Avaliação das competências para a aprendizagem académica numa criança com Trissomia 21

: um estudo de caso

Abstract

Generally speaking, considering the literature revision, we can report that children with trisomy 21 exhibit significant limitations as far as their performance in daily activities is concerned for incapacities, mainly at a cognitive level which, consequently, reflect upon their ability to learn different activities and tasks. But, on the other hand, these children as any other child also exhibit learning potential. The plasticity of the central nervous system allows the possibility, through an adequate intervention, of obtaining a good biological, psychological and social development also in these subjects. However, it is necessary to offer to the child and to the young person opportunities for the development of their cognitive and social specific potentialities to the highest degree. One of the first phases of that process is the correct assessment of the functionality and incapacity of the child and young person in order to later plan out an intervention correctly. That is, a correct assessment of the functionality and incapacity of the subject will allow the setting up, down the stream, of an intervention plan more adjusted to his real needs. Our exploratory study is based upon the qualitative paradigm or study case, aiming, therefore, at the understanding and description of the phenomenon globally considered (Almeida & Freire, 2007), using for that purpose the direct observation and the production of interviews with the partaker. Our purpose was to organize a table and a set of activities to assess and characterize the profile of functionality and incapacity of academic performance of a nine-year-old child with trisomy 21. Through the collected and analysed data, we stated her learning potentialities, and the emergent need to plan out an intervention based on the profile of functionality and incapacity, as it is referred in the Portuguese legislation through the law by decree 3/2008, of January the 7th, to take specific educational measures adjusted to the profile of each child with special educational needs. We tried with this investigation to contribute to the questioning and discussion of theoretical aspects, as well as of practical aspects related with the assessment and understanding of the learning difficulties and potentialities of children with trisomy 21.

Date of Award	2012
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Lúcia do Rosário Cerqueira de Miranda (Supervisor)