Autonomi assieme, ciascuno a proprio modo
Simone Visentin, Elisa Strobbe
This article deals with the issue of independence, to be taken as an educational challenge which distinguishes the life stories of youths and young adults with Down Syndrome. It deals with it, on a level of scientific literature, by adopting a perspective which is dear to Special Pedagogy: the Life project; and on an empirical level, by voicing the experiences of a group of parents whose children take part in social independence programmes. The opportunities and risks which distinguish the path towards independent living are revealed little by little, in particular the sense of self-efficacy that the youths develop through experiencing situations in which they put themselves to the challenge and make choices. As a backdrop to this is the awareness that the paths towards freedom are genuine when they hold obstacles in store and sustainable when they are shared by the youth with the disability and the significant adults surrounding him or her.
