Helena Smrtnik Vitulić, PhD, Katja Rojnik
Experiences of Students with Cerebral 
Palsy in Regular Primary Schools
Prejeto 16.04.2021 / Sprejeto 20.09.2021
Znanstveni članek
UDK 159.922.76:616.831-009.11:373.3
KLJUČNE BESEDE: cerebralna paraliza, večinska 
osnovna šola, vključenost, učitelji, starši, učenci
POVZETEK – V prispevku se osredotočamo na izku-
šnje učencev s cerebralno paralizo v prvih petih ra-
zredih večinske osnovne šole, kot so jih zaznali učitelji 
(n = 27) in starši (n = 23) ter so jih zase opisali trije 
učenci s cerebralno paralizo. Starši in učitelji so iz-
polnili spletni vprašalnik, z učenci s cerebralno para-
lizo pa smo izvedli polstrukturirani intervjuju. Večina 
staršev in učiteljev ter vsi učenci so vključitev učencev 
v razred ocenili kot (zelo) dobro. Starši in učitelji so 
izpostavili pomembne predhodne (npr. informiranje 
drugih otrok in staršev o cerebralni paralizi) in aktu-
alne dejavnike (npr. interakcije s sošolci), ki so prispe-
vali k vključitvi otroka v razred, vsi učenci pa so kot 
pomembne za vključitev izpostavili medosebne odnose 
s sošolci. Največ težav pri šolskem delu so učitelji in 
učenci s cerebralno paralizo prepoznali na psiho-fizič-
nem, socialno-emocionalnem in verbalnem področju. 
Večina staršev, učiteljev in učencev je poročala o do-
brem sodelovanju z drugimi strokovnjaki na šoli.
Received 16.04.2021 / Accepted 20.09.2021
Scientific paper
UDC 159.922.76:616.831-009.11:373.3
KEYWORDS: cerebral palsy, regular primary school, 
inclusion, teachers, parents, students
ABSTRACT – The present study focuses on the expe-
riences of students with cerebral palsy in the first five 
grades of regular primary schools, as perceived by 
teachers (n = 27) and parents (n = 23), and as described 
by three students themselves. The parents and teachers 
completed an online questionnaire, and semi-structured 
interviews were conducted with the students with cer -
ebral palsy. Most of the parents and teachers, as well 
as all of the students, rated the student’ s involvement in 
the classroom as (very) good. The parents and teachers 
highlighted important past factors (e.g., informing other 
students and parents about cerebral palsy) and current 
factors (e.g., interactions with classmates) that contrib-
uted to the student’ s inclusion in the classroom, while all 
of the students highlighted their relationships with class-
mates. Most problems with schoolwork were identified 
by the teachers and the students with cerebral palsy in 
the psychophysical, socioemotional and verbal domains. 
Most of the parents, teachers and students reported good 
cooperation with other professionals in the school.
1 Introduction
Cerebral palsy is a movement and postural or coordination disorder that occurs 
as a result of non-progressive damage to the brain of a developing foetus or an infant 
(Soncek.org, n. d.). About two-thirds of people with cerebral palsy have speech, behav-
ioural, visual and hearing impairments, while half of them have cognitive impairments 
(IQ < 70). Learning and emotional difficulties are also common. In one-third of these 
children, cerebral palsy is associated with epilepsy (Brossard-Racine, 2012; Horber et 
al., 2000; Radšel and Jekovec Vrhovšek, 2014; Terzić et al., 2012). In some individuals, 
cerebral palsy may manifest itself in a very mild form, while in others it appears in a 
more severe form (Schenker, Coster and Parush, 2006). In Slovenia (Vrlič Danko, 2005) 
and worldwide (Sellier et al., 2016), the incidence of cerebral palsy is reported to be 
approximately 3 per 1000 live births.

135 Smrtnik Vitulić, PhD, Rojnik: Experiences of Students with Cerebral Palsy in Regular...
Children with special needs may be referred to an appropriate education pro-
gramme (ZUOPP, 2011). This is also the case for children with cerebral palsy. Those 
children (with cerebral palsy) who are able to successfully participate in regular schools 
may be enrolled in a regular primary education programme with adapted implemen-
tation and additional professional support (Mori, 2002). Children with cerebral palsy 
who are enrolled in such a programme may receive additional professional help de-
signed to overcome their deficits, barriers or disruptions (ZUOPP, 2000). Children with 
severe cerebral palsy may be assigned a temporary or permanent companion during 
the implementation of the compulsory and extended primary education programme. 
This companion provides support in work organisation, writing and moving around the 
classroom, as well as in establishing contact with other professionals who monitor the 
child’s development (Zobec, 2012).
When working with special needs students, teachers should be adequately trained to 
recognise their behavioural characteristics and learning specifics, and should cooperate 
with parents and other professionals (Mijanović, 2019, p. 141). “When teachers and par-
ents cooperate, children aspire to achieve more […]” (Berčnik and Devjak, 2018, p. 65). 
The results of a survey on the quality of cooperation between teachers and parents in Slo-
venian primary schools (Kalin et al., 2009) show that both teachers and parents are aware 
of the importance of mutual cooperation. Intihar and Kepec (2002) summarised the find-
ings of several studies (e.g., Becher, 1986; Conoley, 1987; Epstein and Henderson, 1992) 
that emphasise the importance of cooperation between teachers and parents for improved 
academic achievement of students, development of learning and working habits, better 
participation in the classroom, development of self-esteem and social skills, building a 
quality relationship with the school, etc. It is important that teachers and parents express 
mutual respect for each other and demonstrate a genuine interest in the student, which is 
the basis for any quality cooperation with others (Štemberger, 2013, p. 6).
The present study was one of the first in Slovenia and worldwide to focus on the 
experience of students with cerebral palsy in regular primary schools from the perspec-
tive of different assessors (teachers, parents and the students themselves). We were 
interested in detailed information on how teachers, parents and students perceived the 
student’s or their own involvement in the classroom, what problems teachers and par-
ents perceived regarding student’s schoolwork and how the students themselves described 
their problems, and how teachers, parents and students interacted with other profession-
als involved in teaching (e.g., with a special and rehabilitation pedagogue).
2 Method
2.1 Sample
The study included 27 teachers (93 % female) who taught students with cerebral 
palsy in regular primary schools, 23 parents of students with cerebral palsy, and three 
students (adolescents with cerebral palsy). The latter were two boys, aged 11 and 
12, who attended fifth and sixth grade of regular primary school, respectively, and a 
16-year-old girl who attended the first grade of regular secondary school. The adoles-

136 Didactica Slovenica – Pedagoška obzorja (3–4, 2021)
cents reported their school experiences retrospectively, that is, for the period during 
which they attended the first five grades of regular primary school. The majority of the 
teachers (20 or 74.1 %) had taught students with cerebral palsy for one year, while four 
teachers (17 %) had taught such students for two years, two teachers (7 %) for three 
years or more, and one teacher (4 %) for less than one year.
2.2 Procedure 
We obtained information about students with cerebral palsy in the first five grades 
of regular primary schools from the University Rehabilitation Institute – Soča in Slo-
venia. We then contacted the relevant school principals, who gave teachers and parents 
access to online questionnaires to complete within a month. After obtaining the consent 
of the parents and adolescents, we conducted interviews with the three adolescents with 
cerebral palsy, which we recorded and then transcribed verbatim. Anonymity of the data 
obtained from the teachers, parents and adolescents was ensured.
2.3 Instruments
The questionnaires for the teachers and parents included data on gender and ques-
tions on the characteristics of the student’s experiences in class, the domains in which 
the student had difficulties in school, and the characteristics of cooperation between the 
student, parents and other school professionals. The semi-structured interview for the 
adolescents involved questions about their inclusion in class, difficulties with school 
work, and cooperation with teachers and other school professionals. The content of the 
questionnaire and interview are described in more detail in the results.
2.4 Data analysis
Data from the questionnaires were processed using SPSS Statistics 22.0. Basic de -
scriptive statistics were calculated for ordinal and interval data, and teacher and parent 
responses on an interval scale were compared using the Mann-Whitney test because the 
data were not normally distributed (Shapiro-Wilk test, p < 0.00). The responses in the inter -
views with adolescents were analysed using the content analysis method (V ogrinc, 2008).
3 Results and discussion
3.1 Inclusion of students with cerebral palsy in the classroom
Regarding the inclusion of students with cerebral palsy, we asked the teachers / par-
ents: “In your opinion, how well was the student / your child included in the class?”. 
The answers were given on a 4-point scale (1 – very well, 2 – well, 3 – poorly, 4 – very 

137 Smrtnik Vitulić, PhD, Rojnik: Experiences of Students with Cerebral Palsy in Regular...
poorly). The majority of the parents (70 %) judged that their child had been includ-
ed in the class “very well”, while this rating was given by far fewer teachers (26 %). 
Some 26 % of the parents and 56 % of the teachers judged that the students / their child 
had been included “well”. Only one parent chose the rating “poorly”. Of the teachers, 
three judged that the student had been included in the classroom “poorly” and two gave 
the rating “very poorly”. There were also statistically significant differences between 
the groups of teachers and parents in assessments of the success of the student’s / their 
child’s inclusion in the classroom (Mann-Whitney U = 166.500, p = 0.00): the parents 
(Me = 2.00) rated their child’s inclusion in the classroom statistically significantly bet-
ter than the teachers rated the inclusion of their students (Me = 1.00).
We asked the adolescents: “How well do you think you were accepted in the class?”. 
All three adolescents responded that they had been accepted well in their class.
The teachers, parents and adolescents described in their own words the experience 
of the student’s / their child’s / their own inclusion in the class. The teachers’ and parents’ 
results are presented in Table 1, and the adolescents’ responses are presented below.
Table 1
Factors highlighted by the teachers and parents as important for the inclusion of 
students with cerebral palsy in the classroom
Factors of 
inclusion
Factor description
Teacher Parent
f % f %
Preliminary 
factors influencing 
the student’s 
easier inclusion 
in the classroom
Prior acquaintance with classmates 3 11.1 4 18.2
Personality of the student 6 22.2 2 9.1
Age of classmates 1 3.7 1 4.5
Informedness of classmates about cerebral palsy 1 3.7 5 22.7
Informedness of parents about cerebral palsy / / 2 9.1
Current factors 
that reflect the 
student’s inclusion 
in the classroom 
Socioemotional domain
Acceptance by classmates 13 48.1 9 40.9
Help from classmates 8 29.6 4 18.2
Interaction with peers 7 25.9 3 13.6
Equal relationship 3 11.1 / /
Close friendship 2 7.4 / /
Educational domain
Involvement in school activities 8 29.6 / /
Student’s attitude towards school 4 14.8 4 18.2
Student’s success/failure at school 1 3.7 2 9.1
Other factors 1 3.7 2 9.0
The results show that the teachers and parents emphasised both preliminary factors 
that influenced the student’s ease of inclusion in the classroom and more current fac-

138 Didactica Slovenica – Pedagoška obzorja (3–4, 2021)
tors of inclusion. Among the preliminary factors of the student’s / their child’s inclusion 
in the classroom, the teachers (11 responses) and parents (14 responses) pointed to 
prior acquaintance with classmates (e.g., Teacher 20: “They were together already in 
kindergarten, so they were connected.”), the student’s / their child’s personality (e.g., 
Teacher 24: “The student was pretty introverted, had trouble socialising.”), and the in-
formation that classmates and their parents’ had about cerebral palsy (e.g., Parent 5: “In 
class, the classmates were told why he cannot do certain things as they do.”).
Among the important current factors in the inclusion of a student with cerebral 
palsy in the classroom, the teachers and parents highlighted two domains: the soci-
oemotional domain (22 responses from the teachers and 16 responses from the parents) 
and the educational domain (15 responses from the teachers and 8 responses from the 
parents). Within the socioemotional domain, the teachers highlighted the acceptance 
of the student by classmates (e.g., Parent 3: “She was very well accepted in class.”); 
interaction between the student and classmates (e.g., Parent 8: “In the lower grades they 
played with her.”); help provided to the student by classmates (e.g., Teacher 18: “They 
helped him when he needed help.”); the equal attitude of classmates towards the stu-
dent with cerebral palsy (e.g., Teacher 2: “The classmates accepted her as an equal.”); 
a close friendship between the student and a classmate (e.g., Teacher 11: “He had a best 
friend.”). Among the educational factors that contributed to the successful inclusion of 
a student with cerebral palsy in the classroom, the teachers and parents highlighted the 
student’s  /  their child’s participation in class / school activities (e.g., Teacher 3: “She was 
involved in all activities.”), attitude towards school (e.g., Teacher 5: “He was actively 
involved in class.”), and success / failure at school (e.g., Teacher 26: “The student did not 
catch up with his classmates in school.”).
The adolescents were asked two questions about their perceptions of their inclusion 
in the classroom: “How included do you feel?” and “How would you otherwise rate 
your contacts / interactions with classmates in your first five years of primary school?” 
All three adolescents described their inclusion as good. In assessing inclusion, they all 
emphasised acceptance by classmates (e.g., Adolescent 1: “I also got along well with 
classmates in the first grade.”).
The results obtained from the parents, teachers and adolescents show that the inclu-
sion of students with cerebral palsy proceeds well in most primary schools. However, 
special attention should be paid to factors that are important before the student enters 
the classroom. Among all of the factors, the adolescents emphasised the importance 
of being accepted by classmates. Various authors (e.g., Košir, 2012, p. 105; Peček and 
Lesar, 2006) have found that the condition for students’ acceptance in the classroom 
is a good class atmosphere, where a sense of belonging, solidarity and care for others 
prevails. Consequently, it is particularly important to pay attention to this when working 
with students (with cerebral palsy).
3.2 Problems of students with cerebral palsy regarding school work
In order to identify the problems of students with cerebral palsy at school, we asked 
teachers: “In which three domains does a student with cerebral palsy have the most 
problems?”. Parents answered the question: “In which school subject do you notice that 

139 Smrtnik Vitulić, PhD, Rojnik: Experiences of Students with Cerebral Palsy in Regular...
your child has the most problems?”. The adolescents replied to the following questions: 
“What causes you the most problems at school?” and “In which subjects do you have 
problems?”. The teachers’ and parents’ responses are shown in Table 2.
Table 2 
Domains and school subjects in which students with cerebral palsy had the greatest 
problems
Problematic 
domains
Description of 
the problem
Teachers on the domains 
in which students had 
the greatest problems
Parents on the school 
subjects in which students 
had the greatest problems
f % f %
Psychophysical 
characteristics
Tiredness 11 40.7 1 4.3
Pace of schoolwork 2 7.4 / /
Socioemotional  
domain
Social relations 10 37.0 / /
Dependence 2 7.4 / /
Fear of failure 2 7.4 / /
Verbal skills
Speech 5 18.5 / /
Oral presentations 3 11.1 / /
Motor domain
Movement 9 33.3 / /
Sports 5 18.5 / /
Problems with hands 4 14.8 / /
Problems with writing 8 29.6 2 8.7
Cognitive skills Abstract thinking 2 7.4 4 17.4
Mathematics
Concrete knowledge 3 11.1 15 65.2
Spatial representations 7 25.9 5 21.7
Arithmetic 4 14.8 2 8.7
Geometry 3 11.1 4 17.4
Languages
Foreign languages 2 7.4 4 17.4
Difference between  
phonetics and spelling
/ / 2 8.7
Slovenian language / / 4 17.4
Reading / 1 4.3
Other subjects
Visual art 2 7.4 2 8.7
Technical education / / 2 8.7
Physics / / 1 4.3
Absence of 
problems
/ / / 2 8.7
Other Other 4 14.8 4 17.4
The teachers named the domains in which the student with cerebral palsy had the 
most problems as follows: psychophysical characteristics (11 responses), the soci-

140 Didactica Slovenica – Pedagoška obzorja (3–4, 2021)
oemotional domain (11 responses), verbal skills (8 responses), the motor domain (9 
responses), cognitive skills (2 responses) and specific problems manifested mainly in 
mathematics, foreign languages and other subjects (21 responses).
In terms of psychophysical characteristics, the teachers mainly emphasised the stu-
dent’s fatigue (e.g., Teacher 23: “Fatigue. Although he never complained, there were 
signs of fatigue in the second half of the lesson.”), which is consistent with the fact that 
students with cerebral palsy often also have a weak physical constitution and are less 
physically active, so they are often physically tired (Sonček.org, n. d).
In the socioemotional domain, teachers emphasised the difficulties that the student 
with cerebral palsy had in establishing social contacts with peers (e.g., Teacher 16: “The 
student had difficulties in socialising with peers.”).
In the domain of verbal skills, speech and oral presentation were mentioned by the 
teachers as problematic (e.g., Teacher 23: “At the beginning, he had problems with oral 
presentation, but with encouragement his performance improved.”). Speech problems 
in people with cerebral palsy occur mainly due to poor control of the muscles in the oral 
cavity, which makes it more difficult for some of them to express themselves (Sonček.
org., n. d.).
In the domain of motor skills, the teachers emphasised the student’s problems with 
movement (e.g., Teacher 17: “Problems with movement.”), related difficulties in sports 
activities (e.g., Teacher 1: “Sports activities.”) and problems with fine motor skills (e.g., 
Teacher 4: “Fine motor skills: the student had problems with all activities related to 
writing, drawing, dressing and other skills.”). The basic feature of cerebral palsy is the 
inability to control motor activities (Sonček.org., n. d.). This was also recognised by the 
teachers in our research on students with cerebral palsy.
Among problems with cognitive skills, the teachers highlighted the development 
of abstract thinking in students with cerebral palsy (e.g., Teacher 25: “She has difficulty 
with more abstract content.”). Consistent with the teachers’ reports, Haskell and Bar-
ret (1993) also found that many people with cerebral palsy have problems with more 
abstract thinking.
Regarding specific problems, both the teachers (3 responses) and the parents (15 
responses) mentioned that the most common problems were in mathematics (e.g., Par-
ent 15: “It is common knowledge that it is very difficult to understand mathematics when 
suffering from cerebral palsy.”). When describing specific problems in mathematics, 
problems with spatial representation and orientation were mentioned more frequently, 
while some respondents highlighted problems in geometry and arithmetic. Similar ob-
servations have been made by Vrlič Danko (2005), who notes that students with cer-
ebral palsy have more difficulties in learning mathematics.
The parents (11 responses) reported problems in language subjects to a greater ex-
tent than the teachers (2 responses). In foreign languages, especially English, the parents 
indicated difficulties their child had in writing words because phonetic pronunciation 
differs from what is written (e.g., Parent 22: “Maybe in writing English words because 
he writes by ear or by pronunciation.”). In Slovenian language, on the other hand, they 
pointed to problems with fine motor skills due to which their child had problems writ-
ing (e.g., Parent 6: “In Slovenian, because of writing problems.”). Reading and writing 

141 Smrtnik Vitulić, PhD, Rojnik: Experiences of Students with Cerebral Palsy in Regular...
problems, as well as problems with fine motor skills, were also found in Vrlič Dankoʼs 
(2005) study of students with cerebral palsy.
Both the teachers and the parents also mentioned problems in visual arts (2 teacher 
responses and 2 parent responses), mainly related to the use of assistive devices (e.g., 
Teacher 19: “Problems with visual arts, use of assistive devices, except for drawing.”). 
Vrlič Danko (2005, p. 90) similarly found that students with cerebral palsy have dif-
ficulties with drawing.
Two parents answered that they did not notice any problems with their child (e.g., 
Parent 3: “So far, because our child is in the first grade and there are no noticeable dif-
ferences between students.”). Parent assessment of this kind can be related to research 
findings (Vrlič Danko, 2005) indicating that some students with cerebral palsy do not 
show major problems in perceptual-motor and cognitive functioning and do not have 
learning difficulties.
The adolescents who participated in the study reported that they had the most prob-
lems with fine motor skills (e.g., cutting, drawing, writing, using geometric tools) in 
schoolwork. In relation to specific subjects, all three adolescents highlighted mathemat-
ics problems due to difficulty using geometric tools (e.g., Adolescent 2: “Using a com-
pass in maths.”) and arithmetic problems (e.g., Adolescent 3: “In some maths problems, 
seemingly logical processes and calculations; well, I am not a “logician”.”). Two of the 
adolescents also mentioned problems in fine motor skills (e.g., Adolescent 2: “In fine 
motor skills, precision in drawing, cutting.”).
The overall results regarding the domains and school subjects in which students 
with cerebral palsy had the most problems show that motor problems are most directly 
related to cerebral palsy, with some additional problems compounding these primary 
difficulties (e.g., in the socioemotional domain, psychophysical characteristics, verbal 
and cognitive skills). Other studies (e.g., Horber et al., 2000) also report problems in 
students with cerebral palsy that affect not only the motor domain but other domains as 
well. Therefore, when planning a support programme for a student with cerebral palsy, 
it is necessary to take into account his / her specific problems and abilities, and to con-
struct an individualised work plan. 
3.3 Cooperation with other professionals in working 
with a student with cerebral palsy
The teachers, parents and students involved in the survey also rated their coopera-
tion with other professionals. The parents and teachers answered the question: “How 
would you rate your cooperation with...?”. Responses were given on a 4-point scale 
(1 – very good, 2 – good, 3 – poor, 4 – very poor).
The results indicated that the parents rated cooperation with the special and re-
habilitation pedagogue (Me = 1.00) and the teacher (Me = 1.00) as “very good” and 
cooperation with others (school management, other teachers, and “other”) as “good” 
(Me = 2.00). The teachers rated cooperation with parents (Me = 1.00) and the special 
and rehabilitation pedagogue (Me = 1.00) as “very good” and cooperation with others 
(students, other teachers, school management) as “good” (Me = 2.00). Thus, the given 

142 Didactica Slovenica – Pedagoška obzorja (3–4, 2021)
assessments indicate (very) good cooperation between teachers, parents, special and 
rehabilitation pedagogues and other parties involved in the process. The assessments 
of the teachers and parents regarding the cooperation with school management, special 
and rehabilitation pedagogues, supervisors and “other parties involved” did not differ 
significantly (Mann-Whitney U test, p > 0.05).
Regarding cooperation with others, we asked the adolescents the following ques-
tions: “How would you describe working with teachers in the first five grades of pri-
mary school?” and “In the first five grades, did you cooperate with anyone who helped 
you learn, such as a special and rehabilitation pedagogue? How would you rate that 
cooperation?”. All three adolescents rated cooperation with teachers as relatively good. 
Two responded that they got along with teachers well (e.g., Adolescent 2: “I got along 
with teachers well.”), and one adolescent indicated that the quality of the relationship 
depended on the particular teacher (Adolescent 3: “I got along very well with some, 
but a little less with others.”). The adolescents mentioned the provision of help (Ado-
lescent 2: “When I needed something, they came to my rescue.”) and equal treatment 
(Adolescent 3: “I liked that they did not make a distinction between me and my class-
mates.”). All three adolescents described a positive relationship with the special and 
rehabilitation pedagogue who helped them with school work (e.g., Adolescent 3: “To-
wards the end, we also worked on materials that my classmates were working on in a 
regular lesson.”).
The results show that the parents, teachers and adolescents all rated cooperation 
with others as relatively good. This is encouraging, as good cooperation between all 
those who work with students in the school context is a prerequisite for quality work 
with them (e.g., Marentič Požarnik, 2003).
4 Conclusions
The responses from the teachers, parents and adolescents involved in the survey 
indicate that the inclusion of students with cerebral palsy is proceeding well in the 
majority of regular primary schools. The parents and teachers pointed to some factors 
contributing to good school inclusion that take place before the student enters the class 
(e.g., informing other students in the class and their parents about the characteristics of 
cerebral palsy) and some factors that are expressed during the student’s ongoing par-
ticipation in the class (e.g., acceptance by classmates). Relationships with classmates 
are also important for all adolescents. The teachers, parents and adolescents emphasised 
major problems encountered by the student / child (or themselves) in mathematics, lan-
guages and art, as well as problems that are either directly (e.g., motor problems) or 
indirectly (e.g., socioemotional problems) related to cerebral palsy. The teachers, par-
ents and adolescents reported that they were mostly satisfied with the cooperation with 
other professionals in the school. The teachers’ and parents’ assessments did not differ 
significantly in terms of satisfaction with the cooperation with other professionals. 
The results obtained, which involve various informants, provide new insights into 
the school experiences of students with cerebral palsy in regular primary schools. These 
findings can help to better plan and implement work with students with cerebral palsy, 

143 Smrtnik Vitulić, PhD, Rojnik: Experiences of Students with Cerebral Palsy in Regular...
taking into account not only the motor dimension, but also the socioemotional aspect of 
education. When working with students with cerebral palsy, their individual character-
istics, problems and abilities should be taken into account, as people with cerebral palsy 
differ greatly from one another.
The study could be improved by including a larger number of students, who could 
report on their current school experience rather than past experiences (in the first five 
grades of primary school). Interviews could also be conducted with some teachers and 
parents to obtain more in-depth information on the experience of students with cerebral 
palsy in school.
Dr. Helena Smrtnik Vitulić, Katja Rojnik
Izkušnje učencev s cerebralno paralizo v večinskih osnovnih šolah
Cerebralna paraliza je motnja gibanja in drže, ki nastane kot posledica nenapre-
dujoče okvare možganov razvijajočega se ploda ali dojenčka (Soncek.org, b. d.). Za 
približno dve tretjini oseb s cerebralno paralizo so značilne govorno-jezikovne motnje, 
vedenjske motnje ter motnje vida in sluha, za približno polovico znižane kognitivne 
sposobnosti (IQ > 70), pogoste pa so tudi učne težave in težave na področju čustvova-
nja, tretjina otrok s cerebralno paralizo pa ima pridruženo epilepsijo (Brossard-Raci-
ne, 2012; Horber idr., 2000; Radšel in Jekovec Vrhovšek, 2014; Terzić idr., 2012). Pri 
nekaterih osebah se cerebralna paraliza lahko izrazi v zelo blagi obliki, pri drugih pa 
v težji (Schenker, Coster in Parush, 2006). V Sloveniji (Vrlič Danko, 2005) in v svetu 
(Sellier idr., 2016) je pogostost cerebralne paralize prepoznana pri približno 3 otrocih 
na 1000 živorojenih otrok.
V Zakonu o usmerjanju otrok s posebnimi potrebami (ZUOPP , 2011) je zapisano, 
da otroke s posebnimi potrebami lahko usmerimo v enega izmed ustreznih vzgojno-
-izobraževalnih programov, kar velja tudi za otroke s cerebralno paralizo. V program 
večinskega osnovnošolskega izobraževanja s prilagojenim izvajanjem in dodatno stro-
kovno pomočjo so lahko vključeni otroci (tudi s cerebralno paralizo), ki so se zmožni 
uspešno vključiti v večinsko šolanje (Mori, 2002). Ko se otroci s cerebralno paralizo 
vključijo v večinsko šolanje, imajo možnost dodatne strokovne pomoči, ki je namenjena 
premagovanju njihovih primanjkljajev, ovir oz. motenj (ZUOPP , 2000). Težje in težko 
gibalno oviranim otrokom, med katere uvrščamo tudi del otrok s cerebralno paralizo, 
se lahko v času izvajanja obveznega in razširjenega programa osnovne šole dodeli 
stalnega ali začasnega spremljevalca (ZUOPP-1, 2011). Ta otroku pomaga pri orga-
nizaciji dela, pisanju in premikanju po prostoru, povezuje pa se tudi s pedagoškimi in 
svetovalnimi delavci ter po potrebi tudi z drugimi strokovnjaki, ki spremljajo otrokov 
razvoj (Zobec, 2012).
Učitelji naj bi bili za delo z učenci s posebnimi potrebami ustrezno usposobljeni, 
da prepoznajo vedenjske značilnosti in učne posebnosti, pri delu z učenci naj bi izbrali 
učinkovite učne metode, dobro naj bi sodelovali s starši, z drugimi učitelji, s šolskimi 
svetovalnimi delavci ter z drugimi specializiranimi strokovnjaki in institucijami (Berč-
nik in Devjak, 2018; Mijanović, 2019; Štemberger, 2013, Vovk Ornik, 2016). Intihar in 

144 Didactica Slovenica – Pedagoška obzorja (3–4, 2021)
Kepec (2002) navajata ugotovitve različnih raziskav (npr. Conoley, 1987; Epstein in 
Henderson, 1992), ki kažejo na pomen dobrega sodelovanja med učitelji in starši, da je 
otrok učno uspešen, razvija učne in delovne navade, sodeluje pri pouku, razvija samo-
spoštovanje in socialne spretnosti, vzpostavlja kakovosten odnos do šole idr.
Raziskava, opisana v tem prispevku, je ena prvih v svetu in pri nas, ki vključuje iz-
kušnje s poučevanjem otrok s cerebralno paralizo, kot so jih zaznali učitelji in starši ter 
jih zase opisali učenci s cerebralno paralizo (triangulacija virov podatkov). 
V raziskavi nas je zanimalo: 
 □ kako so učitelji / starši / učenci sami zaznali učenčevo / otrokovo / svoje 
vključevanje v razred, 
 □ katere težave so učitelji oz. starši zaznali pri šolskem delu učenca oz. nji-
hovega otroka in kako so svoje težave opisali učenci sami in 
 □ kako so učitelji / starši / učenci sodelovali z drugimi strokovnjaki, ki so bili 
vključeni v poučevanje (npr. s specialnim in rehabilitacijskim pedago-
gom).
V raziskavi je sodelovalo 27 učiteljev (93 % ženskega spola), ki so poučevali otroke 
s cerebralno paralizo v večinski osnovni šoli, 23 staršev otrok s cerebralno paralizo in 
trije mladostniki s cerebralno paralizo (obiskovali so 5. in 6. razred osnovne šole ter 1. 
letnik srednje šole), ki so svoje izkušnje s šolanjem v prvih petih razredih osnovne šole 
opisovali “za nazaj”. Otroke s cerebralno paralizo je večina učiteljev (20 oz. 74,1 %) 
poučevala eno leto, 4 učitelji (17 %) dve leti, 2 učitelja (7 %) tri leta, en učitelj (4 %) pa 
manj kot leto dni. 
Pred izvedbo raziskave smo na Univerzitetnem rehabilitacijskem inštitutu – Soča 
pridobili informacije o učencih s cerebralno paralizo, ki so bili vključeni v prvih pet 
razredov večinske osnovne šole. Nato smo prošnjo za sodelovanje v raziskavi naslovili 
na ravnatelje osnovnih šol, ki so jih obiskovali otroci s cerebralno paralizo. Po prido-
bljenem soglasju smo dostop do spletnih vprašalnikov posredovali učiteljem otrok s 
cerebralno paralizo in staršem, katerih otrok se je šolal v enem od prvih petih razre-
dov večinske osnovne šole. Trije starši otrok s cerebralno paralizo so soglašali, da z 
njihovimi otroki (sicer že mladostniki, ki so se šolali v večinski osnovni šoli) izvedemo 
intervjuje, s tem pa so soglašali tudi vključeni mladostniki sami. Vsak intervju z mla-
dostnikom smo posneli in ga dobesedno prepisali. Učiteljem, staršem in mladostnikom 
smo zagotovili anonimnost pridobljenih podatkov.
V raziskavi smo uporabili dva vprašalnika – za učitelje in starše, in polstrukturira-
ni intervju za vključene tri mladostnike. Vprašalnika za učitelje oz. starše sta v prvem 
delu vključevala podatke o spolu, sledila pa so vprašanja o otrokovi vključitvi v razred, 
področjih, na katerih je imel v šoli težave, in njihovem sodelovanju z drugimi strokovni-
mi delavci šole (npr. s specialnim in rehabilitacijskim pedagogom). Nekatera vprašanja 
so bila odprtega tipa, vprašanja o kakovosti vključevanja otrok v šolo in o sodelovanju z 
drugimi strokovnjaki pa so vključevala 4-stopenjsko lestvico (1 – zelo dobro, 2 – dobro, 
3 – slabo in 4 – zelo slabo). Za mladostnike smo oblikovali polstrukturirani intervju 
z vprašanji o tem, kako so se vključili v razred, na katerih področjih so se soočali s 
težavami pri šolskem delu ter kakšno je bilo njihovo sodelovanje z učitelji in drugimi 
strokovnimi delavci šole. 

145 Smrtnik Vitulić, PhD, Rojnik: Experiences of Students with Cerebral Palsy in Regular...
Rezultati so pokazali, da so starši, učitelji oz. mladostniki otrokovo oz. svojo vklju-
čitev v razred ocenili kot (zelo) dobro. Med učitelji in starši smo ugotovili statistično 
pomembne razlike v ocenah vključitve otroka s cerebralno paralizo v razred (Mann-
-Whitney preizkus: U = 166,500, p = 0,00). Starši (Me = 2,00) so otrokovo vključitev v 
razred ocenili bistveno bolje kot učitelji (Me = 1,00). Starši in učitelji so izpostavili po-
dobne dejavnike / pogoje, ki so bili pomembni za vključenost otroka s cerebralno parali-
zo v razred: nekaterim dejavnikom / pogojem za uspešno vključevanje otroka v razred je 
bilo potrebno zadostiti že pred njegovim prihodom v razred (npr. informiranje sošolcev 
in njihovih staršev o značilnostih cerebralne paralize), drugim pa v času otrokove vklju-
čenosti v razred, tj. na socialno-emocionalnem (npr. interakcija otroka z vrstniki) in izo-
braževalnem (npr. oblikovanje otrokovega odnosa do šole) področju. Vsi mladostniki, ki 
so poročali o svojih izkušnjah vključevanja v razred, so med dejavniki dobre vključeno-
sti izpostavili dobre odnose s sošolci (npr. da so jim sošolci nudili pomoč). Iz odgovorov 
staršev, učiteljev in mladostnikov je torej razvidno, da vključevanje otrok s cerebralno 
paralizo v večinske osnovne šole poteka dobro, a je pri tem posebno pozornost potrebno 
nameniti različnim dejavnikom – tako tistim, ki so ključni že pred otrokovim vstopom v 
razred, kot tistim, ki omogočajo aktualno udejanjanje socialno-emocionalnih vidikov 
otrokovega delovanja v razredu oz. povezanost / sprejetost s strani sošolcev.
Učitelji, starši in mladostniki so izpostavili različne težave otrok s cerebralno para-
lizo pri njihovem izobraževanju; nekatere so bile bolj neposredno povezane s cerebral-
no paralizo (npr. težave na področju motorike), druge pa so bile bolj posledica primar-
nih težav, kot so npr. težave na psiho-fizičnem področju (utrujenost, hitrost pri šolskem 
delu), težave na področju verbalnih sposobnosti (govor, govorni nastopi) in težave na 
socialno-emocionalnem področju njihovega delovanja (socialni stiki, nesamostojnost, 
strah pred neuspehom). Največ težav pri šolskem delu so učitelji, starši oz. mladostniki 
s cerebralno paralizo prepoznali pri matematiki, jezikih in likovni umetnosti. 
Tudi drugi avtorji (npr. Brossard-Racine, 2012; Horber idr., 2000; Terzić idr., 
2012) poročajo, da imajo mnogi otroci s cerebralno paralizo tako primarne težave z 
motoričnim delovanjem kot tudi njim pridružene težave, ki se kažejo na različnih po-
dročjih (npr. pri čustvovanju). Glede na pridobljene rezultate bi se bilo pri poučevanju 
otrok s cerebralno paralizo v večinski šoli potrebno usmeriti tako na primarne težave, 
ki jih s prilagajanjem metod in oblik dela pri otroku lahko nekoliko omilimo, kot tudi 
na pridružene težave, ki jih lahko celo odpravimo (npr. na socialno-emocionalnem po-
dročju). Socialno-emocionalno področje delovanja učencev lahko učitelji in drugi stro-
kovni delavci načrtno spodbujajo z učenjem vzajemnega medsebojnega sprejemanja in 
spoštovanja, poudarjanjem skrbi za druge in drugim delovanja, ki omogoča kakovostno 
(so)bivanje v razredu. 
Učitelji, starši oz. mladostniki so ocenili, da so (bili) večinoma (zelo) zadovoljni s 
sodelovanjem z drugimi strokovnimi delavci, vključenimi v izobraževanje. Primerjava 
ocen učiteljev in staršev glede sodelovanja z vodstvom šole, specialnim in rehabili-
tacijskim pedagogom, spremljevalko in “drugimi udeleženci” ni pokazala statistično 
pomembnih razlik (Mann-Whitney U-preizkus, p > 0,05). To je spodbudno, saj je do-
bro sodelovanje med vključenimi v delo z otrokom pogoj za kakovostno delo z njim 
(npr. Marentič Požarnik, 2003). Tudi drugi avtorji (npr. Epstein in Henderson, 1992, 
v: Intihar in Kepec, 2002; Kalin idr., 2009) so poudarili pomen sodelovanja učencev s 

146 Didactica Slovenica – Pedagoška obzorja (3–4, 2021)
strokovnimi delavci, ki prispeva k razvijanju učenčevih učnih in delovnih navad, sode-
lovanju pri pouku in učni uspešnosti.
Pridobljeni rezultati omogočajo nova spoznanja o izkušnjah šolanja otrok s cere-
bralno paralizo v večinskih osnovnih šolah, ki so jih podali različni udeleženci. Ta spo-
znanja lahko pripomorejo k bolj kakovostnemu načrtovanju in izvajanju dela z otroki 
s cerebralno paralizo, ki upošteva ne le motorični, ampak tudi izobraževalni in soci-
alno-emocionalni vidik izobraževanja. Pri delu z učenci s cerebralno paralizo bi bilo 
potrebno upoštevati njihove individualne značilnosti, saj se otroci s cerebralno paralizo 
med seboj precej razlikujejo po svojih posebnostih in zmožnostih.
Raziskavo bi lahko izboljšali tako, da bi vanjo vključili večje število udeležencev, s 
katerimi bi izvedli intervju, učenci pa bi lahko poročali o aktualnih izkušnjah šolanja in 
ne le opisali izkušnje “za nazaj”. Intervjuje bi lahko opravili tudi z nekaterimi učitelji in 
starši ter na ta način pridobili več informacij o izkušnjah s šolanjem otrok s cerebralno 
paralizo.
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Helena Smrtnik Vitulić, PhD (1968), associate professor for developmental psychology at Univer-
sity of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education.
Naslov / Address: Vodovodna 24, 1370 Logatec, Slovenia
Telefon / Telephone: (+386) 031 866 465
E-mail: helena.smrtnik-vitulić@pef.uni-lj.si
Katja Rojnik (1985), primary school teacher at Primary school of Letonja brothers, Šmartno ob Paki.
Naslov / Address: Spodnje Gorče 17, 3314 Braslovče, Slovenia
Telefon / Telephone: (+386) 051 301 491
E-mail: katja.rojnik@ossmartno.si