**Abstract**

This paper aims to look for "good practices" in the field of teaching, especially in relation to learners with various types of disabilities. Most of all the focus will be on the Italian situation and on what has been done for more than 10 years now, from the moment in which the legislation focused attention on learners with disabilities. We will try to understand which educational strategies allow to develop soft skills and to achieve a satisfactory personal development. The emphasis will be placed on the need for an inclusive school, which pays attention to every pupil, which seeks to value differences as bearers of collective wealth.

**Keywords:** learning disabilities, school, soft skills, inclusion, emerging technologies

### **1. Introduction**

In Italy, the educational needs of students with specific learning disabilities have been recognized by law 170 of 2010 [1]. The specific learning disabilities (SLD) are dyslexia, dysgraphia, dysorthography, and dyscalculia. In addition, the Ministerial Decree of 27 December 2012 [2] extended the consideration of students with special educational needs (SEN) to all those who may find themselves in disadvantaged situations (economic, social, linguistic).

More than a decade has passed since then in which the awareness of teachers regarding this issue has grown a lot. In fact, the vast majority of teachers try nowadays to improve every day own teaching activities, in order to respond to the needs of all pupils, in an increasingly inclusive perspective.

Weaker students with cognitive disabilities generally have a low social status within the school group. This elicits lower performance expectations than others from classmates. Most of the time these expectations are confirmed. Therefore, it is necessary to let lower level students experience situations in which they do not feel inferior, identifying their areas of strength. In fact, students in difficulty, as well as having a low social status within the class group, generally have low self-esteem and tend to underestimate themselves. Changing these beliefs and building a sense of competence are the primary objective of the teacher.

Inclusion does not exclusively concern the relationship between the student with cognitive disabilities and the school, but it also informs the entire school community and is fully realized by applying a process of continuous self-improvement of teaching practices.

To achieve such an objective, it is also necessary to focus on teacher training; in particular, it is necessary to encourage teachers to increasingly use emerging technologies and to often change the type of teaching activity conducted with the class. Laboratory activities and group work encourage student participation, promote collaboration and the establishment of friendly relationships, and improve self-esteem.

The purpose of this article is to reflect on some "good practices" [3], implemented on various occasions, trying to highlight those methodological choices that have proved to be most fruitful in terms of positive results.
