Regardless of the disorders, people are different, we have preferences, experiences, we live in environments that characterize us, we are surrounded by concrete and different people.
The rights and duties prevail over the differences because, above all, we are people and as such we want to be treated always, with confidence, credibility, capacity ...
If we want to help we have to believe in them, in their projects, their desires, their particularities, in what they want to be by themselves and all have desires, intentions, think, listen, understand ... even if they are something different in it. They all need to feel important, that we listen to them, that they observe that we love them as they are, that we believe in them. Therefore, we begin by helping to build their life project with them, helping them to realize their interests, motivations, joys, pleasures, fears, sensations of all kinds. All people need others (we are social beings) because our brain is social; We need to learn to live with the others, to feel the same and different. Learning to live with other people is not simple but we need to exercise, develop habits of living and coexistence with other people, some with more intensity than others. In this sense, people with ASDs and other Neurodevelopmental Disorders are, first and foremost, people despite their diversity, because they understand and observe their surroundings based on their understanding, thinking, understanding, relating, .... As people, they need an active role to play in society, to feel useful, meaningful in their lives, important for other people.
Like all people, they need to live a satisfying, warm and pleasant life, which means attending to:
Therefore, we must monitor and provide people with personalized support with their differences and according to specific and specific demands.
Professional services should focus on the person having their contexts to learn and develop facilitating the attention of their demands and needs, desires and interests taking into account the diversity determined by the alteration of neurodevelopment that presents but never, this being the particularity that defines to the person.
People with ASD/NDD will have their dreams, desires, hopes, feelings and difficulties as each and every one of the people, and also in a differentiated way; the opportunity to participate with their own voice with the right to be able to decide, build and determine their life project. Their possibilities depend on their ability to live among and with others, to participate in their environments, to be accepted and, as it should be, contemplated as different, learning to behave and communicate in a harmonious and happy life of coexistence.
O desenvolvemento intelectual necesita a interacción e mediación do mundo dos obxectos e as persoas. A este respecto, Vygotsky (1979) sinala que o acceso a capacidades superiores (memoria, atención, percepción e pensamento) prodúcese a través do contacto coas persoas e supón unha serie de logros en materia de control ambiental da persoa e rendemento consciente (a diferenza do instintivo orixinal). Estas capacidades psicolóxicas superiores son atributos que inicialmente se presentan de xeito natural ou elemental eo proceso de adquisición de culturas faios socializar ou superar.
É por iso que a relación social ten unha importancia fundamental no comportamento e desenvolvemento das persoas. O comportamento reflíctese nas actividades nas que participas. Hai comportamentos momentáneos e outros que representan o desenvolvemento, sempre que sexan intencionais e planificadas. Para que estes comportamentos se produzan, é esencial que exista un ambiente estimulante e que haxa participación nas actividades realizadas no seu entorno físico e social.
É neste proceso de apropiación da cultura onde o neno adquire a propiedade do mundo dos obxectos e as relacións que o rodean. Este proceso lévase a cabo dun xeito activo, construíndo a intelixencia a través da comunicación práctica e verbal cos seus compañeiros, nunha actividade común con eles. O individuo establece moi pronto unha comunicación verbal con aqueles que o rodean, constrúe coñecemento con palabras, comeza a comprender o seu significado e os usa de forma activa no seu idioma. Esta apropiación da linguaxe é a condición máis importante para o desenvolvemento mental onde o neno se presenta coa riqueza do coñecemento acumulado pola humanidade: en forma de contido sobre o mundo que o rodea.
Cando a comprensión do desenvolvemento do coñecemento, Piaget (1978) indica tres formas de comportarse humana ao tratar coa realidade, por saber, se relaciona e interactúa co seu ambiente:
As persoas con TEAs/TNDs poden ser máis intelixentes, é dicir, teñen unha evolución permanente, crecendo e desenvolvéndose, con necesidades que cambian segundo estes avances. O desenvolvemento destas persoas depende: a estimulación, o desenvolvemento de soportes adaptados ás súas necesidades e demandas, as súas capacidades individuais e potencialidades para que a aprendizaxe debe ser baseada nas súas capacidades, subvencións continxentes e axuda (Educación, Familia, Escola , social ...) tanto en cantidade e calidade deben ser axustados ao grao de los de acordo coas súas habilidades e dificultades que é necesario o diagnóstico e / ou xuízo clínico.
Arredor da persoa con trastornos do desenvolvemento neurolóxico, o seu apoio e coidado, as formas de como nós concibimos o rendemento e como podemos analiza-los e traelos á xustiza, dependen moitas das sensacións que transmiten e confianza e crenza coas que facemos o noso traballo educativo; referímosnos / referímonos ao efecto das expectativas e as profecías autocumplidas. Nocións e concepcións máis antigas temporalmente producir na forma na que nos achegamos e pasar nas nosas crenzas e percepcións en relación aos outros, polo que é importante para destacar unha serie de principios actualmente en vigor no campo da ciencia psicolóxica, educativa e benestar; tamén porque nos axuda a entender certas formas de acción e reflexión en áreas profesionais e cotiás.
Nos últimos anos da década dos cincuenta do século XX, N. Banco Mikkelsen, entón director do servizo de danés ao deficiente mental, proclama o principio de normalización definido como: "A oportunidade para as persoas con trastornos desenvolver unha vida tan próxima ao que consideramos típico e cotián doutras persoas como sexa posible.
Dez anos máis tarde, en 1969, B. Nirje, director executivo da Asociación Sueca para nenos con trastornos, elaborou sobre este principio representan "facer accesible a persoas con directrices trastornos mentais e condicións de vida diarias que son tan preto como posible ás normas e pautas da xeneralidade do resto da sociedade ".
A partir dos países escandinavos, este principio esténdese por toda Europa e chega aos Estados Unidos e Canadá, onde W. Wolfensberger (1972) retocar a definición deste principio de normalización dándolle un enfoque máis didáctica:
A normalización é o uso de medios culturalmente normativos (familias, técnicas, instrumentos, métodos, etc.) para permitir que as condicións de vida dunha persoa (ingresos, vivenda, servizos de saúde, etc.) son polo menos tan boas como os dun cidadán medio e mellorar ou apoiar o máis posible o seu comportamento (habilidades, destrezas, etc.), aspecto (roupa, produtos de hixiene persoal, etc.), experiencia (adaptación, sentimentos, etc.), estado e reputación ( etiquetas, actitudes, etc.).
O principio de normalización evolucionou de tal xeito que desde unha aplicación exclusiva a persoas con alteracións intelectuais esténdese a calquera persoa. Non só é un resultado (como expón Banco Mikkelsen, 1972), ou poñendo énfase nos medios (como é Nirje, 1972), pero contempla articular e consecuentemente ambos os medios de comunicación e os resultados (seguindo Wolfensberger , 1972). Este non é un conxunto de accións (vocacionado exclusiva ou principalmente ao sistema de ensino), pero os principios orientadores destinados a todo o sistema de vida, abranguendo tanto a persoa con discapacidade e da sociedade en que viven. Por iso, tamén influenciado pola psicoloxía social (o ambiente social non é só a base, pero a base da súa aplicación) ou psicoloxía educativa (a capacidade de aprender e mecanismos de aprendizaxe son fundamentais para a implantación).
O principio de normalización comeza a ter unha presenza significativa na formulación de atención política para a diversidade funcional ea súa principal consecuencia será introducido no Reino Unido en 1978 "Informe Warnock", que afirma que "todos os nenos teñen dereito a asistir á escola ordinaria da túa localidade, sen posible exclusión ". Do mesmo xeito, a identidade das persoas con desenvolvemento neurolóxico prexudicado, notando que presentan unha necesidade especial e, polo tanto, tamén requiren atención especial e apoio, sen deixar de respectar o dereito á educación dentro do sistema regular é cuestionada.
Con iso, xorde o principio de integración na función escolar e ampliarase a outras parcelas: falar de "integración social" ou "integración laboral". A integración desborda as aulas e reflíctese, como no caso de España, nos estándares de alto rango, como a incorporación, por dereito, dun grupo para formar parte dela.
Os defensores do principio de integración reclaman dereitos legítimos e propios inherentes á persoa e que deben ser recoñecidos. Do mesmo xeito, faise referencia a un grupo social e comunitario ao que pertence a persoa e do cal non se pode separar. Os seus principios facer clara a necesidade dun enfoque ambiental para a persoa (ou adaptacións curriculares no lugar de traballo, medidas excepcionais de discriminación positiva, etc.), movendo-se o centro de atención da persoa ao ambiente en que viven para o proceso de incorporación desta persoa a este.
En xuño de 1994, a UNESCO celebrou en Salamanca (España) a Conferencia Mundial sobre Necesidades Educativas Especiais, titulada "Acceso e Calidade". No marco desta Conferencia hai un novo xiro no proceso de atención e concepción da persoa con diversidade funcional que resulta na inclusión. Este principio de inclusión afecta as aproximacións dentro do Sistema Educativo Ordinario.
A irrupción do principio de inclusión ten como obxectivo marcar as diferenzas con respecto ás etapas anteriores, polo que comeza a definir os seus fins centrándose en:
O principio de "inclusión" continuou evolucionando, xeneralizándose a outros niveis sociais. Tal é a relevancia da aplicación desta nova terminoloxía e conceptualización, que a Liga Internacional de Asociacións a favor de Persoas con Alteracións de desenvolvemento intelectual cambia o seu nome a "Inclusión Internacional".
Polo tanto, as persoas con ODD como todas as persoas teñen todo o dereito a:
A calidade de vida é un concepto que reflicte as condicións de vida desexadas por unha persoa en relación con 8 necesidades fundamentais que representan o núcleo das dimensións da vida de cada un: benestar emocional, relacións interpersoais, benestar material, desenvolvemento persoal, benestar físico, autodeterminación, inclusión social e dereitos (Schalock, 1999).
Os principios esenciais sobre os que se fundamenta o concepto de calidade de vida son:
Existe unha base importante de estudos que lograron establecer unha serie de indicadores que permiten avaliar operacionalmente o concepto de calidade de vida. Entre estes indicadores podemos sinalar:
O modelo de caldiade de vida orienta, ademáis das políticas sociales, as prácticas profesionais concretas (Schalock e Verdugo, 2013). Por exemplo, a promoción do benestar emocional ocorre cando unha persoa se sente nun ambiente predecible e non ameazante, libre de estrés innecesario; práctica, xeneralizada en materia de espectro de cambios autismo, información a través de teclas específicas con antelación, a través de sistemas de comunicación funcionais, están destinadas a este resultado (estas prácticas non ten que ser feito coa intención de promover unha habilidade aínda que este desenvolvemento realmente ocorre, pero por unha cuestión de acadar resultados persoais en termos de mellora da calidade de vida) tamén debe considerarse un impacto significativo sobre a regulación e control dos comportamentos disfuncionais.
Outra boa práctica para a promoción do benestar persoal é o apoio na xestión adecuada das situacións de aflición, axudando á persoa a comprender, expresar e afrontar a perda de persoas relevantes na súa vida. Desde a perspectiva dunha educación centrada na calidade de vida obxectivo de loito, a xestión é fundamental, xa que as súas consecuencias (depresión, tristeza, comportamento anormal ...) afectan a vida e calidade, ademais de asistir a orixe do mesmo.
Outra dimensión clave para a calidade de vida son as relacións interpersonales dada a importancia para a aprendizaxe da vida ea coexistencia entre pares, compañeiros, amigos ... e as súas diferenzas e semellanzas. Amizades e relacións cos seus pares están gañando importancia no campo da calidade de vida para que eles deben ter en conta as dificultades que as persoas teñen con TEA a facelo, para crear e manter amigos para que eles serán prioridades no desenvolvemento de apoios e axudas neste contexto.
Entre os conceptos e dimensións en torno á vida coa calidade das persoas, a autodeterminación irrompe con gran forza; Isto ocorre porque estamos aprendendo a escoitar e valorar o que contribúen as persoas con trastornos do desenvolvemento neurolóxico e as consecuencias moi interesantes e provocadoras, tanto para a familia, como para os profesionais e os servizos. Dada a súa importancia, dedicaremos exclusivamente unha sección.
Non hai dúbida de que a educación eo coidado en persoas con trastornos do espectro do autismo debe ter como obxectivo esta calidade de vida e evitar moitas das formulacións son ata agora con base no desenvolvemento de certas habilidades e / ou habilidades fóra de dúbida dos ambientes naturais e da vida de todas as persoas. Como sinala o informe Warnock, só hai unha sociedade que crea os seus instrumentos para aprender a vivir neles con todas as persoas e non buscar a presenza, participación e aprendizaxe nestes ámbitos significa impedir a súa aprendizaxe e desenvolvemento; a familia, a escola, a comunidade ea propia sociedade teñen estes instrumentos a través dos cales estamos aprendendo a vivir e vivir xuntos. A tarefa da vida real da persoa en plenitude, ademais da súa diversidade é garantir o apoio para a calidade de vida que pode servir para a dirección, a partir dunha nova perspectiva, o dilema respecta ás modalidades educativas dos alumnos con barreiras á presenza, aprendizaxe e participación co apoio educativo que facilita a súa calidade de vida en contextos normais e comunitarios entre todas e todas as persoas, facilitando a convivencia e calidade de vida para todas as persoas.
A educación implica as oportunidades para o desenvolvemento das dimensións da vida de todas e cada unha se supón que a diversidade enriquece. A planificación educativa ea súa avaliación para a mellora deben centrarse en responder ás necesidades e desexos dos estudantes na procura da maior calidade de vida e na súa satisfacción o que esixe o respecto dos dereitos de cada persoa e a aprendizaxe de cumprir tarefas escolares.
O modelo de calidade de vida axúdanos a sensibilizar e fomentar o avance cara a unha concepción máis humana da diversidade funcional e á introdución de prácticas de mellora continua na prestación de servizos, así como mellorar as políticas sociais en relación co ámbito da mesmo (Schalock, 1999).
A calidade de vida tamén se define pola autodeterminación, é dicir, "a capacidade de tomar decisións sobre as propias accións, sen influencias externas excesivas" (Wehmeyer, 1996, p.8). Este concepto reúne unha das bases esenciais para a xente na súa realización de obxectivos e no cumprimento dos desexos como o control da vida.
Non se pode sempre facer o que quere, hai certas regras que esixen e impiden facer certas accións ou que nos obriguen a facer outras. Todas as persoas inflúen no comportamento do seu contorno, polo que falamos de interdeterminación, para enfatizar a relativa natureza da autodeterminación sen afectar a súa capacidade e relevancia.
A autodeterminación non está facendo cousas por si mesmo, é saber o que quere e intentar logralo; significa que a persoa controla a súa vida eo seu destino; algo tan sinxelo e tan complexo como iso. A autodeterminación é sempre interdeterminación, porque todas as persoas están, polo menos parcialmente, mediadas polas leis e regras culturais e sociais. As persoas valoran ser axentes causales, actores, de aspectos relevantes nas nosas vidas e, neste reside, de forma importante, a nosa percepción de ter unha boa vida e calidade.
Algúns compoñentes esenciais dun currículo de autodeterminación son: aprender a elixir, tomar decisións; aprender a establecer obxectivos persoais e alcanzalos; resolver problemas; ter autonomía; capacidade de autodefensa; Auto consciencia (recoñecemento de puntos fortes e debilidades persoais ...). A este respecto, Wehmeyer (1996, 1999) propón catro características que definen as accións autodeterminadas e que se poden resumir na seguinte figura:
Modelo Funcional de Autodeterminación. Extraido de “Autodeterminación y Alteraciones del Desarrollo Intelectual” por _M. Baña Castro y L. Losada Puente, L. p. 135. Copyright, 2017, por EOE.
CAPACIDADE DE AUTONOMÍA. Un comportamento é autónomo se a persoa actúa de acordo coas súas propias preferencias, intereses e / ou habilidades, libre de influencias externas. Apoiar o proceso de adquisición da autonomía da persoa debería ensinalo a identificar, cultivar e desenvolver a súa propia motivación recursos internos; é dicir, as súas preferencias, obxectivos e necesidades psicolóxicas (Reeve e Halusic, 2009).
A persoa beneficiarase ao nivel de motivación, compromiso co seu benestar psicolóxico e aprendendo se os que o rodean, implicados na toma de decisións de forma natural. Se permitimos que a persoa participe nas decisións que o afectan e outras persoas nas que están implicadas outras persoas (unidade familiar, contexto comunitario ...), estamos ofrecendo oportunidades para experimentar, continuar e enriquecer os intereses e buscar obxectivos relevantes para iso. . Neste sentido, dous aspectos son clave no desenvolvemento da autonomía: a capacidade de elección e toma de decisións. O desenvolvemento destas habilidades require familias profesionais e socialmente conscientes e educadas, que coñecen os intereses e usalos como base para a acción, a saber:
En definitiva, trátase de superar as actitudes de protección e sobreprotección, o medo de que algo malo poida pasar á persoa; É necesario permitir que a persoa elixa e tome decisións sobre a súa vida, aínda máis, cometer erros e experimentar as consecuencias do seu comportamento
CAPACIDAD DE AUTORREGULACIÓN. É un sistema de resposta complexa que permite ás persoas analizar os seus ambientes e os seus repertorios de resposta para desenvolver nestes ámbitos e tomar decisións sobre como actuar, actuar e avaliar os resultados obtidos, revisando os seus plans cando sexa necesario. A autorregulación inclúe:
Como sinala Tamarit (2001), o comportamento dunha persoa será máis adaptado canto máis control percibe sobre o seu ambiente, tanto nas súas accións como no coñecemento de eventos futuros e na súa consecuente anticipación.
CAPACITACIÓN PSICOLÓXICA Ou EMPODERAMENTO (empowerment): crenza na capacidade de alguén para facer o que se quere. Baséase na idea de darlle protagonismo ás persoas, facilitando o control das súas propias vidas e fomentando a súa autodeterminación e vida independente con dignidade e calidade. Para isto, é necesario:
CAPACIDADE DE AUTORREALIZACIÓN OU AUTOCOÑECEMENTO: o coñecemento das habilidades e capacidades propias e de dificultades ou menos capacidades. Adóitase mediante a experimentación co medio ambiente ea interpretación que a persoa fai dela, sendo influída polas valoracións que outras persoas, relevantes para a persoa, fan del, os reforzos e as atribuciones do propio comportamento. Para lograr un desenvolvemento axeitado desta capacidade, é fundamental:
As características dun comportamento autodeterminado están xurdindo, nun proceso que dura toda a vida, xa que a xente adquire os diferentes compoñentes dun comportamento autodeterminado; Algunhas destas son: elección, toma de decisións, resolución de problemas, definición de obxectivos e adquisición de habilidades, auto-observación, avaliación e auto-reforzo, o lugar de control interno, as atribucións positivas de autoeficacia e as expectativas de resultado, auto-coñecemento e autoconocimiento (Wehmeyer, 1996).
O principio de igualdade de oportunidades atopou expresión no movemento de inclusión; Con iso, intentamos visualizar as barreiras para a presenza, a aprendizaxe ea participación das persoas en exclusión debido ás súas alteracións no desenvolvemento neurotípico con respecto á maioría das persoas. Isto non significa que o desenvolvemento segue un patrón ordenado ou que as persoas neurotípicas non teñan alteracións no desenvolvemento, só que non afectan significativamente o desenvolvemento das nosas vidas con e sen o apoio necesario tamén doutras persoas.
A inclusión pódese entender inmersa no principio de normalización como o dereito de persoas con algún tipo de alteración ou desorde do neurodesenvolvemento para participar en todos os ámbitos da sociedade ou da comunidade no ámbito ordinario da aprendizaxe de vida nos contextos que a a sociedade creou e desenvolveu capacidades en ambientes experimentais e experienciais para os que se necesitan estimulación e aprendizaxe; Estes instrumentos que a sociedade creou son coñecidos por ser únicos e comúns para todas as persoas no seu acceso á educación, a saúde, o emprego, o lecer, a cultura e os servizos sociais, recoñecendo os mesmos dereitos que o resto do poboación. Neste caso, a investigación contemporánea en desenvolvemento nos di que os instrumentos mentais se desenvolven nos cadros e en ambientes vivos, dependendo delas, a súa creación ou a súa construción.
Neste caso, a inclusión móstranos os dereitos e criterios dentro do alcance do paraguas xurídico que facilita que as persoas con trastornos do desenvolvemento neurolóxico teñan posibilidades de aprender e vivir con e entre outras persoas; oportunidades e posibilidades de:
Inclusión apunta directamente á escola como o instrumento social de igualdade de oportunidades para todas as persoas; un espazo de inclusión social, onde as persoas doutros grupos sociais reúnense, comparten e conviven e aprenden a respectar e valorar a diversidade que nos enriquece como unha sociedade e xente. A calidade educativa reside na creación destes ambientes onde hai unha participación plena, aprendizaxe e éxito para o desenvolvemento dunha vida adulta capaz, autónoma e de calidade. A diversidade debe converterse en oportunidades para todas e cada unha das persoas, xerando os ambientes para o desenvolvemento de todos e cada un.
Como un espazo privilexiado no que todos aprendemos a convivir e cada un ten a oportunidade de desenvolver ao máximo as súas capacidades de aprendizaxe, a escola debe posuír os instrumentos para que todas as persoas se sintan cómodas, aprenda e facilite mellor a vida de todos. persoas inmersas nela. A inclusión educativa debe ser parte da estratexia xeral para acadar unha educación de calidade para todos.
Aínda que a expresión "necesidades educativas especiais" pode ser unha barreira para o desenvolvemento inclusivo e pode ser unha característica da discriminación institucional, forma parte do marco cultural e político de moitos centros e inflúe en moitas prácticas. Eliminando barreiras para xogar, aprender e participar significa mobilizar recursos do centro e do seu contorno. Sempre hai máis recursos para iso que os que se están a usar; por recursos referímosnos / referímonos a profesionais, equipos directivos, nenos, pais / coidadores, grupos locais e tamén en cambio de culturas, políticas e prácticas. Os practicantes poden ter habilidades que non son conscientes ou non está a usar totalmente, pode haber membros da comunidade que comparten orixe ou discapacidade cun neno que pode axudar a se sentir na casa.
Os recursos para nenos, a súa capacidade para dirixir a súa propia aprendizaxe e xogar e apoiarse mutuamente poden ser especialmente infrautilizados, así como o potencial dos profesionais para apoiarse. Persoas con barreiras á aprendizaxe deben ser educados con outros estudantes, respectando a súa idade cronolóxica, facilitando a súa presenza en todas as actividades e participar na vida escolar, identificando barreiras que poida ter e garantir a súa extinción ou cualificación. Todos os alumnos teñen dereito a ser educado nun ambiente estándar que garante a súa futura participación e inclusión na sociedade, no que todos deben unirse e participar para que posibilitemos unha vida de calidade e vivindo o mellor e máis rico posible; alí todas as persoas deben ser importantes e esenciais.
People with autism spectrum disorders and other neurodevelopmental disorders are people with neurotypical developmental disturbances, that means they need an endless process of improving learning and engaging everyone, an ideal or Aspiration that is never finished reaching. There is not a completely inclusive center; There are many pressures that favor exclusion, are persistent and can take on new forms but inclusion takes place as soon as the process of improving participation begins. Then an inclusive context can be described as the one that is on the move. We conceive support from a much broader perspective, like all activities that increase the capacity of a centre to respond to diversity. From this perspective, they need more support, aid or simply different from the majority of people; They also need your help and support to learn and live with them. It does not make them different, they are people who need what all people: affection, consideration, esteem,...
The barriers can come from any aspect of the center: their physical distribution, their organization, the relationships between children and adults and the type of activities. Barriers inevitably extend beyond the centre and we can find them in the community and in local and national policies. Children find it difficult when they experience barriers to play, learn and participate that impede their access to a center or limit their participation in it. This notion of barriers can help us establish what needs to be done to improve the experience of any child or adult in the center. The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disorders (AAIDD), in its last classification known as the DSM5 indicates the significant alterations in the intellectual abilities and the adaptive behavior that originate before the 18 years and affect the life and coexistence of these people "altering the Normal daily life activities (Schalock et al., 2010).
In this definition, emphasis is placed on the importance of supports to improve the performance and quality of life of the person, giving priority attention to the individual and environmental factors that, together with the support system contribute to the development Integral of the person in terms of a greater quality of life and a full self-determination.
The approach of the definition of alterations of the proposed intellectual development is a multidimensional theoretical model (see figure), in which some dimensions are reformulated with respect to the original multidimensional proposal (Luckasson et al., 2002), in order to Accommodating the system to what research and knowledge have allowed us to advance in these years.
Conceptual scheme of human functioning. Adapted from "Latest advances in the approach and conceptualization of people with intellectual disabilities", by M.A. Verdugo and R.L. Schalock, 2010, Siglo Cero: Spanish Magazine of Intellectual Disability, 41 (4), p.17. Copyright 2010 by Editions Universidad de Salamanca.
Intellectual skills are considered a capacity in people that includes "reasoning, planning, solving problems, thinking abstractly, understanding complex ideas, learning quickly and learning from experience" (Luckasson et al., 2002, p.40 ). This approach is related to the current state of research that tells us that the best way to explain intellectual functioning is by a dynamic, diverse and unique factor of intelligence. Its evaluation goes beyond academic performance or the response to standardized tests to refer to a 'wide and deep capacity to understand our environment, to adapt and modify it.
Diagnosis is not an easy task, given that the disorders have no clear limits, must be based on rigorous data, is part of a professional skill where results must be interpreted and decision making is a complex task that must have collaboration of people close to the person and the professionals who work with them. Alterations in intellectual abilities should be considered along with the other four proposed dimensions, because by themselves they are a necessary criterion but not sufficient for the diagnosis.
Despite its difficulties, the use and abuse that has historically been made of the evaluation of intelligence, it is necessary to take it into account but evaluating it from the perspective of the person and its context to make a good analysis of the intellectual functioning of the person. to respect the international criteria of the classifications for it.
Adaptive behavior is understood as "the set of conceptual, social and practical skills learned by people to function in their daily life" (Luckasson et al 2002, p.73). Both the AAIDD (Schalock et al., 2010) and the DSM-5 (APA, 2013) define the adaptive behavior in a similar way and refer to the difficulties in this dimension as an alteration that affects the activities of daily life of the person (APA, 2013, Schalock et al., 2010 as the ability to respond to changes in life and environmental demands).
Alterations in adaptation skills often coexist with capacities in other areas, so the evaluation must be performed differentially in different aspects of adaptive behavior and examined in the context of communities and cultural environments typical of the age of their peers and linked to barriers to participation and learning in their natural contexts. Likewise, these skills must be considered in relation to the other proposed dimensions of analysis, and will have different relevance as they are being considered for diagnosis, classification or support planning.
Table shows examples of conceptual, social and practical skills.
It refers to the performance of the person in real activities in areas of social life that relates to their functioning in society; participation refers to the roles and interactions in the home, work, leisure, education, community, family and cultural activities. While the other dimensions focus on personal or environmental aspects, in this case the analysis is aimed at evaluating social life, interactions with others and the social role played, highlighting the importance given to these aspects in relation to the life of the person. Participation can be evaluated through direct observation of the person's interactions with their environment in daily activities as well as their activities, interests, relationships, ... An adaptive functioning of the person's behavior is given to the extent in which you are actively involved (assisting, interacting with, participating in) with your environment. Social roles (or status) refer to a set of activities valued as typical for a specific age group and may refer to personal, school, work, community, leisure, spiritual, or other aspects.
The lack of resources and community services as well as the existence of physical, psychic and social barriers can significantly alter the participation and interactions of people. This lack of opportunities is the one that can be most related to the difficulty to play a valued social role.
Health (WHO, 2001) is understood as a "state of complete physical, psychic and social well-being". Human functioning is influenced by any condition that alters your physical or mental health; that is why any of the other proposed dimensions is influenced by these aspects. Likewise, the effects of health on the functioning of the person can range from very facilitators to very inhibitors and, in turn, the environments determine the degree to which the person can function and participate, being able to create current or potential dangers in the person , or they may fail to provide appropriate protection and supports.
In this regard, they point out Schalock et al. (2007) "disability originates in a health condition that results in an alteration in the body and structures, difficulties in activity and restrictions in participation in the context of personal and environmental factors" (p.7) ). Therefore, the concern for the health of people with neurodevelopmental disorders is based on the fact that they may have difficulty in recognizing physical and mental health problems, in managing their attention in the health system or in attention to their mental health, in communicate the symptoms and feelings and in the understanding of the care plans.
The etiology is posed with a multifactorial conception of the construct composed of four categories of risk factors: biomedical, social, behavioral and educational. These factors interact over time, both in the life of the person and through the different generations.
This dimension describes the interrelated conditions in which people live daily. It is posed from an ecological perspective that has at least three different levels (see Figure)
The different environments that are included in the three levels can provide opportunities and promote the well-being of people. Educational, work, housing and leisure environments, if inclusive, favor the growth and development of people. The opportunities they provide must be analyzed in five aspects: community presence in the habitual places of their community, experiences of choice and decision-making, competence (learning and execution of activities), respect for occupying a place valued by the community and participation community in the family, school and equals.
In this dimension, it is not only necessary to pay attention to the environments in which the person develops, but also to the culture, since many values and interpretations of behavior are affected by it. In this sense, we can highlight our relationship with nature, our sense of time and temporal orientation, the relationships we have with others, our sense of self, the use of wealth, the personal style of thought and the provision of supports formal and informal.
The evaluation of the context must be evaluated with the utmost rigor, pursuing the understanding of human functioning in its diversity and the provision of personalized supports.
This multidimensional model proposed originally by Luckason et al. (1992) and maintained in subsequent formulations (Lúckason et al., 2002; Schalock et al., 2010) suggests that alterations in intellectual development is not something that one possesses, nor something that one is; nor is it a mental illness: "it is a particular state of functioning that begins in childhood, is multidimensional and must be attended to positively by personalized supports" (Luckasson et al., 2002, p.48).
As a functioning model it includes the contexts in which people function and interact, at different levels of the system, so it can be said that the proposed definition requires a multidimensional and ecological approach that reflects the interaction of the person with their environments, as well as the results referred to the person in this interaction related to independence, relationships, contributions, educational and community participation and personal well-being; it must be understood from the offer of the own environment in the identification and overcoming of the barriers for the inclusion and the life of quality of all the people.
Autism spectrum disorder, communication disorders ... that characterize people, their way of thinking and acting. When we evaluate people with neurodevelopmental disorders, we are first of all evaluating people to help them in the provision of the supports they need in order to overcome the barriers that allow an integral development and facilitate their life with and among other people.
To speak of Neurodevelopmental Disorders is to refer to qualitative alterations of development, to a disorder understood from an evolutionary perspective and, in the notion of Development that transcends the fact of these alterations that appear in early childhood and their manifestations vary with age, determining a neuroatípico development. There are currently different types of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, the result of the change in terminology that has occurred with the publication of the DSM-5 Manual (APA, 2013):
These eight types of Neurodevelopmental Disorders overlap, sharing some of their clinical characteristics and there are no clear limits between them. In recent years a great variability in the expression of these neurodevelopmental disorders has been observed, ranging from what is considered to be a spectrum that ranges from the highest to the lowest intensity of support required; It also varies with time and is influenced by factors such as the degree of intellectual capacity, language, age and level of support, among others.
The concept of Autism Spectrum Disorders (hereinafter TEAs) tries to do justice to this diversity, reflecting the clinical and social reality we face. The TEAs presuppose a continuum of alterations to a lesser or greater degree in the different dimensions with cases close to clinical normality Those considered Autism Spectrum Disorders are characterized by alterations in social interaction, in verbal / non-verbal communication and the presence of restrictive, repetitive behavior patterns.
At the end of the 60s and the beginning of the 70s, the concept of Autism Spectrum Disorder began to be differentiated from the vision related to the clinical characteristics and family history of people, enabling their differentiation as persons and not characterizing them according to their symptomatology The study around ASD begins to be carried out from a cognitive and neurobiological perspective, with its coincidences with epilepsy and alterations in intellectual development. As a result, numerous theories emerge that indicate general sensory and perceptive disorders and selective processing disorders. An important change in this conception refers to the discovery of the triad of characteristic alterations associated with disorders in the capacity for reciprocal interaction, communication and imagination. This supposed triad, points out the characteristic of people with ASD, but over time is associated with other disorders of intellectual development, which causes the notion of ASD to change. From this modification arises the notion of spectrum, which gives rise to the today known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In the 80s and 90s, the nature of the primary disorder in ASD was investigated from a cognitive and neuropsychological point of view. Consequently, the investigation of the theory of mind, intersubjectivity, central coherence and executive function among others as psychological explanatory hypothesis (Murillo, 2012) arises. ASDs group a series of serious alterations that affect social interaction, behavior and communication from the early years of childhood. They are generalized and affect development as a whole, accompanying the person throughout their life cycle (Frith, 2003). The TEA label seems to refer to an enormously heterogeneous and diverse set of diversities, whose evolutionary levels, demands and educational, therapeutic needs as well as courses and vital perspectives are enormously different (Riviere, 2000).
The different disciplines related to the disorder open study hypotheses and all come together in brain damage related to developmental disorders with neurological bases that is characterized by disorders in the areas of language, communication, relationship and social interaction skills and motor behaviors (Association American Psychiatry, 2014) creating a deviation in psychological development or a developmental disorder (Benites, 2010). It can be pointed out that people with ASD have difficulties in the processes of attention, perception and response to the environment. In terms of the concept of ASD, Osten (2003) reports that a series of alterations that determine altered abilities to develop relationships with peers of the evolutionary level and the absence of spontaneous behaviors to share interests, intentions and achievements with other people converge. . As a clinical entity, ASD is the most fascinating, rich, disturbing and challenging category, due to the difficulties involved in evaluating it, making a diagnosis and carrying out a plan and / or care program (Benites, 2010).
These changes in the conception of ASD are reflected in the international diagnostic classifications of the DSM5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) and the CIE (International Classification of Diseases) in its edition 11 (still under study). At present, the DSM 5 names the Autism Spectrum Disorder, belonging to the group of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (Ríos and Castaño, 2014); The concern and research of recent years leads to a considerable increase in publications and research that is currently being carried out compared to the scarce ones of 30-40 years ago (Baña and López, 2009).
ASD is usually identified during the first years of life, since it usually presents non-conventional behaviors that hinder and alter the interaction and adaptation in the family and social environments (Benites, 2010) in its spontaneity and intercommunication.
First, the characteristics of ASD vary depending on the areas affected and their affectation (Demonios, 2015) with special attention to three areas:
Second, another characteristic feature of ASD is the alteration in the development of the theory of the mind; the person with ASD with difficulties to recognize their own thoughts or beliefs differentially from the others is conceived which could explain the altered interaction, it can be deduced that if they think they have the same thoughts they will not consider transmitting them (Hobbson, 1995).
Third, as regards the central coherence, an alteration in the central processing is identified, which leads to a notorious difficulty in extracting the global form and meaning, by focusing the attention on the local information and the details, not being able to differentiate them from successful way (Martínez and Cuesta, 2012).
Finally, in terms of executive functions, it presents great difficulties in behavior aimed at a goal with a future orientation. This could be linked to alterations in the relationship and interaction with the environment and possible alterations in the mirror neurons and / or in the frontal lobes (Martínez and Cuesta, 2012). Szatmari (2006) points out that people with ASD develop in a concrete, tangible and immediate world, having difficulties for abstractions, metaphors or non-verbal languages and with double meanings. Lonzano and Alcaraz (2012) point out that each person with ASD, like each person without ASD, are different.
According to the DSM5, depending on the difficulties present in both social communication and restricted interests and dysfunctional behavior. The DSM5 differentiates in the diagnosis of ASD, three levels that depend on the degree of the demands generated in their socioeducational environment. This distinguishes a mild, a moderate and a severe diagnosis: The mild diagnosis is characterized by social communicative difficulties both verbal and nonverbal, so that it hardly initiates interactions and responds to attempts to relate to others. It is also characterized by the inflexibility of the behavior and great difficulty in changing the focus of interest or behavior. The average grade is characterized by its difficulties in verbal and non-verbal social communication skills, in such a way that they initiate interactions in a very altered way. and responds atypically to attempts to relate to others. Also, they show difficulties to face changes, inflexible behaviors and, frequently, dysfunctional / repetitive behaviors appear.
A diagnosis with a high degree reflects difficulties in initiating interactions and without support, they have difficulties for social communication. They tend to have organizational and planning problems that hinder their independence and their inflexibility of behavior, causing significant interference in functioning in different contexts. On the other hand, the DSM5 also includes the alterations of the TEA in different dimensions.
Given that it is a spectrum, there are many difficulties that people with ASD may have:
All the exposed in terms of difficulties that characterize the ASD become demands and needs for these people and will depend on the degree of stimulation, personal characteristics being inherent in the diversity of the people themselves; in terms of demands, they represent a barrier to development that must be addressed in order to generate the basic psychological functions for their socialization process, whose "critical" period extends between one and a half years and five or six years of life. In this phase of development, emotional reactions and behavioral problems (tantrums, self-aggressions, shouting and unmotivated laughter, compulsive actions, self-stimulation, echolalia, etc.) are presented as a dysfunctional response in a sharp and marked way. , which hinders learning and its interaction with its surroundings (Benites, 2010). The psychological functions that are altered with ASD are linked to the following capacities (Benites (2010):
People with this developmental disorder have difficulty developing these abilities because the neurobiological conditions that make their acquisition possible do not occur or function in a normotypical way. In addition, the ability to imitate and learn vicariously is also altered in ways that hinder the acquisition in this sensitive period of development of complex skills such as symbolization, interpersonal relationships and the significant organization of the experiences being altered and making it difficult for the person in his socialization process. People with ASD present peculiar learning styles in terms of their communication as dysfunctional and their disposition to attend in a characteristic manner in terms of details and their set that facilitate the organization of learning. The development of skills and interests is another aspect to be considered, with a better processing of information through images due to its phonological difficulty, inflexibility and attachment to routines that provide security by pretending a certain mental rigidity (Benites, 2010).
In the affective field, it is characterized by its difficulties of social communication, especially in relation to the dysfunction and use of behavior as a central form of communication with its environment. People with this developmental disorder have the capacity to show emotions but many difficulties in the control and manifestation of them in a functional and communicative way. In this line Baron-Cohen and Colbs (2001) point out the ability to learn to understand one's own emotions and those of others but their difficulty in regulating and controlling them in a social way.
The "sensitive" moment of people and their development takes place in childhood, specifically between a year and a half and five or six years of life; Various studies investigate this possibility and the changes that occur gradually as the needs and social demands change affecting these changes in family life, generating high levels of dependency and altering life and coexistence in families (Mailik, Wyngaarden, Orsmond , 2001).
The inclusive school must plan the quality of life and the self-determination of the students in general. The educational process must therefore be focused on the students (Tamarit, 2005) as a process that seeks to achieve the greatest welfare for the people of society (Gimeno, 2000). In recent years, the right of people to receive a quality education in ordinary classrooms in interaction with the peer group is recognized, a quality education that provides significant value for their lives, which facilitates the acquisition of skills and knowledge that contributes to a better life.
From this point of view, the education of students with ASD will aim to achieve learning that is considered essential for the person. Therefore, it must provide social welfare, the learning of life skills such as social, personal and adaptive skills as well as the extraction of the possibilities and capabilities of each person. Likewise, it should aim to prepare them as full citizens in rights for social participation and with a sense of belonging to the group, as managers of their own lives and as promoters of a permanent advance in their quality of life (Lonzano and Alcaraz, 2012 ; Tamarit, 2005). To achieve an education that responds to the quality of life, it is necessary to take into account a series of values (Simarro, 2013):
Verdugo, Schalock, Arias, Gómez and Jordán (2013) point out that the quality of life is a desired state of personal well-being composed of several central dimensions that are influenced by personal and environmental factors. These dimensions that are the same for all people can vary in the importance and value attributed to them. The 8 dimensions that make up the quality of life of Verdugo, Schalock, Arias, Gómez and Jordán (2013) are: emotional well-being, interpersonal relationships, material well-being, personal development, physical well-being, self-determination, social inclusion and rights.
In this regard, Wehmeyer (2001) considers that to achieve a better quality of life, self-determination is fundamental, or the capacity to act as the main causal agent of one's life and maintain and improve the quality of life. Thus, from this perspective, people act autonomously, their behavior is self-regulated, they initiate and respond to events in a psychologically capable way and they act in a self-realized manner (Wehmeyer, Verdugo, Vicente, 2013; Tamarit, 2005). according to Wehmeyer, Verdugo and Vicente (2013) it is developed throughout life as they learn skills and develop attitudes that allow them to manage their own lives. Self-determined people act with the conviction that they are capable of performing the necessary behaviors to achieve certain results in their environment and if they execute such behaviors they will obtain the desired results. They are also aware of themselves, since they use knowledge about themselves in a global and precise manner as well as their abilities and difficulties, taking advantage of it in a beneficial way. Self-knowledge is even formed through experience with the environment and the interpretation that each one makes of it and is influenced by the evaluation of others, reinforcements and attributions of one's behavior (Tamarit, 2005).
People with ASD have fewer opportunities to develop self-determination because they have greater barriers to learn and live in typical contexts or most people, to communicate, interact and behave that their neighbors, known, ..., hence that more training is needed and greater opportunities to promote self-determination (Wehmeyer, Verdugo and Vicente 2013).
Therefore, it is very important to promote self-determination as it helps people to choose and redirect their lives based on what their environment offers, reaching self-knowledge and an adequate self-esteem that allows them to adapt the offer to their personal interests (Blanco , 2001). To improve self-determination, active participation is essential given its good teaching strategy and allows self-determination, self-defense, leadership and teamwork skills to be practiced. As Tamarit (2005) points out, institutions must carry out tasks that facilitate students' self-determined behaviors; Among these tasks you can list:
Inclusive education is an education for all, which is based on the recognition of the value of every human being, pretending the development of all people taking into account their personal characteristics and those of their environment and the need for training to advance of societies in all areas of progress (Jiménez and García, 2013, Pujolàs, 2001).
At school all students must learn and maximize their capacity for development, evolving towards independence and interdependence with others learning to live and live together. To do this, they must actively participate in what they find interesting and potentially beneficial for them. Acceptance, belonging to the group and friendship should enjoy priorities, because when establishing and developing relationships, many opportunities for teaching and learning arise (Stainback, Stainback and Moravec, 2001). In order to achieve an education for all, a curriculum that is flexible that adapts to the individual needs of students is fundamental, in such a way that it ensures that everyone can access it (Lonzano and Alcaraz, 2012).
Inclusive education must aim for 3 major objectives (Simarro, 2013):
Likewise, Inclusive education should be a process of innovation and advancement, in which the school is transformed to identify barriers that prevent the presence, learning and participation of students in school life and in the curriculum and encourage all students receive the necessary support to achieve their potential, which implies eliminating existing barriers in the medium, attitudes, communication, curriculum, teaching, socialization and evaluation at all levels (Jiménez and García, 2013; Echeita, Simón, López and Urbina, 2013). Simarro (2013) points out that success or failure depends to a large extent on whether people with ASD have the appropriate professional and natural support of quality. The objective of the inclusion is that the person with ASD can participate with the support that another student, that is, with natural supports such as teachers, classmates, etc.
A system of supports in which participation is sought can not be reduced to the classroom, since social participation is achieved in all the environments in which it takes place in the center. The supports are resources and strategies aimed at promoting development, education, interests and personal well-being as well as the progress of their individual functioning (Verdugo, Shalock, Thompson and Guillén 2013). Simarro (2013) believes that the ideal is to maximize the availability of a network of natural supports for people with ASD, those used by anyone for various purposes (may be the teacher, peers, among others). They are very important for the autonomy and the quality of life of the people and to favor inclusive school environments; Support networks with the community are positive for natural supports and are only possible in pedagogical structures oriented towards cooperation.
Likewise, leadership also influences these natural supports through values, beliefs and attitudes such as the priorities established in the classroom and the relationship between what it provides and what it receives help (Lobato, 2001, Simarro, 2013).
The inclusive school and cooperative learning are closely related (Pujolàs, 2008). In inclusive schools all students stay in the classrooms all the time; From this perspective, it values the diversity and believes that it reinforces the class and offers greater learning opportunities for all members, so a cooperative learning structure must be promoted (Stainback, Stainback and Jacksonn, 2001). A cooperative structure must ensure the maximum equal participation and simultaneous interaction of all students, that is, all students must have the same opportunities to participate and each and every one of them must have the opportunity to learn to work as a team and to learn school contents, including the maximum of its possibilities (Pujolàs, 2009).
A cooperative structure of learning is fundamental in a classroom since it allows to foster positive interactions between students and between students and teachers, which facilitates work with a heterogeneous group. In these cooperative learning structures, work in small heterogeneous groups plays a very important role, since relationships are established between different students and help is promoted between these and these. Therefore, this favors the attention to diversity promoting the learning of all and all, to the extent that it fosters a climate of respect towards differences and ensuring in all the lighting the conditions of self-esteem and motivation, essential to learn (Pujolàs 2001).
These structures report multiple benefits in the classrooms and the students. They favor the establishment of positive relationships among the students, they contribute to the lighting learn to give and receive help, to use social skills and to all the members of the group can contribute something. Likewise, different students can only learn in a cooperatively organized class, where all and all collaborate, cooperate and help each other to achieve the common goal of progressing in learning, each one to the maximum extent possible (Ford, Davern and Schnorr, 2001, Pujolàs, 2009).
Therefore, Sapon-Shevin (2001) states that teachers must make all students participate in activities and projects, sharing and validating the different types of knowledge. In this way, all students, regardless of their different characteristics, becomes active and functional members of a group in which skills and knowledge are shared, since the cooperative classes have as their motto: No one is as smart as everyone together. To carry out a cooperative learning in the classroom it is necessary to develop a series of strategies. Villa and Thousand (2001) stand out among others: