Ottawa Carleton District School Board

 

The Ministry of Education currently describes Language Impairment exceptionality as:

 

 a learning disorder characterized by an impairment in comprehension and/or the use of verbal communication or the written or other symbol system of communication, which may be associated with neurological, psychological, physical, or sensory factors, and which may:

a) involve one or more of the form, content, and function of language in communication; and include one or more of:

 

• language delay;

• dysfluency;

• voice and articulation development, which may or may not be organically or functionally based.

The OCDSB supports students with a language learning disability in a variety of ways, including in a regular class environment or a specialized program class environment. These students may have some of the following characteristics: severe difficulty with receptive language (e.g. understanding and/or following directions or instruction); and/or expressive language (e.g., retelling or formulating stories, word retrieval); frustration or self-esteem in response to language difficulties. The OCDSB Language Learning Disability specialized program classes are for those students, with a language learning disability who, in addition to targeted Tier 1, 2, and 3 interventions, would still benefit from a specialized program class setting.

 

 

There is no specific time requirement for each intervention; the length of time an intervention should be tried is dependent on the individual strengths and needs of the learner. Which interventions are tried also depend on the individual strengths and needs of the learner; there is no one-size that fits all.

· Classroom Teacher

· Learning Support Teacher

· Learning Resource Teacher

· Principal/Vice Principal

· Educational Assistant

· Early Childhood Educator

· ESL Teacher

· Multi-Disciplinary Team (Psychologist, Speech/Language Pathologist, Social Worker, etc.)

· Parent(s)/guardian(s)

· Identification of strengths and needs

· Classroom observation and tracking

· Parent/guardian consultation/feedback

· Classroom assessments

· Differentiation of instruction, environment and/or assessment (e.g. ability grouping, visual supports, use of assistive technology)

· In-School Team Meeting Referral

· Targeted, precise specific instruction to adhere to need (Example: small group instruction, visual schedule or task steps)

· Development of Individual Education Plan (IEP)

· Educational Assessment (e.g. WIAT III)

· Specific differentiated supports in place for areas of strength and need (Example: modify tasks based on ability, social skills building activities, use of assistive technology)

· Continued parent/guardian consultation

· Consultation with other departments (i.e. Curriculum Services, Business and Learning Technologies, Facilities and Planning)

· Cognitive Assessment (e.g. Wechsler Primary and Preschool Scale of intelligence (WPPSI), Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children ( WISC-IV/V), Wechsler Nonverbal Scale of Ability (WNV))

· Counseling (social emotional support as needed)

· Continued development of IEP

· Parent/guardian consultation/feedback

· Multi-Disciplinary Meeting/Updated action plan (e.g. type of assessments used; SEA application; further opportunities to work with other learners; intensive school based support strategies; student-centered project based learning opportunities; referral for community agency support; specialized program class referral)

Students may be Identified with an exceptionality of Language Impairment and not placed into a Language Learning Disability specialized program class. In these cases the student would receive in-class support in the regular class setting.

Grades 1- 6

Grades 1-3, ten (10) students per class

Grade 4 – 6, twelve (12) students per class

To ensure best practice, current psychological assessment (within the last 2 years) or verification from a psychologist/psychological associate that an assessment completed more than two years ago continues to be valid is required. The OCDSB will prioritize assessment, for students being considered for a referral to specialized program classes for the following school year, based on need by the multi-disciplinary team and parent consultation. We support this process internally.

Criteria:1) diagnosis of a Language Disorder, as specified in DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, fifth edition); 2) assessment must indicate average to above average nonverbal ability; 3) the assessment must also indicate daily living (adaptive) skills correspond to cognitive ability.

To ensure best practice, a full speech/language assessment report (within the last 12 months) completed by a speech/language pathologist, is required.

Criteria: Student is able to communicate verbally. Assessment indicates a severe language delay in at least two major areas of language, not including phonological awareness, pragmatic skills, auditory recall and speech production.

To ensure best practice, an educational assessment data (within the last 12 months) is required. The educational assessment may be included as part of a psychological report. An educational assessment may be completed at your child’s school.

Criteria: working between the 1^st and 15^th percentile, for their age, in at least two of the following areas: reading, writing, and mathematics.

 

Language areas of severe difficulty may include expressive language (e.g. using vocabulary, word retrieval, use of grammar and syntax, the ability to retell or formulate stories,) or receptive language (e.g. understanding of vocabulary, concepts, directions, stories and text). These difficulties impact both oral and written language development.

Intensive support is required to learn and process information. Modification and accommodation for language skills is required in most school subjects. A students’ current report card and current Individual Education Plan (IEP) are required in a referral.

There may be social and/or behavioural factors that warrant being explained as part of a referral process. This information is helpful to provide a fulsome picture of the learner. These social/behavioural observations may be within the classroom and/or at home. Due to a language learning disability, the student may exhibit a lack of resiliency, frustration, anxiety, withdrawal, inattention, disengagement, low self-esteem and/or perfectionistic characteristics. There are no specific social/behavioural characteristics needed in order to be referred to the Language Learning Disability specialized program class.

 

Additional information may be helpful to provide a fulsome picture of the student. This information may be relevant to the student’s needs and programming requirements. Additional supporting information may include an Occupational or Physiotherapy Assessment, Medical Report, and/or an additional Speech/Language Report, such as First Words or CCAC.

 

Note: The progress of a student in a specialized program class will be monitored regularly and reviewed through the Individual, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC) process to ensure appropriate placement to support student learning needs.

 

· Deadline for a referral to a Language Learning Disability specialized program class is determined by Learning Support Services. (usually the beginning of April)

· OCDSB referrals are coordinated through the multi-disciplinary team at your child’s school.

· All questions relating to this process can be directed to your child’s school.

· Referrals will be considered throughout the year (not only April) on a case by case basis. Once the Language Learning Disability program committee has confirmed that the student meets criteria, if space is available an offer for placement may be made at that time.

· Parent(s)/guardian(s) should discuss a possible referral with the principal at their OCDSB community school.

· Deadline for a referral to a Language Learning Disability specialized program class is determined by Learning Support Services, as above

· Please review OCDSB current criteria for our programs on the OCDSB website prior to requests for referral forms

· The referral documentation must be completed as a joint effort between parent(s)/guardian(s), OCDSB community school, and child’s current school

· Preference for placement is given to OCDSB students who meet criteria

· Referrals will be considered throughout the year (not only April) on a case by case basis. Once the Language Learning Disability committee has confirmed that the student meets criteria, if space is available, an offer for placement may be made at that time.

 

· The committee begins reviewing referrals in April for placement in the following academic year. Referrals are not considered on a first-come, first-serve basis. Parent(s)/guardian(s) participate in this process, their input is required as part of a referral form.

· Those students who meet criteria will be placed dependent on availability and home address. All those who have met criteria and who have not been placed will remain on a wait list and will be placed throughout the year as spaces become available (wait lists do not carry over to the next academic year)

· Referrals may be submitted at any time throughout the year and will be reviewed by the General Learning Program committee upon their next meeting. At that time, if the student has met criteria, a placement may be offered, depending on availability

· Please note: further information about referrals can be provided through Learning Support Services (LSS) upon request.

We support learners in a variety of ways within the OCDSB. We recognize that each learner has their individual strengths and needs and that what works for one may not work for another within a similar profile. We allow external referrals to the specialized program classes and welcome students within the Ottawa area to consider any OCDSB school as we endeavor to support our learners, both within the regular class program and within a specialized program class.