Conference Agenda

High-quality teaching is pivotal in addressing the complexities of contemporary education, as it fosters social justice and aligns with Goal 4 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which seek to guarantee equitable, inclusive education for all by 2030, including children with special needs such as autism. Achieving this ambitious goal demands teaching methods that cater to the unique needs of autistic learners. Teachers in classrooms with students without special needs can make assumptions about the general teaching approaches for the entire group, but autism students may exhibit different and diverse forms of spectrum, that require applying different teaching methods.

This paper review strategies for autistic learners in inclusive classrooms across two contexts: the United States, and Saudi Arabia. In the US, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004) mandates the use of Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) for students with special needs in inlcusive settings, these practices frequently clash with school policies and classroom realities. Guldberg (2019) argue those practises can be applied in the classroom, not all of them were initially conducted and tested within a school setting.

Saudi Arabia, historically lacking an inclusive educational approach, has recently mandated IEPs for students with special needs. The introduction of inclusive education is relatively recent, begun in 2016. The Saudi system has largely adopted aspects of the US model, particularly the IDEA (2004), and incorporated EBPs from the US into its educational framework, including scheduling and IEP strategies. However, adapting these Western practices requires careful consideration of the cultural, linguistic, and religious characteristics unique to Saudi society. Successful inclusive education in non-Western settings depends on culturally responsive strategies and a thorough understanding of local teaching challenges and educators' perspectives. This paper will emphasize the importance of integrating cultural considerations into teaching practices to ensure High- inclusive quality teachin in Saudi context.

Research aim: As the number of identified neurodivergent learners increases across all educational environments, educators are encouraged to teach through an inclusive lens. Student teachers also include neurodivergent individuals amongst their number. A previous study by the researcher identified that autistic/ADHD student teachers face disproportionate barriers to qualification than even their otherwise neurodivergent peers. This paper (in progress) reports qualitative findings from interviews with autistic/ADHD student primary teachers from seven of the nine Scottish Higher Education institutions offering Initial Teacher Education (primary) programmes leading to professional qualification. It explores their lived experience whilst undertaking the school placements required to successfully complete programmes, identifying ways to reduce barriers and improve the capacity of this cohort for sustained, successful programme attendance and subsequent professional qualification.

Theoretical Framework: Braun and Clarke’s Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA) was used with a critical realism phenomenological approach incorporating the lead researcher’s own neurodivergent lived experience as a methodological lens.

Methods: Participants responded to calls for participation shared through their institution email systems. Following participants meeting eligibility criteria established through a short online survey, semi-structured interviews were conducted by the neurodivergent researcher via methods best suited to participant communication needs. Data collected was coded, themed and analysed using RTA.

Findings: Autistic/ADHD student primary teachers can face additional challenges to qualification based on requisite professional placement experiences including being impacted by attitudes to/ignorance of neurodivergence in supporting staff/schools; disclosure reactions; consistency of support; inflexibility of qualification pathways; and peripheral concerns diminishing capacity. Future changes are suggested to improve outcomes for autistic/ADHD student primary teachers and increase positive representation of this community within the profession.

Relevance to conference: The aim and scope of this research is to increase equity of access to professional qualification and opportunity for neurodivergent student teachers.

Strand: Equity and inclusion in teacher education.

Successful accommodation to children with special educational needs and their families is often dependent on collaboration, teamwork and good coordination of services, particulary in the case of children with complex needs. In preschools heads of special education play central role in coordinating services from specialists outside the preschools passing information and support to preschool staff. In later years attenton has been drawn to the fact that in Iceland coordination between the different services and institutions that provide support to children and their families has not always been adequate. Accordingly, new legislation was recently passed stipulating the monitoring, provision and integration of professional services to ensure more effectivity. The implementation of the law is now in process and four municipalities have been selected as pioneer municipalities.

The paper presents the results of two small qualitative studies intended to explore the experiences and attitudes of participants of collaboration and coordination before and after the new legislation.. In the first study six heads of special education in preschools were interviwed before impementation of the law and in the second one six key members of tvo pioneer municipalities. The semi-structured interviews were analysed using thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke) and ecological systems theory of Bronfenbrenner.

Results indicate that teamwork was already well functioning in preschools before the implementation so there was not much change. Heads of special education became contact persons ensuring access to and coordination of support but when the needs of the children were more severe a special coordinator outside the preschool overtook that role.