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Special Education Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

Saudi Parents as Advocates for Their Young Children with Disabilities: Reflections on The Journey , Sadeem A. Alolayan

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Graduate Teaching Assistants’ Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Students with Disabilities in Higher Education , Yanlys De La Caridad Palacios

The Specifics of Specific Learning Disability: An Analysis of State-Level Eligibility Criteria and Response to Intervention Practices , Lora M. Williams

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Barriers to Reducing the Assistive Technology use for Students with Autism as Perceived by Special Education Teachers in Saudi Arabia , Othman Ahmed Alasmari

Saudi Teachers’ Perspectives on Implementing Evidence-Based Practices Specifically Designed for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Ahmad Saad Alghamdi

Perceptions of Preservice Teachers of Students with Intellectual Disabilities About their Preparation for Inclusive Education , Abdullah Aljudaya

Experiences of Saudi Arabian Mothers of Young Children with Disabilities: An Exploratory Study , Samirah Bahkali

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Perceptions of Preservice Teachers of Students with Autism and Intellectual Disabilities in their Teacher Preparation Programs in Saudi Arabia , Salman Almughyiri

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

The Use of Assistive Technology with Students with Severe Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Saudi Arabia: Teachers’ Perspectives , Khalid Mohammed Abu Alghayth

Saudi Special Education Preservice Teachers’ Perspective towards Inclusion , Sarah Binmahfooz

The Teacher Evaluation Conundrum: Examining the Perceptions of Special Education Teachers , Gordon Brobbey

Autism and Inclusion in England’s Multi Academy Trust: A Case Study of a Senior Leadership Team , Danielle Lane

Threats to Teaching: An Investigation Into the Constructs of Compassion Fatigue in the Classroom , April M. Steen

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

General Education Teachers’ Perceptions of Response to Intervention Implementation: A Qualitative Interview Study , Adhwaa Alahmari

Deaf Lesbian Identity , Noël E. Cherasaro

Beyond Replicative Technology: The Digital Practices of Students with Literacy-Related Learning Difficulties Engaged in Productive Technologies , Aimee Frier

Learning in the Margins: The Educational Experiences of an African American Male with Disabilities , Aisha Holmes

Including children with learning differences: Experiences of independent school teachers , Lisa M. Lockhart

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Perceptions of Arab American Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Exploratory Study , Haifa Alsayyari

It’s Not All Sunflowers and Roses at Home: A Narrative Inquiry of At-Risk Girls and Their Perceptions of Their Educational Experiences , Jessica Aggeles Curtis

Improving Reading Comprehension of Children with ASD: Implication of Anaphoric Reference Support with Computer Programming , Seda Karayazi Ozsayin

Collaboration with Families: Perceptions of Special Education Preservice Teachers and Teacher Preparation , Mehmet Emin Ozturk

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

The Role of Prep Schools in the Middle to High School Transition of Students in Southeastern Turkey , Mucahit Kocak

Use of a Game-Based App as a Learning Tool for Students with Mathematics Learning Disabilities to Increase Fraction Knowledge/Skill , Orhan Simsek

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Examining Experiences of Early Intervention Providers Serving Culturally Diverse Families: A Multiple Case Study Analysis , Wendy Lea Bradshaw

Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors as Strengths, not Weaknesses: Evaluating the Use of Social Stories that Embed Restricted Interests on the Social Skills of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Maya Nasr

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

The Fight Within: Experiences of School District Employees Who Advocate for the Rights of Their Own Children with Disabilities Inside the Districts Where They Work, a Heuristic Case Study , Keri Haley

Constructing an "Appropriate" Education in Florida Special Education Due Process Final Orders , Michelle Henry

Interagency Collaboration for the Provision of Services to Migrant Children with Disabilities: An Exploratory Study , Georgina Rivera-Singletary

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Reading Assessment Practices of Elementary General Education Teachers: A Descriptive Study , Sarah Mirlenbrink Bombly

Making a Difference in the Lives of Students: Successful Teachers of Students of Color with Disabilities or who are At-Risk of Identification of Disabilities at a High-Performing High-Poverty School , Tristan L. Glenn

Teacher Perspectives on the Instructional Impact of the Florida Alternate Assessment , Katherine Hawley

Blending Worlds, Reforming Practice?: An Instrumental Case Study Of Collaborative Early Childhood Teacher Education , Ann Marie Mickelson

The Perspectives of Graduate Students with Visual Disabilities: A Heuristic Case Study , Luis Perez

Connective Capacity: The Importance and Influence of Dispositions in Special Education Teacher Education , Scot Mcgregor Rademaker

Examining School Capacity for Inclusion Using a Multi-Dimensional Framework: A Case Study , Amy Lenee-Monnier Toson

Becoming a Teacher in Multiple Voices: An Exploration of Teacher Identity Formation Among Teachers of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Mary E. Wilt

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

A Multi-Perspective Exploration of a Cross-Age Tutoring Initiative: An Analysis of the Responses of All Students , Ann Elizabeth Gillies

Examining Teacher Identity and Prospective Efficacy Beliefs Among Students Enrolled in a Precollegiate Urban Teaching Academy (UTA) , Marsha Simon

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

Preservice Teachers' Perceptions of their Perspective Transformations: A Case Study , Victoria Caruana

The Development of The Personal Strengths Intervention (PSI) to Improve Self-Determination and Social-Emotional Levels in Postsecondary Students with Learning Disabilities and/or ADHD: A Multiple Baseline Study , Jennie L. Farmer

Kujichagalia! Self-Determination in Young African American Women With Disabilities during the Transition Process , La Tonya L. Gillis

Perspectives of Teachers of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders Regarding the Factors Related to Their Intent to Remain in the Profession , Glenda Esther Koshy

High Stakes Play: Early Childhood Special Educators' Perspectives of Play in Pre-Kindergarten Classrooms , Joanne Scandling Manwaring

School-Wide PBS: The Link Between Action Planning and Outcomes , Stephanie Angelique Martinez

Guided by the Spirit: Understanding Student Behavior and Theological Philosophy Through the Lens of Secondary Catholic School Teachers , Angela Marie Mucci

It Takes More Than a Whistle: Perceived Characteristics of Effective School Based Coaches , Jenna Nicole Sage

Examining the Experiences of a Select Group of First Year Special Education Teachers: A Multiple Case Study Analysis , Roseanne Kaiser Vallice

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

A Canine Audience: The Effect of Animal-Assisted Therapy on Reading Progress Among Students Identified with Learning Disabilities , Julie Omodio Griess

The Lived School Experiences of a Select Group of Female Adolescents Labeled Emotionally/Behaviorally Disordered , Anna Robic

Theses/Dissertations from 2009 2009

Lived Experience: Diverse Perspectives on Raising a Child with Autism , Heather J. Brace

An examination of the implementation of the Second step program in a public school system , Lynn Pedraza

Portraits of Online Teaching and Learning: The Experiences of an Instructor and Six Graduate Students in a Course Entitled Educating Students with Autism , Sarah R. Semon

Striving and Surviving: The Phenomenology of the First-Year Teaching Experience , Michael D. Smith

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

Transition Experiences of Selected Emerging Adults With Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties in Higher Education , Kathleen M. Fowler

A Qualitative Analysis of a Teacher Support Program for Educating Students with Emotional Disturbance in an Inclusive Setting , Crystal Williams Harmon

Evaluating the Efficacy of the Developing Algebraic Literacy Model: Preparing Special Educators to Implement Effective Mathematics Practices , Sharon N. E. Ray

Theses/Dissertations from 2007 2007

The Effects of Mentoring on the Elementary Special Education Mentor , Maria Angeliadis

Prevalence of Language Disorders Among Children with Severe Behavioral Problems Referred for a Psychiatric Evaluation by a Large Urban School District , Brenda J. Curtwright

Implementing differentiated instruction in urban, Title I schools:: Effects of facilitated support groups and program fidelity on student achievement , Deborah W. Hellman

Key stakeholder perceptions of the expulsion process for high school students identified as emotionally disturbed , Suzanne R. O'Neill

Theses/Dissertations from 2006 2006

An examination of the experiences of five African American male students with regard to school discipline practices , Simon Yohann Earle

Examining the characteristics of teachers in a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program in varying exceptionalities: Responding to the "highly qualified" teacher mandate , Erica Djuan McCray

Theses/Dissertations from 2005 2005

"I've Got the Power!": Investigating Pre-service Special Educators' Perceptions and Abilities to Teach Reading to Students with Disabilities" , Tandria Milango Callins

Evaluating Positive Behavior Support Plan Implementation In The Home Environment Of Young Children With Challenging Behavior , Michelle A. Duda

Asperger Syndrome: A Case Study on One Family’s Understanding , Ben Graffam

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Urbanicity and Children With Emotional Disturbances Served In Restructuring Public Schools , Karen Monk Harris

Voices From a Marginalized Population: Life Histories of Individuals With Physical Impairments , James Peter Marsh

The Effects of Hand Fidgets on the On-Task Behaviors of A Middle School Student With Disabilities in an Inclusive Academic Setting , Karen S. Voytecki

Theses/Dissertations from 2004 2004

Speech-Language Pathologists’ Professional Efficacy Beliefs about Assessing the Language Skills of Bilingual/Bicultural/Bidialectal Students , Karen Patricia Harris

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Home > School, College, or Department > College of Education > Special Education > Dissertations and Theses

Special Education Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

Improving Peer-to-Peer Learning for Students with Extensive Support Needs in Inclusive Classrooms , Zachary Michael Deets (Dissertation)

Behavior Training for Educators: What Training do Educators Need to Support Students with Challenging Behaviors? , Michelle R. Milburn (Dissertation)

Beyond First Thoughts: Understanding the Essence of Equitable Decision-Making, A Phenomenological Study, White Practitioners as Equitable Educational Decision-Makers , Zinnia Un (Dissertation)

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

An Examination of Educator Perspectives on Career and College Pathways for Black, Indigenous, and Students of Color with Disabilities , Rachel Anne Herrick (Dissertation)

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

"It's Not by Accident": Examining Leadership Efforts to Disrupt Oregon's Segregated K-12 Education System , Michael Eric Salitore (Dissertation)

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Inclusion for Speech-Language Pathology Minority Graduate Students , Teresa Michelle Roberts (Dissertation)

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Early Intervention Referral Outcomes for Children at Increased Risk of Experiencing Developmental Delays , Kristi Laurine Atkins (Dissertation)

Impact of Professional Development on Accessible Early Literacy Content for Preschool Children with Disabilities in Public Library Storytime , Melissa Pebly (Dissertation)

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

The Impact of Online Professional Development on the Assessment Efficacy of Novice Itinerant Teachers of Students with Multiple Disabilities Including Visual Impairments , Jacqulyn Anne Donnenwirth Daniels (Dissertation)

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experiences of Parents of Young Children with Autism Receiving Special Education Services , Donna Marie Barrow (Dissertation)

A Brief Intervention to Increase the Use of Precorrection and Praise by Elementary School Teachers , Dustin Bindreiff (Dissertation)

The Voices of Special Educators: How Do Special Educators Teach English Language Learners Who are Receiving Special Education Services? , Elizabeth Ann DuBois (Dissertation)

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

An Investigation of School-Based Specific Learning Disability Identification , Bonnie Heather Bartos (Dissertation)

Desirable Conversations: Sexuality and Women with Intellectual Disabilities , Neera Malhotra (Dissertation)

An Examination of School Readiness: How Is the Construct Defined for Children Who Are Blind? , Lisa Joann McConachie (Dissertation)

The Efficacy and Feasibility of a Context-Specific Autism Behavior Rating Tool with Real Time Data Collection Methods from the Perspectives of Clinicians, Educators, and Parents , Kathleen Marie Panaccione (Dissertation)

Exploring the Impact of an LD Diagnosis on the Self-Determination of Women in Poverty , Cynthia Jakes Stadel (Dissertation)

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Adjustment to College among Lower Division Students with Disabilities: An Exploratory Study , Kristy Lee Ann McNulty (Dissertation)

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

The Effect of Teacher-Identified Classroom Management , Monica Rose Root (Thesis)

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

Early Childhood Inclusion: Teacher Perception of the Supports Needed to Fully Include Children with Special Needs , Meredith Villines (Thesis)

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

The Use and Interpretation of the Batería III With U.S. Bilinguals , Julie Esparza Brown (Dissertation)

Theses/Dissertations from 1979 1979

An Evaluation of a Data-Based Sex Education Training Program for Mentally Retarded Adults , Patricia Ann Riley (Thesis)

Theses/Dissertations from 1972 1972

The Effects of Perceptual-Motor Training on the Perceptual-Motor Skills of Emotionally Disturbed Children , Karen R. Brown (Thesis)

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Home > College of Education and Human Services > CEHS_DEPARTMENTS > SPECED > Special Education Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Special Education Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

Understanding Being a Special Education Teacher in the Era of COVID-19: Teacher Perceptions Two Years In , Amanda N. Walkup

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Identifying Factors that Increase Sustainability of SWPBIS in US Middle Schools , Heather L. Hoffert

Teachers’ Perceptions of Causes of Academic Difficulties Experienced by Students who are Culturally and Linguistically Diverse , Courtney D. Miller

Choosing Not to Participate: Cyber Truancy and Special Education , Elizabeth A. Popielarcheck

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Computer-Assisted Instruction Compared to Traditional Instruction on Letter Recognition for Preschoolers with Special Needs , Jamie Nicole Harvey

Effects of Teacher Training in Trial-Based Functional Analysis via Video Modeling , Mary Haspel

Technology Use By Teachers Of Deaf And Hard-Of-Hearing Students , Nichole K. Zirzow

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Beyond the classroom: The need for support for parents with a child diagnosed with autism, ID, and behavioral problems , Erica Curington

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Development of the Dynamic Evaluation Model to Significantly Advance Autism Research , Dana Cihelkova

Application Activities Designed to Prepare Preservice Special Education Teachers for Response and Prevention of Bullying Behaviors , Crystal Smith

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

Instructional Leadership for Middle School Students with Disabilities in the General Education Classroom: The Role of the Principal , Jeremy M. Lynch

Using the Concrete-Representational-Abstract Sequence to Connect Manipulatives, Problem Solving Schemas, and Equations in Word Problems with Fractions , Julie L. Reneau

Expanding training opportunities for parents of children with autism , Jennifer Lee Suppo

Stakeholders' Perceptions of Special Educator Induction Programs in a Low Attrition District , Jeremy Vittek

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

Diversity as an Influence on the Choice of Teaching Positions by Pre-service Students in Special Education , Tara A. Brooks

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

Use of direct instruction to teach reading to students with significant cognitive impairments: Student outcomes and teacher perceptions , Philip Michael Kanfush III

Literacy knowledge among teachers: Considerations for implementation of the RtI initiative , Amy F. Conner Love

Theses/Dissertations from 2009 2009

The principal's role in creating a school culture that fosters achievement of students with high incidence disabilities: A study of one school , Shelby B. Haines

Life stories of selected adults with learning disabilities: How they come to understand and choose to reveal their disabilities , Christine M. Sampson

Mathematics professional development needs of general education and special education teachers , Kathryn L. Servilio

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

Analysis of elementary teachers' self-reports of variables influencing teacher decisions during the special education referral process , Bernard Charles Jones

Theses/Dissertations from 2006 2006

Perspectives of key stakeholders with regard to extended school year programs , Billie E. Bonnett

Field perceptions of the Vision Initiative for Children's preschool vision screening training model , P. Kay Nottingham Chaplin

Theses/Dissertations from 2005 2005

An exploration of interdisciplinary collaboration when serving students with moderate and severe disabilities at the middle and high school levels: A current snapshot of perceived barriers and opportunities , Sara A. Brannan

Theses/Dissertations from 2004 2004

Preservice general education teachers' perceptions of special education training needs , Kalie Renee Kossar

Theses/Dissertations from 2002 2002

Participants' beliefs about educational risk and resilience in Energy Express, a summer intervention program for West Virginia's elementary schoolchildren , Lynn G. McMullen

Perceptions of moral agency among some preschool special needs teachers , Stephen Keith Pavlovic

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Special education theses and dissertations.

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• An Analysis of the Effects of Using Direct Measures in a Competency Based Professional Education Program: An Example in Nursing  Dean, Diana Hill ( University of Oregon , 1973-08 ) The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the serial relationship between behavioral criteria (competencies) and the measured evidence of the application of the competencies by the learner. Specifically, our task is ...
• The Impact of Caregiving on Caregiver's Identity in Dementia  Campbell, Savanah ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) The purpose of this research was to explore how caring responsibilities impact caregivers’ identity over time in first-time caregivers of parents with dementia. Further aims were to gain a deeper understanding of the ...
• Part C Procedural Safeguards - Assessing the Understandability, Readability, and Availability to All Caregivers in Early Intervention  Griffin, Madeleine ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) Historically, many caregivers are dissatisfied with their inclusion in their child’s EI services. As a potential solution to this problem, federal law mandates all states to provide parents with a procedural safeguard ...
• School Suicide Prevention: A Breadth and Depth Perspective  Rochelle, Jonathan ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) The present study provides a breadth and depth perspective of the current landscape for school suicide prevention (SSP). Despite an increase in SSP programming, practices, and policy, there remains a gap in understanding ...
• Associations Among Maternal Distress, Parenting Behaviors, And Child Self-Regulation In Latina Mother-Child Dyads: Exploring The Role Of Cultural Factors  Onofrietti Magrassi, Antonella ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) There is extensive evidence on the negative effects of maternal depression and parenting stress on child development. Specifically, there is a robust body of literature suggesting that depression and stress decrease maternal ...
• Adverse Childhood Experiences and Parental Warmth: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Adversity and Parenting Behavior With a Community Sample of Mothers  Fisher, Stephanie ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) Parenting is an important and complex experience that drives a child’s healthy development and well-being as an adult. Parenting has strong implications for child outcomes, and the link between a history of adversity and ...
• Examining the Role of Executive Function as a Moderator of a Tier 2 First Grade Mathematics Intervention  Heller, Nicole ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) Low mathematics achievement in the United States has led to the recent advances in the development and evaluation of Tier 2 mathematics interventions designed to close gaps in mathematics that exist at school entry and ...
• Associations Between Caregiver Depression and Social Support Among Diverse Caregivers of Children with Developmental Delay and Autism  Taiwo, Abiola ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) Caregivers of children with developmental delay (DD) or disabilities are at a higher risk of developing mental health problems like depression when compared to caregivers of children who are typically developing. Several ...
• Examining Patterns and Predictors of Response to Mathematics Intervention  Lesner, Taylor ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) Concerns about low mathematics achievement have created a push to increase national mathematics proficiency levels through research and policy. Efforts have largely focused on early mathematics interventions for students ...
• Heterogeneity in Early Mathematics Screening: Investigating the Role of Intervention Effects on Screening Accuracy  Ives, Christopher ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) This study explores the heterogeneity in screening accuracy of the Assessing Student Proficiency in Early Number Sense (ASPENS) across schools within the context of a randomized control trial (RCT) for Fusion, a first-grade ...
• Dual Language Factors and Their Association with Language and Literacy in School-Age Children  Sandino, Anayaset ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) Anayaset SandinoMaster of Science Department of Special Education and Clinical Sciences September 2023 Title: Dual Language Factors and Their Associations with Language and Literacy in School-Age Children The purpose of ...
• Pathways to Parenting Stress and Challenging Behaviors for Preschoolers with Developmental Delays: The role of emotion regulation  Glenn, Elizabeth ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) Background: Parents play a significant role in shaping children’s behaviors and their responses to emotions. Research has established a strong, bi-directional effect between parenting stress and children’s challenging ...
• Part C Early Intervention Referral and Eligibility for Children with Diagnosed Medical Conditions: An Exploratory Study in Two States  Yadav, Asha ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) Insufficient referral and participation in Part C Early Intervention (EI) services are common among children aged birth to 3 years, including those automatically eligible due to diagnosed medical conditions. States have ...
• Title: Diversity, Equity, Justice, and Inclusion Competencies for Preservice Behavior Analysts: A Modified Delphi Study  Cohen Lissman, Dana ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a systematic approach that utilizes human learning and behavioral principles to assist individuals and groups in achieving their objectives. Despite the increasing diversity of the US ...
• Enhancing Health and Quality of Life for Persons with Dementia and Their Caregivers Through a Biopsychosocial Approach to Mealtime Management  Bayne, David ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) Dementia is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by sensorimotor, psychosocial, and physiological deficits. As a result of this neurological damage, persons with dementia (PWD) often experience difficulty ...
• The Study of Retardation in the Public Schools of Eugene, Oregon  Douglass, Leigh C. ( University of Oregon , 1922 ) A twofold purpose obtained in making the following study. The first purpose, which guided the greater part of the work, was that of determining the extend, causes and cost of retardation in a typical larger sized Oregon ...
• Using Extant Data to Examine the Lived Experience of Special Education Teachers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Coping, Resilience, and Changes to Level of Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Personal Accomplishment to Determine Teacher Burnout Occurrence Level  Whitehat, Paulina ( University of Oregon , 2023-03-24 ) DISSERTATION ABSTRACT Paulina Whitehat Doctor of Philosophy Department of Special Education and Clinical Sciences December 2022 Title: Examining the Lived Experiences of Special Education Teachers During the COVID-19 ...
• Early Social-Emotional Development and the Utility of a Social-Emotional Screening Tool for Toddlers in Taiwan  Lin, Fang Yu ( University of Oregon , 2023-03-24 ) In Taiwan, the high prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems in children has increased public awareness of young children’s social-emotional development in recent years. Early identification of social-emotional ...
• Promoting Culture as a Protective Factor among AI/AN Youth in Klamath County  Barney, Nicole ( University of Oregon , 2023-03-24 ) Youth suicide continues to be a growing public health tragedy in the United States. In particular, AI/AN youth are at disproportionate risk for suicide. The present study takes place in Klamath County, Oregon where the ...
• Outdoor School for All: A Pilot Study of a Novel Training for Outdoor School Educators on Inclusive Practices  Arbuckle, Stacy ( University of Oregon , 2022-10-26 ) Outdoor School (ODS) in Oregon is a regular educational experience for Oregon’s fifth and sixth graders. ODS programs and providers have identified training opportunities related to ensuring ODS is accessible and inclusive ...

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Home > Education > Special Ed & Literacy > Dissertations

Special Education and Literacy Studies Dissertations

All dissertations completed at Western Michigan University are entered into ScholarWorks. Some may be embargoed or restricted by the authors and may be only available from on-campus computers. Print copies are available through interlibrary loan for dissertations before 2013. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

Dissertations from 2021 2021

Understanding the Unique Role of the Special Education Teacher and the Essence of the Special Education Teacher’s Life in the Inclusive Setting , Evelyn C. Phillips

Effects of Behavioral Skills Training on Preservice Teachers’ Ability to Code Articles , Rena VanDerwall

Dissertations from 2020 2020

The Pre-Instructional and Reading Comprehension Strategies Special Education Teachers Use to Engage and Instruct Elementary Student Readers with ASD , Murfet Alnemr

A Qualitative Study Investigating the Common or Shared Experiences of Saudi and American Parents of Students with Autism in the IEP-Process , Alwiah Abdullah Alsaggaf

Examining District Administrators’ Professional Development Decision-Making Processes Concerning New Special Education Teachers , Sarah J. Bacalia

A Qualitative Study Investigating Post-Secondary Services for Students with Learning Disabilities at Saudi Universities , Nahed Mohammed Binbakhit

Let’s Talk Fluency: Elementary Educators’ Perceptions of the Impact and Implementation of Fluency Instruction within the Leveled Literacy Intervention Framework , Megan L. Michalczak

Dissertations from 2019 2019

Teachers Use and Perceptions of the Impact of Response to Intervention (RTI) on Co-Teaching at the Secondary Level in General Education Classrooms , Hawazen Alasiri

Special Education Teachers Use of Reading Strategies to Support Students with Learning Disabilities in Reading , Ali A. Alhamdan

Professional Learning Communities in Michigan’s Center-Based Schools: A Mixed Methods Study , Benjamin L. Oakley

Finding the Right Words: Exemplary Educators Essence of Vocabulary Instruction , Mackenzie W. Sheahan

Dissertations from 2018 2018

Effective Reading Strategies for Increasing the Reading Comprehension Level of Third-Grade Students with Learning Disabilities , Nouf Rashdan Almutairi

Assessing the Supports and Variables Needed for Graduation of Students Receiving Special Education Service: A Longitudinal Study , Jennifer DeWaard

ASD Program Development in Special Education Teacher Preparation: An Exploratory Study , Christine DeWildt

Dissertations from 2017 2017

General Education Teachers’ Attitudes about Inclusion , Larry D. Monje

Dissertations from 2016 2016

A Formative Evaluation of a Program Providing Support to College Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Kourtney Kay Bakalyar

The Impact of Procedural Compliance to the Individualized Education Program Document on Student Achievement and Academic Benchmarks , Christine Robertson

Dissertations from 2014 2014

Administrators as Change Agents in Implementing MTSS: Beliefs, Skills, and Challenges , Tasha Frigmanski

Evaluating the Use of the Math Reasoning Inventory for Improvement in Fraction Instruction , Kathy Huffman Boyer

Dissertations from 2013 2013

Special Education Leadership and the Implementation of Response to Intervention , Derek Ryan Cooley

Dissertations from 2012 2012

Identifying In-School Predictors of Postsecondary Success for Students with Hearing Impairments , Jennifer Lynn Coyle

Using TeachLivEᵀᴹ to Improve Pre-Service Special Education Teacher Practices , April N. Enicks

Dissertations from 2011 2011

The Picture Exchange Communication System: Digital Photographs Versus Picture Symbols , Carmen Jonaitis

Stability of Popular R-CBM Progress Monitoring Tools: Dibels® Next and Aimsweb® , Christine Russell

Evaluating the Use of a Self-Advocacy Strategy as a Means of Improving Progress in the General Curriculum for Individuals with Cognitive Disabilities , Amy L. Schelling

Dissertations from 2009 2009

Technical Adequacy of Curriculum-Based Measures of Vocabulary Growth for Preschool English Language Learners , Kathleen M. VanTol

Dissertations from 2007 2007

Audio-Assisted Reading with Digital Audiobooks for Upper Elementary Students with Reading Disabilities , Kelli J. Esteves

Perceptions and Intervention Practices of Speech-Language Pathologists Serving Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders , Laura A. Getty

Effects of Detectable Warnings on Individuals with Mobility Impairments , Helen Lee

Dissertations from 2005 2005

The Effects of the Michigan Transition Outcomes Project , Jane E. Finn

Examining the Keyword Mnemonic Strategy as an Effective Academic Intervention for High School Students Labeled Emotional or Behavioral Disordered , Karen A. Kleinheksel

Dissertations from 1998 1998

Implications of Changing to 4 by 4 Semester Block Scheduling for Secondary Students with Learning Disabilities , Sandra Kay Wayne

Dissertations from 1996 1996

A Comparison of the Spontaneous Utterances of Students with Autism Across Two Educational Settings , Mary E. Peterson

Dissertations from 1994 1994

Identification of Effective Classroom Management Practices Among Teachers in Elementary Special Education Computer-Use Classrooms , Stephanie L. Kenney

Dissertations from 1991 1991

Frequency of Job Skills Deemed Critical by Employers Appearing on the Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) of Moderately Retarded Students , Linda Dagen McCrea

Dissertations from 1989 1989

A Study of Community Activities, Personal Expenditures, and Job Performance of School Administrators in Districts with and without Residency Policies , Sue Nelson

Dissertations from 1988 1988

The Ability of Teachers of Preschool Handicapped to Use Observational Behavioral Assessment Techniques in Assessing Social Skills , Stephen P. Barbus

The Effect of Self-Efficacy Training on the Willingness of Preservice Teachers to Implement Social Skill Training in the Classroom , Linda J. Miller

The Effects of Leadership Style and Work Setting on the Job Satisfaction of Teachers of the Trainable Mentally Impaired , John Charles Woods

Dissertations from 1987 1987

The Development and Validation of a Social Skills Rating Scale for Early Adolescents , Alan Bain

The Identification and Assessment of Interaction in Educational Microcomputer Software , Pamela J. Zeller

Dissertations from 1985 1985

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Considering Diversity in (Special) Education: Disability, Being Someone and Existential Education

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• Published: 19 February 2021
• Volume 40 , pages 365–380, ( 2021 )

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• Solveig Magnus Reindal   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0855-7570 1  

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Discussions on diversity and disability in dialogue with special educationalists and philosophers of education are not often found in the research literature. Researchers within disability studies have been critical towards the enterprise of special education and vice versa, and the language they use is often different, as they draw on various subject fields. In this article, I bring these fields of research together and draw on research from the philosophy of education, special education and Disability Studies. My argument is that a language of diversity needs to be embedded in a language about educational ends and other fundamental questions discussed in the philosophy of education, and not solely in discussions within the field of inclusive education, as is often found in the research literature relating to special education. I argue that the language of diversity related to disability should be embedded in the language of the person, being someone. In order to build my argument, I sketch out three distinctions: disability and impairment, education as cultivation versus an existential education and the distinction between being someone and being something. I argue that an understanding of diversity and the case of disability within the framework of (special) education should preferably be: (1) interpreted within a social relational model of disability, drawing on an adjusted capabilities approach, (2) an existential educational paradigm and (3) seeing the person as someone, and not as something that is associated with a series of facts that happen to relate to what we call persons.

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Introduction

The aim of this article is to investigate the issue of diversity, as it relates to disability, in relation to crucial educational questions, and in so doing, I hope to make a contribution to ‘putting persons’ back into the educational language of education that Pring ( 2012 ) advocates. He criticises education in general for using instrumentalist language and does not specifically mention special education. However, Pring’s critique is highly relevant also regarding the field of special education. Discussions on diversity are often addressed in relation to disability and inclusive education, but seldom are the discussions framed within a broader context, reflecting on interpretations of overarching educational ends. It is suggested that the issue of diversity, as it relates to disability, should be examined within the framework of fundamental educational questions. This is addressed by arguing that an understanding of diversity ought to be understood primarily in relation to being a person—to be someone, and not a something like a ‘bio-neuro-socio-cultural being’, a concept coined by Biesta ( 2020 ), in which the human being is interpreted as a coordinate between a system axis and an individual. Understanding the human being in this way rather contributes to a ‘depersonalization’, of the language in education, as pointed out by Pring ( 2012 ). In an effort to create a language that contributes to an understanding of diversity related to disability and resting in a notion of the person, being someone, three important distinctions are sketched out: (1) the distinction between disability and impairment, (2) the paradigm of education as cultivation versus an existential educational paradigm (Biesta 2020 ) and (3) Spaemann’s ( 2006 ) distinction between someone and something. Highlighting these three distinctions, I hope to show that the discussions relating to diversity in education ought to be outlined in a language framework other than ‘the effective school’ and ‘science of deliverology’ that Pring ( 2012 ) has so aptly called the trend in educational thought, emphasizing a target-setting culture that leads to a ‘depersonalization’ of education. Pring urges us to put the language of persons back into education. This also has implications for the framework of the educational language in which we interpret the issue of diversity as it relates to disability and educational challenges in education. In the following I outline the three aforementioned distinctions.

Diversity—and the Case of Disability in Education Underpinning Educational Challenges

The impairment/disability distinction has been pivotal in Disability Studies across several decades. The distinction was especially important in developing the social model, by breaking the theoretical causal link between impairment and disability, which was said to underpin the medical interpretations of disability (Oliver 1996 , p. 41), and educational practices within special education (Gallagher Heshusius, Iano and Skrtic 2004). A critique of medical and individual models has especially and rightly been addressed by disability scholars. Instead, they interpreted disability as a cultural and social phenomenon caused by social, structural and cultural mechanisms rather than the mere personal effects of impairments (Thomas 2004 , 2007 ). Since then, the debate has evolved around the distinction’s social, natural and ontological status (Reindal 2010 ; Riddle 2013 ; Terzi 2004 ; Vehmas and Mäkelä 2009 ). In the wake of conceptual and theoretical controversies in the field of Disability Studies, the theme disability was increasingly framed in educational discussions, under the heading of diversity, and the term diversity became an important fulcrum in the language of inclusive education (Arnesen et al. 2007 ) which was also intended to refer not only to disabled children (Kiuppis 2014 ), but to all school-age children. The slogan ‘valuing diversity’ almost became a cliché within the literature on inclusive education, increasingly becoming an empty term (Benjamin 2002 , p. 310). As the notion ‘valuing diversity’ evolved, it was criticized for its lack of discernment characteristics. It did not enable teachers and other professionals, according to Benjamin, “to hold on to difference as a means of illuminating present inequalities and imagining radical alternatives” ( 2002 , p. 311). Within the field of Disability Studies, the impairment/disability distinction has also been interpreted as a hindrance to valuing diversity. As impairment is defined as a departure of normal functioning, it is argued that one should not relay an understanding of disability on the impairment/disability distinction (Barnes 2016 , p. 21). Barnes ( 2018 ), therefore, disputes the value of the disability/impairment distinction and argues for a solidarity-based approach to theorizing disability, seeing the term impairment as superfluous to an understanding of disability (p. 1159). Her opinion rests on a specific point of departure. Barnes, explicitly focuses on physical disability in her social philosophy, which does not include psychological and cognitive/intellectual disability (2016, p. 2). However, regarding diversity and the case of disability in education, the whole group of children with various impairments need to be included within a conceptualization of disability. A downplay of the reality of impairment has been criticized by Vehmas and Watson ( 2016 ). They argue, that emphasizing solely cultural aspects as characteristics of disability at the expense of the material, will run the risk; “of misconstruing not just the lives of disabled people but also crucial ethical issues” (p. 13). This is especially important regarding inclusive education as is pointed out by Felder ( 2019 ). She criticises the use of the term diversity in education as an all-compassing term. Felder argues that to celebrate human diversity per se underestimates both the challenge that disability represents and what it means in the context of education (Felder 2019 , p. 3). Felder demonstrates, using various examples, that with regard to disability, diversity is never merely a social reaction to a horizontal element of inequality such as gender, sex, or race but instead “always represents an interactive, complex and dynamic link between these factors and the social and structural environment, as expressed through particular conditions and forms” (p. 11). Children and young people with various social and personal impairment effects, face other challenges in school which cannot just be interpreted in light of social marginalization and discrimination due to gender or skin colour. The effects of some impairments cause specific educational challenges that also need to be dealt with. Felder ( 2019 ) holds, that if we are to meet the challenge of inclusive education, the issue of disability must be interpreted not only as “celebrating diversity” but rather as a multidimensional, dynamic and context-bound phenomenon, having the force to address ethical issues and critique social institutions such as the school (p. 13). By highlighting a potential concept that can provide us with an understanding of disability as a multidimensional, dynamic and context-bound phenomenon, able to address ethical issues, Felder ( 2019 ) points to an understanding of disability within the capabilities approach (p. 13). I share Felder’s view. I hold that an understanding of disability within the framework of the capabilities approach is fruitful regarding an understanding of diversity relating to disability as basis for informing educational challenges in education. I elaborate on the impairment/disability distinction further within this context, using the adjustments that Begon ( 2017 ) calls for regarding the capabilities approach. I will discuss this view in the section below.

Diversity Resting on the Distinction between Impairment/Disability–a Social Relational View on Disability Using an Adjusted Capabilities Approach

The capabilities approach is a political doctrine about basic entitlements that focus on what people actually are able to be and do (Nussbaum 2006 , pp. 154, 168). The two main concepts of the approach are ‘functioning’ and ‘capability’. The emphasis is on the capability to function , what a person can do or can be. Capability means opportunity to select, hence capabilities have values in and of themselves, as “spheres of freedom and choice”, whereas functionings are the “outgrowths or realizations of capabilities” (Nussbaum 2011 , p. 25). In the capabilities approach, equality of capability is an essential goal where absence would be connected with a deficit in dignity and self-respect (Nussbaum 2006 , p. 292). Functionings can involve quite basic characteristics—such as being well-nourished, being in good health, and receiving an education as well as involving complex activities and states of being—such as having self-respect. Nussbaum identifies a list of central human capabilities, arguing that all of them are implicit in the idea of a life worthy of human dignity. Capabilities are not instrumental to a life of human dignity: “they are understood, instead, as ways of realizing a life of human dignity, in the different areas of life which human beings typically engage” (Nussbaum 2006 , p. 161). Disability within such a theoretical framework, is thus understood as a kind of capabilities deprivation due to various differences caused by personal, social, and environmental circumstances.

Previously, I have developed an understanding of disability as a social relational phenomenon as framework for interpreting educational needs (Reindal 2008 ) within the framework of the capabilities approach developed by Sen ( 1992 , 2009 ) and Nussbaum ( 2006 ) using Terzi’s ( 41 , 42 ,, 2008 , 2009 ) elaboration of difference as a multidimensional variable (Reindal 2009 , 2010 ). Thomas’ ( 2004 , 2007 ) concept of impairment effect is crucial for an understanding of disability as a social relational phenomenon. Holding on to the central idea in the social model, that disability is more than a person’s impairment (Oliver 1996 ), disability is viewed as additional to the personal and social effect of an impairment (Reindal 2009 ; Thomas 2007 ). Whether an impairment is “bad” or just a “mere” difference depends on the personal and social effects of the impairment for that particular person in his/her life as lived experience. How the effect of an impairment is experienced cannot be evaluated a priori but depends upon the life experience of a person. Seeing impairment in this way allows for a value-neutral account of physical and cognitive difference, while at the same time enabling the concept of impairment to play a role in highlighting difference as disadvantageous and identifying what constitutes injustice in the life of people experiencing disability (Begon 2020 , p. 21).

With regard to the capabilities approach, diversity is understood as a specific variable consisting of four conditions: personal and environmental characteristics, inter–individual variation and inter–end variation (Sen 1992 , p. 85). These various differences constitute a personal profile for every person in relation to the opportunity to develop functionings and capabilities. Whether these differences turn out to be disabling for that particular person, depends on cultural, material, value–related and structural factors–the life experience of that person. In societies in which, for example, a hearing impairment or deafness excludes a child from going to school and being educated, this will render the child disabled in that he or she is hindered in relation to the opportunity to develop important functionings–beings and doings–this will also reduce the capabilities of that child and his/her freedom to choose valued beings and doings. In societies where a child with a hearing impairment receives sign language tuition and/or speech therapy, plus other additional support, that child will experience to be less disabled. This is the task of inclusive education, to facilitate access to education and educational opportunities for every child, although this is not the definitive task of education, as will be elaborated on below.

In an earlier publication (Reindal 2016 ), I have suggested that Nussbaum’s ( 2006 ) list of ten capabilities could function as an ethical framework stipulating what inclusion should encompass for every pupil and the school community. Nussbaum’s list of ten central human capabilities includes life, bodily health, bodily integrity, the senses, imagination and thought, emotions, practical reason, affiliation (having relationships with or living alongside other species) and play and control (political and material) over one’s environment (Nussbaum 2011 , pp. 33–34). Nussbaum refers to the capabilities in her list as combined capabilities, internal preparation for action and choice, as well as circumstances to exercise that function (Nussbaum 2011 , pp. 24–25). For example, if a child with a hearing impairment in the future will have the opportunity to exercise free speech and be safeguarded testimonial justice (Fricker 2017 ), this not only requires the ability of that child to use a language and his/her ability to cultivate internal capability through development and education, but also the actual material and political circumstances in which that ability can be used. This requires inclusive educational settings, where the child can experience different beings and doings, and is exposed to a variety of opinions, manners and values. That, being said, it is important as Taylor ( 2012 ) has pointed out, to ask in which ways the emphasis on achieved functionings will be a reflection of dominant norms and values. Taylor asks “[a]re we justified in requiring certain functionings in children that they will need to achieve adult capability even when this entails an imposition of communicative functioning norms”? (Taylor 2012 , p. 119). The problem Taylor points to here is important. She identifies a problem in the capabilities approach when capabilities are defined as capabilities to function. This has more recently been problematized by Begon ( 2017 ).

In the article “ Capabilities for All?: From Capabilities to Function, to Capabilities to Control ”, Begon ( 2017 ) criticizes Nussbaums’s list of capabilities. Begon argues that Nussbaum’s reliance on the importance of certain functions and the commitment to the capabilities to perform these functionings, “threatens the neutrality of inclusivity of her approach” (p. 156). It is important for Nussbaum that the capabilities enlisted in her list, should not be interpreted as instrumental in the usual sense of the term but ways of realizing a life with human dignity. Nussbaum’s version of the capabilities approach focuses on the protection of areas of freedom, that in her view, are so central that their removal makes a life not worthy of human dignity (2011, p. 31). Dignity, thus for Nussbaum, is not defined prior to or independently of capabilities, but is intertwined with them and their definition (Reindal 2016 , p. 8). Nussbaum establishes the centrality of functionings for a dignified life, and then argues that everyone should be entitled to the opportunity to perform them (Begon 2017 , p. 163). This move is problematic, as an emphasis on achieved functionings in an educational setting might be informed by dominant norms and values, hence supporting ability expectations in that culture or society (Wolbring 2012 ). By using asexual persons and persons with impairment effects, such as Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASC), Begon shows how Nussbaum’s list of capabilities can be exclusionary when these capabilities are conceptualized as opportunities to function (p. 164). By citing various elements of Nussbaum’s works in relation to different opportunities to function as part of various capabilities, Begon shows that asexual persons and persons with impairment effects, such as ASC, cannot choose to perform the functioning which Nussbaum sees as essential to any dignified life (p. 166). Begon states “we are asking individuals to agree that the ability to perform a functioning of which they are incapable is essential to a dignified life” (p. 166). The case of asexuality, for example, reflects a problem that is different from people choosing celibacy as a life form, as no laws or social stigma prevent people from performing this functioning. The point that Begon wishes to make is that asexual persons, cannot achieve the functioning of sexual satisfaction and so cannot have that capability. Likewise, argues Begon, many people struggling with impairment effects, such as ASC have difficulties in relation to emotional attachments, engaging in social interaction, or imagining the situation of another; “Why should it be a requirement of justice, and a necessary constituent of dignity, that we have an opportunity for a functioning that is unachievable?” (p. 167).

Could this perhaps unveil an implicit view of ability expectations, a preference for certain abilities (Wolbring 2012 ) inherent in Nussbaum’s capabilities list as capabilities are important, when they contribute to functionings? I believe there is a danger here. Against the background, that Nussbaum conceptualizes capability as the ability to perform valuable functionings, as for example having opportunities for sexual satisfaction as part of bodily integrity (Begon 2017 , p. 164) Begon has aptly highlighted a danger, in that Nussbaum’s list might implicitly be a driving force of ability expectations. Her list remains perfectionist as long as central capabilities are regarded as representing opportunities to perform those functionings essential for a good life, claims Begon (p. 160). This might encourage discussions relating to cures and enhancement opportunities that are implicitly driven by the expectations to be able to perform valuable functionings. I completely agree with Begon. She has identified an underpinning weakness in the conceptualization of capabilities as opportunities to function . One might ask, whether the capabilities approach, conceptualized as an opportunity to function, would have sufficient ethical resistance with the ever-increasing pressure to develop abilities and opportunities in the wake of technical and genetic innovations, and desires and visions for the future from advocates of enhancements (Buchanan 2011ab) and transhumanists (Bostrom and Sandberg 2009 ). However, the demand regarding ability expectations is not independent of how we interpretate what a human being is, and the meaning of personal development. It is for these reasons I argue that an emphasis on existential educational and seeing the person as someone are critical as will be outlined below.

The adjustment Begon argues for, is in my view, welcomed and is significant as it shifts the focus from opportunities to function to the persons own voice and opens a room for resisting what is assumed to be the embedded ‘valuable functionings’ essential for a dignified life. Begon does not argue for an abolition of Nussbaum’s list, rather she suggests an alteration of how capabilities should be conceptualized not to be “understood as opportunities to perform particular functionings, but as opportunities to exercise control in certain domains “ (2017 pp. 155–156). She writes: “Many autistic and asexual individuals would find the suggestion that their life is lacking something ‘good and important’, and that a cure is an appropriate response to their condition, deeply offensive” (p. 167). I think that this adjustment of the capabilities approach will ‘reduce’ the danger that Taylor ( 2012 ) underlines, namely, the vulnerability of selecting ‘abelist preferences’ in relation to opportunities to function, which she maintains is prevalent in schooling (p. 118). An example could be the controversy relating to what kind of achieved functionings deaf children or those with a hearing impairment and their parents, are ‘encouraged’ to strive for (cochlea implants, sign language, oral therapy Footnote 1 ) in order to develop the capabilities of their child and to partake in situations concerning their child’s future life. Viewing the task of education as an emphasis on capabilities and an opportunity to exercise control in certain domains, rather than solely focusing on opportunities relating to functionings, might raise the child and parents’ awareness of ‘abelist preferences’ and enable them to choose other options than expected as ‘valuable functionings’ relating to hearing impairments. An emphasis on being in control opens to select the preferred sensory experience.

To summarize, I argue that the impairment/disability distinction, as developed within the social relational model of disability (Reindal 2008 ), drawing on the framework of the capabilities approach, is a fertile understanding of diversity regarding the issue of disability in education supporting an interpretation of educational needs. Notably, with the adjustment of the capabilities approach, pointed out by Begon ( 2017 ), capabilities are conceptualized as opportunities to exercise control in certain domains, rather than as opportunities to function. This adjustment of the capabilities approach is important. It shifts the focus. It has been pointed out that the capabilities approach, with its emphasis on capabilities as opportunities to function, repositions the role of education in the pursuit of human flourishing (Hinchcliffe and Terzi 2009 , p. 388). However, there are certain issues with regard to this view of seeing the role of education primarily as the pursuit of human flourishing. It is not untrue per se but it does not capture the whole picture as pointed out by Biesta ( 2020 ). A shift to conceptualize capabilities as opportunities to exercise control in certain domains, suggests an emphasis of the subjects’ ability to stand forth as an ‘I’, as the main focus in the capabilities approach which makes it possible to shift the emphasis from an organism that becomes cultivated to a “human individual who exists and stands for the challenge to lead his or her own life”, as Biesta sees as the main educational question (p.8). The capabilities approach, seen as an opportunity to function, is in danger of being representative of what Biesta ( 2020 ) calls a ‘paradigm of cultivation’. I, therefore, believe that the adjustments made by Begon are very important. This leads to the next distinction in which I maintain a language and an understanding of diversity should rest: the distinction between education as a paradigm of cultivation and an existential educational paradigm (Biesta 2020 ).

Diversity in a Larger Context: Cultivation Versus Existential—a Question of Educational Ends

Pring ( 2012 ) gives many examples of how the language of business and measurement is flooding the ‘language’ of education. Arts or the ‘aesthetics’ have been downgraded as a valuable form of knowledge as this kind of insight is difficult to measure (p. 755). Instead, education is dominated by a language of performance management, and target-setting culture, leading to a language of ‘depersonalization’ in the school environment. He argues that education has become a kind of science of ‘deliverology’ where teachers shall deliver results by delivering a curriculum (Pring 2012 , p. 747). This has led to a failure in respect of what it means to be and grow as a person and is reflected in a narrow conception of successful learning, understood as academic success, claims Pring ( 2012 , p. 755). In my view, Pring highlights a crucial problem relating to the way in which theorizing and educational practices have developed over the last few decades. Likewise, Biesta ( 2006 , 2012 ) has criticized the field of education for emphasizing a language of ‘learnification’, which shifts the emphasis from education to learning. In a language of learnification, the process of education is described as that of teaching-and-learning, where teachers become facilitators of learning, schools are seen as a learning environment and teaching has been redefined as the creation of learning outcomes (Biesta 2012 , p. 583). Biesta, is not against learning as an activity, but learning as a framework for the language which characterizes education. The language of learning does not capture the whole picture. The reason for this critique is that learning, specifically, can take place without an end, thus it is difficult to take responsibility for the direction of learning. According to Biesta, this is why we “need to keep reminding ourselves that education is about education” ( 2012 , p. 584). So, what does Biesta mean by saying that education is about education? Biesta has written extensively on this theme. In the following section, I will use certain elements of his latest work as it specifically links to the aforementioned point, relating to the importance of being able to stand forth as an ‘I’, and to the issue of a personalised language in education emphasising the importance of sensing oneself as a person (Pring 2012 , p.757).

In the article “ Can the prevailing description of educational reality be considered complete? On the Parks-Eichmann paradox, spooky action at a distance and a missing dimension in the theory of education ”, Biesta ( 2020 ) addresses the difference between what he calls a ‘paradigm’ of education as cultivation, versus an existential educational ‘paradigm’. To illustrate the difference between these two paradigms, Biesta uses an example which he claims to be an educational paradox. Two historical persons and cases are used: Rosa Parks, the black woman who refused to give up her seat to a white man in the ‘coloured’ section of a Montgomery to Alabama bus in 1955 and the Nazi SS- Obersturmbahnfürer Adolf Eichmann, who was convicted of 15 counts of crimes against humanity in his trial in 1961 in Jerusalem. Eichmann admitted to have partaken in the actions but he denied the responsibility, because he was following orders, Footnote 2 while Parks comprehended the signs, ‘white forward, coloured rear’ but refused to acknowledge the driver’s authority to assign seats Footnote 3 (Biesta 2020 , p. 3). Biesta explains the paradox in the following way:

The paradox, however, has to do with the fact that what appears as success (Eichmann) or failure (Parks) from the perspective of effective instruction and successful learning– education as qualification and socialisation (see Biesta 2009) – turns out to be the opposite when viewed from what we might term the ‘humane’ perspective; that is, the perspective of existing-as-subject – education as subjectification. This then raises the question of the exact ‘status’ of the latter perspective and how it relates to the former (Biesta 2020 , p. 3).

Biesta asks us to consider what education is, against the background of what he calls the Parks-Eichmann paradox and the ‘status’ between the three broad educational ends: qualification, socialization and subjectification. In order to follow Biesta, a precondition is to agree that it is a paradox, when considered from an educational angle. Footnote 4 Biesta makes the point, that if education is seen as an intervention that shall bring about preconceived learning outcomes that are culturally embedded, then it seems that Eichmann is successful, as he was assimilated into the social and cultural order at that time, but this was not the case for Parks. In the story about Parks and Eichmann, Biesta ‘finds’ that Parks stepped forward as an ‘I’, whereas Eichmann withdrew his ‘I’. In discussing whether this is a real educational paradox, Biesta explores whether this is simply a story about different moral choices, and hence has nothing to do with different educational paradigms. He discusses whether the Parks-Eichmann example is just a question of different moral choices and hence does not picture a real educational paradox, but rather a failure of moral education and the cultivation of moral subjects in a particular context. Biesta dismisses this alternative, because ethical and moral judgements need an ‘I’ to come into play, they require a subject. To bring the ‘I’ into play and keep the ‘I’ of the student in play, is according to Biesta, specifically related to an understanding of education as existential, as opposed to education as cultivation (pp. 2, 11). A prime example of a paradigm case of an educational theory that promotes and pursues education as ‘cultivation’ is found, according to Biesta, in the educational theory of Dewey (p. 5). Education as cultivation, is built on an understanding that education relates to the interplay between internal factors and external influences, and describes how individuals become who they are as a result of social and cultural involvement, where the task for education, is to allow children to develop the greatest number of “capacities and capabilities in the fullest way possible” (2020, p. 5). Biesta gives a pointed examination of Dewey’s educational theory, and why this educational framework fails to give an understanding of education that foregrounds the question of the ‘I’. What is missing in Dewey’s theory of education, is that it does not answer how the ‘I’ can come into play. According to Biesta, this is the case because the acquisition of new habits and knowledge in Dewey’s theory of education is acquired by placing the human organism in new environments “as it is through interaction with such environments that human organisms acquire new habits and knowledge and hence learn” (p.7).

The educational theory of Dewey, as a paradigm case of cultivation, seems to support educational tasks as qualification and socialization, and can well ‘explain’ how Eichmann came to be the man he turned out to be, given the values and social context of his time. However, argues Biesta, the cultivation paradigm of education is unable to explain the case of Parks (p. 7). The kind of human being that the cultivation paradigm of education fosters, can be called ‘bio-neuro-socio-cultural’ (p. 4), building on intelligent adjustment to ever evolving environment conditions. This is an understanding of the human being in light of survival, maintains Biesta, but survival is not the same as life and indeed not the only ‘modality’ of human existence (p. 7).

I find that the understanding of the human being, fostered in the cultivation ‘paradigm’, bears a resemblance to Hacking’s interpretation of the human being as an interactive kind. The paradigm imparts an understanding, able to tell the story of who we are primarily in light of different subject fields in sciences, as a coordinate between the system axis and the individual, interacting between culture and environment. Hacking ( 2007 ) holds that science has been so central to the human understanding of who we are, that we create ourselves in our own scientific image of the kinds of people we can be (p. 305). With a touch of irony, MacIntyre ( 2009 , p. 175) gives a summary of a scientific view on man from the angle of various disciplines (physics, chemistry, biology, history, economy, psychology, sociology and the arts), and with this he displays a scattered and fragmented view of what a human being is, from the angle of science. Seeing the human being primarily as an interactive combination of nature, nurture or technology (Cyborgs) does not bring about a platform for the main educational question, the question of subjectification. Rather these interactions shed light on the way in which humans are making up various identities. Hacking has coined the concept biosocial identity ( 2006 , p. 81) which is close to Biesta’s concept ‘bio-neuro-socio-cultural’. Who we are and how we have become who we are, is a question of identity; the educational question, however, is about how an ‘I’ can step forward from all this; “how we try to live our own life, what we will do with who we have become” (Biesta 2020 , pp. 4). The paradigm of cultivation encourages identity making, through interactions and understanding of ourselves as, bio-neuro-socio-cultural beings, while existential education challenges us to bring into play our “’subject-ness’, our way of and our attempts at existing-as-subject of our own life, not as the object of influences from ‘elsewhere’” (p. 5). The existential paradigm of education is thus the paradigm of the ‘I’. What makes this paradigm fundamentally different form the paradigm of cultivation, says Biesta is “that the ‘I’ is not the outcome of a process of cultivation and therefore not something that can be produced educationally (or to be more precise: that can be produced through cultivating work upon a ‘thing’)” (p. 8). With this distinction between a paradigm of cultivation and existence, Biesta has sought to distinguish between language that matters in terms of the theory and practice of education, which is very important as it determines the language of the person.

A short summary of the different paradigms follows. The paradigm of cultivation relates to many educational practices which we typically recognize as educational tasks, human flourishing, learning outcomes, developing opportunities and capacities, etc. Biesta’s point is that a paradigm of cultivation is not sufficient on its own as it does not provide a framework for foregrounding the question of the ‘I’, the quest for subjectification. Cultivation, as an educational framework, primarily rests on an understanding of the human as a bio-neuro-socio-cultural being, and thus does not manage to get outside its own premises, it is, in a way, locked up in a ‘looping effect’ of interactions (Hacking 2007 Footnote 5 ). In this web of interactions, the cultivation paradigm, is according to Biesta, unable to explain actions carried out by people who resist the ‘cultural and social order’, such as Rosa Parks. Implicit in the social order at that time, was an agreement that there should be different capability sets for racial minorities and white people. The freedom to choose areas, seats and a host of other things were dependent on skin colour. Rather than acknowledging this order Parks insisted on preserving her own self-respect, and she opposed the social structure. In order to explain such human actions, a paradigm of existence is essential, where the question of the ‘I’ is foregrounded, encouraging the how of human life. Not who or what one is, but how one wants to live one’s life, in relation to who one has become or to settle for whom one has turned out to be in order to also change that.

I think the significance of foregrounding the ‘I’ is vital regarding the issue of diversity as it relates to disability in relation to a host of fundamental issues as questions, such as various ability expectations dominant in the social and cultural setting, the instrumentalization of education, the emphasis on target-setting cultures and other accountability practices. Seeing the task of education and children from an existential paradigm, foregrounding the ‘I’, and not viewing them as a ‘thing’ which a teacher/parent shall cultivate, opens up different approaches regarding the question of diversity relating to disability and interpretations of educational challenges. When the focus is on opportunities to “exercise control in certain domains” (Begon 2017  pp. 155–156), one opens up the educational question of how one wants to live one’s life, and not just emphasising opportunities to function informed by dominant norms and values. I believe that much of the critique regarding the enterprise of special education can be related to the task of education primarily being viewed as cultivation, where particular abilities and the achievement of specific functionings have been focused, often in combination with individual and medical interpretations of disability. This has especially been prevalent in the critique from the field of Disability Studies regarding special education (see Connor 2019 ; Gallagher et al. 2004 ). Emphasizing the paradigm of existence foregrounding the ‘I’, is a step in the right direction in my view. It enables the language of education in education to exist and hence makes it possible to ‘put persons back into education’, which Pring ( 2012 ) is urging the field of education to instigate. However, a language of the person needs to be embedded in un understanding of what it is to be a person.

Diversity and the Person—Being Someone Versus Being Something

In the chapter “ Personhood and the social inclusion of people with disabilities ” Ikäheimo ( 2009 ) encourages us to deliberate on what it is to be a person and more specifically what it is to be a disabled person. He invites us to consider the question of whether impairments can compromise someone’s personhood, or whether we are persons completely independent of our abilities, of what we can perform and do? (p. 77). To actualize these questions Ikäheimo invites us to contemplate a thought-experiment regarding how many persons there are in a room and in so doing, he attempts to illustrate the attribution humans undertake in relation to ‘person-making significances.’ He writes:

Case 1: You are in a room with an average, more or less healthy friend of yours. Count how many persons there are in the room. Quite obviously two?

Case 2: You are in a room with a healthy newborn human child. Count. One or two persons in the room?

Case 3: You are in a room with a human being lacking all higher brain functions due to innate malformations. One or two persons?

Case 4: You are in a room with a friend who has suffered massive brain injury in an accident and is in an irrecoverable coma. One or two?

Case 5: You suffer from a physical condition which gives you severe forced movements, makes it difficult for you to communicate with other people in any spoken language, and makes you dependent on a wheelchair to move and an assistant in daily life. But your mind is as bright as anyone’s. Often among more or less healthy persons you have a vivid feeling that you do not fully count as a person (pp.78, 83–84).

In order to shed light on these dissimilar cases Ikäheimo discusses different aspects of what he terms ‘person-making significances’ in relation to their objects, as he argues that it is these significances that make someone a person in the interpersonal sense, within concrete contexts of social life (p. 77). In his discussion relating to these various cases, Ikäheimo questions whether everyone will agree that there are two persons in the room, even though there may be no doubt that there are humans in the room (p. 78). He then investigates the different inclusion and exclusion mechanisms in the contexts of social life, and analyses different factors that influence these ‘person-making significances.’ Certain conclusions of his are as follows: “As to what I have called interpersonal personhood, or the interpersonal component of what it is to be a person in a full-fledged sense, it is simply a fact that many disabled people suffer from lack of it” (p. 88). That said, Ikäheimo stresses the importance of highlighting this fact by helping them lead their lives as fully as they can as persons among other persons (p. 88). Ikäheimo’s thought experiment illustrates how the status of being a person might be attributed relative to contexts and ability expectations in social life. His case 5 is often described in the literature, written by people with different impairments. In these texts people with impairments put words to feelings of not being reckoned among equals because they lack abilities expected to be performed by persons and therefore have a sense of not having the same personal status as other persons who do not lack certain abilities (see O’Brian with Kendall 2003, p. 4). The aforementioned cases illustrate a problem that Spaemann ( 2006 , 2010 , 2015 ) has dealt with in light of his distinction between being ‘someone’ versus being ‘something’. These cases suggest that there is a common understanding that a difference exists between being a human being and being a person, and that being a person is something that one ‘acquires’ through ‘person-making significances’ in a community of recognition. The five cases also allude to the fact that there is a degree of difference between being a fully-fledged person and something less. The fact that there are different attitudes to people and that people are treated differently from an economical, legal and ethical perspective is well documented in research, but that should not imply that personal status is associated with acceptance . Spaemann ( 2006 ) argues that there has been a shift in recent years on the thinking with regard to the concept of person. He writes that the term ‘person’ has, since Boethius’ famous definition of the person as ‘the individual substance of rational nature’, been a discussion within philosophy to identify attributes that licence us to apply the terms to certain beings (p. 1). Since Kant, the term ‘person’ has, according to Spaemann, served as a nomen dignitatis , an evaluative concept which has acted as a foundation for human rights (p. 2). However, something has changed more recently in the order of logic. Spaemann writes:

Now its function has been reversed. Suddenly the term ‘person’ has come to play a key role in demolishing the idea that human beings, qua human beings, have some kind of rights before other human beings. Only human beings can have human rights, and human beings can have them only as persons. The argument then runs: but not all human beings are persons, and those that are, are not persons in every stage of life or in every state of consciousness. They are not persons if from the first moment of their lives they are refused admission to the community of recognition, for that is what makes human beings persons (his italics p. 2).

Demonstrating a change in the order of logic, as Spaemann illustrates in the above citation, is I will argue, exemplified by the aforementioned five cases in Ikäheimo’s thought-experiment. These cases illustrate the issue of making a distinction between being a human and being a person. Spaemann does not agree that it is possible to make such a distinction. In his view, all human beings are persons because persons are ‘individuals’ in an unparalleled sense, not by their individual demonstration of specific features, but simply by their membership of the species from the beginning (p. 3). He dismisses that there should be any qualifications, ‘person-making significances’, that one develops or loses. To be a person is the framework of being a human being, persons are the mode in which a human being exists, it is a modus existendi (p. 237). Spaemann argues, that the thinking that persons are ‘something’ that becomes ‘someone’ by recognition, because of the ownership of ‘rational nature’, goes back to Locke and is currently argued by Singer and others (p. 252). The consequence of such a view is that human beings are not fully regarded as persons if they do not execute abilities that are typically recognized as powers of rationality and intentionality. This has been documented in the history of intellectual disability (Carlson 2009 ; Paul 1998 ). The view of the person, represented by Locke, Singer and others, is, according to Spaemann, based on the thinking that one does not enter the community by being begotten or born, but by becoming self-aware and being co-opted by other members ( 2006 p. 238). This position is untenable, according to Spaemann, Footnote 6 for several reasons. Firstly, we never consciously ‘make’ persons. We do not for example start to talk to a child as a thing and then alter our communication to the child as someone. The child is already someone when addressed, although it takes some time before a child starts to say ‘I’. Spaemann states: “But what does he or she mean by ‘I’? Not ‘ an I’, but simply the self-same human being who says ‘I’” (his italics p. 245). Personality is not developed but the framework. There is just one criterion for personality, according to Spaemann, and that is biological membership of the human race (p. 247). I think the position Spaemann takes is very important considering the issue of diversity with regard to disability, as those with impairments are often used as examples in theories which maintain that personal existence is conferred by recognition and consequently, those with impairments are regularly ostracized from the community of recognition, as the history of disability has showed. This is still the case, as is documented through statistics on children with impairments who are out of school (UNESCO 2020 pp.71).

Concluding Remarks

The overall argument in the article is built on an acknowledgement of Pring’s argument, that there is a ‘depersonalization’ process in education. Recognizing this trend, I have argued that a language of diversity related to disability and educational challenges should be embedded in a language of the person, being someone. In order to support such an idea, I have presented three distinctions: disability and impairment, paradigm of cultivation versus an existential educational paradigm and the distinction between being someone and being something. I suggested that diversity related to disability, should be interpreted within a social relational model of disability, within the framework of an adjusted capabilities approach, emphasizing capability as an opportunity to control certain domains, rather than an opportunity to function. Begon’s adjustment of the capabilities approach, I argued, shifted the emphasis to an ‘I’, rather than a preoccupation with functionings. However, this does not mean that achieving functionings should not be emphasized, rather the issue is the order of things that gives importance to the fulcrum of educational practice. This was pointed out by Biesta’s distinction between the two different educational paradigms, and the importance of an existential paradigm foregrounding the ‘I’, as well as the emphasis on the question of how in education. Nonetheless, when foregrounding the ‘I’ is underscored, I argued that it is pivotal to recognize in which understanding of the person the ‘I’ is embedded. Here, it was suggested, that an understanding of the person should be founded in Spaemann’s interpretation of being a person—embedded in the mode in which a human being exists, a modus existendi —and not as ‘something’ that becomes ‘someone’ by recognition. Spaemann’s distinction was important, I argued, in order to oppose the emphasis on an ever-increasing ability expectation that is often highlighted by advocates of enhancement (Buchanan 2011ab). If being a person is dependent on recognition, by achieving functionings that reflect dominant norms and values, enhancement and cures might be developed into a requirement for being included. However, if diversity related to disability is embedded in an understanding of the person as modus existendi , where being a person does not lie in an understanding of developing ‘person-making significances’, but is resting in the framework of being a human, I argue that this will underscore a value-neutral account of physical and cognitive differences. Emphasising the person as someone, and not as something that shall be cultivated on, opens the ground for the how in education, enabling a language of the person who exists and stands for the challenge to lead his or her own life.

See Jackie Leach Scully ( 2012 ) Deaf identities in disability studies: With us or without us , for an overview of a multifaceted discussion on normativity and culture, regarding the issue of deafness and hearing impairments.

There are several books on the Eichmann trial. Biesta relies on Hannah Arendt’s book from 1963 (2020 p. 3), in which Arendt investigates the banalities of evil. In a more recent book, The Eichmann Trial by historian Deborah E. Lipstadt, Arendt’s view is criticized with regard to the background of Eichmann’s memoir that was released in relation to a trial between Lipstadt and David Irving (a Holocaust denier). Lipstadt says: “In the newly released memoir, Eichmann expressed himself as an inveterate Nazi and anti-Semite. In contrast to claims that would be made by Hannah Arendt that he did not really understand the enterprise in which he was involved, the memoir reveals a man who considered his Nazi leaders to be his “idols” and who was fully committed to their goals” (p. xix) see: Lipstadt, Deborah E. 2011. The Eichmann Trial . Jewish Encounters. New York: Nextbook Schocken.

For a well-documented book on Rosa Parks, see the biography written by Jeanne Theoharis. She documents that the happening on the bus was not the result of a single act, but in line with a life engagement for the rights of black people. Theoharis builds her book on publications and photographs about the life of Rosa Parks that was released to the public in 2015 (p. viii). See: Theoharis, Jeanne. 2015. The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks . Boston: Beacon Press.

As noted in footnote 2 above, the interpretations of Eichmann as a withdrawal of his ‘I’ under the pretext of following orders, rests on an interpretation of the trial from Arendt’s book Eichmann in Jerusalem. A report on the Banality of Evil. One might come to another interpretation of Eichmann if his memoirs were to be the basis of the interpretation of his crimes, as Deborah Lipstadt ( 2011 ) claims in her critique of Arendt’s interpretation. However, I maintain that Biesta’s interpretation can be defended, as his intention is to make an educational point about subjectification, and not a portrayal of the ‘true’ historical story about Eichmann. It is rather to shed light on the paradox of having educated persons serving an inhuman system. This is powerfully expressed by a school principal who survived World War II: “Dear Teacher: I am a survivor of a concentration camp. My eyes saw what no man should witness: Gas chambers built by learned engineers. Children poisoned by educated physicians. Infants killed by trained nurses. Women and babies shot and burned by high school and college graduates. So, I am suspicious of education. My request is: Help your students become human. Your efforts must never produce learned monsters, skilled psychopaths, educated Eichmanns. Reading, writing and arithmetic are important only if they serve to make our children more humane” (Strom and Parsons 1994 , pp. 519–520). I think the school principal’s reflection is similar to the intention of the Parks-Eichmann case, which Biesta uncovers as a paradox from an educational angle.

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Reindal, S.M. Considering Diversity in (Special) Education: Disability, Being Someone and Existential Education. Stud Philos Educ 40 , 365–380 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-021-09758-9

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Special Education Masters Theses

Theses/dissertations from 2024 2024.

How Students Benefit from Trauma Informed Instruction and Strategies , John Michael Webb Trauma-informed teaching is a life changing undertaking that recognizes the important impact of trauma on students’ lives and learning experiences. This thesis provides a concise overview of the key principles and benefits of trauma-informe...

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Primary Causes of Burnout in Special Education Teachers and Strategies to Help Cope with and Deal with the Challenges of Burnout , Marissa L. Auer Special education teachers encounter a variety of challenges throughout the academic school year. Burnout among special education teachers has proven to be a complex issue, with many factors playing a role. This thesis explored the primary ...

The Impact of Trauma on the Learning and Development of Students Receiving Special Education Services , Mikayla M. Bebeau Childhood trauma is known as a health crisis in America. Trauma can be defined in multiple different ways, can be displayed in different behaviors, and can be supported within school if done so appropriately. Within this literature review t...

Culture of Encounter: A Post-intentional Phenomenological Exploration of How Responses to Problematic Student Behavior Come to Be for Elementary Catholic School Educators , Caroline Becker “Phenomenological research has, as its ultimate aim, the fulfillment of our human nature: to become more fully who we are (van Manen, 1997, p. 12).” Rooted in van Manen’s purpose, this study was a post-intentional phenomenological explorati...

Trauma-informed Instruction and How it Influences Mental Health Outcomes in Students With Disabilities , Jeffery Phillip Bishop A growing body of research has shown that mental health needs among school-age children exceed the number of mental health professionals available to address those needs. Since students spend a lot of their time at school, much of the respo...

Responding to Disruptive Behaviors in Educational Environments , Kelsey A. Black Disruptive behaviors are a key factor in classroom management and student progress. Current research focuses on identifying the antecedents for such behavior in order to determine the style of intervention that will best support the student...

Beyond Resilience: Arming Special Education Teachers With “Hope Theory” in the Fight Against Burnout , Eden E. Buchwald-McGlennon Teachers have been forced to face many new workplace challenges since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in March 2020; this has resulted in increased job-related stress. Pre-pandemic, teacher stress levels were already much higher than other oc...

Bullying: Who is at-risk, what are the effects, and what can we do to stop it? , Samantha Nicole Buckley The act of bullying is prevalent in today’s society. The average student in the United States experiences bullying in some form at least once throughout their academic career. Bullying can be defined as any act defined by the victim that is...

Misidentifying English Language Learners with Learning Disabilities , Suzan Cevheroglu This thesis explores the multifaceted issue of misidentifying English Language Learners (ELLs) with learning disabilities (LDs) in the educational system. The study begins by delving into the complicated reasons underlying such misidentific...

Advantages and Disadvantages of Special Education Students in the Mainstream Classrooms , Nikki L. Evens This systematic review of the literature aimed to understand the advantages of placing special education students in mainstream classrooms and identify barriers to positive experiences among special education students. Findings from seconda...

Community School Programming , Timothy D Gilbert Contemporary educational legislation is pushing a resurgence of historic educational program models to meet historic and contemporary barriers to student and school achievement. School districts, especially in urban centers are faced with i...

A Literature Review: Creating and Maintaining Inclusion , Emily Goodson This literature review examines the different parts that are needed in order to create and maintain an inclusive classroom. The success of students in an inclusive classroom, both special education and general education students, can be aff...

Autism across the globe , Megan N. Haack The purpose of this study was to investigate what autism is like across the globe. Autism is a developmental disorder that is associated with social difficulties, restricted and repetitive behaviors. The prevalence of autism diagnoses had i...

Targeting Post-Secondary Readiness Skills in Students With Disabilities for Successful Transition to Adult Living , Anne M. Helseth This study reviews the literature pertaining to post-school outcomes for students with disabilities in light of the IDEA mandate. It includes research into which skills students need, which are most lacking, and how to transfer these skills...

How do mindfulness-informed practices positively affect students with intellectual disabilities , Hilary Hinrichs Mindfulness-informed interventions have gained greater popularity as interventions for schools for a variety of purposes. There has been an increase in research regarding the effect of these practices on students. Adolescent students with i...

Reducing the use of restraint and seclusion in public education , Kimberly Jean Huls The use of seclusions and restraints in public schools is a controversial topic in education that has gained much media attention in the past few decades. Most scholars, educators, and policy-makers are in agreement that it should be used a...

The Impact of Outdoor Classrooms on Students , Minette Stalheim Johnson The learning environment for students, which has been indoors for decades, has moved outdoors in many locales. As the stakeholders contemplate the use of outdoor space for learning, questions about its benefit(s) for students have been expl...

How the Special Education Service Model Can Be Changed to Support Educator's Individual Strengths , Lisa A. Kermode This thesis focuses on research related to the current state of the special education model and it includes qualitative and quantitative literature, as well as current challenges that exist in the industry today. It will specifically addres...

​​Beyond Words: Fine Arts and Performance Art as Self-Expression for Developmentally Delayed Students , Elizabeth Maureen Ketz This thesis explores the research behind the implementation of special education curriculum in dance and music. Music education and dance have been shown to be effective means of self-expression, a necessary component of child development. ...

Types of anxiety diagnosed in individuals with autism spectrum disorder , Molly Elizabeth Larson This literature review unravels comorbidities that accompany Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), specifically the various types of anxiety observed in children and adolescents at school, in their home lives, and in the community. This review e...

Analyzing the Social Benefits of Inclusion for Students in Special Education , Margo LeMahieu Inclusive education has been on the rise in recent years. Now more than ever, students with and without disabilities are in the same classroom, learning together, and creating positive relationships with each other. Inclusive education has ...

Autism, anxiety and the impact of therapeutic practices and evidence based strategies , Roberta L. Luby This literature review examined research on the prevalence of anxiety disorders in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions for managing anxiety symptoms. Studies consistently demons...

Visual Supports and Autism , Donna L Macoskey Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental condition that involves persistent challenges in social interaction, speech and nonverbal communication, and restricted/repetitive behaviors. Children on the Autism Spectrum thrive o...

Implementing Positive Behavior Interventions in an Alternative Setting , Brooke L. Maday Historically alternative settings are known for their punitive approaches to behaviors. In the early 2000s, alternative education and juvenile residential settings adopted and adapted a positive approach to behavior intervention called “Pos...

The Benefits of Implementing Trauma Informed Teaching Strategies to Support Students in Special Education , Connor J. Malcolm The number of children experiencing traumatic events is occurring at an alarming rate. According to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA), more than two-thirds of children in the United States are going to or hav...

Reading interventions for students with emotional behavioral disorders , Erin O. Maly The focus of this literature review is to determine the efficacy of reading interventions for students with Emotional Behavioral Disorders with comorbid reading disabilities. Students with EBD frequently exhibit reading difficulties which p...

Restorative Practice Outcomes on Exclusionary Behavior in Schools with Consideration of Educator and Student Perspective , Bree D Medin The prevalent use of in-school and out-of-school suspensions persists despite evidence indicating behavior improvement and racial disparities in suspensions. Exclusionary discipline’s lasting negative consequences include poor academic achi...

Supporting the Mental Health Needs of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Rachel E. Nardelli This thesis studies interventions to support the mental health of students with autism spectrum disorder. According to Mazefsky (2019), more than 70% of youth with ASD have mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. According ...

Mental Health and How it Affects Academic Performance in Special Education Students , Jenna L. Newberger Mental health is an important topic about which many people have heard or learned about. It affects all people in various ways and can especially affect careers, schooling and social lives. Because of this, it is imperative to understand ho...

The Importance of Classroom Management in Autism Spectrum Disorder Classrooms , Lindsay C. Nicklason Children that are on the Autism Spectrum thrive on routine, visuals, and calm learning environments. When teaching in an Autism classroom, good classroom management is key to ensuring the students have all the tools they need to succeed. Th...

The Effects of Social Story Interventions Used With Autistic Students , Sarah J Ogren Social-emotional learning is an essential part of everyday learning for students in the classroom. Providing students with evidence-based social-emotional learning practices, such as Social Stories, increases student academics and behavior....

The Effects of Mindfulness on Special Education Students in the General Education Classroom , Jessica Ostendorf Can mindfulness interventions have a positive impact on both special education students and general education students in the classroom? How does mindfulness affect students’ behavior, academic achievement, and over all wellbeing? This lite...

How Does a Four Day Work Week Affect Students' Achievement, Attendance, and Behavior , Joshua David Palmquist This thesis focuses on a four-day school week and the benefits of this approach as it relates to student achievement, attendance and behavior. Over the past two decades, the popularity of a four-day school week has grown, most notably in ru...

Gender Differences in Autism Spectrum Disorder , Charlene Roach Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by a developmental disorder with multiple variations of severity which are characterized by the difficulties in communication, social interactions, and restricted or repetitive patterns of beh...

Collaborative teaching in the inclusive environment: A review of teaching models, benefits, barriers and preparation , Travis B. Rotegard This literature review explains the definition of collaborative teaching (co-teaching) in the inclusive environment. It explores the co-teaching models, and the opinions of those models through the lens of professionals and students. This r...

The Impact of the Inclusion of Movement and Exercise (Physical Learning) on Students in Educational Settings Receiving Special Education Services , Christopher P. Scanlon There continues to be an increase in child and adolescent obesity. Youth receiving special education services are particularly at risk of being more inactive than their peers. There are numerous benefits to engaging in physical activity, no...

Social Media Influence on Emotional and Behavioral Well-Being of High School Aged Students and Educator Intervention , Kayla M. Schroeder Social media use plays a significant role in the lives of adolescents worldwide. Social media allows for adolescents to build connections, express themselves, seek information, and share or view content. Globally, adolescent mental health d...

How Movement-Based and Sensory-Based Interventions Impact Emotional and Academic Success in Students with Disabilities (Autism/ADHD) , John Skalitzky Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder are two of the most prevalent diagnoses in education today. Each diagnosis is individual to the student. However, Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperacti...

The Impact of Autism Spectrum Disorder on Family , Christa R Skitsko As the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) continuously increases, more individuals and their families are impacted. Parents may be significantly affected by raising a child with an ASD diagnosis due to increased stress from the di...

Implications of Teacher Burnout Related to Being a Special Education Provider , William M Sprouls ABSTRACT The profession of special education instructor has evolved over the years. Special education teachers must often manage lesson plans that make accommodations for all intellectual and disability needs of students. Special education ...

Improving the Perception, Assessment and Diagnosis of Females with Autism , Sydney Anne Steen This literature review examines current biases in perception, assessment, and diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) for females. Males lead in the number of diagnoses of ASD, however, many of the assessments used to evaluate for ASD a...

A Comparison of Two Approaches Used Within a Multi-tiered System of Supports That Enhance Students' Academic Achievement , Michaella Marie Steinfeldt While students are receiving a high-quality education within the classroom, some students face difficulty performing adequately on assessments. These students typically receive intervention support to assist in increasing their skill defici...

Effective Methods of Teaching Phonological Awareness and Phonics to Individuals With Reading Difficulty , Lydia C. Stevenson Reading struggles have been a constant and pervasive issue for individuals. Reading struggles can be caused by various factors, such as poor reading instruction or, in some cases, a reading disability. Throughout the decades, there have bee...

The Impact of School Climate on Student Achievement , Matthew C Straumann This thesis reviews literature linking school climate and academic achievement. There are 30 sources that were reviewed and examined for this thesis. Three main points were found in this review. The link between school climate and bullying,...

Social emotional learning and its needs and benefits for students with down syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, and emotional behavioral disorder , Mariah Kay Uphoff Social Emotional Learning (SEL), the lifetime process of developing skills that enable healthy relationships with others and with the self, has continued to grow in importance as educational programs emphasize more and more the value in edu...

Effective Grading Practices Benefit Mainstreamed Students with Intellectual Disabilities , Jessie M. Wick This study reviews the literature pertaining to grading practices and how grades can affect students with intellectual disabilities who are mainstreamed. It includes research into teacher grading practices, messages that grades reflect and ...

The Impact of Teacher Attrition on Equitable Education for Students from Underserved Communities , Marian Alicia Williams ABSTRACT The current teacher shortage has created a looming crisis in education in the United States that most frequently impacts students from underserved communities. Receiving an equitable education in our country should not be assumed b...

Promoting Inclusion for Students Through Service-Learning , Charlene Marie Winter The following literature review explores how service-learning can be used in an inclusive setting. How can schools use service-learning to promote diverse learning by including students of varying abilities? Studies have shown that service-...

Constructive Influence of Music and Acoustics for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASF) , William Jay Ziesmer Music is one of the oldest building blocks in human civilization and throughout most of human history. It’s played a crucial role in the education system of many students throughout the United States and across the world. Music can provide ...

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Educator Support and Autonomy: Combating the Loss of Self-Efficacy Influencing Educators' Burnout , Chelsea L. Amell Educator trauma-informed teaching practices in education systems are paving the way for schools to meet the needs of students who have experienced trauma and support students from experiencing secondary trauma. Furthermore, exploring the ef...

Strategies to Teach Grit and Perseverance to Students with Special Needs Through the Growth Mindset , Melissa J. Anderson Recently, there has been increased attention on the importance of non-cognitive skills in achieving academic success. Grit and The Growth Mindset are two of the characteristics. Research has established a positive correlation between Grit a...

How Read Alouds Can Promote Higher-Level Thinking Skills in Students with Developmental Disabilities , Jennifer M. Bakken This thesis consists of a literature review of research in the area of read alouds and how they can promote higher-thinking skills in students with developmental disabilities. Historically, read alouds have been used in early elementary sch...

Classroom Management Strategies That Prolong On-Task Behaviors and Increase Success for Special Education Students with ADHD , Renee A. Barstow Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is one of the most common neurological disorders among youth, leading to symptoms of impulsivity, inattention, and cognitive processing differences when compared to same-age typically developing peer...

Impact of a Student’S Culture on Placement in Special Education , Anna Best IDEA requires that schools address the disproportionate amount of minority students in Special Education. This literature review will summarize current research (2010 or later) on the evidence of disproportionality of minority students in S...

Choosing Educational Strategies to Develop Social Studies Knowledge and Encourage Civic and Political Participation Among Students With Special Education Needs , Marc Louis Biermann This research will address three questions: 1) To what extent do people with disabilities participate in the political process, 2) What do studies reveal about social studies education for students with disabilities, and 3) How can teachers...

Disproportionality in Special Education: A Majority of Minority Students in Special Education , Sharon Hubbard Booth Disproportionality in special education has been discussed, written about among scholars, authors, and has been debated in courts for over four decades. Minority groups that are most often referred to in this context are African Americans, ...

Teachers' Union's Collective Bargaining Agreements and Their Impact on School Functions , Chad Jonas Borseth Teachers' unions have a vital role in public education. The collective bargaining agreements negotiated between them and school districts are viewed by many as the de facto rule book for how a school is organized and how it shall operate. D...

The Most Effective Transition Programming For Middle and High School Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) , Matthew Kjell Brunsvold This thesis is a research project focusing on Transition Services for students with autism spectrum disabilities (ASD). Research was completed regarding evidence-based and effective transition practices. The findings were organized specific...

How to Effectively Support Students with Dyscalculia , Robin M. Conley Dyscalculia is a neurodevelopmental disorder, which makes it difficult for some individuals to automatically recognize numbers, estimate, perceive pictures, and order items and procedures correctly. It is similar to dyslexia, a common comor...

Teaching Through a Polyvagal Lens: Using the Science of Safety to Co-Regulate in the Classroom , Anna Isolde Dahlen According to Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory, social responses to environments are mediated by the limbic system either by vagal input or vagal withdrawal (Mulkey & Du Plessis, 2019). The nervous system preconsciously perceives threats thr...

Evidence-Based Interventions to Address Elopement in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Hailey Noelle Ek Elopement is a concerning behavior among autistic children. This thesis focused on evidence-based strategies and interventions used to treat elopement for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Response blocking occurs immediately after a...

Teacher Shortages and Student Learning , Julia M. Elliott Staffing shortages have been a growing area of concern for school districts, which has driven research over the years. This literature review examined the effects that staffing shortages have on student learning and student achievement. Add...

How Does Trauma Informed Teaching Impact Student Learning? , Keith Enstad This literature review will explore the impact of a trauma-informed approach on students' ability to learn. The reader will learn about key terms and definitions that are used throughout the literature. The following literature review explo...

Inclusion Strategies and Perspectives in Special Education , Meghan Filipek This work drives to discover evidence related to the reasoning for varying perspectives in special education- specifically focusing on negative perspectives and what the reasoning is, and supportive strategies to make the shift to more posi...

Trauma-Informed Practices and Students with Disabilities in Elementary School , Kimberly Jane Haney Trauma-informed practices have become more utilized within the education setting, which has led to the need for teachers to be educated in these practices. Educators need to know how trauma impacts their students and appropriate interventio...

Successful Co-Teaching Models in the Secondary Setting , Alexandra L. Hermoza Co-teaching is an educational practice that emerged in the early 1970’s with the creation of the IDEA act. In this inclusive teaching model, a special education and a general education teacher work together to share responsibilities of the ...

Trauma: How the Student Teacher Relationship Impacts Student Success , Eujeana Starr Hinkle High behavioral and academic expectations are exceptionally challenging for students who have experienced trauma. With increasing numbers of students who have experienced significant trauma, it is essential that teachers create trauma-respo...

The Effects of Trauma on Special Education Students Specifically Within Certain Disability Categories Such As Selective Mutism, Autism, and Other Health Disabilities , David R. Johnston Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been shown to have life-long consequences. The trail of trauma often associated with negative childhood experiences can impact students as they go through the developmental stages of adolescents all...

Factors Affecting the Academic Self-Concept of K-12 Students with Reading Disabilities , Jamie L. Kaihoi The way students perceive themselves as learners is referred to as their academic self-concept (ASC). ASC is made up of the thoughts and feelings a student has about their experience in the classroom with learning tasks and research has sho...

The Impact of Trauma on Learning and Behaviors in the Classroom and how a Trauma-Informed Classroom Helps , Susanne W. Karris As trauma is becoming more prevalent among our students, it is essential that districts, schools, and staff understand its impacts in the classroom. The American Psychological Association (2021) estimates that more than ⅔ of children experi...

The Impact of Poverty on High School Graduation Rates , Andrew Lanners Kids living in poverty is an issue that can impact students in many ways, especially educationally. This thesis paper goes in depth on how poverty negatively impacts graduation rates. Students living in poverty can be negatively impacted so...

The Influence of Restorative Practice on School Climate , Kay E. Lister The impact of restorative practices on school climate is affirmed as the fostering of teacher-student relationship impacts connection, empathy, and social skills. Bullying decreased, self-advocacy increased, and school communities became bo...

The Effects of Mindfulness Interventions to Enhance Educational Experiences and Sense of Well Being , Madeline Ruth Luoma More recently than ever, teachers are witnessing an uptick in aggressive behaviors and emotional dysregulation and decreased academic engagement within their classroom walls. This can impact the learning environments of all students and hin...

ASD Social Skills Development Using Immersive Virtual Environment Head-Mounted Display Interventions: A Review of Feasibility and Effectiveness , Kasey Lynn This literature review determined the feasibility and effectiveness of Immersive Virtual Environment (IVE) virtual reality head-mounted display (HMD) interventions to develop social skills for children with ASD. Data summarized 11 research ...

The Female Autism Experience: A Literature Review , Megan Elizabeth Maas Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by communication challenges, difficulties in socialization, and the occurrence of restrictive, repetitive behaviors. Current data in the United States indicates that 1 in 44 children are diagn...

Teacher Burnout , Michelle L. Miller Every year thousands of teachers across the world leave the classroom due to teacher burnout. Teacher burnout syndrome is the emotional and physical exhaustion originating from excessive job stress. Burnout originates from excessive workloa...

Self-Advocacy and Postsecondary Program Achievement in Students With High-Incidence Disabilities , Alyssa Nelson This literature review examines studies that investigated and evaluated the relationship between self-advocacy and college program completion in postsecondary students with disabilities. Research was reviewed that used school-aged participa...

The Benefits of Co-Teaching Students with Special Education Needs in the General Education Classroom , Stephen R. Nelson This research project has focused on co-teaching students with disabilities in the general education classroom. Co-teaching is synonymous with cooperative teaching and has been increasing in school districts across the United States and int...

The Impact of the Pandemic on Social Emotional Learning , Bryan Kilbourne Norman The COVID-19 pandemic declared in March of 2020 disrupted the landscape of education and presented students and teachers with unforeseen impacts and obstacles. Notably, negative social and emotional issues arose as these changes drove stude...

Facing the Teacher Shortage of America , Cheryl L. Novine With the nationwide shortage of teachers and the decrease in those entering the field of teaching, school districts are suffering the impact and ultimately students will be impacted as well. In one way or another, those impacted by the qual...

The Effects of Poverty on Students' Mental Well-Being , Esther P. Nyagwencha-Nyamweya Poverty is a global problem that has impacted the mental well-being of students. Research shows that in the US, one out of five children under the age of 18 live in poverty. This literature review sought to determine the effects of poverty ...

Best Practices for Elementary Reading Interventions , Kathleen E. Owen Literacy skills are essential for success in school, work, and social life. In spite of years of research and reform, there is still an alarming rate of illiteracy in America today. This literature review, with application emphasis thesis, ...

School-Based Health Centers and Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Students , Jena Parker School-based health centers (SBHCs) improve health equity by increasing access to primary care and eliminating many barriers that underserved students often face. Convenience, confidentiality, and cost are just some of the benefits of this ...

The Role of Inclusion in Creating a Positive Learning Experience and Outcomes for Students with Disabilities , Jacob Rath This paper reviews the current research regarding the inclusion of students with special education services in the general education setting and what steps would be necessary to effectively implement more inclusive approaches in schools tod...

Benefits, Barriers, and Supports in Sports and Activities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities , Stephanie O'Neal Sauer This literature review examines the benefits of inclusion in sports and activities for those with intellectual disabilities, the barriers that exist that inhibit or prohibit the inclusion, and the supports that can be implemented to establi...

Food Waste In Schools , Aimee Beth Schaefer Kueppers This literature review examined the history of the National School Lunch Program from its inception to now. Ongoing questions and concerns related to food waste from school lunches have been explored by many researchers to understand its ef...

How Can Animals Benefit Students with Special Needs in the PreK-12 Academic Setting? , Ruthie L. Schneider Animals and children are often associated together because there is an innate connection between them. That connection is even more compelling concerning children with special needs. In the past few decades studies have increased involving ...

Facilitating augmentative and alternative communication for non-verbal students with developmental disabilities , Michelle (Shelly) L Sieben This literature review with application emphasis examines the history and impact of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for limited and non-verbal communicators with developmental disabilities. Research targets AAC implementati...

Training and Supporting Paraprofessionals Who Work with Students with Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities , Brian P. Solum The roles and responsibilities of paraprofessionals in special education have increased over the years. Just as special education teachers see their caseloads, paperwork, and IEP responsibilities increase, the roles and responsibilities of ...

Educator Burnout Prevention , Anna Sophia Stroebel Burnout is a universal experience that impacts many educators. Within the first five years of teaching, 40% of educators will leave the profession (Mielke, 2019). Teachers of high needs students, including special education teachers, are at...

Sensory Informed Teaching and the Impact on Student Learning , Rebecca Thavis This thesis explores the impact that sensory stimuli have on students with sensory disorders and how this impacts their academic growth. It was hypothesized that sensory impact was a great hindrance for students that suffered from hyper or ...

How Can Educators Better Inform Parents about the Special Education Process So That They are Empowered to Increase Their Role as Active Participants in Their Students’ Education? , Beth Ann Thibodeau The benefits of family involvement in students’ education range from academic and behavioral growth to better attendance and social skills. Parent involvement in the educational process for students with disabilities is a legal right, yet b...

Increasing the Quality and Quantity of Inclusive Practices in Grades K-12 , Emily B. Wakefield In the 21st century, many students with disabilities who might have previously received most of their education in a self-contained room or resource room are much more frequently in classrooms with typically developing peers. However, many ...

Improving Transitional Support for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Amanda Hall Wicklund Despite access to transition programming and planning, students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face reduced post-secondary school outcomes compared to students in other disability groups. Research explores factors that diminish or incr...

How Do the Zero-Tolerance Policies Lead Students of Color to the School to Prison Pipeline , Deanna Minnie Williams The school-to-prison pipeline in the United States is significantly affected by the zero-tolerance policies and mainly impacts students of color. The school to prison pipeline refers to students of color who are disproportionately placed in...

Importance of Inclusion for Special Education Students in General Education Classrooms , Michelle L. Zidlicky This literature review aims to inform inclusive education and why it is crucial for all students. Inclusion is based on students' academic and social-emotional success from learning with general education peers from both general education, ...

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

The Effects Poverty Has on Students in Special education , Morgan Marie Auge Poverty is an issue around the world that affects children and their academic achievement. In the United States 21% of children are raised in poverty. Children from poverty have a higher risk of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders i...

Benefits of Physical Activity for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder , Trey Lewis Benhart Adolescents with autism live a more sedentary lifestyle than those without an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. Lack of exercise results in increased health risks, obesity, and decreased quality of life, exercise, motor skills, and peer i...

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Special educational needs pupils'

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Smith, Roy George. "Gender and special education : what makes boys so special?" Thesis, Goldsmiths College (University of London), 2000. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.313295.

Smith, Margaret I. "Views of school held by pupils with special educational needs." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2005. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.516741.

Pasha, Shaheen. "Special needs South Asian pupils in a southern English city, with special reference to eleven pupils in two linked SLD schools." Thesis, University of Southampton, 1996. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/394157/.

Kotb, Heba Mohamed Wagih. "The integration of pupils with special educational needs from special school into mainstream school." Thesis, University of Leeds, 1999. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/488/.

Davies, Peter. "The integration of pupils with special educational needs in one South Wales education authority." Thesis, Bucks New University, 1985. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.383270.

Maher, Anthony. "Including pupils with special educational needs in mainstream secondary physical education : the perspectives of special educational needs coordinators and learning support assistants in North-West England." Thesis, University of Central Lancashire, 2015. http://clok.uclan.ac.uk/12709/.

Allan, Julie. "Pupils with special educational needs in mainstream schools : a Foucauldian analysis of discourses." Thesis, University of Stirling, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/1893/2190.

Logan, Anna. "A multicase study of the role of the special needs assistant supporting pupils with special educational primary schools." Thesis, Queen's University Belfast, 2011. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.534692.

Beaver, Lois. "Inclusion : using pupil voice to explore and improve the experience of pupils with special educational needs in a mainstream secondary school." Thesis, University of Reading, 2017. http://centaur.reading.ac.uk/73093/.

Stigborg, Lena. "Utvecklingsmöjligheter i matematik - för elever i särskilda utbildningsbehov. Developments in mathematics - for pupils in special educational needs." Thesis, Malmö högskola, Lärarutbildningen (LUT), 2009. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-35369.

Karlsson, Priscilla, and Anna-Karin Larsson. "Olika lärares pedagogiska strategier för elever i komplicerad lärandesituation : Different teachers educational strategies for pupils in special needs." Thesis, Mälardalen University, School of Education, Culture and Communication, 2008. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-833.

Syftet med arbetet var att undersöka vilka pedagogiska strategier olika lärare tillämpar för att främja elever i komplicerad lärandesituations sociala och kunskapsmässiga utveckling. Undersökningen syftade även till att belysa diagnosens betydelse och huruvida elevernas diagnos eller problematik påverkar val av åtgärd. I vår studie använde vi oss av en kvalitativ forskningsstrategi. Vi valde att genomföra nio intervjuer med lärare i den traditionella skolan och inom specialanpassade verksamheter för elever med varierande behov av särskilt stöd. Resultatet visade att samtliga lärares pedagogiska strategi och val av åtgärd utgick från ett individanpassat arbetssätt där motivation, struktur och material var viktiga utgångspunkter. Majoriteten av lärarna menade att en diagnos i sig inte har någon betydelse för den pedagogiska situationen, då elever med likartad diagnos har olika problematik. Slutsatserna av vår studie visade att lärarnas pedagogiska strategier och åtgärder såg högst individuella ut och skedde utifrån elevernas individuella behov, intressen och förutsättningar.

Sherwood, Donna M. "An investigation into the experience of meeting the special educational needs of pupils in shift primary schools in Jamaica." Thesis, Brunel University, 2010. http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/5256.

Baldo, Mohamed Nagi Hamza. "Inclusion of pupils with special education needs in Sudan : teachers perceptions of their competence and their perceived training needs." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2011. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10020625/.

McEachern-Kelly, Mary Clare. "Provision of modern foreign languages for lower achievers and pupils with special educational needs in secondary schools in England, Scotland and the Czech Republic." Connect to e-thesis, 2008. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/218/.

Griffiths, Eve. "'The best of both worlds' or 'a compromise policy'? : co-location as a form of educational placement for pupils with special educational needs." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2014. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/5232/.

Armitage, Johanna. "An exploratory study of the benefits of a thinking skills programme, Cognitive Enrichment Advantage, informed by the needs of pupils identified with special educational needs." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2003. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10019806/.

Lehane, Teresa Geraldine. "Experienced teaching assistants' perceptions of their work in the inclusion of pupils with 'special educational needs' in English mainstream secondary schools." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2013. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/4125/.

Saddler, Helen Jane. "Management of Teaching Assistants to promote the Social Inclusion of pupils identified with Special Educational Needs in mainstream English primary schools." Thesis, University of York, 2015. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/13037/.

Blackband, Melvyn James. "An evaluation of provision for pupils with special educational needs under the Education Act 1981 : including a consideration of the specific provisions availiable under the Act within the Wakefield Local Education Authority." Thesis, University of Leeds, 1989. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.235676.

Spence, Jasmine. "The peer relations of pupils with and without special educational needs in mainstream primary schools : interactions on the playground and in class." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2018. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10055621/.

Lloyd, Christine Mary. "The concept of integration : a conceptual critique of issues relating to curriculum policy planning and provision for pupils with special educational needs." Thesis, Goldsmiths College (University of London), 1996. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.338860.

Lonnakko, Teresia. "Inkludering av elever i behov av särskilt stöd i helklassundervisning i svenska." Thesis, Umeå universitet, Institutionen för språkstudier, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-79578.

Ionides, Maria. "Values and beliefs held about parenting and education by school staff and parents of pupils with special educational needs in the context of home-school collaboration." Thesis, University of East London, 2016. http://roar.uel.ac.uk/5210/.

Wren, Alison Nadine. "Exploring pupils' perspectives on their interactions with peers and Teaching Assistants : a mixed methods study of Key Stage 1 pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Needs in mainstream schooling." Thesis, University of the West of England, Bristol, 2017. http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/27978/.

Rose, Richard. "An investigation into teacher perceptions of the conditions required to include Key Stage 2 pupils with special educational needs in mainstream school provision." Thesis, University of Leicester, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/30959.

Trygger, Maria. "Do I feel included? A study of Secondary Pupils’ Perception of Inclusion in a Compulsory School in Sweden : With a particular focus on pupils with self-reported special education needs." Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för beteendevetenskap och lärande, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-159820.

Mamas, Christoforos. "Getting along with peers in mainstream primary schools : an exploration of the social status of pupils identified as having special educational needs in Cyprus." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2009. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.611521.

Raynsford, Juliet. "A critical ethnographic case study exploring creativity, voice and agency in a school for pupils with physical, learning and additional needs." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2015. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/73404/.

Grigorjevienė, Virginija. "Specialiųjų ugdymosi poreikių turinčių mokinių ugdymo bendrojo lavinimo ir specialiojoje mokykloje lyginamoji analizė." Master's thesis, Lithuanian Academic Libraries Network (LABT), 2012. http://vddb.laba.lt/obj/LT-eLABa-0001:E.02~2012~D_20120913_100650-77870.

Davison, Elspeth. "Finding a voice: an exploration into how teachers enable pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties to participate in the processes surrounding their special educational needs." Thesis, University of Essex, 2013. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.601457.

Hill, Marie Joyce. "An evaluation of how classroom assistants are mediating the learning of pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) within a mainstream post-primary school within Northern Ireland." Thesis, Queen's University Belfast, 2015. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.695368.

Nahrin, Gergeo. "Särskilt stöd eller individanpassad undervisning : en intervjustudie om lärares syn på barn i behov av särskilt stöd." Thesis, Södertörns högskola, Lärarutbildningen, 2011. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-9049.

Jomantaitė, Reda. "Bendrojo lavinimo mokyklų mokinių specialiųjų ugdymosi poreikių tenkinimo analizė." Master's thesis, Lithuanian Academic Libraries Network (LABT), 2008. http://vddb.library.lt/obj/LT-eLABa-0001:E.02~2008~D_20080926_182104-07402.

Johansson, Charlotte. "Inkludering - Utopi eller verklighet?" Thesis, Umeå universitet, Institutionen för språkstudier, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-71205.

Isaksson, Joakim. "Spänningen mellan normalitet och avvikelse : om skolans insatser för elever i behov av särskilt stöd." Doctoral thesis, Umeå universitet, Socialt arbete, 2009. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-26187.

Cozens, Julie Ann. "Appreciating the contribution of teaching assistants (TAs) : a study of TAs' descriptions of their support for pupils identified as having special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), using an appreciative inquiry (AI) approach." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2014. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/5128/.

Balčiūnienė, Vilija. "Mokinių, turinčių specialiųjų ugdymosi poreikių, mokymas kurti rišlų rašytinį tekstą." Bachelor's thesis, Lithuanian Academic Libraries Network (LABT), 2010. http://vddb.library.lt/obj/LT-eLABa-0001:E.02~2010~D_20100907_092931-44997.

Denny, Christopher. "Can we all join in? : an investigation of professional attitudes towards and experiences of the participation of pupils with special educational needs in decision making processes in schools." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2008. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.505449.

Stakes, John Richard. "An investigation into the effects of the Warnock Report and the associated documentation on the organisation and provision for pupils with special educational needs in the mainstream secondary school." Thesis, University of Hull, 1990. http://hydra.hull.ac.uk/resources/hull:8529.

Rider, Kay Susan. "Access to justice for minority ethnic pupils and their families : the first five years of the special educational needs tribunal and its use by parents from minority ethnic groups." Thesis, University of East London, 2005. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.532593.

Arvidsson, Jennie. "Lokalt integrerade grupper - Ett specialpedagogiskt alterrnativ." Thesis, Malmö högskola, Fakulteten för lärande och samhälle (LS), 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-34365.

Baskind, Susan. "The deployment of teaching assistants to promote inclusive education for secondary school aged pupils with statements of special educational need : a case study of one local education authority." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2003. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/3437/.

Balčiūnienė, Lina. "SUP turinčių mokinių ugdymo(si) kokybė individualizavimo aspektu." Master's thesis, Lithuanian Academic Libraries Network (LABT), 2011. http://vddb.laba.lt/obj/LT-eLABa-0001:E.02~2011~D_20110201_092120-08404.

Thomas, Michael Gary. "An investigation of the features of design and technology lessons that motivate disaffected and low ability pupils to engage in learning : an action research project focussing on perceived relevance." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2007. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/3550.

Khan, Sobia. "The use of solution focused approaches by Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCos) and school staff in supporting pupils with Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties (BESD) : a collaborative action research approach." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10871/18916.

Torstensson, Mari. "Elevers inflytande i grundsärskolan : Några lärares beskrivningar av grundsärskoleelevers inflytande vid utvecklingssamtal och i arbetet med IUP." Thesis, Karlstads universitet, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-73579.

Pupelienė, Inga. "Mokinio, besimokančio pagal individualizuotą programą, socialinis edukacinis portretas." Master's thesis, Lithuanian Academic Libraries Network (LABT), 2010. http://vddb.laba.lt/obj/LT-eLABa-0001:E.02~2010~D_20100709_100247-35603.

Sköldén, Samuel. "Anpassad undervisning : Att se till individerna i klassrummet." Thesis, Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Education, 2006. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-313.

Arbetet tar upp exempel från två klasser om hur pedagogerna i klassen anpassar sin undervisning efter individerna i klassen. Utifrån fyra områden: hur pedagogerna ser på elever i behov av särskilt stöd; hur de bemöter eleverna; hur de anser att de anpassar sin undervisning och hur de integrerar elever i klassen, försöker detta arbete finna ett sätt för pedagogerna att förhålla sig till individerna i klassen.

Kvalitativa intervjuer har använts för att få ta del av varje pedagogs synsätt och åsikter. Två lärare, två fritidspedagoger och en förskollärare har intervjuats för att få ett brett perspektiv på de två klasser som undersökts.

Elevens bästa och behov ska styra vilka pedagogiska riktlinjer pedagogen ska använda sig av.

This essay takes on examples from two classes about how the educationalist in the class adapts their education after the individuals in the class. From four areas: how the educationalists see on the pupils in special needs; how they treat the pupils; how they think that they adept their education and how they integrate pupils to the class, this essay tries to find a way for the educationalists to behave to the individuals in the class.

Qualitative interviews has been used to take part of every educationalists approach and opinion. Two teachers, two recreation instructors and one preschool teacher has been interviewed to get at wide perspective on the classes that’s been examined.

The pupils best and needs shall guide which pedagogical guidelines the educationalist should use.

Zendegani, Behzad. "Lärarens bedömning av elevers psykosociala skolsituation : Dolda funktionshinder/psykosociala problem." Thesis, Södertörn University College, Lärarutbildningen, 2006. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-813.

Det övergripande syftet med min C-uppsats är att granska lärarens bedömning och perceptio-ner för elever i behov av särskilt stöd och vidare belysa vilka möjligheter och begränsningar de anser sig ha för att kunna ta hänsyn till elever i behov av särskilt stöd samt få en syn på de skolsituationer som barn och elever med dolda funktionshinder och i behov av särskilt stöd kan befinna sig i.

För att få svar på mina frågor har sex lärare inklusive en special lärare intervjuats och samti-digt diskuterades de psykologiska och biologiska faktorer kring barns och ungdomars utveck-ling. Den historiska återblicken ger oss en uppfattning på hur begreppet ”en skola för alla” har utvecklats inom loppet av tiden och vilka syn på barn i behov av särskilt stöd har pedagogerna idag. De centrala frågorna rörde sig om pedagogernas uppfattning om barn med koncentra-tionssvårigheter och deras syn på diagnostisering av barn med problem. En inkluderande inte-grering i jämförelse med segregering diskuterades också samt hur pedagogerna kan hjälpa dessa barn.

Eleverna i skolan är olika och deras olikheter måste mötas med omtanke. För att uppfylla de-ras behov krävs kunniga och kompetenta personal i skolan. Skolan måste ha en fungerande och tillfredställande elevvård för att kunna nå skolans mål. Skolornas neddragningar på grund av ekonomiska problem gör att barn med dolda funktionshinder misslyckas allt oftare i da-gens skola. Dessa orsakar att barn får ett dåligt självförtroende med upprepade misslyckande och försämrar deras problem.

Allmänt finns det en del olika faktorer som ligger bakom barn med koncentrations svårighe-ter. De biologisk och ärftliga faktorer samt tillväxtmiljön och deras samhällsställning kan ge-nerellt nämnas. Brist på tid, ekonomi och kunskap i skolorna är det en barriär för att kunna hjälpa barn med svårigheter.

The comprehensive purpose with this paper is to have a look at teacher’s assessment and per-ception of pupils with special educational needs. And further illustrate which possibilities and restrictions they believe to have, to take children with special educational needs into consid-eration and get a view of school situations who children with hidden functional disability and with special educations needs are at the present.

To get answer to my questions, six teachers inclusive a special teacher for pupils with im-paired disabilities have been interviewed and discussed the psychological and biological fac-tors around children’s development. The historical review gave us a perceptive on how defini-tion of “school for all” has been developed during the time and what is teacher’s opinion on children with special needs today. The central questions were concentrating on teachers un-derstanding of children with concentration difficulty and their opinion on diagnostic of chil-dren with problems. An “including integration” compared to segregating been discussed as well and finally discussed how teachers can help these children.

Pupils in school are not comparable and these differences must meets carefully. To meet chil-dren’s requirements schools have need of personnel’s competence and proficiency. Schools required having functioning and satisfactory pupil welfare to achieve the aim. Lowering of school resources due to economical problems do that child with hidden functional disability fails more often in schools these days. These effects cause that children get a horrific self-confidence and worsen their problems. Generally, there are different factors behind the con-centrations difficulty. The biological and hereditary factors as well as home environment and their class society can points out in general. Lacking of time, economy and knowledge stops teachers to helping children in school.

Clarke, Michael J. "Special education needs co-ordinators perceptions of local education support services with particular reference to pupils with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties : A case study of Luton local authority." Thesis, University of Leicester, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/7619.

75 Latest Special Education Research Topics and Ideas

Table of Contents

If you are pursuing a degree in teaching and education courses, then for your final year coursework, you can very well work on special education research topics. Performing research on special education may help you to analyze, identify, and solve the issues related to the field. Furthermore, based on the topic you choose to research, you may improve the learning environment of students with disabilities, address the challenges they face, and come up with effective learning or teaching strategies.

If you are unsure what topic to choose for special education research, then you may find this blog helpful. Here, we have suggested a list of 75 engaging special education research topics and ideas. Explore the entire list and work on any research idea that meets your needs.

Tips for Picking a Good Special Education Research Topic

The topic you choose will play a major role in the success of your research paper. So, when it comes to topic selection, spend some time and identify an ideal topic. In case, you face trouble with finding out a good topic, follow these tips for selecting the right special education research topic.

• Always choose a topic that you are passionate about so that you can enjoy your research process and prepare the paper with ease.
• Pick a topic that has a good research scope and allows you to generate a powerful and original thesis statement.
• Never choose a topic that is too wide to cover before the deadline.
• Avoid selecting already discussed topics. If you choose an old topic, make sure to discuss it from a different perspective.
• Give preference to a research topic that has several credible sources for references.
• Go with a topic that can fill the research gaps.
• Finalize the research topic only if it meets the requirements or guidelines of your professor. It is also advisable to get approval for the chosen topic from your professor before you proceed to prepare the paper.

Also Read: Top 150 Philosophy of Education Essay Topics

List of Special Education Research Topics and Ideas

The following are some interesting special education dissertation topics that you may consider for your study.

Simple Special Education Research Topics

• Explain how to help children with disability socialize in the classroom.
• Suggest the best ways to meet the needs of students with emotional disorders in special education
• Discuss the role of social media in special education
• Examine how children with disabilities transit from school to employment.
• Discuss the role of cultural competence in special education.
• Analyze how social media has advocated for special education.
• Take a look at the effective models for teaching students with disability.
• Why should there be different learning strategies for students with a disability?
• Compare Mainstream classrooms and special classes for students with learning abilities.
• Discuss the role of social skill training in special education.

Top Special Education Thesis Topics

• Discuss how the education system can offer an easy transition to children with special needs in early education.
• Explain the role of parents in educating children with disability.
• How can the community help those who need special education to get it?
• Focus on the benefits of post-education for adults with disability
• Why are charter schools better for students with a disability?
• Discuss the role of paraeducators in special education classes.
• Explain how to find out students with hidden needs in special education.
• Review assertive technology in special education.
• Discuss how social media can help students with special needs get more confident
• How should teachers make children with disabilities feel part of the classroom?

Interesting Special Education Research Ideas

• Prepare a research paper on applied behavior analysis and special education.
• Why it is important to conduct community-based programs for people with disability?
• Suggest some of the best ways to use technology and social media to improve the special education program
• Why do parents with special needs students need to work closely with teachers to give the child the best education?
• Analyze the effects of AHDH medication in schools for people with AHDH
• Explain how technology makes it easy for educators to train kids with special needs
• Review how a teacher’s academic background can affect students with disability.
• How does self-determination affect children with disability?
• Why do students with disability need transitional planning?
• Take a look at the resources available on social media that educators can use in their special needs classes.

Engaging Special Education Research Questions

• What is the need for teachers to train on special education outcomes?
• How to improve the education of people with disabilities
• Why should students with a disability be included in the standard classroom?
• Discuss the effectiveness of evidence-based practices in special education.
• Write about literacy intervention in special education.
• Prepare a research paper on Story-based interventions in special education.
• Discuss the effect of peer tutoring in special education.
• Examine the role played by self-advocacy in students with special education
• Analyze the impact of language and communication barriers on the education of people with hearing impairment.
• Investigate the adequacy of teacher training programs in preparing educators to work effectively with students who have special needs.

Captivating Special Education Research Topics

• Study the effectiveness of co-teaching models in special education
• Discuss the role of a behavior specialist in special education.
• Why inspection is important in schools offering special education?
• How should teachers handle the different learning paces of students with special needs in their class?
• Explore the impact of teacher collaboration on special education outcomes
• Examine the effectiveness of sensory diets in special education.
• Take a closer look at homeschooling for kids taking special education
• Examine the benefits and challenges of differentiated instruction in meeting the different needs of students with disabilities in mainstream classrooms.
• Analyze individualized education programs in special education
• Discuss the importance of an inclusive teaching approach for stem students with special needs.

Latest Special Education Research Topics

• Write about the funding for special education.
• How to teach math and science to students with disability
• Examine the impact of special education policies on student outcomes
• Discuss the effectiveness of positive behavior support in special education
• Explain the role of Orientation and mobility specialists in special education.
• Review the college admission process for students with special needs.
• Study the effectiveness of behavior management interventions in special education
• How does remote learning for special education work?
• Why play therapy is necessary for children with special needs?
• Examine the role of leadership in promoting inclusive special education practices

Also Read: 8 Top Private Universities in Singapore for Higher Education

Excellent Special Education Dissertation Topics

• Write about the picture exchange communication system and special education
• How does music therapy in the classroom help kids with special needs?
• Explain why school psychology is necessary for special education.
• Discuss the role of family involvement in special education
• Discuss the role of speech-language pathologists in special education
• Write about video modeling in special education
• What performance challenges do special children face?
• Examine assessment methods for students with disabilities
• Study the effectiveness of different assistive technologies in supporting the educational needs of students with disabilities.
• Explore the potential of mindfulness interventions in special education
• Examine the impact of inclusive education on student outcomes.
• Suggest some strategies to improve the writing skills of students with disabilities.
• What is the best environment for children with special needs to learn?
• How can parents with special needs students ensure better performance?
• Why positive reinforcement is important in special education?

Wrapping Up

Hopefully, the list recommended above will help you to come up with an extraordinary academic paper on special education. Carefully explore the entire list and pick any topic of your choice. In case, you want any other unique special education research topics or if you experience any difficulties with writing your special education research paper, call us right away.

At greatassignmenthelp.com, we have several well-experienced assignment helpers with strong knowledge of special education. So, from research paper topic selection to writing and proofreading, they will provide the best assistance at an affordable price. Especially, according to your requirements, our subject experts will prepare and dispatch plagiarism-free papers. Furthermore, by taking our special education assignment help , you can accurately complete your task on time and score top grades.

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Special educational needs in English schools in ‘crisis’, minister admits

Gillian Keegan says parents having to ‘fight to get right support’ as unions say provision falls short of what is needed

Special educational needs provision in England is in the grip of a “crisis”, the education secretary has said, as school unions questioned whether a funding boost promised for the sector by the government was actually new money and said it fell a long way short of what was needed.

Days after figures showed about two in three special schools were at or over capacity in the last academic year, Gillian Keegan also acknowledged parents were having to “fight to get the right support” for children with special educational needs.

Keegan used a round of broadcast interviews on Tuesday to promote plans to deliver 60,000 more places to meet the needs of pupils and their families.

Asked whether she agreed there was a “huge crisis”, she told BBC Breakfast: “We have definitely acknowledged it. We have special educational needs and alternative provision improvement plans, so you don’t put that in place unless you acknowledge that you definitely need to improve it.

“There’s been a massive increase in special educational needs, we know how to diagnose more, we care more, we know more about how to overcome special educational needs, so that’s definitely something that has changed over the last 10 years. But we have been really trying to make sure that we do the right thing.”

Keegan was speaking as the Department for Education said new Send (special educational needs and disabilities) and AP (alternative provision) funding were being delivered to meet children’s needs, and that councils would get “a record £850m cash boost”.

Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said the “blizzard of figures looks very much like previously announced spending commitments”.

“While investment in education is always welcome, the latest figures are “a very long way short of the level of funding that is needed”.

Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “It seems everyone, even the government, now accepts we are in the middle of a full-blown crisis when it comes to Send.

“However, this hasn’t just come out of nowhere – we have been warning about this for years and it is immensely frustrating just how little progress the government has made on actually tackling the issue.”

Figures published earlier this month showed there were approximately 4,000 more pupils on roll in special schools than the reported capacity.

The Guardian reported last month that hundreds of children with special educational needs have been waiting for a year or longer to access support as local authorities across England buckle under the strain.

Children in some local authorities had been waiting for more than two years to be issued with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that details the support they require, freedom of information requests revealed.

• Special educational needs

More on this story

Hard-up English councils ration access to special needs tests

Catholic and C of E primary schools in England ‘take fewer Send pupils’

‘Funding black hole’: councils grapple with ‘catastrophic’ debt for SEN children

The Guardian view on Tory plans for Send cuts: the wrong move

Children too anxious to attend school being failed by English councils – report

What kind of government attacks the rights of children with special needs?

‘The job means a lot’: the scheme helping Send school leavers find work

Most viewed.

Parents hail Kent school pilot project for pupils with special educational needs as 'life-changing'

• Thursday 28 March 2024 at 1:49pm

ITV Meridian Social Affairs Correspondent Christine Alsford has been speaking to staff and pupils who use The Nest at Turner Free School in Folkestone.

Parents of children with special educational needs have praised a pilot project for pupils in Kent describing it as 'life-changing.'

The Nest is based at Turner Free School in Folkestone and offers specialist support whilst educating students with additional needs within their mainstream school of around 1,000 pupils.

From the outside it looks like any normal setting, but within the classroom, pupils are working in a softer setting, which looks more like a primary school.

There are cuddly toys available to calm and comfort the pupils and there is also a chart on every desk so pupils can show how they are feeling.

Parents say it's been a game changer.

Natalie King's son Toby has a variety of learning difficulties including ADHD and dyspraxia.

She originally fought for him to attend a specialist school eight miles away in Dover, and was worried to be given a place at Turner Free School instead.

"His doctors said he wouldn't cope in a mainstream school," Natalie said.

"When I got it through I was thinking I don't know about this - really don't know. But I wouldn't change it for anything."

Natalie King's son is much happier in the new learning environment.

Natalie says Toby is less jumpy since attending The Nest in September, and is reading, and writing.

"I never thought he would be where he is now," she added.

The pilot scheme at Turner Free School comes after some parents told ITV Meridian that provision for SEND in Kent is worse than ever.

The man in charge of delivering changes at Kent County Council insists that things are improving but admits there is still more to do.

Cllr Rory Love said that they have had some negative feedback, but also positive feedback from parents and that they are almost half way to delivering planned improvements.

The local authority has made no secret of the fact that it is working to place more and more children with additional needs in local mainstream schools.

T he council-funded project at Turner Free School could be come a model for the future, if deemed a success.

Instead of pupils spending hours traveling miles and miles every day to get specialist support, The Nest means children can access it on their doorstep instead.

Lisa Hopper, Director of Special Educational Needs & Disability said: "In the past children would go across the county in taxis - or parents driving them.

"It's so important that children in their local area can have this kind of specialist provision and not have to travel so far."

Executive Principal of Turner Free School, Kristina Yates said the new project is working beautifully.

"They are surrounded by peers they can interact with at a level that's appropriate for them," she said.

"It's really boosted their self esteem and confidence but from a teaching and learning perspective it means we can adapt the curriculum.

"I think it's going to be life-changing for lots of children."

Executive Principal of Turner Free School, Kristina Yates

Providing specialist places in this way is also extremely cost effective. Placing children in independent schools instead costs usually 9 or ten times the amount.

The Turner Free School has funding to see the current group of Year 7 pupils right through their secondary years - until they're ready to fly The Nest in Year 11.

A second intake of 11-year-olds is due to join them in September.

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Keegan admits struggle for right support for pupils with special needs

T he Education Secretary has acknowledged parents are having to “fight to get the right support” for children with special educational needs, days after figures showed around two in three special schools in England were at or over capacity in the last academic year.

Gillian Keegan vowed that the Government “has a plan” to deliver 60,000 more places to meet the needs of pupils and their families.

The Department for Education (DfE) said new Send (special educational needs and disabilities) and AP (alternative provision) were being delivered to meet children’s needs, and that councils will get “a record £850 million cash boost”.

The special educational needs system is on its knees, with many local authority high needs budgets in deficit, children waiting for assessments and lack of money in schools for provision

However, a school leaders’ union said the “blizzard of figures looks very much like previously announced spending commitments”.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said while investment in education is always welcome, the latest figures are “a very long way short of the level of funding that is needed”.

He said: “The special educational needs system is on its knees, with many local authority high needs budgets in deficit, children waiting for assessments and lack of money in schools for provision.”

Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “It seems everyone, even the Government, now accepts we are in the middle of a full-blown crisis when it comes to Send.

“However, this hasn’t just come out of nowhere – we have been warning about this for years and it is immensely frustrating just how little progress the government has made on actually tackling the issue.

“Successive secretaries of state have acknowledged the scale of the problem but none have seemingly been able to find the solutions.

“After more than a decade, talk of ‘long-term plans’ and ‘record levels of investment’ will carry little sway with parents and school leaders who are trying to navigate their way through this crisis.

“If the Government does not get a grip, vulnerable young people will continue to suffer.”

Figures published earlier this month showed there were approximately 4,000 more pupils on roll in special schools than the reported capacity.

The Government publication on school capacity looked at data on Send provision for the first time.

There were 148,000 special school places reported across 1,077 schools in England as of May last year, but there were around 152,000 pupils on the roll during the same period.

On Tuesday, the Government said it is “sticking to the plan to ensure every child can receive the education they need to succeed, where hard work is rewarded and aspiration is celebrated”.

The DfE said the funding is part of the £2.6 billion investment between 2022 and 2025 to help to put an end to families having to fight for the right support for their children.

Ms Keegan said: “All too often I hear from parents with children who have special educational needs having to fight to get the right support. That’s why this Government has a plan to deliver 60,000 more places that meet the needs of these pupils and their families.”

Asked whether she agreed there was a “huge crisis”, Ms Keegan told BBC Breakfast: “We have definitely acknowledged it.

“We have special educational needs and alternative provision improvement plans, so you don’t put that in place unless you acknowledge that you definitely need to improve it.

“There’s been a massive increase in special educational needs, we know how to diagnose more, we care more, we know more about how to overcome special educational needs, so that’s definitely something that has changed over the last 10 years.

“But we have been really trying to make sure that we do the right thing.”

The DfE said schools and sixth form colleges will benefit from £1.8 billion in funding to help maintain their buildings, including refurbishing classrooms, improving playgrounds and installing new windows, as well as larger projects such as upgrading heating systems, replacing roofs or rewiring electrical systems.

Ms Keegan said the Government is “continuing to invest in the school estate, so all children are taught in the best classrooms for generations to come”.

She added: “Whether in special or mainstream schools, we’re ensuring every child gets a world-class education, and the support they need to reach their potential.”

ASCL said “parts of the school estate are literally crumbling as a result of 14 years of underinvestment and many schools have to bid for funding just to be able to afford the cost of vital repairs”.

A Labour spokesperson said: “After 14 years of Conservative government, years of failed reforms and botched reviews, their own Education Secretary says the system of support is lose-lose-lose.

“Today we have the grotesque spectacle of an Education Secretary re-announcing old money earmarked for yesterday’s problems to solve tomorrow’s challenges.

“It’s not good enough for children, for families, or for school staff. Only Labour can bring the change we need.”

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MPS superintendent says referendum will allow district to 'maintain' services. But is that enough?

The Milwaukee education landscape is split roughly in two, with about half the city’s children who are getting publicly funded education enrolled in the Milwaukee Public Schools system and about half in private schools, charter schools and public schools in districts outside the city. This has big implications for the nature and vitality of all the schools serving the city’s kids.

The April 2 referendum vote in which MPS is seeking approval of increasing its spending by $252 million a year will have unknown but almost certainly large effects on the future of the two halves of the school scene.  

In a column that was published several days ago, I offered thoughts on four facets of what is going on. In this column, I offer four more.  

New undertakings on the non-MPS side

A surge of additional revenue that the state budget, passed in 2023, is providing to non-MPS schools has increased something that was already happening: more momentum for non-MPS schools, while MPS is largely trying to hang on to what it has. Consider examples of what non-MPS schools are doing. 

The fast-growing St. Augustine Prep on the south side announced recently it is moving forward with plans to open a north side campus on the former Cardinal Stritch University grounds, although it said the cost of that expansion will be about $100 million, more than twice original estimates, and it delayed the projected date for opening the new campus by a year, until fall 2026.  

Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy is on track to move its high school program this fall into a new building on Phillips Avenue (formerly North Fourth Street), just south of North Avenue. Its current building at Capitol Drive and North 29th Street will be remodeled to house middle school grades as the Fuller School and the Milwaukee Excellence Charter School merge. Milwaukee Excellence will leave the MPS system and give up its current space in a former MPS elementary school. 

Hope Christian Schools, with five schools in Milwaukee, announced recently a multimillion plan (the announcement didn’t give a specific amount) to upgrade its programs, including improving salaries and program innovations such as increased art, music and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) offerings. The announcement linked the improvements to the revenue increases in the state budget.  

The Milwaukee Academy of Science, a charter school at 2000 W. Kilbourn Ave. with about 1,400 students, announced in January that it would expand by adding a second campus in a school building at North 24th and  West Vliet Street that was previously home to Urban Day School and Penfield Montessori School. 

The Seeds of Health network of three high schools and an elementary school continues to thrive, including the expansion two years ago of its Tenor High School into a building at 918 Vel R. Phillips Ave. that was formerly home to the Milwaukee Sentinel.      

The United Community Center is adding a third floor to the main building of its Bruce Guadalupe school on the south side, which means more classrooms, as well as improvements in existing space. A cramped cafeteria has been replaced by a more spacious and useful cafeteria. The school has reduced average class sizes from 25-27 down to 20-22. The school still needs to raise about $1.5 million of the project’s cost, but Laura Gutierrez, executive director of the UCC, said, “Our kids cannot wait.” 

'We’re trying to maintain.'

Meantime, on the MPS front, that was the phrase MPS superintendent Keith Posley used in a recent television interview about why MPS launched the referendum campaign.

MPS advocates have been careful about saying that, if the referendum wins, the additional $252 million a year will bring improvements in outcomes for children. They generally have emphasized that they will have to make cuts if the referendum is defeated, possibly cutting staff, increasing class sizes and losing ground in areas such as arts and music, where there have been positive steps in recent years (including benefits from the $87 million a year referendum that was approved in 2020).

Is it a good idea to go to voters without a plan that speaks clearly to doing better and amid a specter of major cuts? Is “maintaining” enough of a pitch? Interesting questions.  

Speaking of maintaining ...

One of the issues raised by opponents of the referendum is that MPS has maintained its inventory of schools almost without major change for at least 15 years.

There are schools in MPS that have more students than their listed capacity, according to a report MPS made to the Legislature’s joint finance committee in August 2023.

But there are also a bunch of schools that are substantially under-enrolled, and the system as a whole appears to have more capacity than it needs.

The under-enrolled schools are generally on the north side. For example, Clarke Street School, which President George W. Bush visited in 2002, has a listed capacity of 560 and, as of May 2023, had 266 students. Hi Mount School , spotlighted in the 1990s for its innovative programming, had a capacity of 506 and an enrollment of 172.  

MPS has resisted closing schools and Posley, the superintendent since 2018, has suggested that closings would not save much money. He also has said MPS is working on a new facilities plan. The last time MPS made a serious effort to close schools was when William Andrekopoulos was superintendent. Now retired, Andrekopoulos has come out against the current referendum, in large part because of the number of schools with low enrollment, which he argues leads to unnecessary staffing and costs.  

So how are the children doing?

The core and ultimate issue is the overall academic success of Milwaukee students. And, in the broad picture, they’re not doing well. This does not apply to every student and every school. But paint the picture with broad strokes and it’s not pretty.

In tests given in spring 2023, only 15.8% of MPS third- through eighth-graders were rated proficient or advanced in English language arts (including reading), and 52.9% were rated as “below basic,” the lowest category on Wisconsin’s tests. Absenteeism is high; behavior problems are serious.

The picture isn’t so great for students in the non-MPS schools either. For example, among all Milwaukee students (including some in ninth grade or higher) using vouchers to go to private schools, only 20% were proficient or advanced in English language arts, with 37% below basic.  

The biggest problems, to put it candidly, involve a list of schools serving low-income Black children on the north side. And there is almost no sign of results getting much better in those schools, regardless of whether they are part of MPS or not part of MPS. There is little sign of a real plan to deal with the issues in a meaty way, whether you’re talking about things school can influence or the important factors that shape children’s lives outside of school and before they reach school age.  

Do you know of plans to do something meaningful for children in MPS schools where zero to 5% of students are proficient in reading? I don’t. The answer to that question varies in the non-MPS sector, but there are schools there where I would say the same.  

Some schools are raising the roof. But a lot are hoping only to maintain the situation they are in, situations marked by low overall education success.   

What happens in MPS if the referendum is passed? What happens if it fails? Both are important questions. But transcending them are two questions that aren’t up for a vote on April 2 and don’t get the attention they need: How do we really raise the roof? And what happens if all we can do is maintain what we have?  

Alan J. Borsuk is senior fellow in law and public policy at Marquette Law School. Reach him at [email protected] .  

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• Education, training and skills
• School and academy funding
• Funding for different types of schools and settings
• Special schools funding

Government delivering on 60,000 more special needs places

Councils are to receive a record £850 million cash boost to ensure children across the country receive an education that meets their needs.

Children across the country are to benefit from billions of pounds of investment to ensure they receive an education that meets their needs in high-quality environments for years to come and families are given peace of mind that their children will be looked after.  

A record annual investment of £850 million is going to councils to create new places for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and in Alternative Provision (AP) in mainstream and special schools, and to improve the accessibility of existing buildings.  

This will provide specialist support for children with autism, learning difficulties, mobility difficulties and more to meet their extra needs, including extra encouragement in their learning, help communicating with other children and support with physical or personal care difficulties, such as using the toilet or getting around the school safely.  

The Government is sticking to the plan to ensure every child can receive the education they need to succeed, where hard work is rewarded and aspiration is celebrated. The funding is part of the £2.6 billion investment between 2022 and 2025 – more than tripling the previous levels of investment - to help to put an end to families having to fight for the right support for their children. 

When combined with the places already being created by the special free schools programme, this funding is creating over 60,000 new places across the country.

This is helping to increase capacity, following a decrease in pupils in special schools from 1997 to 2010. 

Additionally, schools and sixth form colleges will benefit from £1.8 billion in funding to help maintain their buildings. This funding will support schools to invest in projects like refurbishing classrooms, improving playgrounds and installing new windows, as well as larger projects such as upgrading heating systems, replacing roofs or rewiring electrical systems.

The government has now allocated over £17 billion since 2015 to improve school buildings for generations to come. On top of this the School Rebuilding Programme is transforming over 500 schools across England. 

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: 

All too often I hear from parents with children who have special educational needs having to fight to get the right support. That’s why this Government has a plan to deliver 60,000 more places that meet the needs of these pupils and their families. We are also continuing to invest in the school estate, so all children are taught in the best classrooms for generations to come. Whether in special or mainstream schools, we’re ensuring every child gets a world-class education, and the support they need to reach their potential.

Eden Academy Trust is one of the trusts that has been successfully selected to run one of the 30 new special free schools in Hillingdon. It will provide vital, specialist support 180 children with autism and severe learning difficulties in London. 

CEO of the Eden Academy Trust Susan Douglas said: 

We know the life-changing impact that a successful special school can have on pupils and families and we are proud to work with the DfE and local authorities to expand places where we can so that more pupils are in the right setting.

As part of the funding to improve school buildings, the Government is today confirming 733 schools and sixth form colleges will benefit from the £450 million Condition Improvement Fund (CIF).

Previous rounds of CIF funding saw Droitwich Spa High School and Sixth Form Centre in Worcestershire replace windows which has helped to keep classrooms warm and reduce their energy bills. 

Meanwhile, Green Gates Academy in Stockton-on-Tees created spaces for children with social, emotional and mental health problems to help regulate their emotions in a calm setting and help them engage in learning. In the Wirral, Calday Grange Grammar School replaced a dilapidated teaching block with a modern music and drama building. 

This investment will address problems with school buildings that were identified as part of the government’s condition data collection, one of the largest and most comprehensive surveys or school building condition in Europe, which helps target funding to where it is most needed. This is the first UK Government in history to fund schools based on a national assessment of the need of their buildings.

Early indications from our ongoing new data collection survey show that in almost every case significant issues previously identified in the first condition survey have been resolved. 

In addition to our capital investment, schools are benefitting from the highest levels of funding in history totalling more than £60 billion. This Government’s record investment, is helping to deliver on plans to ensure every child gets a world-class education.

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