Working with parents to support their disabled children’s social and school inclusion. An exploratory counseling study

This article synthesizes the long-lasting counseling process of a family with a child suffering from a chronic illness. The provided intervention model draws on a series of principles from various theoretical approaches, namely systemic, psychodynamic, and resiliency. Family functioning and support is considered a catalytic parameter in assisting children with disabilities to fully develop their potential. This project is based on a family and child-centered integrative counseling model adopting the nonmedical conception of disability. Through the presentation of a case study of a couple who faced a critical situation in the life of their child, this article briefly describes the way the family dynamics were readdressed through this intervention counseling model. In addition, this work attempts to give a picture of the complex and confusing emotional states parents may go through when dealing with physical and psychological health-threatening situations and present guidelines for integrated counseling models. © 2015 Taylor & Francis Group, LL

Supporting pupils with cancer on their return to school: a case study report of a reintegration program

AbstractOpting for a qualitative approach in order to get a better insight in related processes at individual level, our study draws upon a single case research analysis. The case of an 11 year old boy who was diagnosed with leukaemia will be presented. The first part of the program deals with the semi-structured interviews involving parents, child and the school personnel aiming at exploring and identifying eventual difficulties related to the implementation of the intervention. Whereas, the second part deals with school staff workshops, peer education and counselling targeting at promoting family, school and hospital collaboration. The reintegration program increased teachers, peers and parents’ knowledge concerning the medical and psychosocial aspects of cancer. An improvement of teachers and peers’ attitude towards the suffering child was also observed. The creative collaboration of school, family and hospital definitely facilitated the progressive transition of the ill child back into the educational system

Counseling children at risk in a resilient contextual perspective: a paradigmatic shift of school psychologists’ role in inclusive education

Existing evidence shows an increasing number of learning, emotional, interpersonal, and behavioural problems in school-age children that affect their academic and social development. If not treated in a holistic and effective manner, these difficulties may increase the probability of more serious psychosocial and academic problems during adolescence. The purpose of this paper is to describe a school-based counseling intervention model aiming at supporting vulnerable children (children with various forms of disabilities) and families at risk based on a resilient and eco-systemic perspective. This implies a considerable and paradigmatic shift in school goals, in the role of educational staff and school psychologists as well as the establishment of a holistic and comprehensive intervention model within schools; a model which will refer to a meaningful and systemic conception of academic and mental health problems in childhood

Handling learner discipline problems: A psycho-social whole school approach

Learner discipline is a problem in South African schools. The most serious aspect is addressing learner-discipline problems. Research has shown that teachers are at a loss for effective methods for maintaining discipline. The literature that does exist pertaining to methods of maintaining discipline, invariably enumerates a host of techniques in a ‘bag of tricks’ fashion: behaviouristic, like treating symptoms, that is, the behavioural manifestation rather than addressing the causes of that behaviour, paying no attention to the psychic dynamics and social context behind poor discipline. This is at variance with the fact that learner-discipline problems have a causal base which reaches far beyond the individual teacher–individual learner interaction. At the levels of the school, family and society, as well as at the level of the spiritual and social functioning of the child and how that might result in discipline problems, and how that should be taken into account when addressing learner discipline problems, a host of literature has been published in recent years. This article surveys this literature, synthesising it in a systematic way that shows a broader and more extensive way of approaching the issue of the problems of addressing learner discipline in South African schools. Although the problem of ill discipline in schools is not limited to or absent from schools that educate on biblical principles, the discussion in the literature occasionally ventures into a brief mention of how the problem could be approached from a holistic and integrated Christian perspective

The metropolis in re-composition: the regeneration of contemporary metropolitan mosaics

Postprint (published version

Production of white wine by Saccharomyces cerevisiae immobilized on grape pomace

White wine was produced with Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells immobilized on grape pomace, by natural adsorption. The support, the main solid waste from the wine industry, consisted of the skins, seeds and stems. Immobilization was tested using different media, namely complex culture medium, raw grape must and diluted grape must. Grape pomace was revealed to be an appropriate support for yeast cell immobilization. Moreover, grape must was shown to be the most suitable medium as immobilized cells became adapted to the conditions in the subsequent alcoholic fermentation in the wine-making process. The wines produced, either with immobilized cells or with free cells, were subjected to chemical analysis by HPLC (ethanol,glycerol, sugars and organic acids) and by gas chromatography (major and minor volatile compounds); additionally, colour (CIELab) and sensory analysis were performed. The use of immobilized systems to conduct alcoholic fermentation in white wine production proved to be a more rapid and a more efficient process, especially when large amounts of SO2 were present in the must. Furthermore, the final wines obtained with immobilized cells demonstrated improved sensory properties related to the larger amounts of ethanol and volatile compounds produced. The more intense colour of these wines could be a drawback, which could be hindered by the reutilization of the biocatalyst in successive fermentations.Zlatina Genisheva gratefully acknowledges FCT (contract/grant number: SFRH/BD/48186/2009) for financial support of this work. The authors would like to thank Divisao de Vitivinicultura Direccao Regional de Agricultura e Pescas do Norte for providing the grape pomace for yeast immobilization and the must to conduct alcoholic fermentations. The authors thank also Professor Joao Linhares for help in computing the CIELab coordinates

Reflections on inclusion and intervention models in schools for pupils with special educational needs

Todavía hoy en muchos contextos escolares los niños y niñas con discapacidad o alteraciones innatas o adquiridas encuentran notables obstáculos y riesgos en su intento de desarrollar satisfactoriamente sus capacidades personales así como para disfrutar de una adecuada integración. Este artículo presenta críticamente algunas de las principales cuestiones y desafíos que el enfoque de Educación Inclusiva platea a los sistemas educativos contemporáneos. Partiendo del paradigma del sistema educativo griego el artículo resume los principales factores de riesgo que impiden al contexto escolar ser realmente inclusivo y ofrecer un ambiente educativo facilitador para el “alumnado vulnerable”. Además, más allá de una posición estrictamente ideológica este artículo propone una síntesis de un modelo holístico de la intervención en la escuela, que tenga en cuenta la compleja realidad clínica, social y de aprendizaje de alumnado con diversos tipos de necesidades educativas especiales, a fin de facilitar su inclusión social y educativa.Even today in many school contexts, children with various forms of innate or acquired disorders/disabilities encounter significant risks and obstacles in their attempts to fulfill personal capabilities and also to be adequately included. This paper critically presents some of the main issues and challenges that the Inclusive Education approach raises for the contemporary educational system. Starting with the paradigm of the Greek educational system, it summarizes the main risk factors that prevent the school context from being inclusive and from offering a facilitating educational environment to the vulnerable children. In addition, beyond a strictly ideological position, this paper synthetically proposes a holistic model for school interventions, which would take into account the complex clinical, social, and learning realities of children with various forms of special educational needs, for the purpose of facilitating their social and educational inclusion.peerReviewe