Premium
Involving children with learning and communication difficulties: the perspectives of teachers, speech and language therapists and teaching assistants
Author(s) -
Feiler Anthony,
Watson Debby
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
british journal of learning disabilities
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.633
H-Index - 39
eISSN - 1468-3156
pISSN - 1354-4187
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-3156.2010.00626.x
Subject(s) - teamwork , perspective (graphical) , psychology , work (physics) , professional development , pedagogy , learning disability , medical education , developmental psychology , medicine , political science , computer science , mechanical engineering , artificial intelligence , law , engineering
Accessible summary• Some children with disability find it hard to make choices because they cannot talk. • Schools are trying to find ways to help them to be more included. • People that support these children need to work together better. • All children need to feel included at school.Summary Recent policy initiatives in the United Kingdom within the field of disability have rightly highlighted the importance of hearing the child’s voice. However, it is also imperative that professionals work effectively together to enable this to happen. This study presents the perspectives of teachers, speech and language therapists and teaching assistants on involving children with severe learning and communication difficulties in decision‐making at school. Key findings are discussed, and these are presented under three main themes: child‐focused issues, professional practice and variation in perspective according to professional role. The discussion explores the links between these findings and the research and policy literature and considers the need for professional development opportunities that enhance effective teamwork.