ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Otorinolaringologia 2002 June;52(2):63-6

Copyright © 2009 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

School integration for children with impaired hearing

Maggio M. ¹, Maggio O. ¹, Martines E. ¹, Pepi A. ², Puccio R. ¹

¹ Department of Medical Biotechnologies and Forensic Medicine Audiology Section 2 Department of Phychology Chair of Development Psychology University of Palermo

Background. The authors ­have ana­lysed ­impaired ­children’s inte­gra­tion in ­state nur­sery and pri­mary ­schools in Palermo.
Methods. The study includes 51 support teachers and 51 class teachers. A questionnaire was submitted to all teachers concerning the training and specialization necessary to assist children with impaired hearing and the best methods to integrate them in the class.
Results. The ­results of the sur­vey ­proved ­that ­such inte­gra­tion is wide­ly accept­ed and pos­i­tive­ly con­sid­ered. Nevertheless, ­many draw­backs ­still hin­der an effec­tive and com­plete inte­gra­tion: ­inadeguate ­school struc­tures and facil­ities and ­weak coop­er­a­tion ­among ­school, reha­bil­i­ta­tion cen­tres and fam­i­lies.
Conclusions. In the author’s opin­ion ­these prob­lems can be over­come ­through the ­right ­choice of didac­tic strat­e­gies as ­well as ­through a ­team plan­ning of reha­bil­i­ta­tion tech­niques ­which ­will fos­ter the ­impaired ­pupil’s ­social inte­gra­tion in ­school.