Editorial

It is with great pleasure and pride that I introduce myself to you as the new editor-in-chief of the British Journal of Special Education (BJSE). I aim to use my experience from my previous role as Editor of the International Journal of Nurture in Education to help me step into the shoes of the outgoing editorial team of Fiona and Graham Hallet and to continue the excellent work they have carried out during their tenure. In particular, I would want the journal to continue to push creative thinking about the opportunities for the development of inclusive education and to continue to be an important resource for all practitioners working to support and improve the learning of children and young people identified with special educational needs. Since I took on the role of editor-in-chief at the start of 2026, I have been impressed by the variety and scope of the articles which are submitted by passionate professionals who advocate for learners, their families and practitioners, in the context of an inclusive approach to education. It is heartening to experience the positive perspectives which are being communicated by contributors to the journal, in the context of world news which can often feel disheartening for those of us who seek to develop a more inclusive education system. I am writing this editorial on the day that the English government has released its long-awaited proposals for change to the SEN system in England, ‘SEND reform: putting children and young people first’ (DfE, 2026). There has already been much speculation about the planned changes in the traditional media as well as on social media. No doubt, the discussion in these for a will be amplified over the next few days. It is positive to see that the language of inclusion is more prominent than in government documents released over the last decade and it appears that the current government is maintaining links to the spirit of the Salamanca Statement (UNESCO, 1994). The proposals include a clear aim to develop the role of inclusive provision in mainstream schools and this has left colleagues working in special schools and alternative provision settings concerned about the role they will have within the government plans. As ever, with policy developments, the devil will be in the detail and it is important to remember that the government has now entered a phase of consultation over their plans. However, the principles of early intervention and schools ensuring that they provide appropriate provision for learners identified with special educational needs have been well laid out. As such, the British Journal of Special Education has a key role in contributing new and innovative perspectives relating to provision in this field, and I hope that practitioners will continue to use the journal to support and develop their practice. The academic articles from the BJSE offer the potential to challenge the status quo and question established thinking about the needs of learners and the provision that should be developed. The importance of research, with its key attributes of rigour, transparency and ethical processes, is something to celebrate and as editor-in-chief, alongside the journal's Editorial Advisory Board members, I will continue to use all the opportunities possible to promote the journal and its articles to policy makers and key stakeholders in the field of special educational needs. Alongside the regular SENCo Forum article from Christopher Robertson and book reviews from Gill Richards and Sarah Evans, there are 13 articles within this edition of the BJSE. The first article in this edition of BJSE is Simulative and dissimulative masking: Resolving how educational practice that protects neurodivergent people from harm can suppress learning was authored by Sam Grant, Ken Fero and Annelise Grant (all of Coventry University). Decolonizing barriers for inclusive education of learners with visual impairments in rural mainstream schools is the second article in this edition and is authored by Mamochana Anacletta Ramatea (University of Zululand, South Africa). Stefano Scippo (Universita degli Studi della Tuscia, Italy) wrote the third article, entitled Developing visuospatial and motor skills in a child with autism: A single-subject case study based on the Montessori approach. The fourth article in this volume is ‘I think your child might be autistic’: A qualitative survey study examining how school staff broach initial interactions with parents whose children may be autistic, and is authored by Hannah Cresswell and Laura Crane (both of University College London). Teaching with digital tools: Challenges faced by teachers in supporting students with intellectual developmental disorders is the fifth article and is authored by Philippe Garnier (Institut National Supérieur De Formation et De Recherche Pour L'Education Inclusive, Suresnes, France). Cristina Goenechea, Macarena Machín, Alberto Gallardo, Manuel de-Besa (all of Universidad de Cadiz Facultad de Ciencias de la Educacion, Spain) wrote the sixth article, Developing an understanding of the over-representation of foreign students in special education in Spain. A qualitative approach. The seventh article is Are the increasing number of children and young people with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) because of the plan's perceived symbolic capital? A Bourdieusian perspective, written by Blanche Gibson (University of Plymouth Faculty of Arts Humanities and Business, England). Navigating dilemmas in inclusive education: An autoethnographic journey of a teacher in Australia is the eighth article of this edition and is authored by Tom Porta (School of Education, Adelaide University, Australia). David Brook (University of Greenwich, England) is author of the ninth article, Disruptive behaviour in the classroom: why some children misbehave. The tenth article is Thriving experiences of special education teachers in the Philippines: From the perspective of those committed to stay, written by Reynold P. Varela (Adamson University, Philippines). Development and psychometric evaluation of the psychosocial scale for hearing-impaired school children is the eleventh article of this edition and is authored by Qurat-ul-Ain (Emerson University Multan, Pakistan), Mehwish Jabeen (The University of Lahore, Pakistan), Shahid Rafiq (Emerson University Multan, Pakistan) and Ayesha Afzal (University of Management and Technology, Pakistan). Matthew Cavanagh, Claire McDowell (both of Ulster University School of Psychology, Northern Ireland), Una Connor Bones (Ulster University School of Education, Northern Ireland), Laurence Taggart and Peter Mulhall (both of Ulster University School of Nursing and Paramedic Science, Northern Ireland) are authors of the twelfth article, An investigation into the attitudes and experiences of teaching staff and parents of dyslexic students in Northern Irish primary schools—A focus-group study. The thirteenth article is Examining barriers in education for students with dyslexia and their caregivers through Indian life writings, written by Vinaya Maria Francis and K. Rajaraman (both of Annamalai University Faculty of Arts, India). The author declares no conflicts of interest. Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.