With a different glance. Dynamic assessment of functioning of children oriented at development & inclusive learning

Despite international developments towards inclusion, many children areexcluded and deprived of adequate education, because of an impairment andor functional difficulties: there is not enough support, teachers lack knowledgehow to include different children, and assessment reports are rarely suitablefor inclusive teaching.

Current functional assessment is too much deficiencyoriented and tends to ”blame” the child. If schools have to become ”inclusiveschools for all”, as is laid down in the UN Convention on the Rights of Peoplewith disabilities, then the assessment & coaching system needs a thoroughreform.

This book wants to propose some alternatives: next to finding out abouta child”s functional difficulties, assessment methods also need to look at a child”slearning potential, responsiveness to teaching, and learning context (teachers,parents). The objective of assessment should be to adequately plan and monitora challenging educational intervention, allowing the child to be maximallyincluded.

Models of ”good practice” have been collected within the context of the EuropeanComenius DAFFODIL project.

The book wants to make school psychologists and other assessors of specialneeds, aware of the need and possibility to look at children with a differentglance: in a more inclusion-oriented and development-oriented way.