This study elaborated on the development of school counselor's feelings of self-efficacy in working with students with special needs and how self-efficacy affects school counselor's roles with students with special needs. More specifically, this study addressed a number of topics in researching the impact of pre-service training, experience and in-service training for Professional School Counselors (PSCs) on their feelings of self-efficacy in working with students with special needs. This study will present a historical review of the development of Professional School Counselor roles. In addition, an analysis of the development of comprehensive developmental guidance programs in schools and suggested frameworks was conducted including students with special needs. Also, conducted were reviews of studies conducted with Professional School Counselors (PSCs) regarding their roles with students with special needs, their feelings of preparedness, and their training; and reviews of several studies of counselor education programs in the area of special needs training and experiential opportunities offered. Lastly, the pragmatic and theory base for self-efficacy found in the literature was explored. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between experience with special needs, pre-service education and in-service training regarding students with special needs and counselor's self-efficacy and roles they perform with students with special needs. The research for this study was conducted by survey at the Georgia School Counselor Association's fall conference in Atlanta, Georgia; the South Carolina School Counselor Association's fall conference in Columbia, South Carolina; the North Carolina School Counselor Association's fall conference in Greensboro, North Carolina; and Florida School Counselors on Survey Monkey. The participating states counselors also had access to the survey via the internet based survey service Survey Monkey. 410 PSCs from Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Florida completed the survey. 372 of the surveys met completion criteria and were included in the survey results (N = 372). Results of a factor analysis, a descriptive statistical analysis and a multi-step regression indicated the relationship between the five of the ratings and their combinations of self-efficacy and time spent in performing roles with students with special needs had a statistically significant relationship as measured on the survey. The two types of experience and in-service quality had a statistically significant relationship with the combination rating of self-efficacy as measured on the survey. The research question is: Does pre-service training, in-service training and experience have an impact on professional school counselor's self-efficacy and whether or not they perform a role with children and adolescents with special needs. The following statements are the hypotheses for this research: There is a relationship between the two types of experience as measured by rating on the survey, pre-service training and in-service training as measured by quality and quantity on the survey, their self-efficacy in working with students with special needs as measured on the survey, and the roles that PSCs perform as measured by the frequency that they perform roles on the survey.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur förskollärare och specialpedagoger arbetar och inkluderar barn med särskilda undervisningsbehov i vardagliga situationer. Undersökningsfrågorna är: Vilka är barnen med särskilda behov, enligt förskollärare och specialpedagoger? Hur arbetar förskollärare/specialpedagoger med barn som har särskilda behov för att inkludera dessa barn i lärande? Hur arbetar förskollärare/specialpedagoger med barn som har särskilda behov för att inkludera dessa barn i vardagliga situationer? och Vad är specialpedagogernas roll i arbetet med stöd för barn med särskilda behov? Genom en kvalitativ metod har vi gjort både semistrukturerade och strukturerade intervjuer med sju förskollärare och två specialpedagoger från två olika kommuner. Utifrån det relationella perspektivet, kategoriska perspektivet och det sociokulturella perspektivet har vi analyserat det insamlade datamaterialet och bildat fyra olika teman. Resultat och slutsatser visar att särskilda behov oftast förknippas med diagnoser eller andra svårigheter. Metoder och arbetssätt är bildstöd, tecken och noggrann planering. Specialpedagogen roll är att vara ett stöd och nya infallsvinklar för att barnet ska få en likgiltig tid på förskolan.

Denna uppsats tar upp ämnet inkludering av elever i skolan. Det ämnet är i dag en högst aktuellt fråga. För att förstå vad inkludering innebär tar jag del av hur inkluderingen har sett ut historiskt och hur det har förändrats under tid. Arbetssättet i skolorna för elever med särskilda behov är att de mer och mer ska inkluderas i klasserna. I essän reflekterar jag över hur jag arbetar med inkludering och jag tar hjälpa av olika etiska teorier. Skollagen föreskriver att elever ska få sitt stöd inom den elevgrupp de tillhör. Syftet och målet att alla elever ska inkluderas är bra, men många gånger leder det till en viss exkludering av eleven istället. Elever klarar inte alltid av kraven som blir i ett stort sammanhang, som en klassrums situation innebär och det kan påverka elevens kunskapsutveckling. Som min arbetssituation ser ut idag dras jag mellan den enskilde eleven och resten av gruppen, så hur kan jag hantera dessa situationer som pedagog? / This essay focuses on the subject of including all pupils in the classroom. It is a relevant topic in today’s school politics. To be able to understand the concept of including all pupils in the classroom, I have studied the topic from a historical perspective, as well as how it has changed over time. Pupils with special needs are today supposed to be a part of a class in almost every school. In my essay I reflect over my own experience and different ethnical theories. Due to the school law every pupil is entitled to the necessary support in their class. The intention is good but sometimes it leads to exclusion of the student instead. Some pupils find it hard to cope with the classroom situation and that can affect their learning journey in a negative way. In my own profession I am torn between the pupil with special needs and the class; how can I handle these situations in the best possible way?

During the past few years, mainstream education has become more and more inclusive all over the world. This fact calls for effective teaching methods, supporting the participation and learning of all the students in a class. Such methods are the ones that occupy peer-mediated learning and methods related to them. This study aims to investigate strategies of interventions involving peer-mediated learning between children in need of special educational support and typically developing children 3-12 years of age and their effects on them. In order to achieve that, a systematic literature review was conducted, for which five databases were researched. Eight articles came up, each describing a different strategy occupying peer-mediated learning or a strategy related to it, which had multiple benefits for the participating children on engagement, social and cognitive level. Further research is needed, though, to address the gaps in literature.

The aim with this study was to see how a few teachers with experience of young students with ADHD looks upon the need of special support through ICT and from which perspective of special needs education the support is formed. I related the informants’ answers about their views on special needs support based on a relational and categorical perspective and came to the conclusion that all of the informants uses a bit of both depending on each individual students needs. Therefor I could see that the dilemma perspective is current in schools today. The most important need for the students with ADHD in general is, according to the informants, structure and routine. The result from this study also shows that general knowledge about ICT is lacking and needs to increase. This could in most cases be explained by the schools economic resources as that partly prevent purchase of new and more equipment but also forces the school to keep larger groups of students in each class. This leads to less time for the teacher to learn about how and when ICT can be used. When asked if or how ICT could work as an asset for the students with ADHD in their studies, all of the informants said that it could be used mainly as motivation for the students to keep focus but is not seen as a tool only for those in need of special support but acts as motivation for all students, with or without diagnosis. In general ICT is viewed as a complement to the ordinary education and all of the informants points out the importance of letting go of these artifacts once in a while to actually see what surrounds them and that it is important to know the purpose of its use.

Inclusion recognises the diversity of people and aims to use these differences as advantages. Since the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2009 there have been changes to the educational system in Germany; children with special needs are now attending general schools. This change has developed complex debate in societies discourse and the media. It has highlighted the need for changes within the education sector that support inclusion and allow all students to participate on their level. Within the field of Outdoor Education, learning contains practical and theoretical approaches, all senses should be used and emphasis is placed on students learning from experiences. Those learning methods are particularly well adapting for children with special needs as special education works with direct learning approaches. The place of learning is a key element within Outdoor Education and learning can take place outside the classroom in urban or rural environments. In order to determine if Outdoor Education has the potential to increase inclusion of children with special needs, a study in a German primary school was conducted. The study focused on a single class whilst they participated in mathematics lessons. Interactions were observed between students and teachers during indoor and outdoor lessons; follow-up interviews with students and teachers were made. The findings presented participation of all children while learning outside the classroom. In particular children with special needs showed an increased sense of achievement and a higher level of motivation and concentration in the outdoor lessons due to the fact that they were able to contribute to the exercises. The presented findings show that Outdoor Education has a meaningful potential in order to increase inclusion in German schools.

Epidemiologic surveillance indicates an increased susceptibility to obesity among children with special health care needs (SHCN) in comparison to children without. The present study investigated this disparity in weight severity between both groups, with a focus on the provision of obesity management counseling by physicians. This study consisted of a retrospective medical record review that acknowledged the effect of patient-provider interactions on health behaviors and risk perceptions. An independent sample t test compared the incidence of clinician-initiated obesity management counseling received by children with SHCN to that which was received by children without SHCN. This t test revealed a statistically significant difference between the weight management frequency received by youth with SHCN (M = 1.0, SD =.46498) and the weight management frequency received by youth without SHCN (M = 2.0, SD = .74975), t(100) = 7.826, p = .000, α =.05 over a 2-year timeframe. Bivariate correlation analysis validated a correlation between weight severity among children with SHCN and the incidence of clinician-initiated obesity management counseling. The results indicated a small but significant association between weight severity and weight management frequency among children with SHCN, r(50) = .287, p = .044, α =.05. These results support the need for a transformation in the delivery of preventive health services for children with SHCN, such as providing clinician-based obesity management strategies and increasing access to validated diagnosis-specific preventive health screening tools. These results promote positive social change by informing efforts to improve health outcomes and decrease health disparities experienced by people with SHCN.

<p><strong>Abstrakt</strong></p><p>Studien behandlar begreppskunskap inom området positionssystemet hos elever i matematiksvårigheter. Undersökningen har gjorts i årskurs 4 och omfattar naturliga tal avseende tiobassystemet.</p><p>Studien består av en kvantitativ undersökning och en kvalitativ del med intervjuer.</p><p>Resultatet av studien har organiserats i tre områden som har betydelse för individens utveckling av matematiska begrepp. Talområdet 1-10, talsystemets uppbyggnad samt förståelsen av stora tal.</p><p>Av resultatet framgår att förståelse av ett begrepp kan vara mer ytlig än den ser ut att vara. Brister i grundläggande begreppsförståelse kan leda till att räknesvårigheter uppstår. Svårigheter är bland annat begreppen talsort och platsvärde, särskilt i stora tal.</p><p><em>Sökord:</em> begrepp, matematiksvårigheter, positionssystemet, schema, specialundervisning, tiobassystemet.</p> / <p><strong>Abstract</strong></p><p>The study deals with the conceptual knowledge in the positional system for pupils with mathematical difficulties. The investigation was conducted in grade four and includes natural numbers for the ten-base system.<strong></strong></p><p>The study consists of a quantitative survey and a quality part with interviews.</p><p>The result of the study has been organized into three areas which have importance to the development of mathematical concepts for individuals. The number field 1-10, rules for the building of system of numbers and the understanding of large numbers.</p><p>The result shows that the understanding of a concept may be more superficial then it appears to be. Deficiency in basic conceptual understanding can lead to numeracy problems. The difficulties included the concepts place-value and magnitude of number, especially in large numbers.</p><p> </p><p><em>Keywords:</em> concept, mathematical difficulties, positional system, schema, special needs education, ten-base system.</p>

Tyrimo aktualumas. Kiekvienas vaikas turi teisę į mokslą. Šią teisę užtikrina Lietuvos Respublikos Konstitucija, Lietuvos Respublikos Švietimo įstatymas, Specialiojo ugdymo įstatymas ir kiti teisės aktai, tačiau kai kurie vaikai gali susidurti su šios teisės pažeidimais ir sunkumais. Įgyvendinant specialiųjų ugdymo(si) poreikių mokinių integraciją į bendrojo lavinimo mokyklas, būtina siekti, kad šių mokinių teisės į mokslą nebūtų pažeistos, užtikrinant visiems mokiniams lygias mokymosi galimybes, vadovaujantis principu ,,mokykla visiems“. Magistro darbe siekiama išsiaiškinti, kokias teises specialiųjų ugdymo(si) poreikių mokiniai turi bendrojo lavinimo mokykloje ir kaip jos įgyvendinamos, su kokiomis problemomis susiduriama, kurios apribotų šių mokinių teises į mokslą. Tyrimo objektas - specialiųjų ugdymo(si) poreikių mokinių teisių į mokslą įgyvendinimas. Tyrimo tikslas - išsiaiškinti specialiųjų ugdymo(si) poreikių mokinių teisių į mokslą įgyvendinimo problemas. Tyrimo metodika. Tyrimas atliktas anketinės apklausos metodu. Parengtos dvi anketos: pedagogams pusiau uždaro tipo anketa ir specialiųjų ugdymo(si) poreikių mokiniams uždaro tipo anketa. Tyrime dalyvavo 92 aukštesniųjų klasių bendrojo lavinimo pedagogai ir 100 (4 - 10 klasių) specialiųjų ugdymo(si) poreikių mokiniai, integruoti į bendrojo lavinimo klases. Anketinės apklausos metodu tirta, ar pedagogai turi pakankamai kompetencijų ugdyti specialiųjų ugdymo(si) poreikių mokinius, koks bendraklasių požiūris šių... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The urgency of the research. Every child has the right to study. Although this right is based on the Constitution the Education Act of the Republic of Lithuania the Special Education Law and other laws, some of the children still face difficulties and offences of this right. While integrating pupils with special needs into the secondary schools of general education it is very important to strive not to offend this right and guarantee equal possibilities for all the children to study following the principle “school for all”. This paper for Master’s Degree aims to find out what rights pupils with special needs have in a secondary school of general education and how they are implemented, what problems are faced, and what limits the right of a pupil having special needs to get appropriate education. The main subject of the research: the problems faced while integrating pupils with special needs into the secondary schools and implementing their right to study. The objective of the research: analyse the problems of implementing the right. The approach. The research was done using the method of quistionaires. There were 2 quistionaires prepared: a semi closed type of a questionnaire for the teachers and a closed type of a questionnaire for the pupils having special needs. 92 teachers and 100 students with special needs (from the 4th to the 10th forms) integrated into the ordinary classrooms general education schools participated in the research. The research investigated teachers... [to full text]

Darbe atlikta teorinė pedagogo kompetencijos sampratos; pedagogo kompetencijos analizė jos rengimo kontekste; bendrojo lavinimo mokyklų SUP turinčių mokinių ugdymosi poreikių tenkinimo analizė. Anketinės apklausos metodu buvo atliktas tyrimas, kurio tikslas - atskleisti pedagogų kompetencijų struktūrą ir plėtojimo galimybes, ugdant specialiųjų ugdymosi poreikių turinčius vaikus. Atlikta statistinė duomenų analizė. Tyrime dalyvavo 203 Marijampolės apskrities pedagogai, dirbantys su specialiųjų ugdymosi poreikių turinčiais mokiniais. Empirinėje dalyje nagrinėjama pedagogo kompetencijos ypatumai, dirbant su specialiųjų ugdymosi poreikių turinčiais vaikais; pedagogų nuostatos į specialiųjų ugdymosi poreikių turinčių vaikų ugdymą ir profesinį tobulėjimą šioje srityje. Svarbiausios empirinio tyrimo išvados: 1. Pastarųjų metų pasikeitimai visos Lietuvos gyvenime diktuoja ir naujus reikalavimus pedagogo kompetencijai. Pedagogų nuomone, nepakanka, kad tobulėtų žinios, mokėjimai ir įgūdžiai, reikia, kad jis pats gebėtų keistis: nuo orientacijos į teorines žinias į vyksmą ir veikimą darant poveikį, kartu mokantis ir kuriant. 2. Apibendrinant tyrimo duomenis galima teigti, kad apklaustųjų pedagogų nuomone, mokyklose kol kas nepakankama ugdymo kokybė, švietimo įstaigų aplinka nėra palanki mokymuisi nei fizine nei psichologine prasme. Švietimo finansavimo modeliai kol kas negarantuoja visiško specialiojo ugdymo paslaugų suteikimo kokybės, ypač bendrojo lavinimo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Thesis includes theoretical analysis of educator‘s competence definition; analysis of educator‘s competence in the context of its training; analysis of meeting the requirements of educational needs of pupils with special needs at secondary school. Questionnaire survey method was used in the research with the aim to reveal the structure and development potential of teacher’s competencies in teaching children with special educational needs. There was done the statistical analysis of the data. The study involved 203 teachers in Marijampole County who work with children with special educational needs. Empirical chapter includes the discussions about characteristics of teacher competence; teachers‘ attitudes towards education of children with special educational needs and teachers‘ professional developement in this area. The main conclusions of the research: 1. Summary of the problems of teacher training highlights the fact that current changes in the life of the whole Lithuania bring new requirements for teacher competence. In their opinion, there is not enough to gain knowledge and to develope abilities and skills; teacher must be able to change from the orientation to theoretical knowledge into practical aktivities that affect the child and develope the ability to learn and to create. 2. Summary of the data of the research, according to the opinion of teachers who participated in the survey, shows the lack of education quality; the educational... [to full text]