00797 - Special Pedagogy

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course the student – knows the methodological assumptions to develop the inclusive perspective or integrations of people with disability – knows the differences between deficit and handicap, the logic of good praxis and the methodological lines to plan a life project according to the inclusive perspective – knows the cultural and theoretical essential requirements  of the inclusive perspective - knows the main classification systems promoted by WHO in order to build a Life Project with relation to the original characteristics of the person with disability and the living context – is able to put into action techniques and tools for the evaluation of interventions and educational projects addressed to  people with disability- is able to integrate his/her own knowledge in function of normative changes and international guidelines.

Course contents

The course's  training objectives include the knowledge of the methodological requirements  for the perspective of including or integrating the disabled.

At the end of the course  students must be able to distinguish the differences between deficit and handicap,  the logic of “best practices” and the methodological guidelines for creating  a life project based on the following premises: knowing the deficit in order to accept it and knowing the handicap in order to reduce it.

 

Program/Contents

 

First module: presentation of the Special Pedagogy and the “best practices”.

 The object of Special Pedagogy is disability, that means the situation of those who are “limited” because of a deficit. Today, Special Pedagogy in an integration perspective represents a chance to reach the disabled in the life contexts and customs of an organised and organisable society.

 

Second module: Special Pedagogy and the life project.

It is necessary to apply different and complementary tools to those used in schools with the mission of integration for and through learning. The common task is to know the deficit and to reduce the handicap that a disabile may have in his/her life contexts.

The social educator's task is to make achievement of independence possible, to develop a network of links with the environments so that the disabled may acquire the abilities of realize himself/herself as an adult person, and that of obtain the help he/she needs in the environments encountered.

 

Third module: building a project

The first step in building a project is to understand the requirements of people and of the context they live in. It is necessary to develop an observation aiming a needs analysis.

The second step is to understand the resources of people and of the context they live in. It is also necessary to create aresources map.

 

Fourth module: legislative tools

The relevant law  (n.104 of 1992) includes a legislative decree for the whole life period , and other laws – quoted or subsequently created -  which make it possible for this to be applied in more specific situations. It is particular useful to be familiar with law 68/1999 concerning right  to  work for disabled.

These  legislative tools should not be a just theoretical data, but an aim to be achieved and an educational purpose.

 

Fifth module: operative tools

Operative tools include the abilities of communicating, of construct shared linguistic codes, of memorize and reformulate. In this sense there are numerous operative tools which require non-exhaustive consultation once and for all, but data banks can be consulted to develop tools according to context and necessity.

 

Sixth module: case analysis

It is useful to become familiar with the current documentation of cases, that can be read differently according to professions or roles. The analysis of a case based on a documentation provided by a family member will be different from one provided by a social work or by a professional like a neuropsychiatrist.

 

Readings/Bibliography

A. Canevaro (2006), Le logiche del confine e del sentiero. Una pedagogia dell'inclusione (per tutti, disabili inclusi), Trento, Erickson.

A.     CONTARDI, Verso l'autonomia. Percorsi educativi per ragazzi con disabilità intellettiva, Carocci, Roma, 2004.

A. Canevaro, L. Zaghi (2010), L'integrazione prima delle leggi, Audiovisivo. ( students can watch it at the Department Library and/or ask the teacher for it) .

Teaching methods

Lectures, illustration of cases, exercises.

Assessment methods

Written exam lasting about three hours and consisting of the the analysis of “case” documentation - supplied during the exam – and development of a project following an outline, also provided. During the exam student may consult the recommended course readings and their own notes.

Assessment will take into account the following criteria :

-         Comprehension of  the outline.

-         Precision and clarity of writing.

-         Reference to multiple bibliographic sources (not a single source).

-         Feasibility of the project

Office hours

See the website of Angelo Errani