Page 163 - Special Education in Ontario, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and Resource Guide

Special Education in Ontario, Kindergarten to Grade 12
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accommodations (see section 5) must be informed by the student’s strengths and needs.
Describing Strengths and Needs
When describing the student’s strengths, it is appropriate to include information such as the following:
• learning styles and preferences (e.g., visual, auditory, kinesthetic learner)
• previously acquired learning skills (e.g., organizational skills, time-
management skills)
• cognitive processing and communication abilities (e.g., expressive
language – speaking)
The description of the student’s needs should make evident the reasons why the student requires a special education program and/or services. When indicating the student’s needs, it is appropriate to include information such as the following:
• broad cognitive and/or processing challenges (e.g., in the area of visual memory)
• skill deficits that relate to the student’s exceptionality and/or interfere with the student’s ability to learn (e.g., in areas such as social skills, attention, emotional control, expressive language – writing)
It is not appropriate to include information here about specific supports or services that the student may need or what the student needs to do. For example, do not indicate the need for:
• a type or level of human support (e.g., “the student needs an educational assistant” or “the student needs one-to-one assistance”)
• a specific program or service (e.g., “the student needs speech therapy”)
• improvement in a particular subject (e.g., “the student’s math skills need
to improve”)