This paper describes the process employed by a psychological service to gather the views of children and young people using guided discussion groups and questionnaires. Pupils in the guided discussion groups were asked to identify issues that affect them and how adults could help. This information was analysed using thematic analysis. Seven themes…

The challenges presented by students who struggle to connect with curriculum learning in school constitute an issue that confronts education systems worldwide. This article reviews ways in which such students can be encouraged to engage more positively in their own learning, a process that benefits both the child and the whole school community. In…

This article reports on research that was carried out with parents in order to understand the education system in England from their viewpoint through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with seven parents, who were largely sourced through a local dyslexia specialist tutor. The data were analysed by using cross-sectional analysis in order to…

This study explored the perceptions of parents and teachers regarding the differential treatment or stigma experienced by pupils with challenging behaviour--more specifically, those with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD), as well as children with visible special educational needs (Down's syndrome and/or profound and multiple…

Successful transition from primary to secondary school is important for psychosocial well-being. Children with special educational needs (SEN) may face additional complexities at transition, although the impact of this process on children's psychosocial adjustment has been underexplored. The article aims to review systematically the literature…

The original concept of a subculture of learning support in secondary schools developed from a study of "Support Teachers, Learning Difficulties" in New South Wales, Australia. The study examined the influence of school culture on the service delivery model used by these support teachers in three case studies, one of which is reported in this…

The introduction of the National Curriculum in 1988 caused much discussion (some of it angst-ridden) among both academics and practitioners working with pupils with severe and profound learning difficulties, and much of the meat (and the angst) of these discussions is still going on today. We argue that 24 years is a long experiment; that despite…

The increasing number of children with profound and multiple learning difficulties means that many schools for children with severe learning difficulties are having to review the curriculum that they offer. In addition, these schools are continuing to question whether a subject-based approach, in line with the National Curriculum, is the most…

Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder in childhood and can have a significant impact on a child's schooling. Children with epilepsy may have special educational needs due to having learning disability, specific learning difficulties, specific cognitive deficits or having symptoms associated with ASD, ADHD, depression or anxiety. These…

Warnock advocated that all young people with learning difficulties should be entitled to an appropriate education beyond the compulsory age of 16. The purpose of the study was to investigate attitudes to post-16 educational provision for students with special educational needs. What are the strengths and weaknesses of current provision and is it…

This article reports the findings of studies of the relationship between off-task behaviours and measures of educational achievement. The work focused on children from an Arabic-speaking/cultural background rarely studied in the literature. The first study involved children within a mainstream school context and found that measures of literacy and…

In this short piece Stephanie Klein, a final-year teacher trainee at a college in the USA, talks about dyslexia as seen through the context of her family experience. She provides a highly personal and uplifting account, which accentuates that there is a range of straightforward strategies which students can invoke to address their learning…

This paper challenges a view of concrete materials as artifacts used within a rigid instructional sequence that particular children are perceived to require or not, as the case may be. Focussing on mathematics teaching, it contends that it is more useful to consider the function of these materials as "tools," artefacts used flexibly and…

More than five million children suffer from brain injuries each year. While the majority of these children are treated and released without permanent consequences, many children return to the classroom with lasting effects. Symptoms of brain injury can be misconstrued as common behaviour or academic problems. Therefore, teachers need to recognize…

This paper reports on the process and outcomes of special school reorganization in one local authority with a particular emphasis upon the implications for those concerned with the education of children with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD). The authors believe that reporting this experience provides pointers for others…