Oligophrenopedagogy — education and rehabilitation of individuals with intellectual disabilities

Oligophrenopedagogy is a programme for people who want to work professionally, responsibly and with full awareness with children, students and individuals with intellectual disabilities. It is for those who understand that special education is not solely about adapting requirements, but about wisely accompanying a person in their development, communication, independence and everyday functioning.

The postgraduate programme at WSL in Częstochowa prepares participants to plan, organize and deliver educational, upbringing, rehabilitation, therapeutic and support activities for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The curriculum is built around current training standards for special education teachers, including, among other things, the education and rehabilitation of individuals with intellectual disabilities.

The purpose of the programme is to prepare participants to work with children, young people and adults with intellectual disabilities in a range of educational, upbringing, care, rehabilitation and therapeutic settings.

The programme is designed to equip participants with the knowledge, skills and social competencies needed to identify individual developmental and educational needs, plan support, conduct rehabilitation classes, cooperate with families and a team of specialists, and prepare documentation, including WOPFU and IPET.

This is a programme intended to prepare participants not only to carry out professional tasks, but also to think responsibly about people with intellectual disabilities — with respect for their dignity, abilities, autonomy and right to development.

The programme is primarily aimed at teachers, educationalists, special education teachers, educators, caregivers, therapists, and staff of educational, care and upbringing, rehabilitation, and therapeutic institutions, as well as people who work or plan to work with children and students with intellectual disabilities.

It is designed for people who want to expand their qualifications and competencies in the education, upbringing, rehabilitation, therapy and support of individuals with intellectual disabilities.

It is particularly well suited to people who:

• work in schools, preschools, counselling centres, centres, WTZ, SOSW or support institutions,
• want to better understand the functioning of a student with an intellectual disability,
• need practical tools for rehabilitation and upbringing work,
• want to gain preparation in line with the requirements for special education teachers,
• view special education as real work with people, rather than merely documentation.

A graduate of the postgraduate programme Oligophrenopedagogy — education and rehabilitation of individuals with intellectual disabilities is prepared to carry out educational, upbringing, care, rehabilitation and therapeutic activities for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

They are familiar with the specific functioning of individuals with mild, moderate, severe and profound intellectual disabilities. They understand their developmental, educational, emotional, social and communication needs. They can plan and implement activities supporting a student's cognitive, social, emotional, communication and practical development.

Graduates can develop and implement rehabilitation activities, adapt working methods to a student's abilities, co-create educational and therapeutic documentation, and cooperate with families, teachers, specialists and institutions that support children and families.

They are prepared to work in the spirit of inclusive education, respect for the dignity of individuals with disabilities, and the professional responsibility of a special education teacher.

Above all, the programme provides participants with specialist preparation for working with individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Upon completion of the programme, graduates:

• better understand the functioning of a student with an intellectual disability,
• can plan and conduct rehabilitation classes,
• know the basics of functional assessment,
• can co-create WOPFU and IPET,
• can adapt educational requirements, methods and forms of work,
• learn effective methods of supporting communication, independence and social competencies,
• can cooperate with a student's family and a team of specialists,
• gain the practical skills needed to work in a school, preschool, centre, counselling centre or specialist institution,
• develop the competencies of a special education teacher in line with training standards.

Most importantly, however, this programme provides a sense of professional agency. Graduates do not merely “know what to write in the documents”; they understand how to plan genuine support for a child, how to work with the family, how to build a relationship and how to support a student in everyday functioning.

Graduates of the programme will be prepared to:

• conduct educational, upbringing, rehabilitation and therapeutic classes,
• identify a student's needs,
• plan individualized support,
• adapt the educational process,
• cooperate with families and specialists,
• organize the educational environment,
• support the independence, communication and social development of individuals with intellectual disabilities.

These competencies are particularly important for work in mainstream, integrated and special schools, preschools, educational centres, counselling centres, care institutions, therapeutic institutions and community-based institutions.

Because today's schools need specialists who are not afraid of diversity. They need teachers and educationalists who can work with students with special educational needs not intuitively, but professionally — with knowledge, methodology and responsibility.

Oligophrenopedagogy at WSL in Częstochowa is a programme for people who want to have a real impact on the life of a child, their family and their educational environment.

It is for those who want to work smarter.
See more.
Understand more deeply.
Provide more effective support.