Required Documentation

A Primary diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome, as specified by DSM-IV, is required before a student may be considered for placement in the Asperger’s Syndrome Program. Educational and psychological assessments are also required before a student may be considered for placement. Other relevant documentation such as speech/language and social work reports may also be considered if necessary. Assessment reports from hospitals, private practitioners and other educational jurisdictions may also be considered. Assessment reports will show evidence of the student’s average to above average cognitive level, impaired communication, social skills, and an uneven learning profile.

Application Procedures

Entry into this program is based on both the student’s specific needs and the availability of space within the program.

Step 1 Application:
An application is submitted by the principal of the student’s community school. This application is completed in collaboration with the in-school team and in consultation with the multi-disciplinary team (school psychologist, speech-language pathologist, social worker and learning support consultant). The application must be signed and supported by the student’s *parent (s).
* parent denotes custodial parent(s) or guardian(s)

Step 2 Central Recommendation Committee:
This committee a) reviews the student’s learning profile in relation to the program’s entry criteria, b) determines whether or not there is space available in the program, and c) decides on the location of placement based upon the age/grade of the student in relation to the ages/grades of current students within the program, the learner’s profile, and the distance between specific locations and the students’ home addresses. When placement is a possibility, the sending principal is informed of the recommendation. Within 48 hours, parents confirm acceptance of this placement and their intention to proceed to an IPRC meeting. During this 48 hour period student and parents are informed of implications of the program placement, and the student and parents have an opportunity to visit the class location recommended by the central recommendation committee.

Step 3 Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC): The IPRC will a) formally identify the area (s) of the student’s exceptionality (ies) according to the categories and definitions provided by the Ministry of Education, and b) formally place the student into the specialized Asperger’s Syndrome Program class.

The Student

Academic Profile
Students may demonstrate the following:

• Specific learning disabilities: most commonly similar to a non-verbal learning disability
• Significant weaknesses with writing skills and general organizational skills
• Topics they highly prefer to talk about

Behaviour Profile
The student may demonstrate the following:

• Frustration with school and aggressiveness towards others
• Difficulty with self-regulatory behaviours (e.g., speaking out, mumbling, self-stimulation)
• Marked difficulties in unstructured situations (e.g., recess, lunch time, in hallways)

Communication Profile
The student may demonstrate the following:

• Impairments in processing verbal information
• Difficulty making themselves understood
• Difficulty expressing thoughts in writing
• Atypical prosody of speech (e.g., monotone, very loud or very soft spoken, cluttering speech)

Social Profile
The student may demonstrate the following:

• Inappropriate social interactions
• Pragmatic/social language impairments
• Frequent frustration with his/her lack of social skills and difficulty making friends

Ministry Definition of Autism Exceptionality

A severe learning disorder that is characterized by:
a) disturbances in:
– rate of educational development;
– ability to relate to the environment;
– mobility;
– perception, speech, and language;
b) lack of the representational symbolic behaviour that precedes language.

The Program

The Asperger’s Syndrome Program is for exceptional students at the secondary level and is located in designated schools across the OCDSB. The Asperger’s Syndrome Program is a semi-integrated program. Students are expected to integrate into regular secondary school credit courses. Learning Strategies courses are offered by the Asperger’s Syndrome Program teacher with a focus on age-appropriate social communication and self-regulation. Programming is based on the learning expectations outlined in the Individual Education Plan (IEP). The IEP is developed and coordinated by the special education teacher in consultation with parent (s), Learning Support Services personnel, and subject-area teachers. The IEP is designed for each student according to his/her individual learning needs and strengths. The plan is revised and updated based on the results of ongoing assessment and evaluation.

The Classes

The Asperger’s Syndrome Program classes are limited in size as outlined in the OCDSB’s Special Education Report. There are up to ten (10) students in each Asperger’s Syndrome Program class. Classes are equipped with special education resources including educational assistants and consultation with a school psychologist. It is expected that students will integrate into regular secondary school credit courses.

The Teachers

The Asperger’s Syndrome Program is taught by teachers with special education qualifications (Parts I and II). Learning Support Services personnel provide assessment and consultative services to the program teacher.

Evaluation and Review

Assessment is ongoing and evaluation occurs throughout the year. Student progress is formally reported as per the reporting structure of the OCDSB on the provincial report card and alternative report cards. The progress of a student, who has been identified exceptional and has a placement through an IPRC, is formally reviewed on an annual basis during an IPRC meeting.

Change in Placement

Criteria include the following:

• Has social an/or academic needs that can be met more successfully within another placement
• Evidence of on-going successful integration
• No longer benefits from specialized placement

Alternative Placements

The in-school special education team will meet with *parents to discuss alternative placements if necessary. Other special education placements may include the following:

a) Care and treatment programs/ Section 23

b) Regular classroom with monitoring from the Learning Support Teacher (LST) or the Learning Resource Teacher (LRT)

c) Regular classroom with support from the LST/LRT

d) Another specialized program if appropriate.

For Further Information

Please consult the OCDSB Learning Support Services’ Special Education Parent Guide and The Identification, Placement and Review Committee: Parent Guide. As well, you may contact the school principal or the OCDSB Learning Support Services personnel serving the school.