Cooperation of youth with disabilities, their parents with professionals is an important key factor in transition processes from compulsory school to training and employment (Fasching 2012; Fasching, Felbermayr & Zitter 2020; Felbermayr, Hubmayer & Fasching 2018; Todd 2007). The Austrian research project “Cooperation for Inclusion in Educational Transitions”, funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) (project number: P-29291-G29; project-leader: Helga Fasching; duration: 2016-2021; project website: http://kooperation-fuer-inklusion.univie.ac.at/), located at the Department of Education, University of Vienna, focuses on participatory cooperation and how it is perceived from adolescents with disabilitiesand their parents during the transition process. In a longitudinal multi-perspective study the cooperation of the target group and professional supporters is investigated with the aim, to gain a deeper understanding of participatory cooperation and its meaning for successful transition. 

Like in 2018 and 2019, the aim of this presentation is to get a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of participative cooperation in the transition processes from school to training and employment in Austria. In this year, we focus on the perspectives of youth with disabilities and also on the perspectives of theirs parents.

The centerpiece of the research design is a qualitative study with participative research elements in three “research circles” and is based on the (constructivist) Grounded Theory Methodology (Charmaz 2014). During one circle “intensive interviews” (Charmaz 2014) with youth with disabilities and their parents are conducted and analyzed. The project uses also an innovative and participative approach: Separate Reflecting Teams (Andersen 1995) with youth with disabilities (4 participants), parents (4 participants) and professional supporters/providers (4 participants) are established during the whole research process (one in each circle). The use of the Reflecting Teams facilitates the elaboration of concepts arising from the interview analysis. They offer the possibility to discuss preliminary results with the interviewed participants from different perspectives (validation) and also to gain additional data. In this presentation we will focus on the methodological approach of Reflecting Teams in the field of participative research, applied in the project. This presentation specifically reports on the results taken from the participative research on youths with disabilities and their parents in the third, and last phase, of the “research circles” in the project. Firstly we give a short introduction of the research project itself. Secondly we present the use of Reflecting Teams as a methodological approach and an element of cooperation in participative research, and thirdly, we take a closer look at the main discussion topics within the Reflecting Teams, which focused on experiences made with participative cooperation.

The results show that Reflecting Teams are a suitable tool in participative research with youths with disabilities and their parents, provided that target group-specific adaptations are taken, and particularly highlight the significance of systemic basic attitudes and beliefs regarding participative research and pedagogical work in educational transitions (Fasching 2020; Fredman 2006).

Andersen, T. (1995): The Reflecting Team in Action. Collaborative Practice in Family Therapy. New York, London: The Guilford Press. Bergold, J., Thomas, S. (2010): Partizipative Forschung. In Mey, G., Murck, K. (Hg.) Handbuch Qualitative Forschung in der Psychologie. VS, Wiesbaden (https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-18387-5_25-2 (21.01.21). Cavet, J. & Sloper, P. (2004): Participation of Disabled Children in Individual Decisions About Their Lives and in Public Decisions about Service Development. Children & Society 18: 278-290 Charmaz, K. (2014): Constructing Grounded Theory. 2nd Edition. Thousand Oaks: Sage. Conney, B. F. (2002): Exploring Perspectives on Transition of Youth With Disabilities. Voices of Young Adults, Parents, and Professionals. Mental Retardation 40 (6): 425 -425. Fasching, H. (2020): Systemisch leiten lassen in der partizipativen Forschung. In Systeme, Jg 34 (2): 141-158 Fasching, H., Felbermayr, K. & Hubmayer, A. (2017): Forschungsnotiz. - In: SWS-Rundschau, 57 (3), 305-323. Fasching, H. & Felbermayr, K. (2019): „Please, treat me respectful.” Partizipative Forschung mit Jugendlichen mit Behinderung zu ihren Kooperationserfahrungen im Übergang von der Schule in (Aus-)Bildung und Beschäftigung. In: Zeitschrift für Heilpädagogik 70(9), S. 442-453. Fasching, H. Felbermayr, K. & Zitter, L. (2020) Partizipative Kooperationserfahrungen von Jugendlichen mit Behinderung in inklusiven Maßnahmen im Übergang von der Schule in den ersten Arbeitsmarkt. In: SWS-Rundschau, 60.Jg.,Heft 4, 314-332). Felbermayr, K., Hubmayer, A. & Fasching, H. (2018) Wege der Kooperation mit der Familie: Bedingungen für eine gelingende Zusammenarbeit am Übergang Schule – (Aus-)Bildung, Beschäftigung. In: Kapella O., Schneider N. F., Rost H. (Hg.) Familie – Bildung – Migration. Familienforschung im Spannungsfeld zwischen Wissenschaft, Politik und Praxis. Budrich,Opladen, S. 167-179) Frake, C & Dogra, N. (2006): The use of Reflecting Teams in educational contexts. Reflective practice, 7 (2), 143-149 Fredman, G. (2006) Working systemically with intellectual disability: why not? In: Baum S., Lynggaard H. (Hg.) Intellectual Disabilities. A Systemic Approach. Karnac, London, S. 1-20 Todd, L. (2007): Partnerships for Inclusive Education. A critical approach to collaborate working. London, New York: Routledge. Von Unger, H. (2014): Partizipative Forschung. Einführung in die Forschungspraxis. Wiesbaden: Springer VS.