International and national inclusive educational policies seek to provide equitable learning opportunities for all students, regardless of their abilities or disabilities, within mainstream educational settings. It emphasizes the value of diversity, fostering an environment where every child can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally (United Nations, 2015; UNESCO, 2020; Waisath, et al., 2022; Law on Education of Lithuanian Republic, 2020, article 2/2415). The findings of studies in some Easten Europe countries show that teachers overall were positive towards inclusive education and accept it in principle, especially teachers who had experience teaching diverse learners and were familiar with inclusive strategies and tools (Stepaniuk, 2014), but  despite its growing acceptance inclusive teaching of diverse students with special educational needs (SEN) presents a professional challenge for many teachers and schools in different countries (Vorlíček & Kollerová 2024).

We now know much more about the processes of inclusion and exclusion, but the task of generating new theoretical insights to guide the development of practice remains (Florian, 2014). Developing schools for inclusion requires a comprehensive approach that transforms policies, practices, and attitudes to support all learners, especially those with SEN, search for evidence of inclusive education. According to Booth & Ainscow (2016), one of the necessary actions for inclusive practices - identification and reduction of barriers to learning and participation.  As the mentioned authors state, barriers to learning can occur in interaction with any aspect of a school – within school (its buildings, the relationship amongst and between children and adults, in approaches to teaching and learning) or outside the school (within families and communities, national and international events and policies). Finding and recognizing these barriers is essential for developing effective strategies to promote inclusivity, empower educators, and create supportive school communities.

Current research (Sharma, et al., 2018; Senoo, et al., 2024) show that the most significant identified barriers include inadequate teacher preparation (which subsequently leads to a lack of teacher capability and poor teaching pedagogies), stigma and negative attitudes towards people with disabilities, limited engagement with the local leaders and key stakeholders, lack of collaboration and support.

This paper presents a study carried out in Lithuanian schools, which reveals the inclusive education experiences of teachers and support professionals in schools and their perceived barriers to inclusive education for students with SEN. The study is based on a social approach to the education of pupils with SEN and the principles of inclusive education. The aim of the study is to reveal the challenges faced by teachers and support specialists, as well as the barriers to inclusive education for students with SEN, based on the experiences of educators and support professionals.

This goal is pursued by seeking answers to the following research questions: What learning difficulties and barriers do students with SEN and their educators face, from the perspective of teachers and support specialists? What are the most commonly used strategies for overcoming difficulties and providing support? This study complements the findings of other researchers with insights from Lithuanian teachers and specialists, provide evidence-based solutions, and advocate for a more inclusive and equitable education system. 

The research data were collected using the focus group method, which some authors also refer to as a semi-structured group discussion or in-depth interview method, involving 8 to 16 interacting informants discussing a topic of interest to all participants (Mishra, 2016; Nyumba et al., 2017). Group formation. The focus group was composed of teachers, support specialists, and administrators from schools participating in the study. Separate groups were formed from the representatives of each school. In some cases, group members differed in terms of gender, pedagogical specialization, position, and experience, but all had similar educational backgrounds (pedagogical studies and teaching qualifications) and worked at the same educational institution. All educators participating in the discussions had taught at least one student with special educational needs in their classrooms. Research Procedure. Four topics and related discussion questions were predetermined in advance, which were posed to the focus group participants during the discussion. Participants were asked to consider students with special educational needs (SEN) when answering the questions. Clarifying questions were asked when necessary. Topic 1: The diversity of difficulties and their causes. Topic 2: Educational barriers. Topic 3: Effective strategies for overcoming difficulties. Sample. A total of 18 focus group discussions were conducted with mixed teams from schools participating in the study. The teams consisted of educators from various pedagogical specializations (teachers of different subjects, support specialists such as social educators, special educators, speech therapists), psychologists, and representatives of school administrations (principals, vice principals, department heads) (N = 173). Data Analysis. The qualitative research data were processed using content analysis. Inductive qualitative content analysis was applied to analyze the content of the focus group discussions. This method involves identifying individual characteristics and features (based on the defined research object) and then grouping them into larger, more generalized units (Nili et al., 2017).

After analyzing the data collected during the discussions and grouping individual features of the object under study into larger, more generalized units, three thematic groups were identified. The educators and support specialists involved in the study acknowledged that the educational process is not always smooth and does not always align with the needs of all students to engage. Barriers due to individual characteristics. Educators tended to identify students' individual learning needs, arising from insufficient attention, lower intellectual abilities, or the peculiarities of cognitive processes, as barriers that hindered engagement and participation in learning activities. Barriers in learning environments. The summarized results show that educators and support specialists, when discussing the learning situations of students with special educational needs, recognize not only the barriers related to students' disabilities or disorders but also acknowledge other barriers related to external environmental factors: the organization of education that does not meet the students' needs, lack of teacher and specialist support, and difficulties in involving parents. Effective strategies for overcoming barriers and providing support for students with special educational needs. During the discussions, school representatives emphasized that, in order to effectively address various situations, it is important to have a clear algorithm for action and support provision. Effective solutions mentioned included collaboration between two educators or a teacher and a teaching assistant in the classroom, "peer-to-peer" support, volunteer assistance, teamwork and collaboration in finding the best solutions and overcoming challenges. To ensure the involvement and meaningful participation of all students, it is essential rather than emphasizing the student's disorders and disabilities and seeing them as barriers, it is important to take responsibility and focus on finding solutions how to organize learning for different learners.

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