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    Using the New Zealand Child and Youth Profile with groups transitioning students with complex needs into or out of secondary school : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Masters of Educational Psychology, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Tonks, Jacqueline Merle
    The transition for students with complex needs when changing or leaving school can be a significant process for both the student, their families, schools and the community. Transitions bring mixed emotions of anxiety and excitement for the student and their family as they enter a new setting and new relationships are forged. The focus of this study was to investigate whether the New Zealand Child and Youth Profile (NZCYP) could support and assist with successful transition for two students transitioning either into or out of secondary school. Two groups supporting a student with complex needs, used the NZCYP to gather information about the student to assist with transition. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were used to gather data about the usefulness of the NZCYP and its ability to support successful transitions. A thematic analysis was used to code the data and discover the dominant themes. The data revealed that the participants of the focus groups were mostly enthusiastic about the NZCYP. The findings suggest that the NZCYP can support groups to collaborate in order to gather and collate useful information for students with complex needs. It has the potential to support planning and successful transition. More research is required around how to best use the NZCYP to gain maximum benefits for its use in transition.
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    Early childhood teachers' beliefs and experiences of identification and referral for early intervention services in Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Educational Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2017) Baxter, Stacey
    This research addresses a gap in the literature related to the role of early childhood teachers in the identification and referral of children for specialist early intervention, particularly in the Aotearoa New Zealand context. Extending on the prior work of Aspden (2003), this replicative study explored early childhood teachers’ experiences, attitudes and beliefs regarding the identification of children’s additional needs and subsequent referral for specialist early intervention. Two research questions framed this study: (1) what are early childhood teachers’ experiences related to identification and referral? and; (2) what factors, attitudes and beliefs influence early childhood teachers’ identification and referral practices? Seventy-eight early childhood teachers participated in an online survey. Key findings suggested that teachers’ identification and referral confidence was strongly influenced by a complex set of personal and external factors that included concerns around parental reaction and the adequacy of service provisions. Teachers reported low overall levels of confidence in specialist service provisions, creating a potential access barrier for children with additional needs. The findings support the ongoing need for teacher consultation in terms of current and future changes to the systems around specialist early intervention as well as enhanced professional support and development that targets teachers need for knowledge of and connection with specialist agencies.
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    Exploring parents' perceptions of support for children with special learning needs in three regular primary classrooms : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Educational Psychology at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2016) Reilly, Jessica L
    The Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) is a funding provision with access to specialists, additional teachers and teacher aides to support inclusion for children with high or very high learning and adaptive needs. This study used a qualitative methodology to explore the perceptions of five parents about the supports received through the ORS funding scheme including its strengths and limitations. The study was conducted in three different regular primary schools in the Central North region of New Zealand. The main themes identified were related to the nature and extent of support by the professional teams and the process of obtaining ORS funding with a clear message for more transparency. The study suggests that the efficacy of the teacher aide role, how the ORS funding is managed and the importance of transparency are all areas for further research.
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    A description and evaluation of special education for backward pupils at primary and intermediate schools in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Applied Psychology at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1977) Glass, Marjorie
    The thesis begins with a brief account of why and how special classes for backward children were instituted in New Zealand schools. There follows an outline of how special classes are currently organized: policies and procedures for the admission of pupils to special classes: goals of special education for backward children: the recruitment and training of special class teachers: the special class curriculum: specialist services available to special class teachers and children. The literature survey focuses initially on early studies comparing academic achievement and social/emotional adjustment in mildly mentally retarded children assigned to special classes and those retained in regular classes, studies which, because of inadequate and inappropriate assessment methods and a variety of uncontrolled variables, show conflicting results. The writer then reviews more recent studies which have been concerned with two main issues: societal and educational inequalities which influence the selection of pupils for special class placement and the extent to which special education merits the description "special". These two themes underlie the series of questions compiled by the writer for distribution to a 20% random sample of special class teachers at primary and intermediate schools throughout New Zealand as described in the third segment of the thesis. The questionnaire is concerned with demographic data on special class teachers and pupils and a variety of data on curricula, parent/school relations and specialist services available to special class teachers and pupils. 96% of the teachers surveyed returned completed questionnaires. Analysis of the data thus collected leads the writer to the following conclusions: disproportionate numbers of special class children are male, Maori and/or of low socio-economic status: for the majority of pupils special class placement is permanent: the average special class teacher is a woman, under 36, trained and experienced in regular class teaching but with little training and relatively brief experience in teaching backward children: since there is no curriculum designed specifically for backward children at primary and intermediate schools, teachers must rely primarily on their own resources in adapting regular curricula to the special needs of their pupils with limited assistance from organisers of special classes and educational psychologists and virtually none from the advisory service: the integration of special and regular class children, as endorsed by the Department of Education, occurs primarily in the non-academic areas of the curriculum: special class teachers succeed in meeting most of their pupils' parents for the purpose of discussing the progress of individual pupils but opportunities for parental participation in school life are apparently limited: organisers of special classes constitute the major source of professional assistance for special class teachers however the demands made of them appear to be excessive in view of their limited training and numbers. In the final segment of the thesis the writer returns to the two issues which motivated her survey and concludes that, for many New Zealand children, special class placement represents confirmation of their inferior status within the larger society and that special education for backward children at primary and intermediate levels in New Zealand schools does not appear to merit the description "special".
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    Coming up trumps : a student music therapist supports young people with high or very high complex special needs to develop the key competencies : an exegesis submitted to Massey University and Victoria University of Wellington in partial fulfilment for the degree of Master of Music Therapy, New Zealand School of Music
    (Massey University, 2014) Hall, Sarah
    This exploratory study aimed to discover and highlight the techniques and strategies that supported young people with high or very high complex special needs to develop the key competencies during music therapy sessions at a special school. Music therapy was carried out on an individual basis in a naturalistic manner and clinical notes were produced to record details that seemed important in each session. This data was then reviewed retrospectively in a process known as secondary analysis, employing both deductive and inductive modalities to search for and draw out links to the key competencies. A process of coding data within each key competency category revealed emerging themes and found that a number of musical, verbal and/or physical techniques and strategies supported the five key competencies during therapy. The categories, themes and codes have been defined and described with examples from the data, and a clinical vignette is included for further explanation. The data demonstrated the holistic nature of music therapy in that many techniques and strategies worked to support all five key competencies, even when the focus was a single competency. The findings are discussed with reference to, and in light of, current literature and suggested that the techniques and strategies used within my music therapy practice strongly relate to the key competencies and provide a unique context for their development. It is noted that the findings cannot be generalised to other settings and populations. However, this in-depth study may provide insight into the potential educational benefits and links between music therapy practice and the key competencies for those working with young people who have high or very high complex special needs.
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    Raising a child with high care needs : the parental experience of caring for a child who experiences disability and has high care needs : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MAster of Social Work, Massey University
    (Massey University, 2004) Tucker, Pauline
    This thesis explores the experience of raising a child who has impairment in bodily function as well as high care needs. A small group of mothers who are bringing up a child who has required a high level of parental input were interviewed to explore the experiences that had influenced the development of parental skill. The thesis is backgrounded by a literature review that traverses the development of services to support child disability in New Zealand, meanings and definitions of disability - specifically those definitions used in New Zealand policy and service delivery, parenting, implications when parenting a child has a disability, support systems, accessing services, and the role of caregiver parent. Data from the interviews carried out was analysed and revealed variables that were common to all the mothers interviewed. All the mothers had been fully involved in the clinical aspects of their child's assessment, treatment and rehabilitation from the time their child was diagnosed as having a condition that required medical intervention. All the mothers interviewed could be described as having developed competency and parenting strength that had lead to them becoming 'experts' who were caregivers, medical technicians, advocates and case managers for their child, because they had the means to become involved in specialist aspects of their child's life.
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    Building bridges into the adolescents' world and their learning community : exploring issues of diversity, special education and the role of Resource Teachers of Learning and Behaviour in secondary schools : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education (Adult Education), Massey University
    (Massey University, 2006) Guild, Diane Mary
    The increasing diversity of our student population, advances in technology, socio-economic changes and increasing awareness of human rights have resulted in the need for a change in the way secondary schools respond to diversity. This would necessitate a reframing of the current deficit paradigm of special education. This thesis investigates the validity of the notion that the concept of learning community could provide a means to bringing about this change. A small learning group of four Resource Teachers of Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) and two Ministry of Education: Special Education (GSE) fieldworkers was the vehicle for exploring this concept. One of the features of this learning group was the capacity the group had for providing a context for multi-dimensional learning. Analysis of the findings resulted in three strands of learning. The first strand of learning focused on the features and processes of effective groups. The impact of the power of the group and how participants experienced that power provided the basis for the second strand of learning. The third strand of learning resulted from themes arising out of the analysis of the group's discourses. These themes not only revealed the complexities of the work of RTLB in secondary schools but also informed and reinforced all three strands of learning. In addition to the influence that participating in the group had on the personal and professional life of each participant, the work of the group provided an insight into, and affirmed a number of, possibilities for the development of learning communities. The values, attitudes and beliefs inherent in a culture of learning community have the potential to set the stage for reframing the current deficit paradigm of special education. This change in paradigm and the findings in evidence-based research relating to what constitutes quality teaching more than imply - they necessitate - reforms that include changes to funding mechanisms, school and community cultures, school systems and teaching and learning methods. A powerful way to achieve this change is to develop whole-school learning communities where all students are valued and provided with opportunities to be contributing members. There is potential for RTLB to have a significant role in fostering, learning communities within schools. Recognition of, and advocating for, the role that RTLB could have in further development of both these aspects would contribute considerably to increasing the effectiveness of RTLB support - particularly in secondary schools. This could also assist, both directly and indirectly, with clarifying the role and expectations of the RTLB. This investigation demonstrated the potential for a small learning group to become a vehicle for growing a wider culture of learning community in education contexts. It also confirmed that a culture of genuine learning community, in which diversity is celebrated and effective teaching and learning strategies are practised, would build bridges into the adolescents' world and their learning community and enable all members to participate in an inclusive context.
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    School principals' talk about mainstreaming - a study in discourse analysis : a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Educational Administration at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1994) Thorburn, Janice Evelyn
    The interview accounts of nine urban, regular school principals are examined to identify the different positions held by these principals on the issue of the mainstreaming or inclusion of students with disabilities and special needs in regular schools. Applying the methodology discourse analysis, the different positions are investigated, and their implications explored, in terms of the ways they are justified in the context of wider beliefs and conceptions about the nature of education and the nature of disability. The literature review describes the development of special education in New Zealand, the growing practice of mainstreaming, and the significance of the emergence of the Regular Education Initiative to the mainstreaming debate. The conflict in the debate is seen to lie in the differing conceptions people hold about the nature of education and the nature of disability. These conceptions are fully explored and applied as discourses within the debate. Discourse analysis as a methodology is described in detail and the results of the analysis are reported in reference to the seven main discourses identified. Four of the discourses - the pro status quo, the medical, the lay and the charity discourses - are described as divisive discourses in that they in effect deny the equal rights of students with special needs to attend regular schools. Two other discourses - the rights and the proactive discourses - are described as inclusive, in that they argue for the rights of students with disabilities or special needs to be included in their neighbourhood schools and classes. A seventh discourse, the critical discourse, can be employed as a divisive or as an inclusive discourse. It is claimed that this study has increased the potential for critical analysis of the mainstreaming debate in two main ways: firstly, by applying Fulcher's four identified discourses of disability to accounts by school leaders in the New Zealand setting (Fulcher, 1989); and, secondly, by identifying from the literature and the data three further discourses and applying these to the debate. These three discourses provide further tools that enable educators and others to critically analyze their positions in the debate. It is hoped that critical analysis of discourses will lead to the challenging or current segregating practices in the education of students with special needs, and to more support and acceptance of their inclusion in regular classes and schools.
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    The computer as an agent of inclusion : a study of current practice : a thesis submitted as partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education (Special Education), Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 1999) Kearney, Alison
    This thesis investigates the nature and extent of computer use for learners with special needs and the context in which they are used. It investigates and documents the practices and beliefs of teachers who believe the computer to be an effective tool for including learners with special needs in regular class settings. The research addresses a number of problems associated with the use of computers in this field. First the lack of critical debate over the use of computers to facilitate the inclusion of learners with special needs in New Zealand schools. Second, while the computer has the potential to overcome many barriers faced by these learners, arguably, this is not always happening and in some cases, the computer can erect other barriers to inclusion. Finally, while it is known what the computer can do for learners with special needs, clarification is still needed on how to do it. The research explores these issues through the perceptions of the teacher who has a vital role to play in the successful use of computers for learners with special needs. The research is designed over two phases. It involves a purposive sample of teachers who have a learner in their class with a Ministry of Education funded computer for reasons of special need. Phase one uses a survey method in which a questionnaire is the vehicle of data collection. Phase one is divided into two parts: (a) the nature and extent of computer use by learners with special needs and the beliefs and practices of the teachers. (b) a comparison of the beliefs and practices of those teachers who believe the computer to be an effective or very effective tool for the inclusion of learners with special needs into regular classes with those teachers who do not believe computers to be effective in this role. Phase two employs a form of ethnographic research where semi structured interviews are used to collect data from six teachers who believe the computer to be an effective tool for inclusion. A analysis of the nature and extent of computer use reveals that most teachers feel confident and competent in implementing computer technology for the learner in their class, and believe that the computer has many advantages. It is less clear however, whether these advantages are being utilised. Most learners were funded through the Ongoing Resourcing Scheme, and the majority had more than 21 teacher-aide hours per week. They used their computers for less than once hour per day and predominantly in the areas of English and Mathematics. Most learners had an IEP, and the computer was written into that plan. The teachers who believed the computer to be an effective tool for including learners with special needs in regular classes identified a number of common beliefs and practices. A belief and commitment to the concept of inclusion, and the importance of integrating the computer into the regular curriculum, (including assessment and the Individual Education Process,) as well as the computer philosophy of the school were significant findings of the research. In sum, the research provides: • an overview of the nature and extent of computer use by learners with special needs, • identifies the beliefs and practices of teachers who belief the computer to be an effective tool for the inclusion of learners with special needs and • highlights ways in which the teacher, the computer and the environment in which it operates might best accommodate the needs of learners with special needs in inclusive ways.
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    From the New Zealand Crippled Children Society to CCS Disability Action : a social and political history of a disability organisation in Aotearoa New Zealand moving from charity to social action : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy: Social Policy, Massey University, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2012) Schorer, Mathilde Theresia Maria
    The New Zealand Crippled Children Society, founded in 1935, has emerged as CCS Disability Action in the first decade of the 21st century. This thesis covers the social history of the organisation from 1935 to 1945 and 1997 to 2008, placing it into the societal context of Aotearoa New Zealand by exploring previous histories, examining historical documents and collecting information in interviews with key players. Analysis of the documentary and interview data is guided by questions about the influence on CCSDA by: • The changing perception and language around impairment and disability in the last 75 years and the influence of the social model of disability • The bicultural perspective crucial to social history in Aotearoa New Zealand expanding to multicultural considerations • The emergence of the disability rights movement and the importance of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities • Key developments in social policy in Aotearoa New Zealand and the relationship of non profit organisations and the State with the crosspollination of innovative ideas and the varying balance of power Recommendations for CCSDA suggest continuing as a champion for the rights of disabled children and keeping the combination of quality service and social change agenda. A comprehensive history of CCS Disability Action is recommended as an acknowledgment of disabled people’s contribution to CCSDA and to society in Aotearoa New Zealand.