The course is aimed at acquiring of theoretical and methodological principles of special needs education, seen as pedagogy of integration and inclusion of students with disabilities and "special educational needs". Also very significant is the transition from integration arguments to those related to educational inclusion process.The course aims to the mastery of the main concepts of diversity, deficit, handicap, integration, inclusion, individualization, personalization, support, help, starting with an analysis of the categories of disability, so as to cover the current debate on "special educational needs" and the current role of special educational needs teacher. Knowledge of educational theories and practices concerning the integration and inclusion of disabled and " with special educational needs" pupils and its conceptual models to be adopted is an essential element for the pursuit of an adequate teaching profession. Within the course, in particular, attention will be focused on the current debate about pupils with "BES" and on the renowned identikit of special educational needs teacher, who is supposed to enrich his/her theoretical-practical skills from this perspective of inclusion.

Introductory course

In the course, the following subjects will be explored in this order:

- The epistemology of special needs education: the epistemological debate. 

- Special needs education as science of integration of differences.

- Old and new ranking models of disability.

- Semantic and terminological problem in special needs education.

- A new interpretation of disability.

- The culture of school and social integration of disabled students.-The shift from integration to inclusion of diversity in education.

- Special needs education as pedagogy of inclusion of differences and diversities.

-The concept of special educational need, according to the regulations we have at present.

- Special educational needs and inclusion.

- The national and international debate about pupils with special educational needs: problems and perspectives.

One Subject course

- Quality indicators of inclusive education.

- Construction of integration: the planning models: a comparative study. -The individualized educational plan for pupils with disabilities (PEI).

- Integration, inclusion and life plan.

-Inclusion: educational-didactic theories and models.

-Inclusion, educational individualization and customization.

-Inclusive school according to the Index and quality indicators.

- Planning and evaluating inclusion: the personalized didactic plan (PDP) for pupils with " special educational needs ".

- Special educational needs teacher's role in inclusive perspective.

- Special educational needs teacher's training in inclusive school.

- Special educational needs teacher' skills in inclusive perspective.

- Special educational needs teacher in inclusive education: towards a new professional identity.

The student:

- will be required to show an adequate mastery of basic knowledge concerning the main lines of the epistemological debate in special needs education with special reference to constituent elements (problems and methods) of discipline, even from the terminology point of view;

-will be required to demonstrate to understand similarities and differences in (educational and social) integration and inclusion processes of disabled and with "special educational needs" pupils;

- will be required to show the ability to think critically and independently about the ongoing challenges in special needs education, especially in the recent debate's context on the redefinition of the role and competences of special educational needs teacher.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Teaching

Lectures; essays; seminars; debates on specific topics; group work.

Attendance

A course only without the actual going to class.

Course books

P. Gaspari, Pedagogia speciale: questioni epistemologiche, Anicia, Roma, 2012. (pp. 141)

P. Gaspari (a cura di), Pedagogia speciale e “BES”. Spunti per una riflessione critica verso la scuola inclusiva, Anicia, Roma, 2014. (pp. 246)

P. Gaspari, Insegnante specializzato al bivio. Riflessioni e critiche per un nuovo "identikit" professionale, Franco Angeli, Milano, 2015. (pp. 193)

M. Pavone, Scuola e bisogni educativi speciali, Mondadori Università, Milano, 2015. (fino a pag. 233)

Assessment

The oral examination is the official test of assessment. There also will be a formative assessment test (at the end of the course) consisting in a written paper with two-three open questions concerning the basic discipline and typifying the special needs teacher's professional profile. This test is designed to monitor the level of mastery achieved by the students on the fruit of knowledge acquired, and represents for students an important opportunity for self-assessment.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Not attending students can take advantage of educational materials (articles, essays, diagrams, videos, etc.) registered by the teacher in the Moodle platform, blended.uniurb.it. It is possible to contact the teacher via email and by appointment.

Course books

P. Gaspari, Pedagogia speciale: questioni epistemologiche, Anicia, Roma, 2012. (pp. 141)

P. Gaspari (a cura di), Pedagogia speciale e “BES”. Spunti per una riflessione critica verso la scuola inclusiva, Anicia, Roma, 2014. (pp. 246)

P. Gaspari, Insegnante specializzato al bivio. Riflessioni e critiche per un nuovo "identikit" professionale, Franco Angeli, Milano, 2015. (pp. 193)

M. Pavone, Scuola e bisogni educativi speciali, Mondadori Università, Milano, 2015. (fino a pag. 233)

Assessment

The oral examination is the official test of assessment. There also will be a formative assessment test (at the end of the course) consisting in a written paper with two-three open questions concerning the basic discipline and typifying the special needs teacher's professional profile. This test is designed to monitor the level of mastery achieved by the students on the fruit of knowledge acquired, and represents for students an important opportunity for self-assessment.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

During the course, there will be a tutorial teaching to small-medium groups of students about educational-didactic planning, developed for pupils with disabilities in order to acquire elements of formative assessment, concerning the level of proficiency attained by the students.