Suchergebnisse

The main part of the article presents the results of a recent empirical study about the quality of life for families in Slovenia that have a child with intellectual disabilities and other developmental disabilities. Using the FQOLS-2006, we analysed nine quality of life domains (Health, Financial Well-Being, Family Relationships, Support from Others, Support Services, Influence of Values, Careers, Leisure and Community Interaction) from the perspective of six measurement dimensions. The study also examines the differences among the measurement dimensions in the nine domains. The sample consisted of 44 families. We used descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (Friedman test). The Family Relationships domain had the highest average rating of all measured domains regarding the quality of family life. The results in the domain of Support from Others are not encouraging, in particular the domain of Support from Services. Families require powerful support programs from qualified professional teams as well as societal and political attention. ; V osrednjem delu prispevka predstavljamo najnovejše rezultate raziskave o kakovosti življenja slovenskih družin z otroki z motnjami v duševnem razvoju in drugimi razvojnimi motnjami. Podatke smo zbrali s pomočjo mednarodnega vprašalnika FQOLS - 2006. Z vidika šestih dimenzij smo analizirali devet področij kakovosti družinskega življenja (zdravje ; finančno stanje ; družinski odnosi ; podpora drugih oseb ; podpora služb ; vpliv vrednot ; poklic in priprava za poklic ; prosti čas in rekreacija ; interakcija s skupnostjo). Preučevali smo tudi razlike znotraj dimenzij na področjih kakovosti življenja. Vzorec je zajemal 44 družin. V raziskavi smo uporabili deskriptivno in inferenčno statistiko (Friedmanov test). Med področji kakovosti življenja so starši z najvišjimi povprečji z vidika šestih dimenzij ocenili področje družinski odnosi. Skrb vzbujajo rezultati na področju podpora drugih oseb, še zlasti pa na področju podpora služb. Družine potrebujejo pomoč usposobljenih strokovnih timov in vključenost v intenzivne podporne programe ter tudi ustrezno družbeno in politično pozornost.

AbstractIn the Republic of Slovenia, the concept of inclusion was formally codified with the adoption of the Placement of Children with Special Needs Act (2000, 2007), which calls for inclusive education of students with special needs in settings as close to their homes as possible. Despite numerous innovations, Slovenian legislation still maintains a dual education system. Some students with special needs are educated separately from age peers in special schools/institutions (specialization), while others attend regular schools along with age peers (inclusion). This dichotomy results from thinking that many children with special needs (especially those with intellectual disability) are not able to achieve at the standards set for their age peers, that schools have not provided adapted programs to accommodate lower expectations of academic achievement, that many Slovenian school teachers do not have suitable skills and knowledge appropriate for educating children with special needs, and that most schools lack the capacity and resources that permit teachers to focus on children with special needs. Strategies for bringing about needed changes in practice are required, and some of these key strategies include: enforce the legal provisions enabling children with special needs to receive appropriate schooling; institute prevention processes of the improper placement of children with disabilities; constitute a strategic plan for effective inclusive education of children with intellectual disability; comprehensively monitor and evaluate education practices and inform education policy‐makers of findings; and involve special schools and institutions in the implementation of inclusion of students with intellectual disability in regular schools.

AbstractThe COVID‐19 pandemic caused much disruption in many global sectors, including education where schools were closed in most countries and children had to learn remotely from home. This was particularly challenging for children with special learning needs and disabilities, often already somewhat marginalized, as they were more likely to be left behind and less able to adapt easily to remote online learning. This study inquired into the experiences of 67 parents from Slovenia and 15 parents from Canada who helped their children with special learning needs or disabilities learn remotely. Parents in both countries identified several specific advantages and disadvantages to learning remotely from home. The Slovenian children spent more hours per day at their lessons and attended more lessons than the Canadian children. Both samples of parents received some support from their schools, although the Slovenia parents perceived these as more satisfactory. This study provides a unique opportunity to study the effects of remote learning during a prolonged crisis situation, and it provides valuable lessons for how both families and school personnel can work to improve the potential educational experiences of students who are required to learn remotely. A 12‐point framework for planning for future emergencies is provided.

AbstractThe main goal of the study was to provide and contrast data on quality of life for families in Slovenia that have children with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities (IDD) and families that have children with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The sample comprised 25 families with children with IDD and 19 families with children with ASD selected from schools in several villages in Slovenia. The data were collected using the FQOLS‐2006. The data analysis exploring the relationship between the two study groups (IDD and ASD) using the six measurement dimensions (Importance, Attainment, Satisfaction, Opportunities, Initiative, Stability) showed the mean ratings for all six measurement dimensions were higher for the IDD group than for the ASD group, although both groups rated Importance quite highly. Within the nine domains examined, there were some differences between the two groups. For the two main outcome measures, Attainment and Satisfaction, the scores for Satisfaction were consistently higher for the IDD group than for the ASD group. A combination of qualitative and quantitative data revealed that two of the nine domains, Family Relationships and Community Interaction, appear to contribute positively to family quality of life for both groups in this sample, while family life relating to the other seven domains requires remediation. Data from this family quality of life study provides evidence to suggest to policy makers and service providers that there might be a substantial amount of work to be done in the future to provide appropriate and efficient support for families with children with disabilities, especially for those with ASD, so that these families can lead lives of quality.

Social integration of students with special needs (SSNs) belongs to efforts for social responsibility as one's responsibility to practise interdependence and requisite holism of approach and wholeness of outcomes. Since the mid‐1990s, Slovenia gradually included SSNs in high school programmes. Schools must prepare individualized programmes (IPs) for each SSN. Authors empirically examined implementation of IPs for SSNs and the roles of teachers, students and parents in IP design with grammar school, vocational and technical school teachers, who had a SSN in their class and offered additional professional support (n = 131). Authors checked the role of the type of school, impairment and teachers' training. Results show that most students know IPs but only rarely participate in expert team meetings. They are excluded from the decision‐making regarding IP learning objectives, particularly students with learning difficulties. Parents are included in the IP implementation and evaluation; however, parents of children with learning difficulties are less involved in this process than the other SSNs. Grammar school teachers are more reserved towards SSNs and IP implementation. Thus, the attained level of systemic behavior via social responsibility, ethics of interdependence and holism differs. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.