Building Resilience of Children and Youth with Disabilities: New Perspectives

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102). This special issue belongs to the section "Special and Inclusive Education".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 January 2024) | Viewed by 9249

Special Issue Editors

Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Crete, 74100 Rethymno, Greece
Interests: special education; school bullying; inclusion; intervention programmes; autistic spectrum disorder; children with medical conditions; child psychology
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Crete, Rethymno 74100, Greece
Interests: special education; post-traumatic stress disorder; school bullying; psychotherapy and counselling; resilience of children with special needs
Faculty of Primary Education, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 10675, Greece
Interests: special education; inclusion; developmental disorders (intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder); gifted children; early intervention; educational neuroscience

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Resilience is a concept that refers to the tendency of the individual to rebound from adversities based on a variety of factors, both individually and socially. Children and youth with disabilities and their families may face adversities and challenges through their lifespan. The shift from the medical aspect of disability to the social model and, recently, to an embodiment perspective acknowledge the dynamic interactions through the micro and macro system of the individual. Thus, building resilience highlights a range of protective factors which are thought to alter responses to adverse events so that potential negative outcomes can be avoided, and significance is given to socioecological influences on the child rather than purely the biological traits.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to invite researchers with empirical or theoretical work from the field of Special Education who are dealing with interventions aiming to enhance the resilience of children and youth with disabilities.

Topics of interest for this Special Issue include (but are not limited) to the following:

  • Implications for practice in building resilience of children and youth with disabilities and their families
  • The role of schools in building resilience of children and youth with disabilities
  • The role of arts in building resilience of children and youth with disabilities
  • The role of teachers and classmates in building resilience of children and youth with disabilities
  • Hearing the voices from children and youth and their families regarding ways of building resilience
  • Building resilience as part of post-traumatic growth in children, youth, and their families with disabilities
  • The role of animals in building resilience of children and youth with disabilities
  • The role of families in building resilience to sustain children with disabilities in social and academic growth
  • Developing the resilience of children with chronic illnesses
  • Effects of the pandemic on resilience of children and youth with disabilities

Dr. Maria Georgiadi
Dr. Stefanos Plexousakis
Dr. Dimitra Maria Tomprou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • resilience
  • disability
  • children
  • youth
  • wellbeing
  • school
  • family
  • community
  • social and academic growth

Published Papers (2 papers)

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26 pages, 339 KiB  
Article
The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Containment Measures on Families and Children with Moderate and High-Functioning ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
by Margarita Saliverou, Maria Georgiadi, Dimitra Maria Tomprou, Nataly Loizidou-Ieridou and Stefanos Plexousakis
Educ. Sci. 2021, 11(12), 783; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/educsci11120783 - 01 Dec 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3190
Abstract
The present study focuses on the impact of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) transmission prevention measures and, in particular, home confinement of families with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Greece. It is assumed that the implemented new measures during the pandemic constitute a profound [...] Read more.
The present study focuses on the impact of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) transmission prevention measures and, in particular, home confinement of families with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Greece. It is assumed that the implemented new measures during the pandemic constitute a profound change for children on the spectrum, considering that the core ASD symptoms include the persistence and adherence to routine and stability, a condition that also directly affects the children’s parents. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted. Participants were 10 caregivers with a child diagnosed with ASD of medium or high functioning in Greece. The ages of the children range from 6.5 to 15 years old. The results of the thematic analysis revealed three main themes: (1) the educational framework, (2) the management of daily life, and (3) the construction of the new daily routine. These three themes represent the levels that have undergone a decisive transition, and the sub-themes recommend the areas, individual ways of dealing with this shift. So far, the impact of the pandemic mitigation measures cannot be described as generally positive or negative, as there have been advances and setbacks for children and families alike. Finally, governmental measures and technology-assisted teaching (distance learning) were considered necessary but not sufficient enough for full adaptation. Full article

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18 pages, 678 KiB  
Systematic Review
Is Resilience a Trait or a Result of Parental Involvement? The Results of a Systematic Literature Review
by Karolina Eszter Kovács, Beáta Dan, Anett Hrabéczy, Katinka Bacskai and Gabriella Pusztai
Educ. Sci. 2022, 12(6), 372; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/educsci12060372 - 26 May 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4664
Abstract
Investigating parental involvement has moved to the foreground of research in the past two decades, and research results focusing on family engagement claim its positive impact on children’s academic and non-academic achievement. However, less is known about parental involvement in the case of [...] Read more.
Investigating parental involvement has moved to the foreground of research in the past two decades, and research results focusing on family engagement claim its positive impact on children’s academic and non-academic achievement. However, less is known about parental involvement in the case of families with children with special needs. In our systematic review, we collected studies focusing on parental involvement which emphasised the role of resilience. Using the EBSCO Discovery Service, a total of 467 abstracts from 85 databases were screened, of which 28 papers published between 1984 and 2021 met the research criteria. Papers vary according to methodology (interview, focus group conversation, survey, case study, intervention programme and good practice) and disability group (general or specific). Resilience is interpreted in two ways: as a personality trait or a consequence. Four types of papers could be detected which dealt with the target group, specifically papers focusing on children, parents, teachers and professionals, and intervention programmes with multiple focuses. In conclusion, resilience is an element of parental involvement, either as a personality trait or a result. It is indispensable for the successful development of children in terms of academic and non-academic achievement as well. Programmes providing a wider collaboration with actors involved in the development of children seem to be more effective. In general practice, whether the goal is to build upon resilience as a personality trait or target its development as a consequence, strong collaboration between the parents, teachers and professionals concerned in the process can significantly contribute to the child’s psychological, emotional and academic development. Full article
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