An Introduction to An Introduction to Special Education Services Special Education Services

In BCIn BC

Pamela CameronPamela CameronVancouver Island UniversityVancouver Island University

Fall 2011Fall 2011

Define the followingDefine the following Exceptional students At risk Special education Adapted curriculum Modified curriculum Charter of rights and

freedoms Inclusion Individual education

plan

School based team Mainstreaming Gifted High incidence Low incidence Integration Impairment Disability Handicap

BC Special Education Acronym BC Special Education Acronym GuideGuide

ADD/ADHDADD/ADHD MCFDMCFD APAAPA OCDOCD ARC-BCARC-BC OTOT ASDASD PDDPDD ASLASL POPARDPOPARD ATAT POPFASDPOPFASD BC CASEBC CASE PRCVIPRCVI BSP BSP PTPT CASTCAST PRPPRP CDBCCDBC SET BCSET BC CDCCDC UDLUDL CECCEC WIAT 2WIAT 2 CYMHCYMH WIKIWIKI DLDL WISCWISC ESLESL WJ3WJ3 FASDFASD LALA

History of Special Education inCanada

1978 – Alberta Supreme Court decision Ordered Lamont County school board to widen

doors, build a ramp, and educate Shelley Carriere, a student with cerebral palsy, in her community school

1980 – Ontario Education Act was amended to recognize the rights of students with disabilities to receive an appropriate education at public expense, and to permit parents to appeal the identification of their child as exceptional and the placement of their child.

Exclusion to IntegrationExclusion to Integration 1981 Charter of Rights and Freedoms 1981 Charter of Rights and Freedoms

1985 Charter amendment prohibits 1985 Charter amendment prohibits discrimination on the basis of mental or discrimination on the basis of mental or physical disabilityphysical disability

Major changes in the Canadian education Major changes in the Canadian education systemsystem

““From Exclusion to Integration”From Exclusion to Integration”

History of Special Education in Canada

1995 – Eaton v. Brant County School BoardStated that “unless the parents of a child who hasbeen identified as exceptional by reason of aphysical or mental disability, consent to theplacement of that child in a segregatedenvironment, the school board must provide aplacement that is the least exclusionary from themainstream and still reasonably capable ofmeeting the child’s special needs”(Eaton v. Brant Board of Education , 1995, pp. 33-34)

B.C. Ministry Definitions

Definition: Students with special needs:

have disabilities of an intellectual,physical, sensory, emotional, orbehavioural nature, or have a learningdisability or have exceptional gifts ortalents

BC Min of Education requires that ….BC Min of Education requires that ….

Wherever possible, students with Wherever possible, students with special educational needs are special educational needs are educated in:educated in:

1.1. Regular Regular classrooms

2.2. In their neighbourhood schoolsIn their neighbourhood schools

B.C. Ministry Definitions

Goal: The goal of the BC school systemis to support the intellectualdevelopment of all students, includingthose with special needs. Enabling allstudents to achieve the goals ofhuman, social and career developmentis a responsibility shared by schools,families and the community.

B.C. Ministry Definitions

Inclusion: The School Act requires thatschool boards make availableeducational programs to all school agepersons resident in the district. Allstudents are to be included. AMinisterial Order requires theintegration of students with specialneeds with those who do not have special

needs in most instances

Current State of InclusiveEducation in B.C.

Inclusive education in B.C. is defined as: The value system which holds that all

students are entitled to equitable access to learning, achievement and the pursuit of excellence in all aspects of their education.

The practice of inclusion transcends the idea of physical location, and incorporates basic values that promote participation, friendship and interaction.

Current State of InclusiveEducation

The changes we are experiencing currently are intended to ‘move from the goal of access for as many students as possible to success for as many as possible’

Current State of InclusiveEducation

Success for exceptional students depends on complex rights that include:

a. identification of educational needs b. adapted teaching and services to

meet those needs

Individual Education PlanIndividual Education Plan

Describes …….Describes …….

Program goals and Program goals and objectives designed to objectives designed to meet the individual meet the individual needs of each student needs of each student

Individual Education PlansIndividual Education Plans

Written in consultation with:Written in consultation with:

ParentsParents

Classroom teachers & administrationClassroom teachers & administration

Other involved specialists & outsideOther involved specialists & outside

agencies agencies

Individual Education PlansIndividual Education Plans

Include:Include:

Medical information and diagnosisMedical information and diagnosis

Current levels of educational performanceCurrent levels of educational performance

Goals for the studentGoals for the student

All adaptations/modifications to materials All adaptations/modifications to materials & instructional & assessment methods& instructional & assessment methods

Individual Education PlansIndividual Education Plans

Describe:Describe:

All support services in place

Names of all personnel providing Names of all personnel providing support services during the school support services during the school yearyear

Period of time and process for review Period of time and process for review of the IEP & any SET BC of the IEP & any SET BC requirementsrequirements

Activity

In small groups, respond to the following challenge:

1. Should we have a policy of inclusion in our schools?

2. What are the advantages/disadvantages of adopting such a model?

Low Incidence Categories

A: Dependent HandicappedA: Dependent Handicapped B: Deaf BlindB: Deaf Blind C: Moderately Intellectually ChallengedC: Moderately Intellectually Challenged D: Physical Disability/ Chronic Health D: Physical Disability/ Chronic Health

Impairment Impairment E: Visually ImpairedE: Visually Impaired F: Deaf or Hard of HearingF: Deaf or Hard of Hearing G: Autism Spectrum DisorderG: Autism Spectrum Disorder

Dependent Handicapped The student is completely dependent onothers for meeting all major daily livingneeds. Requires assistance at all times for each ofthe following: Feeding Dressing Toileting Mobility Personal Hygiene

Deaf/Blind Medical evidence shows that the student's visionis impaired (from partial sight to total blindness)

And

Medical evidence shows that the student'shearing is impaired (from moderate to profoundhearing loss).

The degree of impairments, whencompounded, results in significantcommunicative, educational, vocational, andsocial skills difficulties

Moderate to ProfoundIntellectual Disabilities

Assessment information indicates the student's intellectual functioning is more than 3 standard deviations below the norm on an individually administered Level C assessment of intellectual functioning (SS <55), and

There is delayed adaptive behaviour and functioning of similar degree (SS<55) on a norm referenced measure of adaptive behaviour.

Physical Disability/ChronicHealth Impairment

Documentation of a medical diagnosis, carried out by a physician in one or more of the following areas:

Nervous system impairment Musculoskeletal condition Chronic health impairment

Visual ImpairmentsVisual Impairments

A documented report by an A documented report by an opthalmologist, optometrist, opthalmologist, optometrist, orthopist or the Visually Impaired orthopist or the Visually Impaired Program of the BC Children’s Hospital Program of the BC Children’s Hospital which describes the students visual which describes the students visual impairment having visual problems impairment having visual problems even after eye correction. Details even after eye correction. Details are in the category checklists. are in the category checklists.

Deaf or Hard of HearingDeaf or Hard of Hearing

The student must have a medically The student must have a medically diagnosed significant bilateral or diagnosed significant bilateral or unilateral hearing loss with unilateral hearing loss with significant speech/language delay, or significant speech/language delay, or a cochlear implant typically a cochlear implant typically documented in a report from a health documented in a report from a health professional such as an audiologist professional such as an audiologist

Autism Spectrum DisordersAutism Spectrum Disorders

The syndrome of autism is a condition characterized by a marked disorder of communication and a severe disturbance of intellectual, emotional and behavioural development. It is a syndrome defined and diagnosed through the

observation of behaviours. The syndrome is caused by an underlying physical dysfunction within the brain or central nervous system, the exact nature of

which is as yet unknown.

Intensive BehaviourSupport or Students with Serious

Mental Illness Students who require behaviour supports

are students whose behaviours reflect dysfunctional interactions between the student and one or more elements of the environment, including the classroom, school, family, peers and community. This is commonly referred to as behaviour disorders.

Behaviour disorders vary in their severity and effect on learning, interpersonal relations and personal adjustment.

Intensive BehaviourSupport…..

Students Requiring Intensive Behaviour Interventions are eligible to be claimed in this special education funding category if they exhibit:

antisocial, extremely disruptivebehaviour in most environments (forexample, classroom, school, family, andthe community); and·behaviours that are consistent/persistent

over time

Intensive BehaviourSupport….

serious mental health conditions which havebeen diagnosed by a qualified mental healthclinician (psychologist with appropriate training,psychiatrist, or physician); and

serious mental illnesses which manifestthemselves in profound withdrawal or othernegative internalizing behaviours; and

These students often have histories of profoundproblems, and present as very vulnerable,fragile students who are seriously 'at risk' inclassroom and other environments withoutextensive support.

High Incidence CategoriesHigh Incidence Categories

Learning DisabilitiesMild Intellectual DisabilitiesGifted Moderate Behaviour Support or

Students with Mental Illness

ActivityActivity

Reflect on your experiences with inclusion:

1. What did you gain?2. What did the person with the

exceptionality gain?3. What did the school community

gain? Discuss in small groups

Funding StructureFunding Structure

Level 1 = $36,600Level 1 = $36,600

DependentDependent

Handicapped (A)Handicapped (A)

Deaf Blind (B)Deaf Blind (B)

Funding StructureFunding StructureLevel 2 = $18,300Level 2 = $18,300

Moderate to Severe/Moderate to Severe/ Profound IntellectualProfound Intellectual Disabilities (C)Disabilities (C) Physical Disabilities/Physical Disabilities/Chronic Health (D)Chronic Health (D) Visual Impairments (E)Visual Impairments (E) Deaf or Hard of Hearing (F)Deaf or Hard of Hearing (F) Autism (G)Autism (G)

Funding StructureFunding Structure

Level 3 = $9,200Level 3 = $9,200

Intensive Behaviour Intensive Behaviour

Interventions /Serious Interventions /Serious Mental Illness (H)Mental Illness (H)

Funding StructureFunding Structure

High Incidence funding is included in student High Incidence funding is included in student allocationallocation

Mild Intellectual Disabilities (K)Mild Intellectual Disabilities (K)

Learning Disabilities (Q)Learning Disabilities (Q)

Behaviour SupportBehaviour Support / Mental Illness / Mental Illness (R) (R)

Gifted (P)Gifted (P)

Meeting the Criteria for Supplemental FundingMeeting the Criteria for Supplemental Funding

Must meet the criteria for placement in the Must meet the criteria for placement in the specific category / medical diagnosisspecific category / medical diagnosis

A current IEP must be in placeA current IEP must be in place

Ongoing and regular special education Ongoing and regular special education services must be providedservices must be provided

Meeting the Criteria for supplemental fundingMeeting the Criteria for supplemental funding

Services must be outlined in IEP and Services must be outlined in IEP and directly related to the student’s directly related to the student’s identified special needsidentified special needs

Special education service(s) must be Special education service(s) must be in addition to any services provided in addition to any services provided under the formula funding under the formula funding eg. Learning assistance, counselingeg. Learning assistance, counseling

District or School-based SpecialistsDistrict or School-based Specialists for:for: Students with Special NeedsStudents with Special Needs

Severe Learning DisabilitiesSevere Learning Disabilities

Students requiring Behaviour SupportStudents requiring Behaviour Support

Deaf or Hard of HearingDeaf or Hard of Hearing

Visually ImpairedVisually Impaired

District or School-based Specialists con’tDistrict or School-based Specialists con’t

Speech and Language PathologistsSpeech and Language Pathologists

Occupational Therapist & PhysiotherapistOccupational Therapist & Physiotherapist

School Psychologist (Assessment)School Psychologist (Assessment)

Teacher of Hospital HomeboundTeacher of Hospital Homebound

Coordinator for Special Education Coordinator for Special Education Technology (SET BC)Technology (SET BC)

Education AssistantsEducation Assistants

$8,000 buys about 5 hours of EA time per week$8,000 buys about 5 hours of EA time per week

$16,000 buys about 11 hours of EA time per week$16,000 buys about 11 hours of EA time per week

$32,000 buys about 23 hours per week$32,000 buys about 23 hours per week

20 hours per week= $28,00020 hours per week= $28,000

27.5 hours per week= $38,50027.5 hours per week= $38,500

30 hour position = $ 42,000 per year30 hour position = $ 42,000 per year

Under supervision of the program manager, Under supervision of the program manager, education education assistants play a key role in program implementationassistants play a key role in program implementation

ActivityActivity

Discuss the following:Discuss the following:1.1. How are EAs allocated in your How are EAs allocated in your

district/schools?district/schools?2.2. Does the level of funding meet the needs Does the level of funding meet the needs

of designated students?of designated students?3.3. If the funding is not sufficient, what are If the funding is not sufficient, what are

some creative ways your school uses some creative ways your school uses your EA time?your EA time?

4.4. Do you see circumstances where EA time Do you see circumstances where EA time could be used more efficiently?could be used more efficiently?