| dc.description.abstract | It is well documented that the prevalence of chronic conditions among children and young people (CYP) is rising (NICE, 2019). In addition, poor educational outcomes of children with chronic illness (CI) are documented in research (Fleming et al., 2019; Lum et al., 2019). The overall aim of this research is to further understand how Educational Psychologists (EPs) can support children and young people with chronic illnesses. The unique contribution of this research is to consider the work that EPs are already doing and what practices and approaches they are taking. Additionally, I aim to understand the distinctive contribution of EPs and the barriers that they may face in providing additional support.
The first phase of this project involved conducting a survey using mixed methods (n= 100). Through this survey, I aimed to understand how EPs interact with children who have chronic illnesses. It included a quantitative section that used closed questions, which were mostly in the form of multiple-choice or binary items. This section measured how often EPs see children with CI, how they become involved, and what they do when they become involved. In the survey's qualitative section, the EPs were able to share their thoughts, perspectives, and experiences regarding working with children with CI and their role in providing support. The first phase of data collection influenced my research questions and exploration in the second phase. For the second phase of the project, focus group interviews were conducted to gain a better understanding of how some EPs work with children who have CI (n= 14). The aim was to explore the views and perspectives of EPs in their role of supporting and working with these children.
The synthesized results from each phase indicated that the EPs who participated in this study currently work with a diverse range of children with CI, but this work is inconsistent and often comes about through statutory assessment. I found that EPs work with children with CI in similar ways to that suggested by SEED (2002) and Cameron (2006). Possible distinct contributions of the EP’s role were indicated by participants and included their ability to ‘bring’ psychology, support multi-agency work, take a holistic approach, understand the child’s perspective, and be a supportive professional. Barriers to supporting children with CI were considered and included: the EP’s scope of practice, misunderstandings of the EP’s role, their capacity and time, socio-political influences, and difficulties in collaboration between health and education.
This study has provided valuable insights into how EPs can support children with CI and indicates some potential opportunities for EPs in this endeavour. It contributes additional knowledge concerning the role that EPs have in supporting children with CI in a context where they experience poor educational outcomes (Fleming et al., 2019; Lum et al. 2019; Musgrave & Levy, 2020). I conclude with some implications for EPs’ practice and research. | en_GB |
