ERIC Number: EJ1310138
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Sep
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-0267-1611
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Using Digital Stories for Assessments and Transition Planning for Autistic Pre-School Children
Wood-Downie, Henry; Ward, Verity; Ivil, Kathryn; Kovshoff, Hanna; Parsons, Sarah
Educational & Child Psychology, v38 n3 p62-74 Sep 2021
Aims: 'I am…' Digital Stories are short videos designed to provide a holistic, strengths-based representation of the child through enabling them to contribute their perspectives to transition planning. Digital Stories have potential during periods in which professionals are unable to physically visit settings or spend time getting to know a child. This paper describes the use of Digital Stories in two contexts: (1) being shown at the beginning of person-centred planning meetings focusing on the transition to primary school; and (2) as a tool to support educational psychologists conducting Education, Health, and Care Needs Assessments for preschool children during COVID-19. Method: Data was collected via seven semi-structured interviews, 15 feedback forms, and videos of four meetings. Participants comprised six parents/carers, five nursery practitioners, three school staff members, and six educational psychologists. Thematic analysis resulted in five main themes: thinking differently; a wider conversation; more than words; seeing what they see; and potential barriers to making Digital Stories. Limitations: Children were not able to make their own Digital Stories, which could have influenced their representation within the videos, transition meetings and assessments. However, children's body worn camera footage was included, enabling a perspective on their interactions and preferences that was closer to the child's worldview than other observational methods. Conclusions: Digital Stories have a variety of benefits to practice, including being useful to educational psychologists during assessments, and have the potential to facilitate successful transitions from nursery to primary school.
Descriptors: Story Telling, Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Preschool Children, Transitional Programs, Planning, Preschool Education, Educational Technology, Technology Uses in Education, Student Participation, Video Technology, Program Effectiveness, Attitude Change, Holistic Approach, Barriers, COVID-19, Pandemics, Foreign Countries
British Psychological Society. St Andrews House, 48 Princess Road East, Leicester, LE1 7DR, UK. Tel: +44-116-254-9568; e-mail: info@bps.org.uk; Web site: https://beta.bps.org.uk/publications
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom (England)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A

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