Inclusive didactics and assistive technologies: the experience of a group of special needs teachers

Abstract

This paper describes the results of an exploratory survey aimed to examine the experience and perceptions of a group of special needs teachers on the use of ICT in teaching to students with autism spectrum disorder. It is focused on the effectiveness of video modeling as a tool through which to learn (self-learning and imitation) specific skills in the field of personal autonomy. By sharing the thought of Rossi (2012) : ‹‹digital technologies provide to schools an extraordinary opportunity to put on the agenda the issue of learning and, together with it, the professionalism of teachers››. The authors handed out a questionnaire to a group of special needs teachers of a Comprehensive School in Palermo with the purpose to investigate the perceived effectiveness experienced in the use of ICT for the achievement of different learning objectives. This work offers a detailed analysis of the investigated areas and the results from the survey, proposing a critical reflection on information technology in teaching.