Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation

23-34

Authors: Ljupcho AJDINSKI

The integration of children with special needs education has started, both in the world and in Macedonia. The starting point for successful integration firstly is determined by what kind of children with special needs education can be integrated and what integration means. These two issues are elaborated in this paper. The integration in Macedonia is carried out through the clinical, educational and socio-economic part of the contemporary system of rehabilitation. Organised and unorganised integration activities were carried out before and after the international documents were made. This is elaborated in the paper. Key words: integration, inclusion, children with special needs education, rehabilitation, deinstitutionalization.

47-59

Authors: Zora JACHOVA, Daniela DIMITROVA-RADOJICHIKJ, Natasha CHICHEVSKA-JOVANOVA

The aim of this paper is to give survey of previous experiences of early intervention system worldwide and in the Republic of Macedonia. The experiences show that good early intervention systems function in many countries; others, started much later in realization of this process. But there are some countries where the organization of services for early intervention is in initial stage. The Republic of Macedonia possesses modest experiences considering the way of organization of early intervention of children with disabilities. In the context, we locate the problem in lack of established mechanisms for coordination between relevant institutions, based on legislation. Key words: early intervention, children with developmental disabilities.

75-86

Authors: Jan KIEFER, Jochen TILEINN, Cristopph von ILBERG, Thomas PFENNIGDORF, Ekkehard STURZEBCHER, Rainer KLINKE, Wolfgang GSTOTTNER

Electric stimulation of the auditory nerve via cochlear implants has made the treatment of sensory deafness possible. Advanced signal processing and stimulation paradigms have led to continuously improved results in speech understanding. Consequently, indication criteria have been extended to patients with profound and severe-to-profound hearing loss and limited speech understanding with conventional acoustic amplification. (1) Outside this group, a considerable number of patients presents with rather well-preserved, low frequency hearing of 30-60 dB up to 1 kHz, but severe loss in the mid to high frequency range of more than 60-70 dB. Monosyllabic word scores in these patients do not generally exceed 35%, due to missing consonant information. But, even increasing the audibility of these high frequencies by acoustic amplification still has very limited efficiency for discriminating speech (2), and therefore, these patients obtain only minor benefit from conventional hearing aids. On the other hand, standard cochlear implantation would carry a high risk of causing complete hearing loss. This situation has led to considering a combination of both modes of stimulation for these patients who are on the borderline between hearing aids and cochlear implant. In our present model, the surviving low frequency region of the cochlea could still be stimulated acoustically-combined with additional electrical stimulation of the impaired mid and high frequency region of the cochlea. Several questions still have to be answered with regard to combined electric and acoustic stimulation (EAS). The possible interaction of electric and acoustic stimuli on the different levels off the auditory system is a major issue. Animal experiments clearly demonstrate that tuning properties of auditory neurons, in response to acute acoustic stimulation, are essentially preserved in the presence of electric stimulation even at high levels of electric stimulation (3), and that chronic electric stimulation of tie intact inner ear does not have a significant effect on the compound action potentials (CAP) thresholds or inner ear function. (3) In a previous report, we were able to show that this combined F.A.S of the auditory system is possible in humans, and that it has a synergistic effect on speech understanding. (4) Further major issues regard the surgical feasibility and reproducibility of cochlear implantation with the preservation of residual hearing. Encouraged by our findings, a clinical study was initiated on the application of EAS. So far, seven adults have been included in this study. In addition, one child has been implanted outside the study.

99-108

Authors: Elizabet SOLTIROVA

The process of growth and development of each child is strictly individualized and depends on genetic base and on different environmental influences. Although this refers to children in general, the developmental process of children with damaged sight carries out in a special situation because of lack of one of the most important channels through which data for reality and environment are gained. Since birth, the sight is tightly connected with touch, hearing, smell and other senses. In that way, complex dynamic systems of relations which compose the sense base for all psychic activities and orientation of the child in space are created. The sight helps to develop visual ideas, visual attention, visual and motor remembering. The sight helps to form child’s sensor & knowledge experience which is the base of further development of knowledge activity. The sight has such an important role in the development and life activities of the child, so the sight damage (depending on the time of appearance and the level of damage) can cause deviation in children’s psychic and physical development.

119-132

Authors: Risto PETROV Dragoslav KOPACHEV Tatjana TAKASHMANOVA

This paper is a review of the project/process of deinstitutionalization of children from Special institute in Demir Kapija. It is an empiric and longitudinal study of developmental achievements of children with severe mental retardation. We present our own experiences, without making comparison with other experiences in this process. For the last three and a half years, 50 children have been included in the project: 30 of them left the institution and now they stay with their families or foster families. The precondition for leaving the institution is the change of the children’s condition in regard with abilities for independence, obtaining new habits and experiences. Key words: severe mental retardation, deinstitutionalization

145-156

Authors: Ljupcho AJDINSKI Goran AJDINSKI Zoran KITKANJ

The current interest of this professional and social problem is complex in regard with more aspects, due to the fact that the standardization of terminology use has wide meaning in the treatment of people with disabilities which essentially determine certain contents, aspects and actions. In this paper, conditionally, for all people with disability, according to the classification used in the Republic of Macedonia, the term disability is used. In practice and in communication, as well as in literature and legal regulations, a large number of different terms are used, which cause problems in protection, education and rehabilitation of people with disabilities. This paper presents a survey of the most used terms in international and national documents as well as in certain European countries and makes a conclusion that those are the terms: disability (as a general term) and children with special educational needs (when the term is used only for children). The paper refers to the terms for defectology and special education, giving the answer that there is no sign of equality between these two terms. Stating that special education is a part of defectological science, it concludes that besides the term defectology which is used in our country, in international communication the term special rehabilitation and education to be used (which actually is the subject matter of defectology as a science). Key words:terminology, people with disabilities, children with special educational needs, defectology and special education.

163-167

Authors: Ljupcho AJDINSKI

The autism as very complex family and social problem urges the interest at a great number of experts and scientists throughout the world especially its complexity. It imposes imperatively a research of etiology, characteristics and education possibilities, improvement of treatment and rehabilitation of these persons. So, the study of autism as insufficiently researched problem in our region gives wider social meaning of this work. The monograph “AUTISM” is an original work and the first of this kind in the Republic of Macedonia. It is author’s independent work and at the same time the first attempt for more complex study of etiology and epidemiology of the problem of autism.

170-171

Authors: Velichko ANDREEVSKI

On June 9th, 2004, the National coordinative body for equal rights of disability people of Republic of Macedonia, established by the Government of the Republic of Macedonia, organized a discussion about the problems connected with the use of different terminology about disability people in legislation, science and communication among some institutions, organs and organizations and among some expert staff in certain social regions such as: education, social care, health care, old-age benefit and disability pension and other. In the discussion, participated the representatives of: Institute for special education and rehabilitation at the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje, specialized institutions in the field of rehabilitation, health care, asocial and children’s care, governmental agencies, humanitarian organizations, disability organizations, associations of parents and other interested volunteer organizations and experts. After long and constructive and expert discussion with the participation of more than thirty discussants, unanimously was adopted a conclusion for equalization of previous differently used terms: For adults to be used the term: disability; For children to be used the term: children with developmental disabilities and special needs. Sublimating the opinions expressed with expert and scientific and practical aspect, the organizer, on behalf of all participants, concluded that the recommendations should be delivered to the appropriate organs in order to be implemented in legal regulations, sub-legal acts as well as in the complete communication in this sphere.

172

Authors: Vesna KOSTIKJ-IVANOVIKJ

By the Tempus project “In focus”, which is conducted by the Institute for special education on the Faculty of Philosophy, a group of professors from the Institute of Special Education and Rehabilitation (Dr. Ljupcho Ajdinski and Dr. Dragoslav Kopachev) and special teachers-practicants (Vesna Kostikj and Petar Aleksikj) from the special schools in Macedonia, realized a study visit to several special schools and institutions in Germany.