Papers by Carolyn Blackburn
Reimagining the language of disability and inclusion in primary teacher education through a translanguaging framework
Practice, Jun 7, 2023
Making human beings human
Case Ms. L, a 32-year-old G5 P2 A2 (gravida 5, para 2, abortions 2) woman, is admitted to hospita... more Case Ms. L, a 32-year-old G5 P2 A2 (gravida 5, para 2, abortions 2) woman, is admitted to hospital because of premature rupture of membranes at an estimated 34 weeks of gestation. She has had only intermittent prenatal care and no prenatal tests. This is an unplanned pregnancy, and she is not sure of the time of conception. Her 2 older children have been in foster care since birth, because child welfare authorities assessed her ability to parent as inadequate at the time; 1 child is in the process of adoption. Although child welfare authorities have documented a history of problem drinking, the woman denies any drinking during the current pregnancy. Her physical and neurologic examinations are unremarkable. Although she has sought routine prenatal care only periodically during her pregnancy, she describes developing a desire to parent this child in recent weeks. She denies any "recent" use of alcohol or cocaine, but will not be more specific. Informed consent for drug testing is obtained; no alcohol is detected in her blood, and a urine toxic screen is negative for cocaine, heroin, amphetamines and cannabinoids. Her hemoglobin level is 130 g/L, leukocyte count is 8.5 × 10 9 /L, mean corpuscular volume is 82 fL, electrolytes and creatinine levels are normal, and gamma glutamyl transferase level is 75 (normally < 45) U/L. The woman's baby is delivered vaginally. His Apgar score is 8 at 1 minute and 10 at 5 minutes. His birth weight is 1.1 kg (below the third percentile for age) and head circumference 28.5 cm (fifth percentile for age). Findings from the physical and neurologic examinations of the baby are unremarkable, and he does not require assisted ventilation. Breastfeeding is started successfully. What aspects of this case make you concerned that this child is at risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)? What additional screens or laboratory tests might further indicate the possibility of FASD? What physical and neurodevelopmental deficits might present later in life if the child has FASD?
Young Children's Use of Private Speech in Early Childhood Settings: Moving from a deficit approach to a rights and agency approach
Peter Lang eBooks, Nov 27, 2018
Private speech (or self-talk) is a phenomenon first identified by Piaget and reinforced by Vygots... more Private speech (or self-talk) is a phenomenon first identified by Piaget and reinforced by Vygotsky that is thought to form a bridge between young children’s language and thinking and to to help children make meaning from language heard from adult speech. Vygotsky argued that the use of private speech is beneficial in helping children to self-regulate their emotions, keep track of their thoughts and form a bridge between social speech and inner speech. Private speech can be categorised according to whether it is overt or covert and related to a task in hand or irrelevant to the task the child is engaged in. Children progress from overt speech to covert speech as they mature. There is therefore a developmental role in children’s use of private speech which is contingent on both their observation of adult speech and practice of linguistic skills through guided participation with adults. This highlights the importance for early childhood professionals in understanding and valuing the role of private speech in children’s learning and development. This chapter will discuss findings from a study that explored young children’s speech, language and communication acquisition in mainstream and specialist early childhood settings and the different social and physical resources that promoted it. This chapter will focus on findings from interviews with early childhood professionals and time-sequenced observations in eleven early childhood settings in one local authority in England. The study shows that children engage in private speech during unstructured child-led activities and children with English as an Additional Language and children with neurodevelopment conditions such as Autism engage in episodes of private speech more frequently than other children. In mainstream early childhood settings, there are more opportunities for children to engage in episodes of private speech as there are fewer instances of structured adult-led activities than in specialist settings
Towards an ecological model of inclusive practice for children with special educational needs in Vietnam: perceptions of primary school teachers
PRACTICE
Routledge eBooks, Oct 8, 2013
Adoption & Fostering, Nov 30, 2022
In the UK foster care is the main way of looking after children in care. Foster carers have been ... more In the UK foster care is the main way of looking after children in care. Foster carers have been reported to be motivated to foster by an intrinsic desire to nurture and improve the lives of children and young people. However there are challenges in fostering related to relationships with other professionals involved in children's lives and a lack of support for children and young people with complex needs. The number of allegations against foster carers increases the potential for foster carer stress and exit from fostering. This article reports on findings from an online survey of more than 420 foster carers and eight interviews during a global COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in the closure of schools and other social settings and services for prolonged periods of time. The findings highlight two key themes of transformative professional relationships and translations of professional love. Recommendations for professional training across disciplines are suggested.
International Journal of Doctoral Studies
Aim/Purpose: This study examined the perceptions of doctoral supervisors and candidates around ho... more Aim/Purpose: This study examined the perceptions of doctoral supervisors and candidates around how expectations for doctoral supervision are clarified, and the strategies used. Background: Clarifying expectations is recommended in supervisor and candidate handbooks, supervisor training and recognition programme. Formal strategies have been adopted as a blanket approach by some departments, faculties, or universities but little research explores supervisor and candidate perceptions of this practice or available strategies. Methodology: Semi-structured interviews using stimulus material were held with nine supervisors and nine doctoral candidates from a university in England which adopts a team supervision model. Supervisor and candidate dyads were not used. Contribution: This study can be used to consider the process of clarifying expectations. A smorgasbord or selection of strategies is presented, for practice. Findings: Six supervisors were clarifying expectations at the beginning ...
My study explores the diverse communication needs of young children in the foundation stage. An o... more My study explores the diverse communication needs of young children in the foundation stage. An observed tension between policy to practice aspects of early years practitioner training raises questions about the appropriateness of expectations of early years settings (and the professionals who work in them) in relation to young children’s language development. The
The problem of drinking in pregnancy and what to do about it
The UK is lagging behind the rest of the world when it comes to preventing harm caused by drinkin... more The UK is lagging behind the rest of the world when it comes to preventing harm caused by drinking during pregnancy.
British Journal of Special Education, 2022
Three of the most prevalent developmental disorders (DDs) are autism spectrum disorder (ASD), att... more Three of the most prevalent developmental disorders (DDs) are autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). As part of a study screening for DDs in Greater Manchester, UK, a unique opportunity was taken to explore parents' experiences of receiving reports about their child's previously unrecognised DD. Six parents out of a possible 16 took part in interviews, which were analysed thematically. Findings drawn from parental responses revealed a number of barriers to accessing support for their child's additional needs, including perceived resistance from schools, particularly for quiet, well-behaved girls, and difficulty in accessing assessment or referrals. There needs to be greater awareness of additional needs in children without externalising behaviours, the presence of gender-specific differences in the presentation of DDs, and FASD as a commonly occurring DD. Ultimately, better support for children with DDs would reduce the burden of unmet needs for the children and their families, and for wider services.
FosterTalk is a not for profit organisation providing high quality independent support to foster ... more FosterTalk is a not for profit organisation providing high quality independent support to foster carers and their families throughout the UK since 2004. FosterTalk offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes access to qualified advisors for fostering advice and information, tax and benefits advice, legal advice, medical, counselling and education advice and support, together with legal insurance for foster carers and their families. FosterTalk also offers the Foster Carers Independent Support service (FISS) which provides face to face support to foster carers during the investigation of an allegation or serious complaint. FosterTalk are currently supporting around 18,000 foster carers and their households through memberships. Martin James Foundation Martin James Foundation is a global charity group with more than 30 years of experience of providing children's care services through Key Assets and FosterTalk, so collectively we're uniquely placed to support children who have been displaced through family breakdown or forced migration. Centre for the Study of Practice and Culture in Education (CSPACE) The Centre for the Study of Practice and Culture in Education is an inclusive, playful, experimental research collective that interacts closely and dynamically with Birmingham City University's community of nationally renowned practitioner education programmes. CSPACE supports the development and fruition of the research ideas of BCU staff, students and people from the communities that the University serves. A central principle of CSPACE is that practice-based research is a key aspect of the professional identity of health, social work and education practitioners. Practitioner research is a vital form of knowledge production that needs to be fed back into the policy-making cycle.
The association between human speech, language and communication and music is manifest in music e... more The association between human speech, language and communication and music is manifest in music education and psychology literature in a number of ways. For example, research has shown that a developing foetus can discriminate sounds in the womb from 22 weeks gestation and that early sound discrimination helps to promote later phonic and vocabulary development (Hepper, 1992). In addition, during early social interaction between caregivers and infants there are noticeable patterns of timing, pulse, voice timbre, and gesture that follow many of the rules of musical performance, including rhythm and timing conceptualised by Malloch and Trevarthen (2010) as ‘communicative musicality’. Powers and Trevarthen (2009) noted the significance of daily patterns and rhythms that occur in family social patterns and practices in children’s musicality and communication, stressing that ‘long before they can speak, infants begin adapting to the parental culture and the family responds, giving objects...
Framework of knowledge and understanding to support young children prenatally exposed to alcohol/diagnosed with FASD
Developing Inclusive Practice for Young Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, 2017
A brief introduction to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders
Routledge, Oct 8, 2013
Supporting a Child with FASD in the Classroom
Continuing conversations: Moving support for doctoral supervisors’ professional development online
Innovations in Education and Teaching International
ABSTRACT Whilst doctoral supervision online has become almost routine, the COVID19 pandemic signi... more ABSTRACT Whilst doctoral supervision online has become almost routine, the COVID19 pandemic significantly changed research supervision. Supervisors were distanced from colleagues and co-supervisors, with less opportunity for the informal and unplanned conversations through which supervisory challenges may be shared and mentoring take place. An accredited Communities of Practice for Doctoral Supervision has been in operation at Birmingham City University since 2015. Designed to run face to face with small groups, the programme moved online in Spring 2020 due to the lock-down in the UK. Surveying the experiences of facilitators and participants, this paper reflects on the challenges and changes of moving conversations online. Online professional development did require more structured facilitation to effectively support openness, honesty and trust amongst supervisors. Whilst online tools bring benefits in accessibility and democracy, a fundamental component of the successful move online was identified as the human element, supervisors as facilitators crafting a sense of community and belonging.
Education 3-13
The association between human speech, language and communication (SLC) and participation in music... more The association between human speech, language and communication (SLC) and participation in music is manifest in music education and psychology literature in a number of ways. Research studies into young children's SLC are numerous and policy focus on this area of children's learning and development and their later literacy has been intense. By contrast there is a gap in research into young children's musical worlds especially in the home, even though existing research shows the additional benefits of shared music activities over shared reading activities for children's prosocial skills and music making for parentchild communication. This paper reports on a survey and interviews of parents carried out in England with a focus on the musical activities of children aged birth to five in the home. Contrary to previous studies, findings suggest that children participate in a range of spontaneous shared musical activities in the home daily. The factors that both promote and inhibit musical activities in the home for young children are highlighted. The study also shows that children are participating in a wide range of organised, structured musical activities outside the home. Research is needed to examine the quality of such activities and the appropriateness of formal musical activities for very young children to ensure that formality does not disturb spontaneity in young children's musical worlds.
Early Years Educator
Developmental risk and early care and education for children born prematurely Globally, 15 millio... more Developmental risk and early care and education for children born prematurely Globally, 15 million babies are born prematurely (preterm) each year, representing 11% of all live births. In the UK, around 7% of children are born preterm each year. This means that, on average, one in 14 babies is born preterm, and two children in an average sized primary school class are born preterm (Wolke et al, 2015). Each year in England, around 10,000
Uploads
Papers by Carolyn Blackburn