Inclusive Practice for Children with Special Education Needs: Training for Social Workers

Purpose The study evaluated the effectiveness of a training program for social workers to reduce their negative perceptions on children with special education needs (SEN), enhance their self-efficacy for inclusive practice, and promote their competencies in helping these children in Hong Kong. Method A prospective quasi-experimental design was adopted in the evaluation, with 58 social workers (74% females) joining the program (the intervention group) and 39 (56.4% females) who did not join the program (the control group). Results Participants of the intervention group showed a significant decrease in negative perceptions towards children with SEN and an increase of self-efficacy for inclusive practice and competencies after participating in the program when compared with the control group. Discussion The study provides encouraging evidence on the effectiveness of a training program for promoting social workers' self-efficacy and competencies for inclusive practice, which is essential for social work intervention for children with SEN.