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

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

Suggesting a resilient and systemic oriented psychodynamic model to include students with behavioural problems:Theoretical issues and practical challenges

This paper presents an overview of available research data on the functioning of children with behaviouralproblems, and also discusses school-based risk and protective factors, and school problems in children withconduct problems. Additionally, emphasis has been placed on the presentation of key features of apsychoeducational counselling and psychodynamic resilient based intervention model which aims to addressdisruptive and disturbing behaviours within the school setting in partnership with school staff and in asystemic pesrpective. A case vignette is presented in order to better illustrate the basic tenets of this model

How Adolescent Students with Disabilities and /or Complex Needs Perceive the Notion of Resilience:A Study in Greece and England

Adolescents with behavioral and learning difficulties are at increased risk in relation to psychological and social well-being. This study aimed to investigate the views and experiences of adolescent students, diagnosed with a variety of complex needs such as behavioral, emotional and learning difficulties, to explore potential risk and protective factors that they perceive can enable or constrain resilience. Participants in the study were adolescents both from the UK (n=12) and Greece (n=14), all of whom were receiving additional learning and psychological support in their school settings. A qualitative research design employed the ‘draw and write’ technique in addition to face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Data analysis identified the protective and risk factors that adolescents associated with resilience. Two distinct categories of protective factors emerged from the data: a) personal (positive thoughts, nutrition and achievements) and b) socio-ecological factors (significant others, activities, pets, places). Risk factors were also divided into two categories: a) personal (negative thoughts and feelings and health problems) and b) socio-ecological factors (relational problems). Findings highlight the complex interplay between personal and socio-ecological factors in building resilience in adolescents who are at increased risk in relation to psychological and social well-being

Building inclusion and resilience in students with and without SEN through the implementation of narrative speech, role play and creative writing in the mainstream classroom of primary education

Based on the theory of inclusion, the present 3-year pilot program (2013-2016) deals with narrative speech, role-play and creative writing as a useful tool to build resilience in primary school students with and without SEN in the mainstream classroom. The specific aim of the program was to help students develop a series of fundamental psychosocial skills, such as a positive sense of inner-self and self-awareness, the ability to cooperate and relate to the others by familiarizing with them in recognizing and expressing the basic emotionsof joy, sadness,fear and anger. Under the systematic cooperation among the general education teacher, the special education teacher and the rest of the teaching staff- the concept was to involve the maximum of the school teachers in order to create a Community of Practice, Collaboration, Sharing Learning and Action. Using an action-based research approach including notes, observation and video analysis of the activities, interactions and attitudes towards the program, the data from the present work allowed the participating students to demonstrate a range of socio-emotional skills, including those necessary for self-awareness, respect to others, critical and creative thinking. Similarly, the 5 teachers (drama teacher, art teacher, the teachers of general and special education and the school director) involved in the project in each class, built positive relations with their students and the rest of the teachers as well, whom they encouraged to participate in various collaborative tasks through similar programs