Information and Communication Technology to Improve School Participation Among Upper Secondary School Students with Special Educational Needs

Background: Evidence-based information and communication technology (ICT) interventions to enhance school participation among students with special educational needs (SEN) are required.

Aim: To evaluate the impact of an ICT intervention on school participation among upper secondary school students with special educational needs.

Materials And Methods: Data on 300 students' assessments with the School Setting Interview (SSI), grades and school attendance were used in this quasi-experimental study, with a one-group pretest-posttest design. Descriptive and inferential statistics and effect size were used, as well as Rasch analysis to generate interval data on the students' ordinal SSI ratings.

Results: In the ICT intervention (median time eight hours), 54% of the students received a tablet, and software concerned with planning and structure was received by 85%. After the ICT intervention, a significant decrease in perceived need for adjustments in school activities was found on a group level and 30% of the students improved their school attendance. Students who benefitted the most from the ICT intervention had few adjustment needs in school activities and no special educational support at baseline.

Conclusion: An ICT intervention is promising for improving school participation among upper secondary school students with SEN.