Predictors of Social and Behavioural Additional Support Needs (ASN) in Scottish schools

Author(s):

Helen Marwick(presenting / submitting)Edward Sosu

Conference:

ECER 2015

Network:

04. Inclusive Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

04 SES 06 B, Inclusion in Higher Education

Paper Session

Time:

2015-09-09

15:30-17:00

Room:

206.Oktatóterem [C]

Chair:

David Scheer

Contribution

Additional Support Needs (ASN) in the context of Scottish education is a wider concept than that of ‘special educational needs’ (SEN); the ASN of a child can be temporary or long-term , and the concept encompasses children whose needs arise from physical conditions, neuro-developmental conditions, and cognitive abilities, as well as children whose needs arise from family circumstances, and environmental influences. Social and Behavioural ASN are indicated to be the most frequently reported type of identified ASN for young children (Marwick and Sosu, 2014).

Social and Behavioral difficulties can impact on social inclusion and relationships, as well as learning and mental well-being, and later educational and out of school outcomes (Layard and Dunn, 2009). If predictors of social and behavioural ASN can be identified at an early point in the child’s development, it may be possible to develop supportive early intervention towards an optimally responsive environment for the child.

The Growing Up in Scotland (GUS) study has longitudinal data tracking the development of some 8000 children in Scotland, starting from 2003. Consequently the aim of this research is to investigate early predictors from within the GUS data in the pre-school years, of social and behavioural difficulties identified as a category of ASN in an educational setting at 6 years of age.

The GUS anonymised data set includes the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) (Goodman, 1997) completed by parents in respect of their child at ages 4, 5, and 6 years, and also ASN identification for their child reported by parents at age 6 years. Initial analysis of our findings (Marwick and Sosu 2014) examining associations between persistence of untypical non-optimal SDQ scores reported for a child across the pre-school years and later ASN outcomes, indicated scores in hyperactivity, conduct, and peer relations to be the strongest predictors of later identification of social and behavioural ASN identification. However, a sizable proportion of children identified as having social and behavioral ASN at age 6 years were not found to have had persistent atypical scores on the SDQ domains. The findings indicate a complex interplay between ASN status and parental perceptions of early persistent difficulties in domains of the SDQ, and indicate the need to examine further factors which may predict or explain ASN outcomes for the children, such as family circumstances and the role that responsiveness in the school environment may play in the social and behavioural ASN outcome for a child.

To understand this further the objectives of this research were to investigate additional factors within the GUS data set in relation to ASN outcomes for all children reported by parents as having persistently abnormal conduct and hyperactivity SDQ scores at ages 4 and 5 years, and for all children identified as at age 6 years as having an social and behave ASN

Method

The GUS study is a large scale longitudinal research tracking several cohorts of Scottish children and families from the early years through childhood and beyond. Recruitment was achieved by random selection from child benefit records from all LAs in Scotland, with families receiving a letter inviting them to take part. The GUS data set comprises information from participant families in relation to several key domains: • Cognitive, social, emotional and behavioural development • Physical and mental health and well-being • Childcare, education and employment • Home, family, community and social networks • Involvement in offending and risky behaviour Previous work using the GUS data has indicated a number of factors which predict parent reporting of persistent conduct problems on the SDQ, including children being more likely to be in poor general health, and being rarely taken to visit other people with children. A range of other parental and child characteristics are also reported to influence parental perceptions, aspirations and child educational outcomes, such as parental socioeconomic status, household size, parental age, and the child characteristics of birth order, gender and conduct problems (Sosu, 2014). Our study is examining a range of factors within the GUS data-set including social-economic status, maternal education level, social networks, parenting style, family activity, child birth order and gender in relation to ASN outcomes for all children reported by parents as having persistently abnormal conduct and hyperactivity SDQ scores at ages 4 and 5 years, and for all children identified as at age 6 years as having an social and behave ASN. The GUS study has three cohorts of participant families: the Child cohort (data collection started in 2005/6); Birth Cohort 1 (data collection started in 2005/6); and Birth Cohort 2 (data collection started in 2011). Our analysis was carried out on the blended data of participant families in the child cohort and birth cohort 1. Multivariate analyses using logistic regression was carried out in relation to ASN outcomes for all children reported by parents as having persistently abnormal conduct and hyperactivity SDQ scores at ages 4 and 5 years, and for all children identified as at age 6 years as having an social and behave ASN.

Expected Outcomes

Statistical analysis is ongoing, but an initial finding indicates that a sizable number of all children reported by parents on the SDQ as having persistent hyperactivity and conduct difficulties, do not go on the by identified at age 6 as having social and behavioural ASN. This further highlights the complex relation between parental and school identifications of social and behavioural difficulties. We expect to find significant predicting factors in relation to ASN outcomes for all children reported by parents as having persistently atypical conduct and hyperactivity SDQ scores at ages 4 and 5 years, and for all children identified as at age 6 years as having an social and behave ASN. This will be of value in developing supportive early intervention and understanding the role that responsiveness in the school environment may play in the social and behavioural ASN outcome for a child. It is anticipated that outcomes from this research will be of marked relevance to practice and policy, and to young children’s emotional and social development and well-being.

References

Goodman, R. (1997) The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: A Research Note. Joirnal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 38(5) 581-586 Growing Up in Scotland - growingupinscotland.org.uk Layard, R. and Dunn, J. (2009) A Good Childhood. Searching for values in a competitive age. London: Penguin Group Marwick, H. and Sosu, E. (2014) Predictors of Additional Support Needs (ASN) in Scottish schools. European Early Childhood Educationa; Research Association (Eecera) International Conference, Crete. Sosu, E. (2014) Predicting maternal aspirations for their children’s education: The role of parental and child characteristics. International Journal of Educational Research, 67, 67-79

Author Information

Helen Marwick (presenting / submitting)

University of Strathclyde

Glasgow

Edward Sosu

University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom

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