Project objective 2: Observation and reflection sheets for understanding (re-historicizing) diagnostics
Based on the scientific approach on the understanding of behavioural problems through the development of the basic brochure, persons in leadership, pedagogical staff as well as the family and social environment will deal with the topic of behavioural problems in a fundamental and practical way. In order for the social environment to be able to understand the behaviour that is perceived as conspicuous, it is necessary to sharpen and reflect on the view from "outside". Particularly suitable for this are observation methods of qualitative social research, which support a change of perspective that leads to subjective meaning being attributed to the conspicuous behaviour or to the conspicuous behaviour being interpreted as subjectively meaningful. The observation and reflection forms represent the first diagnostic tool of this understanding process and should enable the social environment of people with intellectual impairments to recognize their behaviour as subjectively meaningful action in concrete situations and to question discriminatory attributions. Accordingly, the field of vision expands and external as well as internal influencing factors can be directly related to the behaviors. In concrete terms, a comprehensive observation sheet with corresponding reflection questions is to be developed, on the basis of which the social environment (e.g. in the context of living in a residential home) observes the persons with behavioural problems over a longer period of time. Based on these observations they elaborate corresponding categories, functions and contexts of the behavioural problems, they will then be recorded in writing. Guiding questions may include:
- When does the person behave conspicuously?
- How does this behaviour manifest itself?
- In which situations does the behaviour occur?
- Which other persons are involved in the situations?
Based on the observations, hypotheses should be formulated as to why the behavior appears the way it does. These hypotheses should repeatedly be critically examined during the process. Since behaviour is perceived and interpreted in different ways, another principle of this observation phase is that as many people as possible are involved in the observation process, so that multiple perspectives on the conspicuous behaviour are ensured. The recorded and commented observations are an indispensable part of the entire understanding process and thus represent one of its basic elements. Based on the observations, processes for overcoming exclusion, discrimination and pathologization are to be initiated and goals of social participation and inclusion are to be considered.
