Pathologization in Contemporary Special Pedagogy

Abstract

The present social reality, and the development of contemporary civilization set new and so-far unknown tasks and challenges. The new tasks and challenges need to be faced by the disabled as well. However, to make it happen, such people should
receive institutional, professional, and specialist social support, adequate to their needs and possibilities, based on rational and optimal systemic solutions and on a factual, theoretical, scientific approach to the subject of human disability seen as important both from individual and social point of view, which will be devoid of pathologization. Consequently, the article attempts at answering the question of the existence of pathologization in contemporary special pedagogy, its theoretical and
practical manifestations expressed, among others, in specific actions for the sake of the disabled, methods of development assistance and the broadly-understood professional competences of people working with the disabled. The conclusions regard the problem of selection for the special needs educator profession and the ethical responsibility of researchers working in the area of popular theoretical concepts explaining the phenomenon of human disability.