Social Integration of Students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) : – Exploring the teachers’ accounts of how children with SEN are integrated at a mainstream primary school

Abstract Even though there have been enormous efforts towards the inclusive practices of young children with special educational needs (SEN) globally. Young children with SEN might still have different experiences related to their integration in mainstream environments depending on each school, municipality, country, and country. The study is aimed at exploring the teacher’s accounts of how children with SEN are integrated socially into practice in a mainstream school environment. It also investigates the main challenges faced by special needs children inside their classrooms, as reported by teachers working at one of the mainstream primary schools. The study was based on qualitative semi-structured interviews with five primary school teachers and teaching assistants. Thematic structural analysis was used to identify the study's main themes. These themes were focused on; a) the teachers’ accounts in relation to the social integration among primary school children (with and without) SEN, b) the participation of children with SEN in the social activities of the primary mainstream school, and c) the communication challenges encountered in the teacher/student interactions. The teachers’ accounts in relation to the social integration among primary school children showed different benefits for children with and without SEN, as well as challenges which act as barriers to the children’s social integration in a mainstream school. The results further showed that the children's participation in the social activities of mainstream school was not as presumed within a mainstream school environment, one of the reasons was the restrictions of Covid 19. Finally, the main challenge encountered in the teachers- students' relations was related to the communication difficulties of children with SEN. In a mainstream school, the social integration of young children with SEN is challenged by several factors that act as barriers to their fullest social involvement