ANALYSIS
Can children with severe disabilities be enrolled in mainstream schools? Two days before the national disability conference chaired on Tuesday by Emmanuel Macron, Julia Slane, school teacher and Caroline Boudet, journalist and mother of a disabled child, debated on this issue on Europe 1.
Currently, in France, 320,000 disabled students have been educated in ordinary settings. This is the case of Louise, a young child with Down's syndrome who is three years old. In L'effet Louise (Stock), her mother, Caroline Boudet, gives an overwhelming account of their daily lives. Invited on Europe 1, facing Julia Slane, school teacher, author of a column in Marianne "The ravages of inclusive school on students with disabilities", she believes that the integration of disabled children in schools classics is possible.
Children "who can't stand noise, crowds, light"
It would even be beneficial for these children. "Abroad, multiple studies have shown that inclusion is beneficial, both for students with disabilities and for students who are not," says Caroline Boudet. But, according to her, one condition must be respected: that of the adapted supervision. "Inclusion can only be done with human resources," says Caroline Boudet, who cites the example of Italy, where specialized teachers are present in the classroom.
>> READ ALSO: Schooling of disabled children: "There are still dysfunctions", recognizes Sophie Cluzel
For her part, Julia Slane points to pathologies that make learning very difficult. "Some children have such serious problems that being in a group becomes problematic for them," she points out. She cites, for example, children who have "corridor phobia", those who "can not stand noise, crowds, light". "What do we do when we have this child in a class with 30 students?" Asked the professor.