Weebly · Web viewthe pupil. (Education Act Section 1, Definitions) A Special Education Plan (SEP) should be considered when (1.) a student is experiencing difficulties over an extended

Writing Excellent Special Education Plans-Workshop-

Chris MattatallEducation Supervisor

Writing Excellent Special Education Plans 1A. Introduction

In implementing the philosophy of inclusion, the province of New Brunswick has a responsibility to provide special education programs for students who are deemed exceptional, considering that such planning should occur with the belief and goal that each student will benefit from his or her involvement in the regular education system. Section 12 of the Education Act provides some clarity as to who can be identified as an exceptional pupil, beginning with the presence of an educational delay.

A special education program (plan of services) means an education program for an exceptional pupilthat is based on the results of continuous assessment and evaluation and which includes a plancontaining specific objectives and recommendations for education services that meet the needs ofthe pupil. (Education Act Section 1, Definitions)

A Special Education Plan (SEP) should be considered when

(1.) a student is experiencing difficulties over an extended period of time and

(2.) is not making progress even with the additional support that a teacher would typically employ in the classroom. It is important to note that we are not talking about so-called “normal” classroom teaching. No, instead we are talking about a teacher giving all of the additional support she can think of to help a struggling learner. After a teacher has faithfully tried to help her struggling student with all of the instructional strategies available to her, as well as the help and advice of her colleagues, and still does not see progress over an extended period of time, then the teacher will look to consider a SEP. Do not let yourself get into the thinking that it is the Resource Teacher who decides that a student needs a SEP… really; it should be a consensus of several people.

When the classroom teacher or parent suspects that a Special Education Plan may be necessary for a student, he or she should approach the resource teacher for consultation.

Initiation of a referral to the School-Based Student Services Team should occur if the teachers believe the extent of the difficulty warrants such intervention. It should be noted that planning and interventions for the student by both the classroom and Resource teachers can occur even though an exceptionality has not been identified (or “diagnosed”) through formal assessment. However, it is expected that informal and/or formal assessment information be provided with a pupil’s referral to the Resource teacher and/or S chool-Based Student Services Team for consideration.

It should be noted that a Special Education Plan is an indication of exceptionality and applies to those students who may have an underlying behavioural, intellectual, communicational, perceptual/sensory, or physical condition that has resulted in a delay in educational functioning. On-going assessment and monitoring with the assistance of the team(s) will confirm or negate the presence of an exceptionality and the necessity of an on-going SEP. It is expected that all students with an SEP will be on a resource teacher’s student list for monitoring, indirect, or direct service.

The first consideration then, is to ensure that all of the steps have taken place and there is the presence of a true exceptionality.

Great SEPs are the result of a great foundation. A great foundation is the result of three things; 1. A clear understanding of who should be on a SEP

2. Well written and descriptive justifications3. Goals and outcomes aimed to address the justification

Writing Excellent Special Education Plans 2

B. What To Do Before You Begin Writing a SEPSchool-based Student Services Teams are wise not to put children on a SEP in the first couple of years of a child’s schooling. Early teaching strategies at this level are appropriate if some extra short term interventions are included to supplement the teaching they are receiving from the classroom teacher. This is a noteworthy concept. There are, of course, exceptions. However, we should not rush to place children on SEPs. Instead, we should consider the following steps first.

Step 1. Implement the N.B. Pyramid of Interventions Strategy generation, problem-solving & collaboration occurs throughout the process

Resource Support

Evaluation

External support referral

School based team referral

Conference with parents

Literacy/numeracy interventions by school staff

In school tutoring support (peer or adult)

Homework Club

Parent/teacher contact on weekly progress

Mentoring/Circle of Friends

Discussion with parents

Counselor/teacher discussion with student

Flexible grouping within & among classes

Differentiate Instruction


Step 2. Start with Short Term Interventions Before you go the final step of actually creating a SEP you should consider applying a Short Term

Intervention first (see Appendix A). This does not need to be an overwhelming thing…simply some sort of targeted intervention at the area of need. The purpose of the Short Term Intervention is to try different things, if necessary, in order to help the student. It can occur anytime during the pyramid of interventions (above) and can be one of the strategies you mention during a parent conference that you plan on attempting before a final determination of exceptionality is made. The person doing the intervention (or more than one intervention) does not have to be the Resource Teacher. All teaching staff can play a part in Short Term Interventions. If your team meets with success by using the Short Term Intervention, and it’s determined that the student could not function well in school in the future without this plan, then you are probably looking at the Short Term Intervention turning into a SEP. If on the other hand the Short Term Intervention helps the child grasp a concept, or get through a difficult period in their schooling, but the Team feels that the extent of the intervention may not need to continue, you may be able to drop the short term intervention and return to relying on good instructional strategies.

Step 3. Decisively Make a determination of Exceptionality Are you convinced as a School Team that the student is an exceptional pupil? If the answer is ‘yes’ then you MUST inform the parent(s) at this point that the school’s decision is to classify the student as “exceptional” and a Special Education Plan will be developed to address the exceptionality.

The classroom teacher, Principal or Resource Teacher must then invite the parents’ involvement in the process of developing the SEP. You cannot simply create a SEP and then hope that the parents will be okay with it and sign it. If the child is truly exceptional they will likely continue to struggle for the rest of their school days unless you develop a plan to address their needs. It makes sense to involve the parents for maximum support, information and effectiveness. If the parents are not involved in the plan you cannot expect that they will be providing necessary support at home to the degree that you would like. The Education Act and the provincial Guidelines and Standards document makes it clear that 100% of parents/guardians must be involved in the consultation process. See Appendix C for the “Parental Involvement Protocol”.

Step 4. Start Writing the SEP with Collaboration and Consultation

Writing great SEPs takes time. The involvement of therapists, parents, teachers and others requires a great deal of planning and the coordination of schedules. However, in order to write a great SEP this fact must be realized and accepted as part of the Resource Teacher’s job. One of the biggest concerns at this stage for Resource Teachers is the feeling that they are misunderstood by their colleagues and parents because the development of good plans takes so much time. However, there are some things Resource Teachers should keep in mind when seeking the right people to collaborate on the SEP.

1. Pay attention to the Justification; the need determines the people who’ll collaborate2. Use the “Accommodation Checklist” (Appendix B) as one method to involve teachers3. Shorten your plans; consider fewer goals and write for fewer subjects

Start with English Language Arts and Mathematics at first and build from there4. See the SEP as a “Living Document” that will grow (others may be needed later)5. Inform teachers and the Principal that their signature represents their agreement that a SEP is

necessary and appropriate, not that it is perfect or will “cure the child”.6. Use the telephone, letters and e-mail to communicate with those involved if necessary but

consider face to face meetings your primary method of Collaborative Consultation.


Parent Involvement

Refer to the “Parental Involvement Protocol for School District 2” in Appendix C for more information. In short, parents must be involved, informed and consulted. Even though parents may not be able to make curriculum or pedagogically based decisions in areas of modifying the curriculum, they still have a role to play in the development of all types of plans and should be informed as to how the school plans to meet the child’s need in the school. Remember, the SEP is an agreement between the school and the parent as to how the child will be educated given their exceptionality. You would not expect that any agreement in the business world would be one-sided, and as such the SEP must involve the parents.

C. Writing the Special Education PlanThe Resource Teacher is the only one who can create the SEP in the electronic format, but once a subject teacher is assigned, that person may read and contribute to the SEP. Remember, the SEP is a “Living Document” so it can change frequently.

1. Start with the Justification in Mind

This workshop is being offered to deal with the actual writing of the document’s contents, not the technical aspects of how the electronic SEP program works. Therefore the majority of the focus is on “Why” the SEP is being written and how the Resource Teacher must think in order to write a great SEP.

A great SEP has a focus and a purpose; this should be evident upon reading it. The Justification statement is the key to the entire SEP.

Justification statements:a. refer to one of the conditions of behaviour, intelligence, perception/sensory, communication

and/or physical needs

b. refer to an education delay such that special programming is necessary

Both of these parts must be included in a justification statement.

Example:

Justin has been experiencing an educational delay in all subjects requiring reading due to his visual processing disorder.

Bethany is experiencing delays in academic achievement due to her frequent behavioural outbursts which result in class time being missed, suspensions, and off task behaviour which has contributed to problems with understanding the material being taught. Bethany has a diagnosis of Oppositional Defiant Disorder.

Katie is experiencing difficulties with auditory processing and listening skills which is impacting her ability to grasp math concepts. As a result, more focus is required during teaching instruction and guided practice to learn concepts thoroughly. Accommodations have been made to assist Katie in achieving her math outcomes.

Jeffery’s condition of Down Syndrome presents him with a number of challenges in the areas of attention, cognitive functioning, transitions, visual acuity, and fine motor activities, which have caused delays in academic acquisition and functioning.

Delay + area of exceptionality/condition must be mentionedWriting Excellent Special Education Plans 5

2. Write Measureable Goals and Outcomes

This handout does not follow the recommendations in the draft document Supporting the SEP Process; A Teacher’s Guide with regards to Annual Goal writing. In that document the annual goal writing is nearly indistinguishable with outcomes and can be redundant. However, improvement in how goals are written does bring some changes.

Excellent SEPs have SMART goals and outcomes;

Specific – Goals need to be very clear and unambiguous in their language Measurable – the goal needs to be able to be described, assessed and evaluated Achievable – The goal has to be realistic for the student Relevant – the goal has to be meaningful for the student and the teacher Time related – the goal must contain a time frame; usually the school year. (Manitoba Education & Training, 1998)

Annual Goals vs. Outcomes Past workshops have mentioned that annual goals can be broad and designed for at least a full year of implementation. However, this does not mean that goals should be so broad that they are vague. Outcomes are more specific and should be measurable. However, do not let the new electronic format of the SEP write your outcomes for you in this area. Even though you are able to choose outcomes from the curriculum documents you are not required to do so. If an outcome cannot be found to match the area of need you wish to target you must put outcomes into your own words. You will also notice that the outcomes in the electronic SEP do not have measures or time lines. These you must add yourself.

Weak goal: “Improve literacy”, or “Improve in numeracy skills”, or “Increase Writing Ability”

Better goal: “Improve literacy skills in areas of reading, viewing and comprehension” “Improve literacy skills in the writing domain; specifically in the areas of voice, audience…”

The “Better goals” above still maintain a broad scope but help the reader know where the SEP is headed. Better goals help to shape the SEP more accurately.

Outcomes, of course, are specific in nature and must contain the following elements;a. Completion or end dateb. Accuracy rate, number of units correct rate, or speed ratec. Naming of specific task to be completed

Samples: “Susan will be able to read 200 site words with 95 -100% accuracy by the end of the school year.”

“Jamie will be able to say a word that begins with the same letter as pointed out by the teacher on his letter card with 100% accuracy by the end of December.”

“Angus will accurately identify the name of the animal associated with its corresponding picture with 100% accuracy by the end of June.”

“Julie will read independently at Level C with 95% accuracy by June 2006.”

Writing Excellent Special Education Plans 6A Sample of Materials and Methods

Two Samples from an actual SEP-M for a child in grade 2

GoalImprove literacy skills in areas of reading, viewing and comprehension

Outcome description (1)Julie (name changed) will read independently at Level C with 95% accuracy by June 2006. Outcome methods & materialsStarfall.com., Dolch Story Books, Levelled Books, Reading A-Z Books, Starfall Workbooks, Wiggle Works-Books, tapes, and Computer Activities, Starfall Story Sooks, Reading Groups, Shared Reading, Guided Reading, Resource three times a week, Read Alouds, Morning Message, Songs, Poetry, High Frequency Word Books, daily reading at home and at school, Homework, Atlantic Canada Language Arts Curriculum Guide, and Atlantic Canada Reading Assessment Kit. Outcome achievement levelNot yet specified

Responsibility Classroom/subject teacher Parent/guardian Resource teacher

Outcome description (2)Julie will show an understanding that a story has a logical sequence. After reading a story or having one read to her, Chloe will be able to answer questions and be able to tell which event came at the first, middle and end of the story. [we probably should have a target date for this too, but it’s not always necessary…when you judge the “Outcome Achievement Level” for this child you will need to determine whether or not they actually can do this] Outcome methods & materialsAtlantic Canada Language Arts Curriculum Guide, Reading A-Z Books, High Frequency Word Books, Dolch Story Books, Starfall Books, Levelled Books, and sequencing cards. Outcome achievement levelNot yet specified Responsibility Classroom/subject teacher Parent/guardian Resource teacher A Comment on Accuracy RatesPerhaps you have heard it said that mastery is generally considered completion with 80% accuracy. However, this can serve as nothing more than just a “filler” if you do not really know why you are setting the target in the first place. Why should we be content with 80% accuracy? What does it really say about our goal if we are content with 80% accuracy?

A Comment on Numbers of SEPs at Your SchoolFirst, a child should not be on a SEP unless they have an exceptionality…a struggling learning does not necessarily have one. That being said, research indicates that the prevalence of exceptionality in the general school population should be around 15 to 17% of the school population. That means a school of 500


students should have in the vicinity of 75 to 85 students on a SEP approximately. Now, of course, it is understood that some schools do indeed have higher numbers of children with exceptionalities for various reasons.

Here is a look at some district 2 numbers as of February 21, 2006;

Comparative Data for School District 2 for the 32 Schools with K-8 Classes

Year K-8 School SEP-A SEP-M SEP-I %of School Total TA support Population Pop. on SEP SEPs

2003-2004 11401 1203 478 137 15.9% 1818 5007.5 hrs/wk

2004-2005 10956 1164 530 142 16.8% 1836 5098.0 hrs/wk

2005-2006 10715 1028* 506* 133* 15.6% 1667 5462.5 hrs/wk

*According to the electronic SEPs on February 20, 2006 assuming that all SEPs would have been started by this time.

Comments: We have remained fairly consistent regarding numbers, especially with SEP-I students and percent of the School population requiring a SEP. A couple of things to take into consideration is that some schools do not write SEPs at all for K to 1 students so their schools show zero or near zero SEPs at this level. Their reasoning is sound; not enough time to determine long term/chronic educational dysfunction and the best teaching they may receive early on is certainly being given at the most basic level. Also, the numbers above are bound to fluctuate due to students transitioning into high school and in from Early Intervention. Also, knowing that we evaluate and assess and continue to monitor children on SEPs will result in some being deactivated. Note also that the district enrollment continues to drop year after year and is predicted to do so for the next several years. We have dropped by 700 in just three years! If we predict that 16% of this population would be on a SEP we are looking at about 112 less SEPs over this period of time.


APPENDIX A

EDUCATION

Short Term Intervention PlanSummary

School Year: District:

Name: School:

Medicare #: Grade:

Date of Birth: Teacher:

Phone: (H) (W) Intervention Teacher:

Address:

Postal Code:

Justification for Intervention:

Assessments or Screening on File: (Give date if possible)

Duration of Intervention:

Pre-intervention Skill Level: Date:

Post-intervention Skill Level: Date:

Intervention Program: (Describe the goals and nature of the program)

Intervention Teacher: Parent:

Principal:


APPENDIX B

Accommodations ChecklistPlease take a few moments to look through this list of Instructional Strategies. Check off only those strategies which you are currently using to accommodate the student with exceptionalities in your classroom. Students do not need to be on a SEP to benefit from these strategies, nor should a student be considered for a SEP just because they use these strategies. It should be noted that a Special Education Plan is an indication of exceptionality and applies to those students who may have an underlying behavioural, intellectual, communicational, physical or perceptual/sensory condition that has resulted in a delay in educational functioning.

Student’s Name _______________________________ Teacher ________________________

Subject(s) ____________________________________ Date ___________________________

Learning Tools and Technology Devices___Manipulatives ___Dark line paper___Raised line paper ___ Large print materials___Braille written materials ___ Calculator___Spell checker ___Personal FM system___Computer assisted technology ___ Classroom FM system( ) Other ________________________________________________________________________

Learning Environment___Alternative program site ___ Special study area/individual work area (e.g., resource room, study carrel)___Seating arrangement ___ Short-term Intervention___Special lighting ( ) Other ________________________________________________________________________

Note Taking___Near rather than far point copying ___ Verbal notes on tape___Photocopied notes ___Student note taker___Key words and phrases only ___ Point form notes___Word processor for notes ___ Teacher’s copy of notes provided___Mind Map ( ) other______________________________________________________________________

Organization___Monitoring of student agenda/teacher ___ Put homework in separate special initials homework organizational binder___Colour coding of notebooks ___ Clean desk on regular schedule___Organizational mentor ___ Individual/personal schedule___Outline provided for all special projects ___ Extra set of texts at home___Special homework assignment sheet or ___ Regular home contact contract (e.g., home/school journal; voice mail)( ) other_______________________________________________________________________


Human Resource Assistance___Peer tutor ___Peer helper___Noon hour or after school tutor ___ Mentor___Sign or oral interpreter ___ Scribe___Reader ( ) Other______________________________________________________________________

Teaching and Learning Strategies___Mnemonics (memory prompts) ___Reduced reading level materials___Strategy card (step-by-step direction) ___Simplified directions___Emphasize visual presentations ___ Provide tactile/kinesthetic activities___Monitor attention (signal systems) ___ Adjusted expectations for length of assignments___Frequent activity breaks ___Written directions read to student___Taped texts ___Division of long assignments into parts ( ) other_______________________________________________________________________

Homework/Study Strategies___Test outline and preview provided ___Mentor___In-school study program ___ Reduced number of assigned questions___Extra time for project completion ___Alternate format to written assignment___Reader or tutor to review notes ___Study broken into several short slots___Prioritize homework assignments ( )Other________________________________________________________________________

Testing/Evaluation___Scribe for designated tests ___Quiet, individual or small group setting___Adjusted test format (multiple choice ___ Access to computer true/false, etc.) in lieu of essay___Oral testing ___Practice test provided or example given on tests___Provincial assessment accommodations ___Blank visual organizer provided with test (see provincial guidelines)___Frequent short quizzes in lieu of exam ___Extra time (usually time and a half/double time)___Evaluation of daily work only ___Word choices provided for fill-in-the- Blank questions___Open book ___ Teacher selects key questions___Evaluation of special projects only ___Spelling not counted in daily work or test situations___Written directions read to student ___ Portfolio

( ) Other_______________________________________________________________________NOTE: In cases where the School Team is uncertain whether or not a student has an exceptionality resulting from one of the 5 conditions above, a Short Term Intervention Plan may be appropriate to consider instead of moving on to a Special Education Plan.

Writing Excellent Special Education Plans 11Appendix C

Parental Involvement Protocol Summary (Explanation Follows)

1. Student struggles with curriculum Classroom Teacher gives extra assistance (uses Pyramid of Interventions etc.) Classroom Teacher contacts parents to discuss concerns Classroom Teacher may also call a parent conference by inviting parents in to the school

2. Student continues to struggle even after additional support If student continues to struggle the Classroom Teacher brings child’s name to the attention of the School-Based

Student Services Team Referral for assessment should be made at this point to the school psychologist and/or school Resource

Teacher in an attempt to pinpoint area of need and strength. However, a formal assessment is not necessary to go on to the next step.

3. School Team makes a determination of exceptionality If the School Team is convinced that the student is experiencing a delay in their educational functioning because

of an underlying behavioural, intellectual, communicational, perceptual/sensory, or physical condition, they will consider the child an exceptional pupil in need of a Special Education Plan. Education professionals are in a good position to identify the presence of a suspected condition and can begin planning without a formal diagnosis.

The Resource Teacher will now accept this student on to their caseload and begin the process to work collaboratively with the classroom teacher, parents and others in developing a plan for the child’s education.

4. Once the determination of exceptionality is made Immediately upon determination of an exceptionality, and before the SEP is started, the Resource Teacher will

call the parent(s) and ask to meet with them in person to inform them of the School Team’s decision to place the child on a SEP. This decision should not be the Resource Teacher’s decision alone and he/she should be representing the School Team when the phone call is made.

The parent is given an invitation to participate in the development of the SEP. 5. What does parent involvement actually look like?

When the Resource Teacher informs the parent(s) of the determination of an exceptionality for the child, the parents should already have been involved at this point in some manner. The parent should not be surprised that the school has made this determination.

The Resource Teacher will describe what a Special Education Plan is and what type of planning will be necessary for the child. This is a crucial step in the process; many have asked if it is okay to call the parents on the telephone to discuss these issues. Great care and concern for the parents should be exercised at this point and a Resource Teacher will “reap what they sow”. If the type of plan is not carefully explained and the reason for such planning, the parents may not fully understand why their child has not been “fixed” by the school system by the time they’ve reached High School. Taking the time to meet with parents is important.

Accommodations and Modifications of curriculum and classroom teaching is best done by the classroom/subject teacher. The parents’ role in this area is to help educators’ get a better picture of how their child handles what is being expected of him at school (see explanation that follows). Parents can help teachers monitor their child’s progress, attitude, anxiety and ability in many areas.

Parents should be asked to contribute their ideas, advice, thoughts and goals for their child in a collaborative way on an on-going basis as long as a plan exists. Parents know their children and can assist schools in better understanding them as well. Parents should feel that the ‘door is always open’ to their involvement.

Planning for children with Individualizations or a SEP-Individualized (alone) should involve the parents and other professionals in a collaborative way as well.

Can the telephone or e-mail or mailings help assist in collaboration? Absolutely. The key is quality communication. If you feel that excellent communication can happen by these means then use them.

Parents should sign the SEP early in the school year…parent/teacher meetings and mailings home can be used for this.


6. How often should parents be informed of changes to the SEP? Depending on the SEP, and the goals and outcomes that the teacher is working on, the Resource Teacher and

classroom teacher need to consider when it is necessary to involve the parents or inform them of changes to the SEP.

Communication Binders or Agendas that go back and forth from school to home, or other systems of regular communication are strongly encouraged.

The roles and responsibilities of parents for the SEP goals and outcomes should be understood by all parties and viewed as a team effort by all. In other words, if everyone is working together on the SEP then communication between the school and home will be determined by plan itself.

Parents should be encouraged to sign the SEP early in the year and then given new copies of the SEP every report period.

Parents of children with exceptionalities should be strongly encouraged to come to every parent/teacher meeting by way of specific invitation to discuss the SEP. A letter of invitation from the Resource Teacher or Principal should be considered for each parent that has a child with an exceptionality.

Explanation from Documentation

Section 12.2 of the Education Act indicates that the parent of a pupil must be consulted during the processof the determination of an exceptionality, and in the process of developing special education programs and services for the pupil. (See Pages 6-7 of Guidelines and Standards)“Parents, as their child’s first educator, have an important role to play in the development and implementation of an educational plan for students with exceptionalities. They also are an integral part of the support mechanism for both the student and the teacher. Parents are often the first persons to recognize when their child is struggling with schoolwork, and therefore may be key persons to initiate a request for a referral to the school-based team. Parents are a critical component in the referral and assessment process, and in the planning, implementation, and monitoring that follow. The parent can help to provide information that augments the teacher’s observations of the child in the school setting. Parents can also provide a background history of the child. A student’s past experiences - for example, premature birth, ear infections, tubes in ears, visual difficulties, delay in acquisition of speech/language -often provide information that may be relevant in determining the presence of an exceptionality. Parents are essential participants in the development and implementation of a Special Education Plan for their child. In planning for detailed modification or individualization, parents who are present at planning meetings can help to establish goals for the child that can be further developed by them at home. Goals and outcomes will be agreed upon and monitored by both home and school. This way parents can know that they have a legitimate stake in the implementation of the Special Education Plan. They can also agree to undertake activities and responsibilities that can be carried out with specific goals in mind. In the development of a plan for the child, the parents may be assigned sole responsibility for certain parts of the plan - for example, researching their child’s disability and seeking medical advice, obtaining a tutor, enrolling the child in outside social activities, or joining a support group. Once a collaborative vision for the child has been established, and all persons involved clearly know that they understand and have a part in the planning process, then the welfare of the child is enhanced. The child’s school success is contingent upon parental support and involvement, although the ultimate decision for placement, programming and services lies with the educators. However, parents may request a formal appeal as outlined in the Education Act. If such is the case, it is the school’s responsibility to inform them of their right to this process. Parents should also be part of continuous planning meetings for the student. Goals and outcomes will change from year to year, but the parents should always have a part in helping to identify the learning outcomes and goals. Parents often will need support during the difficult period of identification, evaluation and implementation. Teachers should be sensitive to the turmoil that the parent(s) may be feeling. Referral to community support groups such as the Learning Disabilities Association of New Brunswick, the New Brunswick Association for Community Living, or the Autism Society of New Brunswick may provide them the support they need. The Premier’s Council on the Status of Disabled Persons has information related to other support groups throughout the province should parents be interested in pursuing this avenue.” (pp. 6-7)

Pre-School to Kindergarten Transition of Exceptional ChildrenSchool District 2 Supervisors meet with early intervention groups each spring to begin the process of transitioning children with exceptionalities into the school system. Sometimes, however, children enter our system without being identified or flagged or they enter our schools with the recognition that they have some form of difficulty that may not be diagnosed. Visits to daycares and homes are carried out with the hope of giving schools accurate information and help as these children enter Kindergarten.

1. School staff and parents should arrange a meeting before the new school year to discuss the child. 2. Parents are to be invited to participate fully in that meeting and all parties will openly discuss the

child’s needs and strengths3. In situations involving support personnel (OT, PT, SLP, Clinical Supervisors etc.) they too should

participate in this meeting.4. Children with diagnosed exceptionalities should start Kindergarten with a SEP than addresses their

needs.

Documents

Weebly · Web viewthe pupil. (Education Act Section 1, Definitions) A Special Education Plan (SEP) should be considered when (1.) a student is experiencing difficulties over an extended