The Subject “Strategies of the Development of Special Education in the European Union Countries.” The problem analysed in the work: the strategic trends of special education in the European Union countries. The aim of the Master’s work is to reveal the essential trends of the policy of the European Union countries taking account of special education broadening. The objects are: 1. to discuss the historical experience of the European Union countries and legal regulations of special education; 2. to define the peculiarities of the assessment system of special education needs in the European Union countries; 3. to reveal the main purposes of the content of special education in the European Union countries; 4. to analyse the relation between the general and special education, realizing the prior aims of special education in the European Union countries. Being the member of the European Union it is necessary to read the laws including those regulating educational system. In Lithuania there is little information about educational system in the European Union and no information was found about policy of special education. So in comparative study the development of special educational system is compared in these European countries: Germany, England, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Germany and England have been chosen because of their old conservative traditions. Italy and Portugal interested in their historical past similar to Lithuania’s history. Both countries got free from... [to full text]

The relevance of the theme is that most pupils with special educational needs make mistakes solving textual tasks. There are not many concrete recommendations how to teach such pupils to solve these tasks. In descriptive research, based on qualitative data analysis, peculiarities of solving textual tasks, mistakes made by pupils who have complex learning disabilities (because of disorders of self - control – attention, specific cognition - confusion of visual operations and listening comprehension, linguistic process and behaviour – slow activity, uneven working ability) and ways to avoid them are being analysed. It is stated that an adequate experience given to SEN pupils makes it possible to teach them use appropriate strategies oriented to solving problems. In the process of the experiment it was revealed that SEN pupils can be helped to solve textual problems by forming right images about quantities, teaching then to solve preparative tasks. Detailed problem analysis, pointing out essential facts, self – instructing using inner speech, drawing schemas, dissolving problems are of great use as well.

Integration of children with special needs into schools of general education is characterized in literature as a process of alteration, motivating a modern look towards entire upbringing process: a student, an educator, means of upbringing and its content. Integration is realized as a natural and irreversible phenomenon in democratic society. Although integrated education obtains different views and assessments. Integration is usually understood as a formal replacement of children with special needs from one office into another without giving them any qualified help. To find out the influence of integration conditions there were performed various surveys in Lithuania. The aim was to find out the attitude of society, classmates, parents and teachers to children having disabilities and their integration. The attitude on various aspects was examined by Ambrukaitis, Gudonis, Ruškus, Kaffemanienė, Ališauskas and others. Despite a lot of surveys, analyses and researches made, it is not still clear about the attitude of future teachers to children having disabilities. To find out their attitude a survey was prepared in Vilnius Pedagogical University in 2005-2006. Students of different specialities participated in the survey. Students who study pedagogics have no possibility to work with children with special needs during their practice. Some students have never communicated with the disabled. That is why it is very important to find out their opinion about the integration of... [to full text]

Darbe analizuojamos didelių specialiųjų ugdymosi poreikių turinčių mokinių socialinio dalyvavimo galimybės. Išanalizavus mokinių, turinčių didelius specialiuosius ugdymo(si) poreikius, socialinio dalyvavimo teorinius aspektus, remtasi mokytojų, specialistų ir tėvų „n“ specialiosios mokyklos pedagogų ir tėvų patirtimi norint atskleisti mokinių, turinčių negalę (didelius ugdymosi poreikius) socialinio dalyvavimo aspektus bei jį lemiančius veiksnius. Atvejo tyrime, taikant pusiau-struktūruoto interviu metodą, siekiama atskleisti mokinių, turinčių didelius specialiuosius ugdymo(si) poreikius socialinio dalyvavimo galimybės šeimoje, mokykloje, visuomenėje. Remiantis empirinio tyrimo duomenimis atskleista, kad specialiosios mokyklos specialistai socialinį dalyvavimą apibrėžia kaip tarpusavio bendravimą, savitarpio pagalbą, socialinių gebėjimų raišką, buvimą aktyviu visuomenės nariu. Mokinių, turinčių didelių SUP socialinio dalyvavimo trukdžiai siejami su turima negale ir žemo lygmens gebėjimais, visuomenės požiūriu ir šeimos nuostatomis. Mokykloje mokiniams siūloma popamokinės veiklos įvairovė, skatinama mokinių tarpusavio interesų bendrystė, siekiama artimų ir draugiškų mokinių ir darbuotojų santykių. Socialinio dalyvavimo galimybes šeimoje skatina: vaikų pozityvių emocijų palaikymas; sąlygų, atitinkančių vaiko poreikius, šeimoje sudarymas; savarankiškumo įgūdžių ugdymas; šeimos narių aktyvesnis įsitraukimas į mokyklos bendruomenės veiklą. / The opportunities of socializing for children with high levelled special educational needs are analyzed in the thesis. During the analyzing of thoretical aspects of socializing for pupils with high levelled special educational needs we have based on the experiences of teachers, specialists, teachers and parents of „n“ special school with the aim to reveal main aspects of socializing and the factors which influence them for pupils with disabilities (having high levelled educational needs).We have been searching to reveal the opportunities of socializing at school, family, society for children with high levelled special educational needs during the analyzing of practices upon the method of semi-structured interview. It has been revealed upon the empirical studies that the specialists of special schools define the socializing as communication with each other, mutual assistance, expression of social skills, active participating in social life, being an active society‘s member.

The problem of the research – the status quo of the communication skills of children with slight mental disorder at the integrated school. The aim of the paper was to describe the process of communication skills development of children with slight mental disorder at the integrated school. The objectives of the research were to define the peculiarities of the communication skills of children with slight mental disorder at the integrated school, to construct the model of communication skills development for children with slight mental disorder at the integrated school and to outline the prospects for improvement of communication skills development of primary school children with slight mental disorder at the integrated school. The methods of the research: the systematic analysis of the relevant literature on psychology and special education and the review of the documents of the education system were carried out; the empirical method (the analytical description of Q type diagnostic data), the method of experts and the method of mathematical statistics (the mathematical data analysis was done with the help of MS Excel program) were employed in the research. 30 experts (teachers of special schools) and 75 teachers of integrated schools working with children with slight mental disorder were questioned. The conclusions of the research: 1. The resources for communication skills development (verbal communication, non-verbal communication and the resolution to the conflict with... [to full text]

Each year, the number of students with special educational needs who choose studying in regular education classes, is growing. The integration of these students can be meaningful and successful only if comprehensive school guarantees appropriate educational conditions to every of them, meets their individual needs and provides steady and qualified assistance. Not only is the classroom teacher involved in assisting the special educational needs of the students but also other in-school service providers – special education teacher, speech therapist, psychologist, social worker. Following the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training of Lithuania speech pathologist assists persons with speech and language disorders. The students with other developmental disabilities can get speech pathologist’s help, too. The speech training of students with special educational needs is often aggravated with other cognitive, emotional and behavior, mild developmental disabilities and psychosocial factors – these are primary and secondary disorders. This study intends to analyze the functions of special pedagogical assistance given by speech pathologist in comprehensive school, the range and character of cooperation between speech pathologist and classroom teacher in teaching students with special educational needs. The study aims for exhibiting that speech pathologists by working with students with special educational needs not only eliminate speech and language disorders but also... [to full text]

The present research is based on the analysis of educational resources (human, financial, and material) and their use for the education of schoolchildren with special needs in comprehensive schools. The theoretical first and second part of the research analyses government documents (the Law on Education of the Republic of Lithuania, the Law on Special Education of the Republic of Lithuania, the guidelines of education in Lithuania in 2003 – 2012, the sponsorship documents referring to special education of schoolchildren, and others) as well as works of famous Lithuanian scientists such as Želvys, Galkienė, Adomaitien��, Ambrukaitis, Ruškus that have performed research in the field under investigation. The research focuses on the teachers that work with schoolchildren with special needs, their qualification refreshment, demand for specialists (speech therapists, typhlopedagogues, special teachers, and others), financial problems, material resources. The thesis introduces works of foreign scientists (Gray, Jenkner, Kaufman, Fletcher-Campbel and others), shows the experience of such countries as Bulgaria, Island, Poland, Luxemburg, Great Britain, France, Romania, and others. The object of the research is educational resources and their use for the education of children with special needs in comprehensive schools. The aim of the research is the evaluation of educational resource formation and use organizing special help in comprehensive schools in Utena region. The... [to full text]

Integration of children with special education requirements into comprehensive schools has raised negative teachers’ children’s and their parents’ reaction primarily. The attitude towards the disabled has been negative for decades in our society. But this attitude has changed. On the other hand- comprehensive schools weren’t fit and teachers weren’t ready enough for work with these children. So, there was a natural need to solve all problems and to reorganize all education system. Requirements to teachers in comprehensive schools have changed: they are required special knowledge, abilities and skills to work with disabled children. The purpose of research- to educe are teachers in comprehensive schools competent enough to educate children with special education requirements. Summarizing the research results we can draw a conclusion: · Competency is an ability to do the best in a working ared, to make decisions on one’s own, good knowledge, good work skills. · There are some gaps in juridical documents: the training quality of children with special education requirements isn’t guaranteed, the setting in which these children must be educated isn’t determined, sponsorship isn’t vouched. · Teacher’s, who works with children with special education requirements, is well seen in these areas: - when all problems are solved together with special education committee; - when teacher believes in childrens’ with special education requirements success; - when teacher creates... [to full text]

Bakalauro darbe analizuojami 8-10 klasių vidutinių specialiųjų ugdymosi poreikių turinčių mokinių, besimokančių bendrojo lavinimo mokykloje, matematikos praktiniai gebėjimai bei matematinis raštingumas. Suformuluota hipotezė, jog matematines užduotis, kurių sąlygų turinys siejamas su mokiniui pažįstama aplinka ir kasdieninėmis situacijomis, vidutinių specialiųjų ugdymosi poreikių (SUP) turintiems mokiniams sekasi spręsti geriau. Šių mokinių praktinių matematinių žinių ir gebėjimų lygis atitinka ,,Pagrindinio ugdymo bendrųjų programų pritaikymo rekomendacijose, skirtose žemų (riboto intelekto) ir labai žemų (nežymiai sutrikusio intelekto) intelektinių gebėjimų specialiųjų poreikių mokiniams ugdyti” nurodytą matematikos turinio srities apimtį. Tyrime dalyvavo 100 8-10 klasių vidutinių specialiųjų ugdymosi poreikių turinčių mokinių, besimokančių bendrojo lavinimo mokyklose. Matematikos testo metodu tirta, kaip vidutinių specialiųjų ugdymosi poreikių turintys mokiniai geba pritaikyti turimas matematikos žinias, spręsdami praktinio pobūdžio uždavinius, ir kokie yra jų gebėjimai. Tyrimu nustatyta, kad daugumos vidutinių specialiųjų ugdymosi poreikių turinčių 8-10 klasės mokinių matematikos pasiekimai minimaliai atitinka ,,Pagrindinio ugdymo bendrųjų programų pritaikymo rekomendacijose, skirtose žemų (riboto intelekto) ir labai žemų (nežymiai sutrikusio intelekto) intelektinių gebėjimų specialiųjų poreikių mokiniams ugdyti” nurodytą matematikos turinio srities apimtį. Šios... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The qualifying paper analyses mathematical skills and literacy of 8-10-form pupils with average special educational needs in General Secondary School. Under the hypothesis those mathematical problems, statements of which are related to the familiar environment and everyday situations, are solved easier by the pupils with average special educational needs. The level of practical knowledge and skills in mathematics of those pupils responds to the required level of mathematical background in “Recommendations on the application of basic education general programmes” up for the development of low (limited intellect) and very low (slightly mentally retarded) intellectual abilities of pupils with special needs. The respondents of the research included 100 8-10-form pupils with average special educational needs of General Secondary School. The research was based on the analysis of the ways how pupils with average special educational needs were able to apply their knowledge in mathematics performing practical tasks and what their abilities were. The research results have revealed that achievements in mathematics of most pupils with average special educational needs minimally respond to the required level of mathematical background in “Recommendations on the application of basic education general programmes” up for the development of low (limited intellect) and very low ( mentally retarded) intellectual abilities of pupils with special needs. Their knowledge was not very deep... [to full text]

Integravus vaikus su negalia į bendrojo lavinimo mokyklas, mokytojui, ugdančiam šiuos vaikus, iškyla nemažai rūpesčių. Tapo aktualu ištirti mokytojo padėjėjo veiklą ir apibūdinti mokytojo padėjėjo vaidmenis bendrojo lavinimo mokykloje. Siekiant spęsti šią problemą buvo iškeltas toks tyrimo tikslas: atskleisti svarbiausius mokytojo padėjėjo vaidmenis, kuriant palankias mokymosi sąlygas mokiniams, turintiems specialiųjų ugdymosi poreikių, bendrojo lavinimo mokykloje. Šiam tikslui pasiekti buvo suformuluota keletas uždavinių: išanalizuoti specialiosios pagalbos teorinius pagrindus; atskleisti bendrojo lavinimo mokyklų mokytojų ir mokinių tėvų lūkesčius mokytojo padėjėjo pagalbai; įvertinti bendrojo lavinimo mokykloje dirbančių mokytojų padėjėjų atliekamų vaidmenų kryptingumą, nustatyti mokytojo padėjėjo veiklos ryšius su kitais ugdymo proceso dalyviais, pateikti siūlymų dėl mokytojų padėjėjų rengimo. Empirinis tyrimas atskleidė visuomenės lūkesčius: mokytojo padėjėjas turėtų būti kiekvienoje klasėje, turėtų turėti specialųjį pedagoginį – psichologinį išsilavinimą ir turėtų padėti mokiniams turintiems specialiųjų poreikių bendradarbiauti su mokytojais, padėti mokytojui ir mokiniui atlikti pateiktas užduotis, judėti mokykloje, orientuotis aplinkoje. Tyrimo metu gauti rezultatai rodo, kad mokytojo padėjėjas atlieka tokius vaidmenis: pagalbininko mokytojui, pagalbininko mokiniui, tarpininko tarp mokinio ir mokytojo, prižiūrėtojo, draugo. Siekdami įvertinti jų kryptingumą, ištyrėme... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / As the disabled children have been integrated in comprehensive schools their teachers encounter many problems. Therefore, analysis of assistant teacher functions and description of his/her roles in a comprehensive school has become relevant. To resolve the issue the following aim of the research was put: to reveal basic roles of assistant teacher in creating favourable learning environment for children with specific education needs in comprehensive schools. To achieve the said aim several tasks have been formulated: to analyze theoretical bases of specific assistance; to reveal expectations of comprehensive school teachers and schoolchildren parents in regard of assistant teacher functions; to evaluate functional singleness of roles of assistant teachers working in comprehensive schools; to ascertain relations of assistant teacher activity with activities of other participants of educational process and to give suggestions on training assistant teachers. The empirical study carried out has disclosed social expectations: an assistant teacher should be in each and every class, he/she must have specific pedagogical and psychological education, help children with specific needs to cooperate with teachers, help teachers and children do their tasks, move across a school and orient in the environment. Results of the study show an assistant teacher has the following roles: he/she is an assistant to a teacher, an assistant to a child, an intermediate between a child and a teacher, a... [to full text]