Shu H Yau

This chapter discusses the practical implementation of the concepts requires them to become part of the reflective processes of the students. Teachers are a significant factor contributing to individual differences in the educational achievement, school behaviour and well-being of the students. The relation between teaching quality and learner outcome has been confirmed by efforts in the US and elsewhere to measure the value that an individual teacher adds to their students’ achievement. Good teaching appears to be more than just the arbitrary application of recommended practices. The traditional learning model of Vygotsky is concerned chiefly with the processes underlying those critical moments when new knowledge is understood for the first time. Once a student is engaged with a learning opportunity, which might include an explanation or other type of stimulus provided by the teacher, a channel of curriculum-relevant communication may open that can lead to learning—although much depends on the quality of this communication.

Research with children with special educational needs provides a much-needed insight into atypical developmental trajectories, as well as impacting our understanding of typical development. In order to make meaningful comparisons across developmental groups, control groups are often required. However, which control group to implement and how to match comparison groups is of some debate. Understanding of key behavioural differences between individuals is also required to design effective studies. This chapter will review the challenges and benefits associated with studying children with special educational needs, focusing on children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The heterogeneity of the condition poses unique challenges, particularly in conducting research with minimally verbal individuals. We outline some contemporary neuropsychological and neuroscientific methods which can enrich our understanding of this population.