Matteo Weibel
- was born in 2006
- has a sibling
- speaks Swiss German at home
- has a particular interest in technical and mathematical problems and is an active member of the scouts in his free time
- was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and dyslexia
- at the age of 13, switches to a mainstream school in 7th grade: This was in the 2019/20 school year
- is 17 years old at the time of the interview and has successfully completed his first year of apprenticeship as a polymechanic
Overview
What do we know about the canton?
Matteo lives in a small canton. To ensure that the persons remain unidentified, the canton is not named.
What was the timeline of the reintegration?
The chronological sequence of the reintegration is shown.
About the timelineWhat aspects supported the reintegration?
The conditions for success and barriers are described.
About the conditions for success and barriersInformation about the people involved
Family
Petra Weibel
- is Matteo’s mother
- manages a medium-sized company
- is married to Matteo’s father and lives with him
Mainstream School
Andrea Schmid
- is a trained secondary school teacher
- is training as a special education teacher
- has supported Matteo since 8th and 9th grade at mainstream school
- is responsible for Matteo’s integrative special education (IS)
- has 5 years of professional experience as secondary school teacher at the time of reintegration
Special School
Kaya Schuler
- is responsible for integration from the special school to mainstream school
- studied special education
- is the supervisor of the special education teachers who implement integrative special education (IS)
- accompanies Matteo since 9th grade at mainstream school
Special School
Rudolf Bachmann
- is the principal of the special school where Matteo attended 6th grade
- was originally a primary school teacher and special education teacher
- has worked as a teacher for more than 20 years
- has been principal for 2 years at the time of reintegration
Division of group discussions
Two group discussions took place in summer 2023. The reintegration of Matteo was discussed.
- Group discussion 16: Mr Bachmann and Ms Schuler
- Group discussion 17: Matteo, Ms Weibel and Ms Schmid
Matteo’s reintegration process
Since kindergarten, Matteo needed more attention than other children, his mother said.
Matteo was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Matteo was prescribed Ritalin from 1st grade on.
«We noticed that Matteo is smart and has a certain giftedness in mathematics and technology […]. And to help him reach his potential, we decided with a heavy heart to use medication.»
There were also lessons to support Matteo.
This support was primarily aimed at strengthening his interdisciplinary skills.
Matteo had a new teacher in 3rd and 4th grade. This teacher coped very well with Matteo’s behaviour. Support lessons were no longer required.
In 5th grade, there was another change to a new teacher.
However, the chemistry between Matteo and the new teacher wasn’t right.
For this reason, the parents did not tell the teacher that Matteo was taking Ritalin.
They feared that the teacher would have asked for the dose to be increased.
Matteo thus attended mainstream school up to 6th grade.
The situation worsened further in 6th grade:
there was a lot of infighting in the class. There were also conflicts between Matteo and his teacher.
«The problem was that I got into quite a bit of trouble with the teachers towards the end of 5th grade and start of 6th grade.»
In 6th grade, Matteo was sent home for a week before the autumn holidays.
It was clear to the parents that the situation would not improve in this class.
There was also no support.
Parents of Matteo’s classmates had collected signatures stating that Matteo should be sent to a special school.
Matteo did not return to mainstream school after the autumn holidays.
He switched to a special school.
The special school was for young people with conspicuous behaviour.
Matteo would have preferred to stay in mainstream school, but the decision was made.
However, this change also brought relief for the family.
«At first, we had some peace and quiet. I had the feeling that everyone had time to breathe.»
Matteo did not have an easy start at the special school.
He needed a lot of support to become part of the class.
With the support of an intern, Matteo learned to cope better with challenging situations.
Matteo’s time at special school was only to last three months, until the Christmas holidays.
At a round table, it was decided that his time at special school would be extended. A return to the previous 6th grade would be very unfavourable.
Matteo should have a fresh start with new teachers in a new class.
«Sending Matteo back to 6th grade for one or two months made no sense to anyone.»
Reintegration then took place in the first upper secondary level, in 7th grade. This was the wish of Matteo and his parents.
The financing of the special school measures was extended until the autumn holidays.
Matteo was delighted that he was able to return to mainstream school.
«It was a relief for me when I went back to normal school because I didn’t want this whole situation either. Things turning out like this and starting over in a new class made everything a lot easier.»
Matteo was sick on the taster day. Matteo and his mother visited the new teacher before the start of school.
Matteo did not receive any additional support when he switched to mainstream school. In other words, there was no special education teacher to accompany Matteo. He also had no special school status.
«I noticed that there was a gap where both of us (i.e. with Ms Schuler) didn’t know what happened at the start of 7th or 8th grade. And also, that this gap was unnecessary.»
In 8th grade, the situation in Matteo’s class again became more strained.
Matteo had more and more arguments with his classmates, especially in sports lessons.
For this reason, additional resources were requested from the management of the special school.
The request for integrative special education (IS) measures was approved.
Matteo received special school status and thus two lessons for integrative special education (IS).
The integrative special education was implemented by the special education teacher, Ms Schmid.
«I came into the whole process relatively late. This was only after a few incidents, where the school found that things could no longer continue like this.»
In 9th grade, Matteo received four lessons for integrative special education (IS).
There were still incidents between Matteo and his classmates.
Reintegration was once again in the balance.
During this time, Ms Schuler, the person responsible for integration, joined.
«It was clear to me at that point that we only had three-quarters of a year to go. Matteo would then have a school certificate if he is allowed to stay. We had to do everything we could to ensure that he is allowed to stay and that he is not excluded from school.»
A round table was held to discuss how Matteo could successfully complete mainstream school.
Matteo’s classmates were informed about his diagnosis and the challenges. Matteo was then better understood and accepted. The situation in the class became more relaxed.
Matteo was also given an emergency button. When Matteo pressed the button, important contacts at the mainstream school were contacted. So he was not alone. Using the emergency button, Matteo was able to extricate himself from challenging situations before they escalated.
«The interesting thing was that situations where he really should have pressed the button no longer came about. I think the presence of this button and the fact that he always had it with him helped him to stop things getting that far in the first place.»
Matteo successfully completed his education in the upper secondary level at mainstream school.
He found an apprenticeship as a polymechanic on the primary labour market.
By the time of the interview in summer 2023, he had already successfully completed his first year of apprenticeship.
Timeline
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Kindergarten in mainstream school
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Mainstream school
Matteo receives additional support lessons.
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Mainstream school
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Mainstream school
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Special school
After the autumn holidays in 6th grade, Matteo attends a special school.
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Reintegration into mainstream school
Implementation of reintegration into first upper secondary level.
No support lessons.
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Mainstream school
Continuation of reintegration.
Matteo receives 2 lessons for integrative special education (IS) per week and additional support from an assistant.
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Mainstream school
Continuation of reintegration.
Matteo receives 4 lessons for integrative special education (IS) per week and additional support from an assistant.
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First labour market
Matteo starts his apprenticeship as a polymechanic.
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Conditions for success and barriers
Conditions for success and barriers were identified in the discussions about Matteo’s reintegration. These are divided into five topics.
Process structure
This section describes how the reintegration process can be supported.
Conditions for success
What aspects supported the reintegration?
- Information about Matteo’s diagnosis for his classmates and their parents at upper secondary level was helpful.
- A point of contact for Matteo throughout the entire reintegration process, such as the special education teacher, the class teacher and the class assistant at upper secondary level.
- The special education teacher was able to take time to talk to Matteo.
- Intern as a contact person at the special school who mediated between the class and Matteo.
- A contact person and support for the parents: An external expert and later the person responsible for integration.
- A clear reintegration process that was also tailored to Matteo’s individual needs and pursued the goal of reintegration.
- The timing of reintegration into first upper secondary level was helpful.
- Getting to know the new class teacher before starting 7th grade.
Barriers
What aspects made reintegration difficult?
- The late information about Matteo’s diagnosis for his classmates and their parents.
- Absence of a support person for Matteo at the start of reintegration.
- Absence of the class teacher in 9th grade due to illness. As a result, Matteo lacked a contact person.
- Absence of a contact person and support for the parents at the beginning.
- Numerous changes from teacher to teacher in upper secondary level over the course of the day.
General conditions
This section describes what is needed at school to support reintegration.
Conditions for success
What aspects supported the reintegration?
- The special school status in 8th grade made it possible for Matteo to take lessons for integrative special education (IS). These were key to the success of the reintegration.
- Financial resources from the management of the special school, which supported integrative special education (IS) and thus reintegration.
- A new class and new teachers at first upper secondary level.
- Having a supportive, friendly class and a friend in class.
Barriers
What aspects made reintegration difficult?
- The special school had insufficient resources for comprehensive work with parents.
- At the beginning of reintegration, there was no support from a special education teacher.
- Some students knew Matteo from primary school and had a negative impression of him.
- Lack of knowledge on the part of teachers and the school social worker at mainstream school about integrative special training (IS) and diagnoses such as ADHD and ASD.
Family resources
This section describes the extent to which the family can support reintegration.
Conditions for success
What aspects supported the reintegration?
- Matteo’s technical skills and giftedness in mathematics and technology. His desire to attend mainstream school and his willingness to work hard for it, said the principal of the special school and Matteos parents.
- Matteo’s social skills were supported and consolidated at special school.
- The emergency button to get out of challenging situations helped Matteo.
- Support of Matteo’s need for autonomy and taking him seriously. For example, he could choose his own seat at mainstream school.
- Support of Matteo’s interest in mathematics and technology in maths class at upper secondary level.
- The parents’ resources, advocating for Matteo’s reintegration, remaining persistent, devoting a lot of energy, acquiring knowledge and requesting support for Matteo.
Barriers
What aspects made reintegration difficult?
- The parents’ lack of knowledge about integrative special education (IS) and reintegration was a barrier.
- Matteo’s resources for resolving conflicts peacefully were not reinforced enough in special school and were considered a risk for reintegration, said principal of the special school.
- Regular incidents in social aspects: Matteo’s aggressive behaviour jeopardised his reintegration, the person responsible for integration said.
Cooperation
This section describes how cooperation can support reintegration.
Conditions for success
What aspects supported the reintegration?
- Supportive collaboration between the special education teacher and some teachers in upper secondary level. These teachers responded to Matteo’s needs and adapted their lessons.
- Exchange and networking between the mainstream and special school about Matteo’s behaviour and how to deal with it was helpful.
- Conversations between all those involved, with a focus on solutions and resources. This meant paying attention to Matteo’s strengths and looking for solutions.
- The person responsible for integration acts as an intermediary between the parents and the teachers at mainstream school, as well as the new school management.
- The collaboration between parents, mainstream school and special school and the school psychology service (SPD) with a view to Matteo’s future was helpful.
Barriers
What aspects made reintegration difficult?
- Lack of supportive collaboration between the special education teacher and some teachers in upper secondary level. These teachers did not respond to Matteo’s needs and did not adapt their lessons. They did not consider themselves responsible for managing the class.
- Little support from the special school during the reintegration process.
- Difficult collaboration between the parents and individual teachers and a principal at upper secondary level: The parents did not feel understood, insufficient communication, meeting times were too short, teachers did not keep to agreements, report by school management to child and adult protection authority (KESB).
- Insufficient communication between the special school and Matteo’s therapist at the child and adolescent psychiatric service (KJPD) in order to pursue common goals for reintegration.
Attitude
This section describes how attitudes and subsequent actions can support reintegration.
Conditions for success
What aspects supported the reintegration?
- The attitude of the mainstream school teachers that everyone is equal was supportive.
- Raising awareness among teachers in upper secondary level: they share responsibility for Matteo’s future. They require knowledge and understanding of people with special needs.
- Acceptance of the reintegrated child as part of the class and school. No doubts about the child’s place in mainstream school.
- Focus on the potential of students with special educational needs.
- Openness and courage to try things out. Everyone has to support Matteo’s reintegration and stick to it.
Barriers
What aspects made reintegration difficult?
- Lack of willingness of some teachers in upper secondary level to implement integrative special education (IS) is a barrier.
- Lack of understanding of Matteo’s individual needs by some teachers in upper secondary level.
- Lack of knowledge and lack of responsibility by some teachers in upper secondary level for the integrative special education (IS) of their students.
- Lack of openness from some teachers in upper secondary level to suggestions from parents and the person responsible for integration.
- Responsibility for reintegration is passed on to special education teachers and class assistants. These teachers at upper secondary level do not realise that they influence the success of reintegration.