Evaluating a method for eliciting children's voice about educational support with children with speech, language and communication needs

This article reports the development and evaluation of a toolkit-based approach to eliciting children's experiences of educational support, where the children in question experience speech and communication needs. The 'Your Voice Your Choice' approach was evaluated using a cross-case analysis methodology, which represents a novel approach to critical examination of the effectiveness of such resources. We explored seven case studies within a critical realist framework. We found that the toolkit was effective at supporting most (although not all) of the children with speech and communication needs to explore their school learning and support experiences through a scaffolded emotion-based 'dialogue', which was corroborated by observations and other data sources. The toolkit facilitated access to children's voice as they revealed how they felt across a number of relational, learning and support areas, which could be used by services to focus provision and consider how to better support children's social and emotional needs.