This systematic literature review examined research on stakeholders’ beliefs about addressing the general education curriculum in general education classrooms with students with severe disabilities (SD). The investigation was limited to studies published in peer-reviewed journals between 1997 and 2015. Ten articles were identified and then analyzed using an inductive coding approach and thematic analysis. Secondary data analysis revealed four major themes centered on (a) method of access, (b) type of curriculum, (c) barriers/concerns, and (d) benefits. Overall, stakeholders were found to perceive social inclusion as more important than involvement and progress in the general education curriculum for students with SD. Stakeholders also perceived numerous challenges around facilitating access to the general education curriculum in general education classrooms.

This case study examined one high school student's access to inclusive education and experiences in an inclusive English class after he acquired severe disabilities and complex health care needs from a nontraumatic brain injury. Multiple sources of data (i.e., interviews, field notes, and documents) were collected and analyzed to formulate understanding of the unique particularities of this intrinsic, naturalistic case. Findings were organized into four major themes: (a) school reentry and adjustment, (b) communication access, (c) social inclusion, and (d) curricular access and assessment. Analysis of these major themes revealed that the focus student had minimal access to an inclusive education due to delayed school reentry, incomplete assessment data, and limited professional knowledge of acquired brain injuries and inclusive education. The student's experiences in the general education English classroom were predominantly characterized by limited access to communication and peer interactions, undefined learning priorities, and an overreliance on adult staff. Findings from this study suggest the need for additional research related to the prevalence of students with nontraumatic brain injury, supports needed by families and students post injury, professional training for school personnel, and the use of 1:1 paraprofessionals and nurses.

A recommended practice in the field of severe disabilities is involving students in their specialized health care procedures; however, little is known about how this practice is occurring in schools. The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to understand how secondary-age students with severe disabilities are involved in their specialized health care at school. Purposeful sampling resulted in nine cases and a total of 41 participants. A case comprised a secondary-age focus student and the student’s parent(s), special education teacher, school nurse, and classroom nurse or paraprofessional. Data sources were observations, interviews, and document reviews. The researchers analyzed the data using an iterative inductive coding approach for each individual case to identify patterns in the data followed by a cross-case synthesis using visual matrices to identify salient themes across cases. This process resulted in four themes depicting how students were involved in their specialized health care at school, which were (a) partially participating, (b) interacting with adults, (c) engaging in risky behaviors, and (d) passively participating. The findings from this study highlight a need for improved attention to the promotion of self-care in specialized health care for this population.

The purpose of this qualitative investigation was to understand the beliefs of parents and school personnel about involving secondary-age students with extensive support needs in their specialized health care procedures at school. Participants included parents, special education teachers, school nurses, one-to-one nurses, and paraprofessionals reporting on nine middle school, high school, and post-high school students for a total of 32 participants. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and then analyzed by case using an inductive coding approach. A synthesis of salient findings across groups generated four themes that describe beliefs about involving students in their specialized health care procedures. These were: (a) student characteristics make it challenging, (b) must be safe, (c) working together is essential but difficult, and (d) involvement promotes well-being. Families and school personnel predominately valued student involvement in health care at school for perceived social-emotional benefits and potential positive adult outcomes but were unsure how to mitigate barriers to teaching students skills needed to participate in their health care. Implications discussed offer guidelines to enhance scientific and practitioner knowledge that promotes student involvement in health care at school for secondary-age students with extensive support needs.