Anne Lindblom

This multi-voiced autoethnographic chapter highlights the authors’ experiences of systemic barriers to inclusive higher education aiming to explore the culture of higher education (see Ellis et al., 2010, p. 273) through an analytic lens of the authors’ diverse learning and teaching experiences in Sweden, Norway, Finland, and England. The methodological approach was developed in full cooperation between the four researchers. The methodology was adapted to address power imbalances that can arise in academic hierarchical relationships. The three co-researchers held one conversation each and had full control over their own utterances and narratives, and independently listened to the recordings and picked quotes they wanted to include in this chapter. The methodology and procedures were evaluated and accepted by SIKT. A thematic analysis was conducted, and this chapter is about theme 2: Teachers and students stuck in the system. Sub-themes have been merged into systemic rigidity and inflexibility; norms, expectations, and hidden information. The use of first names in the findings section is used to reflect the reciprocal relationality within the research group. The authors have negative experiences of systemic rigidity from both student and teacher perspectives and that higher education would benefit from a paradigm shift to more student-centred, strength-based approaches.

What special education is, how it should be organised, and for whom it is intended remain as unresolved questions. Throughout 12 chapters, this book provides a space for authors representing different positions and perspectives to explore their approach to special education. The purpose of this book is to navigate contested views that currently exist within special education and explore ways in which different research traditions with a shared interest in special education can benefit from dialogue and sharing perspectives. Based on this, the anthology asks: what potential outcomes may emerge from taking a participant position in discussions between actors representing different views about the identity and practices of special education?

Autism remains understudied and under‐detected in Indigenous communities across the globe. This content analysis investigates key themes and future directions for Indigenous autism research, as discussed during a Special Interest Group at the 2025 International Society for Autism Research meeting in Seattle, United States. Discussions and perspectives were explored with shared knowledge from international participants who were service providers, Autistic self‐advocates, academics, and other autism‐related stakeholders. The emergent themes emphasized the need for autism research in Indigenous communities to utilize approaches that are decolonized, culturally informed, and strengths‐based. The results highlighted the need for researchers to focus on building trust, fostering relationship‐building, and encouraging collaborative research partnerships with communities, while addressing systemic limiting factors and integrating knowledge systems from Indigenous and Western models. There is also a desire for more Indigenous‐led initiatives that allow non‐Indigenous researchers to provide support. Overall, there is a clear interest in further Indigenous autism research initiatives, but further shifts are needed to ensure that efforts are community‐led and strengths‐based.

The purpose of this study is to produce new insights of ethical issues in special needs educators' (SNEs) consultation with teachers in Swedish schools, by using the theoretical lens of Løgstrup's (1997) theory the Ethical Demand. The research questions concern (1) how the SNEs describe the content of their consultation and (2) how the SNEs describe how they deal with resistance to consultation. Semi‐structured interviews with eight SNEs were analysed by using the theory of The Ethical Demand by Løgstrup. Main results are that consultation is viewed as widening the thinking of the teachers and resistance is dealt with by SNEs avoiding undesired consultation. Resistance to consultation is regarded as a way for teachers to maintain their integrity when being forced to consultation. The study reveals that ethical issues are deeply integrated in consultation and the use of the theory of the Ethical Demand sheds new light on the ethical‐philosophical grounds in SNEs' consultation practice.

The Sámi are the only recognised Indigenous peoples in Europe. The traditional homeland, Sápmi, stretches today over the countries Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola peninsula in Russia. The aim of this article is to pinpoint critical issues related to special educational support for Sámi children and youth in Norway. Research on this topic is scarce. Research conversations were held in 2022 with 10 Sámi special education teachers. The Sámi special education teachers’ narratives reveal how their language proficiency, cultural and subject knowledge, and special educational competencies allow them to bridge the paradigmatic disharmonies and dilemmas in special educational practices in Norway to various extent. To illustrate the results the article presents three scenarios depicting the Sámi special education teacher as a strong instrumentalist bridging between paradigmatic disharmonies; as a frustrated player constantly improvising to find the harmony; or playing an instrument that is not included in the symphony.