The new European social configurations, caused by migration, reveal aspects of complexity that could be identified  as new educational and social challenges. The  "dilemma of difference" (Terzi, 2008) that concerns people with disabilities hailing  from foreign countries is an emergent element in European nations, in particular regarding the immigrant children in each scholastic orders, so this widespread issue needs to be more  examined within the field of educational research  . In order to explore this topic in Italian educational background it’s been realized an empirical research, titled “Like butterfly wings. Study and research about children with disability, offspring of migrants”, between 2012 and 2013 involving 8 state schools (primary and preschool) of Vignola, a city in northern Italy. The sample of research, here presented, was composed by 22 teachers (class teachers and support teachers), 13 working at preschool and 9 at primary school;  A part of research, not here presented, included into sample 10 scholastic educators, 4 families, the school head and a child neuropsychiatric, all of them belonging to the research background. 

Starting from the results of a statistic inquiry on disabled students, promoted by Italian Ministry of Education and realized in 2009-2010, it came to light that  the 7% of over 200.000 students with disabilities attending Italian schools, respectively 15.000, hails from foreign countries. Is critical to underline that this several increasing presence doesn’t consider the children with learning difficulties or social and economic disadvantage but only whom have a medical or neuropsychiatric  diagnosis of disability; if  both them could be included into the inquiry the number will surely increase.

The main research questions were related to the topic’s exploration, in particular relatively  to teachers’ perception about the dual dilemma of difference (disability and cultural diversity). At the same time this research would contribute to expand the knowledge on this matter, since the lack of empirical or theoretical study that are increasing only of late in Italy.

The aims of this part of research were:  to define how many children with disabilities (3-11 age), having both parents hailing from a foreign country, were attending state primary school and preschool  in the background chosen; explore if  the cultural dimension affects someway the disability factor into teachers’ perception; identify which elements of resource or disadvantage were relevant to the teachers; to discover which critical factors/strategies are influent to the inclusion.

Since there are few literature references about this specific topic the main theoretical mention was influenced by M. R. Moro (Moro 1994-2002-2008-2012), an ethno-psychiatrist  that has studied this issue in French background through an complementary and transcultural approach. In regard to define the conceptual framing have been  relevant most recent Italian researches (Caldin 2012; Goussot 2011; Martinazzoli 2013) that have examined the subject within the educational framework.  The pedagogical approach that have guided this research, combines two typical educational field: Special Pedagogy and Intercultural Pedagogy. This crossed approach tries  to give a complementary view on the subject, considering both the disability factors and the cultural elements that are strictly connected and couldn’t be evaluate separately in this case.The theoretical framework hold  specific descriptive categories  outlined taking account of the principal  complexity elements: cultural dimension, migration, social inclusion, linguistic and comunicative dimension, functioning and disability, dual diversity.

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