What kind of teacher for what kind of school? ‘Special’ teachers and the pathways to inclusion in Italy during the 20th century

In Italy educational initiatives for persons with disability were developed at the beginning of the XX century, with the establishment of special schools for children with intellectual disabilities. With their implementation, there was an important investment in training for ‘special’ teachers. The present research analyses the experience of the ‘School for the special aids and assistants for disabled children’, opened in 1926 at the Catholic University of Milan by the leading psychologist father Agostino Gemelli. The research is carried out through archival investigations and it allows to best understand the current special education teacher’s aides training through a historical perspective, focusing on the connections between inclusion and teacher training.