Special Education’s view of young people, disabilities and educational contexts

This paper intends to outline the theme of young people with disabilities, with respect to the educational contexts to which they belong. Starting with brief references to the situation faced by young people in Italy, the author takes up themes dear to Special Education, with a particular focus on the theme of ‘belonging’ (relational, affective, cultural and institutional), which is often lacking or non-existent for those with a disability. The family, school and community of reference represent the educational ‘contexts’ of greatest interest and responsibility, in order to initiate young people’s identity processes and contain the risks deriving from ‘adhesive identities’ and ‘false selves’. The family contributes extensively to the positive development of self-orientation and the school can put itself forward as the most important reference point in learning processes, through the group. This widespread responsibility of educational contexts can also contribute to reducing situations of poverty and marginality that are, in fact, real conditions of capability deprivation, which prevent access to all the opportunities that life offers, risking further aggravation of ‘problematic’ situations, making them chronic and depriving them of a positive development.