Dialogic Learning Environments That Enhance Instrumental Learning and Inclusion of Students With Special Needs in Secondary Education

Across Europe, the enrolment of students with special educational needs in regular classrooms is increasing, although it does not always mean access to high quality educational experience. In this context, inclusive education has been enhanced in most educational systems, but its successful implementation is still limited and has become a challenge in most countries, and specially in secondary education, when segregation due to learning achievement is more frequent. Educational practices that take into account the potential of promoting learning interactions within heterogeneous groups of students have already demonstrated contributing to educational inclusion of students with special needs. In this study we analyse the case of a secondary education school located in Valencian Community (Spain), which educates students with special needs along with their typically developing peers and is characterized by its inclusive ethos. The analysis focuses on three educational strategies implemented in the school and their impact on educational improvement and inclusion of the students with special needs: (1) co-teaching, (2) interactive groups, (3) dialogic literary gatherings. Qualitative data were obtained from communicative focus groups with teachers, communicative life stories with students and relatives, communicative observations of the three educational strategies and documentary analysis. The findings show significant increase in the students' instrumental learning, as well as an improvement in these students' overall inclusion in the school.

The effects of teacher-delivered behavior skills training on paraeducators' use of a communication intervention for a student with autism who uses AAC

Special education teachers are often responsible for training their staff how to support children with autism spectrum disorder in their classrooms. In addition to academic and behavioral interventions, paraeducators also need to be prepared to support students with complex communication needs. This study was designed to investigate the effects of a paraeducator-implemented communication intervention in a public school. A multiple probe design across participants was used to evaluate a communication intervention that included providing opportunities to initiate with least-to-most prompting for a 10-year-old student with autism who used an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device. Prior to the intervention, the student was rarely observed initiating interactions with her AAC device, and paraeducators were rarely observed offering opportunities to initiate or providing supports to help the student initiate. Following training, data from each paraeducator indicated an increased rate when providing the communication intervention and as a result, the student displayed an increase in the targeted intervention, initiation. Findings from the intervention highlight the need for explicit teaching when promoting initiation among students with autism who use AAC.