Current problems with integration of children with Down syndrome in Slovakia from the parents' perspective

Abstract

Background: Although the integration of children with special needs into mainstream schools has been legalized in Slovakia for 12 years, parents and children with Down syndrome still face many challenges. Methods: Research was based on questionnaires and interviews of 60 parents of children with Down syndrome who had experiences with integration. Results: Results show that in general, only about 10% of children with Down syndrome are fully integrated. Conclusions: Due to the lack of funds, teacher's assistants are not allocated to schools and integration is often hampered by the reluctance of school principals and teachers. Children are often rejected and parents are forced to place them in special schools. Although integration was introduced in Slovakia in 2008, very few schools practice it. Both teachers and assistants lack detailed knowledge of integration, and their education in this area neither has not been carried out nor financially supported in cooperation with the law. According to the results of our research, the Act is only formally applicable in practice, there was no real integration. It would be good to compare our experiences and results with the research on the situation of integration of children with Down syndrome in other post-communist countries.