Interviewing students with special needs (SSNs) comes with a unique set of ethical and practical challenges that require highly specialised skills and interviewing protocols. Our objectives were to identify the most appropriate tools for collecting data from SSNs, key differences in interviewing students with and without special needs, and ethical…

STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is a group of cognate disciplines which are especially exclusionary group of disciplines in school and one in which those in specialist education settings commonly have very limited experience. This article describes a knowledge exchange project in which young people with Additional Support…

Scotland is one of four nations that make up the UK. Its education system's roots lie within an inclusive and egalitarian approach to the education of young people. Subsequent legislation, policies and curriculum frameworks reflect this stance, and so the route that Scotland has taken towards supporting young people has differed from that of…

Preschools in Sweden are facing increasing requirements for introducing quality systems, and documentation practices are becoming a central part of the preschools' work. This article examines how Swedish principals perceive the assignment of documentation regarding special educational needs (SEN). Drawing on the theoretical work of Schön, this…

The rise in numbers of children experiencing school attendance difficulties in recent years makes this an important focus for UK school inclusion. Simultaneously, increases in school deregistration in favour of home education have caught media as well as regulator attention. These figures disproportionately include children on schools' special…

This paper presents findings from interviews conducted with school leaders responsible for coordinating special educational needs (SEN) provision in primary schools across Ireland. Specifically, the experiences of Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs), principals who also serve as SENCOs, and principals without SENCO responsibilities…

Background: Despite the significant emphasis on self-determination in special education and the crucial role of mobile learning, there is a notable absence of path modelling studies that explore the effect of self-determination on the usage of mobile learning by students with special needs. Objectives: This study sought to investigate the…

Around the world, the number of learning assistants (LAs) employed in schools has increased dramatically over the last two decades. Underpinned by the global move towards more inclusive education, and consequently an increasingly diverse school population, they now play a key role in supporting learners with additional needs. A number of concerns…

Learners with special needs experience myriad problems in general and special education. These problems range from minor academic, social, emotional, and behavioral problems to major disenfranchisements, disadvantages, and disillusionments. In addition, these problems can be very intense. As a result, they call for innovative and creative…

Universal Design for Learning is a pedagogical approach that aims 'to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn' (CAST website, n.d.). Originating in the context of K12 education in the United States, the core principles involve the provision of multiple means of representation,…

This article examines the use of digital documentation systems for preschool special education in Swedish municipalities. Drawing on concepts of organisational learning, the research examines the extent to which municipalities use digital systems and their rationales for such use. A survey of municipalities' use of digital documentation systems…

Reasonable accommodations (RA) for children with special educational needs (SEN) need to be decided in collaboration with all stakeholders. Even though parents play a crucial part in the inclusive school trajectory or their child with SEN, they often miss a clear role in this decision-making process. In this research, using interpretative…

Many people are unaware of the challenges associated with a special needs child being part of the family unit. Special-needs children require additional support and resources to meet their unique needs, which can have significant implications for the entire family. Current research through self-reported study (N = 51) findings under statistical…

The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system is in crisis. A major new inquiry has been launched to find solutions, in part exploring how educational settings can become more inclusive through the provision of 'high quality support'. This begs the question--what "is" high quality support? Revisiting how SEND is…

With the policy to integrate as many young people as possible into mainstream education, schools and local authorities across Scotland endeavour to create the best conditions for learning and support the needs of all learners. As increased awareness of the importance of well-designed, agile learning spaces evolves, there is ongoing investment in…