Views of professionals about the educational needs of children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

BACKGROUND: Professionals play a key role in supporting children with special educational needs in schools. However, the views of those working with neurodevelopmental disorders are less known. AIMS: This study examined the views of professionals (including teachers, teaching assistants, educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, physio and occupational therapists etc.) working with children with Williams Syndrome (WS), Down Syndrome (DS) or with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in terms of how informed professionals are about the disorder and their views about the type of support these children need to be receiving. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Professionals working with 77 children with ASD, 26 with DS and 38 with WS completed an online questionnaire. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Professionals in all three groups highlighted relevant areas of difficulty for these children, but they did not recognise some of the less phenotypical difficulties that children with a specific disorder may experience. In addition, there was a disconnect between the difficulties identified by the professionals and the type of specialist support that may be necessary. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Although professionals have a lot of knowledge about the specific neurodevelopmental disorders, further evidence-based training would allow more effective support for children with neurodevelopmental disorders in the classroom but also equip professionals better and raise their confidence in meeting these children's needs.

Parental views on special educational needs provision: Cross-syndrome comparisons in Williams Syndrome, Down Syndrome, and Autism Spectrum Disorders.

BACKGROUND: The current study examined parents' views about their child's educational provision for children with Williams syndrome (WS), Down syndrome (DS), and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). AIMS: This cross-syndrome comparison explored the specific and general difficulties that parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders experience about their child's educational provision. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Parents of children aged 4-18;11 years old, including 99 with WS, 88 with DS, and 82 with ASD completed a survey. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Children with DS were more likely to access mainstream settings and 1-to-1 support compared to those with WS and ASD. Parental satisfaction was lowest for those with ASD but all parents mentioned concerns about professionals' knowledge of how to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). There were also group differences for access to specialist support but overall access to occupational therapy and mental health was low. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: In contrast to previous studies, educational provision and satisfaction with educational provision are syndrome-specific. These results also highlight the need for training and raising awareness about the specific needs of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. In addition, our findings suggest improved communication between parents and the school is required about the type of support children with SEND are receiving.