Introduction: Compared to other countries, Sweden did not introduce sudden lockdowns and school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the country chose a less restrictive approach to managingthe pandemic, such as staying at home with any symptoms of cold orCOVID-19, washing hands, and maintaining social distancing. Preschools and compulsory schools remained open. In this context, limited evidenceexists about how Swedish families of students with special educationalneeds and disabilities (SEND) experienced collaboration with school professionals to support their children during the COVID-19, and how the pandemic affected parents’ perceptions of quality of their family life. The present study investigated parental perceptions of satisfaction with family-school collaboration and with family quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Twenty-six parents of students with SEND who attended general lower secondary schools (grades 7-9) completed a survey using three measures: the demographic questionnaire, the Beach Center Family Quality of Life scale (FQOL), and the Family-School Collaboration scale – the adapted version of the original Beach Center Family-Professional Partnership Scale. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations were used to analyse data.

Results: Parents felt less satisfied with family-school collaboration related to child-oriented aspects; they were least satisfied with their emotional well-being aspect of family quality of life. Strong, significant and positive associations were found between family-school collaboration and disability-related support aspect of FQOL.

Discussion: The findings point to the importance of family-schoolpartnerships in promoting students’ positive school achievements, and inenhancing FQOL. The findings have practical implications for professional development of pre- and in-service teachers within the existing curricula of teacher preparation programs. Implications for further research are discussed given the study’s small sample size and challenges in recruitmentof participants.

The feasibility of a pedagogical approach—MultiSensory Music Drama (MSMD)—was investigated in collaboration with a teacher and a student with severe/profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (S/PIMD). Educational research for this group of learners is scarce, but research has suggested the potential of integrating music and multisensory storytelling to promote interactive engagement. A case study using co-production between a teacher and researchers was conducted. The development, implementation and evaluation of MSMD lessons were performed, by carrying out the lessons, iteratively refining them through stimulated recall interviews and ratings of student engagement. The long-term feasibility was investigated through a post-intervention survey and a follow-up interview. Inductive content analysis was used for data analysis. In-depth descriptions of the implementation process are provided. The teacher found the MSMD approach useful in relation to the syllabus and motivating for the student. She reported that she had continued to use MSMD with all of her students and that several of her colleagues had started to use it as well. Our results suggest that MSMD can be a meaningful approach for practitioners working with these learners. The study also reveals aspects of professional knowledge when working with students with S/PIMD.

Background and aims: Teachers serve as critical communication partners for students with intellectual disability (ID) who face communication difficulties. However, teachers may lack sufficient training in using communication partner strategies and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) in the classroom. This study aimed to explore teacher application of a communication partner intervention (AKKtiv ComPal) in schools for students with ID.

Methods: Video observations were conducted at four schools during a teacher-led group activity at pre- and postintervention, with follow-up 7 months later, focusing on communication partner strategies and AAC use applied as a universal approach in the classroom. Differences and similarities in intervention application and contextual factors that may influence teacher application were investigated using a multiple case study approach, in which the four teachers and their contexts served as the four examined cases.

Results: All cases increased the access to communication boards in the classroom and used more augmented input and responsive strategies following intervention. Follow-up measures revealed variability in augmented input and sustained or more use of responsive strategies. Despite increased strategy use, access to communication boards remained inconsistent, and augmented input was used with variability across observation minutes. Influencing factors to teacher application seemed to be classroom setups (such as having a table), previous AAC skills, student characteristics, and postintervention efforts such as repeating the intervention or participating in follow-up sessions.

Conclusions: This study demonstrates that classroom teachers for students with ID can use augmented input and responsive strategies as a universal design approach in the classroom following the AKKtiv ComPal intervention. However, teachers may utilize the strategies somewhat differently, partly influenced by their contextual factors.

Implications: The findings suggest that while teachers for students with ID can successfully use communication partner strategies in the classroom, their use of augmented input should be nurtured over time to ensure sustained use and possibly improve consistency. Additionally, adapting to the physical environment of the classroom is crucial to optimize the application of these strategies.

Background: Interactive engagement, specifically attention and initiation, are considered important skills for facilitating development and learning in students with severe/profound intellectual and multiple disabilities. Prior research has suggested that music therapy and multisensory storytelling are two promising interventions for supporting interactive engagement in this population. However, there are no known/published studies that have investigated the effect of combining relevant elements from musical interaction and multisensory storytelling for this group of students. This study aims to determine the effect of a novel educational approach—MultiSensory Music Drama (MSMD)—on the interactive engagement of students with severe/profound intellectual and multiple disabilities.

Methods: A single-case experimental design, specifically an ABAB design across three participants, was used to describe the effect of MSMD on interactive engagement when compared with a control activity. School staff members' perceptions of student interactive engagement and social validity were obtained.

Findings: Coded video observations showed significantly higher levels of interactive engagement during MSMD for all three participants when compared to the control activity. Furthermore, the ratings on the interactive engagement from school staff members improved for two of the three participants. Finally, school staff members scored the social validity and perceived educational usefulness of the MSMD as very high.

Conclusions: The findings provide initial evidence that MSMD may be effective in supporting the interactive engagement of some students with severe/profound intellectual and multiple disabilities.

Most students with intellectual and communicative disability who rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) attend non-inclusive school settings. Little is known about turn-taking and the use of various communication modes in groups of students and staff in this context. Previous studies on single students with intellectual disability in various school settings have found that staff tend to dominate interactions and augmented communication modes are used more during structured than unstructured activities. The present study explored turn-taking contributions and communication modes in whole groups of students and staff in non-inclusive school settings in Sweden. Video observations of 33 students and 30 school staff were conducted in seven classrooms during one structured activity (circle time) and one unstructured activity (leisure time). Turn-taking contributions and communication modes were examined when comparing students and staff and when comparing the two activities. Findings revealed that staff dominated the interactions and augmented communication modes were used less during leisure time than circle time. Notably, aided augmented communication modes, particularly speech-output technologies, were used sparsely. Findings of this study highlight the importance of supporting staff members in applying partner strategies and incorporating augmented input, especially aided augmented input, across various group activities at school.

Children with severe disabilities are often excluded from educational opportunities due to inter alia attitudinal barriers and a lack of teacher training. This scoping review paper assessed intervention studies focused on inclusive education for children with severe disabilities. It was found that a total of 13 studies met the review's inclusion criteria. The results revealed a paucity of literature and highlighted five main areas of focus in the available intervention studies. The majority of intervention studies were found to be focused on increasing engagement, reducing behaviours and improving social inclusion as outcomes. There was limited focus on studies focusing on the improvement of academic outcomes.

This study considered the attitudes of adolescents with physical disabilities towards an unfamiliar peer with complex communication needs who uses augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The study aimed to determine and compare the attitudes of adolescents with physical disabilities when an unfamiliar peer used a general consumer-level mobile technology device with an AAC application (iPad™ with Proloquo2Go™) versus a low technology communication board. A non-experimental descriptive survey design was used involving 35 adolescents with physical disabilities. The participants were divided into two groups using paired randomization. Group A viewed DVD-1 showing an unfamiliar peer with complex communication needs in a scripted conversation with a communication partner using an iPad with Proloquo2Go. Group B viewed DVD-2, which showed the same interaction using a communication board. The participants completed the Communication Aid/Device Attitudinal Questionnaire (CADAQ) after watching the DVD. The results indicate the unfamiliar peer was viewed more positively by adolescents with physical disabilities when using the iPad with Proloquo2Go as compared to the communication board, with a statistically significant difference in the affective/behavioural and cognitive/belief components of the CADAQ. The use of general consumer-level mobile technologies with AAC applications should therefore be considered for use by adolescents who use AAC.

All children have the right to become equal citizens of the society. Children with intellectual disabilities have difficulties in learning and may need support to reach that equality, and some extra resources may be needed. Compared to children with typical development, children with intellectual disabilities have problems in three cognitive areas that are essential for learning activities: Abstract thinking. Understanding/using abstract symbols (text, numbers, money, and time) and imagining non-experienced things and situations. Several-steps thinking. Understanding multiple-level instructions and connections between cause and effect. Simultaneous handling of information. Nuanced considerations/comparisons, risk considerations and problem solving that manifest in complex social situations.

Endorsing an interactive bio-psycho-social understanding of intellectual disabilities implies that learning limitations are the discrepancy between abilities and the level and/or quality of support, and according to this an inclusive approach to learning should be based on knowledge about abilities rather than dis-abilities. Two inclusive classroom strategies for learning are presented and discussed in this chapter. These strategies seek ways of providing universal, inclusive learning situations where children with intellectual disability can interact with any children and the most important role for a teacher is to find ways to support the children in that interaction.