Papers by Marinela Scepanovic
Inclusive Pedagogy in Contemporary Education, 2023
Inclusive education needs constant support for its development and improvement. It is a long and ... more Inclusive education needs constant support for its development and improvement. It is a long and demanding process that requires many changes, both in society and its attitude toward the rights and needs of all children to education, as well as in the management of the education system, which certainly implies the provision of various forms of support for inclusive education. From the position of an approach based on human rights, requirements move in the direction of the complete derogation of all segregated environments for children with disabilities; such attitudes are not emphasized on positive experiences in segregation (separate and stimulating education of the gifted, for example). We cannot ignore the need for children with different abilities for additional educational support. But is it reasonable to expect that teachers can respond to all the challenges that inclusive education sets before them in the context of the requirement to adapt the approach to the needs of each child? In polemic, we discuss the power and weakness of mainstream schools to respond to the requirements of the modern concept of inclusive education for all children and the need to keep professional individual educational support services for children who need them.
Postupci U Korektivnom Defektološkom Radu
VI međunarodna naučno-stručna konferencija Unapređenje kvalitete života djece i mladi
The Decade of Inclusive Educational System in the Republic of Serbia
„Inclusion is a process that helps overcome barriers limiting the presence, participation and ach... more „Inclusion is a process that helps overcome barriers limiting the presence, participation and achievement of learners“ (UNESCO, 2017, p.13). Students with disabilities in the Republic of Serbia have been educated for decades in special schools, in separate conditions of special education that has a good and developed theory and practice in our country. But in the world and the country in the previous and 21st century, an inclusive movement and demands for respect for the right of every child to quality education have grown (European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education – EASNIE, 2017; UNESCO Education 2030 Framework for Action, 2015; The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2006; The Dakar Framework for Action, 2000; The Salamanca Statement as the product of The World Conference on Special Needs Education, 1994, and earlier). These trends and advocacy of the rights and initiatives of the NGO sector and the professional public for inclusion caused 2009 the adoption of a new national law on education in Serbia (Law on the Fundamentals of the Education System, 2009). The new law introduced an inclusive concept of education by allowing every child, without exception, to enroll in a school near their place of residence, as opposed to the previous practice of enrolling children with some kind of disability exclusively in special schools. Although inclusive education was not mentioned under that name in the law, it has begun with its adoption. The change in the law caused a change in educational practices as well. All schools had to quickly prepare for the admission and education of students with disabilities - teachers and associates had to improve their knowledge, and schools had to adapt their working conditions. On the other hand, the earlier special schools that educated children with one special type of developmental disability became educational centers for working with children with all types of developmental disabilities and centers for support of inclusive education in other general schools. Such rapid changes in the education system have caused the long-term development and improvement of school-inclusive practice. After ten years of implementing inclusive education, research shows that inclusive education in the Republic of Serbia is still facing significant challenges and that it still needs to be improved (Šćepanović & Kalinić, 2018; Dimoski & Grbović, 2016; Ilić-Stošović, Odović, Nikolić & Lazović, 2016; Kaljača, 2016; Nišević, Nikolić & Ilić-Stošović, 2016; Popović, 2016; Šćepanović, 2016; Nikolić, Ilić-Stošović, & Banović, 2015). Our research that shows the situation and needs in schools related to the inclusion of students with disabilities was conducted in 2019 and 2020. The research consisted of two parts: a review and analysis of relevant scientific and professional literature and the conduct of empirical pedagogical research. The research was conducted within the approved doctoral dissertation project at the University of Belgrade entitled "Inclusive school and students with disabilities" (Šćepanović, 2019). The literature review included relevant world and domestic scientific research on the theory and practice of inclusive education, regulations, manuals, and other guidelines in this field published in the previous ten years and included more than 200 references. The empirical research was conducted from November 2019 to February 2020 on a sample of 234 respondents - employed in an inclusive education system - who work with students with disabilities. The respondents were of different specialties - teachers, professional associates, pedagogues, psychologists, therapists, personal assistants, and special educators. Respondents were examined with four assessment scales: 1) Questionnaire on basic data (created for this purpose); 2) Scale for assessing the attitude of teachers towards inclusive education - Teacher Attitudes Towards Inclusive Education (Kern, 2006); 3) Questionnaire on the needs and possibilities of identification, needs assessment and support to students in an inclusive school (created for this purpose); 4) Index for Inclusion Questionnaire (Booth & Ainscow, 2002). The research findings show that the school's inclusiveness depends on developing the relationship, experience, and competence of teachers and other staff to work with students with disabilities. Teachers need professional development regarding the identification, needs assessment, and educational support for students with disabilities in primary school because they do not acquire this knowledge during their studies. Improving the school's inclusiveness will contribute to establishing a comprehensive and lifelong system of support for the development and advancement of children, youth, and adults with disabilities in the Republic of Serbia. The results of our research contribute to understanding the course of development of the…
EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN: EDUCATION AND TREATMENT Call for Papers
Protektivni Faktori Poremećaja Ponašanja U Domenu Porodice
Sažetak Ciljevi ovog rada su da se utvrdi prisutnost protektivnih faktora poremećaja ponašanja u ... more Sažetak Ciljevi ovog rada su da se utvrdi prisutnost protektivnih faktora poremećaja ponašanja u domenu porodice, kao i da se utvrdi njihova povezanost sa prosocijalnim ponašanjem ispitanika. Istraživanje je sprovedeno u aprilu 2013. godine na uzorku od 120 učenika sedmog i osmog razreda OŠ " Branko Radičević " i prvog razreda Gimnazije " Veljko Petrović ". Za potrebe ovog istraživanja konstruisan je Upitnik za procenu socijalnih protektivnih faktora. Istraživanjem je utvrđena prisutnost protektivnih faktora u domenu porodice kod većine ispitanika, kao i njihova povezanost sa prosocijalnim ponašanjem. Najveću povezanost sa prosocijalnim ponašanjem ima subskala Roditeljske sankcije (r=.595, p< .01) i Porodična kontrola (r=.559, p< .01). Statistički značajna razlika u odgovorima između ispitanika muškog i ženskog pola nije utvrđena, dok kod ispitanika koji pohađaju osnovnu ili srednju školu statistički značajna razlika pronađena je samo kod subskale Roditeljs...
II International Scientific Conference Special Education and Rehabilitation - Cerebral Palsy, Book of Proceedings and Summaries, 2012
Reviewing the literature we have revealed that there were gaps in research of everyday activities... more Reviewing the literature we have revealed that there were gaps in research of everyday activities of persons with impairments in institutions of social care. It is often assumed that if a person is accommodated an institution of social care has all the necessary support and that there are no major obstacles in everyday activities with a given support. Therefore, we believe that this subject was not even studied. The research that was conducted for the purpose of this paper gave us the overall picture of everyday activities of persons with physical disabilities in social care institutions. The main objective of this study was to determine the possibility of performing everyday activities, including participation in special activities organized by the institution, and thus find the indication for somatopedic treatment for persons with cerebral palsy, quadriplegia and paraplegia, multiple sclerosis and muscular dystrophy that are in institutionalized. Lidija Ivanovic et all. 292 Method-For purposes of this study, we have used the descriptive method. Methods of collecting data were: documentation, analysis and individual assessment-testing. Assessment instruments-Test everyday activities (Rusk, 1971) and a Questionnaire for assessing the intensity of needed psychosocial support (Nedovic, Odovic, & Rapaic, 2010). The results show that users included in this research are heterogeneous group regarding the success at the test of everyday activities and level of needed psychosocial support and that they take very little part in programs provided by the institutions and that there is a need for somatopedic treatment.
Training for Holding a Pen, and Hand-Writing: Conditions and Risks
Conference keynote presentation
Support programs for parents of children with disabilities
Sinteze
Specifičnosti Psihodijagnostike I Tretmana Hiperkinetičkog Poremećaja
Specifičnosti Psihodijagnostike I Tretmana Hiperkinetičkog Poremećaja
Collection of papers, 5th international conference 2019 “Modern challenges in teaching”, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2019
Writing is a complex skill that requires special approach and training which is carried out at sc... more Writing is a complex skill that requires special approach and training which is carried out at school. From an early age, in kindergarten, children are taught to hold pens and crayons. Mastery of handwriting is still the primary content of education and upbringing of children and students in our country and the world, although we are in the digital development era where handwriting is being put in the second plan. Handwriting is considered to be the most difficult academic skill that children need to master by the end of the first grade, or by the age of seven. That is why training in pen holding begins at an early age, back in kindergarten. The prescribed rules for teaching children initial writing, are mostly directed to mastering a skill that will produce a satisfactory product-the correct, fluent required record written in legible handwriting. Researchers have shown that the conditions under which children are trained to hold pens and to write themselves are under-considered and under-appreciated; failure to meet important conditions can lead to bad habits that can later lead to body deformities. We present the characteristic undesirable postures of the body and pencil gripping which are results of un-appropriate learning and training in writing and the consequences of writing itself under adverse conditions. The methodology of initial writing training must be enriched with content in the fields of functional anatomy, (bio) mechanics, kinesiology and ergonomics. Also, these new content and methodological knowledge are necessary to impart to all educators within the framework of initial education and through the professional development of employees in educational institutions. The most important thing is to emphasize the importance of teaching children to write the letters in the correct and natural way, as opposed to the current practice of learning to write only the correct letters, neglecting how they do it and with what risks they do it.
Talent Education, Book of papers V international scientific conference (pp. 102–105), Portorož (Slovenia), 2019
The aim of the paper is to analyze the experience of teachers in working with gifted students in ... more The aim of the paper is to analyze the experience of teachers in working with gifted students in the Republic of Serbia. Equitable or inclusive education is a process that helps overcoming barriers that limit the attendance, learning, and achievement of all students, and thus gifted students. According to researchers' findings, the success of such education depends on several factors, including the experience of teachers working with different groups of students and students with different abilities. The research was carried out by interviewing teachers about experiences in working with gifted students. For the purpose of the research, a Questionnaire for Teachers on working with gifted students was constructed, which consisted of two parts: socio-demographic data, and part of the questionnaires on the experiences, competencies, and work of teachers with gifted students. The sample of respondents were teachers from the ten selected schools in Serbia (N = 208). The questionnaire was created in the Google forms and distributed in March this year in the electronic form to the email address of the respondents. 59.6% of respondents answered that they believe that there are no gifted students in their classroom; in those classes where teachers consider that there are gifted students, their presence is on average for 2.47 gifted students per class. Most examined teachers did not work with gifted students in the past ten years (82.7%). Even 199 (95.7%) of respondents never participated in the development of an individual education plan three (IOP3) for students with exceptional abilities. Most respondents (97.1%) testify that no student from their class has so far been educated with acceleration. To the direct question "Do you think that you have enough experience working with gifted students?" of the most questioned teachers, 166 of them (79.8%) answered that they have not enough experience. The results of the survey show that teachers have insufficient experience in working with gifted students because gifted students are noticed and recognized in a small number; it is, therefore, necessary to provide more opportunities for the training of teachers on detecting, identifying and working with gifted students, the qualities of gifted students and their needs for special support in education, in order for teachers to recognize gifted students and provide them with adequate educational support. Teachers did not acquire enough of this kind of knowledge either through their studies, or through training during their work, and because of that, they could not have gained experience in working with gifted students.
Keywords: experience, gifted pupils, teachers, identification, training.
5th International conference „Transformation Towards Sustainable and Resilient Society for Persons With Disabilities“ Conference proceedings (pp. 271 – 284), Ohrid, Macedonia, 2018
The purpose of this paper is to examine the present situation about inclusive
education in Serbia... more The purpose of this paper is to examine the present situation about inclusive
education in Serbia after nine years of implementation, based on the
opinions of the practitioners. We created the questionnaire for professionals;
inquiring was conducted this year, by email. From the study results, we
conclude that process of inclusive education in our country is still at the
beginning and in an unsatisfactory phase, with no visible or expected steps
for the improvement of this complex and important process. The state has
to recognize this critical moment and to take care of it, as soon as possible.
Keywords: inclusive education, professionals, educational plans, special educators,
children’s well-being.
Inclusive Theory and Practice - International Thematic Collection of Papers, pp. 118-125., 2016
This paper aims to analyze possibilities and ways of minimizing barriers to participation and lea... more This paper aims to analyze possibilities and ways of minimizing barriers to participation and learning of all students in school. Inclusion means some different aspects of the same process related to joining and linking up persons with disabilities with the rest of society or, at the other side, on ensuring the environment in which they can be equally successful such as other persons can be in common conditions.
Inclusive education primarily belongs to the majority of students without disabilities, and some disabled students may be included in it on the bases of difference by their disability. We do not have an education in mainstream schools which is created and arranged to accept any child. That is the reason we can also say that inclusive education is determined by non-disabled rules and that students with disabilities are just necessary, little addition to this education to justify its' name. School is inclusive if it is capable to respond on demands of all its students, regardless of their interests, abilities, talents, or any other characteristic. Inclusive education is education that matches to every pupil, it is good and usable to improve all students’ knowledge and skills. The inclusivity of school could be raised and developed in several ways. To improve the inclusivity of school it is necessary to remove and neutralize most of the barriers for students’ participation and learning. One of those ways is a Model that includes: Providing basic information about the process for all
participants of school life, Assessment of school’s inclusivity, Gatherings, Usage of Index for inclusion – work on it, and Constantly taking care of continuity of the process. In minimizing and removing barriers to participation and learning of all students in school, very effective tools are Index for inclusion and usage of Universal Design for Learning.
Keywords: inclusion, students with disabilities, school, barriers, participation.
Thematic Collection of Papers: ‘Education of Children and Students in Inclusive Settings’, pp. 219-229, 2018
The paper gives analyze of available and known ideas, opuses, and studies about the moral educati... more The paper gives analyze of available and known ideas, opuses, and studies about the moral education of children generally and the moral education of children with disabilities. Fundaments, goals, categories, and moral values represented in ideas, opuses, and studies, were analyzed here. In that sense, there were considered domestic and foreign opuses and studies dealing with moral thinking, development, reasoning, and education of children at all and children with disabilities.
Basic ideas of all analyzed texts could be covered by the unique goal of moral upbringing: to develop a Righteous man who deals Good deeds. The authors find the way towards this goal from a long time ago and usually over moral reasoning, and often over participating in discussions about moral dilemmas. Moral development and education are bonded to cognitive development.
The moral education of all children, but neither children with disabilities, did not get its’ practical, executive form which matches the abilities and needs of every child. This form needs to rely on the substantive side of a moral i.e. on a love. Moral education necessary needs to cover also education and training for moral action.
Keywords: moral education, children, ability, moral action.
Book of apstracts and proceedings of Earlyaid Conference 2017, Belgrade, 2017
Research subject: On the trace of paradigm that development of children with disabilities has the... more Research subject: On the trace of paradigm that development of children with disabilities has the specific attributes, there is no doubt that families of these children have additional need for early support their functioning, starting with a child’s birth or with a moment when the child becomes sick or injured, and continuously going on during child’s life. This support can be medical, social, psychosocial, educational, legal, material, and other e.g. concerning rehabilitation, conditions of life, accessibility, different services, etc, and it could be institutional and/or non-institutional. The purpose of this paper is to represent a review of the most common kinds of early support services for families of children with disabilities which are mentioned and explained in research studies. Methods: Research studies were selected and took over across Serbian Library Consortium for Coordinated Acquisition, using EBSCO, SAGE,
Wiley, and Springer searching services. Searching was conducted based on words: families, parents, children, early childhood, support, and disability. As a result of such a search, research studies dealing with early family support services were selected for review. In selected studies, different kinds of early family support were described and proposed, depending on several conditions (age of a child, type of disability, home country, availability of services, etc).
Conclusion: We highlight that effective types of support for families of children with disabilities are evidence-based programs, which are applicable in early childhood with the main goal to strengthen families and parents for their further specific, but the unexpected, role. In Serbia, there are no such types and kinds of early family support as systematic support for children with disabilities in early childhood so we recommend establishing and development of similar programs as services for all families needing, at state, provincial and local levels.
Keywords: family, disability, support, early childhood, program, services
Conference Proceedings (Part two), IX International Conference: Improving the Quality of Life of Children and Youth (pp. 507-512), Harkany, Hungary, 2018
This paper aims to analyze the role and importance of parents’ involvement in educational teams c... more This paper aims to analyze the role and importance of parents’ involvement in educational teams creating an Individual educational plan (IEP) in inclusive settings. The role of good and developed collaboration with parents is well known for a long time in the theory of educational sciences, and particularly in special education and rehabilitation science. Education of students with disabilities and gifted students demand additional engagement, knowledge, and efforts from their teachers, to adjust educational curricula, classroom conditions, methods, and techniques to the abilities and needs of this particular group of students, and to each of them solely and individually.
From the moment of involving inclusion in the educational process in Serbia, nine years ago, legislation is adjusted to demand parents’ decisions about accepting supporting measures for improving students’ development and achievements. The parent became a closer partner to educational professionals but still not an equal member of the educational process and all its steps. The current educational overall law made imperative parents' involvement in the creation of the IEP. This means that parent has to be the equal and honored member of the Team for additional support that is creating IEP, besides other needed members.
We reviewed professional and scientific studies that were dealing with parents’ involvement in inclusive educational teams for IEP creation. Studies were selected across the known searching services and bases online. Most studies were selected using search words: parents, involvement, individual educational plan, collaboration, and inclusion. Through analyzing the selected studies, we found out some repeated opinions according to several researchers. Firstly, we didn’t find any negative opinions or study-based proof regarding parental involvement in decision making and plan IEP planning. All researchers also underline the importance of parents’ involvement in these processes. Researchers concluded there is a constant need to improve school collaboration with parents, developing professional capacities of all school staff members, and to build up staffs communicational skills. The effects of parents’ involvement are numerous, mostly are pointed toward increased pupils’ achievements and satisfaction of pupils and parents. Parents can help the teamwork with their knowledge about child's habits out of school, its' interests and hobbies, life rhythm of the family, support to learning, ways of application od learned, ways of practical learning, learning styles, unwanted reactions to failure, efficient and proofed ways to encourage a child, etc. On the other side, parents benefits of involvement are: using the right to participate, deepening cooperation, insight into the IEP, impact on the IEP, getting a share of responsibility for educating their children, the ability to contribute to better planning, the possibility to relieve a child of unnecessary obligations, the possibility to point to unprecedented hardships, and the possibility to point out the unrecognized potentials and abilities of the child.
It is clear from the researched studies that parents’ role in the educational team is very important. The participation of parents in the education teams is required, useful, and needed; the benefit is multiple. All persons involved in cooperation have to review their attitude and attitude towards parental involvement and to empower themselves, especially for teamwork. Schools have to take measures to improve the cooperation and participation of parents, such as teacher training and developing teamwork skills and introducing into practice grouped meetings of IEP teams.
Keywords: cooperation, parent, involvement, IEP, team, participation.
Book of proceedings of International scientific-professional conference “Inclusive education - condition and challenges”, Strumica (Macedonia), pp. 255-261, 2012
Inclusive education was introduced in Serbia by The Law on the Fundamentals of the Education Syst... more Inclusive education was introduced in Serbia by The Law on the Fundamentals of the Education System from 2009. The formal meaning of such education is in the realization of every child's right to education, and in the realization of parents' right to choose the school for their child. There are multi-sectoral projects that develop the capacities of local services for the providing of effective services based on the user's needs, including the education of pupils with disabilities. Schools for the education of pupils with disabilities are also in the position of inclusive schools when it comes to pupils with multiple disabilities. These schools are now being transformed to be able to work with pupils with various types and levels of disabilities in the future (which has not been the case so far), but this transformation does not apply to the developing of these schools' capacities in working with pupils with multiple disabilities. Studies have shown that pupils with multiple disabilities have different capacities and are disadvantaged in terms of education when compared to pupils with a single disability, with whom they usually attend school for the education of pupils with developmental disabilities (formerly "special school"). Special Education and Rehabilitation has the task ahead to set an adequate basis for the planning of models of education and rehabilitation for people with multiple disabilities.
Keywords: multiple disabilities, inclusive education, schools for the education of pupils with developmental disabilities.
Uploads
Papers by Marinela Scepanovic
Keywords: experience, gifted pupils, teachers, identification, training.
education in Serbia after nine years of implementation, based on the
opinions of the practitioners. We created the questionnaire for professionals;
inquiring was conducted this year, by email. From the study results, we
conclude that process of inclusive education in our country is still at the
beginning and in an unsatisfactory phase, with no visible or expected steps
for the improvement of this complex and important process. The state has
to recognize this critical moment and to take care of it, as soon as possible.
Keywords: inclusive education, professionals, educational plans, special educators,
children’s well-being.
Inclusive education primarily belongs to the majority of students without disabilities, and some disabled students may be included in it on the bases of difference by their disability. We do not have an education in mainstream schools which is created and arranged to accept any child. That is the reason we can also say that inclusive education is determined by non-disabled rules and that students with disabilities are just necessary, little addition to this education to justify its' name. School is inclusive if it is capable to respond on demands of all its students, regardless of their interests, abilities, talents, or any other characteristic. Inclusive education is education that matches to every pupil, it is good and usable to improve all students’ knowledge and skills. The inclusivity of school could be raised and developed in several ways. To improve the inclusivity of school it is necessary to remove and neutralize most of the barriers for students’ participation and learning. One of those ways is a Model that includes: Providing basic information about the process for all
participants of school life, Assessment of school’s inclusivity, Gatherings, Usage of Index for inclusion – work on it, and Constantly taking care of continuity of the process. In minimizing and removing barriers to participation and learning of all students in school, very effective tools are Index for inclusion and usage of Universal Design for Learning.
Keywords: inclusion, students with disabilities, school, barriers, participation.
Basic ideas of all analyzed texts could be covered by the unique goal of moral upbringing: to develop a Righteous man who deals Good deeds. The authors find the way towards this goal from a long time ago and usually over moral reasoning, and often over participating in discussions about moral dilemmas. Moral development and education are bonded to cognitive development.
The moral education of all children, but neither children with disabilities, did not get its’ practical, executive form which matches the abilities and needs of every child. This form needs to rely on the substantive side of a moral i.e. on a love. Moral education necessary needs to cover also education and training for moral action.
Keywords: moral education, children, ability, moral action.
Wiley, and Springer searching services. Searching was conducted based on words: families, parents, children, early childhood, support, and disability. As a result of such a search, research studies dealing with early family support services were selected for review. In selected studies, different kinds of early family support were described and proposed, depending on several conditions (age of a child, type of disability, home country, availability of services, etc).
Conclusion: We highlight that effective types of support for families of children with disabilities are evidence-based programs, which are applicable in early childhood with the main goal to strengthen families and parents for their further specific, but the unexpected, role. In Serbia, there are no such types and kinds of early family support as systematic support for children with disabilities in early childhood so we recommend establishing and development of similar programs as services for all families needing, at state, provincial and local levels.
Keywords: family, disability, support, early childhood, program, services
From the moment of involving inclusion in the educational process in Serbia, nine years ago, legislation is adjusted to demand parents’ decisions about accepting supporting measures for improving students’ development and achievements. The parent became a closer partner to educational professionals but still not an equal member of the educational process and all its steps. The current educational overall law made imperative parents' involvement in the creation of the IEP. This means that parent has to be the equal and honored member of the Team for additional support that is creating IEP, besides other needed members.
We reviewed professional and scientific studies that were dealing with parents’ involvement in inclusive educational teams for IEP creation. Studies were selected across the known searching services and bases online. Most studies were selected using search words: parents, involvement, individual educational plan, collaboration, and inclusion. Through analyzing the selected studies, we found out some repeated opinions according to several researchers. Firstly, we didn’t find any negative opinions or study-based proof regarding parental involvement in decision making and plan IEP planning. All researchers also underline the importance of parents’ involvement in these processes. Researchers concluded there is a constant need to improve school collaboration with parents, developing professional capacities of all school staff members, and to build up staffs communicational skills. The effects of parents’ involvement are numerous, mostly are pointed toward increased pupils’ achievements and satisfaction of pupils and parents. Parents can help the teamwork with their knowledge about child's habits out of school, its' interests and hobbies, life rhythm of the family, support to learning, ways of application od learned, ways of practical learning, learning styles, unwanted reactions to failure, efficient and proofed ways to encourage a child, etc. On the other side, parents benefits of involvement are: using the right to participate, deepening cooperation, insight into the IEP, impact on the IEP, getting a share of responsibility for educating their children, the ability to contribute to better planning, the possibility to relieve a child of unnecessary obligations, the possibility to point to unprecedented hardships, and the possibility to point out the unrecognized potentials and abilities of the child.
It is clear from the researched studies that parents’ role in the educational team is very important. The participation of parents in the education teams is required, useful, and needed; the benefit is multiple. All persons involved in cooperation have to review their attitude and attitude towards parental involvement and to empower themselves, especially for teamwork. Schools have to take measures to improve the cooperation and participation of parents, such as teacher training and developing teamwork skills and introducing into practice grouped meetings of IEP teams.
Keywords: cooperation, parent, involvement, IEP, team, participation.
Keywords: multiple disabilities, inclusive education, schools for the education of pupils with developmental disabilities.
Keywords: experience, gifted pupils, teachers, identification, training.
education in Serbia after nine years of implementation, based on the
opinions of the practitioners. We created the questionnaire for professionals;
inquiring was conducted this year, by email. From the study results, we
conclude that process of inclusive education in our country is still at the
beginning and in an unsatisfactory phase, with no visible or expected steps
for the improvement of this complex and important process. The state has
to recognize this critical moment and to take care of it, as soon as possible.
Keywords: inclusive education, professionals, educational plans, special educators,
children’s well-being.
Inclusive education primarily belongs to the majority of students without disabilities, and some disabled students may be included in it on the bases of difference by their disability. We do not have an education in mainstream schools which is created and arranged to accept any child. That is the reason we can also say that inclusive education is determined by non-disabled rules and that students with disabilities are just necessary, little addition to this education to justify its' name. School is inclusive if it is capable to respond on demands of all its students, regardless of their interests, abilities, talents, or any other characteristic. Inclusive education is education that matches to every pupil, it is good and usable to improve all students’ knowledge and skills. The inclusivity of school could be raised and developed in several ways. To improve the inclusivity of school it is necessary to remove and neutralize most of the barriers for students’ participation and learning. One of those ways is a Model that includes: Providing basic information about the process for all
participants of school life, Assessment of school’s inclusivity, Gatherings, Usage of Index for inclusion – work on it, and Constantly taking care of continuity of the process. In minimizing and removing barriers to participation and learning of all students in school, very effective tools are Index for inclusion and usage of Universal Design for Learning.
Keywords: inclusion, students with disabilities, school, barriers, participation.
Basic ideas of all analyzed texts could be covered by the unique goal of moral upbringing: to develop a Righteous man who deals Good deeds. The authors find the way towards this goal from a long time ago and usually over moral reasoning, and often over participating in discussions about moral dilemmas. Moral development and education are bonded to cognitive development.
The moral education of all children, but neither children with disabilities, did not get its’ practical, executive form which matches the abilities and needs of every child. This form needs to rely on the substantive side of a moral i.e. on a love. Moral education necessary needs to cover also education and training for moral action.
Keywords: moral education, children, ability, moral action.
Wiley, and Springer searching services. Searching was conducted based on words: families, parents, children, early childhood, support, and disability. As a result of such a search, research studies dealing with early family support services were selected for review. In selected studies, different kinds of early family support were described and proposed, depending on several conditions (age of a child, type of disability, home country, availability of services, etc).
Conclusion: We highlight that effective types of support for families of children with disabilities are evidence-based programs, which are applicable in early childhood with the main goal to strengthen families and parents for their further specific, but the unexpected, role. In Serbia, there are no such types and kinds of early family support as systematic support for children with disabilities in early childhood so we recommend establishing and development of similar programs as services for all families needing, at state, provincial and local levels.
Keywords: family, disability, support, early childhood, program, services
From the moment of involving inclusion in the educational process in Serbia, nine years ago, legislation is adjusted to demand parents’ decisions about accepting supporting measures for improving students’ development and achievements. The parent became a closer partner to educational professionals but still not an equal member of the educational process and all its steps. The current educational overall law made imperative parents' involvement in the creation of the IEP. This means that parent has to be the equal and honored member of the Team for additional support that is creating IEP, besides other needed members.
We reviewed professional and scientific studies that were dealing with parents’ involvement in inclusive educational teams for IEP creation. Studies were selected across the known searching services and bases online. Most studies were selected using search words: parents, involvement, individual educational plan, collaboration, and inclusion. Through analyzing the selected studies, we found out some repeated opinions according to several researchers. Firstly, we didn’t find any negative opinions or study-based proof regarding parental involvement in decision making and plan IEP planning. All researchers also underline the importance of parents’ involvement in these processes. Researchers concluded there is a constant need to improve school collaboration with parents, developing professional capacities of all school staff members, and to build up staffs communicational skills. The effects of parents’ involvement are numerous, mostly are pointed toward increased pupils’ achievements and satisfaction of pupils and parents. Parents can help the teamwork with their knowledge about child's habits out of school, its' interests and hobbies, life rhythm of the family, support to learning, ways of application od learned, ways of practical learning, learning styles, unwanted reactions to failure, efficient and proofed ways to encourage a child, etc. On the other side, parents benefits of involvement are: using the right to participate, deepening cooperation, insight into the IEP, impact on the IEP, getting a share of responsibility for educating their children, the ability to contribute to better planning, the possibility to relieve a child of unnecessary obligations, the possibility to point to unprecedented hardships, and the possibility to point out the unrecognized potentials and abilities of the child.
It is clear from the researched studies that parents’ role in the educational team is very important. The participation of parents in the education teams is required, useful, and needed; the benefit is multiple. All persons involved in cooperation have to review their attitude and attitude towards parental involvement and to empower themselves, especially for teamwork. Schools have to take measures to improve the cooperation and participation of parents, such as teacher training and developing teamwork skills and introducing into practice grouped meetings of IEP teams.
Keywords: cooperation, parent, involvement, IEP, team, participation.
Keywords: multiple disabilities, inclusive education, schools for the education of pupils with developmental disabilities.
Our research that shows the situation and needs in schools related to the inclusion of students with disabilities was conducted in 2019 and 2020. The research consisted of two parts: a review and analysis of relevant scientific and professional literature and the conduct of empirical pedagogical research. The research was conducted within the approved doctoral dissertation project at the University of Belgrade entitled "Inclusive school and students with disabilities" (Šćepanović, 2019). The literature review included relevant world and domestic scientific research on the theory and practice of inclusive education, regulations, manuals, and other guidelines in this field published in the previous ten years and included more than 200 references. The empirical research was conducted from November 2019 to February 2020 on a sample of 234 respondents - employed in an inclusive education system - who work with students with disabilities. The respondents were of different specialties - teachers, professional associates, pedagogues, psychologists, therapists, personal assistants, and special educators. Respondents were examined with four assessment scales: 1) Questionnaire on basic data (created for this purpose); 2) Scale for assessing the attitude of teachers towards inclusive education - Teacher Attitudes Towards Inclusive Education (Kern, 2006); 3) Questionnaire on the needs and possibilities of identification, needs assessment and support to students in an inclusive school (created for this purpose); 4) Index for Inclusion Questionnaire (Booth & Ainscow, 2002).
The research findings show that the school's inclusiveness depends on developing the relationship, experience, and competence of teachers and other staff to work with students with disabilities. Teachers need professional development regarding the identification, needs assessment, and educational support for students with disabilities in primary school because they do not acquire this knowledge during their studies. Improving the school's inclusiveness will contribute to establishing a comprehensive and lifelong system of support for the development and advancement of children, youth, and adults with disabilities in the Republic of Serbia. The results of our research contribute to understanding the course of development of the process of inclusive education in the Republic of Serbia, emphasizing the areas and dimensions of the process that need to be established, improved, and/or developed.
Keywords: children, developmental disabilities, online learning, online
environment, conditions.
Keywords: therapeutic riding, children and youth, developmental disabilities, effects
Ključne reči: učenici sa smetnjama u razvoju, individualni rad, defektolog, evidencija, dokumentacija.
Кључне речи: стилови васпитања; програми подршке; нега деце; родитељи; деца са сметњама у развоју
Кључне речи: специјална едукација и рехабилитација, превентивно корективне вежбе и игре, соматски статус.