Paraprofessionals in Italy: Perspectives from an Inclusive Country

In: The journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps: JASH, Volume 24, Issue 4, p. 254-258

Abstract

Since 1977, Italy has largely eliminated special schools and special classes in favor of neighborhood school placements where students with disabilities are served primarily in general education classes. Overall class sizes are small and caseloads of special education teachers are very favorable (about two students with disabilities for each special education teacher). Because of these factors, it was thought that attitudes toward the role of paraprofessionals in Italian schools would differ from those toward paraprofessionals in the United States, where many paraprofessionals take on a more independent role in inclusive classrooms. In this discussion article, we suggest that the role of paraprofessionals might be viewed differently in Italy than in the United States, and that these differences may reflect differing levels of available support for inclusive classrooms.