Annual of social work, Vol. 15 No. 1, 2008.
Review article
STANDARDS IN THE WORK WITH THE CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSONS WITH BEHAVIOURAL DISORDERS
Dejana Bouillet
orcid.org/0000-0002-0486-3378
; Institute for Social Research in Zagreb; Zagreb; Croatia
Antonija Žižak
orcid.org/0000-0003-3653-340X
; Faculty for Special Education in Zagreb; Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The first assessment of the quality of the programme for the prevention of the behavioural disorders of the children and young persons was made in 2002, within the activities of the Commission of the Government of the Republic of Croatia for the prevention of behavioural disorders, with the purpose of preparing the standards of good practice in the work with the children and young persons with behavioural disorders. The preparation of standards included three types of activities: the analysis of the recent literature, discussions in focus groups with the experts who offer intervention programmes and with those who order such programmes, and the adjustment and preparation of the proposals for good practice standards. According to the specially designed protocol, the data for 239 programmes were obtained. Among them, 14 potential model programmes that satisfied the majority (50% and above that) of defined standards were selected. In 2002, not a single programme satisfied all the prescribed criteria in full. Five years later (in 2007), their reassessment was made. The aim was to determine whether they have “survived on the market”, how have they developed i.e. has their quality increased or decreased.
The comparison of both assessments has shown that the programmes are very dynamic, and that they aspire to continuous progress in all analysed standards. The programmes included in both assessments offer some answers to the needs of the population of the children and young persons with behavioural disorders. Nevertheless, some programmes need to be improved even further. Meeting numerous standards requires a better co-operation between programme organisers and the formal institutions in charge of the prevention and treatment of behavioural disorders. Programme organisers should be more focused on modern theoretical notions and evaluation of achievements.
Keywords
children and young persons with behavioural disorders; good practice standards; assessment
Hrčak ID:
23097
URI
Publication date:
5.5.2008.
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