Transition planning for young people with severe learning disabilities : social positions and power relationships

A Participative Action Research methodology was used to investigate whether six young people with severe learning disabilities were able to express their views and aspirations during their transition planning meeting. Although the young people were able to make choices and communicate their views and aspirations in an often assertive manner, this did not guarantee that they were meaningfully included. Professionals and school staff were unaccustomed to including the young people which meant that they often used language that excluded them. The social positions of stakeholders and their associated power relationships were already well established, which meant that the professionals held the most privileged position during the transition meetings. It was unclear how the professionals would relinquish their power to ensure the young people were meaningfully included. This study proposes that the structure of transition planning should change if meaningful inclusion is to take place

Today's Youth Making Themselves Heard

Youth is an important time in the life of an individual. As a distinct stage in the life cycle, this period is not only defined by age, but also by a set of developmental tasks, such as finishing school, starting work, moving out of the parental home and starting a family, that reflect societal norms and expectations. But large economic and social transformations and the recent recession in the U.S. fundamentally altered the conditions under which young people are growing up because they affected their ability to achieve a level of economic security sufficient to start a life of their own. Despite this emerging consensus in the contemporary youth literature however, we currently have very limited knowledge about how certain groups of young people and especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds are faring under conditions of growing uncertainty. The Chicago Youth Voices Network (CYVN) set out to ask young people in Chicago directly about their concerns, worries and hopes.CYVN consists of eleven city-wide youth media organizations that collaborated over the course of one year to engage youth in online polling and social media tools to create their own stories and provide a means for sharing them with the larger community. The project combines elements of pedagogy (social media training), research (develop and conduct a poll) and action (media production) in a unique way that allows young people to be meaningfully involved in every step along the way and thus, distinguishes it from conventional, primarily adults-driven research agendas. While such an approach certainly violates some basic academic rules of conduct, it provides a unique and fascinating window into the lived experience of disadvantaged youth in Chicago. Media based on this research can be viewed at http://nuf-said.org/media-browser

Young People Who Meaningfully Improve Are More Likely to Mutually Agree to End Treatment

Objective: Symptom improvement is often examined as an indicator of a good outcome of accessing mental health services. However, there is little evidence of whether symptom improvement is associated with other indicators of a good outcome, such as a mutual agreement to end treatment. The aim of this study was to examine whether young people accessing mental health services who meaningfully improved were more likely to mutually agree to end treatment. / Methods: Multilevel multinomial regression analysis controlling for age, gender, ethnicity, and referral source was conducted on N = 8,995 episodes of care [Female = 5,469, 61%; meanAge = 13.66 (SD = 2.87) years] using anonymised administrative data from young people's mental health services. / Results: Compared to young people with no change in mental health difficulties, those showing positive meaningful changes in mental health difficulties were less likely to have case closure due to non-mutual agreement (Odds Ratio or OR = 0.58, 95% Confidence Interval or CI = 0.50–0.61). Similarly, they were less likely to transfer (OR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.49–0.74) or end treatment for other reasons (OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.50–0.70) than by case closure due to mutual agreement. / Conclusion: The findings suggest that young people accessing mental health services whose symptoms meaningfully improve are more likely to mutually agree to end treatment, adding to the evidence that symptom improvement may be appropriate to examine as an indicator of a good outcome of accessing mental health services

Information literacy as a tool to support political participation

Recent political events have raised the profile of information literacy as a potential tool for supporting informed political participation. This article emphasises the importance of supporting political engagement through information provision and information literacy development, drawing on findings from two research projects to discuss what information needs young people have in relation to political engagement and identify some examples of work taking place in Scottish school libraries to help young people develop political knowledge and feel able to participate meaningfully in democratic processes. Some of the main barriers to libraries engaging with this work are also discussed

Your voice, your choice: democratic dialogues for first time voting youth

Paper presented at the Government Engagement Seminar, Southern Sun, Johannesburg, 6 DecemberProblem: Youth are disinterested in voting, lack of participation as active citizens, feel powerless. Solution: Youth-targeted interventions that enable participation in both society and the economy. Objective: to empower young people through increasing their voter awareness and their capacity to engage meaningfully in their communities through civic education. Impact Goal: 1) increase voter awareness and interest in civic engagement broadly; 2) Increase first time voter turnout; 3) Upskill and train young people to facilitate their own dialogues; and 4) Learn what processes/praxes are more likely to foster transformative dialogue.N/

Young People Who Meaningfully Improve Are More Likely to Mutually Agree to End Treatment

Objective: Symptom improvement is often examined as an indicator of a good outcome of accessing mental health services. However, there is little evidence of whether symptom improvement is associated with other indicators of a good outcome, such as a mutual agreement to end treatment. The aim of this study was to examine whether young people accessing mental health services who meaningfully improved were more likely to mutually agree to end treatment. Methods: Multilevel multinomial regression analysis controlling for age, gender, ethnicity, and referral source was conducted on N = 8,995 episodes of care [Female = 5,469, 61%; meanAge = 13.66 (SD = 2.87) years] using anonymised administrative data from young people's mental health services. Results: Compared to young people with no change in mental health difficulties, those showing positive meaningful changes in mental health difficulties were less likely to have case closure due to non-mutual agreement (Odds Ratio or OR = 0.58, 95% Confidence Interval or CI = 0.50-0.61). Similarly, they were less likely to transfer (OR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.49-0.74) or end treatment for other reasons (OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.50-0.70) than by case closure due to mutual agreement. Conclusion: The findings suggest that young people accessing mental health services whose symptoms meaningfully improve are more likely to mutually agree to end treatment, adding to the evidence that symptom improvement may be appropriate to examine as an indicator of a good outcome of accessing mental health services

Places for Young People to Influence Decision-Making: Developing Means for Democracy Education in Finland

Abstract This study examines young people's (ages 13–18) perceptions of their own opportunities to influence the development of their own environment through an experiment aimed at developing civic democracy in Finland in 2020–2021. The purpose of the experiment was to try out new ways of participating and influencing meaningfully for young people at school, to encourage young people to bring up grievances, and to support them in finding solutions that end up in decision-making. The experiment involved young people from different educational institutions (secondary school, upper secondary school, and vocational schools), teachers, and local decision-makers. Data was gathered with ethnographic methods by observation, video-taping, and keeping a field diary in the workshops and other events organized during the experiment. Inclusion and participation is examined through the experiences, activities, and interactions of young people and other actors participating in the experiment. Findings suggest that being able to focus on team discussions, creating a safe atmosphere, and providing suitable information during the tasks strengthened participation and experiences of inclusion during the experiment’s lifetime. In addition, it was crucial to connect the activities to the development of existing decision-making structures, as well as to develop school routines, to enable more processual teaching needed in democracy education.Abstract This study examines young people's (ages 13–18) perceptions of their own opportunities to influence the development of their own environment through an experiment aimed at developing civic democracy in Finland in 2020–2021. The purpose of the experiment was to try out new ways of participating and influencing meaningfully for young people at school, to encourage young people to bring up grievances, and to support them in finding solutions that end up in decision-making. The experiment involved young people from different educational institutions (secondary school, upper secondary school, and vocational schools), teachers, and local decision-makers. Data was gathered with ethnographic methods by observation, video-taping, and keeping a field diary in the workshops and other events organized during the experiment. Inclusion and participation is examined through the experiences, activities, and interactions of young people and other actors participating in the experiment. Findings suggest that being able to focus on team discussions, creating a safe atmosphere, and providing suitable information during the tasks strengthened participation and experiences of inclusion during the experiment’s lifetime. In addition, it was crucial to connect the activities to the development of existing decision-making structures, as well as to develop school routines, to enable more processual teaching needed in democracy education

Can Self-Advocacy Skills Support Young People to Participate in Person-Centred Planning? an Example From Research Involving Young People With Dyslexia

Changes to national legislation in England have resulted in a cultural shift towards ensuring children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities are held at the centre of assessment and planning. The promotion of person-centred approaches within the Code of Practice is a welcome addition to many within the educational community. However, little consideration has been given to how professionals can ensure children and young people are maximally involved within this process. This is of significant concern when considered in the context of research which shows children with additional needs often lack the necessary skills to participate meaningfully in the planning of their educational provision. This article draws upon research in which young people with dyslexia were interviewed about the planning for and outcomes of their transition to secondary school. The implications of this research indicated that self-advocacy skills can be an important element in enabling young people to more competently contribute to transition planning. A range of self-advocacy skills are considered in the context of enabling young people to participate in person-centred planning. Practical ideas are outlined which are aimed at professionals wanting to help young people to develop self-advocacy skills, which could empower them to take a more active role in contributing to planning their support and educational provision

Places for Young People to Influence Decision-Making: Developing Means for Democracy Education in Finland

This study examines young people\u27s (ages 13–18) perceptions of their own opportunities to influence the development of their own environment through an experiment aimed at developing civic democracy in Finland in 2020–2021. The purpose of the experiment was to try out new ways of participating and influencing meaningfully for young people at school, to encourage young people to bring up grievances, and to support them in finding solutions that end up in decision-making. The experiment involved young people from different educational institutions (secondary school, upper secondary school, and vocational schools), teachers, and local decision-makers. Data was gathered with ethnographic methods by observation, video-taping, and keeping a field diary in the workshops and other events organized during the experiment. Inclusion and participation is examined through the experiences, activities, and interactions of young people and other actors participating in the experiment. Findings suggest that being able to focus on team discussions, creating a safe atmosphere, and providing suitable information during the tasks strengthened participation and experiences of inclusion during the experiment’s lifetime. In addition, it was crucial to connect the activities to the development of existing decision-making structures, as well as to develop school routines, to enable more processual teaching needed in democracy education

Tensions Between Children’s and Adults’ Practices and Understandings of Consent in the Home and School

Sexual violence is disturbingly common, especially for young people. Accordingly, it is important to explore children’s understandings of consent to determine how to properly inform young people and respond meaningfully to their trauma. Existing literature on this topic reveals a tension between young people’s ability to comprehend consent and communicate permission through spatial practices, and adults’ failure to teach and practice this agreement due to dominant romantic, socialization, and developmental conceptions of childhood, and concern with risk. Children display a capacity to communicate consent through their negotiation of place. In the home, most parents ignore children’s expressed limits. Conversely, teachers discipline themselves according to dominant notions of risk, avoiding touch altogether despite students’ understandings of consent. In both the home and school, adults present harmful notions of sex and consent. Children characterize such teachings as problematic, reinforcing the disparity between young people’s and adults’ views. Moving forward, consent education policy should be informed by children’s knowledge and preferences