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ERASMUS KA2

Beyond and Louder than Words

2015-1-IT02-KA219-015438_1

INCLUSION AS A NORMAL PRACTICE IN SCHOOLS: A survey on legislation in different

countries of Europe

Erasmus partnership as a way of

understanding different

problematics about special needs

education

A DEEP LOOK INSIDE SIGN LANGUAGES

Introduction

When we were re-organizing the project we realized that all the methodologies we were testing or

trying to study better, lead to a condition that should be the first goal of teachings: inclusion.

Inclusion is one of the main problem related to our job as teachers and no one can say to be out of this game.

The new “affluent society” of immigrants crossing deserts and seas to reach a safer place for their children is

the great challenge for modern schools. Europe has its own agency for special needs education but nowadays

this term needs to be made larger.

When we talked about CLIM, we also referred to multi-ethnic and multi-cultural education because this is

the challenge today. Our classrooms are going to host students coming from different parts of our planet and

we need to give them answers.

But this is only one aspect of the problem. The older one is about the inclusion of students with special needs,

mental or physical it doesn’t matter. At the beginning we thought about a kind of database of information

but then the idea was thought as an activity to be made into the class and one of the outputs will be a video

comprehending all the activities related to this theme.

This written text instead wants to be a humble analysis of our experience as teachers, with some interview

to special needs teachers and completed with what came out from our researches of the laws in each

countries about special needs and what came out from the discussion and the lesson conference we had

during the meeting in Italy.

Chapter one

The European laws are going towards a kind of homologation in this field also because of the huge mass of

people moving from one country to another. But for many people inclusion is still only for those students

who have mental or physical disabilities.

Italy for example, after a moment where special needs students where divided in special schools or different

schools, both meaning isolation and not inclusion, started a new policy that ended with the pronunciation of

the constitutional court in 1987 n°215 that established for special needs students the right guaranteed by

the law, to attend schools of any order or degree. It was pointed the fact that to be with the other students

was a fact that could raise the consciousness of being part of a community and help those students to better

their school approach and result.

The difference became a value not an opposition.

Of course, this step could have been useless without the creation of a proper number of teachers able to face

the different situations of the special needs students. In 1982 Italy established the role of special need

teachers working in state schools. It seems to be the perfect realization of a cultural progress but it wasn’t.

Economy ruling education brought the institutions to close training made by universities, leaving this to

private organizations, with the consequence that can be easily understood.

Only in the last years governments, under the request of European Council have started to see the problem

from another point of view, making the range of special needs larger and trying to offer proper training to

teachers.

The materials produced by the partners of the project about this problem show a full interest I n inclusion

and special needs teaching, even involving “normal” students in the process of schooling the others.

Chapter two

The European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education is an independent organisation that acts as

a platform for collaboration for its 30-member countries, working towards ensuring more inclusive education

systems. The Agency’s mission is to help member countries improve the quality and effectiveness of their

inclusive provision for all learners.

All European countries are committed to working towards ensuring more inclusive education systems. They

do so in different ways, depending on their past and current contexts and histories. Inclusive education

systems are seen as a vital component within the wider aspiration of more socially inclusive societies that all

countries align themselves with, both ethically and politically.

The ultimate vision for inclusive education systems is to ensure that all learners of any age are provided

with meaningful, high-quality educational opportunities in their local community, alongside their friends

and peers.

The Agency has a mandate from its member countries to facilitate collaboration regarding country priorities

that are in line with the European Council priorities as identified in the ET 2020 strategy [2] and in accordance

with international agreements, such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with

Disabilities and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The Agency was established in 1996 as an initiative of the Danish Ministry of Education. The Agency

Secretariat is based in Odense, Denmark and the Agency has an office in Brussels, Belgium.[3]

Through its activities the Agency facilitates the collection, processing and transfer of European level and

country specific information in the area of inclusive education, and it provides opportunities for sharing

different types of knowledge and experiences. (Wikipedia)

The members are: Austria, Belgium (Flemish and French speaking communities), Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus,

Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy Latvia,

Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia,

Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales).

The Agency has a mandate from its member countries to facilitate collaboration regarding country priorities

that are in line with the European Council priorities as identified in the ET 2020 strategy [2] and in accordance

with international agreements, such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with

Disabilities and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Through its activities the Agency facilitates the collection, processing and transfer of European level and

country specific information in the area of inclusive education, and it provides opportunities for sharing

different types of knowledge and experiences.

While the focus of most Agency work is on the compulsory education sector, these principles will apply to all

sectors and phases of lifelong learning and to formal and non-formal education. The learner ocused principles

will apply equally to learners with and without disabilities, as inclusion is concerned with the quality of

education of all learners.

Responding to learners’ voices Learners’ voices and those of family and advocates should be listened to,

particularly when decisions are made that affect their lives. Learners must be provided with relevant

information in appropriate formats to enable them to take a full part in all discussions and decisions regarding

their education and plans for the future. Learners should have a voice in decisions that affect them:

• in assessment – choosing different ways of showing what they know, understand and can do, being

involved in discussions about assessment information and how it can support future learning;

• in the learning process – having different ways of accessing information, making it meaningful and

expressing themselves;

• in planning their learning, taking personal factors into account;

• in the provision of support to overcome barriers to learning that does not stigmatise them or separate them

from their peers;

• in curriculum – having a say in relevant, meaningful, personalised outcomes; and

• in evaluating the learning outcomes to ensure educational achievement and well-being.

3.2 Active participation of learners All learners are entitled to be active participants in the life of the school

and community.

All learners should feel part of their class/school, being valued for the individual contribution that they make

to the life of the community. Learners should be consulted about any additional support needed to help them

participate in the full range of activities and experiences offered.

Learners should:

• have a sense of belonging and feel secure in the school environment;

• have opportunities for collaboration and co-operative learning, with flexible peer groups to develop social

and communication skills;

• have their achievements recognised and celebrated;

• take a full part in extracurricular and out-of-school activities;

• take responsibility for their own learning and an active role in the learning process, maintaining high

expectations and increasing independence in learning; and

• recognise their responsibilities

Positive teacher attitudes All teachers should have positive attitudes towards all learners and the will to

work collaboratively with colleagues. All teachers should see diversity as a strength and a stimulus for their

own further learning. In their initial and continuing education, teachers need experiences that will develop

positive attitudes and values and encourage them to research, reflect and find innovative solutions to new

challenges presented by learner difference. In particular, teachers should welcome support from colleagues

with different areas of expertise and work co-operatively moving from an individual to a collective approach

to their work.

Teachers should: • take responsibility for all learners and show understanding of the fundamental needs that

they all have in common e.g. to feel safe, to belong, to enjoy their time in school and achieve meaningful

outcomes;

• value and show commitment to meeting a broad range of outcomes (including emotional health and well-

being, social skills) and maintain high expectations for all learners;

• recognise when learners need support and arrange this sensitively together with the learner, without using

potentially limiting labels;

• have knowledge of a range of resources (including ICT) and the skills to enable them to be used effectively

in the classroom;

• have a positive attitude to innovation and be prepared to continue their own personal and professional

development;

• collaborate with and support colleagues to reflect on practice and build ‘team’ knowledge and skills in

order to help learners (for example in the development of individual support, classroom strategies or

transition plans); and

• communicate effectively with learners, parents and colleagues from all agencies and support collaborative

practice to benefit learners.

Effective teacher skills All teachers should develop the skills to meet the diverse needs of all learners. In their

initial and continuing education, teachers should be equipped with the skills, knowledge and understanding

that will give them the confidence to deal effectively with a range of learner needs. Teachers should develop

a range of approaches to assessment and pedagogy to enable them to use these in flexible ways to reduce

barriers to learning and enable participation and achievement. They should develop a clear rationale for the

approaches used, recognising and reflecting on factors that can impact on learning and the barriers that can

occur.

Teachers should: • assess learners using a range of approaches which allow them to show what they know,

understand and are able to do in a variety of ways;

• use feedback to identify and overcome barriers to learning (physical, attitudinal, organisational) and plan

with learners to ensure that future learning is accessible, coherent and connected to their lives;

• provide a range of learning opportunities with choice for all learners, in line with a view of intelligence as

multi-dimensional;

• use a range of approaches to teaching, using flexible groups and taking account of learners’ preferences; •

plan a relevant curriculum that provides coherent opportunities for the development of core, cross curricular

competences and meaningful engagement for all learners;

• work with colleagues to develop individual plans to ensure the consistent deployment of any necessary

support, aids and adaptations to meet learners’ needs. (Wikipedia)

Chapter three

The former chapter, taken mostly from Wikipedia about The European Agency for Education, with a deep

inside special needs education shows how much this problem concerns with the future of Europe.

Our job as ErasmusKA2 partnership was to see if in our countries special needs education was a reality or

not, so we asked to partners involved in this field to show through video and lesson plans what was their

reality. We also have asked to give us documents or websites where any information about the laws referring

to this problem could have been found.

It is obvious that our research had to be confined to our reality, without pretending to substitute ourselves

to the great names of education in Europe or to the European Agency itself.

The materials produced by some of the partners are about different school and different age of students, but

also about different disabilities. During the meeting in Italy we have seen what the real classroom situations

are and we ourselves became a classroom learning the Italian sign language with an expert.

As established in the project we concentrated mainly on sign language because we had the possibility to have

an expert to talk to the partners during the meeting in Italy. So the Italian School, coordinator of the project,

organised this lesson/conference about sign language and also about the return into schools of special needs

problematics.

All the partners have explained during the debate what was the situation about special needs in their

countries and what were the effect of this problems on teachers’ work. The questions were about the

presence of special teachers or only “helpers” for the normal teachers, or special training before or during

our career; another problem was about the possibility for a deaf teacher to be a teacher or not; or the news

about Belgian way to training.

As far as the laws about special needs education we suggest to give a look to the website of the EUROPEAN

agency https://www.european-agency.org/country-information/italy, where it is possible to find all the

information you need about this subject and we will report also the answers to same questions our partners

gave about this theme.

What will our job be in this document is instead to show how partners worked in their reality about special

needs and inclusion, because we think that the spirit of the project was to research and to try, and some

interesting things have come out at the end.

We will divide this part in two:

1. Analysis of the produce about special needs and inclusion created by the partners

2. What are the challenges of the future about inclusion

The countries that produced materials are Austria, Spain, Macedonia, Italy and Greece. This was because we

had to work also with the possibility of a real class situation, but the other partners were part of the debate

about our themes.

As for the others output we will show the lesson planning for each country, the activity, links to the videos

mand so on.

Spain

Lesson planning

Title As right as rain

Subject English as a foreign language

Teacher María Martín González (English teacher)

Teacher(s) involved Ana Ramos (support teacher)

Class C13 (main building)

Age 12 -13 years old

Time Final session of the unit (50 minutes)

Materials Signs for the different workstations US weather map + forecast UK weather map + forecast Europe weather map 10-day weather forecast of a city Weather matching cards

Contents Vocabulary Weather: cloudy, cold, dry, foggy, hot, icy, rain, snow, sunny, thunderstorm, warm, wet, windy, sleet, hail. Geography: United States and its states, the UK and its cities, Europe and its main cities. Grammar Comparative adjectives: cloudier, sunnier, more probable, better, worse, etc. Superlative adjectives: the furthest, the biggest, the cloudiest, the best, the worst, etc. Functional Language Asking for and giving information related to the weather: How is the weather like in Oregon?, it is partly cloudy, Berlin is the coldest city in Europe, Madrid is warmer than Paris, where is the cloudiest city in the UK?

Prerequisites Present simple tense. Question words: where, which, when. Some basic words related to the weather.

Aims (content) To understand weather forecasts and talk about weather conditions.

Aims (language) To use weather-related contents to communicate effectively. To review weather vocabulary

To review adjectives – warm, cold, partly cloudy, sleeting, etc. To practise comparative and superlative adjectives. To practice the present simple tense.

Strategy work forms Workstations – students work in small groups led by a student with special needs.

Students teach each other (learning by teaching) – teacher monitors the activity.

Students grade themselves (peer correction). Group work – practice of discussion and negotiation. Time in workstations is timed so that they focus better. Variety of activities which focus on different skills and abilities

(different learning styles).

Activities All stations are led by a responsible student who explains what should be done and helps his/her peers to fulfil the task. Station 1 – Students read the weather forecast of the US & correct the wrong sentences. Station 2 – Students listen to the weather forecast of the UK read by the responsible student and draw the necessary symbols & degrees. Station 3 – Students have to match weather cards. Station 4 – Students examine a 10-day forecast and compare the temperature among the days and decide which days stand out (writing). Station 5 – Students describe in turns the weather forecast of Europe (speaking)

Bibliography and websources

Images by Google Image Search

This activity is based on one main point: cooperative learning realized through workstations led by a special

need student. As it is possible to notice from the lesson plan, all the activities are directed to make students

cooperate and the result should be an increase in understanding and vocabulary.

It is quite clear what is the idea at the base of giving the lead to a special need student: to give him a full

feeling of being part of the community, to realize a great standard of inclusion.

Opening the following link you will see the full activity in a PDF form or you can go to the project website

Teaching in a mixed-ability EFL class

Other useful information about how Spain is facing the reality of special needs education and inclusion can

be fount in EURYDICE website at this link: https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-

policies/eurydice/content/special-education-needs-provision-within-mainstream-education-70_en, and

there are also the different approaches for different disabilities.

It is well defined how Spain is undergoing a great challenge and the job made by our partner in Algorcon

shows how school is facing the challenge. There is also a video realised by a teacher of history to shows

everything https://youtu.be/Ijs0pxTz3BY. The video is in Spanish and English so it can be shared in and

outside the school.

Lesson planning

Title Developing students' autonomy and inclusive learning in Geography and

History class.

Subject Creating an illustrated diary of a pilgrim who walked Santiago's way in the eleventh century

Teacher Luis A. Ortega – Teacher of Geography and History

Teacher(s) involved Leonor Velasco– Supporting teacher for Autistic students Ana Escribano – Teacher trainee

Class E2B (Secondary Education)

Age 13-14 years-old

Time One week (three lessons and some tasks to be carried out at home)

Materials The Tablet contains all the materials students need: Blinklearning, textbook, internet connection and Google drive applications.

Contents - The peninsular Christian kingdoms during the High Middle Ages: o The Cantabrian nucleus (Astur-León, Galicia and Castilla) o Pyrenean Nucleus (Navarra-Aragón)

- - Repopulation, economic activities and Christian society. - - Romanesque art. The road to Santiago.

Prerequisites - Read and work the unit lesson " The Spanish peninsula during VIII and XI century" and the Christian kingdoms and the romanic art.

Aims (content)

- Understanding the process of the conquests and the repopulation of the Christian kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula. - Understanding the diverse functions of art in the Middle Ages. - Understanding the role of the Church and the religious fact in the Hispanic Middle Ages.

Aims (Methodology) - Get flexible classes, so it is important that students have a certain level of independence and autonomy. - Maximize the time the teacher invests in a more personalized work, taking care of the students with more difficulties, it is important that the other students can be in some way, self-sufficient. - In group work, teachers can meet the needs of certain students, while others can continue successfully learning to help themselves

Strategy and active work forms

- - Groups of 3 or 4 students. - - Placement of the tables in horseshoe shape. - - Prepare the instructions and tasks to be carried out - - 1, 2, 3 minutes. Then the teacher: When it comes to

understanding a task, this approach allows students to trust themselves and their classmates. Students will have a minute to review the instructions in silence, two minutes to discuss the instructions between them, and three minutes to plan the strategy they will use to tackle the task. Only after doing this, can they ask for help (if they really need it).

Activities 1. PRESENTATION OF CLASS 5 MIN The work dynamics is explained to the students.

2. DISPOSITION OF CLASS 5 MIN The class is organized in groups of three and four and with the tables in a horseshoe shape.

3. INDIVIDUALIZED READING OF INSTRUCTIONS 5 MIN The students read the instructions in silence. Unable to ask the teachers or the classmates.

4. CONSULTATION ON THE INSTRUCTIONS AND DOUBTS WITH THE COMPANION 5 MIN The students discuss the instructions with the classmates.

5. FACING THE TASK INDIVIDUALLY AND SELF-CONTAINED 30 MIN (in the first session and the 2nd full session) The students establish the steps to follow: dividing up the tasks, searching for information, designing the diary (they have to create a diary of their virtual pilgrimage on the French part of the Way of Santiago de Compostela in a text document on Google Drive).

6. THE TEACHER INTERVENES IF NECESSARY Students can ask teachers only if they have followed the steps above and are not able to continue alone. Each group can do a certain number of questions (4), which will be found in the evaluation.

7. EVALUATION (third session) Projects explained by a group spokesperson are projected and evaluated by means of a double rubric (one for the teacher and

another for self-evaluation of the students)

Bibliography and websources

http://www.eligeeducar.cl/6-estrategias-desarrollar-la-autonomia-los-estudiantes-clase https://www.edutopia.org/article/6-strategies-promoting-student-autonomy

Austria

Austria has realized a video interview about its activity and also 2 videos of the activity. The teacher being

interviewed is a special need teacher so it is very interesting to listen to the voice of an “actor” from the

stage.

The following link is the one of the video about the activity and its transcription follows.

https://youtu.be/Gz9Wm-5TahM (video interview)

INCLUSION at the

NMS VOITSBERG – the interview 1. Which integrative measures do you have in your class and what are the reasons for using them? Based on extensive research in the field of psychology and neuroscience we know that every child is unique and shows distinctive needs. According to that facts we teach a mixed approach of inclusion and integration in our class called „Integrationsklasse.“ 2. What exactly does that mean and how is it expressed? As mentioned beforehand, children act, learn and develop differently, as a result every class constellation is always heterogeneous. So in principal every child in our class is thought by the same teacher, supported by a special needs teacher. In that case we also acknowledge kids with special needs and provide them with specifically tailored tests and adjusted grates.

In main subjects like German, Maths and English we provide separate teaching opportunities because we are lucky to have an extra classroom for the children with special needs. The teaching there is different and characterized by an open, cooperative, ad collaborative learning environment, furthermore to prepare them for being self-responsible and independent for life. All this is based on various reform pedagogics including Helen Parkhurst, Friedrich Fröbel, Peter Peterson, Celestin Freinet and especially Maria Montessori and her principle: “The hands are the tools of the human intelligence.“ 3. Which needs do your pupils have exactly? The special needs kids we have in our class are also very different. Some have cognitive disabilities, others have problems with their concentration and one pupil has behavior problems caused by traumatizing events experienced in the past. According to these facts it´s much more important to differentiate, to individualize and to work with "heart, hand and head” a teaching approach developed by Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi in the early 19th century. Moreover, it’s always important to give the students everything they really need. For this to happen, teachers need resources to allow individual learning in the most efficient way. Additionally, it’s absolutely necessary to give also the teacher the freedom he needs, to choose his own kind of teaching for being authentic. Luckily our principal has provided us with the resources needed, for which we are very grateful for. We all are very grateful to the clear explanation of the activity and also because the following links take the reader to a vision of a practical activity, which can be useful for other people to reproduce in their own classrooms with their students.

Lesson inclusive learning environment Title Possibility for an inclusive learning environment

Subject German and Mathematics

Teacher Truppe Claudia

Teacher(s) involved Mara Andrea

Class 7th grade integration class

Age 12 to 13

Time 100 minutes (two lessons, each 50 minutes)

Material “Do it yourself” by Truppe, C. and purchased materials for selfassembly

- please confer to:

Bacher, K.; Tiertz, A. (2015). Mit Montessori in großen Sprüngen

den Satzbau erobern: Anleitungen, Vorlagen,

handlungsorientierte Materialien. Germany :Verlag an der

Ruhr.

Bierdemann, T. (o.J.). 1x1 Wackelturm. Austria: Tamabi Lernund

Gesellschaftsspiele: Austria.

Haspel S.; Schmidt, W. (o.J.). Arbeitsmaterial für das offene

Lernen und die Freiarbeit. Fallrätsel – Rätselfälle?: Lustige

Grammatikarbeit zu den 4 Fällen. Austria: ws-montessori.

Schmidt, W. (2011). Arbeitsmaterial für das offene Lernen und

die Freiarbeit. Pronomen: Kennenlernen der Wortarten.

Austria: ws-montessori.

Content Educational games and materials help to practice:

• Different word types (concentrating on verbs and pronouns)

• various cases in German grammar

• the syntax on the topic circus

• interactive contents to practice speaking

• reading

• follow instructions

• self responsibility and independent working

• multiplication tables

Prerequisites gross- and fine motor as well as haptic-tactile skills and competencies, like receptive

and comprehensive reading;

Because all materials automatically differentiate, exact defined prerequisites are not mandatory.

Therefore there are different tasks for different competencies for the same topic. For example, a red

dot is Maria Montessori’s symbol to identify verbs. To determine all the verbs in a text, the pupils

can either glue in red dotted stickers or paint them by themselves, at least they can write down the

verbs.

Aim (content) In general there is no common topic for all the activities, just the syntaxis dealing with

the main subject.

Aim (language) The pupils learn something about the basics of the German language by an action-

orientated and interactive learning session. According to that they gain knowledge about different

word types. Finally they should be able to use the word types in an appropriate way, moreover they

should get involved to the syntax.

All in all the aim of teaching German is:

• to follow instructions

• to get involved with each other active

• to encourage self responsibility and independence by the interactive and the self-controlling learning

environment

• to learn what a verb is

• to determine verbs in a text

• to learn something about the tenses, especially the present tense

• to put the verbs in the correct personal form

• to learn what a pronoun is

• to use the pronouns correctly, orally and written

• to learn all the four cases of the German language

• to deal with the four cases correctly

Aims (maths) • introducing the syntax:

to understand the given subject in a sentence

to use the verb as a part of a sentence

to understand the object of the location in a sentence

The aim of teaching Maths is:

• to practice and automate multiplication tables

• to get used to the language of mathematics

• (combining Maths and the German language)

Strategy Partly it is an action-orientated learning lesson, in an open, co-operative

and collaborative learning environment. It is also a station learning lesson combining different

subjects.

Activities

“subject German” The lesson starts by jumping into the classroom. So, the pupils have to

jump from one colourful carpet (each carpet represents one-word type:

subject, verb and object) to another one while answering certain questions about the word order.

When finished, all the pupils have to repeat their individual sentences. In the classroom the pupils

can decide which task they want to do first. Because of this, they can also choose the order of all the

tasks on their own. Beside the learning environment and its activities, the teacher decides the length

of the tasks. If the teacher activates the sound bowl, the students have to change stations.

As mentioned beforehand the materials are about different word types, especially verbs and pronouns,

various cases and the syntax. The “self-control” helps the students to control all the exercises by

themselves.

“subject Maths” The rules of the “1x1 Wackelturm” are similar to the well-known game

“Jenga”. In contrast to the original game, this one consists of 54 hard wood blocks and some include

further tasks for students. Before any player is allowed to take their turn, they have to answer a

multiplication question. Afterwards the player has to take one block from any level of the tower and

place it at the top. If there is another task on the block, the player has to attempt it.

The game ends when the tower falls.

Bibliography and

websources

Confer to the first page “materials”.

https://youtu.be/EqOBdZas7ps (lesson about inclusion) The last video will be part of the video output where all the activities about sign language will be put together. It was part of the project to realize something about literature or culture according to every partner sign language, but because of the different age of pupils every partner decided to concentrate on something appropriate to the age of the students. Austria decided to realize a song and the result is very interesting. The following is the link to the video https://vimeo.com/255568209 (sign language song)

Macedonia Our partner from Macedonia decided to follow a different way; they realized a video with a storyboard, concentrating on the necessity of communication of a deaf girl in a class. The story is simple but significant of what kind of difficulties deaf people can meet and how much it is important inclusive behaviour of students themselves. What is interesting in this activity is to see the spirit of collaboration between the sign language teacher and the non-deaf students who is keen in finding out a way to communicate with his classmate. It is another evidence of what we are repeating since the beginning of the project: cooperation and active learning are sometimes the very keys to success at school, ever for those students that find difficult to feel included.

It is September the 1st, the very first day at school. A lot of new students are entering the

school for the first time. They come from different primary schools and hardly know each

other. The school bell marks the first class. The newcomers are running into their

classrooms.

Two classmates meet in the class they share. A boy and a girl who don't have a clue

about the friendship between them that is yet to come. The boy tries to start a conversation

with the girl, but she isn't responding to his words. At first, the boy is surprised but few

minutes later a lady comes in the classroom and starts talking to the girl with some hand

gestures. Then the boy realizes that his classmate cannot speak or hear a thing and the

lady that entered the classroom is a teacher who works with the sign language indeed. He

really wants to start a conversation with her, so he goes to the teacher of sign language and

learns some things so he can actually talk with the girl. At the end of the day, the boy makes

his classmate really happy and he makes her feel accepted by the other students. With the

language he learnt he said to her:

“You think you are different. No, you are the same as every other person, we see

happiness and joy in you!”

The story ends with a big group hug and lots of happy, joyful faces. https://youtu.be/wayq4ucB0hE

Greece

Our partner of Greece really surprises us because their approach to the problem is really original. They

decided to look at how blind people can feel and try to make students that are not blind to feel the same

sensation. The children are blinded and they cannot act as usual so they will experience this sensation

through sports activity. It is also very interesting to see how also the teachers have experienced the same

situation so to create a general feeling of understanding. We will add to this paper pictures and lesson

planning of the activities.

SCHOOL OF PALEKASTRO

Overcoming Disabilities

Objectives/Aims

The students will: gain empathy for those with a disability and learn how to help a person with a disability.

Materials

See ‘’Props’’ under ‘Group Activity Part’

Illustration

I wonder what it’s like to be a person with a challenging disability, where I am ‘not able to’ easily do the

things I usually do?

Background

The term ‘disability’ means: a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life

activities, for example, walking, seeing, thinking, speaking or hearing. People with disabilities are any

country’s largest minority and the only minority group that any person can join at any time.

Group Activity

1. Review what is known about and what has learnt 2. Say, “Today we’re going to play a simulation game called ‘Not Able To.’ During this game you’re

going to pretend to not be able to do something you usually do, something that you probably

take for granted, like walking or talking or reading. To help you playing your role you will have a

prop, such as a blindfold, and there will be a rule that you will have to follow, like, ‘Walk alone

with covered eyes or try to catch the ball without looking at it, only by your ears.’ If you already

have a disability, you can either continue as ‘yourself’ or take on another disability.

(Note: Students with ‘invisible’ disabilities/learning differences should not be forced to acknowledge their

special need in front of others unless they wish to do so. However, they might want to share it with their

friends in confidence so that they will understand the special needs.) If you choose not to have a disability,

and usually we don’t have that choice when it comes to a disability, then you will be one of the ‘helpers.’

3. Explain each of the disabilities and what the students won’t be able to do first. Then, either by

arbitrarily selecting or by lottery, choose each student’s disability. Explain that in real life they

would not have a choice as to the disability that befalls them.

Disability Prop Rule

peeking - Blind blindfold or dark glasses No

- Neuropathy of the hands oven mitts Must leave oven mitts on at all times

(numbness or weakness)

- Amputee with hand prothesis fingers together

- Dyslexic none Must read all books upside-down

- Dysgraphia none Use only non-dominate hand for writing

- Deaf ear plugs or ear muffs Ear plugs may not be removed

- Mute none Can’t talk

- Stutterer none Say each word three times each

- Paraplegic (legs paralyzed) wheelchair May not stand up or walk

- Club foot shoes w/dif. sized heels Shoes need to stay on at all times

or ankle weight

- Speech impediment paper tube end stapled All talking must be done through tube

shut

- Cataracts glasses smeared with Glasses must be worn at all times

vaseline or covered with

cellophane tape

- Paralyzed leg leg splint and/or crutch Splint may not be removed; crutch must

be used

- ADHD egg timer Every three minutes the student has to

do something different

- Helper: Can only help disabled students when asked. Will not do things for them that they can do

themselves.

4. Other possible rules: -The simulation game is only for the classroom and for the school playground. If a student leaves

the school, they can leave their disability behind. (Explain this is not the case in real life.)

-The time limit for this simulation game is:_______

-Students are still expected to work hard and do their best job possible, whatever the task. All

works accomplished will count for double since it required twice the effort.

Group Discussion Questions (After designated time is over.)

1. How did it feel to be disabled?

A: Answers ranging from frustrating to fun.

2. What were you not able to do? And conversely, what were you able to do?

A: Answers will vary.

3. Do you think people with disabilities focus on what they’re able to do as opposed to what they can’t

do? Why?

A: They focus on what they can do otherwise they might get frustrated, feel sorry for

themselves or even give up.

4. Why might it be a good idea to tell your friends about an invisible disability?

A: So that they will understand the special needs associated with the disability and will be more helpful.

5. How did you want to be treated while you were a person with disabilities?

A: Respectfully, kindly with patience, etc.

6. Why did the helper only help when asked and then only did those things the person with

disabilities couldn’t do themselves?

A: Helping when not asked is being paternalistic. It’s like treating someone like a baby. And you don’t

do something for someone else that they can do themselves because that can make them dependent

on you and cause them to think they are not capable.

7. What do you admire about people with disabilities?

A: They are strong, courageous, persistent, etc.

Variations/Extensions

1. To shorten the activity, or if you don’t have enough props, the students can draw a disability out

of a hat and then go to perform a specific task (e.g. go get a book off the shelf, write a letter).

2. Towards the end of the simulation take the students out to recess. This will give them another

perspective on their disability in a movement intensive activity.

Conclusion

Say, “Today you experienced what it is like to have a disability, if only for a short time. What we often take

for granted, like walking, talking and the like, is often a daily struggle for a person with disabilities. Imagine,

day after day after day it goes on, and the disability never goes away for your entire life... It takes real courage

and fortitude to face these daily challenges and not let them get you down and depressed. People with

disabilities deserve our admiration and not our sympathy. These are strong and courageous people.”

Special Education in Greece

Overview

Legal system

The provision of free education to all citizens and at all levels of the state education system is a constitutional principle of the Greek State. Education is compulsory from the ages of 6 to 15.

National laws issued both by the Parliament and by Presidential Decrees and Ministerial Acts prevail within the educational system. The central administration agency of the state education system is the Ministry of Education, which also oversees the evaluation and support services of people with special educational needs. The administration of education is allocated to the general authorities of the aforementioned Ministry, which in turn is distributed to specific authorities, e.g. the General Directorate of Studies in Primary and Secondary Education which is divided into separate offices, such as Administrations of Primary Education, Special Education, etc.

A number of public services report directly to the Ministry and contribute in fulfilling its functions, such as the Pedagogical Institute, the Centre of Educational Research and others. In addition, the pre-school education advisors, the primary and secondary education advisors and the special education advisors belong to the Ministry of Education. The schools are directly administrated by the local authorities of education, with the Directors of Education co-ordinating and supervising the schools in their responsibility area.

General provision within Greek legislation

The Greek Constitution has provided insurance, protection and equality for all Greek citizens. According to the Greek Constitution, Article 4 (Citizenship and Equality) ‘Greek citizens are equal before the law’ and ‘Greek men and women have equal rights and obligations’.

Additional relevant articles include Article 21 (Family), which states:

Large families, war victims, disabled people in general, widows, and orphans who lost their parents in war, including those who suffer from mental or physical illness are under special state care

and

The state deals with health issues and applies special protective measures regarding youth, old age, disabled and those who are destitute.

A great number of laws and decrees issued by the Ministries (Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs) provide options for the best way of living for people with disabilities. The most significant ones include the following:

Law 2817/2000

The following categories of pupils are considered as having special educational needs (SEN):

• Pupils with intellectual disabilities • Pupils with severe visual or hearing impairment • Pupils with severe neurological or orthopaedic impairment or severe health problems • Pupils with speech and communication difficulties • Pupils with special learning disabilities such as dyslexia, etc. • Pupils with severe cognitive, emotional and social difficulties, autism and developmental

disorders (paragraph 1, article 1)

Pupils with special educational needs can be also pre-school aged children or adolescents who do not fit into one of the above categories, but do need special education and care for a short period or even throughout their lives (paragraph 3, article 1).

Law 2286/1999 and Law 2817/2000

People with disabilities have the right to a free diagnosis from a Diagnostic Assessment and Support Centre, from a Medical-Pedagogical centre or from a public hospital.

Ministerial Decree G6/102357/10.10.02

Parents have the right to choose the appropriate school for their child, providing that the diagnosis stage has taken place. Therefore a set of services collaborates with parents, informing them about the most suitable education and the Individual Education Plan.

Law 2686/1999

The insurance of children with SEN is inscribed into their parents’ social insurance. The type of social insurance depends on the parents’ work and gives them the right to claim appropriate medical services, therapies, technical support services, etc.

Law 1434/1984 and Ministerial Decree G4a/F224/2001

Youngsters with disabilities receive special public assistance after the ascertainment of their disabilities. Other decrees ensure the protection of people with disabilities, accessibility to public buildings, rehabilitation, etc. The Greek Government has also adopted and implemented the United Nation’s rules in terms of equal opportunities by all means. The Greek Government also implements European Union legislation, which refers to education, medical care, provision and vocational rehabilitation for people with disabilities.

Law 3699/2008

This refers to special education and the education of people with disabilities or special educational needs, where ‘special needs’ are defined as follows:

Difficulties in learning, due to sensory, intellectual, cognitive, developmental, mental and neuropsychiatric disorders which are localized after a scientific and pedagogical evaluation. These difficulties influence the process of learning and school adjustment. Pupils who have disabilities in motion, vision and hearing, who suffer from chronic diseases, disorders in speech, attention deficit, and all pervasive developmental disorders are considered as having special educational needs.

Special needs are also considered to include behaviors due to complex factors, i.e. cognitive, emotional, intellectual and social disadvantages deriving from the family and social environment.

Low achievers and learners with learning difficulties that derive from their social and economic background are not considered as pupils with special needs.

Innovative elements in Law 3699/2008

The new Law 3699/2008 on Special Education and the Education of People with Disabilities or Special Educational Needs regulates all the issues concerning the degree of the learning difficulties that pupils may meet during the everyday education process, either in the mainstream or special system of education.

The new Law codified the existing laws. It is updated, having incorporated the former existing laws, and leads to a form of legal unity with the general national policy for education. It is based on the internationally recognized characteristics of ‘a school for all’ and on the European Union principles for inclusion and equal opportunities. In addition, it simplifies the existing presidential decrees and facilitates the implementation of educational reforms.

According to the new Law, mainstream classroom teachers are expected to evaluate the need and to seek assistance from the Services of the Ministry of Education (Centres of Assessment, School Advisers, teacher of special education), in order to organize the pupil’s Individual Teaching Programme. Pupils and their families are accepted by the Centres of Assessment and Evaluation who, according to the Law, are responsible for estimating the character of the special need and the

educational support pupils expect to receive (a) in the mainstream classroom with a specialized teacher, (b) in a unit of inclusion for some hours per week (i.e. inclusion classes), in parallel with the mainstream programme, or (c) in a special school when severe special needs co-exist and parents so wish, according to the national categorization system and the resource provision in each learning environment.

Main focus and aim

The Hellenic educational policy supports the full inclusion of the pupil in the mainstream classroom as the best means for the development of two-way relationships among pupils with special educational needs and their classmates. The main elements of the Law are:

• Education for all children with special needs is mandatory. • The political decisions support the substantial inclusion of people with special needs in

society by ‘securing equal opportunities’ for learning, independent living and financial sufficiency.

• It places emphasis upon the functionality and capabilities of the pupil for participation, and holds the educational environment accountable instead of the child’s disability.

• It clarifies the scope of special education towards full inclusion, according to international definitions for disability as an extension of the human being.

• It clearly states that education must be provided in mainstream schools for all pupils with special needs and in special schools for pupils with severe special needs.

• It defines the people who need special education on an individual basis and not according to categories of disability, although some categories are clearly stated.

• A new detailed reference is made to individuals in pre-primary, primary and secondary education who do not belong to any of the stated categories but ‘need a special educational approach and care for some period of time or during their school life’. This paragraph also includes educational needs that pupils may have because of a low socio-economic situation.

• It introduces, for the first time, an official definition concerning students with special abilities and talents as also needing educational support. No such reference had been made in the previous laws, including those of Special Education (1143/1981, 1566/1985, 2817/2000) and the Laws and Presidential Decrees concerning the general educational system. The issue was broadly discussed for the first time during the Plenary Session of the Hellenic Parliament on 29 October 2003. The Committee decided to add a clause to the previous Law of Special Education (FΕΚ Α’78/14.03.2000, Law 2817/2000). Article 1, paragraph 2 of the Law 2817/2000 now states: ‘Special educational support can be offered to individuals who have special abilities and talents’. This clause has been further formulated, making reference to ‘pupils who have one or more mental abilities developed to a degree that greatly surpass the expected abilities of their age range’. It was subsequently included in the new Law 3699/2008 on Special Education and the Education of People with Disabilities or Special Educational Needs as Chapter A, Article 3, Paragraph 3.

The implementation of special education is based on two structures:

Diagnostic and support services

The new Law reconsiders and reorganizes the operation and services of the Directorate of Special Education. It also reconsiders the operation of the Diagnostic Assessment and Support Centres

(ΚΕDDΥ) and reorganises their framework, aiming at their functional and scientific upgrading, e.g. introducing consultancy and support services with early intervention programmes. It also:

• enacts the principle of intra-scientific evaluation of special educational needs, introducing the responsibility of composing individual reports for every pupil with the participation of parents;

• introduces the institution of annual evaluation of the KEDDY based on their annual report; • demonstrates procedures of assessment of a child’s special educational need by a

committee made up of five pedagogical experts where the participation of parents is needed; and

• enhances the participation of parents: parents are encouraged to collaborate with the educational team of the ΚΕDDΥ in organising the particular educational programme of the child, thus participating in the framework of planning special programmes of education for special school units.

Educational services

The new Law systematically describes all possibilities and conditions for learning and studying in the existing structures, offered – for free – by the state, to all pupils, at all levels of education with the following innovative measures:

• Enacting the measures of early intervention in pre-primary education. • Introducing the validation and accreditation of certificates for all levels of special education,

similar to those of the mainstream educational levels. • Validating the professional rights and certificates from the special vocational schools with

those of the mainstream system. • Extending the existing age limit of studies after the age of 22 and introducing lifelong

learning programmes for people with special needs, outside the school framework under the responsibility of the General Secretariat of Lifelong Learning.

• Enacting, for the first time, all specializations in the teachers’ profession according to categories of special need and disability and introducing new fields of specialisation.

• Determining concrete qualifications for teachers who are going to be employed in special education and enacting their scientific training and re-educational programmes with a minimum of 400 hours’ training, specialisation in autism, in sign language, Braille, giving the right to teachers with disabilities (who wish to be employed in special education) to work in special education (for a percentage of 20%).

• Facilitating the application of new individual and mainstream teaching programmes. • Developing a strategy for lifelong learning programmes for people with SEN integrated into

the framework of the general education system.

Early years education

According to the Greek legislation, pre-school aged children with SEN receive support services, medical provision, therapeutic services, etc. They also receive the support from early intervention programmes carried out by the KEDDY or by a day-care pedagogical centre.

Under the terms of the Law 2817/2000, learners with special educational needs in compulsory schooling are classified into the following six categories:

• intellectual disabilities • severe visual or hearing impairment • severe neurological or orthopaedical impairment or severe health problems • speech and communication difficulties • special learning disabilities such as dyslexia, etc. • severe cognitive, emotional and social difficulties, autism and developmental disorders.

Special education in the system of primary, secondary and technical vocational education is aimed at:

• developing the pupils’ personality; • improving their abilities and skills in order to integrate them into the mainstream school

system and enable their full integration into society; • their vocational training and their participation in productivity; and • their acceptance by society as well as their equal social development.

In order to achieve the previous aims, the state takes care of and offers the appropriate services to people with SEN until the age of 22, for all classes of primary and secondary education (Paragraphs 6, 7, Article 1).

Pupils with SEN are educated in primary and secondary educational settings. Schools are organised, staffed, supplied and supported with the appropriate ways in order to secure the necessary didactic and psycho-pedagogical support of these pupils (Paragraph 11, Article 1). Pupils with SEN may receive education in the following settings:

• Mainstream school with the co-teaching model applied by a specialised teacher • Integration classes within mainstream schools • Special schools, schools in hospitals, at home, when the pupils cannot attend any of the

previously mentioned educational settings (Paragraph 12, Article 1).

Transition period

Decrees and laws ensure vocational rehabilitation for people with disabilities and also prepare the way for the labour market to welcome people with disabilities. Some of these decrees include the following:

• Participation in work constitutes a right and is under the protection of the state. Additionally, the state applies measures from the perspective of establishing appropriate conditions for full employment joined with moral, ethical and financial support for the working agricultural and urban population (Greek Constitution, Article 22, Work, Social Security).

• Disability is not considered an impediment to employment, since the employee can satisfactorily perform their duties with the appropriate technical support (Law 2683/1999, Article 7 and Law 2839/2000, Article 3).

• The number of employees with a disability constitutes 5% of the total workforce. The procedure for their election takes place without an official competition (Law 2643/1998).

• Employers who provide work to people with disabilities are funded (Ministerial Decree 30278/23.02.2002).

• People with disabilities are funded to participate in free labour (Ministerial Decree 30278/23.02.2002).

• Opposition to the rejection of people with disabilities from the labour market is secured by Ministerial Decree 33605/15.06.1999.

• The arrangement of the working environment of people with disabilities is funded by European programmes which are integrated into general financial programmes (Ministerial Decree 30278/23.02.2000).

Financing:

Public schools are funded exclusively by the Greek State. The annual budget of the Ministry of Education provides funds to the local education authorities according to their needs. The directors of the local education authorities undertake the handling of those funds and their proper allocation to the schools. They also cover the extra costs of the educational demands of the schools in their area. In addition, special schools and integrated classes are included in the public school system and are funded by the Greek State. Students are provided with government-funded support services according to their diagnosis, assessment and Individual Education Plans. This procedure, if necessary, may start during pre-school education. The Ministry of Education funds all special schools and special educational settings. Special support services – usually founded by association of parents of children with special educational needs (SEN) or by people with disabilities – are funded by their founders, the government and European programmes.

Early years education

Families with children with SEN under four years of age can cover the expenses of all necessary support programmes via their social insurance. The Ministry of Education provides pre-school aged children with SEN (4–7 years old) with free special education, along with support services.

Compulsory schooling

The Ministry of Education has funded a number of international programmes and courses for pupils with SEN in all educational settings (mainstream and special schools). Pupils (aged 4 up to 22) with SEN receive free education, independent of what educational setting is attended, e.g. in mainstream schools, in integrated educational settings and special schools. All the appropriate support measures and services are also provided for free in schools. Appropriate support measures can be characterised as the:

planning and implementation of special programmes and didactic methods, educational material, devices and equipment and any other appropriate facilitative and ergonomic arrangement.

Appropriate support services are:

diagnosis of special educational needs, assessment, pedagogical, social and psychological support, physiotherapy, speech therapy, counselling, transportation, measures or services which had the orientation of equality regarding people with special needs (Paragraph 1, Article 1, Law 2817/2000).

Transition period

People with disabilities are funded by social welfare services during their transition period. The government also aims to finance employers that offer full- or part-time jobs to people with disabilities. Co-financing by the Greek Government and the European Union gives people with disabilities the economic basis to develop their entrepreneurial skills.

Identification of special educational needs:

According to the Law 2817/2000, pupils with special educational needs include:

• Pupils with intellectual disabilities • Pupils with severe visual or hearing impairment • Pupils with severe neurological or orthopaedical impairment or with severe health problems • Pupils with speech and communication difficulties • Pupils with special learning disabilities such as dyslexia, etc. • Pupils with severe cognitive, emotional and social difficulties, autism and developmental

disorders.

The population of people with special educational needs also includes infants, children and adolescents who do not belong in one of the above-mentioned categories but do need a special educational approach and care for some period of time or throughout their schooling (Paragraphs 2 and 3, Article 1, Law 2817/2000).The tools used for detecting and evaluating students’ special educational needs are considered to be valid when they are approved by the Ministry of Education.

Early years education

Doctors or other health services, beginning at the prime age of the child, identify the most severe congenital disabilities. Special services advise families that they should participate in early intervention programmes when there is a need and any available means. However, early intervention is not compulsory in Greece. When a family shows interest in participating in such a programme, special services work out appropriate assessments and find a suitable early intervention programme for the child.

Compulsory schooling

Pupils with special educational needs are usually identified during pre-school education or during the first primary school years by the child’s parents or teachers. Additionally, in order for students with special educational needs to be identified as early as possible, the local Diagnostic Assessment and Support Centres implement a screening test system on the entire student population at the beginning of each school year. Following the above identification, students with special educational needs are assessed by the Diagnostic Assessment and Support Centres and are placed in the appropriate school setting based on the assessment. Specialists from the Diagnostic Assessment and Support Centres, in co-operation with the special education advisor and the student’s teacher, design the Individualised Educational Programme and foresee its implementation as well as the re-evaluation of the pupil. According to the Individualised Educational Programme, appropriate technical aids and educational materials can be provided for the education of the pupil.

Professionals working with the pupils and the psychologists of Diagnostic Assessment and Support Centres can provide counselling and support for families.

Transition period

During the transition period, experts primarily assess the individual transition programme and not the pupil’s special educational needs, which have already been assessed during previous educational phases.

System of special needs education within the education system:

Development of inclusion

The special education legislation clearly involves the integration of all pupils with special educational needs into mainstream schools. This is embodied in a number of measures and directives. The establishment of local Diagnostic Assessment and Support Centres, the provision of Individual Education Plans (IEPs), the establishment of integration classrooms and peripatetic services are part of the mainstream policy. According to Law 2817/2000, special education is provided from 4 to 22 years old, mainly in mainstream schools. The first choice of placement for pupils with special educational needs, according to this law, is in regular classes with support from a peripatetic teacher from the Diagnostic Assessment and Support Centres. Pupils can also be placed in integration classes, but they receive most of their education in the mainstream class. The whole integration process of a student with special educational needs (SEN) is a result of collaboration between Diagnostic Assessment and Support Centres, mainstream schools and families. The components of this process consist of the students’ IEP, the appropriate services, and counselling and means that help and support successful integration of the student. Integration and inclusive education of people with SEN is completed through vocational training programmes, which are drawn up according to pupils’ abilities and needs and aim at their vocational rehabilitation.

Current system

Special education is part of mainstream education. Special programmes are established at different educational levels, in order to provide the appropriate education and vocational training to people with SEN. Different special programmes and units are provided for people with different SEN. However, the official policy and the main objective is the integration of SEN pupils in the mainstream schools. People with SEN aged from 4 to 22 can attend regular or special nursery, primary, lower-secondary, upper-secondary, technical high schools and special vocational training schools, according to their age, their abilities and their SEN. The Diagnostic Assessment and Support Centres provide services to people with special needs and their families. These Centres provide their services to special and mainstream schools, in order to support the people with special educational needs and provide early intervention and appropriate educational services or support to children attending inclusive settings. In addition, the Medical Pedagogical Centres of the Ministry of National Health and Social Welfare provide diagnostic and support services to children who need them. In order to provide full support to people with special educational needs, the Ministry of Education co-operates with the Ministry of National Health and Social Welfare, the Ministry of Labour, the General Administration of Youth, the Prefecture Committees for Adult Education, the Local Administration organisations and the Church. The aim is to implement a common policy towards appropriate services for people with SEN and their families, as well as the most efficient

education, vocational training and rehabilitation. The Ministry is also aligned and collaborates with the Greek Disability Forum and parents’ associations.

Early years

Doctors or other health services, from the prime age of the child, identify the most severe congenital disabilities. Early intervention can help to overcome problems or confront difficulties. However, few services can provide early intervention programmes in Greece, such as sectors of paediatrician hospitals, day-care counselling centres and Diagnostic Assessment and Support Centres. Children and families have the chance to attend these programmes and the latter group receive training in order to co-operate and effectively deal with the new circumstances. The number of services for early intervention programmes is small in Greece, even though new services, such as the Diagnostic Assessment and Support Centres, also offer early intervention programmes.

One of the main concerns of the Ministry of Education is the inclusion of pre-school children with special educational needs in mainstream schools. The majority of pupils with special educational needs attend the mainstream kindergartens with the appropriate support mentioned in their IEP.

Inclusive settings in mainstream kindergartens

In some cases, pupils with SEN attend an inclusive educational class for a few hours or days per week. Inclusive settings operate in mainstream kindergartens, aiming to support and educate pupils by all means.

Special kindergartens

There are pre-school children with SEN who cannot follow mainstream school or inclusive settings, and as a result they take lessons in special kindergartens. The number of special kindergarten and inclusion settings is not constant because it depends purely on the necessities at any given time.

Compulsory schooling

According to Law 2817/2000 and Ministerial Decree G6 102357/2002, pupils with SEN mainly receive education in mainstream schools. Hence, the inclusion of those pupils operates in two different ways:

1. Inclusion of students with SEN in mainstream schools at primary, secondary or vocational educational level

Diagnostic Assessment and Support Centres suggest that inclusion, which takes place in mainstream schools, should be preferred when:

• pupils with SEN do not face very severe difficulties and they can follow the curriculum of the school providing they receive assistance from a special education teacher according to a set of pre-arranged visits; or

• pupils live in an area where there is not a special education setting (special school or inclusion settings). Under this circumstance a special education teacher is always in the school.

Attendance of a mainstream school by pupils with SEN is accompanied by the following modifications:

• Adaptation of the teaching methods according to the pupil’s IEP, which comes from the Diagnostic Assessment and Support Centres. This adaptation is a product of co-operation among special education teachers, mainstream teachers and the advisors of special and general education.

• Periodical or permanent support provided by a special education teacher, appointed by the Diagnostic Assessment and Support Centres, in co-operation with the advisor of special education.

Special education educators or other members of the specialised staff of the Diagnostic Assessment and Support Centres are responsible for the duration, the methods and the means of support. Overall responsibility for the successful operation of the applied programmes lies with the Diagnostic Assessment and Support Centre in co-operation with the advisor of special and general education.

2. Inclusive classes in mainstream schools at primary, secondary or vocational educational level

The Diagnostic Assessment and Support Centres suggest that pupils with SEN attend inclusive classes in primary, secondary, vocational education when:

• pupils have SEN and they need a systematic support for a few hours per day or per week from a special education teacher in order to follow the curriculum of their school; or

• there are more than three pupils with SEN in a school.

The educational programmes, which are implemented in the inclusive classes, are according to the pupil’s IEP. Pupils receive individualised education or team teaching in particular classrooms according to a pre-arranged programme. The purpose of these sessions is to support the student so that they will achieve continuity and a direct link with the educational level curriculum. The total number of hours a student can take in an inclusive class is not more than ten hours. However, under special circumstances some pupils may receive lessons for more than ten hours. An indispensable presupposition for the previous case is the suggestion of the Diagnostic Assessment and Support Centres.

Attendance of inclusion classes by pupils with SEN involves the following:

• adapting the teaching methods according to the pupil’s IEP; • teaching a set of courses in the inclusion class performed by a special education teacher; and • attending lessons in the mainstream class with the support of a special education teacher.

In this situation, a special education teacher supports the pupils one by one in the mainstream class and at the same time facilitates mutual interaction between the students, assists them, maintains a discreet presence in the classroom, participates in the activities of the class and also encourages pupils to participate in events during breaks and school activities (Ministerial Decree G6 10235/2002).

Special education schools

The Diagnostic Assessment and Support Centre makes proposals for the education of a pupil with SEN at primary or secondary level, provided that a diagnosis assessment has been carried out and the pupil’s parents are in agreement. The pupil attends primary or secondary school in one of the following cases:

• when their special needs are considered to be particularly serious and consequently need special assistance provided by educators and specialists within special schools and with the appropriate infrastructure; or

• when they seem to benefit from the special school setting.

The students participate in special educational programmes adapted to their needs that are carried out by specially trained educators. This programme is constituted by the Diagnostic Assessment and Support Centres and is in accordance with the students’ IEP.

The students also participate in socialization programmes and, if necessary, they are encouraged to participate in full integration programmes or to move on to another level of special education. Students’ integration and classification in the appropriate educational settings depend on the assessment conducted by the Diagnostic Assessment and Support Centre.

The structure of students’ schooling and graduation from a specific level of education is organized so as to ensure the continuation of the student’s IEP to the next level of their studies (high schools, lyceum, college, polytechnic schools, etc.). This procedure aims to provide integrated and appropriate programmes of education for students with SEN.

Quality indicators for special needs education

The rights of children with special educational needs are outlined in Law 2817/2000 and are guaranteed by Presidential Decrees and Ministerial Acts. People with SEN have the right to free diagnosis, evaluation and education according to their individualized education programmes based on their special needs. All necessary support is provided to people with SEN in order to facilitate their entry to higher education, as well as their appropriate vocational training and rehabilitation programmes. The Greek State has established a system of services that operates in such a way as to achieve successful inclusion, in order to ensure high-quality provision for special education. The description of the system can be summarized as follows:

• Free public education for all students with SEN • Free services for diagnosis, assessment, counselling and facilitating procedures, such as

Greek sign language interpreting, Braille courses, etc. • Provision of support services for mainstream settings • On-going programmes which support early intervention • In-service training for teachers, practitioners, educationalists, social workers, psychologists,

etc.

Teacher training - basic and specialist teacher training:

Nursery and primary school teachers complete a four-year university degree in universities’ departments of education. Secondary education teachers complete a four-year university degree according to their discipline. Special education teachers who work in the area of primary education are graduates of the university departments of education. Having taught in mainstream schools for

a minimum of five years, they complete a two-year in-service training programme in special education. Many of them have also postgraduate degrees in special education. Special education teachers who work in secondary education are university graduates of different subject areas. Some of them also have a postgraduate degree in special education. Most primary and secondary teachers working with pupils with special educational needs have attended several training seminars in special education, which are regularly organized by universities or the Ministry of Education.

The main special education provider is University of Thessaly/Department of special education. The Department of Special Education (SED) was founded in 1993 and started its operation in September 1998. It is part of the School of Humanities of the University of Thessaly and is located at the city of Volos, Greece.

SED is the only public university department in Greece fully specialized in Special Education.

SED’s main mission is to educate special teachers for pre-school and primary education, as well as advance research and development in special education. SED’s program of studies offers specialization in the education of the following categories of people with special needs:

• students with learning disabilities • hard of hearing and deaf students • students with visual impairments • students with intellectual disability • students with autism spectrum disorders

Italy

As the coordinator of the project Italy decided to organize a conference with a special needs teacher expert

in sign language. The reason was because at the beginning of the project partners decided to focus mainly

on this idea of special needs. Deaf people seems to be a great reality in the panorama of European

community. So, Italy decided to walk differ paths to find out a world that was a mystery for all the partners,

because except the Italian colleague prof. Lucia Tabacco, no one was expert in special needs. So, the following

report is made in first person just to make it easy to be told in a foreign language.

The job was to inform about the Italian situation in inclusion and special needs. So, we asked to a teacher

who has been involved in special needs teaching for years to give us information about the laws and the

situation in Italian schools. We discovered that even if the laws has created a perfect situation for those

students so to make them feel active part of the classroom, sometimes the problems linked to economy, in

schools and at the Ministry level, makes things a little more complicated. Cuts in funding in the last years has

made the number of students per class raise, and the number of teachers go down. So students, sometimes

have very few hours with a teacher and even if they are inside the class, sometimes the conditions of work

are not optimal. The results of the interview with our colleagues is a PPt you can find at this link:

http://ka2sevencountries.altervista.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/INTEGRAZIONE-SCOLASTICA-NORMATIVA.pptx

Then another important source for information was the website of the European Agency for Special needs

Education, where all the facts about laws and future development can be found

https://www.european-agency.org/country-information/italy

After having made our research on the web and talked with many teachers about this problem, we realized

that inclusion is a strong theme with is interesting all the word of school in Europe. During our meeting in

Italy (10-16 March 2018) we organized two moments to face this interesting theme: the first one was to

have a general talk about inclusion in each country of the project, following what was made in Macedonia

during a conference about conflicts in the classroom

(The workshop on “Resolving conflicts through creating inclusive learning environments”, was held on

November 8th, 20017 in the premises of the Gimnazija “Goce Delcev”, Kumanovo.

The topics of the workshop were: understanding and analysis of conflict, models of behaviour in conflict,

cultural aspects of values, intercultural learning, as well as reflection and ways of conflict transformation.

Trainers:

Mrs. Albulena Karaga

Mr. Boro Kitanoski)

And all the partners expressed the situation about special needs in their country. I am adding a document

realized by Holland, Austria and Belgium about the workshop in Italy

INCLUSION

PARTICIPANTS :

Austria – Belgium – The Netherlands

INTRODUCTION

We sat together to talk about inclusion. After a brief discussion we realised that it was necessary to

define the word inclusion. It was not used the same way in every country.

WHAT IS INCLUSION?

Austria: you teach to every student in the same classroom, disabled or not.

Belgium: you integrate the student with special needs in your class and give him/her the tools

he/she needs

The Netherlands: same as Belgium

EUROPEAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

Austria

Belgium

The Netherlands

ORIENTATION WE TEACH IN AND AGE OF THE STUDENST

Austria: 13-14 year – Neue Mittelschule

Belgium: 12-18 year – general and technical theoretical orientation(ASO-TSO)

The Netherlands: 12-18 – general and vocational orientation (VMBO/HAVO/VWO)

WHAT ARE WE DOING IN OUR SCHOOL?

Austria: special need teacher is in the class with another teacher. They include every child whatever

their needs are. (claudia)

Belgium: we include /integrate the special need students and offer them the tools they need. We

also use Bednet, home teaching and have students with ASS, ADHD, dysphasia, dyslexia , imperfect

eyesight, impaired hearing..

Special need teachers can follow the lessons and they give the teacher feedback.

Our law says that parents can ask the school to include any child with disabilities. At that point we

have to give them an individual trajectory. They will not obtain the same diploma as the others but

a certificate at the end of the trajectory.

The Netherlands: (Ursula )

CONCLUSION

We agreed that this kind of teaching is possible if we get the proper tools from the government.

There must be at least two teachers in one classroom. We will need extra teachers and finances to

make this work.

I think what is worth to notice is the conclusion: we all agreed in the importance of inclusion but also

we agreed on a stronger support from the institutions.

On Tuesday, 13th, we had the meeting with professor Rolando Porretta, a communication mediator

expert in sign language.

He explained us (in Italian unfortunately but we translated for all the partners) the history in Italy,

with lapses of Europe and America, of the sign language: the struggle for being recognized because

deaf people are not so evident as “disability bearer”, the struggle for possibilities in schools and so

on. We were taught about the Italian sign language alphabet and to end the lesson we tried to

“speak” in Italian using sign language.

We had positive feedback for this activity and we developed an idea that I will try to draw in these

pages but it needs time to develop.

The idea, talking with our expert, was linked to CLIM as inclusive and cooperative methodology, and

the possibility to use sign language even as the first approach to communication with the huge

mass of people reaching our countries, escaping from their problematic places.

To us, sign language seems to have the potential to be a short path to start a form of

communication in different conditions of language. For us, this activity will end with a video where

students will tell a poem against the war by the Italia n poet Rodari, translated into the Italian sign

language and translated in English. This video will be part of another video requested by the project

as a visual output.

sounds and sign language

http://www.ninjamarketing.it/2018/02/27/signall-linguaggio-segni-startup-ungherese/

Macedonian sign Language (one hand)

Macedonia Alphabet

https://youtu.be/vPp6Hdy7qIw

Italian Sign language alphabet

LIS alphabet

https://youtu.be/_EvFa1v2yjo

Austrian Sign Language

https://youtu.be/vp2RoNcX4Ik

The Netherlands

https://youtu.be/qK2LElSqd_0

The Spanish Sign Language

https://youtu.be/FMsZCzEVzS4

Greece Sign Language

https://youtu.be/n9I8PmoOfcA

Belgium

https://youtu.be/nTc4fHsEk8s

Conclusions

Where did we get after this partners’ work? What kind of answers did we find? And what kind of future steps

could be taken in this field?

We are not psychologists or doctors or experts in this specific field of teachings, but we are teachers, and our

main goal as teachers is to make every student to be accepted and included. Every soul in our classroom is

part of a community whose future role will be to avoid all the mistakes of the past. No child must feel the

terrible sensation of being secluded among other children, no child must ask to himself why I am different;

no child from every part of the world coming in our countries must feel a stranger, a foreigner is ok, but not

stranger and isolated.

School has the heavy duty to create citizens of the world, with all our cultural differences, with all our

physical differences, with all our different potential and possibilities; school mand teachers can be the key to

solve those problems that are destroying our community as humans. The fear of the “different” can only

bring bad behaviour and bad consequences to our countries. Italy and Greece are the landing hope for

thousand of people escaping their countries because of the war or dictatorship, and it is our duty to welcome

them.

We need to remember our grandparents immigrating to other countries and we must remember their

sufferings, no different from those of the immigrant people today. And we need, all partners of this project,

what special needs people suffered under the dictatorship of last century, considered a problem for a perfect

and strong society of pure humans, and so they had to be sent into mental hospitals or worse places.

Inclusion needs to become the keyword of teaching in next future and we hope that with our job we have

given a help to this. Our activities in our school have shown a good relationship and interest in this problem

in all countries part of the project, and the videos about sign language and inclusive lessons give a clear idea

of our efforts. Of course, schools cannot be left alone: we need investments, trainings and structures and we

need also a great effort of cooperation among different actors, teachers, governments, parents, always

remembering who the true protagonists of the show are: our students.

Please go to this link and enjoy it

https://youtu.be/7iwef74-iII

https://youtu.be/WuuUjXy1pWo

https://www.facebook.com/Rai2ufficiale/videos/1471723252842232/

https://youtu.be/0OE08GR1K3U

https://youtu.be/uEctFujvjHU

Appendix

One interesting idea about this output was born during our weekly chat on Whatsup. The idea was to find

seven questions to be answered by the partners in order to find if this field of educations was

characterized by strong differences in our counties.

The questions are the following:

1. Do you have special schools for training SNs teachers?

2. Are they trained for general special needs or they are expert in one field of the special needs?

3. Do students with SNs study all the subjects of the national curriculum?

4. In your country are there special needs schools for special needs students or they can attend any

kind of school?

5. Are special needs students accepted in universities?

6. Are they evaluated as the other students or not? If yes how?

7. Can they become teachers?

Now, what is interesting from the analysis of the answers is that in all countries SNs students are

accepted in ordinary schools, with individual education plans or with the necessary revision of the

National Curriculum in order to give them the possibility to attend schools without being isolated.

If the disability is too hard and doesn’t allow the students to follow normal plan the school is in charge

to find all the possibilities to make adjustments or in the end the students will have a certificate of

frequency but not a diploma. Another interesting point is the possibility given to parents to accept or

not what the school is doing and after evidences, they can decide to change school. Some counties

refer of special schools where severe disabilities are taken into care.

All countries seem to have national plans to train teachers and to support them in their job, but in the

same time all partners refer that economic support is an important part always reducing in years, and

this could represent a problem in the future.

The answers to the questions seem to suggest the idea that many countries have special schools for

SNs students. I have searched the same information in Italy and I found that the only one we have are

for deaf and blind people, at least looking at the list given by our ministry of Education.

As far as the kind of evaluation for these students the result is more or less the same in every country:

if they need to be evaluated they can be helped with extra time or different format for tests. The same

is for universities: they can go to university and study what they want. It is obvious that a blind student

is not going to work as a surgeon but whatever his disability permits to study.

Other references can be found along the text according to the need. It was a choice not to quote any time

because a lot was the result of practical experiences into our classroom.

Web references

https://www.sensepublishers.com/media/503-inclusive-education-in-italy.pd

https://www.european-agency.org/country-information/italy

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08856257.2015.1060075?journalCode=rejs20

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1875067214000194

https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/article/16/3/285/469874

http://www.cesi.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/121024_11_weber_harald.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Agency_for_Special_Needs_and_Inclusive_Education

sounds and sign language

http://www.ninjamarketing.it/2018/02/27/signall-linguaggio-segni-startup-ungherese/

A contribution from Belgium : ICT as an inclusion tool

speech: ICT as an inclusion tool

Text-to-speech (TTS) is an assistive technology that reads digital text aloud. It’s sometimes called “read

aloud” technology.

Print materials in the classroom, like books and handouts, can create obstacles for kids with reading issues.

That’s because some kids struggle with decoding and understanding printed words on the page.

With a click of a button or the touch of a finger, TTS can take words on a computer or other digital device

and convert them into audio. TTS is very helpful for kids who struggle with reading. But it can also help kids

with writing and editing, and even focusing.

A reading disorder is characterized by trouble with reading despite normal intelligence. Different people

are affected to varying degrees. Problems may include difficulties in spelling words, reading quickly, writing

words, "sounding out" words in the head, pronouncing words when reading aloud and understanding what

one reads. Often these difficulties are first noticed at school.

As a school, we think it’s important to support these students. We want to support them with some

exceptions, but also on a technical level.

We’ve tested several TTS options:

- Kurzweil

- Sprint

- iPad

- …

Taking several parameters (vision, community, learning curve, environment, team, measurability, financial

durability, …) into account, and know all our students will be bringing an iPad as a digital learning device to

our school, we’ve ruled the iPad option as the most durable and payable option for our school.

This was

before

the

Belgian

government made funds available to make reading software freely available for those who need it.

However, since both options will be available, we’ll support them both in our school.

On the last page of this document you can also find a step-by-step guide on how to go from paper to

speech.

A video is available here: https://www.youtube.com/embed/H7G9T7UWZNI

Text-to-speech: Step-by-step

1. Scan the document using ScanSnap (manager)

The paper needs to be put in the scanner, tekst down and upside-down

2. Make sure the following options are set:

- scan to pdf

- searchable pdf

- all page

- language: English needs to be set if your specific character set is not available

3. Choose simplex or duplex scan

4. Wait until the scanning and the conversion are finished

5. Close the program

6. Open Google drive

7. Upload the document to your drive

8. On your iPad, go to settings > General > Accessibility > Speech

9. Enable Speak selection

10. Enable Speak Screen

11. Enable Highlight content

12. If you want, you can select the voice for the languages you want to use

13. Op the Google Drive App

14. Select your document

15. Select open in iBooks

16. Open the document in iBooks

17. Select the text you want to hear

18. When selected, push Speak

19. The iPad recognizes the language and will read the text

20. You can also swipe with 2 fingers from the top of the screen, to activate the screen reader

21. This works with all selectable texts, e.g.: websites, books, documents, emails, …

https://www.youtube.com/embed/H7G9T7UWZNI