The purpose of this study is to investigate how five educators define the concepts of inclusion and children in need of special support. The purpose is also to see in what way they in the discursive practice design an inclusive curriculum. The research questions posed were: 1) in what way do educators define the concept of children in need of special support, 2) in what way do educators speak when describing an inclusive preschool and 3) in what way do educators design an inclusive curriculum based on their understanding of the definition of children in need of special support. To answer these questions, we have used a qualitative method where we conducted observations and interviews. The study was based on post structural theory. We analyzed the results based on the educators' linguistic expressions and definitions. The conclusions in this study showed that educators have similar definitions of the concept of inclusion and children in need of special support. Some of these definitions concern children with diagnoses and children without, children with difficulty, special children, children who run away, children who do not follow instructions, children with various physical and cognitive barriers. Furthermore, the results showed that all participants believe that the environment is the most important factor in creating an inclusive curriculum thusly that it is the environment that should be adapted to the child and not the child to the environment.

<p>The purpose of this study is to find whether there is any truth in the thesis that adopted children from abroad is in greater need of special support, in particular regarding factors that might inhibit the language development that may cause language problems.</p><p>To achieve knowledge for this study, the methods have been to seek and analyze literature that discusses theories about language development and language socialization. To understand if theory and reality is cohesive, two interviews was conducted with special teachers that have had experiences teaching adopted children, analyzes of the results contra literature has been somewhat important and necessary. To ensure the reliability the interviews was recorded on tape and later transcribed.</p><p>The results from literature studies indicates that adopted children are more likely to be in need of special support in school due to factors concerning, among other things, adaptation difficulties, language progress and identity. Overall, language progress is depended on children’s total progress that includes physical, emotional and psychological condition. The results of the interviews agree in many aspects and outline the importance of giving such adopted children correct and individual support.</p><p>The conclusions of this study is that adopted children from abroad can, in some cases, be in need of special support in school, but not necessarily just because they are adopted. Language socialization explains how a language is learned and used and in that sense, it’s very important to be aware of the responsibility you have as a teacher to overview large spread of individuals and their progress.</p>

The purpose of this study is to find whether there is any truth in the thesis that adopted children from abroad is in greater need of special support, in particular regarding factors that might inhibit the language development that may cause language problems. To achieve knowledge for this study, the methods have been to seek and analyze literature that discusses theories about language development and language socialization. To understand if theory and reality is cohesive, two interviews was conducted with special teachers that have had experiences teaching adopted children, analyzes of the results contra literature has been somewhat important and necessary. To ensure the reliability the interviews was recorded on tape and later transcribed. The results from literature studies indicates that adopted children are more likely to be in need of special support in school due to factors concerning, among other things, adaptation difficulties, language progress and identity. Overall, language progress is depended on children’s total progress that includes physical, emotional and psychological condition. The results of the interviews agree in many aspects and outline the importance of giving such adopted children correct and individual support. The conclusions of this study is that adopted children from abroad can, in some cases, be in need of special support in school, but not necessarily just because they are adopted. Language socialization explains how a language is learned and used and in that sense, it’s very important to be aware of the responsibility you have as a teacher to overview large spread of individuals and their progress.

Inkludering är ett världsomspännande koncept att sträva efter i skolundervisningen men kan detta uppnås när undervisningen inte kan göras lika för alla? För att få en bättre bild över var dagens forskning är på väg angående specialpedagogiska behov och inkludering har vi studerat en mängd artiklar, rapporter och avhandlingar, nationella som internationella. Utmaningen för dagens och morgondagens lärare är att förutom att kraven på att en likvärdig utbildning ska uppnås förväntas lärarna även ta hänsyn till allas unika förutsättningar och behov. Detta då lärarna ska möta ett ökat antal elever med inlärningsproblem och dilemmat hur de ska inkluderas eller exkluderas från klassrummet. Den här studien ger läsaren en idé om det dilemma skolor runt världen försöker lösa och resultaten pekar på att ytterligare forskning är nödvändig eftersom vi inte kan lösa dagens och morgondagens problem med gårdagens metoder. / Inclusion is a worldwide concept to thrive for but is this possible when education is impossible to make equal for everybody? To get a better look on where the contemporary research is heading about special pedagogical needs and inclusion we have studied a range of articles, reports and dissertations, national as well as international. The challenge of the teachers of today and tomorrow apart from the demand to achieve equal education is to take into consideration every pupil individual differences and needs. This when teachers are facing an increasing number of pupils with learning disabilities and the dilemma is how to include or exclude them from the classroom. This study gives the reader an idea about the dilemma schools around the world are trying to solve and the results are pointing at that further research is necessary as we cannot solve the problems of today and the future with the methods of yesterday.

The purpose of this study was to describe and analyses educators’ experiences of reflective conversations in their teams and part of teams in relation to their work with pupils in need of special support. Ten educators representing ten different teams have been interviewed since all had experiences of working in teams and working with pupils in need of special support. Focus has been on the educators’ experiences of the organisation, the effects of the reflections and the need to develop the reflective conversations in their teams and part of teams. The result showed that only a few of the educators described an organisation of the reflective conversations in their teams that met the conditions recent research point out as a way to use reflective conversations as a tool for development. These educators reached a deeper level of analysis and critical approach than the other teams which led to an improvement of their work with pupils in need of special support. The majority of the educators described reflective conversations with parts of their teams that content analysis and critical reflection. These reflective conversations led to development of their work with pupils in need of special support despite the fact that these reflective conversations showed a lack of organisation. All of the educators were aware of the need to improve the reflective conversations to achieve development of the educational practice, especially those in their teams. A conclusion was that reflective conversations in teams or part of teams can be a tool in the process of developed the work with pupils in need of special support provided that the conditions for the organisation were met and that there was a systematic reflection on high level.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how the term "pupils in need of special support" is defined in Swedish central policy documents. The essay is based on a social constructive contribute knowledge about the term’s definition and interpretation with support in a range of scientific texts. The method for achieving the purpose based on qualitative textual analysis of Skollagen 2010:800, Läroplan för grundskolan, förskoleklassen och fritidshemmet- Lgr 11, Salamancadeklarationen and analysis of the result of three scientific studies.Neither Skollagen 2010:800 nor Lgr 11 gives a clear definition of the term “pupils in need of special support”. The Salamanca declaration defines the term as necessary due to either a disability or some form of learning difficulty. None of the analyzed policy documents provide a specific definition of who is considered to be in need of special educational needs. In the scientific studies, it is clear that the definition of “pupils in need of special support” in central policy documents is unclear. There are no clear guidelines as to which persons are considered to be in need of special support. The interpretation of the term is placed on the individual school or teacher. / Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka hur begreppet ”elever i behov av särskilt stöd” definieras i svenska centrala styr- och policydokument. Uppsatsen ska med utgångspunkt i ett socialkonstruktivistiskt perspektiv bidra med kunskap om begreppets definition och tolkning i dokumenten med stöd i ett urval vetenskapliga texter. Metoden för att uppnå syftet bygger på kvalitativ textanalys av Skollagen 2010:800, Läroplan för grundskolan, förskoleklassen och fritidshemmet, Lgr 11 och Salamancadeklarationen, samt analys av resultatet från tre vetenskapliga studier.Varken Skollagen 2010:800 eller Lgr 11 ger någon tydlig definition på begreppet ”elever i behov av särkilt stöd”. Salamancadeklarationen definierar begreppet som behov som beror på antingen ett funktionshinder eller någon form för inlärningssvårighet. Ingen av de analyserade styr- och policydokumenten ger någon specifik definition av vilka som anses vara i behov av särkilt stöd.I de vetenskapliga studierna framgår det att definitionen av begreppet ”elever i behov av särkilt stöd” i centrala styr- och policydokumenten är otydlig. Det finns inga tydliga riktlinjer för vilka personer som anses vara i behov av särkilt stöd. Tolkningen av begreppet läggs på den enskilde, skola eller lärare.

This report is going to discuss the relatively new and in schools, frequently debated concept of inclusion. The concept inclusion, easily explained means that all children, regardless of special needs or other conditions should be involved in the schools ordinary environment. In the democratic school of today, the education is supposed to be adapted to every individual and its special needs. The dilemma of the special need education is described as giving all children the same, but at the same time adapt to each and everyone’s differences. This study describes the teachers approach to the concept of inclusion and especially the inclusion of children in need of special support. And the teachers experience of possible advantages and disadvantages in their work to include all children. The method’s that were used to collect the empirical information to this report were qualitative interviews. The questions at issue were: How do the teachers include children in need of special support in the education? The teachers experiences of advantages and disadvantages in the way they work whit inclusion Partly for the children in need of special support Partly for the teachers Partly for the rest of the class

The overall aim of this thesis is to increase our knowledge of different occupational groups´ views on work with children in need of special support. This is explored in four separate studies. The first study investigates the views of occupational groups in preschools and schools in one municipality. A questionnaire was handed out to all personnel (N=1297) in the municipality in 2008 (72.5 % response rate). The second study explores the views of educational leaders (N=45) in the same municipality. Questionnaire # 2 was distributed in 2009. All the educational leaders responded to the questionnaire. The third study describes the views of different occupational groups concerning special educational needs coordinators´ (SENCOs) role and work. This was highlighted by comparing responses from questionnaire #1 and # 2. Responses concerning SENCOs´ work were also added using a third questionnaire. This questionnaire was handed out in 2006 to chief education officers (N=290) in all municipalities in Sweden. The response rate was 90.3%. Finally, the fourth study presents five head teachers´ descriptions of their work with special needs issues. Study four was a follow-up study of questionnaire # 2. These head teachers were selected because of their inclusive values and because they seemed to be effective according to certain criteria. They were interviewed in January 2012. The results reveal a number of interesting findings. For example, there are both similar and different views among the occupational groups concerning work with children in need of special support. A majority of the respondents in all groups state that children´s individual deficiencies is one common reason why children need special support in preschools/schools. Differences between the occupational groups become especially visible regarding their views of SENCOs‟ work. Critical pragmatism (Cherryholmes, 1988) is applied as a theoretical point of departure. Skrtic´s (1991) critical reading and analysis of special education relative to general education is specifically used to interpret and discuss the outcome of the studies. Additionally, Abbott´s (1988) reasoning concerning the “division of expert labor” is used to discuss the occupational groups´ replies concerning “who should do what to whom”. The findings in the studies are contextualized and theoretically interpreted in the separate articles. However in the first part of this thesis (in Swedish: Kappa), the theoretical interpretations of the empirical outcome are discussed in more detail and the results are further contextualized and synthesised. Inclusion and premises for inclusive education are also discussed in more depth in the first part of the present thesis.

The overall aim of this thesis is to increase our knowledge of different occupational groups´ views on work with children in need of special support. This is explored in four separate studies. The first study investigates the views of occupational groups in preschools and schools in one municipality. A questionnaire was handed out to all personnel (N=1297) in the municipality in 2008 (72.5 % response rate). The second study explores the views of educational leaders (N=45) in the same municipality. Questionnaire # 2 was distributed in 2009. All the educational leaders responded to the questionnaire. The third study describes the views of different occupational groups concerning special educational needs coordinators´ (SENCOs) role and work. This was highlighted by comparing responses from questionnaire #1 and # 2. Responses concerning SENCOs´ work were also added using a third questionnaire. This questionnaire was handed out in 2006 to chief education officers (N=290) in all municipalities in Sweden. The response rate was 90.3%. Finally, the fourth study presents five head teachers´ descriptions of their work with special needs issues. Study four was a follow-up study of questionnaire # 2. These head teachers were selected because of their inclusive values and because they seemed to be effective according to certain criteria. They were interviewed in January 2012. The results reveal a number of interesting findings. For example, there are both similar and different views among the occupational groups concerning work with children in need of special support. A majority of the respondents in all groups state that children´s individual deficiencies is one common reason why children need special support in preschools/schools. Differences between the occupational groups become especially visible regarding their views of SENCOs‟ work. Critical pragmatism (Cherryholmes, 1988) is applied as a theoretical point of departure. Skrtic´s (1991) critical reading and analysis of special education relative to general education is specifically used to interpret and discuss the outcome of the studies. Additionally, Abbott´s (1988) reasoning concerning the “division of expert labor” is used to discuss the occupational groups´ replies concerning “who should do what to whom”. The findings in the studies are contextualized and theoretically interpreted in the separate articles. However in the first part of this thesis (in Swedish: Kappa), the theoretical interpretations of the empirical outcome are discussed in more detail and the results are further contextualized and synthesised. Inclusion and premises for inclusive education are also discussed in more depth in the first part of the present thesis.

Inclusion enable children with special needs pursue their education or activities with their peers who are not disabled. Participation of children can be promoted by inclusion. Teachers are key for developing inclusive schools and improve the participation of children with special needs. The aim of this study is to describe strategies teachers use to facilitate participation of children in need of special supports in three ‘inclusive schools’ in Finland. To study this issue, interviews were conducted with eight participants from these three schools. The ICF-CY model was used to analyze the interview data. Results show that teachers’ strategies of promoting children’s participation in these Finnish ‘inclusive’ schools are diverse, teachers use strategies that focus on children’s environmental factors as well as factors that relate to children themselves. Most of teachers believe strategies that make changes on children environmental factors can help children participate in classroom tasks and activities. Some factors to influence difference of the strategies in different schools were found, different school situations and seems to be a decisive role on teachers’ strategies of improving the participation of the children. This study gives a promising view of the actions that teachers take to promote participation of children in need of special support.