Special Education in Ontario Ensures that all Students' Rights to Equitable Education Are Met
1. Exceptionalities
1.1. Behavioural
1.1.1. Behaviour disability
1.1.1.1. Mental Health
1.1.1.1.1. Technically lumped in with behaviour, but it is my opinion that it should be its own category.
1.2. Physical
1.2.1. Physical disability
1.2.2. Blind/low vision
1.3. Communication
1.3.1. Autism
1.3.2. Deaf/hard of hearing
1.3.3. Speech impairment
1.3.4. Language impairment
1.3.5. Learning disabilities
1.4. Intellectual
1.4.1. Gifted
1.4.2. Mild intellectual disability
1.4.3. Developmental disability
1.5. Multiple
1.5.1. Two or more prominent disabilities
2. Legal process and documents
2.1. Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC)
2.1.1. Includes at least 3 people, one of whom is a principal or supervisory officer of the board
2.1.2. Decides if a student has an exceptionality and if so, where they should be placed
2.1.3. Invites parents and student (if 16+) to meeting
2.1.4. Conducts review at least once every school year
2.2. Individual Education Plan (IEP)
2.2.1. Working document, updated regularly throughout year
2.2.2. Contains student's identification, placement, accommodations, and/or modifications
2.2.3. Contains student's strengths, needs, and goals
2.2.4. Includes transition plan when neccessary
2.2.5. Can have an IEP even if not formally identified
3. Role of the classroom teacher
3.1. Ensure that IEP is created or updated within 30 days of IPRC
3.1.1. Identify student's strengths and needs
3.1.2. Create and/or update goals
3.1.3. Identify possible accommodations
3.2. Implement IEP
3.2.1. Thoroughly review existing IEP
3.2.2. Make any physical accommodations (e.g. seating, lighting, noise)
3.2.3. Implement content accommodations or modifications
3.2.4. Implement technological accommodations (e.g. digital worksheets, speech to text)
3.3. Observe and record
3.3.1. Behaviours or needs as they arise or change
3.3.2. Progress toward IEP goals
3.3.3. Triggers or reasons for behaviours or needs as they become apparent
3.4. Collaborate with Spec. Ed. team
3.4.1. Maintain regular communication with other teachers and specialists who work with the student
3.4.2. Stay up to date on techniques and tools that work well for the student
3.4.3. Act as liaison between specialists
4. Evolution of the Rights of students with special needs
4.1. late 1800s to early 1900s
4.1.1. kept home or sent away to special facility
4.1.2. Children treated like burden or problem
4.1.3. Use of degrading language and labels
4.1.4. Seen as a patient in need of correction
4.2. Mid 1900s
4.2.1. School boards required to offer Spec. Ed. services
4.2.2. Continued use of degrading language and labels
4.2.3. Placed in vocational programs
4.3. Present day
4.3.1. Legal right to IPRC
4.3.2. Legal right to IEP
4.3.3. No more use of degrading language or labels
4.3.4. Integrated classrooms are the norm
5. Placement options
5.1. Regular class with indirect support
5.1.1. Whole day in regular class
5.1.2. Teacher consults with specialists who suggest tools, techniques, and accommodations to try
5.2. Regular class with resource assistance
5.2.1. All or most of the day in regular class
5.2.2. Resource teacher provides support individually or in small groups within the classroom
5.3. Regular class with withdrawal
5.3.1. At least 50% of day spent in regular class
5.3.2. Less than 50% of day spent receiving instruction outside of the classroom from a spec. ed. teacher.
5.4. Spec. Ed. class with partial integration
5.4.1. At least 50% of the day spent in a Spec. Ed. class
5.4.2. Class has specific ratio of students to educators
5.4.3. Spends at least one period of the day integrated in regular class
5.5. Full-time special education class
5.5.1. Whole school day in Spec. Ed. class
5.5.2. Specific ratio of students to educators