Educating for School Autonomy: The Evolution of the Learning Technician in the San Marino Context

Abstract

The paper analyses the evolution of the role of the Learning Technician within the multidisciplinary centre Apprendiamo in San Marino, which has been active since 2013 in supporting individuals with developmental and learning difficulties. The centre’s educational services are grounded in the methodologies first tested in the Campus for autonomy addressed to students with Specific Learning Disorders (Berton et al., 2005; Dazzi et al., 2017) promoted by the University of the Republic of San Marino. The centre is characterised by the integration of diverse professional competences (Cadei et al., 2024), aimed at supporting learners with neurodevelopmental disorders — including SLDs — and other learning difficulties. The educational pathways implemented are based on the enhancement of study methods (Cornoldi et al., 2010; Chiappetta Cajola & Traversetti, 2016), the targeted use of compensatory tools (Emili, 2020), and the personalisation of interventions (Perlmutter et al., 2017), within a network-based approach involving families, schools, and local services. In response to the normative, social, and cultural changes within the country — including Law 142/2010 — the centre has fostered a transition from a traditional and sectorial educational approach towards a broader and more inclusive model, oriented to equity and the promotion of autonomy (Chiappetta Cajola & Traversetti, 2018). Alongside the outcomes achieved, several challenges remain open, such as the consolidation of institutional partnerships and the continuous training of professionals. These aspects call upon Special Pedagogy to reaffirm its role as a boundary and connective discipline within territorial contexts (Pavone, 2010).