Warnock (1978)

Notes on the text
Preliminary pages Membership, Contents, Introduction
Chapter 1 General approach
Chapter 2 Historical background
Chapter 3 Scope of special education
Chapter 4 Discovery, assessment and recording
Chapter 5 Children under five
Chapter 6 Schoolchildren with special needs: introduction
Chapter 7 Special education in ordinary schools
Chapter 8 Special education in special schools
Chapter 9 Parents as partners
Chapter 10 Transition from school to adult life
Chapter 11 Some curricular considerations
Chapter 12 Teacher education and training
Chapter 13 Advice and support in special education
Chapter 14 Other education service staff
Chapter 15 Health service and social services
Chapter 16 Relations between professionals, confidentiality and coordination of services
Chapter 17 Voluntary organisations
Chapter 18 Research and development
Chapter 19 Priorities and resources
Summary of recommendations

Appendices

Appendix 1 List of contributors
Appendix 2 Categories of handicapped pupils
Appendix 3 Possible grid as basis for statistical returns
Appendix 4 Organisation of health service
Appendix 5 Research project on services for parents of under 5s
Appendix 6 Research project on pre-school education
Appendix 7 Research project on employment experiences of handicapped school leavers
Appendix 8 Survey of teachers' views on special education

Index

Report of the Committee of Enquiry into the education of handicapped children and young people

London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office 1978
© Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland.

ISBN 0 10 172120 X

Appendix 6 Research project on pre-school education and handicapped and exceptional children
[pages 389 - 390]

1. This research project, commissioned at our request, commenced in March 1976 and lasted one year. It was directed by Dr Margaret M Clark, Reader in Educational Psychology, University of Strathclyde, with Mrs J Riach as research fellow and Dr W Cheyne as statistical consultant.

2. The study had two related aims:

(i) To investigate the perceptions of staffs in nursery schools and classes, and in the related primary schools, of handicapped and exceptional children and the incidence of such children in the nursery schools and classes. The research was extended to include all day nurseries organised by the social work department and a selection of community and private pre-school playgroups.

(ii) To undertake observational studies in selected schools and units in which there were handicapped children in order to observe the extent and type of attention they received from staff in relation to other children not so perceived.

4. In the initial stage of the investigation nursery schools and classes were visited and the teachers in charge were interviewed to obtain information on the following issues:

(i) number of handicapped and exceptional children (as defined and described by the research worker) attending the unit;

(ii) numbers of such children whom the head teacher thought could be accommodated and reasons for these views;

(iii) admissions procedure for such children;

(iv) details of any special provision for any of these children in the unit - visiting specialists, spatial layout, equipment, activities, special hours of attendance; and

(v) links with primary schools.

5. In the second stage of the study detailed observations were carried out in selected nursery schools and pre-school playgroups to obtain some insight into the advantages and problems of integrating handicapped children in pre-school units. Interviews were also held with primary schools receiving handicapped children who had attended nursery school or classes.

6. Close links were maintained with the regional officials in Grampian Region and regular meetings were held with a committee which was chosen to be representative of the various agencies cooperating in the study. Plans were discussed with this group and progress reported. It was at the request of this committee that the original title of the research which referred to 'deviant' children to cover handicapped and gifted children was changed to 'handicapped and exceptional children'.

7. For the purpose of the project handicapped children were regarded as children with a sensory handicap, a speech defect, difference or difficulty, a physical/neurological impairment, mental handicap, emotional disturbance, social maladjustment or multiple disabilities.

8. A report on the project has been published by the University of Strathclyde and is available from that university.