ABSTRACT
This chapter draws upon two research projects that each demonstrate the values of inclusive research and explores how the education inclusion values of two researchers prompted these studies. Importantly, the projects reflect upon how these values were shared in a participatory approach. The ethical considerations that the projects raised are discussed in terms of the obligations on the researchers and the potential benefits to the learners and their supporters. The novel and interesting contributions that these projects made were through a methodological approach that sought to provide participants with opportunities for empowerment. These inclusive learner voice projects enabled the sharing of perspectives from the researchers and the participants in the Republic of Ireland.
The two research projects presented originated from in-practice education queries. These then reflected professional processes of theory to practice and practice to theory. The first project (Autism: Communication) explored the literacy practices of children with autism in mainstream primary settings (O’Síoráin, 2018). The second project (ADHD: Communication) explored the voices of learners with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) regarding their learning experiences in mainstream primary and post-primary schools (Carr-Fanning, 2015).
