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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