AT modern society one of the most important problems of the modern education system is its accessibility, including for social groups with limited starting conditions.
Disabled children occupy a particularly important place among them. In general education schools today, there are often obstacles for them to receive a high-quality education. They are associated primarily with social inequality. Conducted for almost 50 years in Europe and Russia, large-scale studies prove that so far education emphasizes social discrimination more than contributes to its eradication. Responsibility for the level of education lies primarily with teachers, as a result, they tend to pay maximum attention to capable students, and children with disabilities find themselves at the bottom of the unspoken school hierarchy.
Sociologists' research has revealed facts of infringement of the rights of children with disabilities outside the school walls. Most educational institutions conditions are created for the preservation and reproduction of inequality. We can confidently say that the educational system reflects both social and class differences that exist outside of it. Family and social circumstances have the strongest influence on learning outcomes, which further determines the level of income. The effectiveness of education largely depends on the social background of the child, which underlies inequality. All these studies have led to the conclusion that it is necessary to create an inclusive education system for children from different groups and strata, including students with disabilities.
The term “inclusive education” refers to the development of the general education system towards accessibility for all children and adaptation to the special needs of students with disabilities or special needs. This system develops a methodology that considers each child as an individual with their own needs in the learning process. It should be flexible enough to meet the requirements of different categories of students. Inclusive education needs to be introduced within the framework of the general education school, which will have a positive impact not only on the status of children with disabilities, but also on all other students.
For almost 40 years, many countries have been developing and implementing regulations aimed at expanding the educational opportunities of children with disabilities. The work is carried out mainly in the following areas: measures to expand access to education, integration, inclusion (inclusion), mainstreaming, which involves the inclusion of children with disabilities in the classes of a general education school and their communication with peers during festive events, as part of leisure programs with the aim of obtaining education and expanding opportunities for social contacts.
To achieve integration, work is underway to bring the needs of children with disabilities into line with the general education system, which itself does not change. Children with physical or mental disabilities may attend mainstream schools but are not required to attend the same classes as all other children.
With regard to inclusion, it means redesigning and reforming the premises to meet the needs, requirements and needs of absolutely all children. Inclusive education also includes measures to bring the continuum of services (including the educational environment) into line with the needs of children with disabilities. This principle means that all students, without exception, must be integrated from the very beginning into the social and educational life of the educational institution in their place of residence.
One of the main tasks of an inclusive school is to build a system that meets the needs of everyone without exception. In educational institutions of this type, not only children with disabilities, but everyone else, receive support that allows them to realize themselves, feel confident, their own significance. The main goal of such a school is not education in itself, but to ensure a full-fledged social life, active communication with peers, and mutual assistance. All this allows students to develop as a result of communication, making joint decisions regarding the management of educational processes and other areas of school life.
Teachers with some experience in inclusive general education schools offer the following integration measures:
- accept children with disabilities in the classroom, like everyone else - on a general basis;
- offer them the same activities, but set different tasks;
- try to involve all students in solving problems on the basis of a group approach and include them in collective types of learning;
- apply different forms collective participation: joint projects, games, field or laboratory research.
Inclusive education significantly shifts the emphasis in the role of the teacher, which in this case is more versatile: the teacher actively interacts with students, learns much more about each of them, activates contacts with society outside the educational institution. At the end of the 90s of the last century, articles were published on the tasks of self-organization of families with disabled children, social activity of older disabled people. age group and defenders of their rights. They pointed to the need to give children with disabilities more chances in life and to go beyond a purely medical approach to the rehabilitation and social protection of this group.
Thanks to these works, active disputes have begun about the rights of children with disabilities to receive education in the most favorable conditions for their social integration. In addition, the aspect of the effectiveness of the inclusive education option is also studied based on the study of financial costs, as well as the results of academic performance. In European countries and the United States, general education schools are extremely interested in inclusion whenever possible more children with disabilities, because they receive solid funding from the state.
As a summary of the Western experience, it can be said with certainty that in many countries the understanding of the importance of the integration of children with disabilities has already been achieved at the state level. The basic principles of inclusive education are set out in monographs, scientific journals, textbooks, practical guides for teachers, social workers, doctors, politicians, since this problem can only be solved with a comprehensive approach.
Practice shows that organizational and methodological changes that are carried out to improve the situation of a special category of children (in this case, disabled people) lead to changes that lead to optimization educational system generally. For Russia, these problems are especially complex and relevant given the sharply increased number of children with disabilities. Against the backdrop of the reform of the entire educational system and under the influence of established market relations, educational institutions of various levels are being transformed, in which the need for inclusive education must be taken into account, despite the sharp divergence of opinions on this issue in different sectors of society.
The role of joint (inclusive) education is quite significant, which allows to reduce the marginalization of children with disabilities to a large extent. But there are many obstacles before its application in practice: these are problems with the organization, and the creation of a barrier-free environment (one-story buildings for schools, ramps, the presence of sign language interpreters, special equipment for common areas). It is also necessary to take into account social barriers: stereotypical thinking and prejudices in society, the willingness of the teaching staff to teach children with disabilities and the willingness of the children themselves and their parents to accept this form of educational system.
Studies were conducted to clarify the attitude of teachers, parents and schoolchildren themselves to the issue of co-education with schoolchildren who have difficulties with movement, who have various disorders of mental development, vision, and speech. Based on the data obtained, it became clear that ordinary students most easily establish contacts with children who have impaired musculoskeletal system or suffer from mental retardation. It was difficult to establish contacts with schoolchildren with visual, speech or hearing impairments. The general picture is as follows: approximately 70% of the respondents showed a greater or lesser degree of awareness of the problem of “Children with disabilities in school”. In total, about 1/3 of all students had personal contact with a child with developmental disabilities, and this is also a consequence of the incorrect organization of the education system.
Respondents - students showed a great willingness to study in the same class with sick children with disorders of the musculoskeletal system. The least tolerance was shown towards children with hearing or vision problems. And the minimum degree of tolerance was expressed in relation to children who are mentally retarded: more than 50% of the students expressed their unwillingness to sit at the same desk with them.
It is obvious that in this case we are talking about the manifestation of an ingrained stereotype that creates an insurmountable barrier to the integration of children into the environment of their peers. Despite these statistics, there is a steady trend in society towards the adoption of a law on equal rights for children with disabilities. This point of view is especially characteristic of those who had the opportunity to contact them personally once or periodically.
Most of the parents surveyed believe that educational integration with sick children is quite possible and even necessary, but among teachers no more than 40% share the same opinion, and again, the least tolerance was expressed in relation to those children who had speech, hearing or vision. A very low percentage of teachers expressed their willingness to work with such students on an equal basis with ordinary students.
Statistics clearly show the need for additional retraining of teaching staff in the event of expanding the scope of inclusive education for children with disabilities. Only 1/5 of teachers believe that their level of qualification will allow them to work with children with special needs. Even with the scanty (so far) scale of integration that exists today, the need for retraining of teaching staff and social teachers is obvious. Currently, there are many barriers to the inclusion of children with disabilities in mainstream schools. On this issue, parents and teachers expressed their solidarity.
The most significant of the barriers is the unsuitability of the surrounding space for the comfortable education of disabled children. This also applies to school buildings and classrooms, and teaching staff, and the availability of professionals with the necessary qualifications (sign language interpreters, speech therapists, etc.).
For teachers, the absence of the necessary educational programs, the insufficient level of their own preparedness, as well as the lack of funding and the lack of special regulatory support are also of great importance. Of course, documentation alone is not enough to create equal opportunities: it is necessary to create a special educational environment, the presence of a personal tutor, as well as special elevators, conveyors, special keyboards for children with visual impairments, devices for students with hearing impairments.
All these issues should be resolved at the state level by approving the standard for the rehabilitation of disabled children in order to create conditions for them to receive a general education.
An individual rehabilitation program for children with disabilities provides for secondary education. Based on the intellectual capabilities of the child, the program may provide for higher education. Sick children have the right to education. This is enshrined in the Constitution of the Russian Federation (Article 43). Education of disabled children is carried out in general education schools, special correctional educational institutions, at home: by distance learning or through family education. Children with disabilities are also given the right to study at music and art schools free of charge.
In order to receive special education, disabled people are provided with benefits for admission to vocational schools, technical schools, and higher educational institutions. The only but significant limitation for the education of disabled children is the state of health. According to the conclusion of the medical psychiatric and pedagogical examination, disabled children are assigned to specialized educational institutions for the education of children with the following disabilities:
- vision;
- Hearing;
- speeches;
- motor activity.
With existing intellectual development disorders, it is provided for the training of disabled children in a special boarding school according to a special methodology by specially trained teachers.
One way or another, not a single childhood invalid can be left without education, regardless of the nature of the disease.
Teaching children with disabilities at school
Secondary educational institutions do not have the right to refuse admission to children with disabilities, however, schools are not required to create special conditions for students with disabilities. Teachers do not develop special curricula, do not involve specialists in the process of teaching disabled children at school: speech pathologists, speech therapists, massage therapists, etc. Private schools have the right to accept disabled people, but are not required to do so.
Disabled children who do not suffer from mental retardation, as a rule, do not have problems with the assimilation of school material. At the forefront for such students is the problem of communication with peers. Child psychology is significantly different from adult psychology; students can “organize” unbearable conditions for a disabled person, not only in terms of education, but also in life. Meanwhile, the leadership of a secondary general educational institution does not have the opportunity to create favorable conditions for children with disabilities. The staff of a secondary school does not provide for the work of a psychologist, whose direct responsibility is to create the necessary microclimate in the team.
Similar conditions have been created in correctional schools, in which the child is sent only with the consent of the parents.
Homeschooling for disabled children
In cases where parents do not want their child to study in a correctional or general education school, it is possible to receive secondary education at home.
There are two forms of teaching for homeschooling children with disabilities:
- Family;
- Home.
Family education does not involve the participation of teachers from the general school in the educational process. Parents are involved in the education of the child: independently or with the involvement of teachers. In this case, the family is paid monetary compensation, including the costs of education and upbringing. If, by decision of the commission, the child needs to study at a correctional school, the amount of compensation increases in accordance with existing standards. An agreement is concluded between parents and the school, which provides for an intermediate assessment of knowledge. In case of negative results, the contract is terminated and the compensation is refundable.
The home-based form of education for disabled children provides for payments for two hot meals a day, the work of attached school teachers is paid by the state. Teachers also conduct classes with the child at home and conduct certification, during which there are final exams in certain subjects.
A child, studying at home, receives a complete education, the level of which does not differ from the general one.
Distance learning for children with disabilities
There are several distance learning models for teaching people with disabilities from childhood:
- Center for Distance Learning. Classes are conducted by full-time teachers;
- Methodological support of teaching at the place of residence;
- Development of a training program for children with disabilities by several educational institutions.
The educational and methodological complex of distance technologies is compiled taking into account the plan of the school and the programs of subjects in individual disciplines. All information is in the public domain for both students and parents, as well as for teachers. For this purpose, sets of electronic resources have been developed.
Distance learning for disabled children provides for constant communication between the teacher and the student, regardless of the distance between them. The use of multiple means of communication contributes to academic achievement. A child with a disability has the opportunity at any time to ask a question to the teacher and get an exhaustive answer to it.
An important achievement of distance learning is the ability to connect several children with disabilities to conduct lessons online. A child with disabilities does not feel alone and learns to work in a team. Knowledge certification, according to individual training programs for disabled children, is carried out using electronic knowledge control, which practically eliminates the subjectivity of assessments. At the same time, disabled children receive skills in working with a personal computer and master new information technologies.
Attestation of knowledge in teaching children with disabilities
Control work is carried out according to the schedule approved by the head of the training center. Face-to-face interaction mode is provided with the help of special computer programs. The student sets up the camera so that the teacher can see workplace. This mode completely excludes the use of prompts, both verbal and written.
Students with a low pace of work perform control work in several stages. Teachers do not have the right to escalate the situation by exaggerating the importance of passing certification.
Entrance examinations to secondary technical and higher educational institutions for the disabled are held at special conditions. Applicants are given additional time for preparation within one and a half hours, regardless of the form of passing the exam: written or oral. Education of disabled children in higher and secondary technical educational institutions is also carried out according to individual programs, taking into account the recommendations of doctors, psychologists and social workers.
Disability is determined not by the state of health, but by the degree of restriction to labor activity. Modern technologies allow children with disabilities to receive the necessary education and become full members of society.
Project presentation -Teaching children with special needs in the framework of inclusive education at Children's School of Art
The project is dedicated to the study and use of the possibilities of children's art school in teaching and creative development children with partial or complete loss of vision on an equal basis with other children.
Attention to this problem is dictated by the presence of a significant number of artistically gifted young people who belong to the category of people with disabilities and who need a quality art education, especially at the initial stage. As well as the immediate proximity of the Moscow State Budgetary Educational Institution of the General Education Boarding School for Blind Students No. 1 of the Department of Social Protection of the Population of Moscow (3rd Mytishchinskaya St., 3).
Despite the fact that at present there are no theoretically substantiated approaches to the implementation of high-quality and full-fledged art education for people with special needs, pedagogical practice is of a “point”, intuitive nature of activity, there is no targeted program for preparing teachers to work with this category of students and a developed methodology for inclusive activities.
At present, the goal public policy is to provide disabled people with equal opportunities with other citizens in exercising their rights. The task of society is to create conditions for their independent living in society, accessibility of the physical and information environment for them, ensuring their professional employment and full-fledged individual development.
Inclusive education is a process of development of general education. Inclusive education seeks to develop an approach to teaching and learning that is more flexible to meet different learning needs. Inclusive education is based on an ideology that excludes any discrimination and ensures equal treatment of all children.
All children are individuals with different learning needs. This is the main idea of inclusive education. And, from the point of view of a social approach to the problem, disability is understood not as a limited opportunity, but as a special need.
Children with disabilities are often creatively gifted. In the children's art school, they, along with other children, can show their Creative skills, get a professional education that will allow them to successfully decide in life.
The system of education at DSHI can be easily adapted to the needs of any child due to the following factors:
The creative nature of teaching the basics of the arts,
The combination in the educational process of individual, small-group, group forms of education and collective concert and creative events. This mode of study contributes to the satisfaction individual educational needs of each student, provides special conditions for everyone.
Close relationship with parents.
— attraction of children with disabilities to the departments of the Children's School of Arts;
– creation of educational methods that take into account the special educational needs of children with visual impairment (cognitive abilities of the blind, the formation of figurative representations when working on musical works);
- introduction of special courses and subjects that contribute to the development of educational programs for children with disabilities (notation in Braille);
– use of innovative means and methods of teaching to work with children with disabilities;
– involvement of specialists to monitor and evaluate the dynamics and results of the development of children with disabilities,
- accumulation and generalization of pedagogical experience, improvement of the methodological qualifications of teachers.
The project solves the following problems:
— early recognition and development of giftedness as a compensatory factor in children with disabilities
– creating an opportunity for targeted pre-professional education and future professional definition
- promoting the wide participation of children with disabilities in the public, social, cultural life of the school, district, city.
Social adaptation of school students: the formation of tolerant, friendly relations of students to each other, the development of a sense of mutual assistance, mutual assistance, the destruction of barriers in communication of "ordinary" children and children with special needs.
The specifics of the project - in a wide target audience - are children and parents of both categories of citizens.
Some achievements of school students from the category of children with special needs.
Lisichenko Daniil - winner of the Olympiad in theoretical disciplines of the MGIM. A. Schnittke, laureate and student of city competitions (composition, synthesizer, computer music studio, piano).
Salomatina Maria is a scholarship holder of the Moscow Government for gifted children, a diploma holder of the New Names of Moscow Foundation, a laureate of city exhibitions, a student of the Textile University named after. A.N. Kosygin.
Trishkin Alexander is a graduate of the composition class, a laureate of city competitions in composition, a student of the Music College at the Moscow Conservatory.
Nikolaev Evgeny - (11 years old, 4th grade, teacher Zharkova L.A.) - Laureate II Prizes in the general nomination "Piano" XI International competition-festival of children's and youth art "Open Europe" (March 2014), Laureate XIII Open Festival. Edvard Grieg (March 2014), participant in a concert in the Hungarian cultural center(May 2014), diploma winner of the First city festival-concert "Hot heart" of children with disabilities - students of children's music schools and art schools in Moscow "(December 2013),
There are currently 14 children with visual impairments in the school. In addition to them, 17 more disabled children study at different departments of the school.
Teachers involved in the implementation of this project: Fedorovskaya L.I., Zharkova L.A., Sviklin V.A., Pilipenko V.N., Kokzhaev A.M., Piskareva L.F., Bankovsky I.V. (instrumental departments), Sokolova G.V., Perekhrest T.A. (theoretical disciplines), Podolskaya G.M. (collective music making), Minakova V.A., Fedorova V.L. (department of fine arts).
School teachers have accumulated invaluable experience in working with this category of students, which is summarized and systematized during the project.
Due to the increase in the contingent students with disabilities , methodological messages are regularly held at the school and open lessons teachers working with visually impaired children (Fedorovskaya L.I., Sviklin V.A., Zharkova L.A., Piskareva L.F., Sokolova G.V., Perekhrest T.A.). A concert-meeting was held with students of boarding school No. 1 for blind and visually impaired children and teachers T. L. Shustova and S. A. Sanatorov (February 2014). This academic year, the instrumental departments and the department of fine arts successfully graduated from 3 graduates from this category of students: Pavlova K., Tsvetkov K., Grigoryeva A. Lisichenko D. - RPO class.
In 2013-14, as part of inclusive education for students with visual impairments, a special course “Notation in Braille” was introduced (teacher Korshunkova V.N.). In cooperation with the Laboratory of Means and Methods for Teaching Children with Visual Impairments of the Institute of Correctional Pedagogy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a plan has been developed to improve the conditions for teaching children with special needs in our school.The publication of the collection is planned methodical works school teachers working with visually impaired children (Fedorovskaya L.I., Sviklin V.A., Zharkova L.A., Piskareva L.F., Sokolova G.V., Perekhrest T.A.)
Rev. Alexandrova E.V., Sokolova G.V., Zharkova L.A., Fedorovskaya L.I., Piskareva L.F., Perekhrest T.A., Sviklin V.A. participated in All-Russian round table"Actual Issues of Teaching Art to Children with Special Educational Needs" (APRICT, February 2014).
In the 2013-14 academic year, the school took part in Competition creative projects among the Children's Art School of Moscow. The socially oriented project “My Light, Music”, dedicated to the inclusive education of children with special needs (headed by E.V. Aleksandrova), was awarded a grant from the Moscow Department of Culture and participated in City Biennale of the Children's Art School within the framework of Festival of Education for Children "START UP" at the Central House of Artists (April 2014).
Children with disabilities require a special approach.
For every violation there is a correction and development scheme.
Therefore, schools for such children are divided into types in accordance with health disorders and its degree.
What are these educational institutions?
Children with health problems require special educational programs.
Unfortunately, in recent years this problem has become more urgent, as the number of children with disabilities is only growing. The Law "On Education" provides for equal opportunities in obtaining education for all minors, regardless of the state of health and violations of their psychophysical condition. Special correctional educational institutions are called upon to provide them with this opportunity.
The nature of these institutions is that a special developmental environment is created for students in them, which contributes to obtaining an education corresponding to a special program. In addition, specific methods of education and development are used here, all conditions have been created for the treatment and correction of developmental disorders. Great importance is attached to the socialization of such children, their self-realization in professional or social activities.
A special commission can send a child to study at such a school only after a psychological, medical and pedagogical conclusion and with the consent of his parents. Each school independently develops a curriculum, within the framework of which it will implement a training program for students, taking into account the peculiarities of their psychophysical development.
In addition to educational activities in such schools, students are provided with full medical and psychological support. The staff of the school necessarily includes pediatricians, medical specialists, psychologists. They help teachers build the educational process, taking into account developmental disorders. Children, if necessary, receive medical treatment, physiotherapy, classes are organized for them physical therapy, massage and other corrective and therapeutic measures.
Schools for children with disabilities can be public and private. By decision of the commission, a child can be transferred to an ordinary general education school if it has all the conditions for working with such kids. In recent years, it has become widespread form of inclusive education when children with developmental disabilities learn together with healthy ones.
Types of institutions
For children with special needs, there are several types educational institutions.
Depending on the types and degree of violations of the psychophysical health of the student, such institutions are divided into 8 types.
For deaf students
Here, teachers and educators, together with medical specialists and psychologists, are engaged in the upbringing, education, socialization and professional training of children with a complete lack of hearing.
main focus given to building skills logical thinking, the development of verbal speech, the expansion of speech practice.
Much work is being done to develop and preserve residual hearing as much as possible. Children attend school for 12 years in classes of no more than 12 people. 
Hearing-impaired and late-deaf
the main task specialists working in such schools is to overcome and correct the consequences associated with hearing impairment or loss.
teachers should stimulate development of speech, to form lip reading skills. In such schools, children study in two departments.
In the first one, they have minor problems associated with hearing impairment, such as dysgraphia and dyslexia, phonetic and phonemic deviations in speech.
In another department, they work with students who have big problems in the development of speech due to serious hearing impairments.
Depending on the degree of development of deviations, children study in such a school 10 to 12 years old. With a successful correction over time, by decision of the commission, the child can be transferred to general educational institutions.
Blind
Children with complete absence or minimal residual vision study here.
Maximum saving residual vision is what the school staff set as their main goal. Training is based on tactile-kinesthetic and auditory perception.
An ophthalmologist, a pediatrician and a neuropsychiatrist are constantly in contact with the students. A lot of attention is paid to ensuring that blind students have the opportunity to communicate and cooperate with sighted adults and children. This encourages them better development and helps to avoid some deviations.
Tutorials here they correspond to ordinary educational schools, but taking into account the specifics and special approaches to physical education, industrial training, drafting and drawing.
visually impaired
Unlike Type III schools the main task, which is decided by the specialists of this institution, is compensation for visual impairment and, if possible, its restoration. For this, a special gentle mode is created.
The success of training and correction of violations depend on the created conditions. The work uses special technical means, including audio recordings, relief visual material, special technical and optical means.
Important compliance to lighting, individual mode, dosing of visual loads.
With speech disorders
These are special centers that can be created at polyclinics, where speech therapists help children and adults. eliminate speech disorders.
Specialized kindergartens and schools also belong to this type.
With severe speech pathology
If a child has a severe speech development disorder that does not give him the opportunity to study in an ordinary general education institution, then a special commission gives him a referral to study in such an institution.
Here treat and correct violations in oral and written speech. At the end of each academic year, the commission assesses the condition of the child, if there is an improvement in the condition, he can be sent to study in a regular general education institution.
With dysfunctions of the musculoskeletal system
In these schools, not only educational, but also therapeutic activities are carried out.
the main task, in addition to training, this is the maximum restoration of the motor functions of the body, overcoming violations, professional training and social rehabilitation of such children.
Impaired mental function
Here educational work is being carried out with children lagging behind in intellectual and mental development.
In addition, medical and educational measures are being taken to help eliminate the causes of school failure.
At the end of each year, a decision is made on the further education of the child, his ability to return to a general education school or to be sent to a specialized educational institution of another type.
Mentally retarded
the main task specialists of this school - preparing students for training in a special correctional school.
In addition to educational work, therapeutic activities are also carried out. Much attention is paid not only to the development school curriculum but also obtaining a labor specialty, preparing for professional activity, independent living and integration into society.
In addition to the main schools of 8 types, there are specialized boarding schools for deaf-deaf-mute children, centers for students with autism and Down syndrome.
Organization of the educational process
Depending on the type of school, they all develop their own individual plans and programs to realize the opportunity for children to receive affordable education and medical support.
However, they are all based on basic principles:
This is the basis for the work of correctional schools to work with children with disabilities. In addition, an individual approach to each child and the creation of psychological comfort play an important role here. In their work, specialists from such educational institutions use special methods to activate cognitive activity, develop oral and written speech, and form learning skills.
Much attention is paid to the restoration and strengthening of mental health: classes and exercises are held to relieve stress, develop emotions.
The spread of such establishments
Today, several forms of education for children with disabilities and children with disabilities are successfully functioning in our country.
This is the use of the so-called inclusive method of education, distance schools, allowing children who are home-schooled to integrate into society. In addition, there are traditional educational institutions for students with disabilities. In large cities, in addition to public schools, there are private schools.
In Moscow there are at least 10 large public schools and centers for working with special children, corrective classes have been created in some general education schools, and an inclusive education system is being actively applied and implemented. About 10 private educational institutions and kindergartens also offer their educational and remedial services to students with disabilities.
In St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region there are about 90 such institutions, both private and public. They accept children with varying degrees of preschool and school age disorders.
Similar educational institutions have been created in all regions of the country: in Krasnodar, Kazan, Siberia, etc.
An example of the work of one of these educational institutions is presented in the following video: