PubMed1978
On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the special education department the teachers' training college an "academic week" was held in Cologne from June 20-24, 1976. Many German and foreign educational scientists and social paedagogues reported on the problems and research findings in the different fields of education and rehabilitation of the disabled. Since 1966 this department has experienced an unexpectedly rapid development. The majority of today's approximately 2600 students are pursuing studies to become teachers at schools for maladjusted children, the deaf, mentally disabled, physically handicapped, for children with learning disorders, with speech disorders and the hard of hearing. Approximately 250 students are trying to obtain a degree in education. Since the beginning of this decade, research work has been considerably intensified and is not mainly concentrating on the following five aspects: Studies of the theoretical, terminological and methodological approaches of special education--research projects concentrating on the social-scientific aspects of the problem of disability and the disabled--psychological studies of the learning and performance behaviour and the work load capacity of children at special schools--projects to ameliorate the communication and language capacity of the disabled--studies in connection with the planning and organisation of learning and instructional processes such as didactive and communication aids at special schools.