ABSTRACT
There is a growing debate about the ways in which education of children and young people with special educational needs should be met (Cigman, 2007; House of Commons Education and Skills Committee, 2006). Debates revolve around the rights to be educated in mainstream settings (Lindsay, 2003; Rustemier, 2002), the most appropriate educational placement to raise achievements and well-being (Dyson, Farrell, Polat, Hutcheson, & Gallannaugh, 2004; Zigmond, 2003), and evidence-based pedagogical practices
(Lewis & Norwich, 2005; Lindsay, 2007). The issues raised impact directly on the ways in which the needs of children with specifi c speech and language diffi culties (SSLD) are addressed. This debate was refl ected in a UK national study that highlighted the differences between the views of education and health professionals regarding how best to develop services for children with SSLD. Typically education staff emphasized the development of inclusive education practices (Lindsay, Dockrell, Mackie, & Letchford, 2005a), while speech and language therapy services highlighted the need to develop more specialist provision (Dockrell, Lindsay, Letchford, & Mackie, 2006). The implicit assumption from both groups of
respondents was that, independent of the causal origins of language problems, intervention can mediate or modify the effects of a developmental language disorder. Importantly, in both cases the focus was on the children’s educational placement: mainstream or specialist provision.
