Special Education Applications in Poland

Zespol Placowek EdukacyjnychOlsztyn Poland

In Poland, with the diagnosis of children and young people with disabilities deal public and non-public psychological-pedagogical clinics.

Diagnosis of children with disabilities

Public clinics– Adjudicating Teams give judgements and opinions (eg. the need of early intervention of child development);

Private clinics – Adjudicating Teams give feedbacks (opinions) considering child's functioning (eg. the need of early intervention of child);

Competences of psychological and pedagogical clinics

1. Appointed by the director of the specified clinic.2. Consists of:- a chairman of the team (usually the director of

the clinic, or a person authorized by him);- a doctor, a psychologist, a educator;3. Depending on the needs - other specialist if its

share in the team is essential (a speech therapist, hearing therapist, vision therapist).

The Adjudicating Panel:

The Adjudicating Team gives judgements and opinions considering disabled people:

special education for children and youth with disabilities or another opinion (eg. the opinion

on the need of early intervention of child development - for children not yet attending school and requiring special effects to stimulate the development.

In a decision about the need for special education shall be prescribed, the conditions for the implementation of educational needs, forms of stimulation, rehabilitation, therapy, rehabilitation, development of potential abilities and strengths of the child and other forms of psychological and pedagogical assistance.

Important information in a judgement:

1. Interview of a character of a structure conversation set to help parents remember all the important events and behavior of the child, emotional situation, care, health, etc.

2. Analysis obtained from the parents and other documentation of facilities (including medical records, health books).

Stages of the procedure for diagnosis:

3. The observation of spontaneous activity of the child in different situations (among others in the relationship with parents, without parents, ways of communication, types of games, mobility).

It applies to younger children and children with difficulties in diagnosis.

Stages of the procedure for diagnosis:

4. The observation directed in task situations, conversation with the child (if possible), examinations: psychological, educational, speech therapy, analysis of creations, analysis of the work of the child.

5. Discussion with parents (or legal guardians) of the child.

Stages of the procedure for diagnosis:

6. Preparation in a written form of a full diagnosis with justification and explanation of its meaning. Presentation of it to the parents (or legal guardians) of the child.

Stages of the procedure for diagnosis:

The results of the diagnosis should be the basis for constructing a plan and a programme of the therapy (education) and should be a source of knowledge on methods, techniques, opportunities for use in the process of personal interaction.

In the special schools in Poland, where disabled children attend (eg. pre-schools, primary schools, etc.) multilateral appraisal of function level is maken.

This appraisal is made by the team of specialsits, pedagogues and therapists, who work with child.

Pedagogic clinics as well as special

institutions use diverse diagnosing tools to establish an assesment of children’s developmental level.

1.Tests, scales used by psychologists: WISC-R (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for

Children)- for 6 years old (and more) children WAIS (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale); Psyche- Cattell Intelligence Scale for Small

Children; Terman-Merrill Intelligence Scale (adaptacja testu

Standford- Binet z 1937)- for 2 years old (and more) children

Diagnostic tools:

Raven’s Matrices (Raven’s Progressive Matrices)- for diagnosis children 4-11 years old.

The Leiter International Performance Scale- for children 3-15 years old, deaf children: 6-14 years old.

Columbia Mental Maturity Scale- for children 3,5-10 years old.

IQ tests are very important for diagnosing the mental impairment.

Diagnostic tools:

The Brunet-Lezine Scale for measuring Psychomotor Development in Early Infancy (for children 0-5 years old)

The Scale of Dyslexia Risk worked out by M. Bogdanowicz (a polish test);

The Scale of Child Development – a polish test for children 0-3 years old;

Diagnostic tools:

ADOS (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule): observation report with ADI-R (Autism Diagnostic Interview- Revised. ADOS and ADI-R are going to be standarized to Polish version.

Australian Scale for Diagnosing Asperger Syndrome

Diagnostic Tools:

During the diverse diagnosis are very helpful as follows:

ICD -10 classification DSM-IV classification CHAT questionnaire, CARS (Childhood Autism Rating Scale A new definition of autism by Volkmar ;

Diagnostic tools:

There are used diagnosing tools in special institutions as follows ( it depends on kind of disability, the age of child, etc.)

Munich Functional Development Screening - for children from 1 month- 3 years old;

The Denver Developmental Screening Test of W.K. Frankenburg and J.B. Dobbs -a test for screening cognitive and behavioral problems in preschool children.

Diagnostic, pedagogic tools:

PAC (Progress Assessment Charts) of Gunzburg – to assess the social development progress of children mentally impaired (PAC, PAC-1,PAC-2);

PEP-R (The Psychoeducational Profile Revised) of Schopler- assessment and program planning tool for preschool and gradeschool-aged children with autism.

AAPEP (the Adolescent and Adults Psychoeducational Profile ) of Schopler;

Diagnostic tools:

The Oregon Project for Preschool Children who are Blind or Visually Impaired (The OR Project ) fo

Southern California Sensory Integration Tests- (SCSIT) and Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests – (SIPT) – worked out by J. Ayres (to diagnose S.I. disorders)

M.Frostig „Pictures and patterns”-to examine visual perception.

Diagnostic tools:

The M. Piszczek’s Observation Sheet (a polish test);

The J. Kielin’s Profile of Child Achievement (a polish test)

The Student Behaviour Sheet; The K.Mrugalska, Z. Pakuła Periodic

Functioning of Child (for severe mentally disabled children) based on questionnaire of Les Amis de Karen

Diagnostic tools:

More and more often in Polish special institutions there are worked out diverse diagnosing tools, eg. an observation sheet, multilateral assesments of child functioning; etc.

In those tools the most popular developmental spheres are taken into account:

Communication; Cognitive functions; Socialization; Self-reliance, independence; Motoricity;

The most popular methods of work used in Special Education in Poland are:

The method of work centres(it is based on Decroly method)

Veronica Sherborne Developmental Movement; Knills’ Method; The Method of Good Start (MGS); Sensory Integration; The Doman Method ; The Dennison Method;

Methods of work used in Special Education

Behavioral Method; TEACCH; Music therapy; Arttherapy; Alternative Communication; Pedagogic Therapy with computer; Tomatis Method; Biofeedback;

Methods of work:

Observation Practical action; Based on word; Analysis of documents; Art. techniques; Multimedial; Demonstration; Relaxation techiques;

Techniques used in Special Education

1. visual: natural objects, models, diagrams, symbols, etc.2. hearing : CDs,musical instruments, radio etc.3. visual-hearing: television, etc.4. measures verbal: books, printed texts5. partially automates the process of teaching-learning:

computers, multimedia tablets, etc.6. AAC teaching materials: letter tablets, AAC books,

devices: eg. GO TALK

The most popular are multimedia teaching materials.

 

Teaching materials:

Thank you for your attention