Abstract
Disability models are crucial in understanding and addressing disability related issues and supporting people with special needs. The medical model, which views disability as a medical condition that can be treated or solved, is the oldest and most widely used disability model in most European countries, including Latvia. Health is considered the norm or ideal to strive for. The Latvian special education system still partly operates with a medical model approach, although significant steps have been taken towards a biopsychosocial model approach, which views disability as a combination between the health state of an individual and society. The author of this research conducted a historical literature review of the Latvian inclusive education system and pedagogical-medical commissions, which decide whether a special education program is needed for a child, to classify their approach and identify necessary first actions for a shift to the social model approach. This article can be significant for other countries that are currently transitioning towards a more inclusive education system as it provides valuable insights for policy makers in other countries and helps raise awareness about the benefits of the biopsychosocial model of pedagogy.
Author Information
Andra Rektina, University of Latvia, Latvia
Paper Information
Conference: ECE2023
Stream: Education & Difference: Gifted Education
This paper is part of the ECE2023 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Rektina A. (2023) Breaking Free From the Medical Model Approach in Special Education: A Roadmap to Biopsychosocial Model – Latvian Experience ISSN: 2188-1162 The European Conference on Education 2023: Official Conference Proceedings https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2188-1162.2023.100
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2188-1162.2023.100
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