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Disability and Health Journal Apr 2023Students with special education needs or underlying health conditions have been disproportionately impacted (e.g., by reduced access to services) throughout the COVID-19...
Challenges experienced by U.S. K-12 public schools in serving students with special education needs or underlying health conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic and strategies for improved accessibility.
BACKGROUND
Students with special education needs or underlying health conditions have been disproportionately impacted (e.g., by reduced access to services) throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
OBJECTIVE
This study describes challenges reported by schools in providing services and supports to students with special education needs or underlying health conditions and describes schools' use of accessible communication strategies for COVID-19 prevention.
METHODS
This study analyzes survey data from a nationally representative sample of U.S. K-12 public schools (n = 420, February-March 2022). Weighted prevalence estimates of challenges in serving students with special education needs or underlying health conditions and use of accessible communication strategies are presented. Differences by school locale (city/suburb vs. town/rural) are examined using chi-square tests.
RESULTS
The two most frequently reported school-based challenges were staff shortages (51.3%) and student compliance with prevention strategies (32.4%), and the two most frequently reported home-based challenges were the lack of learning partners at home (25.5%) and lack of digital literacy among students' families (21.4%). A minority of schools reported using accessible communications strategies for COVID-19 prevention efforts, such as low-literacy materials (7.3%) and transcripts that accompany podcasts or videos (6.7%). Town/rural schools were more likely to report non-existent or insufficient access to the internet at home and less likely to report use of certain accessible communication than city/suburb schools.
CONCLUSION
Schools might need additional supports to address challenges in serving students with special education needs or with underlying health conditions and improve use of accessible communication strategies for COVID-19 and other infectious disease prevention.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; Pandemics; Disabled Persons; Students; Education, Special
PubMed: 36610820
DOI: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2022.101428 -
American Journal of Public Health Sep 2006We assessed whether asthma is associated with urban children's use of special education services.
OBJECTIVES
We assessed whether asthma is associated with urban children's use of special education services.
METHODS
We conducted a cross-sectional study in 24 randomly selected New York City public elementary schools using a parent-report questionnaire focusing on sociodemographic characteristics, special education enrollment, asthma diagnosis and symptoms, school absences, and use of health care services.
RESULTS
Thirty-four percent of children enrolled in special education had been diagnosed with asthma, compared with 19% of children in the general student population. After control for sociodemographic factors, children with asthma were 60% more likely than children without asthma to be enrolled in special education (odds ratio [OR] = 1.62; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.22, 2.16). Asthmatic children in special education were significantly more likely to be from low-income families and to have been hospitalized in the previous 12 months than asthmatic children in general education.
CONCLUSIONS
Inadequate asthma control may contribute to a greater risk of asthmatic children residing in urban areas being placed in special education. School health programs should consider targeting low-income urban children with asthma at risk for enrollment in special education through increased asthma interventions and medical support services.
Topics: Asthma; Case-Control Studies; Child; Child, Preschool; Cross-Sectional Studies; Education, Special; Female; Humans; Male; New York City; Odds Ratio; Risk Factors; Urban Population
PubMed: 16873740
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2005.075887 -
Journal of Medical Ethics Feb 1998This discussion paper is drawn from a qualitative research project comparing the effect of special and ordinary schools on the lives of children, young people and their...
This discussion paper is drawn from a qualitative research project comparing the effect of special and ordinary schools on the lives of children, young people and their families. Special schools are recommended by health professionals who seldom know how ineffective these schools are. We question the beneficence and justice of health professionals' advice on education for children with disabilities and other difficulties. Cooperation with local education authorities (LEAs) plays a considerable part in the work of community paediatricians, clinical medical officers, therapists and other health professionals encountering children with "special needs". The "needs" range from physical disability and sensory impairment to learning difficulties and emotional or behavioural difficulties. This cooperation involves routine administrative problems, but it raises broad ethical issues too, particularly in respect of current tendencies in state schooling towards the integration or inclusion of these children in mainstream schools and classes.
Topics: Adolescent; Beneficence; Child; Disabled Children; Education, Medical; England; Ethics, Medical; Humans; Mainstreaming, Education; Paternalism; Patient Care Team; Physician's Role; Qualitative Research; Research; Social Justice; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 9549683
DOI: 10.1136/jme.24.1.49 -
BMC Psychology Apr 2023Students with special educational needs (SEN) often face dehumanization, which negatively impacts their mental health, daily functioning, and educational outcomes. This...
Self-dehumanization and other-dehumanization toward students with special educational needs: examining their prevalence, consequences and identifying solutions-a study protocol.
BACKGROUND
Students with special educational needs (SEN) often face dehumanization, which negatively impacts their mental health, daily functioning, and educational outcomes. This study seeks to address the research gap in dehumanization literature by examining the prevalence, dynamics, and consequences of self-dehumanization and other-dehumanization among SEN students. Moreover, by utilizing psychological experiments, the study aims to identify potential intervention strategies and make recommendations to minimize the negative psychological consequences derived from the dual model of dehumanization.
METHODS
This two-phase, mixed-methods study incorporates cross-sectional surveys and quasi-experimental designs. Phase 1 investigates the self-dehumanization of SEN students and other-dehumanization from non-SEN peers, teachers, parents, and the public. Phase 2 involves four experimental studies to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions emphasizing human nature and uniqueness in reducing self-dehumanization and other-dehumanization of SEN students, as well as their associated negative consequences.
DISCUSSION
The study fills a research gap by examining dehumanization in SEN students, applying dyadic modeling, and identifying potential solutions to ameliorate dehumanization and its negative consequences. The findings will contribute to the advancement of the dual model of dehumanization, increase public awareness and support for SEN students in inclusive education, and promote changes in school practice and family support. The 24-month study in Hong Kong schools is expected to provide significant insights into inclusive education in school and community settings.
Topics: Humans; Education, Special; Prevalence; Cross-Sectional Studies; Students; Dehumanization
PubMed: 37106457
DOI: 10.1186/s40359-023-01178-3 -
American Journal of Speech-language... May 2020Purpose Little is known about the language abilities of adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) despite the importance of language in their...
Purpose Little is known about the language abilities of adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) despite the importance of language in their other life outcomes. Even less is known about the language abilities of racial/ethnic minorities with ASD and extensive special education needs. These gaps limit our understanding of adolescents and young adults with ASD. Method A pilot study evaluated the efficacy of individualized age-referenced language assessment for minority adolescents and young adults with ASD in self-contained special education settings. Participants ( = 10) completed the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Third Edition, Test for Early Grammatical Impairment (TEGI), Columbia Mental Maturity Scale, and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition Digit Span. Results Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Third Edition scores showed little variation, with most participants showing a floor effect. TEGI, Columbia Mental Maturity Scale, and Digit Span scores showed greater variation. Some participants had ceiling TEGI scores, and some had variable assessment profiles. Conclusion Assessment was sensitive to variability across some measures. The pilot study outcomes support the feasibility and potential informativeness of additional investigation of conventional language assessments and change over time.
Topics: Adolescent; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Child; Education, Special; Humans; Language; Language Tests; Pilot Projects; Young Adult
PubMed: 32324427
DOI: 10.1044/2020_AJSLP-19-00036 -
BMC Pediatrics Nov 2020Intellectual Disability (ID) is characterized by significant limitations that affect intellectual functioning, adaptive behavior, and practical skills which directly...
BACKGROUND
Intellectual Disability (ID) is characterized by significant limitations that affect intellectual functioning, adaptive behavior, and practical skills which directly interfere with interpersonal relationships and the environment. In Western countries, individuals with ID are overrepresented in the health system, often due to associated comorbidities, and its life-time cost places ID as one of the most expensive conditions of all diagnoses in the International Classification of Diseases. Most of the people affected (75%) live in low-income countries, suffer from malnutrition, lack health care, and do not have access to adequate treatment. The aim of this study was to obtain an estimate of the diagnostic status as well as the prevalence of familial ID among individuals with serious (moderate or severe) ID in a region of the State of Santa Catarina, investigating attendees of special education schools of the Florianópolis Macroregion.
METHODS
This was a cross-sectional study conducted between August 2011 and August 2014, through a semi-structured screening questionnaire for the collection of relevant developmental, clinical, familial and educational data, applied in an interview to guardians of students of special education schools of the macroregion of Florianópolis.
RESULTS
The participant special schools enrolled close to 1700 students during the study period and the questionnaire was applied to 849 (50.5%). The male to female ratio of the participants was 1.39:1. Clear etiologic explanations were relatively scarce (24%); most diagnoses referring only to the type and the degree of impairment and for the majority (61.4%) the cause was unknown. About half were sporadic cases within their families (considering three generations). For 44.2% at least one other case of an ID-related condition in the extended family was mentioned, with 293 (34.5%) representing potential familial cases.
CONCLUSION
Here we describe the epidemiological profile, the available diagnostics, etiology, family history and possible parental consanguinity of participants with ID of special education schools in the South of Brazil. The main results show the need for etiological diagnosis and uncover the relevance of potential hereditary cases in a population where consanguineous unions have a relatively low frequency (0,6%) and highlight the need for public health actions.
Topics: Brazil; Cross-Sectional Studies; Education, Special; Female; Humans; Intellectual Disability; Male; Schools
PubMed: 33143672
DOI: 10.1186/s12887-020-02382-5 -
Journal of Developmental and Behavioral... Jun 2012This study evaluated how enrollment in special education services in 11-year-old children relates to prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE), psychopathology, and other risk...
OBJECTIVE
This study evaluated how enrollment in special education services in 11-year-old children relates to prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE), psychopathology, and other risk factors.
METHODS
Participants were 498 children enrolled in The Maternal Lifestyle Study, a prospective, longitudinal, multisite study examining outcomes of children with PCE. Logistic regression was used to examine the effect of PCE and psychopathology on enrollment in an individualized education plan (IEP; a designation specific to children with special education needs), with environmental, maternal, and infant medical variables as covariates.
RESULTS
PCE, an interaction of PCE and oppositional defiant disorder, child attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, parent-reported internalizing behaviors, and teacher-reported externalizing behaviors, predicted enrollment in an IEP. Other statistically significant variables in the model were male gender, low birth weight, being small for gestational age, white race, caregiver change, low socioeconomic status, low child intelligence quotient, caregiver depression, and prenatal marijuana exposure.
CONCLUSIONS
PCE increased the likelihood of receiving an IEP with adjustment for covariates. Psychopathology also predicted this special education outcome, in combination with and independent of prenatal cocaine exposure.
Topics: Adult; Chi-Square Distribution; Child; Child Behavior; Cocaine-Related Disorders; Education, Special; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Logistic Models; Male; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Prospective Studies; Psychopathology
PubMed: 22487696
DOI: 10.1097/DBP.0b013e3182560cd9 -
The Journal of the American Osteopathic... Oct 2019In order to design undergraduate medical education responsive to the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendation that physicians learn about special education law and...
CONTEXT
In order to design undergraduate medical education responsive to the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendation that physicians learn about special education law and practices, it is important to understand medical students' baseline knowledge about children with disabilities, special education law, available services, and the sources of this information.
OBJECTIVES
To develop an instrument to measure what second-year medical students know about children with disabilities, special education law, and available services; to determine the most common sources of this information; and to establish a baseline on which to design curricula that address this topic.
METHODS
This study adopted a survey design. The survey took place in 1 school of osteopathic medicine in a Northeastern state of the United States. One hundred fifty medical students in their second year of full-time enrollment were invited to complete the survey. The instrument designed by the authors consisted of 30 items organized into a demographics section and 3 domains: (1) perceived level of knowledge about children with disabilities, (2) sources of information about children with disabilities, and (3) actual knowledge about children with disabilities and special education.
RESULTS
Ninety-eight students (65%) participated. Although students were accurate in self-assessment, their source of knowledge was limited. Medical students who identified personal experiences (t=1.64) and coursework as their source of knowledge had more correct responses (t=2.62).
CONCLUSION
This preliminary study demonstrated a lack of knowledge among second-year medical students with regard to children with disabilities, special education laws, and social services. Curricula emphasizing disabilities and special education along with longitudinal experiential training may be effective methods to deliver these topics.
Topics: Child; Curriculum; Disabled Children; Education, Medical, Undergraduate; Education, Special; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Male; Pilot Projects; Social Work; Surveys and Questionnaires; United States
PubMed: 31566695
DOI: 10.7556/jaoa.2019.115 -
JAMA Pediatrics Jul 2017Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects 39 million people worldwide; in isolation, it doubles annual health care costs and, when associated with comorbid... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study Observational Study
IMPORTANCE
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects 39 million people worldwide; in isolation, it doubles annual health care costs and, when associated with comorbid mental health problems, it quadruples the costs.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the education and health outcomes of schoolchildren treated for ADHD with their peers.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
In this population-based cohort study, individual-level record linkage was performed of 8 Scotland-wide administrative databases covering dispensed prescriptions, admissions to acute and psychiatric hospitals, maternity records, annual pupil census, examinations, school absences and exclusions, and unemployment. The study cohort comprised 766 244 children attending Scottish primary, secondary, and special schools at any point between September 21, 2009, and September 18, 2013. Data analysis was performed from June 1, 2015, to December 6, 2016.
EXPOSURES
Medication approved solely for ADHD treatment.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
Special educational needs, academic attainment, unauthorized absence, exclusion, age at leaving school, unemployment after leaving, and hospitalization. Outcomes were adjusted for potential sociodemographic, maternity, and comorbidity confounders.
RESULTS
Of the 766 244 schoolchildren, 7413 (1.0%) were treated for ADHD; 6287 (84.8%) were male. These children had higher rates of unauthorized absence (adjusted incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.16; 95% CI, 1.14-1.19) and exclusion (adjusted IRR, 5.79; 95% CI, 5.45-6.16), more commonly had a record of special educational need (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 8.62; 95% CI, 8.26-9.00), achieved lower academic attainment (adjusted OR, 3.35; 95% CI, 3.00-3.75), were more likely to leave school before age 16 years (1546 [64.3%] vs 61 235 [28.4%]), and were more likely to be unemployed (adjusted OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.25-1.53). Children with ADHD were more likely to require hospitalization overall (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.25; 95% CI, 1.19-1.31) and for injury (adjusted HR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.40-1.65).
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
Even while receiving medication, children with ADHD fare worse than their peers across a wide range of outcomes relating not only to education but also to health.
Topics: Absenteeism; Adolescent; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Child; Child, Preschool; Cohort Studies; Education, Special; Educational Status; Female; Hospitalization; Humans; Male; Schools; Scotland; Sex Factors; Social Behavior Disorders; Treatment Outcome; Unemployment; Young Adult
PubMed: 28459927
DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.0691 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jan 2023Special education practice allows for the educational principles of parental involvement, pointing to a common dialogue on health issues and general well-being. Special...
Special education practice allows for the educational principles of parental involvement, pointing to a common dialogue on health issues and general well-being. Special education professionals primarily empower the families of children with atypical development by relying on the organizational factors of individual support and services. The decision-making/partnering factors of the educational and general health processes, on the other hand, receive less attention. The present study aims to explore the place of the parent-school relationship within the framework of a special educational institution in Romania. Involving Hungarian special education teachers (N = 12) from Romania, we analyze the school involvement of the parents of students with special educational needs in Bihor County, Romania, concerning their children's academic achievement and well-being. The qualitative research data were recorded through semistructured interviews and were organized through deductive categorization, as well as being analyzed thematically using Atlas.ti. The results highlighted the essential elements of the parent-school relationship, e.g., communication practices, active inclusion programs, support services, and peer acceptance plans. We believe it is important to emphasize that, in the study, families frequently better understood their child's situation and health-related issues and advocated more effectively for the recognition of their rights. However, as an active player in everyday education, the teacher can better organize development activities for the child's specific needs and plan complex habilitation/rehabilitation. To sum up, a parent-educator team approach can result in more successful educational and health outcomes, as well as a more accepting social image in the cognitive, emotional, and social development fields.
Topics: Child; Humans; Romania; Hungary; Schools; Education, Special; Policy
PubMed: 36767420
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20032054