THE TRANSDIMENSIONAL MODEL
IN DISABILITIES 

1.  BASIC CONCEPTS

Life begins at conception. From conception the human being develops and lives in a context, with which he or she exchanges stimuli.

From his or her very conception (not from birth), the human being should be considered in a transdimensional way: He or she can be simultaneously defined —according to how he or she is observed— from various dimensions: the physical-molecular, biological, emotional, cognitive, spiritual ones; but, all these definitions correspond to fragmentations made by the observer to grasp and understand, according to the history and the present position of the observer, and not according to those of the one who is observed. In fact, the human being is unique, simultaneously all of those dimensions.

Pedagogical and therapeutic approaches must take into account all the dimensions in which the human has been divided for convenience of the observer. As an example, equally important are the biological, the emotional or the cognitive aspects.

2.  POTENTIALITIES, ABILITIES, CAPABILITIES

The potentialities that the human being brings to the world meet at this exchange with those stimuli the context has to offer. When a human comes to life with less or different potentialities to develop, we speak of dis-potentiality.

The constant interplay of potentialities and contextual stimulation produces the configuration of functional systems. Thus, abilities emerge, which arise from the initial production of the functional systems. When a human develops less functional systems, we speak of this as a disability.

Entire functional systems continue to empower throughout life with new stimuli. When human functional systems are less enriched we use “discapability”.

Nevertheless, in usual terms, dis-potentialities, dis-abilities in a strict sense, and dis-capabilities are included in the general term “disability.”

Each one of these conditions, however, requires a different pedagogical and therapeutic approach.

3.  MENTAL DISABILITY

As an example, “mental retardation” results from two situations:

a) There is a cognitive deficiency
b) The context categorizes these cognitions (and the resultant activities) as undervalued.

Therefore, “mental retardation” can be defined briefly as a cognitive deficiency with a psychosocial maladjustment.

The consensus is that mental disabilities can only become established during the age of maximal development, i.e. until the end of adolescence. Later, psychosocially maladjusted cognitive deficiencies are termed dementia.

a) Cognitions are developed (or constructed) slowly in the early stages of life as functional systems. They make up the “logical” aspect of functional systems. They are constructed on the basis of emotional interactions, the first foundation of those logics. Emotions, in this way, emerge according to how the environment stimulates the primary needs of the individual, producing satisfactions or dissatisfactions. In the development of cognitions, as a consequence, they not only influence biological potentialities but also the earliest interactions with the context.

b) For psychic maladjustment, the internal discord of the individual must be understood. They are his or her own functional systems that present an inter-systemic disorganization. Social maladjustment must be understood as the disagreement between the individual (him or herself being a functional system) and the environment.

This way of looking at mental disability, which is simultaneously systemic, dynamic, and transdimensional, has powerful consequences in pedagogy and therapy.

a) In order to diagnose and treat a cognitive deficiency all dimensions of the human being must be taken into account, given their constant interaction. If the construction and use of cognitions (thought, logical sequences) are in constant interdependence with primary needs, the emotional sphere and the activity of the individual, all this must be taken into account in pedagogy and therapy, and not only cognitions. The definition of intelligence, then, goes beyond cognition.

b) Pedagogy and therapy for mental disabilities must be concerned with social maladjustment and psychic maladjustment, as factors that are just as important as the cognitive difficulty.

4.  MALADJUSTMENT AND DISABILITY

This vision can be extended to all disabilities. A disability is present whenever there is a loss (a deficit) inherent to the individual; however, it will ever require the interaction with the environment. It is within this interaction that the other essential feature of disability arises: maladjustment.

Pedagogy and therapy based on the interaction modes between individual and context allow great advances. When deficit indeed exist, reducing it to its very minimum.

Many times, the individual is not disabled, but maladjusted, with difficult or even pathologic interactions with the context, though with no deficit. This is the case for most individuals in the world. Good-quality pedagogy and therapy can return the human being to normality. The problem, then, should be considered a political - economical one.

5.  INCLUSION

Over time, those persons diagnosed / sanctioned as “disabled” were submitted to different socio-cultural approaches: Segregation, charity, social justice. In these last decades, along with the normalization concept (all should live as normal as possible) the integration concept appeared, i.e. allowing “disabled” persons to take part in the social – cultural – familiar life.

Thus, the medical model for the study, diagnosis, and therapy of disabilities was replaced by the pedagogical or social model.

However, promptly it was seen that integration was not more than some kind of goodness, the acceptation of “strange” people by the “normal” ones. The concept appeared of diversity and acceptation of diversity, and “inclusion” was differentiated from “integration”.

Inclusion claims for the simultaneous existence of individually different persons, without labeling them beyond their dignity as humans. We alls´ insertion has to be total and unconditional, without previous preparations nor adapting to the context. It is the socio-cultural context which must be modified, adapted, prepared for us all enjoying the right equality.

The term Barrier is presently used: They are frequently unaware and unwillingly normative, environmental, emotional, cognitive hurdles produced by the socio-cultural context. Its counterpart is the term Support: They are satisfactors of basic and secondary needs delivered by the socio-cultural context; these needs are specific for each human being. Those “Special Needs” should be understood as those of everyone, individual specific needs which have to be always considered.

The Inclusion concept has been known and accepted especially after the United Nations released in 2006 the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. However, Inclusion goes far beyond disability. We all human beings are to be included. Society itself has to be inclusive. It has to include also disabled persons. Ans maladjusted persons, too, i.e. all those who are submitted to barriers without showing a deficiency.

Inclusion is a right. Society belongs to all us. Underlying principles are democracy, universality, participation, autonomy, confidence.

As seen, it is a theme compromising caregivers in education, medicine, psychology, social work, sociology, politics, economy, anthropology, architecture, publicity, law...