Special Education and Inclusion in a Time of Change

The aim of this symposium is to display and critically reflect on the current development of approaches and methods in special educational research, policy and practice, for school-based special educators, doctoral students, and researchers.

Symposium November 18-19, 2026

In order to strengthen collaborative pathways between researchers and school-based practitioners, practitioners are encouraged to register for and attend the first day of the symposium. The second day will focus on doctoral students’ projects, and participants are invited to engage with and discuss their research topics.

The program will be continuously updated, and the registration will open soon.

BildKim Wickman

Background and content for the symposium

In a rapidly changing educational landscape, special education is being reshaped by global policy shifts, digital transformation, and evolving understandings of inclusion, diversity, and equity. This symposium invites researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to critically explore how special education is reconfigured in relation to contemporary societal challenges and opportunities. Building on traditions of bridging research, policy and practice, the symposium focuses on how knowledge is produced, translated, and enacted in educational contexts. Particular attention is given to interdisciplinary collaboration, practice-near research, and the voices of learners in shaping inclusive and sustainable educational futures.

Keynote Speakers

Trude Nergård-Nilssen, UiT the Arctic University of Norway

Bio
Professor Trude Nergård-Nilssen is a professor of educational psychology at UiT the Arctic University of Norway. She teaches dyslexia, developmental language disorder (DLD), reading-comprehension disorders, and reading and language intervention, emphasising evidence-based prevention and management of reading, writing and language difficulties across all ages. Her research investigates the cognitive–linguistic mechanisms underpinning DLD and dyslexia, with particular attention to individual risk factors and response to intervention. She developed the Dysmate screening and diagnostic tools for ages 7 to adulthood, which have been adapted into Swedish and German, and led a major randomised controlled trial completed in 2025.

Abstract
Lasting gains, different paths – insights from the UiT-ReadWell RCT:

Reading comprehension is the goal of reading instruction, yet programmes that build decoding or oral language often show modest gains on comprehension tests. UiT-ReadWell, a comprehensive programme targeting both components, was tested in a large multi-site randomised controlled trial with 415 children (ages 7–9; 2nd–3rd grade) across 26 schools in Northern Norway. Pupils were randomly assigned to UiT-ReadWell or to business-as-usual. The intervention included four 45-minute weekly sessions over 92 sessions, delivered by trained teachers using digital tools, focusing on phoneme awareness and word reading, as well as broader language skills (including grammar and vocabulary). Assessments were at pre-test, post-test, and six-month follow-up.

Compared to controls, UiT-ReadWell produced significantly greater gains in decoding (SMD 0.26), language comprehension (0.20), and reading comprehension (0.26), all of which were sustained at follow-up (0.22, 0.16, 0.24). Mediation analyses showed that improvements in reading comprehension were partly attributable to gains in word reading (~27%) and language (~34%).

Reanalysing the intervention group within the Simple View of Reading model revealed multiple growth trajectories, with baseline profiles in decoding and language predicting trajectory membership. Despite robust average effects, response heterogeneity emphasises the importance of tailoring intensity and content to learners.

The Education Act mandates monitoring and timely, tailored support. This talk covers how to identify who needs what and when, with practical principles on when to prioritise decoding vs. language, how to sequence components, how to monitor growth, and how to account for limits and context.

Suggested Articles

Nergård-Nilssen, T., Furnes, B., Caglar-Ryeng, Ø., Friborg, O., & Melby-Lervåg, M. (2026). Improving reading comprehension through language comprehension and early word reading: A multisite randomized trial. Journal of Educational Psychology.
Snowling, M. J., & Hulme, C. (2021). Annual research review: Reading disorders revisited—the critical importance of oral language. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 62(5), 635–653.
Snowling, M. J., Hayiou-Thomas, M. E., & Hulme, C. (2026). Dyslexia with and without developmental language disorder: Profile analysis. Annals of Dyslexia, 1-12.
Carroll, J. M., Holden, C., Kirby, P., Thompson, P. A., Snowling, M. J., Dyslexia Delphi Panel, ... & Rack, J. (2025). Toward a consensus on dyslexia: findings from a Delphi study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 66(7), 1065-1076.
Holden, C., Kirby, P., Snowling, M. J., Thompson, P. A., & Carroll, J. M. (2025). Towards a consensus for dyslexia practice: Findings of a Delphi study on assessment and identification. Dyslexia, 31(1), e1800.
Odegard, T., Gierka, M., & Ormandy, N. (2025). Reframing dyslexia: language and linguistic complexity, developmental risk, and the future of science of reading policy: T. Odegard et al. Annals of Dyslexia, 75(3), 410-422.