Segregación escolar del alumnado con necesidades educativas especiales en Educación Infantil en el contexto local / School segregation of students with special educational needs in Early Childhood Education in the local context

Esta investigación busca profundizar en la segregación escolar del alumnado con necesidades educativas especiales del segundo ciclo de Educación Infantil estimando su magnitud, determinando la incidencia de la titularidad del centro y de su adscripción al Programa Bilingüe y describiendo su evolución. Para ello, se realiza un estudio ex post facto con datos de los 10.182 estudiantes del segundo ciclo de Educación Infantil matriculados en alguno de los 77 centros ordinarios públicos y privados-concertados situados en dos ciudades de tamaño medio-grande de la Comunidad de Madrid. Los resultados indican que la magnitud de la segregación escolar está en torno al 0.20 (ISG); que la incidencia de la titularidad es baja (4.6 %), pero es alta la del Programa Bilingüe (17.2 % de promedio); y que la segregación ha descendido ligeramente en los últimos años, pero las diferencias entre centros atendiendo a su titularidad y adscripción al Programa Bilingüe han crecido. Con ello, se concluye que hay que prestar atención a la segregación en Educación Infantil y tomar medidas para combatirla. También se destaca la necesidad de replantear el Programa Bilingüe por su incidencia en la segregación escolar. (AU)

This research aims to explore the school segregation of students with special educational needs in the second cycle of Early Childhood Education by estimating its magnitude, determining the incidence of school ownership and affiliation to the Bilingual Program, and describing its evolution. To achieve this, we conduct an ex post facto study with data from the 10,182 students enrolled in one of the 77 public and private-subsidised schools in the Community of Madrid. The results indicate that the magnitude of school segregation is around 0.20 (ISG); that the incidence of school ownership is low (4.6 %), while the incidence of the Bilingual Program is high (17.2 % on average); and that segregation has slightly decreased in recent years, however the differences between schools based on ownership and affiliation to the Bilingual Program have increased. Therefore, we conclude that it is necessary to address segregation in Early Childhood Education and that measures need to be taken to combat it. We also highlight the importance of reconsidering the Bilingual Program due to its impact on school segregation. (AU)

Consistency between provision, outcomes and functioning needs in statutory documents for young children with developmental disabilities in England.

BACKGROUND: It is widely accepted that early childhood intervention for children with disabilities should address the assessment-intervention cycle holistically. Documenting both assessment and intervention is important to support provision effectively. In England, the official document that describes needs and provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities is the Education Health and Care plan. This document requires inter-professional collaboration and a focus on children's holistic participation, rather than diagnosis. AIM: To examine the consistency between provision, outcomes and needs of young children with disabilities in England, as described in their Education Health and Care plans. METHODS: The plans of 68 young children were examined and the relationships between documented needs, outcomes and provision actions analysed. RESULTS: provision is more related to children's individual needs, than to their diagnoses, when needs are described in sufficient detail; interdisciplinarity leads to higher quality documentation of provision and outcomes. However, more needs to be done to support professionals in developing higher quality needs descriptions and interdisciplinary collaborations. IMPLICATIONS: Training and interdisciplinarity with a common language between professionals have the potential to improve currently observed challenges regarding consistency between provision, needs and outcomes.

"No policy is an island": how the ICF international classification system may support local education planning in England.

Background: A crucial issue in special educational needs and disability policy and provision is the documentation of children's functioning, for which many countries have a statutory document. In England this is the education health and care plan. Recent research challenges the quality of these plans. Purpose: To provide evidence on the usefulness of the international classification of functioning, disability and health as a system with potential to support the development of higher quality plans in England. Methods: Twenty-five professionals participated in a one-day training session on the international classification of functioning disability and health, with a focus on designing higher quality SMART targets to be included in children's plans. Results: Overall, participants regarded the system as useful. Comparison of targets written before and after the training show improvements in relevance, specificity and on the extent to which they were action-oriented and measurable. Conclusions: Results are discussed in light of international lessons learned around the potential of the international classification of functioning disability and health to support policy change. A "no policy is an island" approach is proposed, suggesting local policy-makers should open horizons beyond geographical boundaries in evidence-based decision-making for supporting children with disabilities.Implications for rehabilitationThe ICF can be regarded as a useful framework for supporting professionals developing targets for children with Education Health and Care (EHC) plans in England.For developing SMART targets with the ICF, professionals can use the taxonomy to look for detailed aspects of functioning, relevant to a certain developmental stage.Using the ICF can support in making more measurable targets in EHC plans if the universal qualifier scale is applied when describing detailed aspects of functioning.Professionals trained on the ICF recognise its usefulness for writing EHC targets.More in-depth training is recommended for supporting the development of more holistic biopsychosocial EHC plans in England.

Consequential differences in perspectives and practices concerning children with developmental language disorders: an integrative review.

BACKGROUND: Inter-professional collaboration (IPC) has been recommended for many years as a means by which the needs of children with developmental language disorders (DLD) can be met at school. However, effective IPC remains difficult to achieve and our knowledge of how to support it is limited. A shared understanding between those involved has been identified as critical to IPC. AIMS: To examine the literature, as one source of data, for evidence of a shared understanding between the fields of speech and language therapy (SLT) and education about children with DLD and how such needs can best be met at school. METHODS & PROCEDURES: An integrative review of the literature was undertaken. A systematic search of the published, peer-reviewed literature (between 2006 and 2016) was conducted for empirical and theoretical papers and a manual search was undertaken to obtain a representative sample of policy/professional guidelines. A total of 81 papers across SLT and education were included in the review. The papers were scrutinized using a qualitative content analysis. MAIN CONTRIBUTION: Although some commonality between perspectives in the literature was identified, differences between the fields dominated. These differences related to how DLD is conceptualized; how children's needs are assessed; which outcomes are prioritized and how best these outcomes can be achieved. We also found differences about what constitutes useful knowledge to guide practice. We suggest that the nature of the differences we identified in the literature may have negative implications for practitioners wishing to collaborate to meet the needs of children with DLD in school. The perspectives of practising SLTs and teachers need to be sought to determine whether the findings from the literature reflect dilemmas in practice. CONCLUSIONS: Effective IPC is essential to meet the needs of children with DLD in school; yet, it remains difficult to achieve. Our review of the literature across SLT and education indicates evidence of a lack of shared understanding about DLD. If these differences are also evident in practice, then a conceptual model to support IPC may be warranted.

Detailing and reflections on occupational therapy in the process of school inclusion / Detalhamento e reflexões sobre a terapia ocupacional no processo de inclusão escolar

Abstract Introduction: Studies show the effectiveness of inclusive actions in educational processes, as well as the need for specialized training of occupational therapists, enabling them for collaborative approaches and actions. Objective: To identify actions developed by occupational therapists in the process of school inclusion of children and teenagers with special educational needs, and think over the context of inclusive education from the presented perspectives. Method: A survey with 18 occupational therapists for data collection. A questionnaire related to school inclusion and professional practice was applied through an on-line platform and a social network. Data gathered were forwarded to qualitative analysis, with descriptive, exploratory analysis for objective questions, and content analysis for the descriptives. Results: The main participants' involvement in school inclusion occurred from their office practice, but 50% of them also assist in regular school. The main method of contribution occurred through assessment, planning and developing inclusion and guidance activities in schools. The participation of family and other professionals in a collaborative approach, the school and teachers lack of preparation to complete the inclusion processes were noteworthy. Conclusion: Study results reassure the importance of occupational therapist's contribution to cope with the challenges and effectiveness of school inclusion. Emphasis is given to the need for greater integration of those professionals in regular school and the importance of expanding the considerations and questions regarding the construction of a more democratic educational system.

Resumo Introdução: Estudos apontam para a efetividade de ações inclusivas relacionadas aos processos escolares, assim como a necessidade de formação especializada para terapeutas ocupacionais, capacitando-os para abordagens e ações colaborativas. Objetivos: Identificar ações desenvolvidas por terapeutas ocupacionais do Estado do Paraná no processo de inclusão escolar de crianças e adolescentes com necessidades educacionais especiais, e refletir sobre o contexto da educação inclusiva, a partir de perspectivas apresentadas. Método: Realizou-se levantamento de dados (survey), com a participação de 18 terapeutas ocupacionais. Aplicou-se questionário relacionado a inclusão escolar e atuação do profissional, com divulgação através de plataforma online e rede social. Submeteram-se os dados coletados à análise qualitativa, com análises exploratórias descritivas nas questões objetivas e de conteúdo, nas descritivas. Resultados: O principal envolvimento dos participantes com a inclusão escolar ocorre a partir de atendimento em ambiente clínico, porém 50% atendem, também, na escola regular. As principais formas de contribuição ocorrem através de avaliação, planejamento e desenvolvimento de atividades relacionadas a processos de inclusão, e de orientações às escolas. Destacam-se a participação da família e de outros profissionais envolvidos, em uma perspectiva colaborativa, e a falta de preparo da escola e dos professores para a efetivação dos processos de inclusão. Conclusão: Os resultados do estudo reafirmam a relevância da contribuição do terapeuta ocupacional para o enfrentamento dos desafios e a concretização da inclusão escolar. Enfatizam-se a necessidade de maior inserção destes profissionais na escola comum do ensino regular e a importância de ampliar as reflexões e problematizações em relação à construção de um sistema educacional mais democrático.

Metodologias de intervenção do terapeuta ocupacional em contexto escolar com crianças com Necessidades Educativas Especiais em Portugal / Occupational therapists intervention methodologies in schools with children with Special Educational Needs in Portugal

Introdução: Os alunos com Necessidades Educativas Especiais devem ser inseridos em turmas regulares, recebendo todos os serviços educativos adequados que possibilitem o desenvolvimento de competências e capacidades dos mesmos. O sucesso da inclusão escolar depende da parceria entre os vários profissionais a intervir em contexto escolar. A importância do terapeuta ocupacional inserido numa equipe em contexto escolar já é reconhecida e valorizada pela comunidade, e é alvo de muitos estudos. Objetivo: Identificar as metodologias de intervenção utilizadas pelos terapeutas ocupacionais em Portugal, em contexto escolar, com crianças com Necessidades Educativas Especiais, de forma a aferir as metodologias mais comuns, bem como os aspectos relevantes que fazem parte do processo terapêutico. Método: Trata-se de uma investigação de caráter não experimental com base descritiva e transversal. Inicialmente, foi elaborado um questionário semiestruturado, de natureza quantitativa, que foi ministrado aos terapeutas ocupacionais que trabalham ou tenham trabalhado havia menos de três anos em contexto escolar. Resultados: A amostra é composta por 40 terapeutas ocupacionais, 37 são do sexo feminino e três são do sexo masculino. A maioria dos indivíduos (77,5%) trabalha atualmente em contexto escolar. Os terapeutas ocupacionais intervêm principalmente com crianças, cujas idades estão compreendidas entre os 6 e os 18 anos. Conclusão: Verifica-se que as metodologias mais utilizadas pelos terapeutas ocupacionais são a atividade lúdica/brincar terapêutico e o treino de atividades da vida diária. A equitação com fins terapêuticos e a hipoterapia representam as metodologias menos utilizadas em contexto escolar, em que cada uma foi selecionada por 10% dos terapeutas.

Introduction: students with special educational needs should be inserted in regular classes, receiving all appropriate educational services allowing the development of skills and capabilities. The success of the school inclusion depends on the partnership between the various professionals in the school context. The insertion and occupational therapist's contribution in the area of education is the subject of many studies. The importance of a professional team in school context is already recognized and valued by the community. Objectives: the aim is to identify the intervention methodologies used by occupational therapists in school with children with special educational needs. In order to determine the most common methodologies as well as relevant aspects of the therapeutic process. Method: this is a non-experimental research with descriptive and cross-sectional basis. A semi-structured questionnaire was prepared initially, quantitative in nature that was taught to occupational therapists that work or have worked for less than 3 years in school context. Results: the sample is composed of 40 occupational therapists, 37 are female and 3 are male. The majority of individuals (77.5%) currently works in school context. The occupational therapists involved mainly with children, aged between 6 and 18 years. Conclusion: the methodologies used by the occupational therapists are playful activity/play therapy and the training activities of daily living. Riding for therapeutic purposes and the hippotherapy represent less widely used methodologies in school context, in that each was selected by 10% of therapists.