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". Of particular importance is making here a careful critical consideration oin special needs pedagogy's epistemological questio which should be understood as science of acknowledgement and exploitation of educational potentials of people with "special education needs", overstepping te risks of reductionist and technical views, becoming even more dominant, of languages of the medication and psychologicization of diversity. Also very signi?cant 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, de?cit, 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.

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.

- Special needs pedagogy as science of the educational care.

- Storytelling as "treatment" against the drifts of "specialism"

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.

- Strengthening of special and teacher's edcuational skills about methods of qualitative and quantitative research particularly related to the acquisition of an educational narrative view on diversity, avoiding the risk of medicalization.

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

Expected results

1. Knowledge and understanding (knowledge and understanding)

At the end of the course the student will have acquired:

knowledge of the main lines of the epistemological debate within special needs pedagogy particularly related to its constitutive elements (problems and methods) and relations with other educational sciences;

ability to identify, define and compare the basic characteristics of theoretical and methodological approaches in special needs pedagogy with an emphasis on inclusive education and social processes.

2.   Applying knowledge and understanding

At the end of the course the student will demonstrate the ability to:

know and understand the concepts and theories laid down in the course;

recognizing different theoretical settings and work conceptually with them;

analyze some inclusive tools characteristics related to the school sector, such as PEI, PDP, PAI interpreted in the light of the explored  constructs.

3. Making judgements

•     Autonomy of judgement (making judgments).

•     At the end of the course the student will demonstrate the ability to:

•     use knowledge and concepts which allow to think according to the plural and open logics of the discipline;

•     identify intervention's methodologies adapted to different contexts ( ICF Logic );

•     knowing how to envisage options to move and deal with cases related to educational inclusion

4. Communication skills

At the end of the course the student should have acquired the ability to.

•     use the specific vocabulary of the discipline in its forms of reflection and practices on the ground.

•     knowing how to communicate with congruent tools acquired during the teaching course.

•     communicate with school operators in specific subject's language.

5. Learning skills

At the end of the course the student will have acquired the ability to:

•  analyze and evaluate critically, in their reflexive and epistemological aspects, the subject's constructs related to schools;

•  investigate the problems related to the different educational contexts (school and extraschool);

•  find the sources needed to develop ideas and projects aimed at inclusive perspective;

•  build options to move for pupils with "BES".

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, FrancoAngeli, Milano, 2015. (pp. 193)

P. Gaspari, Per una Pedagogia speciale “oltre” la medicalizzazione, Guerini, Milano, 2017. (in print)

Assessment

The written examination is the of?cial test of assessment, consisting in a written paper with  open questions ( an essay on three thematic areas to be fixed at the end of the course), because, in step with the Dublin descriptors, the test goal is primarily to ensure the ability to:

•  use knowledge and concepts that allow to reflect according to the internal logic of discipline; 

•  identify and define the main theoretical constructs relating to inclusive processes; 

•  develop some main pedagogical tools;

• build options to move for pupils with "BES".

For students who do not take the written test, an oral test is planned to assess the basic epistemological knowledge of the subject and school inclusive processes. Ongoing monitoring and self-assessment moments are planned.

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. 

You can contact the teacher by mail and appointment.

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, FrancoAngeli, Milano, 2015. (pp. 193)

P. Gaspari, Per una Pedagogia speciale “oltre” la medicalizzazione, Guerini, Milano, 2017. (in print)

Assessment

The written examination is the of?cial test of assessment, consisting in a written paper with  open questions ( an essay on three thematic areas to be fixed at the end of the course), because, in step with the Dublin descriptors, the test goal is primarily to ensure the ability to:

•  use knowledge and concepts that allow to reflect according to the internal logic of discipline; 

•  identify and define the main theoretical constructs relating to inclusive processes; 

•  develop some main pedagogical tools;

• build options to move for pupils with "BES".

For students who do not take the written test, an oral test is planned to assess the basic epistemological knowledge of the subject and school inclusive processes. Ongoing monitoring and self-assessment moments are planned.

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 pro?ciency attained by the students.