bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Understanding and managing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: the perspective from educational psychology
Authors: Connor M.J. , Epting C. , Freeland R. , Halliwell S. , Cameron R.J. 
Published: January 2023

AbstractOver the past decade, the level of interest in UK children with Attention Deficit Disorder has increased exponentially. This has not only been reflected in the number of articles on the topic which have appeared in professional journals for psychologists, but also in medical and psychological research where a number of issues relating to the identification and management of ADHD have been clarified. Like many problem areas for children and young people, there has been disagreement about the nature of ADHD and controversy about the help which should be provided for these children. In response to the concerns of parents, as well as supporting professionals in the Education Service, a small working group of educational psychologists was set up to review the literature, identify resulting implications and produce guidelines for good practice for Surrey education staff. The resulting ‘Guidelines’ which closely resemble the recommendations of the recently-published report from The British Psychological Society Council have now become County policy.
Getting it all together: developing a forum for a multi-agency approach to assessing and treating ADHD
Authors: Keen D.V. , Olurin-Lynch J. , Venables K. 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThis paper describes the process of combining the perspectives of practitioners from the fields of child medicine, child psychiatry and educational psychology, to develop a multi-agency forum addressing the needs of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Doncaster, in common with elsewhere in the UK, has experienced a considerable increase in referrals for ADHD. Each professional group had begun separately to consider the implications of this trend for its own and other services. This paper describes the attempt of some of these professionals to draw together separate practice into a more unified whole within an ADHD Forum. We do this by discussing some of the difficulties we came across, outlining the current shape that the multiagency initiative has taken and speculating as to the Forum’s future development. We address the many issues that arise from working together, having discovered more questions than answers in the initial months. We are clear that there is a considerable amount of learning to do; simply writing this paper has led to the answering of some important questions, questions that have arisen because the different professions operate separately most of the time.
Inspection of children’s residential care
Authors: Morgan Roger 
Published: January 2023

AbstractChildren’s homes and boarding schools are mainly inspected under the provision of the Children Act, 1989. Monitoring may also include notifications of significant events, management visits and information from complaints and child protection investigations. Inspection comprises gathering, corroborating and evaluating information against declared welfare standards, leading to inspection reports, recommendations and, occasionally, enforcement action. Welfare provision is also significantly influenced by availability of known standards, establishments’ own review in preparation for inspections, cross-fertilization of inspectors’ ideas, and provision of advice by inspection units. Inspection uses a range of inspection methods, which may include the use of questionnaires for comparison with normative data, and assessments by lay persons. Inspections generally progress from general evaluation to consideration of particular emerging issues, balancing factual information and professional judgement, until the level of corroboration balances the amount of new issues in the information being gained. Key issues from inspections include: staff recruitment checks, bullying and its countermeasures, child protection, discipline, who children take personal problems to, and in special settings, restraint and therapeutic provision.Personal social services inspection is currently under national review. An inspection should be regarded as a spot-check, which contributes significantly to child welfare and protection, but cannot in itself ensure sound practice.
To be or not to be residential
Authors: Peake Anne , Walker Chris 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThere can often be tensions at the interface between Social Services Departments and Education Departments in Local Authorities. One point at which tensions are frequently most focused, is when decisions have to be made to place a young person in a residential setting, away from home. What is needed is close interagency cooperation to offer parents and children the best placement possible for clear reasons at what is a most difficult time for families.This paper looks at why tensions between the two departments arise about residential placements. The history of the use of residential provision by Social Services and Education may go some way to accounting for differences in perspectives. The current pressures on Local Authorities to improve standards, devolve control and reduce spending create pressures on agencies. The authors argue that while the basis on which each department makes decisions are not clear and changing, then there will be interagency tensions where there should be cooperation. Clarifying the criteria which are used to make decisions to place young people away from home may be one way forward. Some criteria are proposed for consideration
Shall we ask the children?
Authors: Campbell Lesley 
Published: January 2023

AbstractShort-term services for disabled children have expanded rapidly over the last 20 years. These services have come to be seen as a right of parents. Children are not always consulted about arrangements which typically involve repeated separations and have a tendency to confirm the disabled child as a burden on their family.There is a role for psychologists in devising systems and materials that would help children, parents and service providers prepare for and evaluate the impact of short-term care.
Exploring the links between communication skills and social competence
Authors: Farmer Marion 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThis paper focuses on the development of communicative competence and its importance in facil-Hating the child’s social interaction and social acceptance. The relationship between social competence and communicative competence in normally developing children and in children with specific language impairment (SLI) is discussed and some results of a five-year longitudinal study of the social, educational and communicative development of eight children with SLI are reviewed. Significant variability between the children in this group in their levels of social competence appears to be related to their linguistic competence. However, social acceptance is also found to vary according to situation.
The place of ‘race’ and ethnicity in the lives of children and young people
Authors: Phoenix Ann 
Published: January 2023

AbstractMany studies show that black and other minority children tend not to fare as well as children from the white majority in terms of educational qualifications and experiences of racial and ethnic discrimination. Gender and social class intersect with ‘race’ and ethnicity to affect life chances. While issues of ‘race’ and ethnicity are all too often ignored in psychological work and practice, there are some practitioners who (like Tim Jewell) are concerned to make the services they provide anti-oppressive and who want to avoid the reproduction of practices which are implicitly racially and ethnically discriminatory. Understandings of the impact of ‘race’ and ethnicity on children’s lives and on professional practice are essential if successful strategies for the promotion of equality are to be devised within educational and child psychology.This paper discusses ‘race’ and ethnicity as they impact on the lives of children and young people and examines their implications for professional practice. The main argument of the paper is that, even in early childhood, ‘race’ and ethnicity are features of everyday life. As a result, they are also part of professional-client transactions (even if implicitly so). There are, however, no single, correct and easy ways in which discrimination, ‘race’ and ethnicity in practice can be dealt with. However, practitioners who struggle with the complexities of anti-oppressive practices are also those who are likely to subject their work and ideas to scrutiny and self-examination and, hence, are likely to employ good practices. Approaches which attempt to be ‘blind’ to ‘race’ and ethnicity are argued to be inappropriate.
An analysis of the organisational constraints on educational psychologists working at whole school level: The opportunity of inclusion
Authors: Stratford Robert 
Published: January 2023

Educational psychologists have long promulgated the advantages of working at the level of the whole school. Their evangelising has been complemented by the classic research from Rutter to Reynolds demonstrating that schools have an effect on pupils beyond social and community influences, and that schools can be helped to become more effective, to improve, to succeed against the odds. Most recently ‘primary prevention’ has been proposed as the priority concern of school psychologists, rather than screening or treatment alone.These findings imply it would be negligent of EPs NOT to work – for the benefit of pupils – at the whole school level but examination of service level statements and typical performance indicators for EPs give a different picture. EPs do not spend much time working with schools as organisations, and are apparently constrained to concentrate mainly on individual approaches, with only occasional forays into group work or INSET. Why is this?Taking as a premise that national moves towards inclusion and inclusive practices present a very realistic opportunity for work with whole schools, a survey among 75 self-selected EPs was carried out to identify what strengths (current skills) services already have for working at this level, but also their weaknesses (training needs). Most crucially the respondent EPs were also asked to list threats (constraints on practice), the presence of which might explain why whole-school work was not common among EP services. The concluding section of this paper summarises these constraints and suggests ways for psychological service organisations to overcome them.
Study support for young people with same-sex attraction – views and experiences from a pioneering peer support initiative in the north of England
Authors: Crowley Colm , Hallam Susan , Harré Rom , Lunt Ingrid 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThere has been a significant lack of accessible, appropriate and freely available support for lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) young people facing challenges and hostility at school and in their personal lives. In response to this, LGB youth groups have been developing throughout Britain in recent years. This paper reports preliminary findings of part of the first phase of an empirical study conducted at a recently established voluntary sector peer support project (PSP) in the north of England. Our aim was to elicit the views and experiences of the participants regarding the need for support and the nature of the support offered. Meanings being fundamental in this, interpretative phenomenology was the methodology adopted to gain access to them. Viewpoints were sought from a range of people both seeking and offering support at the project. With the aim of eliciting accounts of a narrative type, depth interviews were conducted using an unstructured conversational approach; documentation on the project was also examined. Procedures for computer-assisted qualitative data analysis were applied using QSR NVivo software. To convey some of the narrative richness of the data relevant to education, we focus in this paper on the relatively small number of respondents who, from the various forms of support offered at the PSP, used the Study Club. Key issues revealed in respondents’ narratives centre on the marked disruption to their education that resulted from harassment received at school; the inadequacy of such support as was available for them within schools; support received from their parents; and how the Study Club helped them.
A multidisciplinary approach to working with autistic children
Authors: Raffin Cinzia 
Published: January 2023

AbstractSeparate disciplines in isolation are unlikely to succeed with the complex condition known as autism: each discipline can provide only a partial answer to the many questions this condition raises. This paper will try and draw on the disciplines involved in treating autism, as well as analysing how they interact synchronically and diachronically. A new multidisciplinary epistemology is needed to develop a shared project to work for children with autism. It defines common goals and a common language based on knowledge and sharing of state of the art, on technical contents and methodologies, on procedures and on ethical principles. All this must be a consistent approach throughout the various settings and stages of the autistic child’s life.
Addressing system failures for children with autism
Authors: Tissot Catherine , Bovell Virginia , Thomas Su 
Published: January 2023

AbstractPolicy on the provision of education and care for children with autism, and their families, often refers to the importance of parent-professional partnerships and multiagency working. In practice, however, there are structural obstacles to both. Parents’ crucial role is often minimised, while agencies are not provided with appropriate incentives to make policy work in practice. Well-meaning social agencies and government groups in theory support many of the initiatives of parents. In practice, the day-to-day realities of financial and social policies limit their ability to include children with autism. Often, this becomes a negative incentive for schools and local education authorities (LEAs) to provide adequate support to ensure success in the least restrictive environment. The authors propose a model based on the National Health Service (NHS) and Community Care Act, whereby care managers have the ability to pool resources and target the package to the needs of the individual with autism. This would better meet the needs of the autistic population, as well as supporting local schools in their efforts to meet those needs.
A longitudinal study into the affective characteristics and performance of mainstream SEN and non-SEN children
Authors: Rees Paul , Rees Christopher 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThe study considers the affective characteristics of mainstream special educational needs (SEN) and non-SEN children. The study consists of two phases. In Phase One a cohort of 327 10-year-old children took part in a sociometric exercise, completed the Coopersmith Self-esteem Inventory and the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. Phase Two involved the tracking of the whole cohort over a four year period. Data on SATs performance (KS3), attendance rates, exclusions, support, and specialist provision were recorded.Phase One data revealed that pupils referred to the EPS differed significantly from non-SEN pupils on all but one affective variable, namely, neuroticism. Conversely, the only statistically significant difference between non-SEN pupils and SEN pupils identified solely by an SEN attainment based survey was found on the self-esteem variable. Using a combination of affective variables alone, it proved possible to reclassify correctly 71 per cent of pupils into their existing EPS and non-SEN categories.Phase Two data revealed statistically significant differences between pupils known to the EPS and non-SEN pupils in attendance and SATs performance. It also proved possible to correctly reclassify 68 per cent of the whole sample into ‘experiencing problems’ or ‘not experiencing problems’ categories on the basis of their affective characteristics as assessed four years earlier.The study concludes that much may be gained from studying the experiences of young people who have previously presented with affective difficulties but have gone on to become successful in later schooling.
Consulting with children and young people:Young people’s views of a Psychological Service
Authors: Woolfson Richard C. , Harker Michael E. 
Published: January 2023

AbstractIn line with current views on consulting with children and as part of the best value review of the Renfrewshire Psychological Service, eight young people (aged 12-15 years) consented to take part in a focus group in order to explore their views of the service. Each of the participants had recent contact with an educational psychologist. The focus group discussion centred around established performance indicators used to assess the quality of service provided to children and young people by a Psychological Service. The results of the focus group deliberations demonstrated that the Renfrewshire Psychological Service complies with all established performance indicators, with the exception of providing satisfactory written explanatory leaflets for young people. In addition, the young people taking part in the focus group suggested possible new directions for the Psychological Service, including a walk-in self-referring facility located in secondary schools and access to written reports. The value of this methodology as a means for consulting with children is discussed.
Standard assessment tasks and children with a history of specific language impairment: Evidence of residual learning difficulties in relation to junior school placement
Authors: Botting Nicola , McCracken Wendy , Conti-Ramsden Gina 
Published: January 2023

AbstractA group of children (N = 92) attending language units at 7 years of age were followed up at the age of 11 years. Half of this sample had transferred to mainstream schooling at age 8, while the other half continued attending the language units for at least a further year. Groups were matched on baseline (7-year) expressive and receptive language and on a measure of nonverbal cognition. General outcome measures at 11 years also showed no differences except teacher satisfaction with the placement at age 8 years, and these are reported elsewhere. However, standard assessment task (SAT) results were gained subsequently and these are compared across groups here. Given the matching at 7 years of age and the finding that no differences were evident in language, cognition or objective reading measures at 11 years, one might expect no differences in SAT performance. However, this article reports marked differences in the numbers of children entered and achieving expected levels in all three curriculum areas assessed at 11 years. SAT results may therefore be identifying ‘residual learning difficulties’in the group who stayed longer in language units.
Differences in learning to spell: Relationships between cognitive profiles and learning responses to teaching methods
Authors: Weeks Sally , Brooks Peter , Everatt John 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThis research investigated the impact of linking teaching approaches to cognitive profiles in two children with poorly developed literacy skills but with differing patterns of cognitive deficit. One child presented average ability levels but specific deficits in spelling and poor scores on tasks related to motor skills. The second child showed more wide ranging deficits and below average ability. Both children were taught spellings via six teaching programmes over a period of 15 months. Improvements indicated that the child with specific spelling deficits benefited greatly from teaching programmes that built upon visual/phonological strengths compared to areas of weaker motor skills. The child with low attainment levels in all areas except motor skills presented little evidence of learning with any method of instruction. The results are interpreted in terms of current theories of literacy development and disability. They indicate the need to consider effective individual strategies for learning beyond the application of one favoured teaching strategy, and how profiling strengths and weaknesses may inform strategy selection.
Individualisation of learning in mainstream school children
Authors: Brooks Peter , Weeks Sally , Everatt John 
Published: January 2023

AbstractIn order to assess the effects of individually selected learning programmes groups of year 2 and 3 mainstream school children used individualised techniques for learning new spellings. Techniques ranged from phonic to visualisation to multi-sensory methods. Each child was directed to use a particular technique based on the findings of a trial phase in which several different methods were used with each child when learning sets of word spellings. The method that produced the fastest rate of learning for the individual child was chosen from this trial phase. The child was encouraged to use this method whenever new spellings had to be learned. No further alterations or additions were made to the school curriculum. The effectiveness of the individualised methods was assessed by comparing the children’s improvements in spelling ability with matched control children in schools where the normal curriculum was followed, together with extra sessions involving free writing/drawing tasks. The findings indicated that both year 2 and 3 children given the individualised method showed significantly larger increases in spelling ability over the school year. These results suggest that individualising learning may be a valuable tool in the effective teaching of literacy and can be used to produce significant advances in learning about spelling.
Teaching reasoning in a constructivist epistemology
Authors: Smith Leslie 
Published: January 2023

AbstractMy argument deals in four steps with three linked notions: (i) the mind’s capacity to judge due to (ii) norm-based reasoning which includes (iii) reasoning in terms of modality. The first step reviews a thought experiment about development in a normatively normal but causally abnormal society. This serves to identify the human capacity for judgement, norms and reasoning. Four examples with commentary are presented in the second step which serve to identify (i)–(iii) as distinctive phenomena. The third step deals with interpretation of such phenomena. The proposed interpretation is a developmental epistemology whose unit of analysis consists in acts of judgement inclusive of causal facts and normative facts bound by reasoning and modality. The final step sets out three educational implications covering education in a constructivist epistemology, reasoning pedagogy, and teaching for development. The causal conditions under which intellectual mastery is achieved merit attention in psychology and education, always provided co-attention is given to the normative conditions of the reconstitution of this mastery generative of novel advances.