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Inclusive practice for students with neurodevelopmental disorders in Sweden

Open Access
|Jan 2021

Figures & Tables

School staff characteristics

ProfessionsAllWomenMenAgeYears working in school
477836501128
N (%)n (%)n (%)Mean (SD)Mean (SD)
Primary school teacher1646 (34.4)1393 (29.2)253 (5.2)44.4 (11.0)15.3 (10.6)
Secondary school teacher1219 (25.5)839 (17.6)380 (7.9)46.3 (10.3)16.7 (9,8)
High school teacher19 (0.4)11 (0.2)8 (0.2)45.1 (10.7)14.0 (8.6)
Principal/school leaders202 (4.2)142 (3.0)60 (1.2)51.0 (8.5)23.0 (9.3)
Special educator204 (4.3)190 (4.0)14 (0.3)53.3 (8.4)23.1 (10.3)
Special education teacher174 (3.6)151 (3.2)23 (0.4)51.9 (9.9)23.8 (11.5)
Youth worker527 (11.0)344 (7.2)183 (3.8)43.0 (11.9)15.0 (10.9)
Personal assistant199 (4.2)108 (2.3)91 (1.9)39.9 (13.6)10.4 (9.2)
School health team161 (3.4)138 (2.9)23 (0.5)48,7 (10.5)12.4 (8.3)
Other/not specified435 (9.0)334 (7.0)93 (2.0)47.8 (11.8)16.8 (11.1)

INCLUSIO results by subscale/item in % in the whole sample (N=4778)

Subscale/itema YesRather YesRather noNoDon’t know
Assessment of support needs
Support plans are followed-up and evaluated*31.541.014.52.610.4
There is a specific and accessible support plan document*37.736.812.13.110.3
Staff involved in support plans meet regularly*24.637.220.86.311.1
It is clear who is responsible for the student’s support plan*28.037.618.87.18.5
School applies formal assessments of NDDb-difficultiesc*29.733.110.24.122.9
In case NDD suspicion, the school health team refers to clinical services*47.834.75.91.89.8
Recommendations from clinical services are used for support planning*27.941.19.32.319.4
Use of individualized support
Transitions are prepared for with student’s participation*16.130.215.55.233.0
Transitions are prepared for individually and specifically*24.835.113.33.323.5
When a student with NDD starts in the school, prerequisites for adequate support are evaluated*12.125.420.612.329.6
Everyday individual adaptations in the classroom and schedule are provided*27.045.715.83.67.9
Support from of personal assistants/supervisors is provided10.929.926.713.818.7
Students receive the individual special education support needed* 18.338.924.712.85.3
Teachers that fit the student are selected for teaching*10.727.719.529.113.0
School rules are adapted to student’s needsd*37.235.314.74.38.5
Students are offered alternative options to demonstrate knowledgee*47.433.85.71.112.0
School offers certain case managementf*14.226.719.38.431.4
Implementation of a structured learning environment
Rules are communicated clearly so that student with NDD understands41.242.16.31.29.2
Routines are an essential part of teaching50.539.35.41.03.8
Clarity and repetition are used in the communication with NDD students33.947.57.31.99.4
Changes to procedures are communicated to NDD student as early as possible30.544.410.32.312.5
School has distraction-free work stations15.825.932.718.86.8
Instructions are short, concrete and stepwise30.849.09.91.98.4
Students are offered organizational aidsg 25.743.613.23.314.2
School uses visualization of schedules and timeh 37.342.110.22.97.5
Individual changes applied to schedule/teaching
Individual support is integrated into whole class teaching*24.143.112.43.816.6
Strategies for handling stressful situations are provided*16.240.319.73.720.1
Students’ interests are integrated in teaching*17.138.821.94.018.2
Development of students’ communication skills in individual and group context*31.339.910.02.716.1
Development of language/communication is always part of the support for students with NDD*27.641.111.52.817.0
Training of students’ social skills in individual and group context*37.136.99.83.712.5
Training of social signals and rules are part of the support for the NDD student*29.539.514.13.313.6
Functional response to behavioral characteristics
Staffs get time to discuss NDD student’s behavior and support plans*22.136.424.98.18.5
NDDs student’s needs are known even outside of the classroom, in the rest of the schooli*18.533.922.37.517,8
School offers space for rest and withdrawal*24.535.523.38.87.9
There are individual crisis plans for challenging situations*15.129.222.313.220.2
Staff discusses how to avoid minor signs of difficulties*47.11.939.85.45.8
Self-regulation techniques, such as reward systems are used in the work with the student*22.637.517.35.617.0
Cooperation with parents
There is mutual exchange of knowledge about the student with NDD between home and school*38.940.46.11.113.5
School uses caregiver’s knowledge to optimize support*43.136.95.40.614.0
Caregivers have access to a specific responsible contact person*45.628.16.12.917.3
There are regular exchanges between caregivers are responsible staff around the student with NDD*46.435.65.92.29.9
Decisions taken around the student are taken together by parents and school*42.737.54.40.315.1
Parents are viewed as experts of their child*31.438.29.82.518.1
Consideration of peer-relations
The school applies programs to develop peer relations14.828.522.915.418.4
NDD students are prepared for unstructured social situations*26.640.215.54.013.7
In case of group-work, the composition of the group takes into account knowledge of the student with NDD*43.736.35.12.912.0
Peers are involved in the social support development for students with NDD*16.231.220.512.519.6
There are selected peers who students with NDD can refer to for help/advice (e.g. mentor systems)*3.48.024.146.218.3
Peers who regularly interact with NDD students are aware of their needs*29.046.210.31.513.0
The student with NDD is viewed an individual with strengths and weaknesses, not merely problems*46.937.19.50.96.5
Students at the school are used to handle diversity*47.041.48.00.82.8
Staff education/professionalism
A support oriented view for students with NDDs is natural in our school*42.136.311.54.06.1
Staff understands that individualized support might be necessary for a given student with NDD*65.925.24.01.43.5
There is regular exchange with external NDD experts*17.429.020.210.123.3
School can provide information about support and treatment of NDDs outside of the school*8.917.016.915.541.7
Responsibilities around the support of NDD students are clear among the personnel*19.437.820.97.914.0
Based on the planned support for NDD students there is regular exchange with other involved professionals*18.132.016.95.527.5
The school staff has basic knowledge of NDDs*24.042.313.93.516.3
Various school staff has advanced knowledge of NDDs*28.131.516.14.320.0
A special education view and related support means are part of the school philosophy for NDD students*28.341.716.13.910.0
Language: English
Page range: 9 - 15
Published on: Jan 29, 2021
Published by: Psychiatric Research Unit
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 1 times per year

© 2021 Sven Bölte, Emma Leifler, Steve Berggren, Anna Borg, published by Psychiatric Research Unit
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.