Systems thinking in special education: A case study

Systems thinking is a holistic approach that puts the study of wholes before that of the parts. This chapter, which is based on a one-year case study, presents the application of systems thinking in a school designed for teenagers hospitalized in a juvenile psychiatric department. Systems thinking was applied to two main aspects of the school's educational program. The first is holistic collaboration-a broad collaboration that stems from a holistic perspective, which means that the school team considers itself an integral part of an interdisciplinary team. The second is maintaining contrasts-holding simultaneously opposing views and approaches.