The special education school responds to the specific needs of students that the regular school fails to provide , both at a pedagogical and social level as well as rehabilitation and/or health.
In general, in special education schools , the ratio of students per classroom is between 6 and 12, and normally, in each classroom there is a tutor and an educator, which facilitates greater dedication and the possibility of programming individualized tasks for each student , thus taking into account the diversity of the classroom.
The rhythm of the special education school is more adapted to the abilities and responses of the students, not only in purely pedagogical or curricular tasks, but also in the day-to-day life of the students. The organization and structure of the classroom allows for more careful respect of the time that each person needs to do tasks , such as taking off their jacket, taking things out of their backpack, answering questions, feeding time, going to the toilet, etc.
Often, changes of space in special education schools are more limited and allow for better access to transitions to other classes. This fact, obviously, shortens the time that would involve changing classrooms, gives students security, reducing interfering stimuli in the corridors, such as loud noises or conversations with other professionals . In this way, students feel more welcomed and their confidence increases, generating a better predisposition to grasp school, sensory and daily life learning.
The special education school is inclusive : it incorporates integrative activities that promote shared schooling whenever possible and the inclusion of students with other characteristics within society, based on their abilities and responding to their needs. When there is shared schooling, the joint work of the special education school and the regular school, together with the family and the child's closest environment, is essential to promote the student's overall development , both in terms of their more curricular learning and their emotional and personal development.
The Special Education School in Catalonia
According to the latest Generalitat registration, there are 40 public special education centers and 62 private centers in Catalonia. Unfortunately, currently, ordinary schools do not always have the specialists needed to facilitate real learning for students with difficulties , especially students with more serious difficulties.
To meet this demand in ordinary schools, the Special Education Service and Resource Providers Centers ( CEEPSIR ) were created. Some professionals from these centers travel to ordinary schools to help guide the actions that are most closely aligned with the educational needs of the students and to develop specific programs to support the students' schooling. However, when these students have complex needs and very specific and intensive characteristics that the CEEPSIRs cannot cover, the Special Education Schools are the best resource since they can provide a comprehensive and intensive service that is more closely aligned with the real needs of the student.
Types of Special Education Schools
There are more generalist special education schools that cater to a wide variety of students with a wide variety of disorders: physical and mental disabilities, mental health problems, etc., and there are others, much more specific and specialized, that cater to children with a more specific type of difficulties and/or pathologies, mainly mental disabilities and behavioral disorders or students with autism or students with multiple disabilities. An example of a specialized special education school is Aspace, which caters to students with cerebral palsy, neurodevelopmental pathologies and multiple disabilities , many of them with high complexity.
The Aspace Catalunya Special Education School
Specifically, at the Aspace Special Education School , we have teachers specialized in special education, who have specific tools and resources that facilitate the evolution and development of students who require another type of intervention throughout their schooling . In addition, we have specialist technicians who are part of the multidisciplinary team of direct care, such as physiotherapists, speech therapists and psychologists, among others.
The school has the services of the Foundation's Day Hospital , which responds to the great needs for support and high overall complexity of the students, providing the necessary specialized care.
The portfolio of services offered by the Day Hospital are:
- specialized medical treatments in psychiatry,
- neurology,
- neuropediatrics,
- psychology,
- physical and rehabilitative medicine,
- drug treatment,
- reeducation,
- physiotherapy i respiratory physiotherapy,
- speech therapy,
- occupational therapy,
- music therapy,
- nursing,
- social work,
- service of resources and technological aids, adaptation to the environment and mobility in the community,
- as well as guidance and attention to families.
At the Aspace Catalunya Foundation, we understand this specialized care as a model of integrated care in which the three areas of care intervene and share: health, social and educational , which are basic for the overall development of the person and to guarantee the quality of family life.
It is a model that incorporates a medical and rehabilitation service (neuropediatrists, rehabilitation doctors, psychiatrists, social worker and nursing service). This facilitates family reconciliation since families can enjoy a service that is appropriate to the needs of their children in the same school where they are enrolled.
