Special Educational Needs and Support Provisions in Swedish Preschools: A Multiple-Case Study

Abstract

The purpose of this multiple-case study was to investigate the abilities and needs of children in some comprehensive and specialised preschools adopting some form of inclusive education, and to describe the provided support that was designed to enhance children’s participation and learning. Fifty-six children and eight preschools located in four municipalities were enrolled. The data was collected via observations, conversations, interviews and a questionnaire. The abilities of the children varied and the need of support among the children ranged from some needs to high and very high needs. Environmental and interpersonal support was integrated into ongoing activities, routines and plays, both in the comprehensive and specialised preschools. In the specialised preschools, one-on-one training and speech therapy, as well as an extended timeframe, were also provided. The descriptions of the preschool practices are related to national and international discussions concerning the topics of inclusive education and support provisions in preschools.    

Keywords

• Dsability,early childhood; inclusive education; special education needs; support provisions

References

1. Allodi Westling, M. (2007). Child care and pre-schools in Sweden: an overview of practice, tendencies and research. Ricerche di Pedagogia e Didattica, (2), 1-10.
2. Bailey Jr., D. B., Simeonsson, R. J., Buysse, V., & Smith, T. (1993). Reliability of an index of child characteristics. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 35(9), 806-815.
3. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101.
4. Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: experiments by nature and design. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Univ. Press.
5. Bronfenbrenner, U., & Morris, P. A. (1998). The ecology of developmental process. In W. Damon (Series Ed.) & R. M. Lerner (Vol. Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 1. Theoretical models for human development (5th ed., pp. 993-1028). New York: John Wiley.
6. Education Act. (2010:800). Stockholm: Swedish Code of Statutes.
7. Emanuelsson, I., Persson, B., & Rosenqvist, J. (2001). Forskning inom det specialpedagogiska området: en kunskapsöversikt [Research in the field of special education: a review]. Skolverkets monografiserie. Stockholm: Liber.
8. Engstrand Zakirova, R., & Roll-Pettersson, L. (2012). Inclusion of preschool children with autism in Sweden: Attitudes and perceived efficacy of preschool teachers. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs.

9. European Commission. (2013). Support for children with special educational needs (SEN). Retrieved from: http://europa.eu/epic/studies-reports/docs/eaf_policy_brief_-_support_for_sen_children_final_version.pdf
10. Granlund, M., & Roll-Pettersson, L. (2001). The perceived needs of support of parents and classroom teachers - A comparison of needs in two microsystems. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 16(3), 225-244.
11. Guralnick, M. J., Neville, B., Hammond, M. A., & Connor, R. T. (2008). Continuity and change from full-inclusion early childhood programs through the early elementary period. Journal of Early Intervention, 30(3), 237-250.
12. Hanson, M. J., Horn, E., Sandall, S., Beckman, P., Morgan, M., Marquart, J., Barnwell, D., & Chou, H.-Y. (2001). After preschool inclusion: Children’s educational pathways over the early school years. Exceptional Children, 68(1), 65-83.
13. Johnson, R. B., Onwuegbuzie, A. J., & Tumer, L. (2007). Toward a definition of mixed-methods research. Journal of Mixed-methods Research, 1(1), 112-133.
14. Leyser, Y., & Kirk, R. (2004). Evaluating inclusion: An examination of parent views and factors influencing their perspectives. International Journal of Disability,
15. Development and Education, 51(3), 271-285. 1.
16. Lundqvist, J. (2015). Transition patterns after inclusive preschool: The educational pathways of children with and without special educational needs in Sweden. In F. Dovigo, C. Favella, F. Gasparini, A. Pietrocarlo, V. Rocco & E. Zappella (Eds.), Special Education Needs and Inclusive Practices. An International Perspective (pp. 98-102). Bergamo, Italy: University of Bergamo. Retrieved from: http://media.wix.com/ugd/2426da_a912a43c635a418693d7a9a3e7fc3374.pdf
17. Lundqvist, J., Allodi Westling, M., & Siljehag, E. (in press). Characteristics of Swedish preschools that provide education and care to children with special educational needs. European Journal of Special Needs Education.
18. Lutz, K. (2009). Kategoriseringar av barn i förskoleåldern: styrning & administrativa processer. PhD diss., Lund University.
19. Mertens, D. M. (2010). Research and evaluation in education and psychology: integrating diversity with quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. (3rd ed.). Los Angeles: Sage.
20. Nilholm, C., Almqvist, L., Göransson, K., & Lindqvist, G. (2013). Is it possible to get away from disability classifications in education? An empirical investigation of the Swedish system. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, 15(4), 379-
21. Odom, L. S., Vitztum, J., Wolery, R., Lieber, J., Sandall, S., Hanson, M. J., Beckman, P., Schwartz, I., & Horn, E. (2004). Preschool inclusion in the United States: a review of research from an ecological systems perspective. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 4(1), 17-59.
22. Roll-Pettersson, L., Granlund, M., & Steenson, A.-L. (1999). Föräldrars och lärares uppfattningar om behov. [Parents’ and Teachers’ perceptions of needs’. In M. Grandlund, A.-L. Stensson, L. Roll-Pettersson, E. Björk-Åkesson, M. Sundin, &
23. A. Kylen (eds.), Elever med flera funktionsnedsättningar i särskolan : Utbildningens effekter och effektivitet [Pupils with Several Disabilities in the Special Education School – Education and Effects]. Stockholm: ALA Research Foundation, pp. 123–179.
24. Sandall, S., Schwartz, I., & Joseph, G. (2001). A Building Blocks Model for Effective Instruction in Inclusive Early Childhood Settings. Young Exceptional Children, 4(3), 3-9.
25. Sandall, S. R, Schwartz, I. S., Chou, H.-Y., Horn, E., Joseph, G., Lieber, J., Odom, S., Wolery, R., & Hemmeter, M. (2008). Building Blocks for Teaching Preschoolers with Special Needs. (2nd ed.). Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
26. Sandberg, A., Norling, M., & Lillvist. A. (2009). Teachers’ view of educational support to children in need of special support. International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education, 1(2), 102-116.
27. Sandberg, A., Lillvist, A., Eriksson, L., Björck-Åkesson, E., & Granlund, M. (2010). "Special support" in preschools in Sweden: Preschool staff's definition of the construct. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 57(1), 43-57.
28. Schwartz, I. S., Sandall, S. R., Garfinkle, A. N., & Bauer, J. (1998). Outcome for children with autism: Three case studies. Topics in Early Childhood Special education, 18(3), 132-143
29. Siljehag, E. (2007). Igenkännande och motkraft: Förskole- och fritidspedagogikens betydelse för specialpedagogiken – En deltagarorienterad studie [Recognition and Counter power]. PhD diss., Stockholm University.
30. Simeonsson, R. J., & Bailey, D. B. (1991). The ABILITIES Index. Chapel Hill, NC: Frank Porter Graham Development Center, University of North Carolina.
31. Retrieved from: http://fpg.unc.edu/sites/fpg.unc.edu/files/resources/assessments-
32. and-instruments/FPG_AbilitiesIndex.pdf
33. Simeonsson, R.J., Chen, J., & Hu, Y. (1995). Functional assessment of Chinese children with the ABILITIES index. Disability and Rehabilitation, 17(7), 400-410.
34. Simeonsson, R.J. (Personal communication, May 28, 2014). ABILITIES Index: Research Composite Score. Chapel Hill, NC: Frank Porter Graham Development Center, University of North Carolina.
35. Skogman, E. (2004). Funktionshindrade barns lek och aktivitet : En studie av struktur och utförande i förskolan [Disabled children’s play and activity: A study of structure and performance in preschool]. PhD diss., Stockholm University.
36. Soukakou, E.P. (2012). Measuring quality in inclusive preschool classrooms: Development and validation of the inclusive Classroom Profile (ICP). Early childhood Research Quarterly, 27(3), 478-488.
37. Swedish National Agency for Education. (2011). Curriculum for the Preschool Lpfö 1998 Revised 2010. Stockholm: Skolverket. Sweden.
38. Swedish National Agency for Education. (2014). Barn och personal i förskolan hösten
39. [Public national statistics from the Swedish National Agency for Education, 2014]. Stockholm: Skolverket. Sweden.
40. Swedish Research Council. (2011). God forskningssed [Research ethics]. Stockholm: Vetenskapsrådet.
41. Teddlie, C., & Tashakkori, A. (2010). Overview of Contemporary Issues in Mixed Methods Research. In A. Tashakkori, & C. Teddlie (Eds.), Sage handbook of mixed methods in social & behavioural research (pp.1-44). Thousand Oaks:
42. SAGE Publications.
43. United Nations. (2006). Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Retrieved from: http://www.un.org/disabilities/convention/conventionfull.shtmlUnited Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (2009). Policy Guidelines on Inclusion in Education. Paris: UNESCO.
44. World Conference on special needs education: access and quality. 1994. The Salamanca statement and framework for action on special needs education: World Conference on special needs education: access and quality: Salamanca, Spain, 7-10 June 1994. Paris: Unesco, Special Education, Division of Basic Education.Yin, R.K. (2014). Case Study Research: design and methods (5th ed.). London: SAGE.