Successful Practices for the Inclusion of Students with ASD in Regular

Classes

Moira Sinclair Louise MoreauOntario Ministry York Region Districtof Education School Boardmoira.sinclair@edu.gov.on.ca louise.moreau@yrdsb.edu.on.ca

From Policy to Implementation:

Ministry of Education

The Education Act governs the operation of schools and school

boards

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982)

Stipulates that every individual is equal before and under the law, and has the right to equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age, or mental or physical disability.

Ontario Human Rights Code (1989, Revised 2000)

• Administered by the Ontario Human Rights Commission

• Supports equal treatment for all individuals

• November 2004 Commission released Guidelines for Accessible Education following their 2003 Consultation Report

Ontario Human Rights Code (1989, Revised 2000 cont.)

This document sets out a broad definition of disability, from a human rights perspective along with key policy positions on the duty to accommodate and the undue hardship standard.

Ontarians with Disabilities Act(ODA) 2001

The purpose of this Act is to improve opportunities for persons with disabilities and to provide for their involvement in the identification, removal and prevention of barriers to their full participation in the life of the province.

Under the Education Act

• School boards must enrol all pupils who have a right to attend

• A pupil has the right to attend until the age of 21

• A pupil has the right to attend secondary school for 7 years

• Special education programs and services are provided to Ontario residents without payment of fees.

Hierarchy of LegislationThe Ontario Education Act

Regulations under the Act

Ministry Memoranda

Standards and Guidelines

Board Policies and Procedures

Policy/Program Memoranda(Statements of Ministry Policy)

#11 – Early and Ongoing Identification of Children’s Learning Needs

#81 – Provision of Health Support Services in School Settings

Roles and ResponsibilitiesMinistry of Education

• Sets out legal obligations of school boards

• Prescribes categories and definitions of exceptionalities

• Establishes funding

• Establishes Tribunals

• Establishes Advisory Councils

School Board• Establishes board policy

• Provides qualified staff

• Develops Special Education Plan

• Prepares a Parent Guide

• Establishes a Special Education Advisory Committee

• Provides professional development to staff on special education

FundingA. Funding Allocation• The special education envelope continues to

be protected with some differentiation that occurs to reflect funding for students with very high need.

• The administrative time required to identify the student with high need is to be kept to a minimum, ensuring that the focus for service is on the students, not on ‘paper work’.

• The cost of providing programming, supports and services is shared among Ministries for those students requiring extensive care and treatment within the school day.

• Those aspects of the current model that are effective are to be maintained.

Funding cont.B. Flexibility • Boards are provided with the flexibility to

make decisions locally so they are able to provide the most appropriate programs, individualized supports and services for students with special education needs.

C. Accountability• There is a focus on accountability for the

allocation of special education funds used to provide programs and services, as well as a demonstrating the improvement of student results.

Universal Themes• Learner is always right – children with autism will

teach us how they learn best

• Students with ASD are entitled to environments that:– maintain academic, social and communicative

achievement– positively facilitate acceptable behaviour– recognize that students with ASD are inductive

learners –not deductive learners • Continued capacity building through professional

development – keep it alive!– provincial conference, regional forums, Board-lead

initiatives, symposium– networking opportunities, - at regional (e.g. portal)

and board specific

• The prevalence of ASD is increasing

• Coordination of provincial government, educational systems, schools and communities

• Essential Triad – technology - teaching procedures – coordination - consistent application of

technologies– utilization – effective implementation

• Team work and collaboration are essential to ensuring positive outcomes for children and youth with ASD

Universal Themes

• Cultivation of optimism and competency – ‘We can do it’ attitude

• Change must be developed with staff, parents and administrators– Involvement of all school staff from the

earliest stages• Specific goals and implementation

strategies should be developed to guide organizational change and program implementation

Leadership – Provincially and Locally

Ontario Gets Excited!• Ministry of Education drafts Standards for

Programs and Service Delivery for ASD• Ministry of Education provides funds for

the piloting of the draft Standards• Ministry of Education coordinates and

funds Provincial Conference on ASD with International speakers (English and French)

• Ministry of Education invites other Government Ministries to participate

Ontario Gets More Excited!

• Ministry of Education funds 7 Regional Forums on ASD, hosted by 7 local school boards for 72 school boards, 33 school authorities and 10 Provincial school sites (English and French)

• Ministry funded 100 delegates from 10 boards – board prepared for 500 delegates

Ontario Gets More Excited!

• Ministry of Education makes available additional specific funding for assertive technology and resources for the ASD population

• Ministry of Children and Youth Services and the Ministry of Education partner to provide School Support Programs

York Region District School BoardSteps up to the Plate

• Forum proposal was written and accepted as one of the 7 host boards

• Steering committee comprised of board, Ministry and parent representation

Forum topics were based on:• local district issues of principals,

teachers and teaching assistants• Improved educational planning,

programming and instruction for students with ASD

York Region District School BoardSteps up to the Plate

Planning committee structured the Forum as a vehicle for perpetuating the excitement of ongoing learning, planning and leadership in the area of ASD for years to come by:•Inviting a renowned and captivating keynote speaker (Michael Powers)

York Region District School BoardSteps up to the Plate• Providing practical, relevant workshop

sessions (leadership, planning & instruction themes)

• Keeping the momentum after the forum– Fostering networks among the boards– Providing a website for continued

interactions (newsletter, discussions, Qs & As)

Supporting Structures at the Local Level

The YRDSB has established:• A multidisciplinary ASD support team

– Programming– Crisis response– Linkages with community agencies

• Professional development series• Demonstration sites• School Support Program partnership

Key Emerging ThemesPlanning

• Children with autism will teach us how they learn best– program development needs a choreographer – no one discipline can have all the parts

• Make use of baseline assessment to inform instruction• Have a vision of what you want the child to be able to do

– identify the steps for learning– teach for success

• Well defined appropriate program goals considering strengths and needs in:

– academics– communication– social– behaviour/self-regulation– sensory

• Team approach with strong home/school partnership

Instruction

• Student at the centre– explicit teaching of communication,

social interaction, behaviour and academics

– paced at the level of the learner

• It’s only effective if it works– you have to try it and create your own

evidence base

Instruction - Academics

• Instruction is evidence-based

– Formative assessment continually informs instruction

– Multiple sources of data used

– Interdisciplinary collaboration– Instruction is based on evidence that

demonstrates understanding of the learning

Instruction - Communication

• Behaviour is Communication!– teaching functional communication

replaces challenging behaviors

Instruction - Social

• SOCIAL COMPETENCE– Best predictor of positive, long term

outcomes for people with special needs

– Need to find time to teach social skills

Instruction – Behaviour/Self-regulation

• Functional Ecological approach – specific environment where the behaviour fits

– Outcome – was the change good enough?

– Teach students what to DO not what not to do

– Focus on POSITIVE methods for changing behaviour

Instruction – Sensory

• Student with sensory dysfunction has three coping options:  – Aggression – Flight - avoid or escape– Fright 

• Cannot learn without support for sensory needs

Leadership Learning to Date• Multidisciplinary Team Models – system

supports– supporting schools with program development and

delivery • Building capacity of regular education

teachers, administrators makes it work – Special Educators need a team– coordinated multidisciplinary approach in classrooms

• Advocacy and collaboration– be prepared to build positive relationships with families

under difficult conditions – Listen to parents’ perspectives. – Cultivate trained, caring school community

• Generalization of models/structures, implementation process, strategies and supports to all students