Successful Practices for the Inclusion of Students with ASD in Regular Classes

1. Successful Practices for the Inclusion of Students with ASD in Regular Classes From Policy to Implementation: Moira Sinclair Louise Moreau Ontario Ministry York Region District of Education School Board moira.sinclair@edu.gov.on.ca louise.moreau@yrdsb.edu.on.ca

2. Ministry of Education The Education Act governs the operation of schools and school boards

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. Hierarchy of Legislation The Ontario Education Act Regulations under the Act Ministry Memoranda Standards and Guidelines Board Policies and Procedures

9. 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

10. Roles and Responsibilities

11. Funding A. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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

14. Universal Themes • 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

15. Leadership – Provincially and Locally • 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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)

21. 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)

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. Instruction - Communication • Behaviour is Communication! • teaching functional communication replaces challenging behaviors

27. Instruction - Social • SOCIAL COMPETENCE • Best predictor of positive, long term outcomes for people with special needs • Need to find time to teach social skills

28. 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

29. Instruction – Sensory • Student with sensory dysfunction has three coping options:  • Aggression • Flight - avoid or escape • Fright • Cannot learn without support for sensory needs

30. 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