The new legislation and new guidelines of the White Paper (conceptual guidelines for the development of the field of education) which are currently being drafted and affect the field of assessment of children with special needs are causing quite a stir in the professional community and general public in Slovenia, mainly due to their preservation of a categorical approach and the related high demands and strict criteria for assessing children with emotional and behavioural difficulties and disorders. The most recent amendments pertaining to assessment practices for children with special needs date back to 2007. Based on a qualitative analysis of interviews with experts from diverse areas who sit on the assessment boards, the paper presents their experiences and views regarding the issue of children with emotional and behavioural disorders. First, it describes the amendments introduced in 2007. Then it presents the assessment practices as experienced and described by the interviewees, comparing their experiences with research findings from other sources.
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