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Teacher expectations can be defined as the beliefs that teachers hold about what their students are capable of achieving. Teacher expectations are important to study because they influence teacher practice and subsequently student academic and psychological outcomes (such as motivation and self-belief). For example, if teachers believe that all their students can achieve at high levels, they are likely to provide learning opportunities and supports that enable their students to be successful. Teacher expectations have been studied for the past 50 years since Rosenthal and Jacobson's experimental study, Pygmalion, showed that when teacher expectations were raised for some students, they subsequently performed at higher levels. This initial teacher expectation experiment led researchers to study how teachers differentiated in their behaviors towards high and low achievers, what student characteristics influenced teachers' expectations, what the effects were on student outcomes when teachers had high or low expectations for particular students, and what behaviors students reported that teachers displayed towards high and low achievers. These areas formed the key areas of subsequent research in the field. However, researchers recognized early on that not all teachers differentiated in their behaviors towards high and low achievers and that not all formed their expectations in line with common stereotypes (e.g., that boys are better at mathematics than girls). This led to the identification of specific types of teachers who either exacerbated the gaps between high and low achievers or who increased the success of all students. However, although much is now known about teacher expectations and teacher expectation effects, few studies have experimentally endeavored to change teachers' expectations and support teachers to implement high expectation practices. However, the few that have worked alongside teachers to raise their expectations have shown promising results for students' educational outcomes. .

Aim:This study explores the views of Educational Psychologists (EPs) practising in the UK regarding the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).Method:An online survey collected from 136 EPs, representing 70 local authorities across the UK.Findings:Responses highlighted how currently EPs are rarely engaged in the assessment of ADHD. However, the data indicated that EPs play an important role in increasing the awareness of contextual factors in children’s behaviour, and are well placed to support the development of individually tailored interventions. It was identified that in many local authorities, current diagnostic practices do not conform to government guidelines regarding both access to psychological interventions and the prescription of medication to pre-school children. Furthermore, few children were involved in decision making about their treatment. Where Local Authorities have developed standardised pathways or protocols governing the diagnostic process, EPs are involved in the assessment process and children are more likely to access psychological interventions, and for contextual factors to be taken into account.Limitations:Consistent with the research aims the study focuses exclusively on EP perspectives. As a survey it was not possible to probe for meaning or clarification of issues that emerged. There is a need for further research into successful examples of ADHD treatment pathways that take advantage of the unique contribution of EPs.Conclusions:Priorities for future work include the need to develop a nationally agreed protocol for a multi-professional approach to assessment and treatment of ADHD. There is an urgent need for careful monitoring of prescription rates, particularly in pre-school children and across different ethnic and social groups. Furthermore, steps should be taken to address the lack of participation by children and young people in decisions about their treatment.

Aim:A substantial proportion of children and young people with autism demonstrate accurate word reading but struggle to understand the content of what they are reading. There is an urgent need for further research in this area to enable educational professionals to implement evidence-based reading interventions.Method/Rationale:This study analyses the effectiveness of an intervention designed to improve the reading comprehension of young people with autism and reading comprehension difficulties (mean age 13 years, 6 months). The intervention was delivered twice a week over a period of six weeks.Findings:The results indicate that the intervention group (N=15) demonstrated a significantly greater increase in their reading comprehension than a ‘treatment as usual’ control group (N=14), showing an average of three years’ improvement in their reading comprehension. Semi-structured interviews with participants indicated that many demonstrated a shift in their approach to reading, with a greater focus on comprehension and an awareness of transferring the skills they had learnt to other areas of the curriculum. Participants also identified that the intervention supported their speaking and listening skills.Limitations:The small size of the sample in this study limits the generalisation of the findings. The robustness of the findings would be increased by including long-term outcome measures.Conclusions:These findings present important implications for professionals working with young people and suggest that school-based reading interventions may be effective at developing the reading comprehension of individuals with autism.

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