Through Their Eyes: A Mini Ethnographic and Phenomenological Exploration of the Lived Experiences of Children with Severe and Complex Learning Needs in a mainstream School

This research thesis is an attempt to counteract the many assumptions that are made about
the lives of children and young people who are defined as having a severe and complex
learning disability (SCLD). Since the adoption of the Salamanca statement (UNESCO 1994)
for the rights of all children to receive a quality education in ‘regular’ schools, the
understanding of what inclusion means has been heavily debated in research (Graham & Slee,
2008). Left out of the debate and without a voice are the children with SCLD. Through a mini ethnographic and phenomenological methodology, I have attempted to hear two children’s experiences of their mainstream school, through observation and field notes, participant observation and the act of ‘being with’ (Morris, 2003), alongside informal conversations with their teachers and parents and a process of critical reflexivity. The data was analysed through a structured inductive, immersive and iterative process of eidetic imagination (Finlay, 2012; Giorgi, 2009).
I identified emerging themes from the children’s lived experiences, which I interpreted and explicated utilising metaphor, so that the reader can ‘hear’ their experiences. From ‘listening’ to the children’s lived experiences I then made a case for what I believe to be important contributions relevant to the debate of specialist education and inclusion. Implications for educational psychologist practice are also discussed.