From Integration to Inclusion in the Italian Primary School. Implementing Innovative Practices in the Class-room Context

This article addresses the topic of the inclusion of children with disabilities in primary schools. We have chosen to present the case study of an Italian primary school because this level of education in Italy represents an example from which to start designing more effective future scenarios. The study refers to the need to implement the transition from “integration” to “inclusion”, that is an approach based on a profile of teaching team that knows how to communicate actively and assertively. The work analyzes a real situation starting from the classroom context of a Primary School in which two pupils with disabilities attend, one of which is autistic. The observation conducted highlights the characteristic of an inclusive teaching approach. Through the comparison with a situation based on an integration approach, we want to bring attention to the nodes and criticalities, but also to the opportunities of inclusion. In conclusion, it is observed that an approach based on the presence of a teacher specialist in disabilities is not sufficient: the whole teaching team needs to be actively involved in the inclusion process. The experience presented in this paper provides evidence of the importance of teamwork and team planning for the inclusion of disabled children. It also provides suggestions for the application of the approach in a real-life context.