OFELIA M.

GUARIN

CANADA: SPECIAL EDUCATION ISSUE

Canada has a very inclusive approach to children with special needs and disabilities in terms of
their rights to equality in all aspects of Canadian life, including education and healthcare. Every
child with special needs, whether emotional, behavioral, visual, intellectual, language, speech
or hearing, has a right to free public education. However, despite pledges by the federal
government to support those with disabilities and special needs, the majority of funding is
allocated at a provincial or local level.

Schooling for Children with Special Needs

By law, all state schools in Canada must have a special education programmed. However, this is
not possible in all schools and parents may have to enroll their children in private special needs
schools. This can be difficult for some parents due to the cost, although some
provinces/territories provide 100 percent funding in order for children to attend these schools.
Special needs schools are available for children with physical, mental, behavioral and
communication disorders, as well as for gifted children.

Registering a Child as Having Special Needs in a School

The exact process of registering a child as having special needs depends on the provincial
regulations and policies. Most provinces and territories have an Education Act which details
their special needs educational policy. School boards usually provide a programmed that
integrates children with special needs into mainstream schools, along with a tailored individual
educational programmed. It is therefore necessary to inform the school board about the child's
special needs requirements upon registration.
Staff are also trained to identify any special educational requirements which will then be dealt
with appropriately. Schools often apply directly to the relevant educational authority for
funding for a child with special educational needs.

Registering a Child as Having Special Needs in a School

The exact process of registering a child as having special needs depends on the provincial
regulations and policies. Most provinces and territories have an Education Act which details
their special needs educational policy. School boards usually provide a programmed that
integrates children with special needs into mainstream schools, along with a tailored individual
educational programmed. It is therefore necessary to inform the school board about the child's
special needs requirements upon registration.
Staff are also trained to identify any special educational requirements which will then be dealt
with appropriately. Schools often apply directly to the relevant educational authority for
funding for a child with special educational needs.

Ontario
In Ontario there is a large amount of support available. For example, the "Assistance for
Children with Severe Disabilities Programmed" awards parents up to C$470 a month for help
with medical costs, clothes, drugs, necessary equipment for the child and so on. The amount
depends on parental income and the type of disability.
There are also programmed in place to provide rehabilitation assistance, respite care and
special assistance at home; as well as some dealing with specific disabilities such as autism.

The majority of children with special needs attend mainstream school where possible. These
children are offered different classes or a modified programmed which is specially designed by
school boards.

British Columbia
In British Columbia the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) is responsible for
programmed and services for children with special needs. Family support includes respite
services, parental support, child and youth worker assistance, behavioral support programmed,
rehabilitation services and early childhood intervention schemes.
There are nearly 59,000 children with special needs enrolled in B.C public schools. They are
assisted by classroom assistants, modified programmed and Individual Education Plans (IEPs)
designed to cater to their needs.
There is also 100 percent funding available for children with special needs to attend special
independent schools.

Alberta
Most students with special needs are placed in mainstream schools where they are given extra
assistance with a special education programmed
Funding is available directly to schools to assist with children with special education needs.
Alberta offers a Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD) programmed, where
funding for services such as respite care, rehabilitation, counselling, home support and medical
support is offered.

Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia has a Supported Child Care for Children with Special Needs programmed. This
provides funding to full and part-time childcare centers which offer care and specific
programmed tailored to meet the requirements of the children. The Early Intervention
Programmed (EIP) also offers support and services to those children who are identified as
having special needs.
Nova Scotia's educational plan offers an Individualized Programmed Plan (IPP) for those
children who are considered to have special educational needs. This also provides the
opportunity for eligible students to attend special private schools where necessary.

Quebec
Individualized Education Plans (IEP) are established for children with special needs, who are
very often integrated into mainstream schools. To enroll in an IEP, parents and students meet
with the teachers, the principal and a guidance counsellor before registering with a school.
Students with disabilities are entitled to attend school up to the age of 21 years.

Universal Benefits
Child Disability Benefit (CDB) is a tax-free benefit available to parents looking after a severely
disabled child under the age of 18. It is calculated according to income and can total as much as
$2,694 a year.
Applications for benefit can be made online at the Canada Revenue Agency website or in
person at a local Ministry or Department of Social Services. Benefits are also available to
severely disabled people over 18 years old.
Normalization- is the philosophical belief that all individuals who are exceptional, no matter
what their level and type of disability, should be provided with an education and living
environment that is as close to normal as possible.

Reforms in Education and in Special Education

In the past two decades, reform has become a major issue in North American education. Two
distinct themes can be seen in reform efforts: one is to raise standards for all students; the
other is equity for all students.
While reforms in special education are not new, contemporary special education is deeply
involved in reform efforts and is being pressured to change by both internal and external
forces. Inclusive schooling is one of the manifestations of current reform mandates.
Over the past four decades there has been a gradual increase in the numbers and
proportions of children with disabilities who receive their special education while enrolled in
general education classes and schools.

Integration - In the 1950s and 1960s, was the common term used to refer to the education of
students with exceptionalities into general classrooms. In the

Mainstreaming-1970s,

emerged. Under mainstreaming principles, the instruction of children with learning, behavioral,
physical, or other problems took place with normally developing peers to the greatest extent
possible. The amount of integration depended upon the unique patterns of strengths and
weaknesses in each child. In the 1980s, the concepts and ideals of inclusive schooling for
students with special needs emerged.

Defining Inclusive Schooling

The current stress is on inclusive schooling. Although there are many conceptions of the term,
it basically means that all students are to be educated in the classrooms or schools they would
attend if they were not exceptional. Schools should change to welcome all the types of diversity
seen in students.
Inclusion is both evolving and changing. The current movement hosts a range of theoretical
positions related to the underlying philosophy, the relationship of those targeted for inclusion,
the nature of the general educational provision, and the manner in which supports are
provided.
In this text, we define inclusion as "a system of equity for students with exceptionalities that
expresses a commitment to educate each child to the maximum extent through placement,
instruction, and support in the most heterogeneous and appropriate environment."

Examining Inclusive Schooling

There is not an area in special education more difficult than inclusion. At the root of the
difficulties is the fact that inclusion is both a philosophy and a practice. While the philosophy is
fairly well accepted, the major difficulties come with attempting to translate the principles into
efficient school-based service delivery models.
Philosophical strands supporting inclusive schooling include general school reform, civil
rights, educational equity, and the difficulties of a dual system. However, many barriers exist
with regard to inclusion and there remain divisive debates among educators, policy makers, and
parents.
Successfully implementing inclusionary practices is a major challenge to school systems
today. The barriers to inclusive schooling include

 teacher expectations, attitudes, and acceptance of inclusive schooling;

 the skills of general and special educators;
 lack of supports and increased workload for teachers;
 outside forces;
 funding;
 lack of empirical research evidence.

Although inclusion is a mindset, there are some principles that underlie successful practice.
These include:

 positive teacher attitudes;

 a supportive school administration;
 resources and personnel to support teachers and to assist children with special needs;
 curriculum matched to the needs of each student;
 accurate and ongoing assessment;
 social integration of students with special needs;
 collaboration and co-operation among regular classroom teachers, special education
personnel, classroom paraeducators, and other support services;
 parental support;
 team approaches where different people share information and expertise.

Typical Services in Canada

All school districts in Canada are moving toward inclusive models. However, broad differences
in practice are seen across the country. Some provinces have adopted full inclusion while
others continue to approach inclusion on an individual basis.

Legislation
Law is the system of rules and regulations relating to the behavior of individuals and society as
a whole. School law defines the manner in which schools’ function. Legal issues that include
both litigation and legislation have had a dramatic impact on special education in recent
decades. Among other factors, parental pressure promoted and advanced litigation and
legislation. Court rulings in favor of exceptional individuals prompted the passage of legislation
that clearly spells out the responsibilities of the school system and the rights of children who
are exceptional.
Legislation in Canada
In Canada, the movement is toward the provision of mandatory special education legislation.
Currently, all the provinces and the three territories have some form of legislated responsibility
for the education of children who are exceptional, but the breadth of services varies.
Legislative activity has tended to focus on children with disabilities. Children identified as
gifted have not fared as well in the legislative field.

Litigation
Legislation refers to laws or bills enacted by lawmakers. Litigation involves an individual or a
small group filing a suit against another. The use of the court system to settle disputes,
especially about educational placement, is widespread in the United States and on the rise in
Canada.
Cases in Canada have been settled under various modes; the Charter of Rights and Freedoms
has been used in some recent decisions. A particularly important case heard under the Charter
is the case of Eaton v. Brant County Board of Education (1997).

Trends and Movements

Many trends and movements may be seen in today's special education. These include, but are
not restricted to, the issues discussed below.
Expansion of Services.
Today's special education is reaching down to include preschoolers at-risk or with disabilities,
and reaching up to assist adolescents with transition into adult life.
Multicultural Special Education.
Recent demographic data suggest that public schools are faced with increasing linguistic and
cultural diversity. One result of these demographic changes is that the special education system
is increasingly serving students who are in the process of acquiring a second language or who
come from home backgrounds that differ culturally or linguistically from the Canadian
majority.
One solution to the needs of students who are from different cultures or linguistic
backgrounds than the majority is the process of multicultural education. Students with
exceptionalities also need multicultural perspectives infused into the curriculum. Teachers need
to celebrate the first language and culture while building a second language and
accommodating to the new culture.
Early Intervention. Early identification and early intervention, both broader constructs of early
childhood special education, are two of the most promising areas of contemporary special
education.
Early identification is used to identify children with established disabilities, those who are at
risk for problems, and those experiencing lags and delays.
Early intervention refers to the establishment of educational and support services for
preschool children and infants who are at risk for disabilities, and their families.
Transition. Transition programs are designed to ease the movement of adolescents with
disabilities into the adult world.
Parent Involvement. Teachers should stress parental involvement if they wish to enhance the
educational experience for all their students. When educators involve parents as partners in
their children's education, parents appear to develop a sense of efficacy that communicates
itself to children with positive academic consequences.
Technological Advances. Significant advances in many areas of technology have brought major
advances for people with disabilities. Students benefit from both instructional and assistive
technology.

Assessment Practices
Assessment is designed to present a detailed picture of a child's unique pattern of strengths
and weaknesses in a variety of areas. Recent years have witnessed major advances
in assessment practices that include who administers measures, where they are administered,
the procedures used, and the variety of tools.
There are different types of assessment, which employ different strategies and personnel.
The major areas are screening, specific (psycho-educational) assessment, and intensive or
medical diagnosis. Procedures overlap and complement each other, and each provides
important information regarding a child's present and past functioning as well as potential.

Screening
- a term used in both medicine and education, refers to the examination of large groups of
children to find those performing above or below the norm

- is designed to separate at-risk children from those who are functioning within
acceptable limits.
Educational screeningdevices include observations, interviews, past records, developmental
checklists, behavior-rating scales, skill inventories, teacher-made tests, criterion-referenced
tests, curriculum-based assessment, and group achievement tests.

Specific Assessment
Psycho-educational assessment more information on children considered as high-risk in
the screening phase. The diagnostic process should confirm or discount the existence of a
problem and help in determining treatment and intervention for children identified.
Tests are controlled and structured procedures that attempt to elicit particular responses
that a child might not demonstrate spontaneously. Direct testing refers to testing children
across a variety of relevant domains. Many of the tests used in psycho-educational
assessment are norm-referenced. Most cover a variety of developmental domains and include
skills within each area.
IQ tests provide an intelligence quotient. The most critical notion underlying IQ tests is that
of a normal distribution; that is, a continuum of scores that vary from the average by
predictable amounts.

Standards Testing
Canadian jurisdictions are adopting province-wide testing for various grade levels.
Accommodations are possible for students with special needs.
Medical Assessment
Professionals involved at the medical level include specialists, physicians, nurses, audiologists
and ophthalmologists, to mention only a few.

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