Page 115 - Ana Mlekuž in Igor Ž. Žagar, ur. • Raziskovanje v vzgoji in izobraževanju: Digitalizacija vzgoje in izobraževanja – priložnosti in pasti. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut, 2023. Digitalna knjižnica, Dissertationes 46
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enhancing knowledge and skills in autism spectrum disorders ...
be detected and diagnosed accurately even before the age of two (Zwaigen-
baum et al., 2015) and should be followed by early intervention (Pijl et al.,
2018). ECEC professionals play a crucial role in supporting children with
special needs (by interacting with them, observing their development, and
providing individual support). As these children may come from diverse
backgrounds and have varying abilities, ECEC staff may require special
training to work with them. Such training is usually obtained through spe-
cific courses included in their initial education or CPD programs. Initial
education in most European countries incorporates specific training to
equip ECEC staff to work with children with additional needs. However,
while some countries require all ECEC staff to undergo this training (0-6
years; e.g., Slovenia), others mandate it only for those preparing to work
with older children (3-6 years; e.g., Slovakia). Similarly, in 16 education-
al systems, CPD programmes specifically designed for staff dealing with
disadvantaged children are recommended but more often for those work-
ing with older children. In some countries, specialists such as physiologists
may assist preschool teachers (European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice/
Eurostat, 2014).
The present study contributes to the existing research by examining
the continuous professional development of preschool teachers in five EU
countries with varying levels of system and policy integration, ranging
from integrated (Slovenia) to split (Italy). Additionally, it expands on the
understanding of the competencies attained during initial training and in
CPD concerning special and inclusive education, specifically in the area of
working with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders.
2. Methodology
2.1 Data sources
Our study compares five countries included in the NEMO project: Slove-
nia, Sweden, Spain, Cyprus, and Italy. This enabled us to provide detailed
descriptions and additional elaborations through the partnership exper-
tise, as well as ease potential language barriers. The countries have different
ECEC settings (separate and unitary ECEC systems), ensuring a compre-
hensive comparison, as outlined in Table 5. The study focused on collect-
ing data on mainstream public and private ECEC (only centre/school-
based) provisions within the regulatory framework during the 2019/2020
school year, relying on official documents issued and recognized by central
115
be detected and diagnosed accurately even before the age of two (Zwaigen-
baum et al., 2015) and should be followed by early intervention (Pijl et al.,
2018). ECEC professionals play a crucial role in supporting children with
special needs (by interacting with them, observing their development, and
providing individual support). As these children may come from diverse
backgrounds and have varying abilities, ECEC staff may require special
training to work with them. Such training is usually obtained through spe-
cific courses included in their initial education or CPD programs. Initial
education in most European countries incorporates specific training to
equip ECEC staff to work with children with additional needs. However,
while some countries require all ECEC staff to undergo this training (0-6
years; e.g., Slovenia), others mandate it only for those preparing to work
with older children (3-6 years; e.g., Slovakia). Similarly, in 16 education-
al systems, CPD programmes specifically designed for staff dealing with
disadvantaged children are recommended but more often for those work-
ing with older children. In some countries, specialists such as physiologists
may assist preschool teachers (European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice/
Eurostat, 2014).
The present study contributes to the existing research by examining
the continuous professional development of preschool teachers in five EU
countries with varying levels of system and policy integration, ranging
from integrated (Slovenia) to split (Italy). Additionally, it expands on the
understanding of the competencies attained during initial training and in
CPD concerning special and inclusive education, specifically in the area of
working with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders.
2. Methodology
2.1 Data sources
Our study compares five countries included in the NEMO project: Slove-
nia, Sweden, Spain, Cyprus, and Italy. This enabled us to provide detailed
descriptions and additional elaborations through the partnership exper-
tise, as well as ease potential language barriers. The countries have different
ECEC settings (separate and unitary ECEC systems), ensuring a compre-
hensive comparison, as outlined in Table 5. The study focused on collect-
ing data on mainstream public and private ECEC (only centre/school-
based) provisions within the regulatory framework during the 2019/2020
school year, relying on official documents issued and recognized by central
115
