Ruxandra Folostina

University of Bucharest | Unibuc · Department of Special Education

This study examined the factorial composition and cultural invariance of the online learning readiness self-check (OLRSC) survey across Turkish (N = 212), Romanian (N = 207), and Polish (N = 235) college students. The results of confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) in individual samples supported the six-dimensional structure of online learning readi...

Equity in higher education access is critical to promoting social justice, economic prosperity, and individual opportunity. Despite the progress gained during the civil rights struggle, disparities persist, with low-income families, members of racial and ethnic minorities, and first-generation college students facing unique challenges. These popula...

Time 2 outdoor project intend to provide information about a safe and enjoyable outdoor activities for children with autism. The challenge of delivering a suitable physical education or recreational activities for children of various abilities falls on teachers or parents. Many teachers lack the training necessary to successfully include children w...

This chapter provides a comprehensive guide for educators, therapists, and researchers interested in implementing art therapy to support the emotional development of children with special educational needs (SEN). It explores the transformative power of art therapy in addressing the emotional well-being of these children, emphasizing its role in unl...

This e-book contains a set of new cognitive tools involving multiple methods of learning and teaching (problem-based learning, inquiry-based learning, discovery learning, action learning, and playful learning). The content was adapted, presented, and provided in order to increase the learner's quality of experience and improve the learning process.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated sedentarism in children, including those with autism. Given the importance of the topic for long-term health, this study aimed to explore the post-pandemic relationship between physical activity, sedentary behaviours and quality of life (QOL) in children with autism from Romania and Greece. Method...

CORTTEX: We inform you about the publication of the on-line seminar entitled: "Use of innovative teaching strategies, methods and technologies for students with learning difficulties" within the CORTTEX project, in e-Learning format in the Greek language. The tutorial can be accessed at: https://elearning.corttex.eu/?lang=el and is available free o...

Student ambassador schemes are increasingly widespread across universities in Europe. Despite the widespread use of university student ambassadors and volunteers, there is very little focus on the training that these young people receive. A survey of UK universities (Gartland, Hayton & Roberts, 2020) revealed significant gaps in the training availa...

This book brings together world-leading researchers and scholars in the fields of inclusive education, disability studies, refugee education and special education to examine critical and original perspectives of the meaning and consequences of educational and social exclusion. Drawing together, the contributors consider how children already vulnera...

Cartea de față cuprinde un set de bune practici, tehnici și instrumente care facilitează incluziunea și angajarea în învățare a studenților cu tulburări specifice de învățare (TSI), ca dislexia, disgrafia, discalculia, dispraxia, precum și a celor cu tulburări asociate, precum deficitul de atenție/hiperactivitate și tulburarea de spectru autist. Vo...

Background Long-term care of a relative with a disability is associated with negative consequences on the caregiver’s mental health. Therefore, investigating how some personality traits, such as resilience, protect caregivers with dysfunctional personality traits from caregiving stress is necessary. This study examines the moderating role of resili...

This section of the report outlines the key findings of the state-of-the-art review which was undertaken to identify common strategies used internationally to widen participation in higher education (HE). Following the steps of a systematic review methodology, the review synthesized information about widening participation (WP) strategies from 28 r...

Student ambassadors can help promote diversity in academic contexts. They act as representatives and role models for the student body's different origins and experiences. Student ambassadors can inspire and motivate their peers, particularly those from marginalized or underrepresented groups, by sharing personal stories and experiences. Their invol...

Countries seek to implement sustainable policies for supporting professionals working with students with an autism spectrum disorder. These policies can advance more slowly in developing states like Romania and Greece. As such, this study aimed to investigate the reported knowledge and training needs of professionals working with ASD students to in...

The aim of the project is the creation of a European -level strategic partnership and know-how exchange network for vocational training of professionals. In addition, aim of the project is the preparation, development and implementation of a large-scale training program on the use of alternative systems of communication for individuals with Autism...

The new approaches for disability are characterized through respect towards the beneficiary. In practice, this means empowering the person with a disability or an association that fights for the rights to make choices about their personal life. Empowering a person with disabilities, trusting their potential, and encouraging them to look with optimi...

Difficulties in learning mathematics are the most “resistant” within the intervention programs for children with autism. However, mathematics cannot be excluded from the curriculum because it forms abilities which would ensure better social adaptation for the child. It is not about academic level of mathematics in this chapter, but a professional a...

This chapter represents a literature review of inclusion policies and practices for children with special needs into the mainstream education system of Romania. The authors provide a structured analysis of the main inclusion practices, with an emphasis on the criticism of the current practice. The main criticisms come from teachers, informal caregi...

Digital communication is being extensively used, and during COVID-19 pandemic, it has transformed the way teaching is delivered and how learning happens which became even more problematic for children with learning difficulties. The digitalization of education during the lockdown period has forced teachers, children, and parents to develop and enha...

Introduction According to DSM-5 Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by reduced social interaction and communication, and by restricted, repetitive and stereotyped behaviour (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Autism is a developmental disorder and signs start before the age of three in a child. In cases of people with High Functi...

Purpose of the article: This study explores the impact of the lockdown imposed during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of children with developmental disabilities (DD) and the emotional experiences of their parents. Methods: A total of 81 Romanian parents (90% mothers, Mage = 39.3, SDage = 8.50) of children with DD participated in...

Legislation and good practices regarding learning difficulties are different from one country to another, and the differences are noticeable starting with the way they are defined. From an educational perspective, learning difficulties are a disability. Instead, in the clinical approach, learning difficulties are considered a disorder (learning dis...

Incluziunea și abordarea umanistă cu care vine educația incluzivă privește diversitatea umană ca o oportunitate de învățare și nu ca o barieră în învățare. Filosofia incluzivă pune accent pe valoarea fiecărui membru al comunității, indiferent de etnie, sex, dezavantaje economice sau dizabilitate. Fiecare dintre noi putem avea impact în viața celor...

The Romanian quality legislation is based on ISO 9001 family definition and considers the quality of education as mixed characteristics of a study programme and its supplier through which the expectations of the beneficiaries are met, as well as the quality standards. In 2006, the Education Quality Assurance Law was adopted (L87/2006). The law defi...

The Romanian quality legislation is based on ISO definition and considers the quality of education as mixed characteristics of a study programme and its supplier through which the expectations of the beneficiaries are met, as well as the quality standards. In 2006, the Education Quality Assurance Law was adopted (L87/2006). The law defined the main...

This study approaches the situation of the Roma children from an educational perspective, both at a formal and non-formal level. Roma minority is recognized nationally and internationally as a subcultural group with many ethical problems, therefore our attention is focused on the relationship between the traditional cultural lifestyle of Roma peopl...

Problem Statement: The article aims to broach an issue less studied in Romania, namely the effects of information and communication technology (ICT) in improving the learning process and in stimulating the cognitive development of the children with mild intellectual disability. Purpose of Study: The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of...

This chapter represents a literature review of inclusion policies and practices for children with special needs into the mainstream education system of Romania. The authors provide a structured analysis of the main inclusion practices, with an emphasis on the criticism of the current practice. The main criticisms come from teachers, informal caregi...

La nivel international, multe tari declara in prezent ca digitalizarea sistemului educational reprezinta un obiectiv principal. Un impact major al acestei decizii se poate constata la nivelul procesului de proiectare si elaborare curriculara. Cartea isi propune sa raspunda necesitatilor actuale generate de implementarea unui curriculum bazat pe teh...

The European Employment Strategy has estabilished as a main objective the inclusion of disadvantaged people on the labor market by promoting open employment strategies. In this framework. it is desirable to identify and remove barriers that hinder the employment of people with disabilities. The most important skill needed to work in adult life for...

The accelerated reform process has influenced all the spheres of the life and the special education system is no exception. The evolutionary process has resulted in numerous changes, including attitudinal and conceptual ones, such as: the critical of the medical model and the propose of a new model, based on competence, in studying, describing and...

This particular research aims to develop micro-operations of thinking, called logical operators to students with intellectual disabilities through a program specifically designed to drive them in special education. Training program consisted of logical operators in learning activities at the acting, iconic and verbal level, based on formative side...

The paper approaches the problematic of the adults with severe intellectual disability who are institutionalized for a long time in residential centres. The subjects included in our study are aged between 20 and 42 years old and have been institutionalized from early ages. The long-term institutionalization effects are reflected in language develop...

The paper addresses the issue of resilience in children at risk considering that children may be more terrified when they are witness to high arousal, panic and adult shock response to traumatic events (especially when it is about significant people in their life) than when are themselves threatened. The purpose of the research is to see how play a...

The study investigates the structural differences, under quantitative and qualitative aspect, between the attitudes toward children with intellectual disability and the teachers in the normal school and special school. The method used is the Attitude Inventory towards the intellectual disability (Mental Retardation Attitude Inventory - MRAI-R, revi...

We have proposed to present a practical approach on the psycho-pedagogical training needs of university teaching, starting from analyzing the training needs of the academic staff who works now in a globalized and competitive world. The results of the study were obtained by applying a written questionnaire to subjects who work in different universit...

Education is seen as an ongoing process that begins at an early age and that man exercises over life when it does become almost a habit for him. The aim of this study is to show the importance of continuous training university teaching staff as perceived by them, concerning the field of teaching skills. The study analyzes the perception regarding t...

In this study, we have aimed to create some profiles that define the emotional characteristics of Rroma teenagers compared to non-ethnic teenagers based on a comparative analysis of their emotional features. Starting from these profiles we have proposed to reveal the influence that the affiliation to a minority or a majority ethnic group has upon t...

The study is focused on studying the issue of people with disabilities and their access on the labor market. The research attempts to highlight the experiences of people with disabilities regarding employment, coping with discrimination and how Romanian labor market is ready to receive these people. For conducting the research we used questionnaire...

This study approaches the situation of the Roma children from an educational perspective, both at a formal and non-formal level. Roma minority is recognized nationally and internationally as a subcultural group with many ethical problems, therefore our attention is focused on the relationship between the traditional cultural life-style of Roma peop...

This research is a comparative study between Romania and Spain in terms of social economy as a factor on the labor market inclusion of Roma people. At European level, the social economy is the third employment sector, ranging from private to public sector and comprising 10% of all European businesses, approximately 2 million businesses. In several...

Foster homes or foster care centres provide different conditions for the evolution of institutionalised subjects, which emphasize a behavioural and personality type somewhat different in comparison to regular life style situations. As such, affectivity and communication are the most sensitive elements to the life environment that does not always ha...

The article purports to approach a less studied theme in Romania, which is the quality of the institutionalised mentally retarded adults' life in large residential centres. Quality of Life Questionnaire was used to determine life satisfaction, competence, independence and community integration of participants. Aberrant Behaviour (irritability, leth...

Literature has often discussed the relationship between teaching as profession and a high level of stress. Personal work style, maintaining discipline in the classroom, the need to adapt to changes in educational system, inadequate working conditions are only few determinants identified. Our study aims are to specify the relationship between defens...

Managementul proiectelor sociale este o disciplină tânără nu numai prin raportarea la ştiinţele naturii, ci chiar comparativ cu ştiinţele sociale. Ea a apărut la începutul anilor `60 în America de Nord şi s-a dezvoltat rapid mai ales în Statele Unite, în legătură cu marile programe sociale iniţiate de preşedinţii Kennedy şi Johnson. În Europa, etap...