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Purpose: The objective of this qualitative study is to explore experiences and challenges of university students living with invisible disabilities. Methods: Nine videotaped medical consultations with students, conducted at the health centre of a higher education institution in northern Chile, were analysed, drawing on the thematic analysis to organize the most salient themes. Results: Three major themes were identified in the analysis, along with their subthemes: (1) experiencing overpowering symptoms, including variable, multiple, and severe symptoms; (2) facing medical, social, and academic barriers; (3) engaging in self-management behaviours, such as self-medication, self-treatment, changing therapies, and non-compliance. Conclusion: As the healthcare system is mostly ineffective in diagnosing students with invisible disabilities as well as providing them with long-lasting help, the students often have to manage their conditions by themselves, without much success. It seems essential to promote the development of stronger links between health providers and universities to allow for early disability detection and awareness-raising programs within educational institutions. Further research should focus on strategies promoting effective support mechanisms to decrease barriers and increase the inclusion of these individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through their leadership, principals have an important, yet typically indirect, effect on pupils' learning. This article focuses attention on principals' influences on teaching and assessment in special education in Sweden: specifically, in special schools for pupils with intellectual disabilities (SID). Whilst SID principals are accountable for teaching and assessment quality in their schools, research on this aspect is limited. The research sought to investigate principals' leadership practices within SID in terms of their influence on teaching and assessment. Data in this qualitative study comprised six principals' written reports, produced as part of assignment work during a principal education programme. These related to their systematic examination of the internal processes at their schools in relation to teaching and assessment. The reports were analysed, in depth, using an approach informed by the theory of practice architecture. The analysis suggested that principals' influences on teaching and assessment were constrained, and enabled, by a number of factors. Constraints included arrangements which shaped a form of leadership characterised by replicating the organisational structures of mainstream schools. However, enabling arrangements, including the increased distribution of time and space, emerged as principals' perspectives shifted. It may be possible for principals to increase their influence on teaching and assessment in SID by better understanding their practice architecture in relation to other practices. This could influence the practice ecology in relation to teaching and assessment, and increase the improvement capacity of the local school – and beyond – in terms of teaching and assessment. This study draws attention to SID principals' self-understanding as system players, and the opportunities to influence practice ecology. It highlights how principals' leadership within special education has the potential to improve teaching and assessment in local schools within a community, ultimately becoming the driving force for realising inclusive education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests that school counsellors can have a positive influence on students' academic, social-emotional and career development. Although school counsellors have had long-standing direct and indirect involvement in providing support and services to students with disabilities (SWD), research into how school counsellors directly support SWD remains relatively limited. In this study, we sought to review studies that examined school counsellors' support and services for SWD by analysing topic coverage, methods and findings to discern the existing research base. A systematic identification and review of research focused on studies about school counsellors and their support and services for SWD. A thematic analysis with an inductive approach was employed to uncover studies' patterns and content. In total, 32 studies were eligible for inclusion in the review. Analysis revealed that these studies were clustered into four themes: (a) interventions involving school counsellors; (b) school counsellors' perceptions and roles; (c) school counsellors' support of SWD through career development, transition or graduation; and (d) students' or parents' perceptions about school counsellors. Of the 32 studies, over half included surveys, primarily eliciting perceptions and attitudinal information from school counsellors, whilst fewer than one-quarter featured data about school counsellors delivering interventions to SWD. Our review suggests that a substantial evidence base in this area has not yet been established, meaning that minimal research has taken place to guide school counsellors regarding support and services for SWD. Implications include a call to researchers to expand the supply of high-quality and rigorous studies focused on school counsellors and SWD, especially intervention studies, subsequently leading towards research-informed practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been significant developments in the field of statistics education over the past decade that have improved outcomes for all students. However, there remains relatively little research on the best practices for teaching statistics to students with disabilities. This article describes a conceptual visual approach to teaching a college level general education statistics course aimed at addressing the needs of students with disabilities and other struggling students. The conceptual visual components were employed using the technology tool TinkerPlots. The approach is informed by the recommendations of the GAISE report as well as research on Universal Design and Cognitive Load Theory. With support from the NSF (HRD-1128948), the approach was pilot tested at a college that exclusively serves students with LD, ADHD, and autism to gather preliminary evidence of its effectiveness in teaching statistics concepts to that population. The results of this research and the emergent recommendations to help students with disabilities gain access to statistics are described in this article. for this article are available online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The scarcity of resources, especially in Lesotho rural schools, obstruct the holistic well-being of learners with visual impairments (LVIs). Moreover, the voices of LVIs are often missing about the use of resources to improve their well-being. The study explored an asset-based approach for the improvement of LVIs' well-being in Lesotho.Method: Twenty-eight participants, including six teachers, four learners with and four learners without visual impairments, from two rural primary schools in Lesotho, were purposively chosen. Focus group discussions and collages were employed to generate data. The data were then analyzed thematically.Results: Involving LVIs in the decision-making, building positive relationships within the school, collaboration with parents and school leaders were provided as 'enabling assets' to improve the well-being of learners. Findings also revealed the constraints on LVIs' holistic well-being, such as, lack of management of the existing resources, shortage of qualified teachers, and inadequate teaching resources. These were consistent with those identified in the literature, highlighting the asset-based complexity approach in rural schools.Conclusions: While the asset-based approach is virtuous, it may not be sufficient if the existing assets are not adequately managed. Therefore, were argue for the critical use of the asset-based approach towards improving the well-being of LVIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National agencies throughout Australia and the United States (U.S.) have called for broadened participation in engineering, including participation by individuals with disabilities. However, studies demonstrate that students with disabilities are not effectively supported by university systems and cultures. This lack of support can shape how students form professional identities as they move through school and into careers. To better understand these experiences and create a more inclusive environment in engineering, we conducted a constructivist grounded theory exploration of professional identity formation in students who identify as having a disability as they study civil engineering and experience their first year of work. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 24 undergraduate civil engineering students across the U.S. and analysed them using grounded theory techniques. Navigating sociocultural expectations of disability emerged as one key theme, consisting of three strategy types: (1) neutrally satisfying expectations, (2) challenging expectations, and (3) aligning with expectations. Regardless of strategy, all participants navigated sociocultural expectations related to their studies and their disabilities. This theme highlights the ways sociocultural influences impact students' navigation through their undergraduate civil engineering careers. These findings can be used to examine cultural barriers faced by students with disabilities to enhance their inclusion in engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In Higher Education, inclusion and the enhancement of equality of opportunities and practices appeal as imperative, in most Western societies' laws. Inclusive education literature, however, reveals that despite inclusion's strong advocacy, delivery remains problematic, as beyond the surface of institutional policy, the reality of university life for students with disabilities may be one of continued exclusion and barriers to learning. Furthermore, in many countries, including Greece, the voices of students with disabilities appear significantly under-represented, not only in policy-making processes and practices, but also in the area of research. Purpose: In the light of the above, this paper aims to explore the experiences and perspectives of 32 students with disabilities on: education in Higher Education Institutions in Greece, the impending transition to paid employment and future aspirations. Method: The paper is based on a qualitative study where data were collected through semi-structured interviews with university students with disabilities. Data were analysed according to the principles of interpretative phenomenological analysis. Findings: Complex and rich accounts divulged specific issues, such as physical access and access to academic knowledge, quality of available support, interactions with tutors and fellow students, as well as perceived factors that may hinder the transition into the labour market. The results of the study also confirmed that students with disabilities are capable of asserting their needs, challenging institutional discrimination issues and proposing more inclusive alternatives. Conclusion: The findings indicate the need for reconsidering and refining institutional policies and practices in relation to issues of disability and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate university students with physical disabilities' (SWD) perceptions of physical activity (PA) and how these perceptions may influence activity levels. Methods: Using reliable and validated surveys with in-depth interviews, researchers examined the perspectives of 13 undergraduate SWD regarding PA in the context of their university environment. Four quantitative surveys were used to understand participants' health practices (SRAHP), exercise self-efficacy (EXSE), barriers to PA (BARSE), and outcome expectations for PA (MOEES). To gather richer, exploratory data, interviews were focused on answering how do SWD perceive and define PA, and what factors influence their PA participation? Correlational analysis and independent t-tests were used to examine survey outcomes. Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis and line-by-line coding strategies. Results: Quantitative analysis revealed correlations between all MOEES surveys, as well as the EXSE, BARSE, and SRAHP. Analysis of the surveys and interviews resulted in two primary themes and seven subthemes. The first primary theme, personal perceptions of PA, had two subthemes: Personal definitions and personal practices. The second theme, influences on PA participation, consisted of five subthemes: University assistive resources, aspects of personal well-being, symptoms and physical limitations, time and scheduling, and social inclusion. Conclusions: Results from this study helped to understand how SWD identified with PA and identified both motivations and barriers to PA unique to SWD. Data from this study can be used to improve accessibility and disability programming for SWD to promote PA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]