New Perspectives in Special Education | A Six-country Study of Integra

Book

New Perspectives in Special Education

ABSTRACT

It is now widely believed in many Western countries that the segregation of students with special educational needs is problematic, and that wherever possible these students should be educated alongside their peers in regular education settings. There has been a general move towards integrating special and regular education into one system that caters for a much wider range of students. But the outcomes in various countries have been very different. This book describes and evaluates these outcomes. The book provides both quantitative and qualitative information, analysing the similarities and differences between integration practices in six Western countries.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

chapter 1|4 pages

FRAMEWORK, METHODS AND PROCEDURES

Cor J.W.Meijer and Sip Jan Pijl

chapter |1 pages

a regular class, no support; b regular class, in-class support for teacher and student; c regular class, pull-out support; d regular class as basis, part-time special class; d special class as basis, part-time regular class;

chapter 2|3 pages

Terminological integration. Labelling and discriminatory expressions for the handicapped are not used. 3 Administrative integration. Handicapped students are encompassed within the same legislative framework as other students (there can of course be large differences between the regulations on, for instance, support arrangements, transport and achievement levels). 4 Social integration. Social contacts between handicapped and non-handicapped students are frequent and intensive. 5 Curricular integration. The same curriculum framework and long-term goals apply for handicapped and non-handicapped students. 6 Psychological integration. All students are instructed together: that is, in one room, at the same time and using the same programme.

chapter 2|9 pages

ITALY

chapter |1 pages

performance level. In this part also results are given of the obligatory assessment that takes place each three months; these results have to be reported to the parents as well. Additional activities are described here too; — special support; in Act 517/1977 there is no mention of support teachers, but of special forms of support. The concept of special teacher became officially accepted later, in Circular 199/1979. This teacher is not assigned to an individual pupil, but is in actory available for support for the whole school (Bürli, 1985). Act 270/1982 provides the key to the number of support teachers that has to be decided annually. A school is entitled to one support teacher per two handicapped pupils in the case of severe handicaps (such as Down’s syndrome or severe psychomotor disturbances) and to one support teacher per four moderate or mildly handicapped children (mild hearing impairment, paraplegia). Support teachers in pre-school education work 30 hours a week, in primary education 24 hours and at the comprehensive school 18 hours a week (Lunetta, 1987); — activities in small groups with a flexible structure and new manuals for the most important subjects (ibid.); — the social-psychological-pedagogical team; at first, this was organised by the municipalities, later by the USL (organisation of local health services) (Guidi, 1986). The USLs were established by Act 833/1978 (Lunetta, 1987). Support services (services for social welfare, health and school guidance) for special education fall under the Department of Public Health. These services are administered regionally. In the sixties, the medical profession got a place in education, initially to give vaccinations and examine pupils with behavioural problems. In the late sixties psychologists and pedagogues were also appointed by the local health care services. In so-called psycho-pedagogical groups they gave information to teachers. At present, support is provided by multi-disciplinary teams that usually consist of psychologists, speech therapists and education officers. Besides, the class assistant is an important aid in regular classes (Bürli, 1985); — the replacement of the term ‘handicapped’ by ‘portatori di handicap’ (‘carrier’ of a handicap). This is an essential distinction,

chapter |2 pages

for the latter concept no longer refers to the whole person (Lunetta, 1987).

chapter |4 pages

INTEGRATION

chapter 3|1 pages

DENMARK

chapter |2 pages

THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM Structure

chapter |7 pages

— integration: the effort to treat handicapped and non-handicapped people in the same way and to remove the special position of the handicapped; — decentralisation/regionalisation: the effort to bring public services and power of decision as near as possible to the people; in practice to the municipality or the county.

chapter |4 pages

Referral and placement

chapter 4|12 pages

SWEDEN

chapter 5|8 pages

UNITED STATES

chapter |5 pages

child and should be put down in writing. The following matters should be included: 1 present level of educational performance; 2 long-term educational aims (for one year) and short-term educational aims; 3 specific educational facilities needed to enable the child to participate in regular education programmes; 4 information concerning the start and duration of these facilities, and the criteria and evaluation procedures by which it can be assessed to what extent the aims have been attained, minimally at year-level.

chapter |3 pages

INTEGRATION The connection between regular and special education

chapter |8 pages

leads to all kinds of problems, such as pupils who fall between two programmes or are misclassified. 2 The system of regular and special education is dual: both are administered and financed through separate channels. Although the two systems coincide at the level of school buildings, the duality impedes co-operation. 3 Pupils can only be offered special education if they are categorised in the required manner. The label and the separation from their classmates, wholly or not, have a stigmatising effect. This can work out negatively for the pupil as well as for the pupil’s environment. 4 Parents play an important role in the decisions on referral to special education. In practice, a referral to a special programme quite often leads to conflicts. Schools talk of ‘pushy’ parents. The co-operation between parents and school, which is so essential, has then been disrupted from the start.

chapter 6|3 pages

ENGLAND AND WALES

chapter |13 pages

— inspectors/advisers — teachers’ centres — advisory and support units — a special needs service — educational psychology service — educational welfare officers — careers service — school library service.

chapter 7|1 pages

THE NETHERLANDS

chapter |4 pages

— senior general secondary education — pre-university education — senior secondary vocational education — short senior secondary vocational courses — part-time non-formal education for young people — apprenticeship training; 4 higher education, for students aged 18 and over, which can be divided into: — higher vocational education — university education (inc. the Open University); 5 adult education.

chapter c|13 pages

children with severe speech disorders; d blind; e partially sighted; f physically handicapped; g chronically ill; h children in hospitals; i severely maladjusted; j multiply handicapped; k children in schools attached to paedological institutes.

chapter 8|1 pages

ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS

Sip Jan Pijl and Cor J.W.Meijer

chapter 3|5 pages

Denmark

chapter |4 pages

special school system that is quite large. The two school systems work more or less separately and independently. There are some innovations in the direction of integration but these are encompassed within the two-track policy. The separate system of special education plays a key role in the integration efforts, and policy in these two-track countries is oriented towards both special and regular education. Separate laws for both systems are indicative of this two-track philosophy. — The third group is characterised by ‘multi-track’ policies. These countries offer a flexible system of education to special needs children. Denmark, England and Wales, and the United States offer a continuum of services for special needs students. Denmark and the United States also register a high number of students. There is a pragmatic need for doing so; registration means financial support whether in separate or integrated settings.

chapter 9|6 pages

INTEGRATION AND THE TEACHER

chapter 10|6 pages

RETHINKING THE COURSE OF INTEGRATION: WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE PAST?

Jan Rispens

chapter |2 pages

CONCLUSION

chapter 11|2 pages

EPILOGUE