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Posi ioning child en wi h special educa ional needs in ea ly childhood educa ion and
ca e documen s
© 2018 The Au ho s. Published by In o ma UK Limi ed, ading as Taylo & F ancis G oup
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Heiskanen, Noo a; Alasuu a i, Maa i ; Vehkakoski, Tanja
Heiskanen, N., Alasuu a i, M., & Vehkakoski, T. (2018). Posi ioning child en wi h special
educa ional needs in ea ly childhood educa ion and ca e documen s. B i ish Jou nal o Sociology
o Educa ion, 39(6), 827-843. h ps://doi.o g/10.1080/01425692.2018.1426443
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Posi ioning child en wi h special educa ional
needs in ea ly childhood educa ion and ca e
documen s
Noo a Heiskanen, Maa i Alasuu a i & Tanja Vehkakoski
To ci e his a icle: Noo a Heiskanen, Maa i Alasuu a i & Tanja Vehkakoski (2018) Posi ioning
child en wi h special educa ional needs in ea ly childhood educa ion and ca e documen s, B i ish
Jou nal o Sociology o Educa ion, 39:6, 827-843, DOI: 10.1080/01425692.2018.1426443
To link o his a icle: h ps://doi.o g/10.1080/01425692.2018.1426443
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Posi ioning child en wi h special educa ional needs in ea ly
childhood educa ion and ca e documen s
Noo aHeiskanen, Maa i Alasuu a i and TanjaVehkakoski
depa men o Educa ion, uni e si y o Jy äskylä, Jy äskylä, inland
ABSTRACT
The a icle c i ically discusses he p ac ice o desc ibing child en’s
special educa ional needs (SEN) in ea ly childhood educa ion and
ca e (ECEC) pedagogical documen s. Documen a ion is unde s ood
as a o m o go e nance. In cu en p ac ice, documen a ion is
ex ensi ely used in educa ional ins i u ions. E en when he ocus o
documen a ion should be pedagogical, he desc ip ions o child en’s
SEN commonly desc ibe a child’s indi idual de ici s as a sou ce o
educa ional p oblems. In his s udy, we used discou se analysis o
in es iga e how p o essionals posi ion child en and cons uc hei
SEN in pedagogical documen s. The esea ch da a consis ed o 143
documen s on 29 Finnish child en. Th ee ways o posi ioning child en
wi h SEN we e iden i ied in he documen s: as a p oblema ic child
h ough de ini i e desc ip ions, as a mul i ace ed child h ough
con ex ual desc ip ions, and as a lea ning child h ough dynamic
desc ip ions. The esul s highligh he impo ance o a pedagogical
ocus and dynamic concep ualisa ion o SEN in ECEC documen a ion.
In oduc ion
Ea ly childhood educa ion and ca e (ECEC) plays a cen al ole in obse ing and de ec ing
child en’s po en ial p oblems due o he dominan ideologies o he ea lies possible iden i-
ica ion o special educa ional needs (SEN) and ea ly in e en ion. In he p ocess o peda-
gogical documen a ion, obse a ions abou a child’s si ua ion a e collec ed in o documen s,
such as indi idual educa ion plans o suppo plans ha a e ypically d a ed o child en
wi h educa ional challenges. Pedagogical documen s a e in ended as pedagogical ools o
planning and coope a ion wi h pa en s and o he p o essionals ( o example, Alasuu a i,
Ma ks öm, and Vallbe g-Ro h 2014; Emilsson and P amling Samuelsson 2014). The impo -
ance o in-dep h iden i ica ion o SEN as a basis o planning e ec i e educa ional suppo
and mee ing he indi idual educa ional needs o child en is o en seen as a key jus i ica ion
o p edominan ex ensi e and de ailed documen a ion ( o example, And easson and Wol
2015; FNBE 2010; F anck 2015; NRDCWH 2003). The e o e, he desc ip ions o a child
o en comp ise he co e o hese documen s.
KEYWORDS
special educa ional needs;
ea ly childhood educa ion
and ca e; documen a ion;
go e nance; discou se
analysis
ARTICLE HISTORY
ecei ed 7 June 2017
accep ed8 Janua y 2018
© 2018 he au ho (s). Published by in o ma uK limi ed, ading as aylo & ancis g oup.
his is an open access a icle dis ibu ed unde he e ms o he c ea i e commons a ibu ion-noncomme cial-node i a i es license
(h p://c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which pe mi s non-comme cial e-use, dis ibu ion, and ep oduc ion in any medium,
p o ided he o iginal wo k is p ope ly ci ed, and is no al e ed, ans o med, o buil upon in any way.
CONTACT noo a heiskanen [email p o ec ed]
OPEN ACCESS
BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION, 2018
VOL. 39, NO. 6, 827–843
Documen a ion p ac ices o en go unques ioned e en hough, h ough documen a ion,
child en’s educa ional challenges a e pe manen ly egis e ed in w i en o mal documen s.
Documen a ion is o en jus i ied by he need o au ho ise he iden i ica ion o SEN and o
o malise hese needs wi hin an ins i u ion (Coo en 2004; P io 2008). Al hough he p o-
cess o iden i ying and eco ding child en’s SEN migh appea o be a neu al p ac ice, i is
ne e heless a p ocess ha is ounded on he ideas o good and desi able conduc and he
u u e p ospec s o he child (Mille and Rose 2008; Pa ding and Liljeg en 2016; Pihlaja,
Sa lin, and Ris ka i 2015; Sandbe g e al. 2010; Vehmas 2010). In ECEC, especially, he iden-
i ica ion o SEN e lec s wha is conside ed o cons i u e a good childhood a a pa icula
ime and in a pa icula cul u al con ex (see Foucaul 1977).
Documen s con inue o di ec educa ional p ac ices a e hei d a ing (Fe a is 2013).
They e ame he hinking and he ac ions o pa ies using he documen s (Hjö ne and Säljö
2008), in luencing p o essional decisions and e en child en’s educa ional ca ee s (Boyd, Ng,
and Sch ye 2015; Vehmas 2010). P o essionals’ subjec i e in e p e a ion o wha has been
w i en plays a key ole in he p ocess; his is p oblema ic, especially since he li e ime o
pedagogical documen s is ypically long: hey ollow child en du ing hei yea s in ECEC, a e
ans e ed o he child’s school and a e e en ually a chi ed. A he same ime, documen s
can o en be e isi ed and duplica ed in an unp edic able manne a e d a ing (Coo en
2004; P io 2008). The e o e, hese desc ip ions o child en ollow hem as hey g ow, lea n
and change as indi iduals (see also Coo en 2004).
Despi e hese conce ns abou documen a ion p ac ices, he ole o educa ional docu-
men a ion is unswe ing. Nume ous s udies ha e esea ched documen a ion in ECEC ( o
e.g. Alasuu a i and Ka ila 2010; Emilsson and P amling Samuelsson 2014) and in p ima y
school special educa ion ( o example, And easson and Asplund Ca lsson 2013; Isaksson,
Lindq is , and Be gs öm 2007), and some ha e in es iga ed child en wi h SEN in he
con ex o ECEC ( o example, Sandbe g e al. 2010). Howe e , an in-dep h analysis o how
desc ip ions o SEN a e cons uc ed and how, as a consequence, he child is ep esen ed in
pedagogical documen s con inues o be needed.
In his a icle, we apply a discou se analy ic app oach based on he idea o discu si e
psychology1 (Edwa ds 2005) o in es iga e how a child and SEN a e ep esen ed h ough
documen a ion. Wi h espec o discu si e psychology, we unde s and ha , in addi ion o
pu ely desc ibing a subjec , w i ing also ec ea es social eali y and ce ain subjec posi ions
(Ha é and Moghaddam 2003). The e o e, all de ini ions, including desc ip ions o SEN,
a e always simul aneously desc ip i e and no malising, as hey include alue judgemen s
ega ding he desi abili y o , o example, he pe son in ques ion (Foucaul 1977). The s udy
sough o answe he ollowing ques ions:
(1) How do ECEC p o essionals cons uc child en’s SEN in documen s?
(2) How a e child en wi h SEN posi ioned by hese cons uc ions?
Pedagogical documen s in Finnish ECEC
In Finland, ECEC is p o ided be o e compulso y p ima y educa ion s a s in he yea a
child u ns se en yea s old. As a pa o ECEC, child en pa icipa e in compulso y p e-p i-
ma y educa ion in he yea p eceding he s a o p ima y educa ion. Rega ding SEN, all
child en basically ha e igh o access o inclusi e ECEC g oups, which o m he mos
828
N. HEISKANEN ET AL.
p e alen a angemen o educa ion in Finnish ECEC, al hough a ew seg ega ed special
g oups exis , especially in he bigges ci ies. This esea ch ocuses on he documen a ion
ca ied ou in inclusi e g oups.
In Finland, as in many o he coun ies, pedagogical documen s a e an essen ial pa
o suppo planning p ac ices in ECEC, and an indi idualised plan is d a ed o each
child.2 These plans aim o indi idualise child en’s educa ion as well as o ensu e sys ema ic
and a ge -o ien ed educa ion o all. The pedagogical assessmen o p ac ices as well as
documen ing he coope a ion wi h a child’s gua dians a e also impo an aims o d a ing
pedagogical documen s in Finnish ECEC and p e-p ima y educa ion. Typically, ECEC
eache s a e esponsible o d a ing child en’s pedagogical documen s, especially when a
child has been assessed as ha ing SEN. Howe e , especially in he case o oddle s and he
younges child en in ECEC, hese plans a e d a ed by dayca e and home dayca e nu ses.
In inclusi e ECEC g oups, ea ly childhood special educa ion eache s can ei he d a he
documen s hemsel es o , as is ypical, mainly consul and suppo o he s a in d a ing
hem ins ead o w i ing he documen s hemsel es.
The composi ion o child en’s pedagogical documen s a ies conside ably a di e en
ages owing o he di e en documen s used in p e-p ima y educa ion and in ECEC. This
is a esul o di e ing legisla ion and cu icula be ween p e-p ima y educa ion and o he
ECEC se ices. The legisla ion lays down wo di e en sys ems o SEN iden i ica ion and
suppo planning: a mo e speci ic h ee- ie ed model in p e-p ima y educa ion, and a mo e
gene al non- ie ed model in ECEC. The h ee- ie ed suppo sys em – which is some imes
desc ibed as he Finnish Response o In e en ion model (Bjö n e al. 2016) – is employed
wi h speci ic ins uc ions abou he p ocess o iden i ying SEN. In his sys em, child en
can be p o ided wi h gene al, in ensi ied o special suppo . The h ee ie s a e conside ed
o c ea e a con inuum wi h in ensi ying and mo e di e se suppo . Child en’s educa ional
needs and he suppo ha has al eady been p o ided a e assessed be o e hei suppo is
in ensi ied o educed.
In he h ee- ie ed suppo sys em, a p e-p ima y plan is comple ed alongside o he
documen s depending on he ie o suppo . In in ensi ied suppo ( ie 2), addi ional sup-
po planning mus be included in he child’s p e-p ima y plan. In special suppo ( ie 3),
he p e-p ima y plan is eplaced wi h an indi idual educa ion plan. In addi ion, be o e
suppo is in ensi ied, a pedagogical e alua ion is conduc ed and a pedagogical assessmen
o pedagogical s a emen documen d a ed (FNBE 2010; NRDCWH 2003; alid a he
ime o da a collec ion).
In ECEC, no ms guiding SEN documen a ion a e inde inable and educa ional suppo is
usually discussed and documen ed as a pa o he child’s indi idual ECEC plan. Howe e ,
nume ous Finnish municipali ies ha e addi ionally employed he h ee- ie ed suppo sys-
em in ECEC because i guides suppo p ac ices in a mo e de ailed manne . As an ou g ow h
o his, ma ked di e ences be ween municipal ECEC suppo policies ha e eme ged in
Finland. The e o e, while addi ional pedagogical documen s a e no equi ed by law in
ECEC, hey a e o en d a ed in p ac ice.
Documen a ion and p oblema ising ac i i y
In his a icle, he p ocess o documen ing child en’s SEN is examined om he pe spec-
i e o ins i u ional go e nance. Ins i u ional go e nance can be desc ibed, e e ing o
BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION
829

Nicholas Rose (1999), as ins i u ional and socie al ac s and p ac ices ha undamen ally aim
a secu ing ins i u ional and socie al o de , secu i y, heal h and happiness. In his a icle, he
concep o go e nmen ali y is u ilised, especially in ela ion o he no ion o p oblema ising
ac i i y (see Mille and Rose 2008). Go e nmen ali y is a mode o go e nance conduc ed
by iden i ying de ian o pa hological indi iduals and ways o being, and modi ying hem
o ac in acco dance wi h socie al no ms and alues (Rose 1999). To do his, ins i u ions
and socie ies need i s o collec in o ma ion abou such indi iduals (Rose 1999) and o
s o e his in o ma ion in a measu able o m (Foucaul 1977; Mille and Rose 2008). To his
end, speci ic echniques o go e nance (e.g. documen a ion) a e dedica ed o acqui ing
knowledge o unwan ed cha ac e is ics and indi iduals (e.g. SEN and child en wi h SEN
in educa ional ins i u ions).
In educa ional p ac ices, p oblema ising ac i i y can be unde s ood as he assessmen and
p esen a ion o child en’s conduc , lea ning and de elopmen . Child en who a e conside ed
o be a isk o an undesi able de elopmen pa h o u u e a e documen ed as ha ing SEN,
so ha he ea e ce ain p ac ices such as in e en ion, suppo measu es o secondmen s
o o he loca ions (e.g. special educa ion classes) can be implemen ed. The documen ed
in o ma ion abou child en wi h SEN allows he ele an p o essionals o in e ene in hese
child en’s conduc : ha is, o wo k owa ds maximising hei capaci ies, o p e en u u e
p oblems and, ul ima ely, o adap child en o socie al alues and no ms (Rose 1999).
Documen a ion as a p ac ice can consequen ly be unde s ood as a o m o poli ical
powe : documen a ion is ounded on a ionalisa ions abou he desi ed na u e o indi iduals
and indi idual cha ac e is ics, ye i also econs uc s hese a ionalisa ions. The assessmen
o who is ep esen ed as p oblema ic o special and wi h wha quali ies is ounded on social
no ms and alues abou wha is ‘good’ and ‘desi able’ (Vehmas 2010). The idea o he sha ed
u h o hings (Rose 1999), ha is sha ed alues and no ms, is also undamen al o he
idea o p oblema ising ac i i ies: he cu en alues and no ms o ou socie y dic a e he
iden i ica ion o a way o being, beha ing o de eloping ha needs in e en ion.
Acco ding o Rose (1999), cu en echniques (e.g. documen a ion) o p oblema ising
ce ain ac i i ies a e undamen ally ounded on, and aim a ealising, he ideal o indi iduals
as ee and independen ci izens. Child en wi h SEN can be iewed as doubly unsuccess ul
in mee ing hese c i e ia. Fi s , as child en a e ypically conside ed o be imma u e and
dependen , childhood is seen as he mos go e ned phase o li e (see Foucaul 1977; Rose
1999). Second, when a child has SEN, which is basically an ins i u ionally p oblema ised
s a e o si ua ion ha an indi idual is deemed o be in (see Rose 1999), go e nance becomes
e en mo e p edominan .
Posi ioning child en wi h SEN in documen a ion
In he wo k conce ning he go e nance o childhood and he di e en o ien a ions o
no mal and desi ed child en ac oss ime, Ka en Smi h (2012) p esen s a child’s indi idual
esponsibili y o lea ning and de eloping as he mos cu en alue ela ed o a good child-
hood. Based on he wo k o Jenks (2005), Smi h (2012, 28) sugges s ha in he cu en neo-
libe al ‘idea o [ he] sel -maximising, en ep eneu ial subjec ’, child en a e p e e ably seen
as compe en , ac i e and independen indi iduals. She goes on o iden i y he dis inc i e
ea u e o his o ien a ion o childhood as shi ing he esponsibili y o success o ailu e
830
N. HEISKANEN ET AL.
om ins i u ions o he child en as indi iduals and demanding ha a child independen ly
de elops, lea ns and adap s o socie al no ms (Smi h 2012).
As Smi h (2012) also poin s ou , e e ing o Kampmann (2004), he emphasis on he
indi idual esponsibili y o he child and he exemp ion om liabili y o adul s can lead
o inc eased ma ginalisa ion o disad an aged child en, such as child en wi h SEN. The
desc ip ions o SEN ha p esen a child as he sou ce o he p oblem and as esponsible a e
p oblema ic because hey o ien a e pedagogical p ac ice no owa ds pedagogical change
bu owa ds indi idual change. Adul s a e absol ed o esponsibili y, and hei ole in p o-
mo ing he desi ed change in a child’s si ua ion emains ague.
F om he pe spec i e o p e ious esea ch on documen s ela ed o SEN, Smi h’s idea
o a shi om adul liabili y o child esponsibili y seems ele an . Documen a ion should
aim a desc ibing he pedagogical liabili ies o adul s, especially in he case o child en wi h
SEN. Al hough he need o change in a child’s si ua ion is a key eason o iden i ying SEN,
desc ip ions o child en wi h SEN a e ypically ound o cons uc he child’s si ua ion as
unchanging and SEN as pe manen and, he e o e, he needed change as pedagogically
una ainable (see Pihlaja, Sa lin, and Ris ka i 2015). P e ious esea ch has sugges ed ha he
o igin o SEN, he esponsibili y o he de elopmen as well as blame o he si ua ion a e
o en p edominan ly a ibu ed o he child ( o example, And easson and Asplund Ca lsson
2013; Hjö ne and Säljö 2004; Isaksson, Lindq is , and Be gs öm 2007, 2010; Pihlaja, Sa lin,
and Ris ka i 2015). This appea s in he ac ha a child’s indi idual sho comings and de ici s
a e usually desc ibed in de ail (And easson and Asplund Ca lsson 2013; Isaksson, Lindquis ,
and Be gs öm 2007), whe eas desc ip ions o he educa ional con ex as a o ce behind
SEN a e o en missing (Hjö ne and Säljö 2008). As Røn La sen (2012) has p oposed, when
a child in an educa ional ins i u ion is de ined in documen a ion as ‘special’, he child is
o en p esen ed wi hou e e ence o he con ex and i s in luence behind he mani es a ion
o SEN o as an au onomous ac o (see also Pa ding and Liljeg en 2016).
As a esul o he p oblema ising o hei being and conduc , child en wi h SEN can be
seen as posi ioned in a oubled posi ion, as someone who c ea es a social challenge in a
ce ain con ex (We he ell 1998). S aunæs (2003, 104) desc ibes hese oubled subjec
posi ions as ‘posi ions ha challenge he no ma i i ies a s ake in ce ain e e yday con ex s
o li ed expe ience’. In o he wo ds, child en wi h SEN become p esen ed as p oblema ic
indi iduals ia he use o language. In documen s, he oubled posi ion o a child wi h
SEN is cons uc ed wi h he aim o poin ing ou he undesi abili y o he child’s si ua ion
and o jus i y he need o no malise he child (see Mi chell, Mo on, and Ho nby 2010).
The p edominan con en ion o desc ibing child en’s SEN as pe manen , s able and inde-
penden o con ex ual ac o s also leads o he pe manen , s able posi ioning o a child. This
is a somewha deba able line o hinking, as luc ua ing be ween being posi ioned as, o
example, able o unable and compe en o incompe en is an essen ial ea u e o humans,
and especially o being a child (Dan o h and Na aian 2015).
Me hod
The esea ch da a
The esea ch da a comp ise pa o a b oade da a collec ion o p e-p ima y-aged child en’s
pedagogical documen s. The documen s we e collec ed a he end o he p e-p ima y yea in
BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION
831
May 2016 om 19 classes in ou Finnish municipali ies. The municipali ies and p e-p ima y
educa ion classes we e selec ed by applying he p inciple o maximum a ia ion in he
sampling o ob ain as di e se a da a-se as possible (Pa on 2015). The e o e, he selec ed
municipali ies di e in size and geog aphical loca ion. Mo eo e , he p e-p ima y classes
di e ed in hei loca ions wi hin he municipali ies.
In his s udy, he da a a e d awn om he pedagogical documen s o 29 child en
assessed as ha ing SEN and who ecei ed ei he in ensi ied o special suppo du ing hei
p e-p ima y yea . No p e-exis ing diagnos ic ca ego ies we e used o selec he child en.
The documen s comp ise all o he pedagogical documen s on he a o emen ioned child en,
hus co e ing hei educa ional his o y om he ime hey en e ed ECEC o he end o hei
p e-p ima y yea (see Table 1). As desc ibed ea lie , due o a ia ion in municipal docu-
men a ion p ac ices, he composi ion o he documen s di e s ma kedly. The o al numbe
o documen s was 143, al hough he numbe o documen s pe child a ied om one o
11. On a e age, he documen s co e a pe iod o h ee yea s, al hough his a ied be ween
one and six yea s as some child en had only pa icipa ed in he compulso y p e-p ima y
yea and o he s had up o six yea s o his o y in ECEC. On a e age, he child en had been
de ined as ha ing SEN a he age o i e, wi h a ange om h ee o six yea s old.
The da a ga he ing ollowed he e hical ules and p inciples o social scien i ic in es i-
ga ion (see, o example Ch is ians 2011). The esea ch collabo a ion was i s nego ia ed
and eache s o p e-p ima y classes we e con ac ed h ough he heads o he egional ECEC
se ice p o ision. Resea ch app o al was sough om he app op ia e au ho i y in each
municipali y and eache s a he p e-p ima y classes we e pe sonally in o med abou he
p ojec . Gua dians we e gi en a le e abou he esea ch wi h a eques o in o med con-
sen . Bo h he eache s o p e-p ima y classes and he child en’s gua dians we e in o med
o hei igh o wi hd aw om he s udy a any poin .
Analysis
In he s udy, he discou se analy ic app oach applied was based on he ideas o discu si e
psychology (see Edwa ds 2005). This app oach o e s a use ul s a ing poin o esea ching
he social p ocess o cons uc ing SEN in pedagogical documen a ion. By in es iga ing lan-
guage in a de ailed manne wi h discou se analysis, i is possible o e eal he consequences
o p oblema ic social p ac ices (e.g. he p ac ice o documen ing child en’s educa ional
needs) on he ex ual le el. Mo eo e , he e ela ion o p oblema ic p ac ices, such as he
Table 1. esea ch da a.
no e: names o he documen s p esen ed in nBE (2010) and n dcWh (2003).
Documen ype n (N = 143) Pu pose
EcEc plan 64 Planning o ea ly childhood educa ion
obliga o y o all child en a ending EcEc be o e p e-p ima y
P e-p ima y plan 24 Planning o p e-p ima y educa ion
can be d a ed o all child en
obliga o y when child ecei es in ensi ied suppo
Plan o in ensi ied suppo 22 Planning in ensi ied suppo
indi idual educa ion plan 8 Planning special suppo
obliga o y when child ecei es special suppo
eplaces he p e-p ima y plan
Pedagogical assessmen 23 E alua ing and jus i ying he need o mo e in ense suppo
Pedagogical s a emen 2 E alua ing and jus i ying he need o special suppo
832
N. HEISKANEN ET AL.
p esen pedagogical documen s, h ough decons uc ion o he language used in hem,
enhances he possibili y o changing hem.
Ou ocus was on ECEC p o essionals’ cons uc ions o SEN and he posi ioning o a
child in hese di e en cons uc ions. The e o e, we i s examined all hose sec ions o he
documen s wi h sub i les ha ei he di ec ly o indi ec ly indica ed ha he sec ion would
p esen a desc ip ion o he child. Second, we limi ed he da a o desc ip ions whe e he
child was p esen ed as no being able o skil ul in some hing o whe e some hing ela ed
o he child was p esen ed as a conce n o as an issue ha needed o be o e come. The
child en’s documen s we e w i en using eady-made o ms in ei he pape o digi al o m;
hese, again, a ied no ably be ween he municipali ies. Rega dless o he o m, he ocus in
he examined pedagogical documen s was clea ly on desc ibing a child: such desc ip ions
ypically accoun ed o he majo i y o he ex in a documen .
Du ing ca e ul, mul iple eadings o he documen s, h ee ea u es eme ged ha we e o
especial signi icance conce ning he cons uc ion o he challenges he child en p esen ed:
he na u e o SEN as ei he an indi idual o en i onmen al ma e , he pe manence o SEN,
and he alloca ion o esponsibili y o o e coming SEN. I was ob ious ha hese di e ing
pe spec i es on w i ing also p oduced di e en images o he child, and hence posi ioned
child en di e en ly.
When he di e ences o hese h ee pe spec i es we e s udied u he , he concep o
posi ioning was applied in he analysis, ollowing he idea o discu si e psychology (Edwa ds
2005). The concep o posi ioning is p oduced o desc ibe he ela ional esponsibili ies,
igh s and du ies ha a child is desc ibed as ha ing a a ce ain ime and in a ce ain si ua ion
(e.g. in a speci ic w i en desc ip ion) This is impo an as posi ions a e no pe manen bu
changing and cons uc ed in social ela ions wi h o he people (Ha é and Moghaddam
2003). Acco ding o Foucaul (1977), he posi ioning o a pe son is based on nego ia ion
abou wha is conside ed ins i u ionally and cul u ally no mal and abno mal. Posi ioning is
always a social p ocess, and he concep o posi ioning is ela ional o he con ex in which
he posi ioning akes place ( o example, Ha é and Moghaddam 2003). In ou case, he
con ex is ECEC p ac ices.
In he analysis, we iden i ied h ee child posi ions in he da a. These posi ions we e he
ou g ow hs o di e en kinds o SEN cons uc ions. On he one hand, child en we e s ongly
cons uc ed as p oblema ic indi iduals h ough di ec desc ip ions o hem and hei de ici s
o needs. Ye he desc ip ions occasionally ocused on p esen ing he child in his o he
con ex , and hus o e ed a mo e con ex -dependen p esen a ion o he ounda ions o SEN.
The hi d pe spec i e ocused on desc ip ions o de elopmen and change in he child’s
si ua ion. In addi ion o o e all cons uc ions o SEN, we pe o med a de ailed analysis o
linguis ic ea u es. Ou aim was o iden i y he linguis ic ea u es ha posi ioned he child in
a speci ic way and illus a ed di e en SEN cons uc ions. This linguis ic analysis included,
o example, examina ion o wo d choices, sen ence s uc u es, enses, causal ela ions and
he seman ic oles o he ac o s. The analysis was conduc ed based on he ideas o discu si e
psychology (Edwa ds 2005).
Posi ions o a child in he documen s
Th ee child posi ions we e iden i ied in he pedagogical documen s: p oblema ic child, mul-
i ace ed child, and lea ning child. These posi ions ely on di e ing ways o desc ibing and
BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION
833
de ici -cen ed and de-subjec i ying desc ip ions o child en’s SEN ( o example, And easson
and Asplund Ca lsson 2013; Hjö ne and Säljö 2004; Isaksson, Lindq is , and Be gs öm
2007; Pihlaja, Sa lin, and Ris ka i 2015; Røn La sen 2012). All in all, con ex ual desc ip ions
con ain less ca ego isa ion o a child as a p oblem and poin o he in luence o he en i-
onmen as well. The e o e, hey app oach he iden i ica ion and mani es a ion o SEN as
a social p ocess. In line wi h he ideas o he social model o disabili y ( o example, Oli e
2013) and inclusi e educa ion (UNESCO 2009), he in luence o he en i onmen in c ea -
ing and main aining child en’s challenges needs o be included in he examina ion o SEN
wi hou equi ing ca ego isa ion (see also Dan o h and Na aian 2015; Røn La sen 2012).
The esul s addi ionally highligh one o he mos explici ideologies in he documen s:
he expec a ion o an independen child who o e comes di icul ies wi hou adul help. The
child, in o he wo ds, de elops, lea ns and g ows. This inding is in line wi h wha Smi h
(2012) iden i ied as he cu en emphasis on independen , esponsible child subjec s. The
ideal o independen change was pe haps mos no iceably p esen in de ini i e desc ip-
ions ha posi ioned a child as a p oblem. These desc ip ions indica ed no p o essional
esponsibili y o he desi ed change. Howe e , he ideal was also appa en in o he ypes
o desc ip ions. The de elopmen o a child’s si ua ion was ypically desc ibed as a change
in he child’s cul u ally desi able beha iou and ways o being in he ins i u ion, such as
lea ning no o dis u b o he s, ins ead o as a change in, o example, a child’s pe sonal
well-being o sa is ac ion. In o he wo ds, he desi ed change was desc ibed as indi idual
adjus men . I is indeed s a ed ha he iden i ica ion o SEN o en aspi es o o e come
p o essional p oblems, no he child’s (Hjö ne and Säljö 2004). The cu en p ac ice o
documen ing SEN in pedagogical documen s can be e balised, in line wi h Ka ila and
Alasuu a i (2012, 21), as one ha mainly desc ibes how a child should change o wha he
o she should lea n in o de o mee ins i u ional c i e ia; i is no a p ac ice ha documen s
how a child should be suppo ed.
Desc ip ions o ien a e pedagogical p ac ice
The key unc ion o he child desc ip ions in pedagogical documen s is o o e a pedagog-
ical s a ing poin o planning. The e o e, as de ini i e w i ing p edomina es and SEN is
cons uc ed as a child’s indi idual issue, i is ai o ques ion whe he he cu en p ac ice
o desc ibing child en wi h SEN is a sui able way o cons uc a base o planning suppo .
Di e en kinds o desc ip ions ega ding child en wi h SEN also in luence he o ien a ions
o pedagogical p ac ice. I SEN a e c ea ed as s able and unchanging, he e is a isk ha
hey a e simul aneously unde s ood as unsuppo able, especially i hey a e cons uc ed as
disabili ies consequen on a child’s pe sonal cha ac e is ics o pe manen s a e (see Pihlaja,
Sa lin, and Ris ka i 2015). Because he signi icance o en i onmen al a angemen s and
pedagogical p ac ices a e ypically dismissed, he child easily ecei es he blame o he
si ua ion and is posi ioned as esponsible o sel -change (see Smi h 2012), e en in cases
whe e i is pedagogical p ac ices ha should be e-e alua ed and de eloped.
The e o e, he ocus in w i ing pedagogical documen s needs o shi om he exami-
na ion o child en’s indi iduali y o he iden i ica ion o child en’s esponses o pedagog-
ical in e en ions and sui able suppo . In his way, he child is no posi ioned as he one
esponsible o adap ing. Despi e child en’s impai men s o synd omes o whe he hey ha e
been included in o he diagnos ically cons uc ed ca ego ies, SEN a e a sepa a e case: he
840
N. HEISKANEN ET AL.

ela ionship be ween an indi idual and he en i onmen i is always cul u al, con ex ual and
luc ua ing (see also F anck 2014). F om his pedagogical pe spec i e, i is impo an ha
he luc ua ion o SEN in di e en con ex s, social si ua ions and imes, and in esponse o
he di e en inne s a es o a child, is iden i ied be o e a documen is w i en. When his
pedagogical emphasis is adop ed in w i ing, he esul ing desc ip ions will c ea e a mo e
comple e and mul idimensional image o he child and usually o e mo e de ailed in o -
ma ion abou child en and hei needs.
No es
1. Discu si e psychology, acco ding o Edwa ds (2005), ypically app oaches he esea ch
subjec s as psychological en i ies om he poin o iew o language. Discu si e psychology
has i s o igin in e hnome hodology and con e sa ion analysis.
2. The d a ing o an indi idual ECEC plan became manda o y in Finland in Augus 2015,
al hough he indi idual ECEC plan was al eady an es ablished p ac ice. Also in compulso y
p e-p ima y educa ion, he indi idual p e-p ima y plan is an es ablished p ac ice and
manda o y i a child has been e e ed o SEN.
3. Du ing he school holidays in Finland, dayca e g oup a angemen s conce ning he
composi ion o s a and child en, physical en i onmen and ou ine a e usually subjec o
empo a y changes.
Disclosu e s a emen
No po en ial con lic o in e es was epo ed by he au ho s.
Funding
This wo k was suppo ed by Jy äskylän Yliopis o.
ORCID
Noo a Heiskanen h p://o cid.o g/0000-0002-2785-5346
Maa i Alasuu a i h p://o cid.o g/0000-0002-4881-632X
Tanja Vehkakoski h p://o cid.o g/0000-0001-5143-2776
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