British Journal of Special Education最新文献

{"title":"SENCOs' perceptions of the impact of leadership status on the enactment of their role in England","authors":"Amaechi John Osuki","doi":"10.1111/1467-8578.70088","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8578.70088","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This review examines the perceptions of Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) in England regarding the impact of their leadership status on their role enactment using a Rapid Systematized Review methodology. The most recent Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Code of Practice outlines specific strategic leadership duties for SENCOs but does not mandate their membership in the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). This lack of clarity regarding SENCOs' necessity in the SLT has elicited reactions from researchers and SENCOs, leading to inconsistencies in how the role is carried out in schools across England. The aim of the review is to generate insights into how SENCOs perceive the impact of leadership status on their role by synthesizing relevant qualitative findings. By employing a Thematic Synthesis technique, the review combines and integrates findings from eight qualitative studies, resulting in the identification of five key analytical themes—‘legislative clout’, securing collaborative effort, making a difference, resource management and extended workload and time pressure—that address the central question of the review. The findings of this review contribute to current understanding of SENCOs' leadership status. Furthermore, the research has the potential to guide SENCOs, school leaders, and policymakers in reassessing the importance of SENCOs' leadership status and the alignment of this with the responsibilities outlined in national SEND policy.</p>","PeriodicalId":46054,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Special Education","volume":"53 2","pages":"224-233"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148268973","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"‘I used to walk around the playground wondering where all my friends had gone’: The reflections of how adults with developmental prosopagnosia made friends in childhood","authors":"Alison Shorer","doi":"10.1111/1467-8578.70084","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8578.70084","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Current research into developmental prosopagnosia (DP) estimates a high prevalence rate in the general population, but there exist many gaps in the research. More needs to be learned about the lived experience of those with DP and how to identify it in children. Using reflexive thematic analysis, this study explored the lived experience of how twelve adults with self-reported DP made and sustained friendships in their childhood. It identified four themes: coping strategies, psychosocial consequences, feelings and advice to others. There were three coping strategies, which had varying success in friendship formation and psychosocial consequences. For many, childhood was an exceedingly challenging time in which they felt uncomfortable with people because they had identification anxiety. The paper concludes that these findings should be used to inform professionals about how they identify DP and to use successful coping strategies to form and sustain friendships.</p>","PeriodicalId":46054,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Special Education","volume":"53 2","pages":"261-270"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1467-8578.70084","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148269081","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"‘We are different, but we are not really that different’: An insight into the challenges encountered by career leaders when supporting disabled students in English mainstream and specialist classrooms","authors":"Marie Caslin","doi":"10.1111/1467-8578.70091","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8578.70091","url":null,"abstract":"<p>For over 10 years, schools have been responsible for providing career support to all young people. In order for schools to be able to deliver career support in the classroom, the career leader role was introduced as part of the Education Act 2011. With increasing numbers of disabled students attending mainstream school, a key challenge encountered is ensuring that the support provided is inclusive and accessible to all young people. This article provides an overview of a case study which brought together eight educational professionals working across mainstream and specialist provisions. It was hoped that by providing space for these educational practitioners to share practice, they could both reflect on their own experiences and identify ways to develop more inclusive practice when providing career support to young disabled people. As with many of the professionals working within the current English education system, the career leaders demonstrated their commitment to ensuring all young people have opportunities to successfully transition from school; however, they find themselves constrained by a system that is not working. This article therefore highlights some key recommendations for addressing the barriers that are encountered when supporting young people to successfully transition from school.</p>","PeriodicalId":46054,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Special Education","volume":"53 2","pages":"281-290"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1467-8578.70091","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148269197","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Transition to university: Concerns and support perceived by students with autism spectrum disorder","authors":"Marta Montenegro-Rueda,&nbsp;Pedro Tadeu","doi":"10.1111/1467-8578.70089","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8578.70089","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Access to higher education represents a significant challenge for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) due to the social, academic and sensory demands involved. This study analysed the concerns and perceived supports of 180 pre-university students with ASD (<i>M</i> = 18.3; SD = 1.1), using a descriptive-correlational quantitative approach. The results showed moderate-high levels of concern, especially in the social and sensory dimensions. Significant differences were observed by gender, with higher scores among females, and by educational stage, with vocational training students expressing the greatest concern about independent living. The correlations between the social and sensory dimensions were high and significant (<i>ρ</i> = 0.62, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001), evidencing the interdependence between both areas. The findings underscore the need for institutional strategies that include emotional, sensory and social support to promote an inclusive and equitable transition to university.</p>","PeriodicalId":46054,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Special Education","volume":"53 2","pages":"248-260"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1467-8578.70089","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148269077","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Practicing professional resilience in the workplace among the special educators of Bangladesh","authors":"Md. Tahmid Anjum Nishat,&nbsp;Md. Adnan Nadiv,&nbsp;Nosrat Jahan Ormi,&nbsp;Shahriar Pranto","doi":"10.1111/1467-8578.70082","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8578.70082","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Practicing resilience is considered an important factor to adapt to challenges in special education. Despite being a significant role player among the special educators to manage any adversity with appropriate measures, a gap is visible in understanding the practice of resilience techniques among the special educators of Bangladesh. This qualitative study aims to explore the practice of professional resilience of the special educators and the challenges behind it in the Bangladesh context. About 30 special educators were selected as research participants purposefully across the country. Semi-structured interviews were employed to collect the data. The findings indicated several strategies such as a sense of ownership, co-workers' support, work-life balance, utilizing self-reliance, expectation and reality balancing being practiced as effective tools of resilience. However, several challenges were specified in practicing resilience in the workplace. The study findings will assist the policymakers and school administrators to plan and implement effective strategies and motivating workplaces to ensure more resilient special educators.</p>","PeriodicalId":46054,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Special Education","volume":"53 2","pages":"174-188"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148268923","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Critique of the white paper every child achieving and thriving","authors":"Dimitra Hartas","doi":"10.1111/1467-8578.70104","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8578.70104","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;On 23 February 2026, the government published the White Paper: Every Child Achieving and Thriving, setting out a wide-ranging programme of reform to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system in England. SEND has not been fit for purpose for many years, but now, we have reached crunch time, and the government is right to stress the need for reform for the sake of children, families and schools. However, we cannot afford to see the SEND crisis in isolation. The Institute for Fiscal Studies published a report in January 2026 (https://ifs.org.uk/news/rapid-rises-send-and-childcare-spending-are-reshaping-education-spending-england), stating what schools have known all along that the total school spending per pupil (aged 5–18) in 2025 was about the same level in real terms as in 2010. A combination of austerity policies, cost of living crisis, and Michael Gove's curriculum reforms have resulted in more didactic teaching with a focus on ‘British values’ along with an increase in standardised testing and class sizes. Children with SEND and their families have found this educational landscape particularly difficult to navigate, often parents being shamed for fighting for their children's right to education.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A central feature of the proposed SEND reforms is the commitment to specialist SEND support in mainstream schools. The Department for Education announced a £4 billion investment to embed specialist SEND support by enabling schools to access specialist expertise, improve early identification of needs and implement targeted interventions. To achieve this, the funding package will be used for SEND training for teachers and support staff; adapting schools' physical environment (e.g., creating sensory spaces where children can regulate their mood or behaviour; increase accessibility); creating an inclusion base in every school; and delivering specialist support, for example speech and language therapy and educational psychology, for children with more severe needs.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A key shortcoming is workforce shortages in these professions coupled with regional disparities in accessing specialist support and therapies. Although £1.8 billion will be allocated over 3 years to create specialists in every local area which mainstream schools can draw from ‘on demand’, it will not be enough. Without investment in training, recruitment and retention incentives (bursaries, fast track routes, pay and career incentives), the ‘experts at hand’ will be hard to find. The shift to meet needs in the mainstream risks reducing access to statutory support, especially when mainstream schools already report insufficient resources and training, and thus insufficient capacity to absorb higher-needs pupils. An important question is whether the funding package will be implemented proactively to enable schools to train staff, access expertise, adjust the physical environment and implement targeted interventions. One may argue that we ask schools to meet need tha","PeriodicalId":46054,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Special Education","volume":"53 2","pages":"305-306"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1467-8578.70104","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148269067","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Developing an understanding of the over-representation of foreign students in special education in Spain. A qualitative approach","authors":"Cristina Goenechea,&nbsp;Macarena Machín,&nbsp;Alberto Gallardo,&nbsp;Manuel de-Besa","doi":"10.1111/1467-8578.70069","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1467-8578.70069","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This article presents the main results of a study on the over-representation of foreign students in special education in Spain. The research methodology is qualitative: 26 interviews were conducted in southern Spain with professionals working in the field of education and with 13 relatives of migrant children with disabilities, with the aim of understanding the causes of this phenomenon, which has already been statistically proven in recent research. The results obtained are related to the schooling process and the identification of special educational needs, the process of psycho-pedagogical assessment and decisions regarding schooling, as well as issues concerning the provision of information to families. Thus far, the international literature has explained that the over-representation of culturally diverse students in special education is due to shortcomings in the diagnostic process (prejudice, inadequate instruments), or to socio-cultural factors of the families. In this research, the failure of the education system to care for children with disabilities in their country of origin clearly appears as the cause of migration, and largely explains the over-representation found.</p>","PeriodicalId":46054,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Special Education","volume":"53 1","pages":"60-71"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://nasenjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1467-8578.70069","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147565226","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"‘I think your child might be autistic’: A qualitative survey study examining how school staff broach initial interactions with parents whose children may be autistic","authors":"Hannah Cresswell,&nbsp;Laura Crane","doi":"10.1111/1467-8578.70067","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1467-8578.70067","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Recognising and understanding that a child might be autistic is an important first step in the autism diagnostic pathway. For many families, this process involves working alongside school staff and, in England, this tends to be led by the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO). Existing research highlights the importance of how and when clinical professionals disclose an autism diagnosis to parents, yet there is limited knowledge on how SENCOs might broach initial interactions with parents earlier in the process. In the current study, we used a qualitative survey with 105 SENCOs in England, to understand how they work with parents at this critical point. Using reflexive thematic analysis, seven themes were identified, which were organised into areas that SENCOs felt they did and did not have control over in relation to their interactions with parents. Specifically, SENCOs highlighted the need for preparation when speaking with parents, alongside the importance of a personalised approach, where they truly listened to parents and aimed to move into alignment with them (all factors perceived to be under their control). SENCOs also discussed the need for additional support and training for working with parents, the importance of the ethos around how the school approaches inclusion, and the need for education and health to work together (all factors perceived to be outside their control). Implications for practice are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":46054,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Special Education","volume":"53 1","pages":"41-50"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://nasenjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1467-8578.70067","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147570219","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An investigation into the attitudes and experiences of teaching staff and parents of dyslexic students in Northern Irish primary schools—A focus-group study","authors":"Matthew Cavanagh,&nbsp;Claire McDowell,&nbsp;Una O. Connor Bones,&nbsp;Laurence Taggart,&nbsp;Peter Mulhall","doi":"10.1111/1467-8578.70078","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1467-8578.70078","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Dyslexia affects an estimated 7%–10% of children and can have lasting consequences for literacy, academic attainment and well-being. In Northern Ireland, provision for children with dyslexia has been criticised as inconsistent, with delays in assessment and variation in school-level support. Parents and teachers frequently report difficulties accessing timely diagnosis and training, highlighting systemic gaps in provision. Whole-school approaches (WSAs), which embed inclusive practice across curriculum, ethos and family–school partnerships, have shown promise in areas such as bullying prevention, mental health and wider inclusion, but their application to dyslexia remains under-explored. This study used focus groups to explore the perceptions and experiences of parents and school staff regarding dyslexia provision and the potential for implementing a WSA. Five focus groups were conducted across four Northern Irish schools, involving 40 participants (16 parents, 15 teachers, 3 SENCOs and 6 classroom assistants). Participants could attend in person or online to maximise accessibility. Data were analysed thematically following Braun and Clarke's six-phase approach. Analysis identified four overarching themes: Parental Involvement, Student Mental Health, Resources and Training, and Frustration with Diagnostics. Parents described exclusion from decision-making and frustration at long waits for assessment, while staff noted challenges engaging families and inconsistencies in communication. Both groups emphasised the emotional impact of dyslexia and the need for consistent training, improved collaboration and fairer access to assessment. Embedding dyslexia-specific professional development, validated screening procedures and structured parental engagement within a WSA could create a sustainable, inclusive framework for literacy and well-being, addressing inequities across Northern Ireland's education system.</p>","PeriodicalId":46054,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Special Education","volume":"53 1","pages":"132-139"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://nasenjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1467-8578.70078","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147568001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Teaching with digital tools: Challenges faced by teachers in supporting students with intellectual developmental disorders","authors":"Philippe Garnier","doi":"10.1111/1467-8578.70071","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1467-8578.70071","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The use of information and communication technologies in education offers significant benefits for students with intellectual developmental disorders. Digital tools can enhance their academic success, communication, and self-confidence. However, teachers face numerous challenges when integrating these technologies. Interviews were conducted with special teachers, followed by thematic analysis. The results of our research indicate that these teachers emphasise the need for better staff training, improved access to technology and adaptation to the specific needs of students.</p>","PeriodicalId":46054,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Special Education","volume":"53 1","pages":"51-59"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147564052","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}