Future of Special Education

1
Future of Special Education

• 2006
• Maria Spring
• Maighread Ni Ghallchobhair, O.P.

2
objectives

• To take a brief look at the history of special
  education in Ireland
• To examine the present position
• To imagine the future in view of new
  legislation and educational thinking

3
Education for the future

• Education for the future is likely to be less
  about subjects and gathering knowledge and more
  about learning to live as an independently
  functioning being who is both self-regarding and
  regardful of others growth of the whole person
  and building self-esteem.

4
Challenges

• One of the greatest challenges facing schools in
  contemporary circumstances is the provision they
  make for pupils who have special needs of various
  kinds and who due to a variety of circumstances
  are seriously underachieving at school or are
  alienated from its ethos.

5
What is disability?

• Ed. Act 98 and Equal Status Act 02 almost
  identical
• a condition or malfunction which results in a
  person learning differently without the condition
  or malfunction or
• A condition, illness or disease which affects a
  persons thought processes, perception of
  reality, emotions or judgements or which results
  in disturbed behaviour. (section 2.1)

6
W.H.O. report 1954

• Education of ALL children should be the
  responsibility of state
• No barriers between provision for normal children
  and those with special needs
• Provision should facilitate easy transfer from
  one type of school or class and another
• Special methods, modified curricula and more
  personal attention are required
• Some degree of specialisation of teaching
  required
• Complete curriculum should be offered

7
Rules for National Schools 65

• Rule 27 recognition may be granted to schools
  which provide primary education for the various
  types of physically or mentally handicapped
  children.
• Special classes may be established

8
Commission of Enquiry on Mental Handicap 1965

• Wide ranging recommendations on diagnosis,
  educational placement, training and care of
  children and adolescents with a general learning
  disability (mental handicap).

9
SERC report 1993

• Recommendations have formed the basis for
  Government policy on special education since its
  publication
• Increase in enrolment of pupils with SEN in
  mainstream classes
• Commitment to provide an automatic responses to
  support pupils with SEN
• Significant expansion in numbers of Resource
  Teachers and SNAs
• NEPS 1999

10
Donoghue Case 1996

• Findings
• a right to receive free primary education and
  obligation on the state which is of general
  application to all citizens.
• To receive such education as will be conducive to
  the fullest possible individual development

11
Relevant Acts

• The Education Act 1998
• National Disability Authority Act 1999
• The Equal Status Act 2000
• The Education Welfare Act 2000
• Education for Persons with Special Educational
  Needs Act 2004
• Disabilities Bill

12
Education Act 1998

• To make provision for the education of every
  person in the state, including any person with a
  disability or who has other special educational
  needs

13
Education Act 1998

• Section 9 schools shall provide education to
  students which is appropriate to their abilities
  and needs and it shall use its resources to
  ensure that the educational needs of all students
  including those with a disability or other
  special educational needs are identified and
  provided for

14
NEPS

• Established September 1999
• To assist in facilitating all students to develop
  their potential
• Not available to special schools 150
  assessment can be requested

15
Schools

• Section 9
• Schools shall provide education to students
  which is appropriate to their abilities and needs
  and it shall use its resources to ensure that the
  educational needs of all students including those
  with a disability or other special educational
  needs are identified and provided for.

16
Education Welfare Act 2000

• An act to provide for the entitlement of every
  child in the state to a certain minimum education
  and for that purpose to provide for the
  registration of children receiving education in
  places other than recognised schools

17
Education Welfare Act 2000 ctd.

• Establishes the National Education Welfare Board
• Co-ordinates the bodies which deal with school
  attendance
• Identifies the causes of poor attendance and
  adopt measures of prevention

18
Equal Status Act 2000

• Promotes equality and prohibits discrimination in
  relation to provision of services on 9 grounds
  including disability.
• Section 7 Educational establishment includes
  schools at all levels public and private.

19
Sinnott Case 2000

• Sought life long education and was upheld by the
  High Court
• Following appeal in 2001, finding was not upheld
  and new finding was the provision of free primary
  education for children up to 18 years.

20
Summer Provision

• In June 2001 DES requested extension of
  educational services throughout July in schools
  and classes catering for children with severe and
  profound learning disability and autism.
• It is thought that in the long term, this will be
  extended to all children with special needs

21
Education for Persons with Special Educational
needs Act 2004

• Act to make further provision for the education
  of people with special educational needs, in an
  inclusive environment where possible to
  establish the National Council for Special
  Education to confer certain functions on Health
  Boards re the education of people with special
  needs and to enable appeals to be made re certain
  decisions

22
National Council for Special Education

• To disseminate best practice
• Plan and co-ordinate provision of education and
  support services
• Plan for inclusion for children with special
  needs
• Ensure the inclusion of parents
• Sometimes arrange assessments and plans
• Monitor and assess planning, progress and
  resources
• Ensure a continuum of provision

23
NCSE other duties

• Provision for adults with special needs
• Advise educational institutions re best practice
• Research, advice and information
• Designate a school/centre for a child
• Ensure the Act is given full effect
• Circular NCSE 01/05

24
Role of SENO

• To arrange for IT needs for children with special
  educational needs
• To arrange transport for children with special
  educational needed
• To give advice and assistance to schools in
  relation to function under the Act
• Co-ordinate local services

25
Role of SENO ctd.

• Organise assessments of needs
• Preparation and review of EPs
• Act as a point of contact for the parents of a
  child with disability
• Liaise with parents, children, school and other
  bodies
• Report to NCSE as required

26
Section 2

• A child with special educational needs shall be
  educated in an inclusive environment with
  children who do not have such needs unless then
  nature or degree of those needs of the child is
  such that it would not be in the best interest of
  the child or the effective provision of education
  for children with whom the child is to be
  educated.

27
Procedures

• Parents or Principal identifies the childs needs
• In consultation with the parents, the Principal
  arranges an assessment which will commence not
  later than a month after the Principal has
  identified the need.
• Assessment will be completed not later than 3
  months after the Principal has identified the
  need.

28
EPs

• The Principal will cause a plan to be prepared
  for the appropriate education of the child or
  request such a plan from the Council. Included
  in the team will be the parents, SENO, and other
  appropriate persons.

29
The Plan

• The plan is a document which describes the
  pupils short term needs and the arrangements
  made to meet those needs
• The plan should be useful, available and
  comprehensible to those dealing with the child

30
EPs ctd.

• Should include
• The nature and degree of the childs abilities
  skills and talents
• The nature and degree of the childs special
  needs
• Present level of performance
• SEN of the child

31
Parents

• Parents can decide not to be a part of the
  planning
• Assessment and Plan will be furnished to parents.
  These should be carefully explained and the
  resources needed etc. should be outlined.

32
EP ctd

• Services to be provided enable child to benefit
  from education and participate in the life of the
  school
• Services for transition from pre-school or to
  second level
• The goals which the child is to achieve over a
  period of 12 months

33
Implementing the Plan

• The Principal shall implement the plan and the
  school shall be provided with the necessary
  resources
• When a child transfers to another school, the
  first school shall inform the second school of
  the childs needs and the plan.
• The Board may appeal within 4 weeks the
  designation or the resources recommended.

34
EP Review

• The plan must be reviewed within 12 months and a
  report sent to the SENO and parents
• Parents may also request a review
• Guidelines from NCSE to come!

35
The Childs School

• The Council can designate the school which the
  child attends
• The parents wishes must be taken into account
• The council must take into account the childs
  needs and the capacity of the school/centre to
  accommodate the child

36
Education Act 1998

• Admissions Policy
• Right of parents to send their child to a school
  of their choice
• Must be based on principles of inclusivity and
  equality of access and participation for all
  pupils

37
Enrolment Procedures

• Board may request appropriate reports
• Board assesses how the school can best meet the
  needs of the child
• Board should contact the SENO to request the
  resources

38
Enrolment

• Each school should include in its enrolment
  policy an indication of how it will include
  children with special needs in the life of the
  school in terms of learning and social needs.

39
Admissions Policy

• Should include the right of the parent to send
  their child to the school of their choice
• Must be based on principles of inclusivity and
  equality of access and participation for all
  pupils

40
Equal Status Act 2000

• Schools can treat students with disabilities
  differently only if the disability makes
  provision of educational services to other
  students impossible of is having a serious
  detrimental affect on that provision

41
Categories of Needs

• Low incidence and recommended hours
• Physical disability (3)
• Hearing impairment (4)
• Visual impairment (3.5)
• Emotional disturbance (3.5)
• Severe emotional disturbance (5)
• Moderate GLD (3.5)
• Severe/profound GLD (5
• ASD (5)
• Assessed syndrome (3-5 depending on level of GLD)
• Speech and Language disability (4)
• Multiple disabilities (5)

42
Categories of SEN ctd.

• High incidence
• BMGLD- access to SET, weighted model
• MGLD access to SET, weighted model
• SLD access to SET, weighted model
• Were previously part of LST caseload

43
Resource Personnel - inschool

• Learning support teachers
• Resource teachers
• Visiting teachers
• SNAs
• NEPS
• Speech and Language Therapists
• Physiotherapists
• Occupational Therapists
• Others

44
Resource Personnel - external

• Des services e.g Inspectorate
• NEPS
• Visiting teacher service
• NCCA process of developing curricula for
  students with special needs initially gld
• In-career development unit
• SESS
• School planning services
• Teacher centres

45
WEIGHTED SYSTEM

• Staffing allocation to cater for primary pupils
  with higher incidence SEN Learning support,
  BMGLD, MGLD and dyslexia
• 1 80 disadvantage schools
• 1 135 all boys schools
• 1 145 mixed schools
• 1 195 all girls schools
• Small schools
• 1 100 boys school less than 135 total
• 1 105 mixed school less than 145 total
• 1 150 girls schools less than 195 total

46
Steps to providing appropriate support for all
pupils who need it

• 1. Identify all pupils in need of additional
  support both LS and RT including LI and HI
• 2. Identify level of intervention required based
  on pupils needs stage 2 or 3
• 3. Identify all members of staff who will be
  allocated to the identified pupils

47
Steps to providing appropriate support for all
pupils who need it contd.,

• 4. Allocate the identified staff members
• learning programme
• time available
• expertise and interest
• practical and logistical
• 5. Cross reference the programme needs of pupils
  with learning needs at stage 2 3
• 6. Establish a tracking and recording system

48
STAGED APPROACH -

• Stage 1
• Class teacher administer tests
• draw up short plan to meet needs within classroom
• Stage 2
• LS with parental permission for further
  diagnostic testing
• Supplementary teaching plan P/T/LS class
  review

49
STAGED APPROACH contd.,

• Stage 3
• Pupils who continue to present with significant
  learning needs require more intensive
  intervention
• School formally request a consultation and
  assessment from a specialist outside the school
• EP T/P/LS/RT/ - review
• Pupils with learning needs at stage 3 for who
  additional support is allocated by means of GAM
  should receive more additional time than pupils
  at stage 2

50
STAGED APPROACH contd.,

• Need to belong to peer group
• Mix with pupils of different levels of ability
• Additional teaching in
• classroom
• small groups
• 1-1 intensive
• Maximised effective and efficient teaching
• Minimise disruption

51
General Allocation - GAM

• Additional teaching support is provided in a
  timely manner
• To deploy additional teaching resources in a
  flexible manner, leading to more effective and
  efficient delivery of services
• That permanent access to additional teaching
  support is available in schools for pupils with
  SEN arising from High incidence disabilities

52
General Allocation GAM contd.,

• To put in place transparent and equitable whole
  school plans and procedures for the selection of
  pupils for additional support
• That additional teaching resources are allocated
  differentially to pupils in accordance with their
  levels of learning need

53
General Allocation GAM contd

• To allow for the grouping for additional support
  of pupils with similar needs as appropriate
• To allow for in-class as well as out-of-class
  teaching support by LS/RT
• Give more security to special education posts.

54
Pupils covered by GAM

• Pupils eligible for LS i.e. below the 10th
  percentile on standardised reading/maths
• Learning difficulties
• mild speech and language
• some emotional difficulties
• mild co-ordination
• dyspraxia
• ADD, ADHD

55
Pupils covered by GAM contd.,

• Borderline MGLD
• MGLD
• SGLD ie dyslexia
• Small groups
• within the class
• Some 1-1 intensive

56
Key Principles of GAM

• Pupils needs met immediately
• Level of support match level of need
• Group teaching and 1-1 teaching possible
• Pupils will highest level of need highest level
  of support
• Pupils supported by most appropriate teacher
• Individual applications continue for Low
  Incidence SEN

57
APPLICATION FOR RESOURCES 2006-2007

• Proposal
• Batch process
• List new intake and existing pupils
• Decisions conveyed in 1 batch to schools/DES
• More clarity for schools
• System can cater for late applications
• Schools in vacant SENO districts to forward to
  NCSE HQ

58
APPLICATION FOR RESOURCES 2006-2007 contd.,

• Applications
• Aim is to inform school of decision before end of
  current school year so school can plan ahead
• Information will inform implementation process
  related to EPSEN Act

59
SNAs

• SNA non teaching where pupil has a significant
  medical need/ significant impairment of
  physical/sensory functions
• Where behaviour is a danger to themselves or
  other pupils (toileting feeding)
• Level of need should reduce as child matures
• Schools review and deploy SNA to support several
  pupils/ in more than one classroom

60
RATIONALE

• Ensure that schools can meet SEN of pupils
• Desire to enable all reach full potential
• Responsibility of whole staff
• All teachers are teachers of pupils with SEN

61
RATIONALE contd.,

• Enable accurate and appropriate assessment
• Assess schools capacity and ability to cater
• Specify resources needed
• Specify how resources will be used

62
WHOLE SCHOOL ISSUES

• Access to information (pre school)
• Physical environment
• BoM involvement/age appropriate
  placement/resources
• Transport issues
• Code of behaviour/Anti bullying/homework/other

63
WHOLE SCHOOL ISSUES contd.,

• Timetabling
• Staff development/training
• Collaboration within the team transition issues
• Access to other professional guidance/support
• Teaching principal particular difficulties

64
WHOLE SCHOOL ISSUES contd.,

• Health Safety Issues
• Child Protection Issues
• Extended Year
• Trips
• Grouping pupils to maximise use of resource
  personnel
• Absence of teachers/personnel

65
WHOLE SCHOOL ISSUES contd.,

• Social skills
• Deployment of resource to best use
• Communication
• Collaboration
• Staged approach -

66
CLASSROOM ISSUES

• Planning specifically ask re relevance of all
  work to the SEN child
• early identification
• intervention
• attitudes
• understanding/fears/school community
• Social integration
• Spectrum of need
• Rights of other pupils
• Assessments and their use

67
CLASSROOM ISSUES contd.,

• Curriculum differentiated learning
  opportunities
• Materials and resources
• EPs
• Parental involvement
• Support beyond class/school
• Class management
• Behaviour
• communication

68
FACTORS WHICH HELP

• Whole school policy
• Collaborative working staff sharing
  responsibility/expertise/problems
• Leadership by principal
• Schools and teachers modify policies/practices/att
  itudes
• Flexible and co-ordinated organisation of classes
  and deployment of teachers

69
FACTORS WHICH HELP contd.,

• Resourcing personnel and materials
• Training and professional development
• Liaison with parents
• Differentiated curriculum
• Support networks staff, outside agencies,
  services

70
Special Education

• Non selective in their own category
• No discrimination in terms of class or culture
• Objective in the presentation of both curriculum
  and other services
• Provide a nurturing, caring environment

71
New Role for Special School

• The outreach model staff specially allocated
  from special schools to support children in their
  category in mainstream schools
• The dual enrolment model where some children
  will take part in some subjects in mainstream and
  vice versa
• Centres of excellence- special schools will
  provide support and education for teachers in
  dealing with children with special needs in their
  category this could include job sharing, block
  experience, observation, teacher from special
  school visiting, observing special needs child
  and advising on procedure

72
Using skills

• Body of knowledge and skills contained in the
  special school system
• Could be accessed by mainstream schools
• How to organise this

73
Losing Skills

• Warnock admitted that in the British system a
  mistake has been made
• The closure of special schools has caused a
  vacuum which will take years to fill
• Do we want to go the same route

74
Outreach

• That DES will organise the system in such a way
  that special school staff
• could visit mainstream schools, observe, discuss,
  set up programmes for children in their
  particular category
• show practically how the child can be
  taught/managed
• identify suitable materials and equipment
• take children for some programmes

75
Sharing pupils

• Children from special schools could spend some
  time in mainstream schools daily or for
  subjects
• Children from mainstream schools could benefit
  from inclusion in some special school programmes
• Exchange could be arranged on a block basis
• Some children at mainstream schools could benefit
  from the Summer Programme in special schools

76
Centre of Excellence

• Special schools will provide support and
  education for teachers in dealing with children
  with special needs in their category this could
  include job sharing, block experience,
  observation.
• Special schools to be a resource for materials,
  equipment etc.

77
Challenges

• Co-ordination and delivery of services
• Access to assessment and the assurance of
  appropriate placement
• Arrangements for efficient delivery of quality
  service
• Provision of training for teachers
• Provision of training for SNAs
• Ongoing, prompt support for schools from NCSE,
  NEPS etc.
• Ensuring that ALL schools take inclusion
  seriously

78
Circulars

• 08/99
• 07/02
• 24/03
• 09/04
• 13/04
• NCSE 01/05
• Sp Ed 02/05