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Actual and ideal roles of school staff to support students with special needs: current needs and strategies for improvement
Author(s) -
Anaby Dana R.,
Ianni Lina,
Héguy Léa,
Camden Chantal
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
support for learning
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.25
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1467-9604
pISSN - 0268-2141
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9604.12313
Subject(s) - teamwork , adaptation (eye) , context (archaeology) , special needs , inclusion (mineral) , psychology , special education , service delivery framework , service (business) , ideal (ethics) , task (project management) , medical education , service provider , pedagogy , medicine , engineering , business , social psychology , political science , paleontology , systems engineering , marketing , neuroscience , psychiatry , law , biology
To optimise school‐based service delivery for students with disabilities, it is important to understand roles and needs of school staff. This study aimed to clarify ideal and actual roles of school staff (teachers, special educators, administrators) working with students with special needs, and to identify potential strategies to support actual roles. Ninety‐five school personnel (64% teachers) from 3 different elementary schools and school boards in Quebec completed a 14‐question survey. Open‐ended responses were coded and analysed thematically. Common actual roles included task adaptation, offering individualized support, being available and teamwork. Respondents felt roles could improve through in‐context professional support, continuing education, teamwork opportunities extending to partnerships with families and access to resources. Clarifying roles and expectations within a tiered‐model to best support students also emerged, emphasizing the importance of sharing responsibilities across all service providers. Findings can guide implementation strategies and processes for providing effective services, enabling inclusion for students.