Abstract

AMARAL, Isabel  and  CELIZIC, Martina. Quality indicators in the education of children with Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities. Invest. Práticas [online]. 2015, vol.5, n.2, pp.112-125. ISSN 2182-1372.

All children, independently of their needs, should have access to appropriate education and be part of their families and communities. This includes the group of most vulnerable children, particularly those with Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities (PIMD). Data on the education of children with PIMD has not, as yet, provided enough quality information which can be used to develop effective quality indicators for assessment of services and practices.  Research in this area is limited due to ethical constraints, sampling difficulties and methodological challenges, reducing the number of studies which could properly provide information. Still, the need to provide evidence based practices which effectively contribute to the assessment of development and learning offerings for children with PIMD requires more in-depth discussion of both the goals of education for these children and the contents of assessment instruments that help to identify the quality of the education provided.  This article aims to discuss factors which contribute to the quality of involvement of children with PIMD’s in educational activities, as a result of the authors’ experience and the available information published around the topic. Based on this discussion, a set of quality indicators is suggested, which may help professionals to direct their observation into the quality of the educational offerings and meaningful aspects of the child’s performance while involved in curriculum activities.

Keywords : Profound intellectual and multiple disabilities; participation; communication; activity based intervention; quality indicators.

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