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Characteristics and experiences of children and young people with severe intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour attending 52‐week residential special schools
Author(s) -
Pilling N.,
McGill P.,
Cooper V.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of intellectual disability research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.941
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1365-2788
pISSN - 0964-2633
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2006.00852.x
Subject(s) - residential school , challenging behaviour , vulnerability (computing) , psychology , intellectual disability , special needs , special education , residential care , special educational needs , multiple disabilities , learning disability , developmental psychology , medicine , psychiatry , gerontology , pedagogy , sociology , computer security , socioeconomics , computer science
Abstract Background This study sought to gather information about the characteristics and experiences of children and young people with severe intellectual disabilities and severe challenging behaviour attending 52‐week residential special schools. Method Staff of nine schools completed postal questionnaires on the characteristics and experiences of 156 pupils. Results Those attending residential schools are predominantly male, teenagers and in long‐term placements. Most have limited communication skills and autistic spectrum disorders. All display high numbers of challenging behaviours, many of them serious. Children have a greater range and complexity of needs than pupils at day severe learning difficulties (SLD) schools, albeit with some overlap. Conclusions Children at 52‐week residential schools present needs that both families and local services struggle to meet. Residential placement may provide the intensity of educational input and social support that is required, but may increase the vulnerability of the children. Local alternatives to residential schools should be investigated.