pedagogika. Chosen topics. of supporting persons with a disability

Introduction Even though the theory and practice of both education and special education are moderately sensitive to societal transformations we experience one can perceive the constant changes in the field of disability studies as well as in creating services for those who need help and supporting because of their functional difficulties. A good example proving some of the ongoing social phenomena could be noticed in professionals’ ways of meaning and interpreting the sense, the aims and strategies used for serving the disabled persons. Nowadays, any kind of support is meant not only as a matter of caring or helping but also as an important sustainable element of educating and upbringing. In terms of theory and practice social support and supporting are recognised as core actions in social work as well as in rehabilitation and in special education. The thing is that supplementary concepts and terms follow the idea of support and supporting. Otto Speck (2005) calls many examples showing the multitude modifiers as: centres of supporting, demands for supporting, desires of supporting, abilities of supporting, diagnostics of supporting, means of supporting, offers of supporting, main points of supporting, necessity of supporting, placement of supporting, planning of supporting and forms of supporting (as above, p. 329). There are also another terms present in some readings and projects as well as in mission formulations and declarations made by national and international associations for disabled persons, i.e.: educational supporting, health supporting, cultural supporting and so on. It may lead anybody to conclusion that traditional pedagogical terminology related to upbringing and education is being removed or substituted by the term of support and supporting. And that fact appears specifically clear when one note the importance of personalisation and entity as a paradigm, rule and attitude which is obvious in pedagogical relation and in any formal and informal social interactions. Next, it could be a consequence of promoting autonomy of each person and partnership as a basal assumption that should be exhibited in any contact between professionals and people they serve. Also the law regulations develop the ongoing phenomenon. The new legislation in Poland is going to determine a lot of changes for the prevention and the assistance for the development of pupils with special educational needs. Qualitatively modified model of organization of psychological-pedagogical support should be compatible with the following principles: – The principle of individualization of work with the student, – The principle of a support closer to the student, – The principle of a help closer to parent, – The principle of a support closer to the teacher, – The flexibility and adequacy of actions with the student, – The institutional and personal partnership, – The update on the classification of special educational needs, – The trust in the professionalism of teachers, – The confidence in the school-as an institution of a quick response. Under those rules, the students are the subjects of school activities. They should have a better chance to keep their cognitive, emotional and social needs, and should have a chance for a more effective normalization of a life situation as well. The book includes papers that show how the concepts of support and supporting are implemented into researches and practice. The authors describe their own meaning of the concepts and present their strong engagement in improving the life of disabled persons. The book consists of two parts. The first part is devoted to some core ideas that ought to be taken into consideration while supporting persons with a disability. In the second part there are papers that present new approaches in the area of the development diagnosis of persons with a disability and empirical facts which prove the need to implement supportive practices. These published papers reveal solid connection between the theory and practice in the domains of prevention and supporting the development of people with disabilities at different stages of life. They are also the prove of the presence of the interdisciplinary and multithreaded approach in special education. Jolanta Baran Tamara Cierpiałowska Katarzyna Plutecka References Decree of Ministry of National Education of 17th November 2010 on psychological and educational assistance provided in public pre-schools, schools and institutions. Speck O. (2005), Niepełnosprawni w społeczeństwie. Podstawy ortopedagogiki, GWP, Gdańsk.