Il PEI come strumento per la valorizzazione e la valutazione dei percorsi didattici per studenti con disabilità

This chapter examines the Individualized Education Plan (PEI) as a key tool for enhancing, designing, and assessing educational pathways for students with disabilities in Italian schools. Starting from the inclusive framework established by Law 104/1992 and further developed through the national PEI model introduced by Interministerial Decree no. 182/2020, the contribution highlights the shift from a compensatory and deficit-based approach to a bio-psycho-social perspective inspired by the ICF model. Within this framework, disability is understood not as an individual condition alone, but as the result of the interaction between personal functioning and contextual factors, including barriers and facilitators. The chapter emphasizes the importance of the PEI as a collaborative and dynamic document, involving teachers, families, health and social services, and, where possible, the student. Particular attention is given to the role of observation, self-determination, reasonable accommodation, differentiated teaching, Universal Design for Learning, and inclusive assessment practices. The PEI is presented not merely as a formal requirement, but as a working instrument that connects individualized planning with the class curriculum, supports meaningful participation, and promotes authentic learning opportunities. The contribution also underlines the relevance of educational choices, peer cooperation, digital and assistive technologies, laboratory-based learning, and PCTO experiences in secondary school as ways to foster autonomy, personal agency, and life planning. Ultimately, the chapter argues that the PEI can fully enhance students’ educational paths only when schools adopt an inclusive culture capable of moving beyond ableist assumptions, recognizing each student’s potential, and designing learning environments that value human diversity and participation.