At the Heritage, Vasant Kunj, students with special needs and those from the economically weaker sections spend all, or most of the school day with the rest of the students. We honour each child’s individuality and their socio-economic background. The objective of inclusion is to encourage the individual spontaneity, natural self of the child and boost their self confidence and self esteem regardless of their social and economic status.
IDENTIFYING LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
A primary function of special education within our school is to identify children with unusual needs and to aid in the effective fulfilment of those needs. Starting at the Pre- school level, our special educators help build accommodative learning opportunities for children with exceptionalities in regular educational programs. They assist regular school personnel, parents and experts outside of school in managing the education of children with exceptionalities. The ultimate goal is to help learners with special needs achieve a higher level of personal self-sufficiency and success in school and their community.
Our in-house team of counsellors and special educators observe students in their natural environments and regularly share their feedback with parents regarding the performance of students in school. In addition, collaborating with experienced consultants and psychologists outside of school, to provide the maximum support for child development, is an integral part of the total educational enterprise.
PROVISIONS
Students with special needs are assessed to determine their specific strengths and weaknesses. Placement, resources, and goals are determined on the basis of the student’s needs. Accommodations and Modifications to the regular program may include changes in the curriculum, supplementary aides or equipment, and the provision of specialized physical adaptations that allow students to participate in the educational environment as much as possible.
Specialized education is provided inside or outside the regular classroom, depending on the needs of the student. Students may occasionally leave the regular classroom to attend smaller, more intensive instructional sessions, or to receive other related services that might require specialized equipment or might be disruptive to the rest of the class. Emotional support, speech and language therapy, after school remediation, testing accommodations and curriculum modification are some examples of special services available to students in order to fill up learning discrepancies.
EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION
Each child has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that distinguishes his/her particular needs. This allows him/her to reach annual goals which are assessed at the end of each term along with short-term goals that will be assessed every few months. Regular testing and interviews are used to determine where to place the child. Once that is determined, the next step is the best way for the child to learn. While the IEP goals may be assessed every few months to a year, constant informal assessments take place year round. These assessments guide instruction for the teacher, who will then be able to determine the difficulty level of the material as well as to track and monitor progress.
