emphasis on active touch. Tactile exploratory strategies procedures are considered to be of high importance for students with deafblindness since they constitute ‘roadmaps’ for them to build‐up their knowledge following a ‘kinesthetic reasoning’.

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to produce new insights of ethical issues in special needs educators' (SNEs) consultation with teachers in Swedish schools, by using the theoretical lens of Løgstrup's (1997) theory the Ethical Demand. The research questions concern (1) how the SNEs describe the content of their consultation and (2) how the SNEs describe how they deal with resistance to consultation. Semi‐structured interviews with eight SNEs were analysed by using the theory of The Ethical Demand by Løgstrup. Main results are that consultation is viewed as widening the thinking of the teachers and resistance is dealt with by SNEs avoiding undesired consultation. Resistance to consultation is regarded as a way for teachers to maintain their integrity when being forced to consultation. The study reveals that ethical issues are deeply integrated in consultation and the use of the theory of the Ethical Demand sheds new light on the ethical‐philosophical grounds in SNEs' consultation practice.

AbstractThis mixed‐methods study sought to determine the effectiveness of assessment hubs in re‐integrating children at risk of school exclusion into mainstream school. First, the assessment hubs provided attendance and exclusion data for 39 children who attended the hubs (KS2, n = 11 and KS3, n = 28) between January 2020 and January 2022. Second, 23 semi‐structured interviews adopting a hermeneutic phenomenological approach were conducted with caregivers of children who attended a hub. Third, three theographs depicting children's schooling were created. Quantitative data showed that 2/11 KS2 and 10/28 KS3 children successfully reintegrated into mainstream secondary school after attending an assessment hub. The remaining children were in alternative provision, either permanently or awaiting an EHC plan for specialist provision. Three themes were developed through thematic analysis of the interviews: a perfect storm; it's not rocket science; and hang on. The caregivers needed confidence in the ability of mainstream secondary schools to provide the right support at the right time in the right environment. The study found that the assessment hubs were effective in building positive relationships and supporting caregivers to understand reasons for their children's behaviours. In some cases, the assessment hubs effectively secured the most appropriate provision to meet children's needs. Most of the children needed to remain in AP permanently or await an EHC needs assessment to secure a place in specialist provision.

AbstractThe purpose of the present research was to measure teachers' knowledge about dyslexia in mainstream schools of Akmola region in Kazakhstan and to analyse if there is any relationship between teachers' knowledge of dyslexia and their training experiences. The data was collected via an online survey with the use of the Scale of Knowledge and Beliefs about Developmental Dyslexia (Soriano‐Ferrer & Echegaray‐Bengoa, 2014). Overall, 1435 teachers participated in the survey. The research revealed that surveyed teachers have limited knowledge about dyslexia across three layers: neurological, cognitive and behavioural. Cross‐tabulation analysis showed that there is no relationship between teachers' knowledge of dyslexia and their training experiences. These findings highlight a high need for quality training on dyslexia for teachers in Kazakhstan.

AbstractFamily‐Centered Early Intervention (FCEI) involves developing parents' knowledge and skills through parent coaching to support the listening and language development of their children with hearing loss. The traditional delivery of parent coaching at FCEI has been in in‐person settings. With the advancement of technology, telepractice has become widespread. This has increased the diversity of service delivery, especially for children with hearing loss who face difficulty accessing a qualified interventionist. This study examined the parent coaching behaviours of an educator providing early intervention services to children with hearing loss and their parents in in‐person and telepractice settings. The research is a qualitative case study. Data were collected through observation, an interview, documents and a research diary. The results indicated that implementing feedback, modelling and guided practice varied due to challenges in engaging children during telepractice sessions. In‐person, these behaviours were applied within the activity involving both parent and child. In telepractice, feedback and modelling were limited to discussions with the parent, and guided practice was not demonstrated. The results suggest that, despite the educator's efforts to find solutions, structural limitations may have limited the support parents received from telepractice sessions compared to in‐person sessions.

AbstractAttention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental condition that impacts approximately 5% of children worldwide. Children with this ADHD often struggle with behavioural issues that disrupt their ability to meet the demands of learning in educational settings. This research aims to identify the motivational strategies used by primary caregivers to address the challenging behaviours of Filipino kindergarteners diagnosed with ADHD via a qualitative research design. Focus group discussions and one‐on‐one interviews were conducted with 11 primary caregivers of children with ADHD. The findings identified the challenges faced and support strategies used by caregivers—parents or guardians—in supporting children with this neurodevelopmental disorder. This study highlights the motivational and academic benefits associated with employing preparatory, remediation, and teacher‐caregiver collaborative, and activity engagement strategies to address the needs of young children with ADHD. These findings underscore the importance of capacity‐building initiatives aimed at supporting caregivers of children with ADHD.

AbstractResearch on inclusive education has gained major importance over the last decade. However, in the English‐speaking discourse, empirical studies on inclusive teaching and learning often lack connections to existing educational theories that focus on the interrelation of teachers, learners and content as the three focal points of teaching and learning in a greater societal context. This corresponds with a lack of comprehensive models of inclusive education for teacher education. This theoretical paper therefore presents the ‘Didactic Model for Inclusive Teaching and Learning’ (DIMILL), developed in an interdisciplinary research team as a theoretical and practical framework for inclusion research and teacher education. Following an introduction on the necessity of modelling inclusive education in school settings, the German tradition of ‘didactics’ will be contextualized in the international field, pointing out its potential for educational theory and teacher education. Then, individual parts of DIMILL are introduced and related to one another. Finally, modes of practical implementation as well as possible implications for educational research and inclusive teacher education will be discussed.

AbstractThis mixed methods survey study aims to investigate school staff's perspectives on using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) with students with the most severe disabilities in Swedish school settings. The study employed a convergent mixed methods design, where both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analysed in parallel and then integrated and compared in the discussion and conclusion section of the paper. The study's respondents consisted of school staff who worked with students with severe or profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (S/PIMD) in Swedish schools. Results showed that almost all staff reported using AAC with students at least half of the time. The frequency of AAC use did not seem to differ between staff with different educational backgrounds, apart from teachers/special educators appearing slightly more inclined to use AAC in planned classroom activities when compared to staff with other educational backgrounds. The results also corroborate previous research stating that collaboration between stakeholders (such as school, family and the habilitation services) is fundamental to successful AAC implementation but that there are challenges when establishing efficient collaborations between stakeholders.

AbstractThe Attitudes to Inclusion Scale (AIS) and the Intention to Teach in Inclusive Classroom Scale (ITICS) are instruments widely used internationally for researching teachers' attitudes and intentions towards inclusive education (IE). This study presents information on psychometric analysis of the AIS and ITICS as well as their functioning in the Czech environment. Using a sample of 1434 teachers (88% female) from 140 regular public primary schools in the Czech Republic, confirmatory factor analysis was used to verify the two‐factor structure of the AIS, which measures beliefs and feelings, as well as the structure of the ITICS, a unidimensional construct that measures the general intention of teachers in relation to IE. Both instruments achieved high reliability (ω ≥ 0.75), and convergent, discriminant, concurrent, and criterion validity were confirmed. The partially scalar for ITICS and fully strict invariance for AIS for the compared groups of teachers in terms of their age was achieved. The AIS and ITICS scales work well in the Czech sociocultural context and can be considered valid and reliable instruments for (international) comparisons of teachers' attitudes and intentions towards IE. Limitations of the study and suggestions for future research directions are also discussed.

AbstractTeachers serve as role models in dealing with errors. They play a crucial role in creating a positive error climate in the classroom. Students with emotional and behavioural disorders (EBD) make more errors during learning activity, tend to dysregulate error‐specific emotions, and are more likely to receive negative teacher feedback. In particular, externalizing behaviour problems are a risk factor for maladaptive individual error processing. Consequently, it is of significant interest to examine the students' perception of teacher behaviours in addressing errors, particularly in terms of the degree of adaptivity of individual error responses. For the first time, students with EBD attending German special schools were asked to provide their perceptions of error handling in the classroom. A total of 279 adolescents completed a questionnaire. The results of a path analysis indicate that the absence of negative teacher reactions and teacher support following errors have a significant direct effect on the adaptivity of individual error responses. The study recommends that teachers adopt positive responses and teacher support to promote students' adaptive individual error responses. In order to acquire professional error competence, teachers must develop an understanding of social–emotional competencies in children and adolescents related to error management in students with EBD.

AbstractIn this paper, we investigate the discursive positionings of early childhood special education teachers (ECSETs) in situations where they describe challenges in organizing the support for a child in interprofessional collaboration. Relaying on research on occupational well‐being of teachers, we state that such situations where professionals experience insurmountable challenges in organizing proper support for a child are potentially burdensome to ECSETs. However, because of ECSETs unique and ambivalent role as part of inclusive early childhood education and care (ECEC) system in Finland, they are in a particular risk to get burdened by the increasing demands of coordinating and organizing support. In the study, we utilized the writings of 55 ECSETs, collected using empathy‐based method and analysed them with position analysis methodology to investigate how ECSETs position themselves in such challenging situations. As a result, we show how ECSETs positions include (1) reflective controller of coping, (2) burdened support organizer, and (3) self‐blaming survivor. As a conclusion, we illustrate that while ECSETs hold no official or managerial positions in ECEC community, they strongly position themselves as the ones ultimately responsible for supporting the child but also other ECEC professionals, as well as maintaining their own wellbeing and coping in difficult situations.