Inclusive ECCD: - Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and ...

CASE STUDIES
The Development
of the Águeda
Approach
In 1975 there were only two children with special
needs integrated into the 51 educational institutions
(from creches through secondary school) in
Águeda—one with spina bifida and one who was
partially deaf. However, contacts with the various
schools in the region confirmed that there were
also children with learning problems, whose difficulties
were due to their family’s situation.
According to the teachers, there was no justification
for additional educational support for these
children.
During this same period, education for children
with moderate and serious intellectual deficiencies
was catered to only in large special
education institutions (some were boarding
schools) or in private schools located in big town
centres or in central areas within the inner part of
the country. In Lisbon there were some special
classes for children with mild intellectual difficulties.
Children with behavioural problems were
hospitalised in Child Mental Health Centres, or
in psychiatric hospitals in Oporto, Coimbra, and
Lisbon.
For children with physical and sensorial difficulties
there was only one physical rehabilitation
centre and one reception centre for children with
cerebral palsy located almost 300 km. from Águeda.
There were also big institutions for deaf and
blind children.
All these institutions were financed by the
Ministry of Social Welfare.
The social and educational integration in mainstream
education was reserved for children with
only physical and sensorial difficulties (i.e, they
had no mental deficiencies). In these cases, the
children received support from itinerant teachers
from the Ministry of Education. It was estimated
that this approach met the needs of no more than
10% of children with special needs.
Parents’ associations responded positively to
the increased experience of integrating children
with learning difficulties in nursery and state
schools in Águeda. Between 1979 and 1981,
knowledge of the work in Águeda contributed to
a decrease in the creation of special schools. In
this phase, Águeda’s movement became a point of
reference for the political decision that led to an
expansion of the work of itinerant special education
teams who could support the integration of
children with a wide range of special needs into
mainstream schools. Thus, an alternative had
been created which guaranteed the rights of children
with learning difficulties to education, one
which avoided their isolation from other children
and adults in the community.
Formal Support
and Resources
for Integration
The Ministry of Education created Special
Education Teams to work with parents and educators
from mainstream schools. Their task was to
undertake an analysis of issues and then to provide
UN Photo/155418/John Isaac
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