Ottawa Carleton District School Board

The Ministry of Education defines the exceptionality of physical disability as:

 

A condition of such severe physical limitation or deficiency as to require special assistance in learning situations to provide the opportunity for educational achievement equivalent that of pupils without exceptionalities who are the same age or developmental level.

The OCDSB supports students with a physical disability in a variety of ways, including in a regular class environment or a specialized program class environment. These students may have some of the following characteristics: motor challenges and a need for some form of physical assistance; uneven academic achievement; requires assistive technology device(s) and/or adaptive equipment; anxiety and/or depression. The OCDSB Physical Support specialized program classes are for those students with severe physical disabilities who, in addition to targeted Tier 1, 2, and 3 interventions, would still benefit from a specialized program class.

 

 

There is no specific time requirement for each intervention; the length of time an intervention should be tried is dependent on the individual strengths and needs of the learner. Which interventions are tried also depend on the individual strengths and needs of the learner; there is no one-size that fits all.

· Classroom Teacher

· Learning Support Teacher

· Learning Resource Teacher

· Principal/Vice Principal

· Educational Assistant

· Early Childhood Educator

· ESL Teacher

· Multi-Disciplinary Team (Psychologist, Speech/Language Pathologist, Social Worker, etc.)

· Parent(s)/guardian(s)

· Identification of strengths and needs

· Classroom observation and tracking

· Parent/guardian consultation/feedback

· Classroom assessments

· Differentiation of instruction, environment and/or assessment (e.g. ability grouping, visual supports, use of assistive technology)

· In-School Team Meeting Referral

· Targeted, precise specific instruction to adhere to need

· Development of Individual Education Plan (IEP)

· Educational Assessment

· Specific differentiated supports in place for areas of strength and need (Example: modify tasks based on ability, communication skills building activities, use of assistive technology)

· Continued parent/guardian consultation

· Consultation with other departments (i.e. Curriculum Services, Business and Learning Technologies, Facilities and Planning)

· Cognitive Assessment (WPPSI, WISC-IV/V,)

· Counseling (social emotional support as needed)

· Continued development of IEP

· Parent/guardian consultation/feedback

· Multi-Disciplinary Meeting/Updated action plan (e.g. type of assessments used; SEA application; further opportunities to work with other learners; intensive school based support strategies; student-centered project based learning opportunities; referral for community agency support; specialized program class referral)

Students may be Identified with an exceptionality of Physical Disability and not placed into a Physical Support specialized program class. In these cases the student would receive in-class support in the regular class setting.

 

 

 

Grades 1 – 12

Grades 1 – 12 - 12 students per class

 

To ensure best practice, a current medical assessment from a physician is required. Also required is a current Occupational and/or Physiotherapy Assessment.

Criteria: diagnosis and description of a physical disability. The assessment should describe the student’s needs for physical assistance and reliance on adaptive equipment and/or assistive devices.

 

 To ensure best practice, current psychological data (within the last 2 two years) or verification from a psychologist/psychological associate that an assessment completed more than two years ago continues to be valid is required. The OCDSB will prioritize assessment, for students being considered for a referral to specialized program classes for the following school year, based on need by the multi-disciplinary team and parent consultation. We support this process internally.

Criteria: there are no specific criteria of intellectual ability. The assessment should include the student’s intellectual ability and any specific learning disability. An assessment of adaptive functioning (with in the last 12 months) is also required.

To ensure best practice, an educational assessment; such as Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, third edition (WIAT III), (within the last 12 months) is required.

Criteria: there are no specific criteria of academic levels.

Academic information is required for a referral to the Physical Support specialized program classes. Academic achievement in some areas may be more advanced than other areas. There may be a need for modifications and/or accommodations to the provincial curriculum expectations. The student may need assistive technology and/or assistive devices to access the curriculum. A students’ current report card and current Individual Education Plan (IEP) are required in a referral.

 

There may be social and/or behavioural factors that warrant being explained as part of a referral process. This information is helpful to provide a fulsome picture of the learner. These social/behavioural observations may be within the classroom and/or at home. Due to the limited physical ability and/or cognitive profile, the student may have lagging social skills, anxiety, depression and/or limited self-advocacy skills.

 

Additional information may be helpful to support a referral to the Physical Support specialized program class. This information may be relevant to the student’s needs and programming requirements. Additional supporting information may include information from a Liaison teacher (OCTC), report from Treatment/Rehabilitation Centre, an additional Speech/Language/Cognitive-Communication Assessment and any other evidence supporting a referral.

 

Note: The progress of a student in a specialized program class will be monitored regularly and reviewed through the Individual, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC) process to ensure appropriate placement to support student learning needs.

 

 

· Deadline for a referral to a Physical Support specialized program class is determined by Learning Support Services. (usually the beginning of April)

· OCDSB referrals are coordinated through the multi-disciplinary team at your child’s school.

· All questions relating to this process can be directed to your child’s school

· Referrals will be considered throughout the year (not only April) on a case by case basis. Once the Physical support program committee has confirmed that the student meets criteria, if space is available an offer for placement may be made at that time.

· Parents/guardians should discuss a possible referral with the principal at their OCDSB community school.

· Deadline for a referral to a Physical Support specialized program class is determined by Learning Support Services, as above

· Please review OCDSB current criteria for our programs on the OCDSB website prior to requests for referral forms

· The referral documentation must be completed as a joint effort between parent(s)/guardian(s), OCDSB community school, and child’s current school

· Preference for placement is given to OCDSB students who meet criteria

· Referrals will be considered throughout the year (not only April) on a case by case basis. Once the learning disability committee has confirmed that the student meets criteria, if space is available, an offer for placement may be made at that time.

 

· The committee begins reviewing referrals in April for placement in the following academic year. Referrals are not considered on a first-come, first-serve basis. Parent(s)/guardian(s) participate in this process, their input is required as part of a referral form.

· Those students who meet criteria will be placed dependent on availability and home address. All those who have met criteria and who have not been placed will remain on a wait list and will be placed throughout the year as spaces become available (wait lists do not carry over to the next academic year)

· Referrals may be submitted at any time throughout the year and will be reviewed by the Physical Support Program committee upon their next meeting. At that time, if the student has met criteria, a placement may be offered, depending on availability

· Please note further information about referrals can be provided through Learning Support Services (LSS) upon request.

We support learners in a variety of ways within the OCDSB. We recognize that each learner has their individual strengths and needs and that what works for one may not work for another within a similar profile. We allow external referrals to the specialized program classes and welcome students within the Ottawa area to consider any OCDSB school as we endeavor to support our learners, both within the regular class program and within a specialized program setting.