Teachers' Perspectives on In-School Services for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Students: A Case Study in a Charter School in Abu Dhabi

Abstract

Global focus is of late being placed on inclusive education, thus making it mandatory to support Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) students in mainstream classrooms. In Abu Dhabi, external clinics provide occupational therapy (OT) and speech and language therapy (SLT) in school services for charter schools to support the learning of SEND students. Yet, few studies have attempted to probe the effectiveness of such services from the teachers' perspectives. This study investigates teachers' views on the impact of OT and SLT on students' academic and social development, as well as the challenges and areas for improvement in service delivery. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine teachers from a charter primary school in Abu Dhabi, using a qualitative case study approach. It was found that OT and SLT are perceived as beneficial to enhance students' communication, motor skills, and classroom participation. However, service effectiveness is hampered by barriers like low session frequency, conflicting therapists' schedules, and a lack of therapist–teacher collaboration. The study concludes the importance of improved teacher–therapist communication and wider service accessibility, as well as the structured merging of therapy goals within the current classroom practices in school systems. These findings inform the debate about improving the inclusive education policy and practice in Abu Dhabi's charter schools. Keywords: inclusive education, special educational needs and disabilities, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, Abu Dhabi, teacher perceptions.