Kontakt 2006, 8(1):81-88 | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2006.013

Integrating educational and teaching programs for children (and not only for them) with mild cerebral dysfunction and psychosocial problemsHealth and Social Sciences

Věra Soukupová

Jihočeská univerzita v Českých Budějovicích, Zdravotně sociální fakulta, katedra speciální a sociální pedagogiky

Sensory experience is one of principal tools for exploration of the surrounding world. In special pedagogy, multi-sensory action is even considered as one of the most important factors in the pedagogic therapy of handicapped persons (Zelinková 1997). Through the mediation of experience, it is possible to show the children beauties of the nature and to motivate them for the creation of their relationships to it - to learn them to love it. The created and offered educational program "We perceive the nature" by all our senses is one of possibilities of viewing this problem. It is based on experience and reformation pedagogy and alternative forms of education. It is associated with topical information from the field of health, social and social-pedagogic literature. It familiarizes children with sensory perception and learns them to employ their senses for the orientation in nature. It supports cooperation as well as competition in children. It offers motivation for "observation" in nature. It serves for exercising fine locomotor functions, attentiveness and concentration. It also summarizes theoretical knowledge concerning human senses. It is useful in the school as well as in free time activities. It is primarily designed for children in the first degree of primary schools and it can also be adjusted for children in the second degree of primary schools. Either the whole program can be employed, or only certain activities can be chosen, for example in the course of the teaching process within the project. The time of the program implementation is also variable. "Dry" as well as "wet" variants were arranged, which means that the program may be performed within indoor activities or directly in the nature - under field conditions.
The project included qualitative research carried out with the aim to establish the usefulness and efficacy of the program for handicapped children or for a target group of children with psychosocial problems and mild cerebral dysfunction. The purpose of this work was also to offer a program including knowledge of the theoretical part and experience to those, who are interested in its implementation. The programs "We perceive the nature", directed to the integration of handicapped people and aimed at the perception of the nature, are in spite of this ever considered as above-standard ones. Even their organizers admit that these programs are being omitted due to insufficient technical and material equipment of the facility and personal and financial background. Organizations forming these programs are missing methods, which should be employed in their programs to provide improved reactions to requirements associated with the integration. The offer of similar programs is being stepwise enhanced since 1991, mainly thanks to centres of ecological education. The program was arranged and implemented in one of them.

Keywords: Sensory perception; education program; integration; mild cerebral dysfunction; psychosocial problems

Published: May 26, 2006  Show citation