The model MOSAIC

A VIENNESE SCHOOL ENTRANCE MODEL

FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

of the

> RUDOLF EKSTEIN CENTER

THE MODEL MOSAIC, a Viennese school entrance model, received the “Gesundheitspreis”, an award of the City of Vienna in 2000 and consists in turn of 3 parts:

PERIPATETIC MOSAIC TEAM “MOMO”( Mobiles Mosaik Team )

This “clearing”team can be called upon by primary schools who have problems with children entering school or during first and second form.

MOMO offers multifunctional observation of the child, councellig, integrative aid on the spot (Peripatetic Mosaic Teacher) or accompanying support in cases of admission into a Mosaic class.

PERIPATETIC MOSAIC TEACHER (Ambulante Mosaik Lehrerin)

Offered to a school through “MOMO”, a Peripatetic Mosaic Teacher focuses on a childs special emotional and social needs within its original peer group. They support child and teacher during lessons (one to three times a week), building a bridge between the childs special needs and the teachers and peergroups expectations. In weekly meetings with the class teacher, decisions are taken on an individual basis and after careful consideration by all parties concerned, always focusing on the childs wellfare. It is understood as a process which takes time, reflection, preparation, planning and networking.

THE MOSAIC CLASS

The Mosaic class is a school entrance model offered to children with special needs. These children will need to make up for the social, emotional and psychological deficits and/or the serious partial deficits which prevent them from following regular lessons at primary school level.

The "mosaic stones" missing for the healthy development of the personality of the child can be looked for and found in the sheltered environment of a class and if necessary can be newly constructed and developed.

This school model acts as a preventive measure aimed at keeping children from failing in their school career and from the consequences of this failure and the resulting negative effects. In this way the missing preconditions for cognitive learning can be developed individually and without time pressure.