Integration of Children with Special Needs in Educational Institutions

Project duration: 29 September 2001–22 July 2002

Project funder:

Foundation for Educational Change, Lithuania

Project coordinator: Šiuolaikinių didaktikų centras

PROJECT RELEVANCE

Recently, there has been increasing discussion about the integration of children with special needs into educational institutions. However, today’s schools and teachers are often not yet prepared for the full integration process. There is a lack of theoretical knowledge and specific working methods. The aim of this project is not only to provide theoretical knowledge, specific methodologies, and strategies, but also to help teachers and social pedagogues participating in the project to create and test a specific action plan.

PROJECT AIM

To warrant an integration of children with special needs into education institutions.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

To organize a training session for subject teachers, social pedagogues, special pedagogues, psychologists, speech specialists.
To present for project participants theory and methodology of work with special needs children, to analyse peculiarities of communication with these children, to present strategies of common problem solving.
To develop and to test action plans for work with special needs children.

PROJECT TARGET GROUPS

Two groups of teachers participated in the project – 60 subject teachers, social pedagogues, special pedagogues, psychologists and speech specialists. They represented 43 schools of different level – pre-primary, primary, basic, secondary, special schools and gymnasiums, from different regions of Lithuania.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

During the project three 2 days seminars and the final conference were organized.

The Ist seminar. 15–16, 22–23 November 2001
Topics of the seminar: Preparation of a teacher to work with particular child. Preparation of pupils and their parents. Preparation of class for integration of child with special needs. Ways and methods for cognition of pupils. Trying of different ways of introduction. Group work organization. Methods of group work. Specific methods of group work helping to master a teaching subject content. Importance of cooperation and communication for the integration or children with special needs.

The IInd seminar. 10–11, 17–18 January 2002
Topics of the seminar:
Methods of active learning. Educational games. Games for social skills development. Testing of specific game methods.

The IIIrd seminar. 7–8, 14–15 March 2002
Topics of the seminar:
Methods of work with parents. A method of active meeting. Writing of letters. Strategies of organizing events rallying a class community. Methods of evaluation and self evaluation. Preparation of portfolio. Collection of social data.

The final conference. 10 May 2002
Analysis of collected social data. Evaluation of effectiveness of different methodologies. Preparation of methodical recommendations for teachers working with special needs children.

PROJECT RESULTS

Project participants acquired knowledge and practical skills of the work with special needs children and will be able to share the experience with their colleagues.
Teachers, participated in the project, developed, tested and evaluated concrete action plans for a work with special needs children. They also developed individual models of special needs children integration into school.
During the final conference participants made presentations, shared their experience, discussed peculiarities of special needs children integration.
On the basis of seminar materials and materials collected and tested by project participants a methodical Guidebook was prepared for teachers working with special needs children.