Abstract:

Policy Guidelines on Inclusion in Education of UNESCO state that “inclusive education is a process strengthening the capacity of the education system to reach out all learners and can thus be understood as a key strategy to achieve education for all”, later in the text state that “The barriers to inclusion can be reduced through active collaboration between policy-makers, education personnel and other stakeholders”.

ICF proposes the biopsychosocial model of disability as a synthesis of medical model and social model. It takes care of the person going beyond its diagnosis and view disability as outcome of interactions between health conditions and contextual factors: external environmental factors, internal personal factors.

Eye tracking technologies are a kind of aid by which pupils with severe limitations to communication may interact with both their social, learning and educational environments.
Implementation of this kind of technology is quite rare in Italian schools, this is true for many reasons.

The purpose of this qualitative research is to analyze peculiar situations of pupils whose interaction with others is made, for most part, via eye tracking technologies, exploring elements that support or impede the effectiveness of these communication aids to ease pupils in their interaction, development, inclusive learning and education.

According to Policy Guidelines on Inclusion in Education of UNESCO and to the biopsychological model of disability of ICF, we have organized an interdisciplinary approach to question, moreover the research team is strictly working with parents, teachers, schools and therapists that take care of the pupils.
Furthermore this research is quite important for Veneto region that is at the starting line in using this kind of aids for inclusive learning and education.

Specific approach we are implementing takes start from the “situation” of the pupil, not from the diagnosis; our interest is observing cases by an interdisciplinary point of view that make work together both pedagogical and medical approach up to ICF guidelines.
The study cases are almost lifelong observed by neuropsychiatrist and speech therapist: from their birth to first contact with school.

The research team is composed by a neuropsychiatrist, an educationalist, a speech therapist, a special educator and a specialist both in eye gaze system technology and software for special needs people.
The research is qualitative, particularly based upon case study technique, interview and diaries.

This research is not financed by any firm or company.

Keywords:

Inclusive learning, inclusive education, eye gaze technologies, qualitative research, interdisciplinary research, ICF.