Introduction

The transition from early years education to primary education marks a crucial developmental phase in a child’s life. For children with Additional Support Needs (ASN), this period can present unique challenges, as they navigate new environments, routines, and relationships. The importance of this transition cannot be overstated, as it lays the foundation for future learning, socialisation, and emotional development. During this time, children with ASN, who may already face significant barriers due to cognitive, sensory, or physical disabilities, can experience heightened difficulties if their experiences are not properly understood or accommodated. This often results in what Miranda Fricker (2007) terms ‘hermeneutical injustice’, a form of epistemic injustice where individuals are prevented from making sense of their own experiences due to gaps in the collective interpretive resources of society. In the case of ASN students, this means their unique perspectives and needs may be overlooked, misunderstood, or marginalised, leading to significant obstacles in their educational transitions.

This paper will explore the concept of hermeneutical injustice in the context of ASN students transitioning from early years to primary education, identifying the ways in which this form of injustice manifests. Additionally, it will outline inclusive strategies aimed at minimising the effects of hermeneutical injustice during these crucial transitions. The emphasis will be on understanding the diverse needs of ASN students, fostering collaborative efforts between professionals, and promoting practices that support inclusive education.

The Impact of Hermeneutical Injustice on ASN Students

Hermeneutical injustice, as outlined by Fricker (2007), occurs when there are systemic barriers preventing individuals from making sense of their own experiences. In the context of ASN students, this injustice manifests when their experiences, thoughts, and emotions are misunderstood or dismissed due to gaps in the knowledge or understanding of those around them, particularly educational professionals. These children are often unable to fully communicate their needs, desires, or concerns, making it more difficult for them to receive the support necessary for a smooth transition to primary education.

Lack of Communication and Interpretive Tools

“There are additional problems in including children, the socially marginalised, and (as Dohmen12 notes) people with mental health problems in the hermeneutic process – involving them in discussions about how to interpret shared social experiences. D.Fieller (2022)

For children with additional support needs, particularly those who experience challenges in communication, their ability to convey their feelings during a transitional phase is often limited. These children may be non-verbal or have delayed language development, which means their ability to describe their emotional state, expectations, or fears can be restricted. As a result, educators may fail to interpret these students' behaviours or needs correctly, leading to a failure in providing appropriate interventions and support.

A child with autism, for instance, might display anxiety through behaviours such as avoidance or heightened emotional responses, yet these behaviours might be interpreted simply as disruptive rather than recognized as a need for more structured or sensory-sensitive transitions. Similarly, a child with physical disabilities may experience frustration or fear during this transition, especially when their movement or engagement with the new environment is limited, yet these emotions may go unrecognised because they cannot be easily communicated.

These gaps in understanding result in hermeneutical injustice, as the interpretive tools necessary for comprehending the child’s experiences are either inadequate or non-existent. This type of epistemic barrier significantly affects the child’s ability to navigate and cope with their new environment, leading to emotional distress, frustration, and even disengagement from the learning process.

Experiential Gaps and Specialized Services

ASN students often engage with specialised services, such as speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and specialists in sensory impairments (e.g., for deaf or blind students). While these services are essential for addressing specific needs, they can also create a wider gap between the experiences of ASN students and their peers. Mainstream educators may lack the training or insight to fully understand the implications of these specialised services, which can result in a fragmented understanding of the child’s holistic needs.

For example, a child who regularly attends speech therapy might develop communication strategies that are unfamiliar to their primary school teacher, leading to confusion or misinterpretation of the child’s communicative attempts. Similarly, a child who has received physiotherapy to address mobility challenges may require specific accommodations in their learning environment, but without proper communication between therapists and educators, these needs may not be met effectively. This fragmentation reinforces hermeneutical injustice by further limiting the ability of the educational system to adequately interpret and respond to the child’s experiences.

Misunderstanding of Needs and Marginalisation of Voice

One of the most damaging effects of hermeneutical injustice is the misunderstanding or misrepresentation of a child’s needs. In cases where educators are unfamiliar with the specific challenges faced by ASN students, there is a risk of attributing their behaviours or responses to misbehaviour, lack of effort, or disengagement. This misinterpretation not only impacts the child’s educational experience but can also lead to disciplinary actions that exacerbate their feelings of isolation or frustration.

ASN students often experience a marginalisation of their voices, both directly and indirectly. Directly, their inability to communicate effectively due to developmental or sensory challenges means their needs and experiences may go unheard. Indirectly, the voices of their parents and caregivers—who often serve as crucial advocates for their children—can also be marginalised by educational systems that prioritise standardised procedures over personalised approaches. When a parent’s insights are dismissed or undervalued, the child’s needs remain unaddressed, perpetuating a cycle of hermeneutical injustice.

Enhanced Understanding through Professional Development

One of the most critical strategies for addressing hermeneutical injustice is through comprehensive professional development for educators and school staff. Teachers and support staff need training to develop a deeper understanding of the diverse needs of ASN students and the potential barriers they face during educational transitions. Professional development programs should focus on inclusive communication strategies, enabling educators to interpret non-verbal cues and behaviours more effectively and to incorporate alternative communication methods where necessary.

For example, training programs should introduce educators to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices, sensory processing theories, and trauma-informed approaches, all of which are essential for supporting ASN students during transitions. Additionally, ongoing reflective practices should be encouraged, where educators critically evaluate their own biases and gaps in understanding, ensuring that they remain responsive to the evolving needs of ASN students.

Inclusive Communication

Transitions should be managed sensitively and building relationships with those who support the transition from the early stages facilitate smooth transitions and optimum engagement with both the parent and the child (Arnold and Baker, 2012 cited by Ensuring Quality Transitions From Early Years’ Establishments Into Primary Schools: Putting Research Into Practice - Moir, Taryn Johnson, Jayne (2021)

Inclusive communication practices are central to minimising hermeneutical injustice, especially for children with communication impairments. Schools should adopt a multi-modal approach to communication, utilising visual supports, assistive technologies, sign language, and simplified language where appropriate. These tools can empower ASN students to express themselves and ensure that their needs are heard and understood.

In addition to direct communication with students, inclusive practices must also extend to parents and caregivers. Parents of ASN students have intimate knowledge of their child’s experiences and can provide critical insights into their needs during transitions. Schools should foster open and consistent communication with parents, ensuring that their perspectives are incorporated into transition planning and that they are recognized as essential partners in the process.

Collaboration Between Professionals

Through the use of supportive strategies this allows for the child to be kept at the centre of everything and follows the guidance of Girfec (Getting it right for every child) - “For children and young people with additional support needs for education, any additional support required for transitions should be identified and implemented by health visitors and

school leaders in line with the Supporting Children's Learning Statutory Guidance and the timescales set out under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004.”

Developing Personalized Transition Plans

Personalised transition plans are a key strategy in addressing the specific needs of ASN students. These plans should be developed in collaboration with the child, their parents, early years practitioners, primary school educators, and any relevant specialists. The transition plan should include detailed information on the child’s communication preferences, sensory needs, emotional triggers, and any other relevant factors that may impact their experience during the transition.

By having a personalised plan in place, educators can ensure that the child’s unique needs are accounted for, reducing the risk of misinterpretation or oversight. Furthermore, personalised transition plans can help to mitigate the effects of hermeneutical injustice by providing a structured framework for ensuring the child’s voice is heard and their experiences understood.

Conclusion

The transition from early years to primary education is a critical time for all children, but for those with ASN, it is particularly fraught with challenges that can lead to epistemic and hermeneutical injustice. Without the appropriate interpretive resources to understand their experiences, ASN students can find themselves marginalised, misunderstood, and unsupported during this pivotal stage. These transitions are of a significant developmental period in all children but especially those children with additional support needs. These transitions can be met with a cohort of obstacles for children, from new environmental stimuli, to being confronted by a whole range of new experiences and new people. For ASN children inclusive practices are paramount but what happens if “inclusive practices” as they are coined, are actually practices of segregation for example if children with autism are exposed to new situations e.g starting primary school - where going from outdoor based play to regimented, structure of primary school they can become hyper stimulated.- This can result in over stimulation of their senses resulting in them becoming in the eyes of others as disruptive to ‘the classes’ education and therefore this can result in segregation in the form of moving them to isolated rooms ‘relaxation areas or sensory stimulating areas (calming areas)’ “reports and analyses of system data have found that when students with disability are educated in the regular school system, they thrive socially and academically, and experience long-term benefits post-school” - Inclusive education for the 21st century Graham Linda. J. “(2020) so therefore these areas where children with ASN are segregated are not at all inclusive to the child because they are encompassing what the child already knows that they are different to others this stigma leads to a lesser inclusive practice from the school. “There is still a lack of theories about how to make schools and classrooms inclusive when inclusion is understood as involving all pupils” - Nilhom, C (2020). When addressing hermeneutical injustice we require a multifaceted approach, involving enhanced professional development, inclusive communication practices, collaboration between professionals, and the development of personalised transition plans. By implementing these strategies, educational systems can work towards creating a more inclusive and supportive environment that recognizes and respects the unique experiences of ASN students.

References

Fieller, D. (2022). Stigma, epistemic injustice, and looked-after children. In T. Moir & J. Johnson (Eds.), Quality transitions from early years establishments into primary schools: Putting research into practice (pp. xx-xx). Publisher.

Fricker, M. (2007). Epistemic injustice: Power and the ethics of knowing. Oxford University Press.

Graham, A. (2019). Giving parents a voice: Strategies to enhance parent capacity to support transition to school. Australian Educator, 41, 52-xx. DOI/Publisher.

Graham, L. J. (Ed.). (2020). Inclusive education for the 21st century: Theory, policy and practice (2nd ed.). Routledge.

Nilholm, C. (2020). Research about inclusive education in 2020: How can we improve our theories in order to change practice? Journal Name, Volume(Issue), pages. DOI/Publisher.

Scottish Government. (2017). Guidance on meeting the additional support needs of children and young people.

Scottish Government. (2023, October 25). Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC): Child's plan - practice statement.