This is a summary of a comprehensive two-part research programme on integrated effective service provision for children and young people with physical disabilities. One study focused on resourcing and the other was a set of case studies. Both studies took place from 2003 to 2004.
The two research projects were developed from a scoping project (the McDonald report) that had been commissioned by the Ministry of Education-convened Advisory Reference Group for Students with Physical Disabilities (the Reference Group).
The Reference Group consisted of parents, health professionals, early childhood and school staff, and representatives of disability organisations and education unions. Part of its brief was to promote and support robust research into effective integrated teaching, learning, and therapy practices so that children and young people with physical disabilities successfully overcome barriers to learning and develop their skills for participating effectively in life. The Reference Group and the Ministry of Education commissioned the scoping project to identify the indicators of effective integrated practice and set the research questions for the two-part study summarised here.