What Approaches Described in Research Literature Enhance the Engagement of Children and Young People With Severe or Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities? A Systematic Literature Review.

Background: Children and young people (CYP) with severe or profound and multiple learning disabilities are more likely to experience difficulties engaging for long periods. Finding ways to facilitate their engagement is crucial in promoting their social and emotional development and their mental wel...

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Published in:British Journal of Learning Disabilities Vol. 53; no. 1; pp. 61 - 74
Main Authors: Fitzpatrick, Dominic, Parker, Richard
Format: research systematic review tables/charts Journal Article
Published: Wiley-Blackwell Mar2025
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: Mar2025
      vid: 53
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      pub: Wiley-Blackwell
      place: Malden, Massachusetts
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        atl: What Approaches Described in Research Literature Enhance the Engagement of Children and Young People With Severe or Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities? A Systematic Literature Review.
      aug:
        au:
          Fitzpatrick, Dominic
          Parker, Richard
        affil: Educational Psychology Service, Bolton Greater Manchester,, UK
      sug:
        subj:
          Persons with Intellectual Disabilities In Infancy and Childhood
          Persons with Intellectual Disabilities In Adolescence
          Severity of Disability
          Social Participation
          Personal Growth
          Emotional Maturity
          Disease Susceptibility
          Psychological Well-Being
          Peer Group
          Human
          Funding Source
          United Kingdom
          Child
          Adolescence
          Systematic Review
          Learning Environment
          Interpersonal Relations
          Life Purpose
          Public Spaces
          Child: 6-12 years
          Adolescent: 13-18 years
      ab: Background: Children and young people (CYP) with severe or profound and multiple learning disabilities are more likely to experience difficulties engaging for long periods. Finding ways to facilitate their engagement is crucial in promoting their social and emotional development and their mental well‐being, particularly as they are more vulnerable to difficulties with mental well‐being compared to their peers. Methods: We undertook a systematic literature review (SLR) to identify approaches described within peer‐reviewed research literature that enhance the engagement of these children. Data from seven relevant studies were qualitatively synthesised. Thematic networks were then developed to visually present global, organising and basic themes identified within data. Findings: A global theme derived from organising themes across studies indicated that the quality of space is an important consideration in enhancing engagement. This included the extent to which space adhered to prescribed knowledge or afforded practitioners with opportunities to follow their intuition and deviate from such ideas. Conclusions: Quality of space may be important to the engagement of these CYP and consequently to their mental well‐being. This may involve consideration of the extent to which formal learning environments for them are organised and informed by dominant theory and discourse (abstract space), prescribed (spatial) practice and the extent to which environments provide conditions for 'lived spaces' that are potentially more facilitative of their engagement and so their mental well‐being. Accessible Summaries: Engaging for a long time with activities and with people can be hard for children and young people with severe or profound and multiple learning disabilities.Finding ways to improve their ability to engage for longer is important and may improve their mental well‐being such as by helping them find ways of being happy and spending time with others. This can also make getting better at things easier for them.We searched for research that had included these children and young people and found seven studies that talked about different ways of trying to engage them. We then highlighted the things that might be important in supporting them to engage better, how this was done, and what this can help with.We found out that giving adults time and space to think carefully and creatively about activities that are happening with and around these children and young people is important to improving their engagement and their mental well‐being. We think this should happen more.We think it is important to think about this because we think school should be a place where all children and young people can feel happy. When children and young people are happy in school this can lead to other benefits.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        systematic review
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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