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Voices of students with special educational needs (SEN): views on schooling
Author(s) -
PRUNTY ANITA,
DUPONT MAEVE,
MCDAID RORY
Publication year - 2012
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/j.1467-9604.2011.01507.x
Subject(s) - special educational needs , mainstream , legislation , special education , special needs , theme (computing) , friendship , mainstreaming , pedagogy , sociology , public relations , psychology , political science , social science , psychiatry , computer science , law , operating system
As important decisions are being made with regard to educational legislation, policy and provision for children with special educational needs (SEN), it is critical that the views of these key stakeholders are heard and considered. This article reports the perspectives of 38 children and young people with special educational needs on their schooling which formed part of a national review of the role of special schools and special classes in Ireland. Findings from the focus groups and individual interviews point to more favourable support for learning and social issues in special schools and special classes than in mainstream classes. Friendship is a recurrent theme in students' accounts and appears to mediate their enjoyment of school. The implications are considered with reference to research, policy and practice and the authors conclude that educators and policy makers should provide increased opportunities for students to play an active part in matters affecting them.