scholarly journals Vulnerable and Forgotten: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Autism Special Schools in England

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Crane ◽  
Freddie Adu ◽  
Francesca Arocas ◽  
Rachel Carli ◽  
Simon Eccles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
English Education ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Special Educational Needs ◽  
Special Schools ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Educational Rights ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused, and continues to cause, unprecedented disruption in England. The impact of the pandemic on the English education system has been significant, especially for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). While it was encouraging that the educational rights of children and young people with SEND were highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, Government decision-making appeared to be centered around the needs of pupils in mainstream schools. In this article, co-authored by an academic researcher and senior leaders from the Pan London Autism Schools Network (PLASN; a collective of special schools in London and the South East of England, catering for pupils on the autistic spectrum), we reflect on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on special schools in England. We document and discuss a range of challenges experienced by PLASN schools, including the educational inequalities that were exposed and perpetuated by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the manner in which the needs and realities of special schools were overlooked by the Government. We also detail the creative and innovative solutions implemented by PLASN schools to overcome barriers that they encountered. These solutions centered on facilitating holistic approaches to support, ensuring clear and regular communication with families, providing effective support for home learning, and promoting collaborative ways of working; all of which align with good practice principles in autism education more generally, and are essential elements of practice to maintain post-pandemic. We additionally reflect on how the COVID-19 pandemic could be a catalyst for much-needed change to the SEND system: leading to better educational provision, and therefore better outcomes, for pupils with SEND.

scholarly journals Vulnerable and forgotten: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on autism special schools in England

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Crane ◽  
Freddie Adu ◽  
Francesca Arocas ◽  
Rachel Carli ◽  
Simon Eccles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Special Educational Needs ◽  
Special Schools ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Educational Rights ◽  
Holistic Approaches ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Home Learning ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused, and continues to cause, unprecedented disruption in the United Kingdom (UK). The impact of the pandemic on the education system has been significant, especially for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Whilst it was encouraging that the educational rights of children and young people with SEND were prioritised during the COVID-19 pandemic, Government decision-making appeared to be centred around the needs of pupils in mainstream schools. In this article, co-authored by an academic researcher and senior leaders from the Pan London Autism Schools Network (PLASN; a collective of special schools in London and the South East of England, catering for pupils on the autistic spectrum), we reflect on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on special schools in England. We document a range of challenges experienced by PLASN schools, including the educational inequalities that were exposed and perpetuated by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the manner in which the needs and realities of special schools were overlooked by the UK Government. We also detail the creative and innovative solutions implemented by PLASN schools to overcome barriers that they encountered. These solutions centred on facilitating holistic approaches to support, ensuring clear and regular communication with families, providing effective support for home learning, and promoting collaborative ways of working. We additionally reflect on how the COVID-19 pandemic could be a catalyst for much-needed change to the SEND system: leading to better educational provision, and therefore better outcomes, for pupils with SEND.

scholarly journals Impact of lockdown and school closure on children in special schools: a single-centre survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. e000981
Author(s):  
Tapomay Banerjee ◽  
Amjad Khan ◽  
Piriyanga Kesavan
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Well Being ◽  
School Closure ◽  
Special Educational Needs ◽  
Single Centre ◽  
Special Schools ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
The Impact

Special schools play a significant role in the daily lives of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. We explored the impact of the COVID-19-related first lockdown and resulting school closure by surveying parents whose children attended three special schools in Bedford, UK. We asked about anxiety and impact on emotional well-being and education. We received 53 responses from parents: 31 felt their child was more anxious during the lockdown period/school closure compared with beforehand and 42 felt their child’s emotional well-being had been affected. Children and young people attending special schools may have struggled both academically and emotionally during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The impact of algorithmic decision-making processes on young people’s well-being (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elvira Perez Vallejos ◽  
Liz Dowthwaite ◽  
Helen Creswich ◽  
Virginia Portillo ◽  
Ansgar Koene ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Negative Experiences ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Online Platforms ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND Algorithms rule the online environments and are essential for performing data processing, filtering, personalisation and other tasks. Research has shown that children and young people make up a significant proportion of Internet users, however little attention has been given to their experiences of algorithmically-mediated online platforms, or the impact of them on their mental health and well-being. The algorithms that govern online platforms are often obfuscated by a lack of transparency in their online Terms and Conditions and user agreements. This lack of transparency speaks to the need for protecting the most vulnerable users from potential online harms. OBJECTIVE To capture young people's experiences when being online and perceived impact on their well-being. METHODS In this paper, we draw on qualitative and quantitative data from a total of 260 children and young people who took part in a ‘Youth Jury’ to bring their opinions to the forefront, elicit discussion of their experiences of using online platforms, and perceived psychosocial impact on users. RESULTS The results of the study revealed the young people’s positive as well as negative experiences of using online platforms. Benefits such as being convenient and providing entertainment and personalised search results were identified. However, the data also reveals participants’ concerns for their privacy, safety and trust when online, which can have a significant impact on their well-being. CONCLUSIONS We conclude by making recommendations that online platforms acknowledge and enact on their responsibility to protect the privacy of their young users, recognising the significant developmental milestones that this group experience during these early years, and the impact that technology may have on them. We argue that governments need to incorporate policies that require technologists and others to embed the safeguarding of users’ well-being within the core of the design of Internet products and services to improve the user experiences and psychological well-being of all, but especially those of children and young people. CLINICALTRIAL N/A

scholarly journals Do you mind if I take your blood pressure? Physical health monitoring of children and young people on ADHD medication amidst a pandemic

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S183-S184
Author(s):  
Emma Davies ◽  
Maham Khan ◽  
Claire Jones
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Heart Rate ◽  
Young People ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Health Monitoring ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Adhd Medication ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Nice Guidance ◽  
The Impact

AimsTo establish whether physical health monitoring for CYP on ADHD medication is according to NICE guidance (2018).To determine the impact of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on physical health monitoring for CYP on ADHD medication.Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder, characterised by a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity, directly impacting on academic, occupational, or social functioning. It affects between 1-5% of children and young people (CYP) most often presenting in early-mid childhood.Pharmacological treatment can be considered in CYP if certain criteria are met, where licensed medications include methylphenidate, dexamfetamine, lisdexamfetamine, atomoxetine and guanfacine. Stimulant and non-stimulant medications require frequent physical health monitoring due to their side effects including an increase in blood pressure and/or heart rate, loss of appetite, growth restriction and tics.MethodStandards and criteria were derived from the NICE guidance (2018), whilst local trust policies were reviewed, demonstrating discrepancies. Standards were expected to be met for 100% of patients.Electronic patient records were reviewed retrospectively from a representative cohort of CYP reviewed by clinicians in a community CAMHS service during March-November 2020. Data were entered manually into a spreadsheet for evaluation.ResultA total of 27 CYP records were reviewed, average age 13yo, on a range of stimulant/non-stimulant preparations.5 (19%) had height checked every 6 months, with 4 delayed to 7-8 months.For those >10yo, only 5 (19%) had weight checked every 6 months.Only 2 (7%) had their height and weight plotted on a growth chart and reviewed by the healthcare professional responsible for treatment.Just 4 (15%) had heart rate and blood pressure recorded before and after each dose change, whilst similarly only 4 (not the same) had these parameters recorded every 6 months.17 patients were reviewed by telephone/video call, where 5 patients provided physical health parameters (measured at home).ConclusionAcross all parameters, standards are not being met for the required physical health monitoring for CYP on ADHD medication.The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed the working conditions for community teams, impacting face to face reviews, creating challenges for physical health monitoring.Our ongoing implementations for change include the use of a proforma for physical health measurements, improving psychoeducation for families, exploring potential barriers with senior colleagues and collaborating with pharmacy colleagues to update local guidelines in accordance with the latest NICE recommendations. We aim to re-audit in June 2021.

scholarly journals The role of television in the constitution of contemporary readers

Comunicar ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 13 (25) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria-Luiza Oswald
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Cultural Studies ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
The World ◽  
Nestor Garcia Canclini ◽  
Latin American Cultural Studies ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Estudios Culturales

This paper intends to show, based on the contributions of Latin American Cultural Studies, that the difficulty children and young people have with the organization of written texts, such as that found in books, is determined by the impact that the technology of images exercises over the ways in which they learn to read the world. An analysis of the first interviews with young people, conducted as part of an institutional project in progress, point to the role played by the language of television cartoons in their development as readers. El presente trabajo trae el análisis de las primeras entrevistas realizadas en el ámbito de una investigación institucional en curso interesada en investigar los sentidos/lecturas que niños y jóvenes realizan acerca de los productos de la cultura pop japonesa –mangás (historias en cuadritos), animes (dibujos animados) e videojuegos– basada en la orientación de los Estudios Culturales latinoamericanos (Jesús Martín-Barbero, Néstor García Canclini, Guillermo Orozco Gomes, entre otros autores). Ellos proponen que la recepción de los productos mediáticos sea analizada a partir de un desplazamiento teórico-metodológico que, reorientando el foco de los medios/mensaje para las mediaciones, permite identificar los receptores no como «dóciles audiencias», sino como productores activos de sentidos. Se pretende, con eso, intentar contribuir para la superación de la tensión entre la escuela y las culturas infantil y juvenil, tensión que tiene como uno de sus pilares el conflicto entre la cultura letrada y la cultura de la imagen. El estudio, que supone la opción por un abordaje cualitativo de carácter etnográfico, viene siendo realizado a través de entrevistas semi-estructuradas individuales con consumidores del trípode de la poderosa industria de entretenimiento nipónica, que se viene constituyendo como fenómeno mundial de comunicación de masa. Los discursos de los primeros entrevistados –cuatro jóvenes fanáticos de animes y mangas, cuya edad oscila entre 17 y 22 años– destacaron la influencia que el lenguaje de la TV ejerce sobre el extrañamiento que mantiene con el texto impreso tal como él se organiza en el libro. No obstante, la presencia en lo cotidiano de esos sujetos de un cúmulo de estímulos sonoros y visuales, no es raro depararnos con la existencia de una crisis de lectura que afecta niños y jóvenes, influenciando su desempeño en la escuela. Delante de los relatos, el grupo de investigación se formula algunas cuestiones: ¿la alusión a la crisis no sería, en el fondo, una incapacidad de las generaciones que fueron educadas y escolarizadas en los moldes de la cultura letrada?; entender que «el pretencioso gesto universal del libro» (W. Benjamin) ya no resuena entre las nuevas generaciones que ya nacieron bajo el impacto que la tecnología del sonido y de la imagen ejercen sobre la escritura? No sería, entonces, posible suponer que, si hay una crisis de la lectura, ¿es por las generaciones pasadas que está sendo vivenciada? Frente a esto, ¿no sería más adecuado, en vez de quedarnos repitiendo que existe una crisis de lectura que afecta la escolarización de niños y jóvenes y de permanecer buscando soluciones milagrosas para ese conflicto, asumir que estamos delante no de una crisis, sino de un contexto histórico del cual precisamos aproximarnos para no perder el tren de la historia? Esas fueron algunas de las preguntas que el examen de las cuatro primeras entrevistas con los jóvenes permitió sacar a luz de los fundamentos de los Estudios Culturales latinoamericanos, y es sobre ellas que ese texto se vuelca, no con la intención de responderlas, sino con el objetivo de constituirlas como un mapa que puede revelarnos caminos «para pasar de las respuestas que fracasaron a las preguntas que renuevan las ciencias sociales y las políticas libertadoras» (Néstor Canclini).

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