CONTENTS

Thinking Globally, Learning Together

This three year project involves a group of seven special needs schools all involved in reviewing their curricula.  All partner schools are very interested in how personalised learning can fit into the education of children with severe and profound learning difficulties.  School staff are interested in researching and training in the different teaching and learning outcomes that SEN students in our partner school experience.  

We intend to implement new strategies across the schools through training and development of SEN personalised learning.  The students in the partner schools do not have equal access to a wide curriculum, due to their special needs.  In all our partner countries inclusion is a very important issue, which is interpreted differently from school to school.   Staff will study and learn from these different educational systems and pedagogic approaches. 

The schools have pupils from the following types of SEN; mild, moderate, severe, profound, and complex learning difficulties, cerebral palsy, ASD (Autism), genetic syndromes, physical difficulties, visual and hearing impairment, chronic health issues, degenerative diseases, speech and language disorders and ADHD.  Through the project schools will learn from each other about methods / approaches to behaviour and social problems.    

This Project will be an exchange of training experience and information to produce a  common framework with a bank of new methods and techniques in the field of SEN.  It will provide training, exchange experience, methods and tools used in each of the participating schools to  give  a deep insight into different systems of educations and methodology implemented by each country to overcome many difficulties for students with SEN. This will allow teachers to create a bank of resources, tools, methods and useful practices

THE PARTNERS.

M

INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLANS

In each country there is an emphasis on personalising the curriculum to meet the needs of their pupils. Each country has its own way of identifying these needs and their own systems for providing for these needs. Within these structures schools have their own ways of ensuring that they meet the ever changing and ever more complex needs of their pupils. Studying these processes was a feature of the project and was the subject of a conference held during the visit to Poland, a conference presented by the partner countries to an audience of teachers from across the Polish region.

UK

While children with special needs have the right to a mainstream education those with more complex difficulties are more likely to attend a special school. Pupils needs are assessed by a range of professionals and an Education Health and Care Plan is produced which outlines the educational provision required for that pupil.

There are many local education authorities in the UK and each can decide how organise its special provision. So while there are regional variations there may be schools for pupils with Hearing and visual impairments, for pupils with challenging behaviours, for pupils with moderate learning difficulties and for pupils with severe and complex learning difficulties. In some authorities schools are generic and in others each educational need is served by an individual school.

At the heart of the EHCP are the Educational Outcomes that are expected for the child. it is the job of the school to set targets for the child based on these outcomes and these targets inform the educational offer for the child

The school has to set an appropriate curriculum for the child to encompass these targets and ensure the child receives a broad and relevant curriculum. The UK National Curriculum informs the curriculum offer in each school but schools have a degree of autonomy to tailor the curriculum to meet the specific needs of their pupils group and as the severity of the need increases schools will focus more on the development of life skills than on academic learning.

Pupils' EHCPs are reviewed annually by the local authority and the parents to ensure the school is enabling pupils to make good progress against their targets. Overall schools are monitored by the national inspectorate - Ofsted - to ensure they are meeting required standards of education.

POLAND

Pupils who have a Certificate of Disability are assessed by a team of teachers and therapists who plan their Individualized Education Program which is a legally binding document including planned special education services. The IEP is a described way and activities to sort out a child’s strengths and weaknesses which lead the child’s development in accordance with his unique abilities and predispositions.

Categories of disability include:

• sensory disabled or deaf children
• visually impaired or blind children
• physically disabled, or with aphasia
• intellectually disabled,
• autistic or with Asperger syndrome,
• multiple disabled children
• maladjusted or being in danger of maladjustment

When forming an IEP the teachers and specialists, in liaison with the parents, consider

• Type of disability.
• Child’s development stage.
• Education level.
• Type of school: Special Needs, Integrative or Mainstream

The IEP includes the recommendations and instructions of Pedagogical and Psychological Institute.

It will include educational, therapeutic and pedagogical goals. It may recommend

• Introducing speech therapy
• Improving self-service activities,
• Stimulating and improving manual dexterity and hand’s dexterity.
• Adaptations and modification of educational process:
• Classroom place adaptations,

​IEPs are evaluated twice a year by a multidisciplinary assessment on child’s achievements. Modifications are introduced after each evaluation.

SPAIN

When the ordinary methods of schooling are not sufficient to support a pupil with learning difficulties there are two further tiers of support Extraordinary Measures and Exceptional Measures

Extraordinary Measures

These measures involve significant changes in the curriculum and can lead to fundamental changes related to the organisation of the Centre and in the form of schooling These include:

• Education in an ordinary Center/school with significant curricular adaptations and/or access for students with specifical educational support needs
• Combined schooling at an ordinary centre with a specialized classroom
• Combined schooling at an ordinary centre and Special Education Center
• Schooling at a specific centre for special education and specialized “open” classroom

Exceptional Measures

These measures include: and in the form

• Education in special education centres, open classrooms or specialised classrooms for early childhood students
• Combined Schooling at a special education centre for early childhood students

Special schools  offer education from  pre school to young adults. For older students there is a comprehensive programme to develop work skills in areas such as woodwork and cookery.

BELGIUM

Individual action plans – Nautica School

Studetns are categorised as OV1 or OV4

OV4

• These  students follow the normal curriculum
• Curriculum objectives are mandatory
• Chosen by the Ministery of Education

OV1

• These  students  are in need of learning self-reliance (cooking, cleaning, using public transport, working,…)
• Curriculum objectives are without obligation
• Chosen by the team of teachers of that student

TURKEY

The Individualized Education Program  is a legally binding document . It outlines the type of schooling a child requires, support services need and the areas of education that must be covered.   The team which develops the IEP  consists of:

• Deputy principal    
• Counsellor    
• Special education teacher   
• Parents

The student has a period of assessment to determine their current levels and future needs. Short and long term goals are set and appropriate teaching methods and resources are specified. The IEP indicates responsibilities for implementation, observation and evaluation of IEP. The IEP must be approved by the  parents

At least two IEP meetings are held with parents in every semester. IEP is revaluated and it is amended as needed.

The decision is made by the  Special Education Evaluation Council for student to take individual education is submitted to Guidance and Research Centre with student’s health report. IEP starts at school by the approval of the Guidance Study Centre.

ROMANIA

     Personalized Services Plan

The plan for personalized services (PPS) is the tool aimed at planning of all services for children with special needs, being conducted by health professionals, teachers, therapists, family and child. 

Individualized Education Program

In Romania, every child that receives special education services must have an Individualized Education Program

The IEP is the educational program of a pupil, the personal curriculum of each pupil with special educational needs (SEN) enrolled in some form of education. 

It is produced by a multidisciplinary team composed of the classroom teachers, the special education teacher, the physiotherapist teacher, in collaboration with the family. Family input is essential to ensure that learning goals can be followeedd at home.

The initial evaluation  is performed by a multidisciplinary team (class teachers, the special education teacher and the physiotherapist)  looking at all curriculum areas.       

As a result long and short term goals are set for the child.

BULGARIA

From 01.08.2016 a new law came into effect on preschool and school education in Bulgaria

• Special schools became Centres for Special Educational Support to support SEN pupils’ personal development
• Each school must provide a psychologist, a speech therapist, resource teachers, a social worker for pupils with SEN.
• Each teacher must work with an assistant teacher.
• The Regional Centre directs the child to  the appropriate educational establishment.

An  individual program covers:

• Regular assessment and reassessment of child's  achievements;
• Health condition;
• Mental processes and Intellectual development;
• Language/speech development and Communication skills;
• Knowledge and skills about native language, mathematics, homeland, technical subjects;
• Pupil's interests and areas;
• Evaluation of Social Environment;

Main goals and objectives of training and development in the following areas:

• Self-help;
• General and fine motor skills;
• Communication skills;
• Cognitive skills;
• Social skills;
• Participation in the educational process;
• Participation in the activities of the Arts;
• Participation in the labour and professional activities;

Reporting of results takes place at the end of the first term and the school year; Pupils with SEN are assessed as: "achieve the requirements", "manage" and "facing difficulties"; No-one fails the class.

THE LEARNING

The project provided the opportunity for partners to learn from each other about the specialisms of each school

UK

SCERTS – an autism programme The SCERTS Model is a research-based educational approach and multidisciplinary framework that directly addresses the core challenges faced by children and persons with ASD and related disabilities, and their families. SCERTS^® focuses on building competence in Social Communication, Emotional Regulation and Transactional Support as the highest priorities that must be addressed in any program, and is applicable for individuals with a wide range of abilities and ages 

MOVE  is a small charity working with parents, teachers, and therapists to help to give children more opportunities and possibilities for independent movement. In turn this can help to develop their cognitive and communication skills, and it can also improve health and social inclusion. Movement is the cornerstone to learning – we learn by exploring the world around us.

MOVE is an activity based programme which uses the combined knowledge of education, therapy and family to teach severely disabled children the skills of sitting, standing, walking and transferring to the very best of their ability. By incorporating the practise of meaningful skills into everyday life, MOVE enables families to be directly involved with their child's progress.

MOVE believes that it is everyone's right to live with dignity and the maximum level of independence.

OUTDOOR LEARNING Is a broad term that includes discovery, experimentation, learning about and connecting to the natural world, and engaging in outdoor sports and adventure activities. Outdoor Learning is used for academic, social, mental health, wellbeing, inter and intra-personal development. Experiences are led by a teacher or leader and can be provided for an individual or group. Outdoor Learning helps people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities reflect and learn about themselves, each other and their environment. It gives pupils with special needs the opportunity to practice and generalise skills in yet another learning environment.

INTENSIVE INTERACTION – is designed to meet the learning needs of children who are still at early stages of communication development. Especially those children who are very 'difficult to reach' showing no motivation to be with other people It establishes the fundamentals of communication such as the use and understanding of eye contacts and facial expressions, taking turns in exchanges of behaviour, developing and furthering vocalisations toward the threshold of speech.

BULGARIA

Logopedical Management in voice and fluency disorders: Speech therapy seminar, presentation and  information about the speech disorders and their peculiarities. During the session they became acquainted with the types of speech disorders, methods of work and correction in children with disabilities, showed moments and good practices of her work, art therapy, breathing exercises and writing techniques on the back as a means of assimilation of letters. Drawing with plasticine on paper to develop fine motoring and as a different painting technique etc.

Montessori method in children with special needs: The main characteristics of  Montessori method and its use in SEN educational approach:  the prepared/ structured environment; Montessori materials, independence supporting materials, mixed age groups, the blending of freedom and discipline, the emphasis on personal autonomy, the age-based therapy phases, etc. Montessori education pursues an ambitious goal: to help develop the child in a complete adult human being, comfortable with itself, with society and with humanity as a whole. Thus, if education is seen as a way of fulfilling the child's optimum potential for each facet of his becoming a person, this 'prepared environment' provides a safe and permanent foundation for education

Lecture on healthy diet sensory stimulation with medicinal plants and art therapy: A presentation was presented about healthy eating, the place of food in the food pyramid and the benefit of motor activity. We continued with a seminar on the use of medical plants for sensory stimulation in children with special educational needs, appropriate nutrients and revealing feelings through art therapy techniques. Sensory stimulation with medicinal plants is used by teachers in home-based learning environment for children with multisensory and not only deficiencies in finding a way to communicate with them. In order to make progress, the child should be aware of the stimulus followed by the tolerance to the stimulus.

Outdoor learning activities:  Our contribution to environmental protection and animal care is that we all planted fruit trees. The open-air workshops were waiting for us, again in the wonderful zoo, we drew a joint picture - pano combining nature, art and teamwork.

Art-therapy: As part of the art therapy we showed the method "A doll that looks like me"  and pano-painting activity in nature.

ROMANIA

See Appendices for a detailed document produced by Cristal school on the education of pupils with Multi Sensory Impairment as a result of this project.

MSI TRAINING. TACTILE BOOK

The central theme of the teaching/training/learning activity offered by Romania partner was the personalized educational intervention for children with sensory and multisensory impairments. During the activity they were discussed issues both theoretical aspects of sensory deficiencies and practical applications: case studies, demonstrations, joint implementation of individualized intervention plans, etc.

The training program was completed through a workshop-type activity. The participants, 21 teachers from the partner countries and 5 Romanian teachers, created together the prototype of a tactile book. This theme was chosen because early tactile stimulation is an important aspect in working with children with sensory and multisensory impairments. This is all the more important as the remnants of view are very small or the child is totally blind, because the information is lost due to the inability of receiving visually stimuli and must be compensated through tactile, auditory or olfactory ways. A wide range of working materials were provided and the group members had the opportunity to interact, to support and assist each other to share ideas, targeting towards achieving the desired objectives and awareness of wrong strategies. By confronting different ideas, international work teams have generated greater innovation and creativity. Later, after making necessary changes, the prototype of the collaborative tactile book was reproduced in several copies (with the help of specialized companies) and was offered both to special schools partners in the project and other special schools the local community in order to ensure exploitation of project results. The partner school have used the book in their work in school with MSI children.

POLAND

Methodological Conference titled Specificity of SE European teachers’  work. Student’s profile and characteristic shown in Individual Programs.   The conference was organized to familiarize teachers  with various versions of IEP across Europe. 40 local teachers from mainstream and special schools took part. In the meeting also took part a representative of local authorities. Each country presented their systems and Cate Bason  (UK) summed up to sum up the first year of the project

Biofeedback This is a method of treatment that uses a monitor to measure pupils' physiologic information By watching a monitor, students can learn by trial and error to adjust their thinking and other mental processes in order to control 'involuntary' bodily processes such as blood pressure, temperature, gastrointestinal functioning, and brain wave activity.It is mostly used to lower students’ anxiety, over activity, stress level and  train attention

Art therapy Mrs. Aneta Szpila explained different ways of art therapy used in our school. During the session teachers  tried making salt dough figures. The teachers could gather knowledge in what the way our children can master their art abilities, creativity, socialize, and relax.

Horse therapy  Teachers had an unforgettable occasion to travel form hotel to the Stable on  two horse- drawn carriages.  Horse therapy is a form of therapy that makes use of horses to help promote emotional growth.   In many instances, riders with disabilities have proven their remarkable equestrian skills in various national and international competitions. This is the reason why equestrian therapy has been recognized as an important area in the medical field in many countries.

Clay therapy

SOSW is equipped with 4 potter’s wheels. Teachers use them during the art lessons and during the common classes in boarding house. Clay is a great material to revalidate children’s hand’s motor skills and abilities. Teachers could take part in the work-shop observe how our students paint.

SPAIN

THE USE OF PROJECTS.

Why use the Projects approach

-       It favours the individuality of teaching

-       Respects paces of learning

-       It helps to connect the previous knowledge with the new ones

-       It allows to support the interest of the pupil since it takes root precisely in his experience

-       Allows meaningful learning

-       Social relations are favored and, with them, social norms of coexistence and values as important as cooperation and respect

How does it help us as a special education school?

-       To approach the curricular contents in an integral way

-       It is a way to organize the topics and contents to achieve meaningful learning.

-       It responds to the diversity of children we have in the school

-       It involves ALL the professionals of the centre: tutors, specialists, speech therapists, teachers of workshop

-       It Involves to the family

-       It Involves all the Programs and Projects that take place in the school: eScholarium, Librarium, REBEX, MUSE, Erasmus + Program

For more details on Proa’s use of projects see the Appendices.

TURKEY

Social stories

Why use social stories?

Theory of mind suggests that many people with autism have an impairment of social understanding, the ability to think in ways necessary for appropriate for social interaction. 

People with autism do not act appropriately in social situations, do not understand that others might have a different opinion to them, or that others may want to do something different to what they want to do. 

From their perspective, the statements and actions of others may at times seem to occur without meaning or identifiable purpose, occurring randomly and without warning or logic.

Theory of mind also suggests that many people with autism do not understand that other people have their own – thoughts, – feelings, – plans and – points of view. As a result social situations become unpredictable and confusing. This can lead to: – Social Isolation – Exclusion – Lack of opportunities. 

How do social stories help?

Social stories attempts to address the ‘theory of mind’ impairment by giving individuals some perspective on the thoughts, emotions and behaviors of others . It was developed by Carol Grey (1994) for use with children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), but are also used successfully with adults with autism and related disabilities.   It provides a distance between ‘teaching’ and the social the situation. 

What is a social story?

Social story is a short story written in a specific style and format . They describes what happens in a specific social situation and presents information in a structured and consistent manner. It gives social information through pictures and text as opposed to speech or observation (notable areas of weakness).     Each story provides clear, concise and accurate information about what is happening in a specific social situation . It describes what is obvious to most of us, but not to those with impaired social understanding. 

The story describes what people do, why they do it, and what the common responses are.

The purpose of Social Stories

• To provide a prompt for socially appropriate behavior;

• To help a person become familiar to a situation, and to respond appropriately;

• To help prepare for a new experience;

• To provide positive feedback so that people can recognise their own appropriate behavior;

• To help prevent extreme reactions that stem from a lack of social understanding.

BELGIUM

In Belgium the students were very involved in planning the event for the visits to Nautica.

Introduction of the project

• 2 types
  • Board game
  • Moovly
• Goal:
  • Learn to know partners
  • Learn to know the project

Students were involved in the meetings

• Try to involve as much as possible
• Goal:
  • Improve their language skills
  • Learn about new cultures
  • Develop social skills

Teachers’ meeting

• Students are guides
• Explain their work - study

Students’ meeting

• Students = coach/guides

IMPACT AND OUTCOMES - ADULTS

What has been the result of the visits and the training? It has been clear from our meetings that this project has been a source of inspiration in many ways.

Following each visit the staff who took part have run sessions for their staff and students, and in some cases staff from other schools on what they have learned from the visits.

Sometimes staff simply benefit from gaining a wider understanding of how special needs are understood and supported across Europe in other cases schools have been able to implement new practices and procedures as a result. This section looks at some of the initiatives that have been started as a result of this Erasmus project

POLAND

SOSW has put in place the use of Tactile Books  as shown in Romania

 and developed Outdoor Learning – which was shown in the UK and Belgium

TURKEY

ACTIVITIES IMPLEMENTED AT OZ-DE-BIR OZEL EĞITIM UYGULAMA MERKEZI

The participants of the project hold meetings with school staff after each mobility to share information and experience. We discuss about what we have learned during our visits, decide on how those can be adopted at our school. We also improve our teaching methods and techniques, organize new activities or reorganize those we have.

Our team attended self-dependence training activities by participating events such as cooking, gardening and electronic workshops in the mobility hosted by the partner school in Belgium, SBSO De Mast, Merksplas. The purpose was to help children with SEN to function independently to complete daily routine skills. Although the general curriculum focuses on mostly academic skills, those activities have adapted at the home school. Children have learned to prepare a meal by following instruction of a simple recipe with assistance of the teachers.

After the mobility in 2017 in Belgium, school staff paid more attention to physical arrangement of the classroom considering the disability and needs of the children. Several classes have redesigned to promote a better learning environment. Specific areas are used for specific activities such as reading/resting area.

We had a better understanding the importance of a daily routine after the mobility in UK, hosted by the partner Lakeside school. An implemented daily morning routine for a warm up helps children to prepare for the course, to provide them structured daily plan, helps them orient to the day of the week, date, and weather each day. Besides, classrooms at home school already had timetables indicating the daily circle, yet we have rearranged and improved it by visualizing with pictures  and colours.

ROMANIA

Implemented Sensory swim sessions - ideas from UK

Implemented art therapy-  ideas from Poland

SPAIN

Art – using salt dough - from Poland

        The use of ipads for communication   - from UK

The use of Visual Support for

pupils with autism  - from UK

UNITED KINGDOM

Following the visit to Poland We have re-introduced riding for the disabled sessions at our local stable. After a gap of several years without riding the work in Poland  showed how we could use riding for a different group of pupils. A group of pupils now rides regularly at our local Riding for the Disabled stable and are gaining benefit from this. This sis alongside our Donkey Therapy programme where we have two donkeys visiting the school regularly for pupils to learn to work with and learn from the animals.

In Spain and Belgium we were interested in the work done with the older students regarding developing work skills. We have extended our work experience opportunities to Internships and have been able to offer more choice to the students.

IMPACT AND OUTCOMES - STUDENTS

As part of this project there have been visits which have involved the students. Only the Romanian school was unable to take part in this as they only have primary aged pupils unable to travel abroad.

Students have visited Belgium, the UK and Poland and they have benefitted enormously from these visits both in terms of learning new skills and in the opportunities this has brought for them to grow in their personal development.  For many students involved in the project  this was their first opportunity to go abroad and for many their time to fly. This was a great step forward for them in terms of developing their independence skills, self esteem and confidence. The opportunity to live with, work with and learn from young people from other countries was an opportunity they could not have achieved without this project.

In Belgium there was a dual benefit as the Nautica school students acted as the hosts and shared some of the teaching of the new skills to the visiting students. They were able to practice their English language and develop social skills and self esteem, and confidence.

In Belgium, students were introduced to new skills such as bike maintenance, office practices and electrical work and they also practised new sports and undertook new cookery skills. In all of these activities there was the opportunity to practice English  and develop new vocabulary. Team work and problem solving skills were developed alongside the actual skills development of the lessons.

In the UK work was based around Outdoor Learning and the students were able to work at the school’s forest school site, making a camp fire and cooking in the open air. They stayed at an outdoor education centre and had the opportunity to try a range of outdoor and adventurous activities including boating.

During the visit to Poland students had many opportunities to undertake new challenges. A mountain trek featured as a highlight and the students rose to the challenge of physical exertion. The view from the top made it all worth while and the students were proud of their achievement. Sports, drama, cookery, IT and horse riding were all on offer as well as the opportunity for our students to experience the different languages and cultures as they lived together for a week.

One particular outcome was that one of the UK students was named as an Erasmus Alumni and features  on the website for the 30^th anniversary of Erasmus in the UK. Matthew overcame a lifelong fear of flying to attend the Belgian visit as he was so motivated by the work. This has now opened  new opportunities for him and his family as he leaves school and moves into adult life. https://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/30-years-of-erasmus

APPENDICES

1  Individual Education Plans.

Additional information on how IEPs are formed in the different countries and on  developments that may be of interest. 

2 Additional Information from some of the visits.

Bulgaria

Turkey

Spain

Romania

Further information can be obtained from the schools using the contact list below

UK – www.lakeside.herts.sch.uk    Esta dirección de correo electrónico está siendo protegida contra los robots de spam. Necesita tener JavaScript habilitado para poder verlo.

SPAIN

POLAND   http://www.sosw.lezajsk.pl/images/erasmus/prezentacja/Thinking%20Globally_Learning%20Together/index.html

TURKEY

BELGIUM

BULGARIA

Individual Education Planning

United Kingdom

Education Health and Care Plans

There is a national requirement for all pupils to have an Education Health and Care plan covering all the elements of the child’s needs in these three areas. Each Local Education Authority can design the layout of these plans – the one attached here is an anonymised  Hertfordshire model.

Reviews and IEPs

These plans must be reviewed by the school and the Local authority annually. This is done differently in each school and for each authority. However schools, are required to set short term targets based on the Aims in the EHCP and report on the child’s progress towards these targets. These targets form the basis of the child’s IEP and are updated at each annual review.

My Education, Health and Care Plan

My Education, Health and Care Plan

General information

Section A

ALL ABOUT ME

•  Things I’m good at:

•  Things I like and don’t like

• What other people admire about me:

• What’s working well, what’s not working so well and what I’d like to change:

• Things I’d like to try:

•  My aspirations and goals for the future:

•  How I need to be supported to be heard and understood:

Section B

Identified Needs – Please describe the needs that have been identified within the advices provided during the assessment process / following the Annual Review of the Education, Health and Care Plan in the following areas

Section C

Section D

Section E

The following section of the Education, Health and Care Plan identifies the Aims and Outcomes identified for the Susan /young person

Section F

Education Provision

The following section of the Education, Health and Care Plan details the support and actions that will be put in place to achieve the identified outcomes

Section G

Health Provision

The following section of the Education, Health and Care Plan details the support and actions that will be put in place to achieve the identified outcomes in Sections E and F

Section H1 and H2

Social Care Provision

The following section of the Education, Health and Care Plan details the support and actions that will be put in place to achieve the identified outcomes in Sections E and F.

H1 – Any social care provision which must be made for a Susan 

Section I

The type of educational setting I will attend

For every child with an EHCP a school completes an annual review to update that plan.  This is Lakeside’s  version – each school has their own format.

Annual Review of EHCP

PROVISION

John  is in a class of 10 pupils.

He has access to a broad and balanced curriculum and has the following additional provision to meet his individual needs:

• He has a speech therapy programme devised by the SLT and delivered by the SLT and the classroom team.
• He has a Behaviour Support Plan
• He is supported by the Autism Team to ensure he has appropriate strategies in place.
• He has access to a workstation.
• He has access to a quiet/separate work space.

For each of the Aims in the EHCP the school will report on progress towards each outcome and set a new outcome for the following year. Only one outcome is shown here. This is the format we use at our school. Each school has its own way of reporting.

PROGRESS REPORT ON AIMS / OUTCOMES

Spain

Student’s History

LEARNING STYLES

( There are a number of examples for each heading  - only one per heading given here )

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

Identified Needs

EVALUATION OF CURRICULAR COMPLEXITY

CHILD EDUCATION

AREA: COMMUNICATION AND REPRESENTATION

( There are many areas to score in each heading – only one example per heading is given here)

DESIGN AND ADATATION OF THE CURRICULUM

CURRICULUM ACCESS

Materials:

Communication:

Organization – space and time

Professionals

VERY SIGNIFICANT IN THE CURRICULUM

General Objectives:

Contents -  Operational Objectives ( see table below)

Eating:  the table, the menu, the utensils 

METHODOLOGICAL CRITERIA

• Natural contexts
• Interests
• Everyday routines
• Incidental situations aids
• Different modalities
• Opportunities to choose
• Learning without error
• Avoiding distraction

EVALUATION

Initial

Continuing

Final

POLAND

IEP

TURKEY

IEP

INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM FORM

Student Name: Eren

Student Number: 20

Grade: 8/A

Date of Birth: 08.09.2002

Gender: Male

School: OZDEBIR Ozel Egitim Uygulama Merkezi

Disability: Autism (Primary) / Language and Speech Impairment (Secondary)

Individualized Education Program (IEP) is developed by the IEP team. This team consists of the headmaster/ deputy headmaster, a special education teacher, general education teacher(s) and branch teachers, a school counselor or school psychologist. Other specialists such as a speech-language pathologist, an audiologist, a physical therapist, a social worker, and a healthcare professional may be invited to the meeting if needed. The key members of the IEP team are the parents. The student may also attend the meetings if appropriate.

The main purpose of the team is to evaluate the student’s present performance level in various subjects in order to develop the IEP, to identify proper educational environment, to arrange supporting services for the student.

The team carries out their duty in five stages.

1. Preparation: The team contacts with parents and receives their approval, informs the other members of the team, decides on the evaluation subjects, schedules the observation and evaluation dates, discusses the meeting date.

2. Observation: This stage includes a series of test to identify the present performance level of the student with SEN. Those are standardized tests, criterion-referenced tests, naturalistic observations, and interviews with parents and other teachers. Also, each area of need is determined according to various factors such as how the student's disability affects his or her involvement and progress in the general curriculum, his or her age, the environment he/she lives, and language he/she exposes. Thereafter, collected data is processed.

3. Placement: In this stage, proper educational environment is identified and supporting services are arranged considering the evaluation results.

4. Development of the program: It consists of two main steps. First one is development of the program. Based on the collected data (which displays the present educational level of the student); long term and short term goals are set, appropriate teaching materials are determined and teaching methods are established. Second step is the implementation of the program.

5. Implementation and evaluation of IEP: The team tracks and evaluates the program, revises the objects to measure the student’s progress toward goals then makes amendment if necessary.

Eren is an 8^th grade student with reading skills at early a 1^st grade level. He is working on writing skills and learning to read. He has language and speech impairment which affects his pronunciation. He substitutes another sound, leaves sounds out, or changes the sound. He mostly pronounces one syllable of the word. He expresses his needs with 1-2 word sentences.  In written language, he is able to write with sight. But he has problems with writing some letters (e.g. “y”, “g”, “p”, “k”) Eren needs to improve his pronunciation and get support from a speech therapist, needs to improve his writing skills for readable lettering.

In the area of personal hygiene; Eren washes his hands and after the usage of restroom, before and after the lunch. He keeps his desk clean. He uses tissue to wipe his nose. Eren is aware of his surroundings and collects trash and throws to bin when he sees it. Yet, he does not have a habit of brushing his teeth. Eren needs to adopt the habit for oral health.

When presented with a variety of objects and/or pictures, Eren identifies many of them. He knows himself and his classmates. He can distinguish gender and age. He understands the action. However he has difficulty with longer sentences because of his speech impairment. He also has a problem combined actions. Eren should increase his vocabulary by naming an attribute of the objects. He needs to improve his communication skills.

* Other teachers from previous years (if any) can attend the meeting. Experts from other institutions may be invited to the meeting for the opinion and suggestion.

LONG TERM GOAL

1. Given first grade level words, Eren will read them with verbal reminder with 80% accuracy in 4 of 5 opportunities; and write them by sight independently or minimum physical assistance with 70% accuracy in 4 of 5 opportunities by the end of the semester.

OBJECTIVES

LONG TERM GOAL

2. Given first grade level sentences (2-3 word sentences), Eren will read them with verbal reminder with 80% accuracy in 4 of 5 opportunities; and write them by sight independently or minimum physical assistance with 70% accuracy in 4 of 5 opportunities by the end of the semester.

OBJECTIVES 

LONG TERM GOAL

3. Eren will express the scene in the picture in by answering the questions of the teacher with 70% accuracy in 4 of 5 opportunities by the end of the semester.

OBJECTIVES

LONG TERM GOAL

4. Given at least 3 pictures, Eren will put them into correct order to complete the story with verbal assistance with 70% accuracy in 4 of 5 opportunities by the end of the semester.

OBJECTIVES

LONG TERM GOAL

5. When asked to brush his teeth, Eren will complete 10- step process in order independently or minimum cue with 75% accuracy, in 7 of 10 attempts by the end of this semester.

Romania

Social stories

Why use social stories?

Theory of mind suggests that many people with autism have an impairment of social understanding, the ability to think in ways necessary for appropriate for social interaction. 

People with autism do not act appropriately in social situations, do not understand that others might have a different opinion to them, or that others may want to do something different to what they want to do. 

From their perspective, the statements and actions of others may at times seem to occur without meaning or identifiable purpose, occurring randomly and without warning or logic.

Theory of mind also suggests that many people with autism do not understand that other people have their own – thoughts, – feelings, – plans and – points of view. As a result social situations become unpredictable and confusing. This can lead to: – Social Isolation – Exclusion – Lack of opportunities. 

How do social stories help?

Social stories attempts to address the ‘theory of mind’ impairment by giving individuals some perspective on the thoughts, emotions and behaviors of others . It was developed by Carol Grey (1994) for use with children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), but are also used successfully with adults with autism and related disabilities.   It provides a distance between ‘teaching’ and the social the situation. 

What is a social story?

Social story is a short story written in a specific style and format . They describes what happens in a specific social situation and presents information in a structured and consistent manner. It gives social information through pictures and text as opposed to speech or observation (notable areas of weakness).     Each story provides clear, concise and accurate information about what is happening in a specific social situation . It describes what is obvious to most of us, but not to those with impaired social understanding.   The story describes what people do, why they do it, and what the common responses are.

The purpose of Social Stories

• To provide a prompt for socially appropriate behavior;

• To help a person become familiar to a situation, and to respond appropriately;

• To help prepare for a new experience;

• To provide positive feedback so that people can recognise their own appropriate behavior;

• To help prevent extreme reactions that stem from a lack of social understanding.

Romania

INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATIONAL PLAN

Period: octombrie 2015-mai 2016

1. Basic information:

Pupil s surname/name: C.A.

Date of birth: 27.03.2005

Diagnosis: Eyesight impairment, Retinopathy of prematurity stage IV-V, Slight mental deficiency

Special education teacher: O.A.

Schoolteacher: K.M.

Schoolteacher: T.B

II. Reference areas:

1. Polysensory compensation
2. Spatial orientation and mobility
3. Alternative communication skills
4. Romanian language and comunication
5. Mathematics and environmental studies
6. Cognitive stimulation

Reference goals:

   1. Polisensory compensation

Tactile kinestethic education

1.1 To stimulate and develop prehension and fine motor skills

1.2 To form, practise and develop hand to hand coordination

1.3 To form, practise and develop tactile-kinaesthetic sensitivity

1.3 a) To form, practise and develop tactile-kinaesthetic representations about objects categories

       b) To form and work wih concepts

       c) To form, practise and develop tactile-kinaesthetic representations about ojects images

       d) To create and develop the ability of tactile differentiation of symbols (figures, letters, mathematical signs, musical notes)

Auditory education

1.4 To educate and practise phonemic hearing

1.5 To form and develop the ability to pick up, understand and correctly formulate oral and written messages

1.6 To develop the ability of using compensatory technical means ( technical compensation)

Gustatory and olfactory education

1.7 To form and develop the ability to identify/discriminate basic tastes ( sweet/bitter/sour/salty ) and smells, using food and familiar stuff

Visual education

1.8 a) To work on the eye muscles

1.8 b) To stimulate, practise and develop eye-motor coordination skills

1.8 c) To form and develop perception schemes by quickly detecting essential reference points

1.8 d) To increase the speed of perception

1.8 e) To increase visual differentiation skills by finetuning the ability to distinguish between details and shades

1.8 f) To finetune the sense of depth, te ability to perceive the raised quality of three-dimensional objects

1.8 g) To stimulate and develop chromatic sensitivity

2. Spatial orientation and mobility

2.1 To understand the body scheme and master laterality

2.2 To form motor skills

2.3 To form and develop spatial orientation-organisation-structuring sills

2.4 To master mobility and orientation techniques

2.5 To form and develop the abiity to use technical means and instruments

 3. Alternative communication skills

3.1 To develop lexicographical skills in Braille

3.2 To correct lexicographical disorders in Braille

3.3 To learn the basics of reading and writing in black and white

There is more information on developing Personalised plans for pupils with MSI in the Additional Information section of the Appendices below

Bulgaria

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA

Ministry of Education and Science

Center for Special Educational Support "Dr. Petar Beron" Dobrich

4 Yordan Yovkov Street,  Tel: 058/60 20 24

E-mail: Esta dirección de correo electrónico está siendo protegida contra los robots de spam. Necesita tener JavaScript habilitado para poder verlo.,   http://beron-dobrich.info//

INDIVIDUAL TRAINING PROGRAM

Full name of the student:

Year and date of birth: 18.01.2008

Age: 9 years

Group / Class: I group / 2nd grade

Form of training: Daily for the 2017/2018 school year

BULGARIAN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

  (BULGARIAN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE – 96 hours per year, 3 hours I  term, 3 hours II term)

Bulgarian language and literature training is a process of competence development in three main areas:

- development of elementary socio-communicative skills to facilitate meaningful communication in real communicative situations;

- development of general education knowledge and practical skills that contribute to the social and moral-aesthetic formation of the student's personality;

- empirical mastering of certain language skills and knowledge on the basis of positive attitude towards communication, joy and enjoyment of the learning process.

    Goals:

- Forming skills to listen and perceive a foreign speech;

- acquires initial knowledge and ideas about the letters;

- Accumulation of a passive vocabulary and development of an active vocabulary;

- development of thinking, memory, imagination;

EXPECTED RESULTS OF TRAINING

EDUCATIONAL CONTENT

The student's achievements are assessed on the following scale:

- participates in co-operation with the teacher;

- involves in group activity;

- has the ability for independently performance an accessible learning task;

- has skills for practical application of the acquired knowledge under changed conditions;

- has correction skills with targeting and self-correction in speaking, reading, and writing.

  Criteria for final qualitative assessment:

             - Achieves the goal / task

             - Performs the task

             - Encounters difficulties in achieving the goal / task

PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORT

(64 hours per year, 2 hours, I therm, 2 hours, II therm)

 OBJECTIVES:

  The goals of physical education and sports training are directed towards the formation of motor skills and habits, the development of physical qualities and the improvement of coordination capacities according to the age specifics of development.

      Training in physical education and sport should lead to strengthening students' health, developing their motor skills, providing maximum opportunity for self-realization in different spheres / learning, household, labor, etc., enriching their motor skills and forming higher motor skills, developing their motor skills and coordination skills, stabilizing their psyche, quenching their will, and enhancing confidence in their own strengths and abilities.

The realization of these goals is achieved by solving different tasks: remedial, educational, correctional;

Healthy tasks:

Ensuring optimal drive mode;

Prevention of health;

Development of physical qualities;

Scholastic tasks:

Formation of accessible physical knowledge and skills aimed at organizing motor activity, self-use of physical education;

Forming habits for personal and public hygiene.

Educational tasks:

Forming a positive attitude towards physical-healing activities;

Learning personal qualities.

EXPECTED RESULTS OF TRAINING:

EDUCATIONAL CONTENT

PERSPECTIVE FORMS AND METHODS FOR EVALUATING A STUDENT'S ACHIEVEMENTS

The student's achievements are assessed on the following scale:

The state of physical fitness is assessed through a system for controlling and assessing the physical capacity of the students

            - Participates in cooperative activities with the teacher;

            - Skills for catching and giving a ball

  - Includes in group games;

  - Has the ability to independently implement available instructional instructions without help;

  - Has skills for practical application of the acquired knowledge;

  - Has the ability to perform elementary physical exercises and games.

Criteria for final qualitative assessment:

   - Achieves the goal / task

   - Performs the task

   - Encounters difficulties in achieving the goal / task

Full name of the parent (the representative of the child / carer) who participates at the assessment:

Parent:……………………..

Similarly, it is made for all other subjects MATHEMATICS, NATURE AND  WORLD, MUSIC, ART, TECHNOLOGY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Plan to assess progress in development

for the period

 15.09.2017- 02.02.2018 2017/2018 school year

1.  Concentration and Resistance to Attention: Quickly distracts. Changes activities often
2. Language development and communicative skills:

Elementary grammar skills have been built. He writes letters on a dot and pattern, but does not recognize them and finds them. Modeling letters with plasticine and sticks. Indicates fairy tale characters with help.

1. Social skills: It interacts well with the other children in the group. It respects and complies with the rules.

4. Strengths: Very good physical development. During sports activities talks and communicates more. Very positive and emotional
5. Support for the future:

In the second term, work on the individual curriculum should continue

Belgium

Individual action plans – Nautica School

OV1 VERSUS OV4

OV4

• For students who follow the normal curriculum
• Curriculum objectives are mandatory
• Chosen by the Ministery of Education

OV1

• For students who are in need of learning self-reliance (cooking, cleaning, using public transport, working,…)
• Curriculum objectives are without obligation
• Chosen by the team of teachers of that student

EXAMPLE OF AN INDIVIDUAL ACTION PLAN

OBJECTIVES

• Teachers will decide during which courses each objective will be worked on and evaluated

EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP

• During each period, each objective will be evaluated by the teacher for his/her lessons
• At the end of each period, the objectives will be evaluated generally by colouring the flag in front of the objective

• Red flag: objective not achieved
• Yellow flag: on the move (partially achieved – still needs work)
• Blue flag: achieved
• Green flag: achieved with flying colours

AFTER THE EVALUATION

• After the evaluation, objectives can be removed, adjusted or left to work on the next period

Additional Information

The Intellectual Output

Bulgaria

Speech Therapy

Healthy Eating

Montessori

Back Writing

LOGOPEDICAL MANAGEMENT IN VOICE AND FLUENCY DISORDERS

                                                                 1  SMOOTH SPEECH DISORDERS

Occasional loss of fluency is the most difficult to control the speech behavior. The pitch of speech - this is the speed of speech, its acceleration or deceleration, determined by the degree of articulation tension and hearing memory. It refers to the pro-state of speech. Changes in the rate of speech are observed in a variety of emotional states of man. In these cases, they are temporary and can be normalized quickly. Speech rate abnormalities may also be pathologically determined, for example, in various local brain / cortical and subcortical structures. Symptoms of post dose pathology are:

1. SPEECH RATE VIOLATIONS. These include bradylalia and Tachylalia. In both forms, the development of external and internal speech is disturbed, the most disturbing the communicative side of speech, which is difficult to understand forothers.

A Bradalylia - a pathologically slow rate of speech production that occurs as an isolated speech disorder / in persons with a phlegmatic type of nervous system / and often as a symptom of other neuropsychiatric illnesses - oligophrenia, current central nervous system diseases, brain injuries and brain inflammation.

• Symptoms of speech - slow pace of expressive and inner speech, delayed reading and writing, monotone voice, pauses between words and syllables extension and sounds, torn and chantingspeech.
• Uncontrollable symptoms: disturbance in general motorism, mimics and fine motor fingers; movements are slow and awkward, attention is difficult to carry from one subject to another, perceptions aredelayed.

 B Tachyalia - a pathologically accelerated rate of speech that occurs both in the clinic of some neurological diseases and as a single speech defect. There is a breach of speech breathing - shaken, quick; speaking with the inhalation phase

• Symptoms of speech - In addition to the rapid pace, multiplicity, repetitions parts of speech, distorted phrase logic, and disturbed speech are noted.
• Uncontrollable symptoms - disturbance in general motorism - hyperactivity, tics; unstable attention, reduced memory volume; emotionalinstabilit

Two varieties of tachylaia - batarism and poltern are differentiated.

Batarism is a non-spasmodic anomaly with incorrect phrase formation due to speech disorder, voice changes, and rapid speech rate. Neurological status refers to organic brain dysfunctions with the following symptoms: paraphasia / impaired regulation function of speech attention /; dissociation between the rhythm of thinking and speaking / not answering words /; grammatical simplification of the phrase; speech speech violation. Speech is "tripped", chaotic, with omissions and repetitions of words and syllables, breaking the inner syntactic construction of the sentence.

Poltern - a pathologically accelerated speech of nonspasmodic type with elements of fragmented pace and unreasonable pauses. There are violations in general and speech motors. Especially important is the differential diagnosis with stuttering.

1. DISTURBANCES IN THE TEMPO-RHYTHMIC ORGANIZATION OFSPEECH.

The stuttering - One of the most complex speech defects, which is defined as a disorder of the tempo-rhythmic organization of spasmodic speech type. In the qualification of the causes two groups of factors are differentiated: predisposing and stimulating stuttering. Predisposing: hereditary - constitutional peculiarities / burden, neurotic diseases of the parents, birth defects, generalized central nervous system defects, motorics failure, and disturbance in the basic emotional structures.

Stimulating factors: anatomy - physiological - brain traumas and diseases of the nervous system; psycho-social - fright, stress, chronic psychological trauma family conflicts, imperative education, inadequate speech development, or increased demands for early childhood speech. This speech disadvantage is expressed in the lack of speech and retention of the speech act of a sound or of any syllable of the word, accompanied by tension and spasms in the field of articulation, phonational and respiratory muscles. Spasms disturb the rhythm and melody of speech. This tension and these cramps have a central brain character, but they are also deprived of control of consciousness. By type and durability, these restraints / spasms are different - tonic or clonic.

In the case of tonic spasms, the stuttering child can either not start the word, or there is an unnatural interval between the two consecutive words, or when the first sound begins and speaks, it is impossible to immediately pronounce the next.

In case of clonic cramps, the stutter repeats the first sound several times or the first syllable of the word and then pronounces the next. Most types of stuttering are seen in both types of stuttering. With this disturbed rhythm of speech, the stuttering child strives to overcome the speech difficulty with various movements and efforts, which complicates his situation and the external picture.

Stuttering is a functional disorder of speech that is fixed in the way of a conditional reflex mechanism and acts in a certain emotional state. That's why sometimes the stuttering speaks well and sometimes the stuttering is in a heavier form. Typically, when the child is in a normal setting, stuttering is lighter, and when speaking to strangers, his speech gets worse. The fact that stuttering is a functional disorder of speech is also the fact that when a stuttering child sings or speaks singly, stuttering is hardly noticeable. A prerequisite for stuttering is the weaker and unsustainable nervous system due to heredity or illness at an early age.

Stuttering most often occurs around the age of four to five, around the seventh-eighth year, or in puberty. In the first case, there is an unsupported speech and unstable nervous system; in the second - higher tension due to admission to school, and in the third - increased emotionality and susceptible to such functional changes nervous system.

Stuttering Symptoms:

1. Physiological - speech spasms, somatic and central nervous system disorders, disorders in the general and speech motorics.
2. Psychological - fear of speech / logophobia / stinging and repeating of speech, a phenomenon of fixation on thedefect.

In recent years, there have been two types of stuttering - neurotic and neurosis-type state, with different aetiology and dynamics.

• Neurotic has a rapid onset (usually around 3-5 years) and is in children with good speech development but with an unbalanced type of nervous system. The main reasons are of a psycho-socialnature.
• Neurosis type, it shows a gradual beginning and coincides with the emergence of the first sentences, and linguistically speaking development is delayed. The most common causes are of organicorigin.

Stuttering directly affects children's character. Above all, there is a fear of talking to strangers. This is a fear that develops shyness, depression, closeness. Stuttering in certain extent also affects their thinking because, in an effort to avoid the word that he stutters of, and while looking for another word, the thought may change in the process of verbalisation / speaking / and his attention is not directed to what he has to say, but on how to say it. Stuttering does not directly affect the intellectual development of stuttering. Given that stuttering is eliminated, it must be done as early as possible in order to limit the duration of its negative influence, both on the character and on the intellectual development of the child.

Stuttering is eliminated by systematic, sometimes lengthy, corrective exercises, systemized and conducted by a speech therapist. In addition, care is taken to strengthen the nervous system.

In recent times, there has been a growing need for a worldwide practice that one of the most effective approaches to resolving emerging disorders of speech fluency is prevention. Effective prevention requires early therapy, speech therapists and parents need to be aware of the factors and the extent of their impact.

Children with speech disorders are opened logopedic schools, kindergartens and a number of logopedics cabinets to the psycho-neurological dispensaries, some unified childcare facilities and mass schools. They carry out consultative and diagnostic activities with the children's logopaths, their corrective and logopedic impact and methodical support for their parents.

2 VOICE CONTROL

The voice is the sound produced by the vibration of the vocal cords and is modified by the resonator. It is a hearing-savvy sound produced by phoning. Characterized by parameters such as strength, height, timbre, flexibility, resonance. Height is the perceptual root of the frequency. Power is the perceptual coreal of intensity. Tambour is a perceptual coreal of complexity. Flexibility is a perceptual corollary of frequency, intensity, and complex variations. Symptoms: "Abnormal" disturbed voice occurs when: The voice is the sound produced by the vibration of the vocal cords and is modified by the resonator. It is a savvy sound produced by sounds. Characterized by parameters such as strength, height, timbre, flexibility, resonance. Height is the perceptual root of the frequency. Power is the perceptual coreal of intensity. The timbre is a perceptual coreal of complexity. Flexibility is a perceptual corollary of frequency, intensity, and complex variations. Symptoms: "Abnormal" disturbed voice occurs when:

• Timbre, height, strength differ from those people of the same age, gender, cultural environment, and geography typicallyproduce.
• the structure / function of the laryngeal mechanism can not last long enough to meet the requirements of voiceformation
• there is an absence or disturbance of the background due to abnormal changes in the voicerecorder.

VOICE DISORDER

Voice / phonational / disorder is a speech pathology affecting the quality of voice necessary for the adequate external verbal communication. It is mainly the result of the vocal ties, the gender or the environment in which the individual lives. Voice disorders are accompanied by disturbed breathing, which is so much more severe as the background disorder is more severe. The direct interaction between the vocal and the respiratory muscles is the reason for disturbance of the activity of the muscles of the muscles to affect the activity of the respiratory muscles. The result is dyspnea - incomplete, difficult, cramped, superficial breathing. The voice differs from the articulation and language to the following features that make it unique, the voice does not learn - children can cry, shout, and cough instinctively. It is influenced by positive and negative emotions: the manifestations are tremor of vocal ties, vocal stops and / or changes in height. It is always interacting with articulation and language / pragmatic skills, singing, speech and non-speech sounds /.

Causes of infringements are:

• emotional factors or negative impacts from the external environment are functional.

Logopedic diagnosis includes:

1. Voice evaluation: conversation, oral reading / if the person is able to read / repeat / imitate words and phrases, standard speech / count of days of the week, months of the year numbers /, singing a popular song, isolatedvocalizing
2. Specialized voice diagnosis: assessment of voice height, assessment resonance, evaluation of voice timbre, examination of oral speech mechanism, assessment of breathing, assessment ofhearing

THERAPY:

• Symptomatic voice therapy - focused on video-changing voice symptoms / breathlessness, low voice height, voice attack type, insufficient voice,disturbed timbre and resonance / identified by a voicepathologist

• Psychogenic voice therapy - the attention is directed to the patient's emotional and psychological imbalance that leads to a voicedisorder.

• Etiological voice therapy - focused on discovering the causes that leads to voice pathology and itsremoval.

• Physiological voice therapy - is aimed at direct modification, development and improvement of the balance of the laryngeal muscular effort in terms of airflow maintenance, as well as correction of the laryngealtone

• Eclectic voice therapy - combination of elements from the abovementioned.

Prepared by Todorka Popova - speech therap

3  FOOD

GENERAL PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES FOR WORK CHILDREN WITH PROBLEMS

The adequate nutrition and hydration is the main goal of nutritional intervention. Children need food and vitamins to grow and be healthy. They need a balanced diet with food from five main food groups: bread and cereals, fruits and vegetables, milk, cheese and yoghurt, meat, fish, eggs, legumes, and fats.

Difficulties in eating and swallowing disorders are called dysphagia. The child may have dysphagia for many reasons and difficulties may be temporary  or permanent. These difficulties in eating, drinking and swallowing are very common in children with disabilities. Their identification and appropriate referral to a specialist is vital in early intervention.

Feeding time

Time and eating habits have physical, emotional and social significance. Dining time provides a good opportunity for the child to communicate with the person who feeds him/her and to get love from the persons at the table, to provide a sense of family, culture and community for physical growth and health, for sensory research.

Children feel fed when they feel the unconditional love of another person when their appetite and choice of food are respected, receive the calories and nutrients they need to grow and be healthy.

The oral structures involved in the nutrition process are:

ü  Jaw

The jaw is needed from the moment when food is offered, ie. Opening the mouth. The jaw opens and closes under control to bite and chew foods of varying consistency. The jaw maintains and surrounds other oral structures.

ü  Tongue

The tongue plays an important role in manipulating food, moving on all sides in the mouth. The tongue moves the food back into the mouth to swallow. It helps to mix the food with saliva to prepare for swallowing and plays an important role in cleaning the teeth.

ü  Cheeks

The cheeks and the tongue work together to place the food in chewing cheeks. The cheeks also help keep the food in the mouth. They play a critical role in sucking.

ü  Hard palate

The hard palate forms one of the walls of the oral cavity. It surrounds the cavity and provides suction.

ü  Soft palate

The soft palate rises up and prevents food from leaking into the nose when the food moves to the nasal cavity during swallowing.

Development of nutritional skills

Children suckle to nine months. Biting begins at approximately six months. After the bite, the children learn to chew (up and down), then develop in diagonal chewing (using the tongue and jaw movements from one side to the other) and eventually learn to rotate chewing.Nutritional problems may exist due to structural problems (split lip and palate), neurological diseases (Child Cerebral Palsy), developmental lag, behavioral problems, etc.

Which conditions can affect nutrition? They are:

• Physical condition of the baby / child - if the child is tired or sleepy, it can affect the child's ability to take up food orliquid.
• Position during nutrition - this will affect the regulation of the open / closed air path and muscle control forswallowing.
• Physiological control - the child's heart rhythm, breathing rhythm,etc. There is a risk of developing nutritional difficulties in the presenceof:

v  neurological problems;

v  congenital abnormalities;

v  metabolic diseases;

v  cognitive or behavioral constraints;

v  psychosocial problems;

v  chronic diseases;

v  gastrointestinal diseases;

The swallowing process runs through the following phases:

• Oral preparatory phase

When the mouth prepares food or liquid for swallowing. It involves sucking, chewing, feeding the food inside the mouth, preparing the "bite" of food that is ready to swallow. The movement and functioning of the jaw, tongue, lips, cheeks and soft palate play a key role in preparing food for swallowing.

• Oral phase

When the "bite" is ready to be swallowed, the tongue moves upward against the hard palate, pushing the food to the back of the mouth where the swallowing reflex begins

• Pharyngealphase

This stage of swallowing takes place in the pharynx and is not under the control of the volunteer. The soft palate is pulled back and lifted to protect the food  from entering the nasal cavity, the base of the tongue moves forward  and upward to increase the pharyngeal space, the thyroid cartilage, the larynx and the pharynx move up and forward - this is usually Visible. The epiglottis is like  a valve that covers the breathing tube. The breathing trachea is open, but once the swallowing reflex has begun, it closes to stop the milk from entering the trachea and point it to the esophagus. Inside the voice box, voiced connections are closed to protect the trachea. This is the swallowing phase where aspiration (suction) may occur. Upon penetration, the bite is at the level of vowel connections. There is aspiration - the bite is below the level of real vowel connections.

• Oesophageal phase

The bite moves well along the "breathing path". It moves from gravity and through the esophagus goes into the stomach. The lower oesophageal sphincter opens to allow the food to go into the stomach and remains closed to prevent food from returning back into the esophagus.

Survey the feeding through a clinical study:

1. History: medical history, history of development
2. t, worries, complaints of parents andrelatives.
3. Monitoring during meals:
4. Evaluation:
5. Oral motor examination
6. Objective assessment. Often, when children have complex eating and swallowing disorders, objective investigation is performed at hospital level. A popular objective assessment used to determine whether or not the child is asymptomatic is called a "videofluoscopic study of swallowing." This is done in a controlled manner. The speech therapist and the radiologist are included in the evaluation, through Ro-graphy, which demonstrates the passage of the mouth- to-mouth esophagus and thus aspiration isnoticed.

The indicators of aspiration are:

ü  Weight loss and / or retention;

ü  Length of meals (longer than 30 minutes);

ü  Denial of eating and drinking, it takes a long time to open your mouth before eating / drinking;

ü  Difficulty in biting, chewing and handling with food in the mouth, weak and / or poor control of the muscles of the face, mouth and tongue;

ü  Unusual oral movements (forward tongue or reflex of biting);

ü  Laziness or weak control of saliva;

ü  Poor sensation of the face, oral and gingival muscles;

ü  Dissipation and scattering of food and drink;

ü  Slow or missing chewing, the food remains in the cheeks or mouth after swallowing;

ü  Difficulties to eat with a familiar type of food / liquids;

ü  Difficulties in initiating swallowing;

ü  Repeated swallowing to clear the food and liquid;

ü  Difficult coordination of breathing and swallowing;

ü  Coughing, choking, nausea while eating;

ü  Discomfort when swallowing while eating and drinking;

ü  Humid, bloating voice during or immediately after swallowing or feeding;

ü  Leakage through the nose or frequent sneezing during meals;

ü  Gastric reflux and vomiting;

ü  Sweating, pale face during meals;

ü  Common chest infections;

Alternative nutrition

Some children with multiple disabilities need to eat through a tube to source nutrients or when oral nutrition is not permitted on medical grounds. There are different types of tubes used for eating and the decision on which type to use depends on the child's medical condition and the duration of the meal in this way. Two types are the most commonly used tubes:

Nasogastric tube - this is a soft tube that is inserted through the nose and moves down straight to the stomach. No operation is required for insertion. It is used for a short period of time.

Gastrostoma - this tube puts the food straight into the stomach, bypassing the mouth. An operation is required to place the tube and is usually placed on children who require a long feeding time in this way. This is a gastric tube that  is inserted through the stomach by an operating route and is no longer than two years. The gastric tube should only be replaced by a surgeon or nurse who is trained to perform this procedure.

Positioning during nutrition

The right posture affects airway maintenance, respiratory regulation, safe swallowing and the overall organization of the child. Positioning is very important during meals to prevent aspiration and ear infections. For older children, make sure that the child's neck is not tightened but slightly tilted forward. Babies can be fed at any position for up to 3 months. Then they should sit upright as far as possible.

Development of nutritional skills

When feeding a small baby with a pacifier, it is recommended that it should not lie on its back. The one who feeds the child must keep his elbow. The best postures are feeding in supportive sitting.

When feeding a baby with a spoon, it uses the lips, tongue and jaw. The time has come to change the suction reflex with tongue movements from one side to the other. The nutrition with spoon start with clean or pressed products of family dinner. It is important to encourage the child to move the contents of the spoon using the upper lip. It is easier to start eating a shallow spoon while the deeper can be used when the child is able to take a spoonful of liquid.

Child needs to touch and observe different foods with his hands before the nutrition begins. When nutrition is included with fingering, it starts with soft mousses, such as soft cheese, avocado, boiled potatoes, pasta soaked with sauce, etc. They must be strong enough to bite, but soft enough to chew easily by placing gums on the sides. Children with teeth can move from cubes to food on strips - vegetable sticks, striped meat, grilled cheese sandwiches, wafer strips, apple pieces, green beans, steamed carrots.

Drinking using a glass can start at 12-15 months. Choosing the right glass is very important. Start by using a small amount of a consistent fluid (smooth consistency) in the glass and then gradually make the fluid less until the child develops their skills.

1. Start using a small cup. This will protect the extension (stretching) of the neck, and the person who feeds the child will better control the amount of fluid. The cup can be placed under a certain angle by pressing to adjust the exact shape.
2. Allow the child to drink once, swallow, and then put the cup down, lift the cup again when the child is ready for the nextsip.
3. Drinking with straws promotes self-independence. It requires a sophisticated suctional reflex and good mouth closure. It may be easier for some children to drink than straw than a cup. Adequate nutrition and hydration is always a priority in nutritionalintervention!

Children with disabilities are unable to follow instructions and actively take part in the activity because their movements are limited. Activities should then be introduced more passively and carefully using massage or stimulation.

• To develop the power the tongue, we use tongue resistance against spoon, imitation of yawn, tongue out, placing a thin strip of gauze soaked in the middle of the tongue, and exhaling the juice by lifting the tongue upwards to the hard palate.
• Tongue lateralization develops by resisting the tongue on the left and right against the lollipop.
• To stimulate raising the tip the tongue - with a small amount of "taste" behind the upper teeth and lick it, open the mouth and lift the tip of the tongue to the hard palate, hold the candy to the gums with help from the tip of the tongue. Circular movements with tongue: Place food in a marmalade in the mouth and encourage circular lateral movements with tongue to move "chewing gum or candy" into the mouth.
• Tongue - cup: tap in the middle of the tongue to make atrough.

For the development the muscles of lips and cheeks: knocking on the outside of the lips, encouraging kissing for family, friends, doll, tapping the upper lip down from the tip of the nose to the lips, gently striking the fingers on the cheeks, encouraging the closing of the lips around the tube with progressive decreasing diameter, holding the posture and using tension for a few seconds, placing a spoon between the lips and opposing, holding the lips together and breathing in the cheeks - letting the air out of the mouth or nose, facial exercise - encourage blasting while lips closed....

For developing jaw strength: resistance by opening the mouth with finger under the lower jaw, seize with teeth a tool or soft candy, jaw movement sideways, jaw movement in circular movements, imitation chewing

Oral manipulation with tissues and objects, i. e. chewing tube or other soaked chocolate, honey. This can stimulate language lateralization and chewing skills.

Sensitivity is the ability of the eyes, ears, skin, tongue and nose to gain information, and perception (perception) is the ability of the brain to process and interpret these messages. When there are difficulties in this area, eating can be seriously affected. Hypnosis - the child shows weak reactions to one or more sensations. There may be less awareness that the food is in the mouth and this could lead to choking or nausea. In this case, games attarcting attention are used

- jumping, tickling, swinging to prepare the whole body and facial area for feeding.

Massage - For hypersensitive children we use short, hard strokes (tapping), finger tapping 4 - 5 times, 3 times and a day before nutrition).  For hypersensitive, longer strokes are appropriate, for example: along the jaw line from the temporomandibular connection to the corners of the mouth, along both sides of the nose, from the upper lip to the lower lip, from the lower lip to the upper lip.

The following flavors can be added to stimulate sensitivity: fresh lemon, lemon juice, cinnamon, garlic, lemonade, cooked onion, peppermint, chilli powder or chili powder, olives, grape juice, pickled fruits, pickles, salsa , marjoram, parsley, ginger, nutmeg, pimenta, curry, pepper.

Oral manipulation with objects of different consistency, tastes and temperatures can provide stimulation inside the mouth.

Cerebral paralysis and nutrition

Cerebral paralysis is affected by motor reflexes. They are involved in breathing, chewing and swallowing, and for this reason they are also affected. Motion abnormal motor reflexes that can be observed are: contraction of the lips, jaw forward, lack of jaw crossing, muscle contraction in the bite, tongue retraction, tongue flexion. Cerebral palsy has associated factors that can directly or indirectly affect nutrition. This includes:

• Structural differences (usually cleft lips and / or palate, peri-pharyngeal immaturity).
• Slowing down in development, primitive eating habits are present after the time when this behavior should have gone to a more mature behavior, sucking and chewing instead of rotational chewing, good biting and lateralization of the tongue.
• Refusal to eat. It is often present as a major cause of eating problems, but can also arise for other reasons. It may be due to frustration or lack ofcontrol.
• Other medicalindication:
  • Reflux, which can cause pain and discomfort associated witheating;
  • Heart problems can causefatigue;
  • Drugs can cause side effects, such as changes in taste receptors and lack ofappetite;

Impact: It is important for the child with cerebral palsy to be put in the right posture, to stabilize the body and its head to improve control of the oral muscles,

i.e. hand on hand when eating with a spoon. The tone has to be normalized by adjusting the position according to the individual characteristics of the child. This will have a positive effect on facial tone, facial movements, and swallow control. When the child's head is stretched the breathing path is open there is a risk of choking. The child should sit as tight as possible with a chin. He eats at his speed by our prompting with a cheek touch or a verbal reminder.

Autism and nutrition. Between 33 - 74% of children with autistic disorders have dietary difficulties. Eating problems may include: denial of food, choking, denial of diet or change in used utensils, restricted diet, limited self-eating skills, eating non-eating things, and vomiting. This can lead to: sensory motor difficulties, difficulties in oral motor skills for eating, drinking and swallowing, denial of change and change in routine activities. The reluctance to eat can be related to the type, consistency or quantity of food offered to the child. It may also be related to reflux, eating difficulties, poor nutrition or poor intervention by the person who feeds it.

Management: Consultation with a therapist is recommended to evaluate and manage sensory deficits, as well as reduce the number of distractions. Use picture schemes, social stories, a specific and meaningful language, introduce an oral-motor program that is suited to the child's sensory needs, the context- sensitive reminders must be consistent and logical. Routine nutrition activities must be followed - washing the hands, sitting on the table. Take a look at the appearance of the food, how it smells, what it tastes, what sounds make the child when he eats. Food will teach his more, by touching. Allow him to eat at the speed he wants!

And encourage him always to feed himself!

REMEMBER:

Become familiar with the medical history of the child! Get in touch with other members of the clinical team! Move with the pace of the child!

Enter the changes gradually!

Proper positioning is of great importance! Be aware of the child's responses to eating! Learn the child's communication signals!

Permanent person to do the feeding! Minimize distraction, distraction!

Prepared by: Todorka Popova – speech therapist

4 LET’S BE HEALTHY

“May your food be your remedy and your remedy be your food”        Hippocrates

Healthy eating is a part of healthy way of living. Healthy living is possible even though it has many aspects. A healthy individual does not smoke, maintains a normal weight, eats clean and does sports. Living a healthy life

won’t happen in a day, but you can try with small and confident steps towards your aim. Adequate nourishment supplies the body with all the nutrition needed and helps its proper functions. It is important to eat various kind of healthy meals because there’s no such food or food group that contents all the elements our body needs.

There are 4 groups of food you need to consume each day.

1. Grain food (bread, rice, pasta, corn, oats) andpotatoes.
2. Fruits andvegetables.
3. Dairy products ( yoghurt , milk,cheese)
4. Meat, fish, eggs, beans, lentils, nuts (walnuts, almonds,hazelnuts...)

These foods are very important for the growth and for the health. That is why you need to eat at least one type of food of each group.

There are 2 more groups with foods and drinks you have to consume in limited amounts.

1. Fats- butter, meat fat, refined oil, oliveoil
2. Sugar and pastry - cakes, chocolate, candies as well as drinks with too muchsugar.

1 Grain and potatoes

This group includes food rich in starch, plant proteins, vitamins B and cellulose. These foods (bread, rice, pasta, corn, oats) and potatoes are the main plant food we consume. They are source of nutrition and energy throughout the day. Those grains such as whole wheat bread, rye bread, wheat, corn, brown rice, oats, etc., are richer in fibers, minerals and other elements, which are good for the body.

Advice

Include daily in the menu whole wheat bread, potatoes (baked or boiled). Avoid chips and French fries. Eat more whole wheat pasta. Limit the consummation of fatty food made of dough.

2 Fruit and vegetables

Fruit and vegetables are the most important part of healthy eating. Rich in minerals, vitamins and bioactive compounds these foods are important for the body proper functions and for the immune system. They are the main source of vitamin C. Another benefit for the body is that when you eat more vegetables and fruit you don’t gain weight because they content mostly water, low carbs and no fats.

Advice

Eat at least 4oo gr. fresh fruit and vegetables daily. Choose vegetables with various colors yellow-orange (tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, carrots , etc.), green leaves (spinach, parsley, lettuce, green onions) , legume plants ( green beans, peas), etc.. Chose frozen fruits and vegetables instead of pickled or sterilized. Chose fresh fruit and vegetables which are seasonal. Try low temperature and short-term cooking. Thus the vitamins and healthy elements will be preserved.

3 Milk and dairy

Milk and dairy are important part of healthy lifestyle and are highly recommended for kids and adults. Products from this group are the best source of easily absorbed calcium, rich in proteins and vitamins, which are vital for the bones and teeth growth. They content vitamins A, D and B.

Advice

Eat at least one cup of yogurt or drink one cup of milk, as well as 50 gr. of white cheese. These foods will supply your body with 50% percent of the calcium you need for the day. Choose low fat yogurt and milk (0.1%-0.5 %). It is better for you to eat unsalted curd cheese.

4 Meat, fish, eggs, legumes and nuts

Meat, fish and eggs are source of proteins, which are vital for the synthesis of tissues and for the immune system. They are rich in vitamin B and iron and protect us from anemia. Legumes such as beans, soy, peas, chickpeas and lentils are also rich in proteins and can substitute the animal protein. Soy protein contains phytoestrogens, which fight against heart deceases and lower the bad cholesterol in blood. Protect from osteoporosis. Drupes contains unsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E, which protect us from heart deceases.

Advice

Consume chicken without the skin and red meat (beef, lamb, veal) to three times a week. Remove the visible fat before cooking. Eat fish at least two times a week. Consume beans, lentils and soybeans at least two times a week. Eat 30 to 50 grams nuts daily.

5 Added fats

Fats are vital for the body as well as the other nutrition elements. They are source of very important fatty acids which are not synthesized in the organism and help absorption of fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E and K). They provide two times more energy in comparison with the proteins and carbohydrates. Due to the high- calorie content, these foods may lead to overweight and diabetes type 2.

Advice

Use as little as possible oil and fats when preparing food. Avoid frying and use non-stick pans. Thus you can use less fat while cooking. Choose vegetable fats ( sunflower, corn and olive oil) and use in small amounts.

VITAMINS

Vitamins are vital substance for the proper functions of the entire human body. Fruit and vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals and fibers as well as bio-active elements which are very important for the body functions, for the body growth and development and for the immune system.

The most important vitamins are vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C and vitamin D.

Vitamin A is known as the vitamin of growth. It takes part in the body growth process. Increases the organism defense against infections. It is in milk, butter, eggs, fish, meat, liver, carrots, red peppers, tomatoes, pumpkins and apricots.

Vitamin B is essential for the body growth as well. It can be found in whole grain bread, grains such as rice, corn, oats, milk, liver, fish and meat.

Vitamin C is vital for the immune system. we can find it in  lemons, oranges apples, strawberries, cabbage and spinach.

 Vitamin D makes our bones stronger and it is in milk, butter, eggs, fish and liver.

                             RULES FOR  NUTRITION MANAGEMENT

• Pick your food according its nutrients. For an example : proteins-15%, carbohydrates- 50%, fats- 30%, fibers- 25-30 grams daily.
• Eat more fruit and vegetables. You can add them in any food you eat.
• Include nuts and seeds in your menu at least 4 times a week.
• Reduce the consumption of salt and sugar, of too much red meat, trans fats which are guilty for the plugged arteries. Reduce the high cholesterol food too.
• Eat more often! Instead of eating 3 large meals a day, you can have 6 smaller meals and so to speed up your metabolism.
• Manage your meals in exact time.
• Drink a lot of water ( 8-9 glasses a day).
• Get rid of all unhealthy foods in your kitchen . When not finding chips or candies you would have an apple or a carrot.
• Choose ripe fruit and vegetables.
• Make a schedule for the snacks because it’s good for you. Don’t gorge with food. Stop when you feel satisfied.

Don’t eat in front of the TV. It’s very distracting and you may miss the moment you are already full. You can turn the breakfast, the lunch or dinner time into a family gathering and spend some time together.

Prepared by: Komna Novakova - teacher

5 HERBS - Friends of Health     

Lavander Lavandula      Lavender is an aromatic plant, a herb widely used in the medicine, perfumery, and insect repellent

Mint Mentha      The mint is an aromatic plant, herb, used in the traditional medicine, pharmacy, culinary, medicinal drink

Lemon balm Melissa officinalis     Herb with lemon flavor. A healing plant, used in cosmetics and culinary. Medicinal drinks are prepared.

Tilia Tilia    Tilia is a tree with aromatic blossoms. The linden color with its rich range of beneficial ingredients has been used most commonly for infusions and tea.

Chamomile Matricaria     Herb in traditional medicine, an effective curative and cosmetic remedy. In Tibetan medicine, the chamomile was considered a miraculous remedy for rejuvenation.

Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis  A herb named "Dew of the Sea", which has a citrus-like aroma. Used in medicine and in the culinary.

Saint John's wort Hypericum perforatum    A grassy healing plant called a "means against 99 diseases". The magical properties of the herb are due to its red juice and qualities

Thymus Thymus     Herbs with divine aroma, healing properties, spices in culinary. Kills microbes, supplies the body with vitamins, a source of minerals

Calendula Calendula    a herb miracle for health and beauty. The healing plant known among all peoples. Used in medicine and cosmetics

Prepared by Nelly Georgieva

6  SIGNIFICANCE AND APPLICATION OF THE MONTESSORI METHOD

FOR STUDENTS IN AUXILIARY SCHOOLS

             The goal of early childhood education should be to activate the child's own natural desire to learn.        Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori was born on 31 August 1870 in Italy. She is the first female doctor in her country. She works as a doctor in the psychiatric clinic in Rome with orphan children with very severe disabilities - mental and psychical. Maria created a special school, and then a medical and pedagogical institute for mentally retarded children from poor families and children, where  she developed and applied a variety of didactic materials that went into history as "the Montessori gold material".

Montessori is the first in the world to produce furniture in the size of children. Marie Montessori's life path ended in 1952 in the Netherlands where she was buried.

After countless observations of mentally retarded children, she notices the importance of tangibility in childhood education and finds that mental deficiency is more pedagogic rather than a medical problem and thus develops a method of educating of these children. The success of this method is striking.

Because she has made a great deal of progress with ordinary means with poor children.

She begins to think about how her method can be applied to normal children.Principles and accents in the Montessori method

In her training methods, Montessori takes a number of pedagogical solutions that prove to be reformist for his time. They are reformist, because they are different and unique in their content, it applies something  fundamentally different from what has been done so far. Montessori is a supporter of the idea that it is through the hands that children develop their brains skills. Performing an interesting exercise for the child always leads to concentration in the action.

Fundamental Principles in the Montessori System:

• Freedom of the child's personalchoice.
• The need for freedom of thechild.
• The teacher encourages the individual work of eachchild.
• Appropriately organizedenvironment.

A GREAT PRINCIPLE IS INTRODUCED: ACTIVE DISCIPLINE IN FREEDOM.

The prepared environment

 The emphasis on Montessori's work is the prepared environment in which the child is free of unnecessary interference from adults and can live a life according to the laws of their development.

 The most important feature of the prepared environment is the order. There must be a place for everything and everything left in its own place.

 The adult is also a part of the prepared environment, his function is to help children achieve perfection through their own efforts.

Montessori environment is a children's home - a world of children's size

• The walls are painted in neutralcolors.
• The furniture is child-sized, lightweight and easy to
• There are curtains on the windows, real plants and bedding on the
• The paintings are hung on the level of the children and show people, objects and scenes from reallife.
• The room is arranged according to different activities andentertainments.
• The prepared environment includes the special Montessori materials - they set the principle of self-control, which minimizes the controlling function of theteacher.
• Montessori materials are environmentally friendly - they are produced only from natural raw materials (metal, wood, glass). The presence plastic materials in the Montessori rooms is extremelyundesirable.
• There are rules for working with Montessori materials - the  materials must be used for the intended purpose, after all materials are left in the mentioned place, all materials in the environment are presented in a single copy, freedom of choice of material in theenvironment.

Application Of The Method To Pupils With Special Educational Needs In Special School Conditions

 One of the main differences of this method of education versus the traditional one is that the teacher does not face the class and does not teach the same lesson to all at the same time. Every child is free to learn things according to their own development and rhythm, in a way that they do not feel how they learn or are trained.

 Montessori called this way of teaching "preparing the child for success". The teacher is there to guide through small exercises in which the child will be successful. Over time, the difficulty of Exercises is increasing, but as progress is so well thought out, the child never feels the learning as an exertion.

 Children with special educational needs using Montessori are much quicker to learn to be self-sufficient in their day-to-day activities, particularly in self-care and personal hygiene. They are happy to arrange the materials and keep the environment clean and easily accessible.

 The Montessori method is very easy to move from reality to abstract. The children with SEN are presented with the first real material, the personification of the abstract idea, such as size and color. By manipulating the material repeatedly for a longer period of time, their consciousness grasps the idea embedded in the material, and their mind reaches the abstraction, even as a model they repeat.

 Students who work in a Montessori structured and Montessori method acquire long - lasting work habits and better concentration, are happy, relaxed and do not need frequent use of relaxation time.

Directions in the Method

 Exercises from Practical Life - The purpose of exercises in daily life (practical life) is to help the child gain control and coordination of his / her own movements, help him / her gain independence and adapt to society. Children affected by the daily work of adults are very interested  in these activities. By imitating the actions of adults, they adapt to the world around them and to reality.