The Development and Feasibility Study of a Multimodal ‘Talking Wall’ to Facilitate the Voice of Young People with Autism and Complex Needs: A Case Study in a Specialist Residential School

Abstract

Limited research has examined methods to investigate the views, preferences and experiences of young people with autism and complex needs. The aim of this study, based at a specialist residential school in England, was to develop and pilot an innovative method for this purpose-a 'Talking Wall'-that was trialled over a 6-month period. Thematic analysis of data from focus groups and semi structured interviews with staff, combined with structured observations of pupils, resulted in three key themes: supporting the expression and evaluation of emotions that underlie preferences; recognising the impact of transitions; and the important role of familiar adults in interpreting communication bids. These positive, initial findings suggest the Talking Wall approach merits further development and evaluation.

“It’s Like Stealing What Should be Theirs.” An Exploration of the Experiences and Perspectives of Parents and Educational Practitioners on Hebrew–English Bilingualism for Jewish Autistic Children

“…Although semi-structured interviews are often considered the primary IPA method of data collection, in the present study we used both oral semi-structured interviews and written responses to elicit participants’ accounts of their views and experiences. This approach was planned from the start, in line with calls to use multiple modes of participation as a means of adopting an inclusive research approach (Crane, Sesterka, & den Houting, 2020 ; Nicolaidis et al, 2019 ). Furthermore, the founders of IPA, Smith, Flowers and Larkin ( 2009 ), caution against paradigm ‘methodolatry’ and advise that IPA can include a diversity of approaches.…”

The transition to adulthood for autistic young people with additional learning needs: the views and experiences of education professionals in special schools

“…While our participants did report a wide range of ways in which to elicit the voices of their pupils, they were unsure of the success of their approaches. Recent research has evidenced innovative methods of documenting pupil voice, such as digital stories (Parsons et al, 2020) and Talking Walls (Richards & Crane, 2020). Yet these approaches still rely on the skills of educators who know their pupils well and are able to interpret their voices to a degree (as per Richards & Crane, 2020).…”

“…Recent research has evidenced innovative methods of documenting pupil voice, such as digital stories (Parsons et al, 2020) and Talking Walls (Richards & Crane, 2020). Yet these approaches still rely on the skills of educators who know their pupils well and are able to interpret their voices to a degree (as per Richards & Crane, 2020). Even if education professionals are able to elicit and document the voices of their pupils genuinely and meaningfully, this becomes tokenistic if their views cannot be acted on.…”

Vulnerable and Forgotten: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Autism Special Schools in England

“…Over 70% of the 82,847 autistic pupils in England are educated in mainstream provisions, with the remainder in some form of specialist education (Department for Education, 2020). Autistic pupils educated in special schools tend to have a range of additional communicative, sensory, cognitive, emotional and/or physical needs (sometimes referred to as "complex needsm," e.g., Richards and Crane, 2020). Yet even within a special school setting, the profiles and associated support needs of pupils can be extremely wide-ranging.…”