In Austria’s kindergartens, more and more children have behavioral problems or need support from a special kindergarten teacher because of a physical or psychological disability. In practice, however, there are far too few such integration places, criticizes Natascha Taslimi of the Network for Elementary Education in Austria (NEBÖ). She is demanding funding to enable inclusive offerings at all kindergartens.
In an interview with APA, Taslimi lamented that it is a missed opportunity that only a few preschoolers are currently able to receive proper support. For example, if a child with an autism spectrum disorder is already well prepared in kindergarten to integrate into a larger group, it is more likely that they can learn together with children without disabilities in regular schools. “A lot of potential is lost here.”
Insufficient provision for children with disabilities
At the moment, preschoolers who need an integration place would either end up on a waiting list due to a lack of supply, or end up in regular groups without extra support. However, according to Taslimi, this is unsatisfactory for all affected – the children do not get what they need, the other children would be disturbed or limited and the teachers would feel overwhelmed. In practice, children with an increased need for support would be ‘passed on’ from location to location and lose the chance of a good further development.
According to the NEBÖ spokeswoman, there are examples of good practice. In Burgenland, for example, some kindergartens offer individual integration, where a teacher or support worker is assigned to care for and support a child. However, Taslimi emphasizes that there is no legal right to this. “That is at the discretion of the municipality.”
In Vienna, there are only special offers for children with disabilities in municipal kindergartens. Kindergartens run by private providers, which after all provide two-thirds of the federal capital’s basic education infrastructure, could also make such offerings. However, without additional financing, that would be too expensive for the provider, Taslimi said, referring to the costs for special construction requirements, therapeutic equipment and the necessary support staff.
For a long time there were hardly any training opportunities for teachers
The lack of adequate offers goes far beyond the structural aspects. With a severely disabled child, you need specially trained special education teachers who know how to assault the child or provide nursing support. Until recently, however, there was not an inclusive primary education course in every state, which is only the case with the new offers to the national teacher training colleges.
In addition, from Taslimi’s point of view, there is too little knowledge about the target group. For example, in the 2021/22 school year, 5.8 percent of compulsory education students (primarily primary, secondary and special schools) were certified as having special educational needs (SPF) due to a persistent mental or physical disability. However, it is not known how many toddlers have an integration status. It can be assumed that the proportion of children with special needs is even greater, because children with a severe language development disorder do not even fall under the SPF.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
