Perspectives of Parents of Children with Special Educational Needs: Self-Efficacy and School Supports During COVID-19

The role of parents in supporting at-home learning increased dramatically in the spring of 2020. Schools in most Canadian provinces closed physically due to COVID-19, and remote-learning options were quickly developed to ensure continued education for students. Many students with special educational needs, who typically benefit from a range of supports from school, became reliant on parents to provide means of access to and participation in remote learning. Using an online survey, we explored the perceptions of 263 Canadian parents of children with special education needs with regard to their self‑efficacy and supports from schools. We conducted multiple linear regression analyses for each of three dependent variables (academic supports, parent self‑efficacy, and social-emotional supports); independent variables included student grade level, education placement, and total school-provided supports prior to the pandemic. Findings indicated that most parents engaged in remote learning and lacked confidence in their ability to support the learning of their child. Parent self-efficacy was related to social-emotional supports from schools and not to academic supports. Parents of children in elementary grades, and of those who had received more supports from school prior to COVID‑19, reported feeling better supported in social-emotional areas by the school. Schools should explore ways of building strong collaborative relationships between educators and parents, as well as continuing to find ways of supporting families and students in both in- and out-of-school places. The pandemic, and school-building closures, have reminded us how partnerships between parents and schools are crucial for the well-being of all involved.

A Cross-National Study of the Effects of Education on Pre-Service Teachers’ Attitudes, Intentions, Concerns, and Self-Efficacy Regarding Inclusive Education

This study reports on a cross-national comparison of inclusion-oriented teacher-education programs. Canada and Germany have implemented inclusion in teacher education with the aim of improving inclusion in schools. Previous studies have shown the importance of latent characteristics of prospective teachers for the successful implementation of inclusion in schools and have pointed to the role of inclusion-oriented teacher education in developing these teacher characteristics. To measure potential changes in attitudes, intentions, concerns, and self‑efficacy, 132 student teachers from Germany and Canada were surveyed before and after a course about inclusive education. Internationally validated scales were used: Attitudes towards Inclusion Scale (AIS), Intention to Teach in Inclusive Classroom Scale (ITICS), Concerns about Inclusive Education Scale (CIES), and the Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices scale (TEIP). The results of the German and Canadian groups differed: while significant changes in self-efficacy occurred between the first and second measurement points in both countries, the outcome for other factors varied. Significant changes in intentions to use inclusive teaching practices were found in Canada but not in Germany. The results are discussed in the context of the role of teacher-education programs in fostering inclusive teaching practices.

State of the Research on Artificial Intelligence Based Apps for Post-Secondary Students with Disabilities

We conducted a general Google search and a scoping review of various types of artificial intelligence (AI) based technology – mobile, web-based, software, hardware – used by college and university students to do schoolwork. The main findings indicate that (1) there is no generally agreed upon definition of AI, and (2) there is a huge discrepancy between the popular press articles that are behind the AI hype and the scientific literature. The popular press provides an overview of the AI tools available to students with disabilities and discusses how students can use these tools. The scientific literature is primarily devoted to tool development and has poor methodology. We conclude that the potential of AI for post-secondary students with disabilities is enormous, but that informed research about these tools is scant, with a profound lack of demonstrated scalability. Research needs to address “real-world” uses of AI-based tools by post-secondary students with disabilities.

A Computerized Syllable-Based Intervention for French-Speaking Children with Down Syndrome: What Effects on Reading Skills?

The aim of this research was to provide to eight children with Down Syndrome a syllable-processing software program that drew their attention to phonological and orthographic syllables. The children participated in a 10-hour training course (spread over 5 weeks) that used an experimental design with four assessment sessions, the first two of which were used to obtain a baseline in literacy skills. The effect of training was assessed just after training and two months later. A significant effect on decoding was observed at medium term after training. All children progressed in at least one domain, either in phonological skills, in decoding, or in word reading. Four children progressed in decoding and word reading. This study confirms the appropriateness of using phonetic approaches to reading instruction in order to stimulate learning to read in children with Down Syndrome. The syllable-based training facilitates the construction of associations between letters and syllables—the “syllabic bridge”—and could be a faster and easier way to learn letter-sound correspondences in French.

Attitudes of Abu Dhabi Educators Toward Gifted Education and Twice-Exceptional Students

The purpose of the study was to explore attitudes of educators in the United Arab Emirates toward gifted education and twice-exceptional students. One thousand and seventy-five educators (81% general education teachers and 19% teachers of the gifted) participated in this study. Data were collected using an online dual-language survey instrument, which was distributed using the Qualtrics system. Findings of this study indicated that Abu Dhabi teachers have positive attitudes toward gifted education and twice-exceptional students. No significant differences were found in scores for general educators as compared to those for teachers of the gifted. The findings also indicated that Abu Dhabi educators who had no experience of teaching gifted children had a more positive attitude toward them than those who had experience.

Service Animals and Pet Therapy in Schools: Synthesizing a Review of the Literature

As the academic and social-emotional needs of students in schools continue to increase, so too does the presence of dogs in educational spaces. This article aims to present an overview of past and present animal-assisted intervention practices in school settings. This comprehensive literature review examines the current state of research within this field of study. Data from 29 publications were selected according to strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results highlight three categories in which the presence of dogs in schools have an impact: social-emotional, cognitive, and physiological. Challenges to program implementation include health risks, cultural context, and negative effects on the animal. Due to the lack of school-based research, more study is needed, especially in order to understand the effect of dogs on the social-emotional learning of students. Finally, the welfare and training of the animals involved should be taken into consideration, and regulations regarding handler and animal training should be enforced.

An Examination of Inclusive Practices for Students with Learning Disabilities in Botswana: A Literature Review

The country of Botswana has passed laws to support the human rights of their citizens, including people with learning disabilities. In accordance with the United Nations’ guidelines, Botswana’s human rights initiatives, and the international movement toward inclusive education, inclusive educational reform is taking place. We have conducted a comprehensive literature review, the purpose of which was to establish the progress Botswana has made in special education policy, implementation of policy into schools, and the strides made toward inclusion. However, there are still many struggles comparable to many school systems in African nations. Key findings include a nation with significant developments in human rights which includes a developing inclusive education system with both policy and implementation, yet, still coping with the growing pains of a young special education program.

Representations of Inclusion: How Pre-service Teachers Understand and Apply Inclusion Across Situations

As education marches toward inclusive practices, it is clear not everyone perceives inclusion in the same ways. This article unpacks pre-service teachers’ perspectives toward inclusion. Using a design-based approach, enrolled in a Canadian bachelor of education program created drawings about inclusion. Through the lens of figured worlds and visual analysis, these drawings were compared to pre-service teachers’ other course work and practicum placements to better understand their perspectives on inclusion in different contexts. The findings show differences between the ideals pre-service teachers conveyed through drawings and their approaches to pragmatic tasks, such as creating an individualized education or inclusive lesson plan. Furthermore, there was a considerable range of sophistication in pre-service teachers’ ideas of inclusion, with some pre-service teachers focusing on accessible materials while other pre-service teachers addressed more holistic notions of inclusive environments and systems. Making connections between pre-service teachers’ perspectives and their teacher training is critical for pre-service teachers to develop robust understandings of inclusion and a greater awareness of how their perspectives shape teaching practices.

The Psychosocial Effects of Having a Sibling with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Siblings play an important role in one another’s overall development; thus, the sibling relationship is an important subsystem within the family unit. However, in families where one child has an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis, the dynamics between siblings may be different than in families with typically developing children due to the associated deficits in communication. Therefore, this mixed-method study examined the perceptions of six typically developing children regarding their relationship with a sibling with autism. Parents were heterosexual couples, and families were white and mostly middle class. Semi-structured interviews and questionnaires regarding the sibling relationship were administered to the typically developing child. Identification of major themes followed by focused coding was conducted to capture the essence of what was said and to categorize the most frequent themes. Overall, typically developing children highlighted both positive and negative features of their relationships, for example play, feeling proud, embarrassment, and anger. Additionally, children seemed to be at a loss for coping strategies they considered helpful, perhaps due to their own poor and/or developing emotional regulation skills. The findings emphasize the need to support typically developing children and their personal and social development.

Welcome to Ducks on the Moon, an Afternoon of Music Theatre as Professional Development about Families and Autism Spectrum Disorder

As a playwright-actor-researcher, Burke (2010) created, toured, and published a one-woman play, Ducks on the Moon (DOTM) about her (and her family’s) journey from denial to acceptance to celebration of her youngest son’s diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during his first 5 years. DOTM is not only a drama, but also an arts-based educational research (ABER) project; Burke (2010) labelled her methodology “performative memoir.” In this current project, seven songs were added to the play. As authors-researchers we performed DOTM as a workshop to pre-service and in-service teachers. In particular, we wanted to see if DOTM might serve as professional development (PD) or might become part of a teacher education curriculum. The research questions were as follows: What was the audience’s general reaction to the play-with-music DOTM? And, what might be the implications of such an experience for educators? Did the audience feel that the play-with-music was useful as a vehicle to relay information about ASD and family–professional relationships? Might DOTM serve as PD for in-service teachers or as part of curriculum to prepare pre-service teachers for inclusive practice? We uncovered five inter-related themes: the audience enjoyed DOTM and claimed it was also it was educational, they experienced a range of emotions, they stated that parents need to come to terms with their child’s diagnosis in their own time, many teachers identified with Burke as a mother, and finally, DOTM would make productive PD.