The boy without words. : A casestudy

• This paper is built on a case study done in Sweden. The aim of this paper is to present actions undertaken in early childhood to support a child and his schooling. It describes the work with the school team, school leaders and parents. The child got diagnose autism syndrome in the age of three.In Swedish media there is an ongoing debate (2013) regarding independent schools excluding children in need of special support or with diagnoses, which is contrary to the school law. It is not legal to sort out children. This paper, will as contrast, to this give an example of successful inclusive education. It can be challenging to work with inclusive education but this paper shows a successful approach in a small municipality school.       The empirical data in the first study was gathered through action research. The data gives a picture of a child’s experiences and the results of the interventions of activities in preschool and school (1994-2000). The researcher worked as special educator and participant observer in the pre- school, pre-school class and school. In addition to the previous study, built on observations and interviews with parents and teachers, interviews with the child and parents are done 2013. In the second study the child as a grown up, gives his thoughts and retrospective pictures. In the interview we got the motives for learning and reflections on opportunities in a lifelong perspective.Activity theory (Leontiev 1986) and theory about interplay (play process Wetso 2006) and teachers leadership (Fischbein, Österberg, Wetso unpublished manuscript 2013) are used to analyze the material. The result underlines necessity of cooperation among all involved and highlights the relationship between the individual, material, activities in home- and school environment.   

Keyword

Special needs education

Case study

Activity theory

Intervention

Long life learning

Didactics

didaktik

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)