A study examined the roles and responsibilities of special educational needs co-ordinators in early years settings.
Source: Rachel Reynolds and Nicola Young, Supporting Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) in Early Years Settings: Findings from research, Pre-school Learning Alliance
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Dec
An article examined the association between exposure to disablism and the health and well-being of adults with intellectual disabilities. Self-reported exposure to both bullying while at school and overt acts of disablism over the previous 12 months were associated with poorer self-reported health outcomes. In the vast majority of instances, these associations were stronger for people with lower levels of material or social resources.
Source: Eric Emerson, 'Self-reported exposure to disablism is associated with poorer self-reported health and well-being among adults with intellectual disabilities in England: a cross-sectional survey', Public Health, Volume 124 Issue 12
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Dec
A report examined progress in improving outcomes for people with learning disabilities in health, housing, and employment.
Source: Valuing People Now: Summary Report March 2009 – September 2010, Department of Health
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Dec
A literature review examined effective practice in tackling the bullying of children with special educational needs and disabilities.
Source: Colleen McLaughlin, Richard Byers and Rosie Peppin Vaughan, Responding to Bullying Among Children with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities, Anti-Bullying Alliance
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Dec
A briefing paper provided an outline of the existing special educational needs system, and background information prior to the new government's Green Paper (expected in December 2010).
Source: Christine Gillie, Special Educational Needs (SEN): The current system, recent reports and reviews, Standard Note SN/SP/5781, House of Commons Library
Links: Briefing paper
Date: 2010-Nov
An article examined new guidance to police officers on how to respond to people with learning disabilities and mental illnesses.
Source: Robin Mackenzie and John Watts, 'Missing a beat: police responses to people with learning disabilities and mental health problems', Tizard Learning Disability Review, Volume 15 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Nov
A think-tank report called for independent panels to gauge the individual needs of pupils with special educational needs (SEN). Parents should be given a guaranteed choice on what type of schooling their child should get. There should be new national assessment criteria so that pupils with similar conditions received the same services. The government should publish regular updates on how well SEN pupils were doing, and what services were provided, so that local differences could be ironed out. The government should allow a range of different providers, including the third sector, to bid to run local SEN services.
Source: Ralph Hartley, Special Educational Needs: Reforming provision in English schools, Policy Exchange
Links: Report | Policy Exchange press release | NASUWT press release | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Nov
A new book said that continuing to think in terms of the 'regular' school or the 'special' school obstructed progress towards inclusive education for disabled students. There was a need for a better understanding of exclusion, and of the foundations of the division between special and regular education. Schooling ought to be an apprenticeship in democracy and inclusion was a prerequisite of a democratic education.
Source: Roger Slee, The Irregular School: Exclusion, schooling and inclusive education, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2010-Nov
The government published a report on progress in improving healthcare for people with learning disabilities (in line with the recommendation of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and Local Government Ombudsman in their March 2009 investigation 'Six Lives'.)
Source: Six Lives: Progress Report, Department of Health
Links: Report | Ombudsman press release | Ombudsman report (2009) | Mencap press release | Community Care report
Date: 2010-Oct
A paper summarized the results of a systematic review of published scientific evidence concerning the impact of health checks on the health and well-being of people with learning disabilities.
Source: Janet Robertson, Hazel Roberts and Eric Emerson, Health Checks for People with Learning Disabilities: A systematic review of evidence, Improving Health and Lives Learning Disabilities Observatory
Links: Paper
Date: 2010-Oct
A report presented information on the characteristics and attainment of pupils in England with special educational needs. The number of pupils with special educational needs had increased from around 1.53 million pupils (19 per cent) in 2006 to approximately 1.69 million (21 per cent) in 2010. The number of pupils with statements of special educational needs had decreased from 236, 750 in 2006 to 220, 890 in 2010. The most common types of primary need were autistic spectrum disorder and moderate learning difficulties. Boys were two-and-a-half times more likely than girls to have statements at primary school, and nearly three times more likely at secondary school.
Source: Children with Special Educational Needs 2010: An analysis, Department for Education
Links: Report | ATL press release | Guardian report | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Oct
The coalition government published a report on developments since 2003 in health and social care services for people in England with mental illness and/or learning disabilities. Although such a report was required by law to be published every year, none had been published since 2003, due to an 'oversight'.
Source: Development of Services for People with Learning Disabilities or Mental Illness in England, Department of Health
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Oct
A report summarized the most recent evidence on the health status of people with learning disabilities and the determinants of the health inequalities they faced.
Source: Eric Emerson and Susannah Baines, Health Inequalities & People with Learning Disabilities in the UK: 2010, Improving Health and Lives Learning Disabilities Observatory
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Oct
The inspectorate for education and children's services said that it had a range of concerns about the existing system of special educational needs and disability arrangements, and about how well it was serving children and young people. Many pupils would not be identified as having special educational needs if schools focused on improving teaching and learning for all. The system was focusing too much on statements of need, and checking pupils were getting additional services, and too little on how much this support was actually helping children progress.
Source: The Special Educational Needs and Disability Review: A Statement Is Not Enough, HMI 090221, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | ATL press release | CDC press release | CLC press release | CSIE press release | EDCM press release | Mencap press release | NAHT press release | NASEN press release | NASUWT press release | NUT press release | Guardian report | BBC report | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Sep
The government began consultation (in advance of the publication of a Green Paper) on plans to reform support for children with special educational needs. The aim was to improve parents' choice of schools, find ways of identifying special needs at an early stage, and strengthen support for young people when they left school.
Source: Green Paper: Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities – Call for Views, Department for Education
Links: Consultation document | DE press release | EDCM press release | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Sep
Two linked reports said that supported housing providers were failing to respect the tenancy rights of learning-disabled people.
Source: Alicia Wood with Rob Greig, Steve Strong and Claire Hall, The Real Tenancy Test: Tenancy rights in supported living, National Development Team for Inclusion | Alicia Wood and Rob Greig, Supported Living: Making the Move – Developing supported living options for people with learning disabilities, National Development Team for Inclusion
Links: Report (1) | Report (2) | Community Care report
Date: 2010-Sep
Researchers examined the court experiences of adults with mental health conditions, learning disabilities, or limited mental capacity.
Source: Rosie McLeod, Cassie Philpin, Anna Sweeting, Lucy Joyce and Roger Evans, Court Experience of Adults with Mental Health Conditions, Learning Disabilities and Limited Mental Capacity, Research Reports 8/10-13/10, Ministry of Justice
Links: Reports (links)
Date: 2010-Jul
A report examined the ways in which local authorities worked with parents of children with special educational needs. There was a need to maintain, capitalize on, and take forward the effective multi-agency working that took place in the pre-school arena.
Source: Richard White, Shona Macleod, Jennifer Jeffes and Mary Atkinson, Local Authorities' Experiences of Improving Parental Confidence in the Special Educational Needs Process, National Foundation for Educational Research
Date: 2010-Jun
A report by a committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly described as 'totally unacceptable' delays in implementing a policy of resettling long-stay patients at learning disability hospitals in the community.
Source: Report on the Resettlement of Long Stay Patients from Learning Disability Hospitals, Fourteenth Report (Session 2009-10), Northern Ireland Assembly Public Accounts Committee/TSO
Links: Report | NIE press release
Date: 2010-May
An article examined classifications of learning disabilities as promulgated in diagnostic manuals. Weaknesses were exposed from within the manuals' own frames of reference. The difficulties arising from using the international sub-classifications of learning disabilities – when the national classifications should apply – were discussed.
Source: Alan Leyin, 'Learning disability classification: time for re-appraisal?', Tizard Learning Disability Review, Volume 15 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Apr
A government-commissioned report said that prejudice, discrimination, and low expectations were preventing people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities from getting the support they needed.
Source: Jim Mansell, Raising Our Sights: Services for adults with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities, Department of Health
Links: Report | Community Care report
Date: 2010-Mar
A study examined the sexual experiences and understanding of people with learning difficulties. Although some young people with learning difficulties had some knowledge of sex, they also had some serious misunderstandings – which could leave them embarrassed, vulnerable, and confused.
Source: Ruth Garbutt et al., Talking About Sex and Relationships: The views of young people with learning disabilities, CHANGE Project
Links: Report | Leeds University press release
Date: 2010-Mar
The government announced that two investigations would be conducted into the standards of healthcare for people with learning disabilities.
Source: Press release 23 March 2010, Department of Health
Links: DH press release | Bristol University press release
Date: 2010-Mar
A report examined what worked well for local authorities and schools in improving outcomes for children with special educational needs.
Source: Breaking the Link Between Special Educational Needs and Low Attainment, Department for Children, Schools and Families
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Mar
An article said that people with learning disabilities and/or mental health conditions were at higher risk, and experienced greater levels, of violence, harassment, and abuse than non-disabled people – and also by comparison with people with other kinds of disability. Under-reporting and lack of appropriate response and support from criminal justice agencies compromised access to justice.
Source: Chih Hoong Sin, Annie Hedges, Chloe Cook and Natasha Comber, 'Targeted violence, harassment and abuse against people with learning disabilities in Great Britain', Tizard Learning Disability Review, Volume 15 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Feb
Researchers examined the reasons for local variation in services and support for children with special educational needs. No simple explanation was found for the variation found between local authorities.
Source: Jane Lewis et al., Special Educations Needs and Disability: Understanding Local Variations in Prevalence, Service Provision and Support, Research Report RR211, Department for Children, Schools and Families
Date: 2010-Feb
The government published an implementation plan in response to the Lamb inquiry on parental confidence in the special educational needs system.
Source: Improving Parental Confidence in the Special Educational Needs System: An Implementation Plan, Department for Children, Schools and Families
Links: Plan | Hansard | DCSF press release | Lamb report
Date: 2010-Feb