A multi-perspective study of Perceived Inclusive Education for students with Neurodevelopmental Disorders.

Consensus is often a prerequisite for communities to develop initiatives to improve practice and create a future together. We investigated the consensus around the perceived educational inclusion of autistic and other neurodivergent students, their caregivers, and their teachers. Seventeen triads of informants plus two single students from mainstream secondary and high schools in Sweden underwent the standardized INCLUSIO interview operationalizing educational inclusion domains. Inclusive practice was reported across groups to be poorly to sufficiently developed for different domains and measures. Discrepancies were extensive between informants and most pronounced for students and parents versus teachers. The findings highlight limited consensus about inclusive education in practice and suggest enhanced participation of neurodivergent students and their parents to improve inclusive education implementation.

Social Skills Group Training for Students with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities in Senior High School-A Qualitative Multi-Perspective Study of Social Validity.

Including students with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDDs) in regular classrooms has become a law-enforced common practice in many high- and middle-income countries. Still, without appropriate actions supporting the implementation of inclusive pedagogical practice, students with NDDs remain at increased risk for absenteeism, bullying and underachievement. There is limited knowledge on the feasibility of social skills group training (SSGT) in naturalistic settings. Using a qualitative approach, the objective of this study was to explore the lived experiences of (i) students diagnosed with autism or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and those showing subclinical social difficulties receiving either SSGT or active social control activities in a regular senior high school setting, (ii) teachers providing SSGT or the active control activity and (iii) school leaders facilitating the implementation of these actions. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, comparison between real life versus digital administration of SSGT was also examined. Within a randomized controlled pilot trial of the school-tailored SSGT SKOLKONTAKT®, the primary perspectives of 20 students, teachers and school leaders on SSGT or the social control activities were explored. All groups perceived SSGT to enhance school attendance and academic achievement of students, as well as teacher inclusion skills and the social school climate. Findings indicate that SSGT is largely feasible and socially valid, and broader implementation of SSGT in school settings appears meaningful.

Inclusive practice for students with neurodevelopmental disorders in Sweden.

'Inclusion' aims to achieve adaptation of the environment to the diverse prerequisites and needs of individuals, instead of demanding of individuals to cope with the challenges of a given context themselves exclusively. All Scandinavian countries have made formal decisions to enhance inclusive practice for children and adolescents with disabilities in educational settings, seeking to implement international conventions. We investigated current inclusive practice for students with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in Swedish primary, secondary and high-schools using the 61-item INCLUSIO scale among N=4778 school staff with educational responsibilities in 68 public and private schools across 11 municipalities. Overall, school staff reported not to be well prepared to teach students with NDDs and that their school's implementation of concrete inclusive practice was limited. Findings indicate a gap between inclusive educational ambitions and current practice for students with NDDs. Enriched teacher education and supervision for NDDs, a shift in pedagogical views of NDDs and better collaboration between community services, as well as systematic evidence-based implementation plans driven by policy makers and educational authorities may help improve inclusive practice.

Does the learning environment 'make the grade'? A systematic review of accommodations for children on the autism spectrum in mainstream school.

BACKGROUND: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adapted by the United Nations envisions inclusive and equitable quality education. While there is a growing body of research on interventions designed to help children on the autism spectrum adapt to the school environment, accommodations to children needs have been given less attention. OBJECTIVE: To synthesize the literature on accommodations in the learning environment for children on the autism spectrum (ages 5-19 years) in mainstream school, with a specific focus on the effects on functioning, educational outcomes and well-being. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted. The study selection and data extraction were performed by two independent reviewers. Eligible studies were assessed according to the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) standards. RESULTS: The search yielded 6102 citations. Only 37 eligible studies were identified, of which 14 met the WWC standards. This inconclusive and heterogeneous body of research tentatively suggest that accommodations in the pedagogical and psychosocial leaning environment can improve performance and function in school. CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE: Accommodations in the learning environment is a promising but understudied approach. Creative research and innovation will be needed to support policy makers and school personnel in their quest to ensure inclusive and equitable education.