Operations of power, discourses of truth: support for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

Abstract

Session overview:

The mechanism for supporting a child with SEND in the UK is an EHCP - an Education, Health and Care Plan. This legally binding document should serve as a blueprint for how to support the child to achieve to the fullest of their potential in their educational setting. However, the Local Authority has decision-making power and can refuse to assess a child for an EHCP. Between 2015 and 2020, approximately one-fifth of requests for assessment were denied (Ahad et al., 2022).

This research will investigate operations of power in the EHCP process. "Power" may include "legal power; economic and material power; social and cultural capital; interpersonal power; and ideological power"; negative operations of power may produce a threat response as per the Power Threat Meaning Framework (Johnstone & Boyle, 2018). Recent research has explored how the education system in the UK "simultaneously grants and removes power from individuals" (Bodfield & Culshaw, 2024).

Foucault's view of education, and his description of power as relational and a producer of truth through discourse, provide an interesting lens through which to interrogate the EHCP process (Foucault, 1995). A recent literature review looking at power and SEND support revealed interesting themes which resonate with initial findings from this qualitative, interpretive and experiential research.

Although many families have had distressing experiences, (Cullen & Lindsay, 2019), it is hoped that this research can find some narratives of hope. Through understanding where key adults have worked in partnership successfully, suggestions can be made for an improved approach.

Key learning points from this session:

This research has direct relevance for neurodivergent staff and students, parent-carers, and the disabled researchers' community at LJMU, and resonates with the university's mission statement around inclusive practice. It will encourage people to consider how power imbalances might impact their partnership working; research findings will promote challenging but necessary conversations.

Operations of power, discourses of truth: support for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities poster, only LJMU staff and students have access to this resource.