Inclusion of children with

disabilities in schools
This publication is supported by Save the Children.

Save the Children is the world’s leading independent organization for children. We work in around 120
countries. We save children’s lives; we fight for their rights; we help them fulfil their potential.

TIRANA, 2013

This publication is made in the framework of Save the Children project: “Promotion of Inclusive Education
for Children with Disabilities in Albania”, implemented in agreement and close collaboration with the Ministry
of Education and Sports.

© All rights reserved. The content of this publication can be used or copied freely by education specialists
for the development of education policies and practices, but not for profit purposes, provided that any such
reproduction is accompanied by recognition of the two institutions as a source.

The authors views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of Save the Children.
“Inclusion of children with disabilities
in schools”

Manual of school procedures

supporting the inclusion
of children with disabilities
Synopsis

Project “Inclusive Education for Children with

Disabilities”
Implementing organization Save the Children
Title of the document “Inclusion of children with disabilities in
schools” Procedures Manual

Type of document Manual of school procedures supporting the

inclusion of children with disabilities
Working group Oneda Çuko
Florian Kulla
Coordinator Ema Kasapi

ENGLISH TRANSLATION OLTA ÇAKÇIRI

Acronyms

CWD Children with Disabilities

DCM Decision of the Council of Ministers
IED Institute of Educational Development
IEP Individual Education Plan
LED Local Education Unit
LPUE Law on Pre-university Education
MEDPAK The Association for the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (in
alb. Shoqata për Mbrojtjen e të Drejtave të Personave me Aftësi të Kufizuara)
MoES Ministry of Education and Sports
MoH Ministry of Health
MoLSAEO The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities
NAE National Agency of Exams
NEI National Education Inspectorate
NGO Non-governmental Organization
PMU Project Management Unit
SC Save the Children
SL Secondary Legislation (Normative Acts)
WCAC Work Capability Assessment Commission
Introduction

The “Inclusion of children with disabilities in schools” procedure manual has been mainly conceived as a
support to the schools, aiming to introduce them to the steps and procedures that are necessary for the
quality inclusion of children with disabilities. The manual is primarily based on the new secondary
legislation on pre-university education but it also takes into account the international best practices as well
as models developed in the country in the field of education for children with disabilities.

The need for this type of manual has been continuously expressed by school directors and teachers, as the
education of these children implies big and complex challenges, and this publication comes as a response to
such need.

The manual is mainly focused on careful planning and implementation for every child with disabilities at
school level. This approach makes it possible for all the actors involved in the education of children with
disabilities to be coordinated and to understand their roles as individuals and as part of a group.

The manual comes with a significant number of instruments. These instruments will support the schools in
assessing their level of inclusion, planning the areas of intervention, and identifying the needs for
improvements. We encourage every school in the country to use these guidelines to promote inclusive
education.

This manual also gives suggestions on how to manage school’s available resources, including human
resources. These suggestions provide information on the best practices in school planning related to the
education of children with disabilities.

Through this manual we aim to support schools in the implementation of the MoES legislation, guidelines and
policies related to the inclusion of children with disabilities in school. We have also included some procedural
information to help the schools and the families access to the other services available at regional and
national level. The manual has been developed bearing particularly in mind school directors, school support
teams for children with disabilities, and other inclusion professionals, but it can also be useful to parents
and to the public at large.

This manual was developed by Save the Children in collaboration with the MoES specialists, the “Inclusion
Education for children with disabilities” project team, as well as representatives of schools and other
organizations experienced in this field.
CHAPTER 1

Legal basis

The manual on the practical implementation of inclusive education in mainstream schools is supported by a
legal framework which provides guidelines and well-defined tasks for the LEUs, the education institutions, the
commissions for the assessment of CWD education needs (established at regional level), the education
institution’s commissions, the education institution’s director, the teachers and the support teachers, as
well as guidelines on the collaboration with the parents.

The legal framework

□ Law No. 69/2012 “On Pre-University Education System in the Republic of Albania

□ Chapter XV, “Education of Children with Disabilities”, of the abovementioned law

□ Secondary legislation (Normative Act) on Pre-University Education

□ Guideline No.46, dated 23.08.2013, “On the school year 2013-2014 in the pre-university education
system”

The planning and organizing by the schools of the procedures and strategies for the functioning and
progress of children’s education and social process, including inclusive education, requires, first of all, the
observance and implementation of the legal framework. Therefore, knowing and implementing correctly
the law, the consequent secondary legislation, and the specific guidelines, will facilitate the use of this manual
in practice.
CHAPTER 2

Planning and organizing the school for the inclusion of children

with disabilities

After introducing the legal basis, in this chapter we will focus on the presentation and detailed description
of the steps that need to be taken and the strategies that need to be developed at school level for the inclusion
of children with disabilities.

Planning at school level implies the development of specific policies and practices needed to facilitate the
inclusion of children with special needs in the school life.

More concretely, this chapter will provide information on how the school must integrate, in its basic plan and
documents, the procedures related to the education of children with disabilities, from the moment of a child’s
enrolment, until his/her complete adaptation within the school. In this framework, this part of the manual
will provide guidelines on: the steps/procedures to be taken/developed by the school for the enrolment of
children with disabilities, the staff’s code of conduct, the process of the transferring of the child with
disabilities, the adaptation of the physical environment, parents involvement, how to select the class, the
request for the assessment of a child, etc.

2.1. What does inclusive school mean?

An inclusive school is a school where diversity and differences among students are welcome, and where the
necessary measures are taken to enable this. By differences among students we do not only mean differences
deriving from disability, but also those related to learning differences or other specificities such as the
ethnicity, the economic conditions, gender related specificities, etc.

Basically, an inclusive school does not aim to reduce the differences between individuals, but to implement
the right of every child to quality education, regardless of their differences.

In this regard, the concept of inclusion is much broader than that of integration. In an integrating school,
the burden of adaptation falls on the child who learns and develops differently from the majority. Inclusion,
on the other hand, requires the enabling of the fulfilment of the different needs of all the children, and, to
this purpose, the school organizes its structures and makes the necessary changes to make it possible for
every child to reach the maximum benefit from his/her participation in the school. To achieve this, the
development of policies and practises at school level is needed; this facilitates the inclusion of all the children
in all the aspects of the school life. In inclusive schools, the director, the school board, the
pedagogical staff, and the support staff have clearly defined responsibilities for the achievement of this
goal.

2.2. Planning for inclusion at school level

The planning for the inclusion of children with disabilities at school level must be first of all reflected on
both the annual and the midterm school plans. The development and implementation of a coherent school
plan for the inclusion of children with disabilities, as provided by the law, can be hampered by various factors
related to the overloaded education program, classroom arrangement, school timetable, state exams,
and other school priorities that can hinder planning and cooperation. Dealing with these factors is essential
to inclusion. Despite the type of difficulties that you may encounter, these challenges need to be solved at
school level. For this reason, the necessary structures must be built for the planning, cooperation and
consultation between the parties, to the benefit of inclusion.

Before developing a plan for the inclusion of children with disabilities, every school must firstly take into
account the conditions and opportunities the school itself is able to offer. To this purpose, when about to
start developing a school plan, the following suggestions may come in useful:

2.2.1 Development of the annual/midterm school plan for children with disabilities

The annual school plan must clearly define what will be the school goals and objectives with regards to all the
children. These goals must be inspired by and closely related to the school mission and vision. 1 In addition
to the objectives, the school plan must also include the procedures, rules and structures responsible
for children with disabilities. 2

Some rules and procedures of the school plan (as well as some of the school rules) can be the same for all the
children, with or without disabilities (e.g. those related to the admission to school, discipline, health and
safety, supervision, evaluation, etc.), while other parts of the plan must be specific to children with disabilities
(e.g. those regarding the role of the school commission for the assessment of children with disabilities, IEPs,
assistive equipment, etc.). Schools that encounter difficulties in the development of the plan, may solicit the
help of their local education unit. They may also request an inspection in order to have an assessment of the
level of services and of the possibilities they provide for children with disabilities. The inspection and
evaluation may identify the need to review the existing rules and policies or to build new structures near to
the school. The work of the inspection team is more efficient when the assessment is made as part of a
broader examination of the school’s mission, values and program. The inspection team may assess the
physical environment of the school, the capacities of the staff that will work with children

1
If the existing statement of mission does not have an inclusive approach, it should be reviewed as well.
2
More details on how to develop a school plan can be found on the “Manual for School Inspection” (in Albanian),
which can be downloaded from this address:
https://albania.savethechildren.net/sites/albania.savethechildren.net/files/library/Manual%20for%20School%20Inspe
ction.pdf
with disabilities, the procedural issues related to the inclusion of children with disabilities, and analyze the
composition of the student population, including the number of children with disabilities and the types of
disabilities. Schools can then make their decisions and set their priorities based on the needs identified
through these assessments.

School’s annual plan must include the following fields/issues in relation to the education of children with
disabilities at school:

- the school enrolment procedures, including those related to the admission of children with
disabilities;
- the procedures for children’s transition from kindergarten to school and for their transferring from
one school to another;
- the measures to be taken to make the necessary changes for the facilitation of children’s
transferring from one school to another;
- the procedures for the identification of children with poor achievements and other special needs
who must be referred to specialized institutions for assessment;
- the support structures facilitating the involvement of and communication with parents;
- the arrangements of the school’s physical environment that need to be made to accommodate
children with disabilities;
- the relations with other agencies and services in the community;
- the evaluation policies, rules and procedures;
- the development, implementation and review of the individual education plan;
- the clear definition of the roles and responsibilities of the pedagogical staff members in relation to
children with disabilities;
- the procedures to be followed for the final state exam.

This manual mainly provides information on the procedures that are specific to children with disabilities.
However, in some cases they are general procedures that apply to all the children in the school.

How can we know if our planning at school level is taking into account the needs of all the children,
including children with disabilities?

Planning at school level guarantees:

 the continuity of the curriculum for all the children, including children with disabilities, during all
the school years and education levels;
 the development of clear processes and the delegation of responsibilities, which enable teacher’s
optimal work and facilitate collaborative processes and procedures;
 the development of suitable pedagogical practices, thus providing knowledge and didactic
content in all learning areas;
 a culture of evaluation, which enables the involvement of all children with disabilities in
challenging tasks;
  adequate resources which give children with disabilities the possibility to show what they have
learned.

2.2.2 Internal school rules

Another important document of education institutions is the set of internal rules. It should contain rules
that are in line with the education law and reflect all its improvements related to the education of children
with disabilities. Procedurally, this set of rules is developed and modified, following the proposal and under
the guide of the school director, by a broad working group composed of teachers, students, parents and other
community representatives. The school director may solicit its examination from the school board and
submits it for approval to the responsible person of the local education unit.

Students and their parents have the right to be informed about the school rules. It is a responsibility of the
school director to guarantee the provision of this information.

2.2.3. School enrolment procedures for children with disabilities

According to the Secondary Legislation, schools are obliged to follow for children with disabilities the same
enrolment procedures that are followed for the rest of the children. The school admission age for children
with disabilities is 6 years old. For children with disabilities who have been assessed by the WCAC or by the
assessment commission of the Local Education Unit, parents should also submit the related assessment
document prepared by the commission concerned. 3

On article 13 of the secondary legislation, schools will find the following paragraphs in relation to this
procedure:

1. The enrolment of children in the first grade in public schools is made during the last two weeks of
June.
2. During the first six days, only the children residing within the district in which a public school is located
have the right to enrol in the first grade of that specific school. When the distance of the child’s
residence from two different schools is more or less the same, it is the parents who decide which of
the two schools the child will attend. During the following four days, children have the right to
enrol in schools that are located in districts different from their district of residence. Exceptional
enrolments can be authorized until the day before the beginning of the school year.
3. The documents required for the enrolment of a child in the first grade are the following: a) the
child’s birth certificate; b) the certificate of vaccination issued from the health centre; c) the
ophthalmologist’s report; d) the child’s address; e) the kindergarten attendance certificate (if any)
signed by the kindergarten director.
4. In special cases, when the parent wants to enrol the child in first grade but does not have a birth
certificate or/and a certificate of vaccination, the procedure will be the same as the one followed in
kindergartens in analogue cases.
3
More detailed information on this procedure and on the steps to be taken can be found in “All in school”, a SC
Albania publication (in Albanian) that can be downloaded from this address:
https://albania.savethechildren.net/sites/albania.savethechildren.net/files/library/All%20in%20School.pdf
The school staff must be informed about all the factors that might put at risk the life of the child with
disabilities or other children. For this reason, schools are instructed to structure their enrolment
procedures very carefully, in order to guarantee that parents are given the possibility to inform the school
staff on these factors without compromising the privacy of the individual and of the family.

2.2.4 Beginning of the year procedures

Schools are advised to include among their internal rules measures/procedures for the facilitation and careful
monitoring of the first days and weeks of the child with disabilities in first grade. The strategies and measures
the school must propose in order to enable the child to actively participate and encourage him/her to
regularly attend the school must be based on the best practices and on the legislation. A poor participation
during the first days and weeks indicates that the child is having difficulties to adapt in the school. In this
framework, the school must take into consideration:

- The development of an early intervention plan to facilitate the process of the child’s adaptation in
the school;
- The taking of early measures to prevent the child’s physical, psychological and emotional
vulnerability.

The school takes all the necessary measures for every act of violence against children with disabilities to be
punished by the school’s discipline commission, in order for it not to be repeated.

The failure of the school in taking the abovementioned preventive measures, including the review of the plan,
of the internal rules, and of the procedures and other school documents, may lead to a failure of the inclusion
of the child and to a negative evaluation of the school.

2.2.5. Parents’ involvement

The role of the parents and the ways to communicate and exchange information with them, as well as the
ways of involving and supporting them, must be specified within the set of internal rules. The school must
also develop procedures aimed at ensuring that parents feel welcome and are well-informed by the school,
at regular intervals, on the progress of their children. During the first days and weeks their role is essential
to the successful adaptation of the child; thus, the school develops the necessary practices with regards to
parents’ involvement and their role during the process of the child’s adaptation to school. For the
development of these practices, the school may refer to parents’ rights and responsibilities, which are
described more in detail on Chapter 3, “Partnership in school to help the education of children with
disabilities” (more specifically on subsection 3.1.9).

2.2.6. Early intervention and support from the school

Schools are advised to put in place an intervention plan to support children who have difficulties and a
suspected disability. Based on international models, we suggest the following phases for the early support
of children:

Phase I – the phase of the class in general – the child’s learning difficulties are identified,
parents are informed, and a first intervention is made by the main teacher 4 of the
class.

Phase II – the phase of support from the school – in addition to the help provided by the
main teacher, the parent and the child are also provided support by a teacher
specialised on special education, the support teacher, and the psychologist.

Phase III – the phase of counselling and assessment – an assessment is made by school
professionals such as the psychologist, and a preliminary education plan may be
also developed. Then, the child is referred to the assessment commission of the
LEU.

2.2.7 Steps for the identification of children with disabilities in schools

When the teacher suspects that the child is having difficulties and has barriers in learning and in
participating in the class life, he/she firstly:

1. makes an informal evaluation of the child’s learning process (based on the template on Appendix
4).
2. calls the school commission.
3. in collaboration with the commission, develops a short-term strategy, using the school’s available
resources.
4. if no progress is noticed, refers the child to the assessment commission of the LEU providing the
following data:
- ID information (name, last name, date of birth, address, telephone number, parents’ names, etc.)
- How long has the teacher known the child
- How many hours per week does he/she teach the child
- Strengths in learning, sports, social/interpersonal relations, etc.
- Who has the child received an intervention from, before being referred (educational, paramedic, or
other kinds of intervention)
- Reason of referral
- Functional and adaptation problems:
• in learning,
• in social relations,

4
Each class in Albanian schools has a teacher who is responsible for the coordination and facilitation of the
education process of all the children in his/her class .
 • in the emotional/behavioural area
- What has been done so far to help the child? What have been the results?
- Reports from home visits
- The child’s dynamic profile (who did the test?)
- The director’s report of the results of class observations, the parents’ will to cooperate
- The protocols of the school commission.

2.2.8. Transferral procedures for children with disabilities

The transferral of a student with disabilities from a mainstream education institution to another is made
according to the procedures for children transferral described on the secondary legislation. 5 A report
prepared by the education institution’s commission and signed by the director of the institution, which shows
the IEP and the child’s progress towards its completion, is submitted to the receiving school. The process of
transferring represents many challenges and difficulties for the child. For this reason, the school must develop
a preliminary plan to facilitate the process of the child’s transferral to another school.

2.2.9. Adaptations of the physical environment

Part of the schools adaptation to the needs of children with disabilities is also the adaptation of the physical
environment in order to reduce barriers as much as possible. The rules for the construction of kindergarten
and school buildings must be guided by the principles of the Universal Design. 6

2.2.10. Evaluation, final report card and exams of children with disabilities according to the
secondary legislation

1. The evaluation of CWDs is the same as that of the other children. CWDs who have a IEP are
evaluated according to their IEP objectives.
2. CWDs in mainstream schools do not repeat the school year.
3. After the completion of an education level (passing to the next level of education i.e from
elementary to secondary education), CWDs are provided with a certificate which includes a section
briefly describing the main objectives of the child’s IEP.
4. The exams for CWDs are adapted to their specificities.
5. CWDs who have not been learning on the standard syllabuses have to pass a special (personalized)
final exam of compulsory education.

5
For more information, see Article 90 of the Secondary Legislation (Normative Act).
6
Universal Design refers to a wide range of ideas for the realization of buildings, products and environments that are
usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. This
standard has been adopted by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
6. The tests of the final exam for CWDs are developed by the school according to their IEP objectives
and approved by the LEU. Teachers who have experience in working with CWDs must be part of the
commission that develop the final exam for CWD.
7. CWD who complete their special final exam successfully are provided with a special Clearance
Certificate.
CHAPTER 3

Partnership in the school to support the education of children

with disabilities (roles and functions of the responsible persons)

On Chapter III we have described the roles and functions of all the responsible persons involved in the
education of CWDs as provided by the secondary legislation. This chapter also includes some guidelines on
the quality education of children with disabilities that can be useful to the schools in general, the school
director, the school board, and the teachers (including the main teacher, the subject teachers and the support
teachers). In addition, in this section of the manual you can find information on the roles and responsibilities
of other actors and groups such as the school commission, the LEU commission, the LEU, the internal and
external specialists working in the school (e.g. the psychologist and the social worker), etc.

Introduction

On the previous chapter of the manual we stressed the need for the development and review of the school
plan and the school internal rules where the roles and responsibilities of all the actors involved in the
education of children with disabilities are defined. The internal rules must also include the involvement and
contribution of all the other relevant institutions such as the LEU, the Health Service, the Municipality, the
psychosocial service, etc.

This part of the manual, based on the secondary legislation, describes and provides adequate information
on the roles and responsibilities of the school board, the school director, the teachers and support
teachers, the school staff, the LEU commission, the support staff and other schools services (such as the
psychologist, the social worker and the therapist), the parents, the students, and the children’s
government. All the information provided on this chapter can be taken in consideration when developing
the policies and rules for the successful inclusion of children with disabilities introduced on Chapter I.

3.1 School’s internal structures

3.1.1 School/kindergarten’s board

Each education institution has its board which is composed of parents, students, teachers, and local
government and community representatives. The board contributes to the good functioning of the
education institution and reports its activity to the parents council. This body also enables parents’
decision-making as it is a collegial body and, as a rule, is headed by a parent. The mission of the board is to
guarantee that the school service is provided in accordance with the national and local education policies and
the school community interests, and it represents the first step towards the decentralisation in education.
Due to its composition, the board has a real possibility to know the school problems in detail and to solve
them or refer them for a solution. This composition leaves space to cooperation with some of the main
partners in the education field, within and outside the school, to which the board may play the role of
coordinator. It has the competence to accomplish the tasks it is assigned within the school, but also to inform
upper-level structures, such as the LEU or even the local government, about the school situation or to submit
them its concerns.

The role and functions of this board are described in a specific guideline of the MoES. Based on this
guideline (but also on the LPUE and the SL), the role and responsibilities of the school board are the following:

Role and responsibilities of the school board with regards to children with disabilities

 Participates in the development of the midterm and annual school plans (together with the other
persons/units described further on) and makes sure the education of children with disabilities is
placed among the priority objectives of these plans, which enables the inclusion of CWDs in all the
areas of the school life;
 Participates in the development of the internal school rules;
 Approves the curriculum at school level, taking into account the children with disabilities attending
the school;
 Approves the school’s budget (creates opportunities for the obtainment of financial support and
services for all the children, including children with disabilities; tries to obtain the contribution of
the community, the local businesses, and the local government in the good functioning of the school);
 Makes sure and takes measures for the school to make the necessary adaptations for children with
disabilities;
 Contributes in raising awareness on the specific responsibilities towards children with disabilities,
both among the teachers and the rest of the school members, encouraging an inclusive climate
within the school;
 Being related to the community resources, and specifically to business activities, it enables the
practicing of life skills and working skills of children with disabilities;
 It makes sure the school’s annual reports are authentic and reflect the real situation and needs of
children with disabilities;
 Makes sure resources (provided by the MoES) such as the support teacher, the assistive
equipment, and so on, are properly used for the benefit of children with disabilities.
 Makes sure the school staff and the parents’ councils are consulted about the plans and rules
related to the education of children with disabilities in the school.
3.1.2 Role and responsibilities of the Parents’ Council of the education institution with regards
to children with disabilities

One of the responsibilities of this council is to guarantee that the parents’ rights, including those of CWD
parents, are observed in accordance with the provisions of the law. The commission makes sure parents of
children with disabilities:

 are informed on the educational needs of the child and the ways these needs have been addressed
by the school;
 are given the possibility to participate in decision-makings that affect their child’s education;
 have access to the documentation of the child (the child’s file, the teacher’s journal, the progress of
the CWD, etc.)

3.1.3 Role and responsibilities of the Class Parents’ Council with regards to children with
disabilities

This council has the same responsibilities as the previous one, but on a class level. According to Article 104
of the secondary education this council:

1. helps improving the quality of the education service for all the children in the class.
2. is established within 10 days from the beginning of the school year and gathers every two months
to:
a) make suggestions to the main teacher on how to improve the children’s progress;
b) listen to the problems exposed by the main teacher and offer advices or collaboration;
c) communicate with the parents of children who are at risk of dropout or of grade retention, or
who commit disciplinary infractions;
3. encourages parents to provide their voluntary support in:
a) working with children with learning difficulties;
b) developing or/and carrying out optional subjects or modules;
c) carrying out curricular projects.

3.1.4 Role and responsibilities of the mainstream education institution’s Commission

The secondary legislation establishes the creation of a special commission within the school to support
children with disabilities. This commission facilitates and guides the school during the entire CWD
inclusion process, from the moment of his/her enrolment until his/her departure or transferral to another
school. The commission, which is created by the school director, is led by the psychosocial service worker
and includes, in addition to three teachers of different subjects, at least one of the teachers working
directly with the child with disabilities. The school’s annual plan must clearly define
 the role of each member of this group (as we have mentioned further on). The responsibilities of this
commission are the following:

 Guides the teachers in the IEP development and approves the IEP;
 Helps the teachers in the IEP implementation;
 Follows the progress of CWDs;
 Submits the CWD progress report to the LEU, on the format provided by the LEU commission;

The steps and the specific work of this commission in relation to the IEP development, monitoring and review
is described in detail in the next chapter.

3.1.5 The role and responsibilities of the mainstream education institution’s Director

The legislation gives the school director full responsibility in guaranteeing the needs of children with
disabilities are met. Consequently, the director of the education institution has the responsibility to
develop and encourage policies, rules and procedures that support children with disabilities optimally. To this
purpose, he/she needs to cooperate with and seek the help of the school board, teachers, and parents. Among
the main responsibilities of the school director, as related to children with disabilities, we would mention the
following:

 Guaranteeing the school’s annual and midterm plans place the inclusion of children with disabilities
among their priorities;
 Monitoring the implementation of the school plan, policies and internal rules towards the
education of children with disabilities;
 Consulting and interacting, as required to, with external institutions and agencies (the LEU and its
assessment commission, health and rehabilitation services, etc.), as well as with various NGOs, with
regards to the progress of the work with children with disabilities;
 Creating and monitoring the commissions that support children with disabilities;
 Encouraging the creation of a positive and inclusive attitude towards children with disabilities and
making sure all staff members are aware of their responsibilities with regards to CWDs’ education;
 Making sure the necessary procedures for the enrolment and transferral of CWDs to other more
appropriate structures, when they complete or interrupt their studies, are in place;
 Making sure the school has clear procedures for the implementation of all the steps of the
identification and assessment of CWDs;
 Encouraging and facilitating the professional development of the staff and their participation in
trainings and courses that can broaden their knowledge on children with disabilities;
 Encouraging the participation of CWDs’ parents in the entire process as well as in the school life.

In different countries, the delegation by the school director of some of his/her responsibilities to one or more
teachers experienced in working with children with disabilities is considered a very effective practice. These
teachers are usually assigned the following responsibilities:

 Full responsibility on the coordination of the school with other external agencies to support the
quality education of children with disabilities.
 A leading role in the IEP development, implementation and review.
  The provision of support in the planning of CWD programs, as well as of consultancy to other
teachers in relation to the curriculum, learning strategies, textbooks, and other education materials
for CWDs.
 The coordination and facilitation of the work with the LEU assessment commission, the parents,
and the school commission for the assessment of the child with disabilities.
 The management of CWDs official files and the protection of confidential data and reports.

3.1.6 Role and responsibilities of the mainstream education institution’s teacher

The subject teacher has a key role in the successful inclusion of children with disabilities in mainstream
schools. He/she must be informed about all the reports and assessments related to the child, as well as about
any other confidential document. He/she has the responsibility to guarantee that all the children, including
children with disabilities and other special needs, have an appropriate education program and environment,
which allows them to have access on the curriculum and to advance in the acquisition of knowledge. The
teachers’ role in identifying children at risk and drawing the attention of the other responsible members of
the school staff on the needs of these children is crucial. If the teacher’s doubts about a child’s learning
difficulties continue to persist even after he/she has applied some strategies and made the necessary
adaptations to the classroom to overcome these problems, he/she must consult both the parents and the
school staff, as well as other teachers trained in the field of special education, in order to identify the child’s
major needs. If the school’s special team, after the first assessments, considers it necessary to seek help
from external sources, the teacher establishes the necessary contacts and coordinates the work with
all the relevant units and services, starting from the LEU assessment commission. Teachers play a key
role and provide a major contribution through the creation of a supportive environment for CWD, which
helps these children affirm their ability to participate in the general school life. Subject teachers must adapt
their teaching to the individual needs of children with disabilities in order to achieve the objectives set by the
individual education plan. In this task, the teacher collaborates closely with other teachers of the school team,
the support teacher, and the parents. In the classroom, the teacher carries out suitable education activities
that enable the children to achieve their objectives. He/she contributes to the IEP review by providing
information on the child’s progress, in close collaboration with the school’s commission. He/she informs the
parents regularly on the progress of the child with disabilities through meetings or other formal and informal
ways. When the support teacher is not present in the school, the teacher takes over the responsibility of
all the task assigned to the support teacher by the secondary legislation.

3.1.7 Role and responsibilities of the mainstream education institution’s support teacher

The figure of the support teacher is one of the innovations of the LPUE and the Secondary Legislation. Thus,
several important functions have been delegated to the support teacher by the secondary legislation. The
support teacher is appointed to the school based on the number of students with disabilities. His/her main
task is to take care of the learning process of the child with disabilities. She works both at individual level
(alone with the child) and in small groups, or in cooperation with other teachers in the school. The support
teacher carries on this task by:
  participating in the teaching process in cooperation with the subject teacher;
 staying with the child with disabilities during the teaching of specific subjects that require more
support than others;
 providing specific support also in other areas children with disabilities need to develop, such as the
social skills and the life skills.

Other important specific tasks of the support teacher, as provided by the SL, are:

 Participating in the IEP development team;

 Participating in the assessment of the child with disabilities;
 Reviewing the IEP and meeting weekly with the IEP team;
 Providing consultancy and support to the subject teachers on issues related to the CWD (education
strategies, education material, support technology and equipment, behaviour management
strategies, etc.);
 Recording the various aspects of the CWD’s progress on his/her daily plan;
 Providing support on the preparation of the homework;
 Selecting and maintaining education materials;
 Adapting the tests;
 Implementing a CWD progress and inclusion monitoring system;
 Providing information on the specific education needs, skills and achievements of CWDs.

3.1.8 Role and responsibilities of the psychosocial service unit worker

The school/kindergarten’s psychosocial service unit worker:

 provides information on the child’s psychosocial situation, the family context, and the class/school
climate;
 provides opinions on the formulation of IEP objectives, and advices on their implementation;
 protects the confidentiality and the anonymity of all the information related to the child and
his/her family;
 shares the information included in the child’s file only by written approval of the
school/kindergarten director or of the LEU professionals, as provided by the relevant education
legislation;
 keeps regular contact with the parents in order to exchange with them information on the child,
and helps parents understand their roles and tasks in the IEP development process;
 communicates parents and teachers’ concerns to the members of the team;
  keeps in contact with the school/kindergarten’s staff members about everything related to the
child;
 informs the peers of the child with disabilities or learning difficulties about the needs of the child
within and outside the class/group, as well as about the program (IEP) the CWD is following.

3.1.9 Role and responsibilities of the parents in mainstream education institutions

The entire school legislation states and recognises the primary, central and natural role of the family in the
child’s education. The family’s active participation in all the school life and all the areas of the child’s
education is highly encouraged. Parent’s involvement is an important part of the creation of an inclusive
school. The school must understand the role of the parent as the most crucial partner in the child’s education
and must seek and encourage their participation in the education of their children. Schools must provide
parents with updated information on the possible choices and must support their decision-making. Schools
must also provide the parents of children with disabilities with information on the enrolment and admission
procedures and on every other set of rules related to students with disabilities. In order to facilitate the
parents’ decision to enrol their child at school, the school staff enables them to previously visit the school,
meet the staff, and get the necessary information on what the school offers. The parents of children with
disabilities have the right and the task to:

 regularly provide information on the CWD, especially during the phase of the assessment of the
child and of the IEP development;
 take active part in the IEP development, monitoring and review;
 see the entire documentation of the school related to their child;
 consult the school staff about any decision-making related to the child;
 support the child’s education at school;
 keep regular contact with the school (exchange information and share responsibilities related to
different parts of the individual education plan; meet with the school staff on a regular basis,
participate in the meetings with the parents, gives support in the child’s homework, etc.)

3.1.10 Role and responsibilities of children with disabilities

Children with disabilities have the same rights as the rest of the children, as provided by Article 85 of the
SL. CWDs must be involved, in accordance with their capacities, in the development, implementation and
review of their IEP. They must be given the possibility to contribute to the process of data collection, the
setting of objectives, and the monitoring of their progress. This participation is a way to recognize their role
in their own education process and influences their commitment and motivation for the achievement of
better results.
3.1.11 Role and responsibilities of the school community and of the Children’s Government

Relations within the school community, including the relations between the children, are being increasingly
seen, according to several studies, as an important factor in the successful inclusion of children with
disabilities in the school. For this reason, the school must support all the student bodies in raising their
awareness and increasing their acceptance of the different and of the diversity within the school.

The role of the children’s government is to participate and provide inputs in the development of inclusive
policies and practices. This body can facilitate inclusion by organizing extracurricular activities as well as by
mentoring CWDs. Schools are advised to include representatives from the group of children with disabilities
in the children’s government.

3.2 External structures

3.2.1 Role and responsibilities of the LEUs

According to the LPUE and the SL, LEUs are responsible for implementing development policies for pre-
university education at regional level, managing human resources, guaranteeing the quality in public and non-
public schools, guaranteeing the good functioning of the education process, collecting statistical data,
supervising the classes and the curricular and extracurricular activities, and organizing the teachers’
certification in the region, through the cooperation with specialized institutions. They make sure the school
has the necessary access to the services the community provides for the education of children with disabilities.
When the school’s resources for these children are inadequate, they provide the necessary assistance in order
for the schools to be able to use all the available community resources. These responsibilities are described
in detail on articles 122-126 of the SL.

LEUs responsibilities with regards to CWD are defined on Article 94 of the SL and are the following:

 Guaranteeing a) CWD’s education in a mainstream or specialized public education institution; b)

education at home for CWDs who are not able to attend mainstream or special basic education at
school;
 Informing public education institutions about the rehabilitation services provided by public health
institutions;
 Giving priority to the provision of CWDs with education material and assistive equipment to
support their education process and their personal and interpersonal development;
 Facilitating distance education for children referred by the LEU commission, through information
and communication technology;
 Organizing, through the psychosocial service unit of the LEU, the cooperation between the teachers
of special schools and those of mainstream schools for the development and implementation of the
individual education plans of CWDs.
LEUs also have the task to establish (create), within their structure, two important bodies related to the
education of children with disabilities, and to guarantee them the appropriate working conditions. These
are:

- The CWD assessment commission

- The psychosocial service unit

3.2.2 The LEU’s CWD assessment commission

The LEU’s CWD assessment commission is one of the innovations of the LPUE and the SL. The main
responsibility of the assessment commission is to assess the education and social needs of the child and to
provide the necessary guidelines and support to the IEP team for the IEP development. This commission is
created by the LEU and is composed of a paediatrician, a psychologist, a social worker and a teacher. The
commission invites to participate in the assessment process at least one of the parents and, if necessary,
other relatives. When the child is already in the school/kindergarten, besides the parent, the psychosocial
service worker of the education institution and some teachers of the child assigned by the director of the
institution also participate in the process. The responsibilities of this commission are mainly expressed on
Article 93 of the SL. According to this article, the commission:

 assesses the educational and social needs of the child and his/her progress, by request of the
child’s parent or of the director of the education institution in which the child is enrolled;
 gathers three times a year: before the beginning of the school year, at the end of the first term
(semester), and at the end of the school year;
 informs the parent about the child’s situation and progress; gives the person who has submitted
the request a written recommendation for the attendance by the child of the mainstream or special
school or for the child’s transferral from the special school to the mainstream one or vice versa;
suggests the kindergarten/school that has the most appropriate conditions for the child; recommends
the additional services the child should receive in daily centres or other institutions specialized in
rehabilitation; recommends the obtainment of the WCAC report when the child does not have one;
 provides written notification to the director of the mainstream education institute on the CWDs
that will be supported by standard, adapted or individual education plans and syllabuses;
 provides guidelines on working with CWDs to the education institutions’ commission;
 keeps the documentation related to the CWD’s initial conditions and updates the child’s progress in
cooperation with the education institutions’ commission.

The product of this commission’s assessment and recommendations is the DFP – Dynamic-Functional
Profile (you will find a template on the appendix ). The DFP is composed of the same sections as the IEP. For
this assessment, the commission is based on the ICF model (International Classification of Functioning,
Disability and Health) of the World Health Organization.
3.2.3 The psychosocial service unit

This unit, which is established in every LEU, is composed of psychologists and social workers. Each
psychologist and social worker is assigned to a public education institution by the LEU director and can
cover one or more kindergartens and schools, depending on the number of children in these institutions.

With regards to children with disabilities, this unit:

- communicates, on a regular basis, with governmental and non-governmental bodies on the cases of children
at risk and children in difficult social and economic conditions;

- identifies and assesses, at the earliest possible time, through its specialists and in cooperation with teachers
and parents, the children with behavioural problems or learning difficulties, and develops and implements
preventive or rehabilitative individual plans for these children;

- helps education workers (teacher, support teachers, social educators) parents, and children prevent or
eliminate the abuses of the education workers towards children; of children towards children; as well as
children’s abuse with cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, etc.;

- introduces the education institutions’ workers, through talks and lectures, to children’s typical
developmental milestones by age and the typical problems children encounter during the teaching and
learning processes;

- supports the main teachers and the subject teachers in integrating children with disabilities in the classes
of mainstream education institutions;

- gives children career advices;

- administers and interprets the psychological tests (provided by the psychologist);

- completes the individual files of the cases of children who have benefited from the psychosocial service;

- submits to the director of the psychosocial service unit written reports on every evidence of abuses towards
children perpetrated by the education workers or by parents.

- the information on the children and their families, received by the psychologist/social worker during the
performance of his/her duty, is kept in a file, which is secured from unauthorized access.

- the child’s file prepared by the psychologist/social worker can only be read by the child’s parents or the
child him/herself after the age of 16.

3.2.4 Role and responsibilities of the National Education Inspectorate with regards to the
education of children with disabilities

The NEI has the responsibility to evaluate the organization and activity of all the education institutions and
LEUs in the country in relation to the quality and efficiency in providing education for the children. The
inspectorate performs this task by making full school evaluations, subject inspections, and thematic
evaluations. The quality of teaching and learning for children with disabilities and other special needs is an
important part of its evaluation. On the other hand, this inspectorate has also the responsibility to provide
support and advice to the inspected schools on issues related to the quality of education. You can find
more detailed information on the tasks of this inspectorate on articles 128 and 129 of the SL.

3.2.5 Role and responsibilities of the Institute of Educational Development with regards to the
education of children with disabilities

The IED is the structure responsible for advising the MoES with regards to the curriculum and the
evaluation of students at all levels of pre-university education. It develops the curriculum framework, the
learning standards, the education plans, and the syllabuses. For what concerns children with disabilities,
the IED must develop special guidelines on how the curriculum can be adapted for them by the different
teachers (of different subjects and levels). It makes sure the curriculum is developed in close collaboration
with parents, teachers, boards, and experts working with children with disabilities, in order to create a
document that takes into account these children’s education needs. You can find more detailed
information on the tasks of this institute on article 130 of the Secondary Legislation.

3.2.6 Role and responsibilities of the National Agency of Exams with regards to the education of
children with disabilities

The NAE develops standardised textbooks to be used or adapted by the teachers, the school directorates,
the LEU specialists, and the IED. It is responsible for the entire process of state exams, from their development
to the evaluation and the publication of results. The Secondary Legislation enforces this agency to take
the necessary measures for the exams of students with disabilities to be developed in accordance with their
specificities. CWDs who have not been learning on the standard syllabuses will have to undergo a special
final test which is prepared by the school and approved by the LEU. You can find more detailed information
on the tasks of this agency on article 131 of the Secondary Legislation.
CHAPTER 4

4.1 Development of the Individual Education Plan (IEP)

This chapter provides clear guidelines on all the steps that need to be taken in the development of a IEP. It
includes information on how a IEP is developed and how all the responsible persons collaborate in this
process.

The individual education plan is a written document prepared specifically for a child, which states the learning
objectives to be achieved by the child during a specific period of time, as well as the teaching strategies,
resources and support needed for their achievement.

Even though it is seen as a tool or a product, the individual education plan is more of a process, and it is the
quality of its development process that determines the quality and the effectiveness of the plan. It is
developed through a collaboration between the school, the parents, the child (when possible), as well as
the services, agencies and professionals external to the school. The plan highlights the aspects of the
education program that need to be adapted and modified, and focuses on the child’s primary education
needs, although he/she might have other learning needs which will not be given this priority during the
planning and monitoring processes. It describes the steps that are taken to support children with special
education needs resulting from their disabilities. It also helps them, in a targeted way, achieve their
academic and social objectives. The plan does not modify all the aspects of the curriculum and does not adapt
to the other needs related to the school life but only to the areas identified as priority needs during the child’s
assessment. The adaptation and the support given will depend on the education needs of each child. Not
every child with disabilities needs such plan, but some of them might need significant didactic modifications.

According to the SL, the school director is the person responsible for the preparation and implementation
of the individual education plan for every child with disabilities in his/her school. He/she must facilitate and
include the parents’ cooperation in the entire process of IEP’s development and implementation and
provide them with a copy of the plan.

The IEP development process includes several steps, starting with the collection of the initial information
for the identification of the child’s education needs and his/her strengths, and concluding with the
definition of the learning objectives and targets. These steps are followed by the implementation of the
plan and the appropriate interventions made during the specified education period. At the end of this period,
the progress made is evaluated.

4.2 Why is a IEP necessary?

The requirement for the formalisation of the IEP is an important element of the SL, now obligatory for all
the public and non-public schools. An individual education plan:

- enables the child to progress to a level that is conform to his/her capacities;

- encourages and includes the cooperation between all the partners;
- makes the teaching strategies more focused;
- contributes to a common understanding of all the members of the education staff about the
abilities, interests and needs of the child with disabilities;
- facilitates the identification of programming and planning priorities in all the areas and subjects,
enabling teachers to have common goals and objectives;
- guarantees the keeping of written record of the entire work;
- includes the parents and the children in its development process and guarantees it will be realistic
and feasible;
- motivates the children and makes them clear what is expected from them;
- makes clear the expectations of the pedagogical staff and other internal and external professionals;
- enables work continuity when the child is transferred from one structure to another.

The IEP is a document that:

• defines the objectives that can be reached by the child with disabilities.
• helps the teacher plan the academic progress and the development of the child.
• enables the teacher to monitor the effectiveness of the learning and teaching processes;
• provides the specialists a tool for the monitoring, review and evaluation of the effectiveness of the
service offered to children with disabilities.

4.3 What does a IEP contain?

The IEP is a documented plan developed for the child with disabilities, which describes the individual
objectives, the adaptations and modifications needed, the services the child must receive, and the
measures to be taken for the achievement of the objectives. A IEP must include the following:
Personal information:

Name, date of birth, class, specific conditions (if any).

Members of the group responsible for the IEP – The names and positions of
the members of the leading team or of the psychological service responsible
for the coordination; of the specialist(s) supporting the learning process; of
the main teacher and the subject teachers; of all the school staff members
(such as the external teachers), of the psychologist, and of the parent.

Special education needs: A summary of the existing special education

needs.

Abilities and skills: A summary of the abilities and skills, describing how
they can be used to overcome the difficulties.

Goals: Clear and brief statements of the educational goals related to the
curriculum and to the inclusion of the educational aspects and the social
and personal development of the therapies.

Short-term and long-term objectives: A list of the objectives to be achieved

marking the timescale indicators, the learning and teaching methods, the
assessment and identification, the staff involved, the resources, the learning
environments and the parents’ involvement. The way to achieve the
objectives related to the different subjects will depend on the child’s
abilities and the support given by teachers, parents, peers and available
education materials.

Documents needed: It is advisable to also attach to the plan other evidence,

such as: reports of the specialists or other professionals who have worked
with the child before (therapists and class teachers), especially if they
include instructions; minutes of the meetings; informing reports for the
parents; and assessment evidences.

Evaluations: Brief evaluation statements on the child’s progress and the

effectiveness of the service performed.
About the IEP objectives

Long-term objectives:

• Usually they should be achievable within a semester/school year.

• Will be achieved through a series of short-term objectives.

Examples:

a) Reading – conclude level A.

b) Mathematics – meet the standard requirements of the 5th grade.

Short-term objectives:

• Must be met within 6-8 weeks/one semester.

• Must be monitored all along the school year.

Examples:

• Writing – the child must write a sentence using block letters and the
period.

• Mathematics – to round a two digit number to 10.

The document should also define the method and the format that will be used for the evaluation of the results
achieved by the child through the IEP implementation, and should include an analysis of the constitutive
elements of the IEP monitored.

This can be done through deferent tests related to the main objectives of specific subjects.

In brief, a IEP must include: 7

Child’s abilities and IEP

possibilities
Difficulties Objectives by Timescale Definition of how they
areas/subjects will be measured
Resources that will be Sub-objectives Timescale Comparison of the
used results with those of the
previous test
Members of the team What has been achieved Documentation of how Necessary specifications
and their tasks the objective was
achieved, e.g. through
the help received
Areas of intervention What has not been Definition of the Definition of how the
achieved changes made to the child will be evaluated at
standard program the end of the school

7
See also the guide “A school for all”, Save the Children, Tirana 2010.
 year
Parents’ role and tasks Refection of the Identification of what Recommendations
in the implementation changes required by the was not achieved.
of the IEP at home IEP Explanation of why it
was not achieved.

4.4 What are the main steps of the IEP development?

Step I: Referral to the Assessment Commission of the LEU

The parent, the school director, or other people authorised as per SL, submit to the LEU a request for the
assessment of the child’s needs. This request indicates that the persons mentioned above believe the child
might have a disability that could affect his/her learning performance. Parental consent must be sought
before starting the assessment of the child. The assessment must be concluded within a reasonable period
of time after the obtainment of parental consent.

In this request, the parent and/or the director describe the specific reason of the referral, supporting their
argumentation with information previously collected through tests and observations, or other information
collected by the school staff. It also includes how this suspected disability is affecting the child’s
participation in the curriculum and in the activities as well as the unsuccessful efforts made to help the
child.

Step II: Assessment of the child by the Assessment Commission of the LEU

The multidisciplinary assessment commission of the LEU performs the assessment through a functional
analysis and outlines the child’s dynamic profile. During the assessment process, the members of the
commission collect detailed information on the functional, developmental and academic conditions of the
child using a number of tests and techniques. Subsequently, it establishes if the child has a disability and
reflects its conclusion on its report. Based on this assessment, the commission at LEU level gives the necessary
guidelines for the development of the IEP. The results of the assessment will be used to decide
on the education program that better suits the child.

Step III: Obtainment of the right to receive available services

If it is confirmed that the child has special needs, he/she obtains the right to special education and other
services. When the child obtains this right, the IEP team must meet to develop the IEP.

Step IV: IEP development

The school commission, specifically created for the IEP development, prepares the IEP based on the LEU’s
assessment and guidelines. The parents and the child (when appropriate) are part of the team. The meeting
for the IEP development must be held within 30 calendar days after it is decided that the child needs
special education and other services.

Step V: IEP implementation

All the persons responsible for the IEP implementation are provided with a copy of the plan in order for
them to know what are their own responsibilities in the process. The members of the commission meet
periodically to evaluate the progress of the IEP implementation.

Step VI: IEP review

The school commission evaluates at what level the IEP objectives have been met at the end of each school
year. If the IEP team considers it necessary, the IEP objectives can be reviewed earlier and more frequently.
If necessary, the IEP can be modified. Parents, who are invited in all the meetings, can give suggestions and
ideas during the IEP review.

Step VII: Reassessment of the child with disabilities

The assessment commission must reassess the child at the end of each school year. Reassessments can also
be made earlier by request of the parent or of the school commission.

4.5 Tasks of the members of the IEP development group

The main teacher of the class in which the child with disabilities has been placed:
• has a decisive and irreplaceable role in the IEP development process;

• serves as an important source of information on the child;

• helps the child show all his/her skills and capacities;

• takes the final decision on the objectives the IEP will include, their timescale and how they will be achieved;
defines the sub-objectives; and monitors all the achievements of the child through written or visual
documentation, or direct observation;

• ensures cooperation with the parents;

• creates the necessary conditions for the IEP to be implemented during the classes;

• suggests changes on the IEP.

The psychosocial service worker:

• is an important part of the IEP development group and monitors the implementation of this plan;

• helps in the preparation of the IEP;

• makes the assessment of the progress of the child with special needs;

• administers the assessments made;

• makes the necessary recommendations;

• prepares written assessment reports;

• helps in the implementation of specific elements of this plan;

• ensures the intervention of specialised services according to the child’s problems;

• coordinates the work with other specialists.

The school director:

• coordinates the work of the entire group;

• monitors the phases of the IEP implementation;

• collects written assessment reports;

• makes assessments of the child in accordance with the IEP;

• takes measures for the creation within the class of the necessary conditions for the implementation of all
the IEP elements.
Parents are key members of the IEP team. They know their child well and can speak about their child’s
possibilities and needs and give their ideas for the improvement of the child’s education. They can facilitate
the team in understanding how the child learns, what are his/her interests, and other aspects of his/her
personality that only parents are aware of. They can listen at what the other members of the team think
about their child’s needs at school and can give their suggestions. They can also report if the child is
applying or not at home the skills he/she is learning at school.

Each member of the team provides important information during the IEP meeting. Members exchange
their information and work together in the preparation of the Individual Plan for the child. The information
received from all the members is collected and represents the understanding the group has of the child and
of the services the child needs.
CHAPTER 5

Teaching and learning at school (class management and

teaching and learning processes for a quality inclusion of all
children)

This chapter mainly provides information for the teachers about what they have to keep in mind when teaching
to children with disabilities. It gives general guidelines on how the teacher should adapt the class environment,
find the necessary assistive material, adapt his/her teaching, and enable the inclusion of the child with
disabilities in the education process. The manual also includes some advices on how to communicate with
children with disabilities.

Introduction

The success of the school in providing inclusive education for children with disabilities depends also a lot on
the changes that are made in the entire school, as well as on the various teaching strategies and methods
teachers apply in their classes. A class environment suitable to these children is characterised by structure
and organizing, has all the necessary equipment and material, and allows a good access to the child.

Children with disabilities have different personal features as to behaviour, interests and attitude towards
lessons and learning, as all the other children in the school. Teaching guidelines and methods for these
children must be carefully and continuously planned, managed and evaluated. Children with disabilities
should be given the possibility to participate in and enjoy class and school activities. If the education tasks for
these children are not planned appropriately, they can get frustrated and might not get involved in the
education process.

5.1 The importance of the class climate

Children who show big learning difficulties have low motivation and self-confidence, and often feel frustrated
and disappointed. Sometimes they express these feelings with anger and challenging behaviours. Children are
more likely to get involved in the education process when they are assigned tasks which match with their
abilities and when they see that their efforts and achievements are praised. These children’s motivation and
self-esteem improves when they are given challenges that they need to overcome in order
to succeed, but also support in their efforts, and, especially, when their accomplishments are properly
emphasized.

This good climate, which supports the learning and the creation of social relationships, can be achieved if:

- the teacher has a clear class management strategy;

- the teacher sets high behavioural standards and encourages all the children to reach them;
- the school rules have been consensually agreed upon and everybody respects them;
- children feel safe at school and in the classroom;
- children are treated with respect and are given equal opportunities to get involved in the education
process.

In addition to the abovementioned, children with disabilities can learn also better if they are given the
possibility to:

- use concrete, structured and practical materials which include technology tools (computers,
software, dictation machines, writing frames, calculators, etc.); audiovisual education materials for
each subject such as DVDs and CDs; graphic tools such as diagrams, maps, tables and lists; as well
as concrete materials such as geometric shapes, etc.;
- use reading material of a suitable level, making also use of reading programs and audio versions to
better understand the text;
- have access to non-overburdened texts;
- learn new vocabulary as well as the language and terminology of the different subjects;
- have enough time to learn and to complete the homework and the class assignments;
- complete their tasks successfully, although this might require a reduction in difficulty or volume of
the task assigned to the class in general;
- present their completed work or tasks in alternative ways, for example orally instead of by writing;
- learn, practice and role play the personal and social skills acquired in various situations;
- develop the communication skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing;
- generalize and apply the newly learned skills in new situations and in other different areas of the
education program.

5.2 What teaching methods and strategies are the most

appropriate to enable inclusion?
Below, we have listed some of the most effective methods and strategies of CWDs’ teaching and learning.
Of course, these strategies can be perfectly used with children without any disability or special needs as
well.

Teaching for children with disabilities can be more effective and is improved when:

- diverse strategies and methods are used;

- learning objectives are outlined prior to the beginning of the class;

- child assessment strategies, aiming at identifying the progress made by the child, are used to get
information on how the teaching should proceed;

- the content of the lesson corresponds to the children’s needs and their ability level;

- all learning channels are used, including the visual, auditory, tactile and kinaesthetic ones;

- education materials, including the concrete ones, are adapted to and in line with the child’s chronologic
age, interests and abilities;

- any possible deviation from the education plan, does not cause a deviation from the original learning
objective;

- the child is given the necessary time to practice, reinforce and apply the new situations, knowledge and
skills;

- children are confirmed and recognized the knowledge and skills acquired;

- all along the curriculum, children are given the possibility to develop their language and communication
skills, as well as their personal and social skills;

- children are encouraged to explore the links to other areas of the curriculum;

- homework is assigned for the purpose of consolidating and widening the knowledge acquired by the child,
encouraging independent learning, monitoring the individual progress of each child, and evaluating the
teaching effectiveness.

STRATEGIES

1. Cooperative teaching. (When two or more teachers teach a group of children with disabilities and
different education needs). This strategy enables the child to get the instructions while being in
class with his/her peers. It can be mainly used in classes where there is a support teacher who
 facilitates and adapts the lesson to the child with disabilities while the main teacher provides
information for the entire class. The support teacher is indispensable for this strategy.

2. Cooperative learning. This strategy includes cooperative learning among the children who
participate in learning activities organized in small groups and encourages interaction between
children. The benefits of this method include positive interdependence, equal opportunities to
succeed, face-to-face interaction, interpersonal skills development through participation in
structured cooperative activities, team building skills, etc. Through this method, the child improves
his/her academic achievements as well as his/her behaviour, commitment, and enjoyment of the
school. Some of the most popular and used strategies this method includes are:

a. Peer tutoring – this is the process in which a child, appointed and instructed by the teacher,
teaches one or more other children a specific skill or concept.
b. Pair teaching – this is a method in which the entire class is divided up into pairs and each pair
has all the time needed to practice and learn.
c. Other cooperative strategies include: in-depth learning, directed learning, independent
learning, task-based learning, and comprehensive learning.

3. Active learning and exploratory learning – in the active type of learning children are actively
involved in the learning process. Active learning methods also include cooperative learning, in
which the members of a group work together to solve the problems. Exploratory learning, on the
other hand, can be described as a process in which children try to catch and understand concepts and
principles through the activities and their personal exploration. An example of this type of learning is
the collection and analysing of data in a geography class, a science project in which the child
investigates and forms hypotheses, the solving of a mathematical problem, guessing the conclusion
of a story in literature, etc.

4. Heterogeneous grouping – the teacher randomly selects some children in the class (with or
without disabilities) and designs for them some tasks that require a solution. Working in this kind of
groups brings a lot of benefits, but requires a lot of attention in the planning, designation and
monitoring of the activities.

5. Direct teaching – this method is mainly used for the learning of basic knowledge and skills during
the implementation of the curriculum. When using this method, the teacher needs to firstly analyse
the material and then divide the task in smaller and well-organized steps, in order to facilitate the
achievement of the learning objective.

6. Learning strategies – teach the child how to learn and solve the problems on his/her own,
independently. Through these strategies the child is instructed on how to analyze and assimilate an
information in small steps.

7. Graphic organizers – are visual charts that help the child make the connections between the
various concepts. They include popular techniques such as mental maps, diagrams, concept maps,
etc. Graphic organizers help the child organize, visualise, summarize and remember ideas and
information.
8. Involvement of children in the identification of learning objectives and assignments, and in the self-
evaluation process – this involvement strongly contributes to the success of the education process
and to the improvement of the teacher-student relation. Children get more motivated when they
are involved in the development of their learning objectives.

9. Learning styles – each child has his/her own preferred learning channels. If these preferences are
recognized and taken into account when designing the activities and the daily education plan, the
results will be more positive.

10. Multisensory teaching – links the listening, speaking, reading and writing through the simultaneous
and alternated use of visual, auditory, kinaesthetic and tactile modalities. Teachers must make sure
children are watching, listening, speaking, and touching and manipulating objects at the same time.

11. Information and communication technology (ICT) – it plays an increasingly important role and can
help with all the above-mentioned strategies. It can be even more effective if closely connected to
the existing education programs.

12. Transferring of the knowledge acquired – this is the capacity of the child to use in new situations
the knowledge and skills acquired in a specific situation. This is one of the main difficulties children
with disabilities encounter. For this reason, teachers firstly introduce the task to the child, then
they work with the child in order for him/her to perfect it and subsequently generalise the knowledge
acquired in other areas, and finally they teach the child how to adapt this knowledge to different
contexts.

13. Selection of education materials – teachers must make sure the education materials, including the
textbooks and workbooks, are suitable to children with disabilities.
Annexes

Annex 1

Individual Education Plan

INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLAN TEMPLATE

Name, Last name:

Date of birth:

School:

Class:

Academic year:

Priority: (here you will note down the priority for the specific period)

Description of the situation of the child at the moment of the assessment:

Assessment Axes: (according to the Dynamic-Functional Profile assessment)

Axis:

1. Affective-social
2. Autonomy

3. Communication-language

4. Sensorial

5. Motor

6. Neuropsychological

7. Cognitive

8. Educative

Individual
objectives

Competences

Planned
Activities

Teaching objectives (deriving from the above-mentioned elements)

Objectives for each subject

Individual
objectives Subject: Mathematics

Specific objectives of the subject

(Example: to count from 1 to 10)
Competences
To know the main elements of the subject and how to apply them with the
support of a calculator.
To work independently for the completion of the planned exercises.

Planned
Example: working in small groups,
Activities
using of assistive tools such as calculators, numerical tables, boards,
maps, etc.
Result:

Psychologist:

Teacher:

Social worker:

Date of completion:

Parent, caregiver:

Other specialist:

Next assessment: 3 months ( )

Annex 2

Dynamic-Functional Profile

Name, Last name:

School:

Class:

SIGNATURES OF THE ASSESSMENT GROUP MEMBERS

NAME AND FAMILY NAME QUALIFICATION SIGNATURE

DATE OF THE ASSESSMENT:

ASSESSMENT AXES
1. Axis 1 - Affective-social 5. Axis 5 - Motor

2. Axis 2 - Autonomy 6. Axis 6 - Neuropsychological

3. Axis 3 - Communication-language 7. Axis 7 - Cognitive

4. Axis 4 - Sensorial 8. Axis 8 – Educative

Affective-Social AXIS

Short-term objectives Activities Verification Combination with the

(to be closely related to (what activities have (report the results of the class program
the long-term ones been implemented verification of short-
provided on the DFP) and/or planned) term objectives)
Annex 3

Categories of disabilities

In conformity with the United Nations terminology, the concept of equal opportunities for people with
disabilities, and the international categorization of the World Health Organization (WHO), the term
“handicapped person” has been replaced by the term “Person with Disabilities” as referring to the
individual, and “Persons with Disabilities” as a social category.

From now on, “Persons with Disabilities” are those persons whose physical functions, mental capacity or
psychological state tend to differ, for a period of more than six months, from the typical state of their age,
which results in a limitation of their participation in social life.

This definition, which complies with the WHO proposal, is not based on real or assumed impairments.

It focuses the attention on the participation of persons with disabilities in the different areas of life. To
differ from the normal state means to lose or have a limitation of the physical, mental or psychological
structures that usually are present at a certain age. The Disability exists if the damage leads to a limitation,
which affects participation in one or several areas of life. The six-month duration criterion excludes temporary
disorders, which are not considered disabilities, but does not exclude immediate interventions that, in specific
cases, are necessary for its prevention. This has to do especially with the children whose disability or potential
risk of disability has been ascertained.

According to this definition, the categories of disabilities, as provided by the law, are:

1. Physical disability

2. Mental disability

3. Sensorial disability
Annex 4

Teachers’ quick assessment of children with learning difficulties

Goals:

 To distinguish between learning difficulties and other issues related to learning;

 To help in referring the child for further assessments;
 To help in the development of the initial individual education plan;

1. Assessment of the reading

 Assess the listening, the passive reading and the active reading separately.
 Start from the level that corresponds to the child’s age, except for the cases in which the difference
between the level of the child and that of the rest of the class is really significant.
 Use class materials, but not something the child has learned in the last two weeks.

 Listening: Read 5 sentences from a text to the child

 Passive reading: Ask the child to read silently about 5 sentences from a text
 Active reading: Ask the child to read out loud about 5 sentences from a text
 Ask the child 5 simple questions to see if he/she has understood what he/she read
 Record the questions and the answers
 If the child makes mistakes, repeat the assessment with a lower age level. Continue to lower
the age level until the child makes no mistakes
 For very young children, use the developmental milestones related to printing awareness
 Identify the child’s age level and the number and type of mistakes
 Make education plans based on the age level and type of mistakes identified

2. Assessment of the writing

 Assess the copying and the dictate separately

  Start from the level that corresponds to the child’s age, except for the cases in which the
difference between the level of the child and that of the rest of the class is really significant
 Use class materials, but not something the child has learned in the last two weeks
 Copying: ask the child to copy 2-5 sentences from a text
 Dictate: dictate to the child 2-5 sentences from a text
 If the child makes mistakes, repeat the assessment with a lower age level. Continue to lower
the age level until the child makes no mistakes
 For very young children, use the developmental milestones related to printing awareness
 Identify the child’s age level and the number and type of mistakes
 Make education plans based on the age level and type of mistakes identified

3. Mathematics assessment

 Use the material of the school program

 Start from the level that corresponds to the child’s age, except for the cases in which the
difference between the level of the child and that of the rest of the class is really significant
 If the child makes mistakes, repeat the assessment with a lower age level. Continue to lower
the age level until the child makes no mistakes
 For very young children, use the developmental milestones related to numeracy and math skills
 Identify the child’s age level and the number and type of mistakes
 Make education plans based on the age level and type of mistakes identified
Annex 5

Instruments for the school inspection/evaluation in relation to

children with disabilities

School:

Date:

To fill in this instrument, make a sign on the right of each statement selecting the alternative that better
describes the school level.

a. is being b. is being c. has been d. has been

taken into developed done reviewed
account and
improved
regularly
Quality of the school planning
1. The statement of the school mission
reflects an inclusive climate and
inclusive principles.
2. School admission policies/rules
facilitate CWD’s admission and
participation.
3. The school actively involves its staff
in supporting the inclusion of CWDs.
4. The school adapts a systematic
approach to the identification,
provision of opportunities, and review
of the education requirements for
CWDs.
5. The school encourages participation
and facilitates the participation of and
communication between parents and
teachers.
6. The school establishes and
maintains contacts with the agencies
and institutions that provide services
for CWDs.
7. The school’s annual plan includes
realistic and practical references for
the provision of quality education for
CWDs.
8. The discipline practices and the
code of conduct are flexible and take
into account individual specificities.
9. The procedures related to
homework take into account children
with disabilities.
10. The school’s evaluation policies
take into account children with
disabilities, including their proper
accommodation and state exams.
Quality of Professional Development
11. The entire school staff is
encouraged and facilitated in the
participation in training and
qualification activities on the
education of CWDs.
12. The entire school staff is aware of
the roles and responsibilities they have
in relation to CWDs.
13. A teacher has been appointed as
the person responsible for the
coordination of the work with CWDs
with his/her colleagues and other
internal school professionals.
Quality of the Curriculum
14. Children with disabilities have
access to a curriculum and syllabuses
adapted to their needs and interests.
15. Children with disabilities have
access to a large number of subjects at
different levels, which are adapted to
their needs and interests.
16. The documents and materials of
the curriculum related to children with
disabilities are available to the staff.
17. Extracurricular activities that
support and improve the learning are
open and accessible to CWDs.
Quality of learning and teaching
18. There is a direct link between the
school plan and the education
programs in favour of CWDs.
19. The data collected from the
assessments are shared and used to
inform in time the entire staff and the
parent about the child’s needs and
learning achievements.
20. The school develops, implements
and reviews in a cooperative way the
individual education plans of children
with disabilities.
21. The school provides a suitable, safe
and stimulating environment for all
the children, building a sense of
belonging and confidence.
22. All the children are motivated and
challenged with learning activities
suitable for their level and their
learning velocity.
23. All the teachers use teaching
strategies and methods that take into
account the differences between their
children’s abilities, needs and interest.
24. The types of evaluation and the
feedback (which include homework)
are differentiated by the teacher, who
adapts them to the children’s level and
abilities.
25. The school has set up procedures
for the monitoring of the current level
of children with disabilities in order to
make sure everything assigned is
based on the child’s level and is in
compliance with his/her individual
plan.
Annex 6

Useful institutions and addresses

1. Ministry of Education and Sports

(in this page you can find all the necessary legal basis related to the education of children with
disabilities. Here you can also find the links and addresses of all the MoES subordinate institutions
including the LEUs’ addresses)

Website: www.mash.gov.al

2. Save the Children

(from this address you can download all the materials published by Save the Children for free)
Website: http://www.scalbania.org/

3. MEDPAK
(This parents organization has published various materials to support parents and teachers working
with children with disabilities, which you can download for free from this address)
Website: www.medpak.org

4. “ADRF” (Albanian Disability Rights Foundation)

(This foundation provides on its page a rich library of materials on the rights of children with
disabilities to education)
Website: www.adrf.org.al

5. World Vision
(Provides studies and other information on inclusive education for children with disabilities)
Website: http://wwwvi.org/albania

6. “Help the Life” Association

Website: http://www.helpthelife.org
Save the Children

Rr. “Komuna e Parisit”, Lagjia 8,

Pallatet 1 Maji, Vila “Lami”, Albania
P.O. Box 8185
Tel: +355 4 2261840
+355 4 2261929
+355 4 2266227
Fax: +355 4 2263 428
E-mail: info.albania@savethechildren.org
Web Page: http://albania.savethechildren.net