In England, legislation introduced in 2014 to reform support for children and young people with special educational needs and disability (SEND) from birth to 25 years of age has been described as the biggest change in SEND for 30 years. Support now focuses on improved outcomes for young people with SEND, and aims to be more aspirational and…

The new Special Educational Needs and Disability legislation in the Children and Families Act 2014 intends to raise the aspirations of young people with special educational needs and their families, and improve their life outcomes. But what do raised aspirations and better outcomes look like for young people who have a life-limiting impairment?…

In this comparative study, students from inclusive schools in Canada and Saudi Arabia shared their beliefs about factors associated with learning difficulties. Qualitative data were collected through interviews with 36 Canadian and 62 Saudi elementary students in Grades 5 and 6. Thematic analysis uncovered six themes: lack of knowledge,…

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive genetic condition that affects both muscle and brain. Children with DMD are at risk of psycho-social difficulties such as poor academic achievement and behavioural and socio-emotional problems. This article by Janet Hoskin and Angela Fawcett, both from the University of Swansea, describes how 34…

In this article Carolyn Blackburn who is currently project officer for the Training and Development Agency for Schools and Teresa Whitehurst who is a research and development officer at Sunfield School in Worcestershire discuss how educationalists are being required to support an increasing number of children with new and emerging disabilities…

In this article, Franciscah Wamocho, lecturer and chairperson, Geoffrey Karugu, senior lecturer, both in the Department of Special Education, and Augustine Nwoye, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology, all from Kenyatta University in Nairobi, argue that people with disabilities are likely to need the support of counselling services.…

Questionnaires completed by 42 colleges in Wales revealed that provision for physically handicapped students varied across local education agencies. Only a few were not prepared to accept physically handicapped students. Many stated they would accept these students but would be unable or unwilling to provide special treatment. (CL)

The benefits of participating in biology instruction (with a stress on human biology) for physically handicapped students are noted. Risks in the laboratory are considered and balanced with the advantages of direct contact with the natural world. (CL)

Sixty-two physically impaired persons completed questionnaires about the help they received prior to leaving school. The majority felt the schools could have done more to help them cope with transitions to adult life. (CL)

This paper describes the implementation of goal attainment scaling at the Scottish Centre for Children with Motor Impairments. Goal attainment scaling was chosen because of its accommodation of the heterogeneity that exists among children with movement difficulties and their variation in rates of progress. Advantages and problems with the…

This study of multi-professional collaboration in special schools in Britain included the development of a collaboration scale based on professional descriptions of collaborative activities which fell into three broad categories: planning activities, sharing activities, and goal-achieving activities. Respondents generally reported a fairly high…

This article discusses primary education in Britain and the development of performance indicators for children with movement difficulties. It focuses on children's central movement difficulties as a factor in their total development and calls for early assessment and regular monitoring. (Contains references.) (DB)

A study involving 35 British families explored the experience of students affected by fecal incontinence resulting from a congenital physical impairment. Results found attendance at mainstream school was very highly valued, support to pupils was complex and patchy, and students wanted to avoid their condition being noted at school. (Contains 15…

A placement at the National Institute of Conductive Education (NICE) in Birmingham for children with motor disorders is strongly preferred over mainstream or special schools by some parents, but it has been noted that this is usually refused following the current statementing process. Although funding constraints have been articulated, Angela…

The article discusses a hands-on, multisensory science curriculum developed from the adaptation and merging of two curricula for handicapped elementary students (ages 9-13): Science Activities for the Visually Impaired (SAVI) and Science Enrichment for Learners with Physical Handicap (SELPH). The nine modules comprising the SAVI/SELPH materials…