Albert Edelfelt School 

I noticed a small pupil who stood out from the large group because of her determination. It was obvious that moving around was extremely difficult for her. Despite her difficulties, this little pupil seemed to throw herself wholeheartedly and enthusiastically into every game and activity that interested her.

Ardi, a 6th‑grade pupil with autism who moved from Southern Europe to Finland has never attended school before. He communicates only with single words in his mother tongue, and is restless in unfamiliar environments.

This inclusion story focuses on the general guidelines of the City of Porvoo regarding preparatory education for immigrants in basic education. I briefly define the foundations of language-aware teaching and examine the practical implementation of preparatory education in 7th-grade visual arts classes.