Paper
The educational support for parents of disabled students in a social integration: the experience of MIDA (a model for social integration of disabled students in a business organization)
- issue: Issue 1 / 2009
- authors: Roberta Caldin, Maria Rosa Cavalluzzo
- keywords: disability, students, job, parents, Italy
- views: 2952
- downloaded: 0
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abstract
Context. The integrated project between professional education and higher education was born to give greater support to disabled students enrolled in schools. This project also developed competencies for working and social integration of the involved people.
The student attended the business organization for two times in the weeks, accompanying by a tutor who considered the objectives of the educational project.
The person is considered an active individual, capable of decisions about his/her future considering the relationship with the parents and the context in which he/she lives.
This phase ended with a project of professional self development and the final evaluation comprised several tools as: assessment of stage activities, integrated assessment between responsible of the project and students, assessment of the learning process, certificate of competencies learnt by students.
An important part of this project, coordinated by Roberta Caldin with the participation of experts like A. Canevaro, D. Ianes, C. Lepri, M. Gelati, F. Bomprezzi, D. e G. Carbonetti, has deal with the educational support to the parents of the enrolled students. This educational support consisted in reinforcing parents' autonomy and competencies, thus making families capable of managing problems autonomously, involving parents in the support of their sons.
This project has highlightened the importance of working always with parents of disabled students in addition to disabled students themselves in order to treat educational process and to create the "life project" which makes people an active part of the inclusive education.
Purpose. The starting research hypothesis is that educational support to parents reinforce working integration of disabled students.
Methods used for student: observation of business organization, balance of competencies/interests, assessment of the learning process and final learning, educational project, couple student-business organization assessment, final student balance for orientation learned competencies.
The professional orientation was carried out with a balance of competencies/interests that is an exploration of resources and interests of students involved for a construction of an individual scholastic- educational- professional project.
The balance of initial competencies/interests, for knowledge/ orientation of students, is at the beginning of the experience with three acquaintance meetings; this is characterized as a support action for self-orientation abilities; the person is considered an active individual, capable of decisions about his/her future, considering the relationship with parents and the context in which he/she lives (family, society, culture).
To achieve social integration of disabled student and place the person in the best way it is necessary to acquire information about his/her abilities and deficits.
The balance of initial competencies/interests proposes aims at an orientation re-engaged in this way:
- identify competencies and abilities (resources, personal characteristics, knowledge, ability and competencies) student invest in elaborating/ achieving self-evaluation projects, activation and choice of a realistic and conscious self- image;
- self-development in accordance with a reference social-cultural table to support changes and bet in a project of life;
- the construction of a project for a professional self-development;
- Total students involved in a year: 54;
- Methods used with parents: meeting assessment;
- Parents average involved for a year: 25.
Outcomes. Quantitative outcomes: all the students involved were successfully included in a business organization. Qualitative outcomes: parental questionnaires confirm the importance of support and self/professional sons'autonomy.
Implication and recommendations
- To policy: to stimulate orientation for professional integration before the higher school, supporting parents.
- To professionals: to carry out business organization, school, job office, family network.
- To researchers: to continue to check good professional integration of disabled sons and support for parents.
Key References
Caldin, R., & Succu, F. (2004). L'integrazione possibile. Lecce: Pensa.
Montobbio, E., & Lepri, C. (2000). Chi sarei se potessi essere. Pisa, Del Cerro.
Montobbio, E., & Lepri, C. (1999). Lavoro e fasce deboli. Milano: Angeli.
Contacts: Roberta Caldin, Dipartimento di Scienze dell'Educazione - Università di Padova, Piazza Capitaniato, 3 - Padova, Email: roberta.caldin@unipd.it, Phone 049 8271734.