Re-assessing the current assessment practice of children with special education needs in Europe

Abstract

This article reports the results of the European 'DAFFODIL'' (Dynamic Assessment of Functioning and Oriented at Development and Inclusive Learning) Project on the question of how functional and learning assessment systems facilitate or inhibit participation of children with developmental difficulties in inclusive education. Questionnaires were sent to medical, psychological, educational professionals, and parents in Sweden, Portugal, Hungary, Belgium, Romania, Norway, and the Virgin Islands. Interviews and focus groups were organized. Results (95%) showed that static standardized psychometric tests of intellectual, behavioural, and language functioning were mainly used, with the WISC-III being the most frequent test applied. Less than 5% of the 166 professionals in our sample used formative assessment and contextual observation to reveal learning or developmental potential in a process-oriented way. Experts were generally not satisfied with current assessment practices. Reported weaknesses included lack of time, human resources, materials, cooperation, and follow-up. Assessment practice was mainly used to determine whether a child should be placed in a special needs programme, a special school, or an institutional setting, depending on whether a country has inclusive education practice or not. Parents were satisfied with static functional assessment when its purpose was to obtain disability benefits (financial, special education resources, recognition), but were unhappy with the negative outlook of reports. The main complaint of teachers and parents was about the poverty of recommendations on how to work with the child. Our conclusion is that the current practice of standardized psychometric testing seems to contribute to barriers to learning if it is used in a deterministic or predictive way. In this regard, dynamic and functional assessment methods that are qualitatively oriented seem promising in addressing the issues of learning and development in a different way. The methods also contribute to an understanding of the child's needs in learning and development. However, interpretation and communication of assessment results in a way that emphasizes a more adequate and challenging educational intervention for the child seems to be central.

Metacognitive Strategy Training Adds to the Effects of Working Memory Training in Children with Special Educational Needs

“…In a study of clinical and special educational practices for SEN children, Lebeer et al (2012) pointed out that both assessment and interventions for children with SEN too often are carried out statically with little focus on how to enhance contextual factors like the metacognitive aspects. The training conditions in the standard WM training format studied lacks a systematic activation of cognitive and metacognitive strategies.…”

The Relationship between Children’s Developmental Functioning and Participation in Social Activities in Portuguese Inclusive Preschool Settings

“…Murphy (2006) underlines that children's assessment is among the hardest tasks to solve in educational settings, and frequently leads to several debates. Traditional diagnostic assessments do not meet the most recent and relevant recommendations for preschool inclusive and equalitarian assessment (Lebeer et al, 2012) and thus, the use of the ICF framework provides a model for a comprehensive understanding of the child and its development as it highlights the relevance of transactions between body functions and structures, activities and participation, and environmental factors, regardless of diagnosis categories (Campbell and Skarakis-Doyle, 2007;Norwich, 2016). Regardless the recognition of its relevance, conceptually and by the SE legislation, environmental factors were found to be the less frequently assessed and targeted for intervention by Portuguese EI/SE professionals (Castro et al, 2014).…”

Untitled

“…Overall, the EU goal for education appears to be a tool for employment and global economic competitiveness (Walkenhorst, 2008). LeBeer et al (2011) report that special education needs across Europe are on the rise, with high variability in the number of children identified and the proportion of those children who are in special education, rather than inclusive settings. It is unclear how institutionalized inclusion is by design or by default within the Romanian system.…”