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What is an exceptional student?

• A student who has exceptional learning needs and requires accommodated programming to enable them to be more successful at school

How is a specific category of exceptionality determined and by whom?

• The category is determined through:
• Assessment and evaluation by the classroom teacher (in consultation with academic resource team)
• Assessment and consultation by special services personnel, where appropriate (ex. psychologist, speech-language pathologist, social worker, child and youth worker, etc.)
• Discussion between parents/guardians and the academic resource team

Categories of Exceptionalities and Definitions

BEHAVIOUR

• Behavioural exceptionalities vary from case-to-case

COMMUNICATION

• Autism
• Deaf and Hard of Hearing
• Language Impairment
• Speech Impairment
• Learning Disability

INTELLECTUAL

• Giftedness
• Mild Intellectual Disability
• Developmental Disability

PHYSICAL

• Physical Disability
• Blind and Low Vision
• Deaf Blind

MULTIPLE

• Multiple exceptionalities

What is an Individual Education Plan (IEP)?

• An IEP is a working document that details the learning profile of an exceptional student, including their strengths and needs.
• An IEP also details the special education services that have been suggested to meet the student's learning needs.

What is an Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC)?

In each school, the IPRC will identify, place, and review the following:

• whether or not a student should be identified as exceptional
• the areas of a student's exceptionality, according to the Categories and Definitions of Exceptionalities provided by the Ministry of Education
• an appropriate placement for a student

Accommodations

• Accommodations refer to the teaching and assessment strategies, supports, and/or equipment required to enable a student to learn and to demonstrate learning

Three Types of Accommodations

1. Instructional accommodations are adjustments in teaching strategies (ex. extra time for processing, chunking, duplicated notes, graphic organizers)
2. Environmental accommodations are changes in the physical environment, such as in the classroom or the school (ex. quiet setting, proximity to instructor, strategic seating)
3. Assessment accommodations are adjustments in assessment methods (ex. extended time limits, memory aids, assistive technology)

The Academic Resource Room

• The Academic Resource Room is a place to better accommodate the learning needs of all students (with a focus on students with IEPs) through collaboration and the use of available resources.
• During each period, a teacher is available to work with students in an alternative setting, ensuring the individual accommodations outlined on an IEP are implemented.

Academic Resource Program (Credit-Bearing Program)

• Students are fully integrated into classes, completing the same work  and meeting the same standards for subject achievement
• Students have access to a dedicated support system for students who have an IEP