Dana K. Donohue

The challenges of realising inclusive education in South Africa

In South Africa, up to 70% of children of school-going age with disabilities are out of school. Of those who do attend, most are still in separate, “special” schools for learners with disabilities. This situation prevails despite the push for the educational inclusion of learners with disabilities over twelve years ago by the South African policy document, the Education White Paper 6. In this article, we take a primarily top-down theoretical approach to policy implementation and focus on two main factors that hinder the implementation of inclusive education. Firstly, we focus on what we regard as the most significant constraint, namely, the apparent lack of clarity in the policy, i.e. ambiguity about the goals for inclusion and the means through which they can be achieved and, secondly, various issues around the poor implementation of the policy. We argue further that the primary means by which the divide between inclusive policy and practice will ultimately be closed is through the implementation and enforcement of education policy by the South African Department of Education.

Children’s voices – Differentiating a child perspective from a child’s perspective

Abstract Objective: The aim of this paper was to discuss differences between having a child perspective and taking the child’s perspective based on the problem being investigated. Methods: Conceptual paper based on narrative review. Results: The child’s perspective in research concerning children that need additional support are important. The difference between having a child perspective and taking the child’s perspective in conjunction with the need to know children’s opinions has been discussed in the literature. From an ideological perspective the difference between the two perspectives seems self-evident, but the perspectives might be better seen as different ends on a continuum solely from an adult’s view of children to solely the perspective of children themselves. Depending on the research question, the design of the study may benefit from taking either perspective. In this article, we discuss the difference between the perspectives based on the problem being investigated, children’s capacity to express opinions, environmental adaptations and the degree of interpretation needed to understand children’s opinions. Conclusion: The examples provided indicate that children’s opinions can be regarded in most research, although to different degrees.

South African teachers' attitudes toward learners with barriers to learning : attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder and little or no functional speech

This study examined teachers’ attitudes toward learners with two types of barriers to learning: a learner with attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and a learner with little or no functional speech (LNFS). The results indicated that although teachers reported that the learner with ADHD would be more disruptive in class and have a more negative effect on the classroom climate, they overwhelmingly favoured including this learner over the learner with LNFS. The data indicated that teachers were concerned about the ability of the learner with LNFS to participate academically and socially in the classroom. They also were significantly more concerned about their own ability to cope with the learner with LNFS. The article concludes with the need for ongoing inclusive education training for all teachers in South Africa if successful inclusive education is to become a reality.

Examining the rights of children with intellectual disability in South Africa : children’s perspectives

Abstract Background Human rights provide fundamental conditions for people to maintain dignity and self-determination and protect a nations most vulnerable citizens. In South Africa, children with intellectual disability who experience socioeconomic disadvantage may be particularly vulnerable due to their cognitive impairments and inability to garner needed resources. Method The perceptions of children with intellectual disability regarding their access to basic amenities in their home environments were examined to determine whether their positive human rights were met. Risk factors were examined in relation to these perceptions. Results The results suggested that participants generally reported high degrees of access to basic resources. Logistic regressions suggested socioeconomic risk factors (e.g., income, education, household size, relationship status) were negatively related to childrens reports of access to food and their own beds and positively related to having someone available to explain confusing concepts to them. Conclusions The positive human rights of children living in high-risk environments should be monitored to ensure all South Africans have their rights met.

South African Teachers' Attitudes toward the Inclusion of Learners with Different Abilities in Mainstream Classrooms.

This research sought to examine South African teachers’ attitudes toward the inclusion of learners with different abilities in their hypothetical mainstream classrooms. Participants were 93 South African teachers who responded to the Teachers’ Attitudes and Expectations Scale, a measure developed for this study, regarding four vignettes depicting learners with different types of impairments. Overall, teachers reported that inclusion would benefit learners’ social development (mean scores from 2.57 to 3.35) more than their intellectual development (mean scores from 2.14 to 2.83). It also was found that teachers overwhelmingly were more confident about including learners with Down syndrome into their hypothetical mainstream classes when compared with the inclusion of learners with other disabilities, F(3, 90) = 9.59, p < 0.01. The results suggest that providing teachers with sufficient resources within the classroom and training that includes hands-on experience with children with disabilities could positively influence their attitudes toward the inclusion of learners with disabilities in their classrooms.

Household size is associated with unintelligible speech in children who have intellectual disabilities: A South African study

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine whether four socioeconomic factors, namely caregiver age, caregiver education, family income and/or household size were related to the presence of motor delays or unintelligible speech in South African children with intellectual disabilities. Methods: Caregivers of children with intellectual disabilities completed a biographical questionnaire regarding their home environments. Other items on the questionnaire queried whether their children experienced co-occurring developmental impairments of motor delays or unintelligible speech. Results: A total of 145 caregivers were included in the analyses. Two logistic regressions were run with the set of four socioeconomic factors as predictors, and motor delays and intelligible speech as the outcome variables. Household size was a statistically significant predictor of whether children evidenced intelligible speech. Conclusion: Children living in dwellings with more people were less likely to have intelligible speech. The processes through which large household size might influence children’s language are discussed.

Self-concept development and measurement in children with mild intellectual disabilities

Objective: Using a multi-trait–multi-method technique, self-concept was analysed as a function of chronological age in children with mild intellectual disabilities. Also, relations between reading achievement and self-concept were measured. Methods: Participants were assessed on the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test–Revised, the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance and the Self-Description Questionnaire I–Individual Administration. Results: A median split was run to divide participants into younger and older groups; older participants evidenced coefficients that revealed more multidimensionality, stability and discriminant validity. Also, a significant canonical correlation was found between the Harter Pictorial Scale at Time 1 and WRMT-R at Time 2, χ2(8) = 17.99, r = 0.62, p = 0.02. Conclusion: As a whole, these results suggest that children with intellectual disabilities evince self-concept development similar to what would be expected in typically-developing children.

A Systematic Review of Generic and Special Needs of Children with Disabilities Living in Poverty Settings in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Children with disabilities living in poverty settings in low and middle-income countries are particularly in need of special support designed to meet the needs occurring in an environment where poverty is prevalent and resources are scarce. This article presents a systematic review of the needs of children with disabilities living in poverty settings in low and middle-income countries using Maslows Hierarchy of Needs as a theoretical framework. The findings demonstrate that needs at the first level of Maslows Hierarchy of Needs are more frequently researched in low and middle-income countries. Higher order needs should be further explored and childrens own voices should be taken into consideration when performing research, designing policies and services aiming at increased service user empowerment.

The attitudes of typically developing adolescents towards their sibling with autism spectrum disorder

Background Understanding how the cognitive, emotional and behavioural components of sibling attitudes interact with one another at various stages of a sibling’s lifespan will allow clinicians to provide better support to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. However, no research exists which focusses on describing the attitudes of adolescent siblings of children with ASD within the South African context towards their sibling with an ASD. The primary aim of this study was to investigate how typically developing adolescents recall their past attitudes and describe their present attitudes towards their sibling with an ASD. Methods Thirty typically developing adolescents who have siblings with ASD were selected to complete the survey instrument, the Lifespan Sibling Relationship Scale, using a cross-sectional design. Results Results indicate that the measure has internal consistency within this sample. Wilcoxon signed-ranks tests were used to test for significant differences between the mean values for the two self-reported time periods. Friedman analysis of variances (ANOVAs) was used to test for significant differences in the three components of attitudes, namely affect, behaviour and cognition. Results indicate that participants held more positive attitudes towards their siblings with ASD as adolescents compared with when they were younger and that adolescents rated their current emotions towards and beliefs about their sibling with ASD to be more positive than their current interaction experiences. Conclusion As siblings’ attitudes appear to change over time, clinicians should use a lifespan approach to sibling attitudes when designing and implementing supports for siblings of children with ASD.

Comparing two response modes in a mathematics test for learners in foundation phase with severe physical disabilities : a South African example

Abstract Research suggests that tests with non-modified response formats may be biased against learnerswithsevere physical disabilities, with test scores reflecting the extent of learners’ disabilities rather than their actualpotential. This study aimed to compare the performance of learners with severe physical impairments on theirmathematics scores using two different response modes. Forty-two learners from schools in the Gauteng provincein South Africa were selected for the study. A cross-over within-groups design was used. Participants were randomlyassigned to two groups; each learner participated in both conditions (oral response and eye gaze), but in theopposite order. The tests were repeated after a week when the alternative response mode was used. Participants’scores for the eye-gaze response mode were found to be significantly higher than their scores for the oral responsemode. Implications for use in the classroom are discussed.