Research and Service in Social Work: Conditions for a Stable Union

Abstract

During the postwar period until the Declaration of Independence and during several following years there was prevailed a medical (clinical)–corrective model of educating SEN children (children with special needs) in Lithuania (Ruskus, 2001 and others). Today when Lithuania is undergoing reforms of educational system the social–interactive model of educating SEN children is being discussed more widely (Ambrukaitis, 1997; Ruskus, 2001; Alisauskas, 2001 and others). Nevertheless, there is almost no discussion in scientific literature or in pedagogues’ community concerning the similarities and differences of both educational trends, their essential advantages and disadvantages etc. The article discusses psychosocial aspects of SEN children’s education revealing the perception of social–interactive model as essential criteria for evaluating the quality of SEN children’s integrated education. Taking into consideration the results of questioning 923 pedagogues from 62 mainstream schools and 138 heads of schools the following conclusion was made that the investigation programmes of SEN children’s psychosocial education present sufficient information concerning preparation of schools to educate the disabled children and the quality of education. The programmes could be applied in complex assessment of work of educational institutions that work with SEN children.