Special Education Services
Philosophy
The Philosophy of the Hamilton-Wentworth
Catholic District School Board is to meet the needs of all children
and to develop the fullness of humanity in a Catholic Community. All
students, regardless of special talents or challenging needs can grow
and they can grow best by attending their neighbourhood schools, along
with their brothers and sisters.
Every child with challenging needs requires a sense of belonging;
every child needs reasonable and realistic success and every child
requires concern for his or her dignity as a person. The child is
not served by sympathy or sentimentality. Exceptional pupils share
with their fellow pupils the responsibility to demonstrate acceptable
behaviour and to strive for total growth and development.
It is the responsibility of each individual who instructs children
to foster growth. No handicap, however severe, no learning deficit,
however persistent, should discourage our efforts. No special gift
is to be neglected. All human and material resources must be used
to meet the needs of the pupil. Provision of programs and services
in our schools is governed by principles of inclusion, normalization
and personalization.
Programs and Services
Special education programs and services are provided within the inclusive
setting of the regular classroom by Classroom Teachers, Educational
Assistants, Language Resource Teachers and Special Education Resource
Teachers.
Special education programs and services are provided for all exceptional
pupils including:
Behaviour
- Emotional Disturbance
- Social Maladjustment
Communication
-Autism
-Hearing Impairment
-Language Impairment
-Learning Disability
-Speech Impairment
Intellectual
-Developmental Disability
-Giftedness
Physical
- Physical Disability
- Visual Impairment
Multiple
- Multiple Disabilities
Support Services
Psychological Services
The purpose of Psychological Services is to apply relevant knowledge,
skills and strategies from the behavioural science of psychology to
the problems presented by the school system as a total, unique environment
in which people live and work. Psychological Services provides seven
different types of services to the school system:
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
|
application of research
findings from the behavioural
sciences
evaluative research
psychoeducational assessments of students
psychological consultation to staff
programming consultation to staff
in-service education for staff
counselling of students and their parents |
Social Work Services
The primary goal of Social Work Services is to provide direct support
to students and to do so in the least intrusive fashion possible,
while encouraging and maintaining a healthy learning environment.
These services are available particularly to assist those students
whose social/emotional adjustment has been severely hindered by personal,
social or family difficulties.
The nature of the services rendered is preventive in nature and occurs
at three levels:
-
-
|
services which promote
a sense of spiritual, emotional, social, physical, educational
and cultural well-being
intervention services that provide direct response and assist
in determining need rehabilitative services |
Service is designed to empower students and assist them in maintaining
and/or reclaiming a semblance or control over their particular situation(s).
Special Education Services
The services provided by the staff include assessment and planning
for students’ educational and behavioural needs, teaching/coaching
students and staff in learning/teaching methodologies, providing in-service
education for school staff as well as case management.
| » Gifted and Talented Education Services |
Gifted Education
"Each Belongs"
Enrichment Newsletter - Spring 2007
Giftedness
The Ministry of Education has defined giftedness as "an unusually advanced degree of general intellectual ability that requires differentiated learning experiences of a depth and breadth beyond those normally provided in the regular school program to satisfy the level of educational potential indicated."
Some Common Characteristics of a Gifted Child
- unusual insight and curiosity
- exceptional judgement and reasoning ability
- critical and creative thinking skills
- well developed ability to concentrate on areas of interest
- advanced reading ability and extensive vocabulary
- rapid mastery of basic skills
- special ability in one or several areas
- keen and alert observers
- sense of humour
Gifted and Talented Education Services
- facilitate and promote the successful implementation of the Board’s practices and procedures for gifted and talented education
- provide psycho-educational assessments of students under the guidance of Board Psychologist and Principal of Special Education
- promote activities for gifted and talented students
- advocate for the gifted learner and gifted education
- liaise with community organizations
- act as resource to parents, educators, and students
- act as resource to the school I.P.R.C.
- continue the development of programs for gifted students that are appropriate for an inclusive setting
- continue the development of identification and screening processes in accordance with Board guidelines
Planning for Bright and Gifted Students
All programming for gifted learners is developed in an integrated setting in the student’s home school. An Individual Education Plan is developed after careful analysis of the student’s learning strengths and educational needs. The student, parents, teachers, Special Education Resource Teacher and resource personnel may be involved. The planning process is flexible, cooperative and creative in nature.
|
Speech, Language, and Hearing Services
The Speech, Language, and Hearing Services Staff work in the schools
to meet the needs of students with communication difficulties. Their
goal is to determine the individual communication needs of the students
and the impact of those needs on the student’s ability to learn
and socialize. They work in partnership with the school staff and
parents/caregivers in order to assist them in providing the support
required by the student to enable him/her to achieve success educationally.
>
Top of page
|