ABSTRACT
There are many and varied ways to collect information and to use it within a school-based project. This chapter illustrates how a range of different methods can be used in the data collection process and considers how these were made accessible to young people. The idea of the Voice for Choice project arose out of the need to support children with severe learning disabilities and limited communication methods to have more control over their lives, particularly with regard to the therapies in which they were involved and medical regimes to which they were often subjected. While it is well acknowledged that medical regimes and therapeutic interventions are key to a young person’s well-being, the extent to which they are consulted and involved in these decisions is limited, particularly when the child has a learning disability and finds it difficult to communicate. The project sought literally to give these young people a ‘voice’ to make choices through different communication strategies and to ensure the process was inclusive and participatory by listening directly to the voices of those involved. This chapter will help practitioner researchers to understand the various ways of collecting information, how to explore the strengths and weaknesses of each one and how to ensure that the information gathered is fit for the purpose. It will also enable the practitioner researcher to understand the importance of adapting data collection tools to suit the people involved in the project.
