Special Education - Theories and Research

Aim

On completion of the course, the student should: - have acquired knowledge of special needs education as a concept and a phenomenon in both research and society, and knowledge of national and local control documents. - be able to demonstrate an understanding of different perspectives on special needs education and special tuition in both inclusive and exclusive organisation of teaching. - be able to discuss and problematise special education concepts and have a general understanding of the knowledge field. - be able to account for national and international research - have acquired knowledge of laws and ethics with relevance to special education activities. - have acquired an understanding of the work of the teacher for special needs education in preventive special educational activities. - have developed an ability to reflect theoretically on special educational practice and special educational approaches.

Content

The course covers special education and approaches to special education from both historical and present-day perspectives. Central concepts that are problematised and discussed in the course are wholeness, participation, inclusion, integration, deviation, normality, differentiation and segregation. Knowledge of the community's and school's encounter with and responsibility for children and adolescents is central to the course, and the laws and statutes regulating this responsibility are studied. An important part of the course is the cooperation and collaboration between different actors and institutions with regard to pupils, which provide an overall view of what the special education work may involve. Further processed in the course are dilemma situations where ethical and legal considerations and positions are taken with the purpose of developing the students' judgement and approach