Autonomy, rights and children with special needs: International perspectives | 13 June 2018

Focus of the seminar

Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) emphasises the right of every child to express their view on all matters of concern to him or her and for due weight to be given to it, in the light of their age and understanding. It applies to a wide range of situations in which decisions and arrangements governing children are made, including, importantly, in the context of education. In light of the UN CRC, there is a growing recognition of the need to ensure children’s rights of participation and redress in the field of education. This seminar explores the way in which different developed countries are responding to the challenges posed by Article 12 of the CRC in relation to children with SEN/ASN, who may experience a range of difficulties in participation due to disability, social disadvantage and discrimination.

The contributors to this seminar are based in six jurisdictions: the US, Scotland, England, Wales, Spain and Northern Ireland. In order to understand national legislation, policy and practice, papers draw on literature and empirical research from the fields of law, education, philosophy and social policy. After the event, seminar papers will be published as an edited collection/a special issue of an academic journal.

Seminar photos

Abstracts of Contributors

Contributors	Abstracts
Dr Bronagh Byrne, Queens University Belfast	The Digital Environment and the Right to Education: The Views of Disabled Children and Young People
Professor Charles J. Russo, University of Dayton, Ohio (US)	The Rights of Students with Disabilities to Educational Self-Determination: A View from the United States
Professor Neville Harris and Dr Gail Davidge, University of Manchester	‘Authors of their own life stories’? Children and young people with special educational needs and their new rights in England
Dr Jean Ware, Bangor University	Autonomy, rights and children with special educational needs: The distinctiveness of Wales
Professor Sheila Riddell, Dr Duncan Carmichael & Dr Kevin Wright, University of Edinburgh	Professionalism, rights and children with additional support needs in Scotland: The swarming of conflicting discourses
Dr James MacAllister, University of Edinburgh	A philosophical review of enhanced agency rights for Scottish children with additional support needs
Dr Raquel Casado-Muñoz & Dr. Fernando Lezcano-Barbero, Universidad de Burgos (Spain)	Participation and rights of children with specific educational support needs in Castilla y León (Spain): The gap between policy and practice

Timetable

10.00	Coffee and Welcome
Session One: 10.30-11.30	CHAIR: Professor Sheila Riddell
10.30	Dr Jean Ware, Bangor University Autonomy, rights and children with special educational needs: The distinctiveness of Wales
11.00	Dr James MacAllister, University of Edinburgh A philosophical review of enhanced agency rights for Scottish children with additional support needs
11.30	Coffee break
Session Two: 11.45-12.45	CHAIR: Dr Duncan Carmichael
11.45	Dr Bronagh Byrne, Queens University Belfast The Digital Environment and the Right to Education: The Views of Disabled Children and Young People
12.15	Professor Neville Harris and Dr Gail Davidge, University of Manchester School of Law ‘Authors of their own life stories’? Children and young people with special educational needs and their new rights in England
12.45-13.30	Lunch break
Session Three: 13.30-14.30	CHAIR: Professor Neville Harris
13.30	Professor Charles J. Russo, University of Dayton, Ohio The Rights of Students with Disabilities to Educational Self-Determination: A View from the United States
14.00	Dr Raquel Casado-Muñoz & Dr Fernando Lezcano-Barbero, Universidad de Burgos (Spain) Participation and rights of children with specific educational support needs in Castilla y León (Spain): The gap between policy and practice
14.30	Coffee break
Session Four: 14.45-15.45	CHAIR: Dr James MacAllister
14.45	Professor Sheila Riddell, Dr Duncan Carmichael, Dr James MacAllister & Dr Kevin Wright, University of Edinburgh Professionalism, rights and children with additional support needs in Scotland: The swarming of conflicting discourses
15.15-15.45	Discussion and closing remarks

Jun 13 2018 10.00 - 16.00

Autonomy, rights and children with special needs: International perspectives | 13 June 2018

The contributors to this seminar are based in 6 jurisdictions: the US, Scotland, England, Wales, Spain and Northern Ireland. In order to understand national legislation, policy and practice, papers draw on literature and empirical research from the fields of law, education, philosophy and social policy.

Godfrey Thomson Hall, Moray House School of Education, University of Edinburgh

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