THE INTEGRATION OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND FACTORS THAT MAKE THIS PROCESS SUCCESSFUL
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/humanitas/2021.6.4Keywords:
integration, children with special educational needs, inclusive education, spatial integrationAbstract
One of the broader goals of integration is to create a school for all that will meet the special needs and capabilities of all students with and without special educational needs. The dimension of the term integration is not achieved by the simple coexistence of children with and without special educational needs (spatial integration). Functional integration begins in the classroom and depends on the use of effective strategies and practices by the teacher, so that children with special educational needs are actively involved in both academic and social learning. The main aim of this article which refers in – the integration of children with special education needs and factors that make this process successful – is to analyze and investigate the integration practices that teachers use in special education, their concern about the integration of all the children and to present the factors that make this process successful. For this purpose, a bibliographic search of descriptive-analytical nature took place, through the offered bibliography and articles. In particular, a search was made on the Internet database, law libraries and in electronic libraries of domestic and international level using the keywords. Due to the interest of the topic and its current character, a plethora of material, books, articles, as well as practices of international and pan-Hellenic conferences and magazines were identified. The study of the integration of children with special education needs and factors that make this process successful is an important undertaking, as the last decades have been marked by an attempt by the wider society to get rid of prejudices against people with disabilities. It is concluded that pedagogical inclusive practices as well as applications of inclusive education can ensure equal access for all to the general school and eliminate the chances of stigmatization of students. The teacher plays a dominant role in the implementation of inclusive education. By guiding and facilitating students and effectively applying pedagogical inclusive practices the modern teacher can achieve inclusion by providing opportunities for two-way communication. A basic condition for its practical application is its continuous training in issues of inclusion.
References
Ainscow, M. (1997). Organization of school classes of co-education. In Tafa, E. (ed.). Co-education of children with and without learning and behavioral problems (pp. 25–54). Athens: Greek Letters.
Arbeiter, S., & Hartley, S. (2002). Teachers' and pupils' experiences of integrated education in Uganda. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 49(1), 61–78.
Avramidis, E., & Norwich, B. (2002). Teachers' attitudes towards integration/inclusion: a review of the literature. European journal of special needs education, 17(2), 129–147.
Ballard, K. (1995). Inclusive, paradigms, power and participation. In C. Clarck, A. Dyson & A. Millward (Eds). Towards inclusive Schools? London : David Fulton.
Coster, W. J., & Haltiwanger, J. T. (2004). Social—behavioral skills of elementary students with physical disabilities included in general education classrooms. Remedial and special education, 25(2), 95–103.
Draper, N., Aleknavicius, K., & Crooks, L. (1998). Teacher and student perspectives on a physical education inclusion programme at a college of further education. University of Canterbury. School of Sport & Physical Education.
Florian, L. (1998). An examination of the practical problems associated with the implementation of inclusive education policies. Support for learning, 13(3), 105–108.
Gibb, K., Tunbridge, D., Chua, A., & Frederickson, N. (2007). Pathways to inclusion: Moving from special school to mainstream. Educational Psychology in Practice, 23(2), 109–127.
Heflin, L.J., & Bullock, L.M. (1999). Inclusion of students with emotional/behavioral disorders: A survey of teachers in general and special education. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 43(3), 103–111.
Hegarty, S. (1993). Reviewing the literature on integration. European journal of special needs education, 8(3), 194–200.
Jenkins, J.R., Odom, S.L., & Speltz, M.L. (1989). Effects of social integration on preschool children with handicaps. Exceptional Children, 55(5), 420–428.
Kalambouka, A., Farrell, P., Dyson, A., & Kaplan, I. (2007). The impact of placing pupils with special educational needs in mainstream schools on the achievement of their peers. Educational research, 49(4), 365–382.
Kochhar-Bryant, C.A., West, L.L., & Taymans, J. M. (2000). Successful inclusion: Practical strategies for a shared responsibility. Prentice Hall.
Manset, G., & Semmel, M.I. (1997). Are inclusive programs for students with mild disabilities effective? A comparative review of model programs. The Journal of Special Education, 31(2), 155–180.
Mayberry, S.C., & Lazarus, B.B. (2002). Teaching students with special needs in the 21st century classroom. R&L Education.
Monsen, J.J., & Frederickson, N. (2004). Teachers' attitudes towards mainstreaming and their pupils' perceptions of their classroom learning environment. Learning Environments Research, 7(2), 129–142.
Odom, S.L. (2000). Preschool inclusion: What we know and where we go from here. Topics in early childhood special education, 20(1), 20–27.
Odom, S.L. (2002). Narrowing the question: Social integration and characteristics of children with disabilities in inclusion settings. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 17(2), 167–170.
Padeliadu, S & Lampropoulou, V. (1997). Attitudes of special and regular education teachers towards school integration. European Journal of Special Needs Education. 12. 173–183.
Polychronopoulou, S. (2003). Children and adolescents with special needs and abilities. Modern trends in education and special support. Athens: Atrapos.
Proctor, R., & Niemeyer, J.A. (2001). Preservice teacher beliefs about inclusion: Implications for early intervention educators. Journal of Early Intervention, 24(1), 55–66.
Rose, S.R. (1998). Group work with children and adolescents: Prevention and intervention in school and community systems (Vol. 38). Sage.
Rose, R. (2001). Primary school teacher perceptions of the conditions required to include pupils with special educational needs. Educational review, 53(2), 147–156.
Sebba, J., & Ainscow, M. (1996). International developments in inclusive schooling: mapping the issues. Cambridge Journal of education, 26(1), 5–18.
Thompson, D., Whitney, I., & Smith, P. K. (1994). Bullying of children with special needs in mainstream schools. Support for Learning, 9(3), 103–106.
Vislie, L. (2003). From integration to inclusion: focusing global trends and changes in the western European societies. European journal of special needs education, 18(1), 17–35.
Vlachou, A. (2006). Role of special/support teachers in Greek primary schools: A counterproductive effect of ‘inclusion’ practices. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 10(1), 39–58.
Vlacho-Balafouti, A., & Zoniou-Sideri, A. (2000). Greek policy-practices in the area of special/inclusive education. In F. Armstrong, D. Armstrong, & L. Barton (Eds.). Inclusive education: Policy, contexts and comparative perspectives (pp. 27–41). London: David Fulton Publishers.
Zoniou-Sideri, A. (1996). The disabled and her education. A psychopedagogical accession approach. Athens: Greek letters.
Zoniou-Sideri, A. (1998). The disabled and their education. A psychopedagogical approach to integration. Athens: Greek Letters.
