C.E. Jottings

Some limits of randomized controlled trials for evidence-based policy: not "What works" but "Why things work"

"What Works is based on the principle that good decision-making should be informed by the best available evidence. If evidence is not available, decision-makers should use high quality methods to find out what works." So says the Government website. Stands to reason, doesn't it? Evidenced based public policy. Spend scarce resources on what works. Increasingly often in education, it seems, the evidence comes from randomised control trials. Well maybe we should pause for a little thought? For instance: "Understandings and... Read more →

Maybe Action Cerebral Palsy and the Westminster Commission on Autism have common ground?

Are Action Cerebral Palsy (@action_cp) the Westminster Commission on Autism (@W_Autism_Comm) talking with each other? Judging by the findings of ACP's report ‘Variations in Care: an analysis of cerebral palsy provision’ launched at Westminster outlining the findings of a Freedom of Information (FOI) study into the provision of cerebral palsy services across England and the findings of the WCoA's report "A Spectrum of Obstacles - An Inquiry into Access to Healthcare for Autistic People", the two organisations may have much... Read more →

If we can't do the maths on neurodevelopment problems, can we at least agree on the words?

So many words we use as if we had a common understanding what they mean: “inclusion” for instance, or “needs”; “special educational needs” or “learning disability”. A few months ago, we finally, after very many years, successfully, or so we thought, saw our adult daughter moved from the “physical disabilities team” to the “learning disabilities team”. Today, we learned that there was a flaw in the assessment and that she must be re-assessed – parents not invited, by the way.... Read more →

Can you “do the math” on neurodevelopmental problems? Or is it just me?

In a week in which SATs tests have been all the rage, literally, in social and mainstream media, a question about clarity in the expression of number might be deemed apposite. The following two paragraphs are from a report on the work of the Cerebra Foetal Research Project at the University of Barcelona. Pay attention to the numbers. Do they confuse you or is it just me? One in ten children has neurodevelopmental problems. It is estimated that about two... Read more →

Cerebral palsy research continues to be dominated by all things medical

I suppose its the dominant discourse that we just have to live with, adapt to or carry on in spite of. Cerebral Palsy Research (CPRes) aims at nothing less than "Shaping the future of research into cerebral palsy". Hear what CPRes have to say of themselves: Cerebral Palsy Research (CPRes) is a multidisciplinary community, university and clinical research group which brings together people with cerebral palsy, their family and carers, clinicians, healthcare professionals and researchers. We work in partnership to... Read more →

“Research has found” that 1 in 5 pieces of research are bunkum

Actually it hasn't. Apart from the phrase “research has found”, which is a quote from a story in The Daily Telegraph the other day, I made the rest up. Although it might be true, for all anyone knows. “Peer reviewed” might be the best protection from research nonsense that we consumers of traditional and social media have, but peer reviewed nonsense is still nonsense and the effects may be worse: Burt on the heritability of IQ? Wakefield on MMR and... Read more →

Practice- and practitioner-based research: Research Rich Schools

Andrew Sutton has, if memory serves (though I have not checked his actual posts), more than once called for research in conductive education by practitioners embedded in actual and ongoing practice. Today, I came across "Research Rich Schools". You must judge for yourself if the research Framework they've come up with is of use in conductive education schools and centres. I just suggest that in the context of a national project such as "Research Rich Schools" the time might now... Read more →

Changing work of Educational Psychologists

I've been reading an interesting account of the transformation in the work of Educational Psychologists that makes me wonder why they and Conductors are not more often seen as natural allies. I do not suggest that their interests or assumptions are identical, just that there might perhaps be more scope for dialogue and finding common ground. In their earliest practice (1913-40), EPs in the UK worked at the behest of doctors who identified children, to test and diagnose and make... Read more →

You want evidence-based education practice? Depends what you mean. How about this?

In conductive education, we are familiar with the cry for evidence - which usually ends up with referencing medical research, something that's never struck me as especially helpful in the classroom or in schools (or in working with adults conductively, for that matter.) But this is a bit different and we might find it more helpful in CE settings. It's from a newish blog (perhaps started in April 2014) Evidence-Based Educational Leadership. In the most recent posting, today, the writer... Read more →

Thinking differently about special education (from Carter and his review of ITT)

The Carter Review of Initial Teacher Training has been published. I struggle to imagine who could possibly find it an essential and inspirational document. It is a little more than a re-hash of the prevailing orthodoxy. It has nothing of value to say about special education or special pedagogy. In contrast, and coincidentally, I am at the moment reading "Vygotsky and Special Needs Education: Rethinking Support for Children and Schools" (Continuum International Publishing Group 2011. Eds Harry Daniels and Mariane... Read more →