LAMBTON KENT DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

 

SPECIAL EDUCATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE

 

Thursday,

Wallaceburg District Secondary School

             7:00 p.m.

December 16, 2004

Library

 

 

 

M I N U T E S

 

 

PRESENT:

Rose Gallaway, St. Clair Child and Youth Services

 

Norma Hills, Community Living Sarnia-Lambton

 

Susie Jones, Trustee

 

Duncan Longwell, Trustee (Chair)

 

Lisa Matthews, Learning Disabilities Association of Lambton County

 

Donna Scherer, Learning Disabilities Association of Chatham-Kent (Vice-Chair)

 

Charlene Taylor, Member "at large"

 

Jonathan Quaglia, Member "at large"

 

Maggie Rochon, Easter Seal Society of Ontario, Sarnia-Lambton Branch

 

Wenda Vallee, Autism Society of Ontario

 

Janet Vanderwerf, Member "at large"

 

Mary Weerdenburg, Pathways Health Centre for Children

 

 

REGRETS:

Marion Lennan, Lambton County Developmental Services

 

Al Kuhn, Community Living Chatham-Kent

 

Laurie Mawlam, Community Living Wallaceburg

 

 

RESOURCE

Warren Kennedy, Superintendent of Education

STAFF:

Chris Gordon and Debbie Seager, Special Education Co-ordinators

Colleen Witt and Susan Ritchie, Speech-Language Pathologists

 

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1.0

CALL TO ORDER AND APPROVAL OF AGENDA

 

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m.  An additional item was added to the Agenda:  Special Education Reserve Spending (Item 4.0).

 

 

2.0

APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF 2004 11 25

 

 

The Minutes of 2004 11 25 were approved as written.

 

 

3.0

BUSINESS ARISING FROM MINUTES

 

 

3.1

Referrals to the Trillium School, Milton

 

C. Gordon outlined the programs available and the application process for the Provincial Schools for students with severe learning disabilities.  The Trillium School in Milton offers a special program for students with severe learning disabilities who also require an additional level of social/emotional support (LEAD Program).  It is the Provincial School Admissions Committee who determine the best placement for the applicants.  Students from the Lambton Kent District School Board have attended the LEAD Program in previous years.

 

J. Quaglia suggested that the Provincial School Application Template and the supporting documentation may be of assistance when developing an IEP or other information packages for students with special needs.

 

 

4.0

SPECIAL EDUCATION RESERVE SPENDING

 

W. Kennedy distributed a Memorandum to SEAC outlining the proposed spending of $110,000 from Special Education Reserves.  Rationale was also provided in support of the spending in the following areas:

·         $25,000 for a six-month contract Information Technology Technologist position.

·         $60,000 for temporary Education Assistant support (approximately 4 positions (January to June)

·         $10,000 for costs associated with new web-based IEP

·         $10,000 for computer hardware and software for adaptive technology

·         $5,000 for costs associated with the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Demonstration Class.

 

SEAC supported the spending and suggested that if additional funding became available they would encourage the hiring of additional Educational Assistants.  An information Report to the Board, outlining the proposed spending, will be presented at the first Board meeting in January, 2005.

 

 

5.0

PRESENTATION – AUGMENTATIVE COMMUNICATION

 

Colleen Witt, Speech-Language Pathologist and Alternative Communication Consultant presented an outline of services available for students requiring alternative strategies and/or systems to augment their communication skills.  Students access the services through a referral made by the Principal and parent.  C. Witt also demonstrated several of the devices and technology that may be used to augment communication.

 

 

6.0

UPDATES TO 2002-2003 INTERNAL REVIEW OF SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

 

 

Revised versions of the following sections were distributed by W. Kennedy:

·        Section 3b - Programs and Services for Behaviour

·        Section 3i - Programs and Services for Speech and Language

 

Revisions included updated statistics and recommendations from recent program reviews.

 

Input from SEAC included:

·         support for increased services for students in need of mental health treatment

·        support for the continuation of speech and language services.

 

 

7.0

WEB-BASED IEP REVIEW UPDATE

 

W. Kennedy announced that the first meeting of the SEAC IEP Sub-Committee is scheduled for January 18, 2005.  L. Matthews, J. Quaglia, C. Taylor and J. Vanderwerf (D. Longwell, ex-officio) have volunteered to be on the sub-committee co-ordinated by G. Haskell.

 

 

8.0

SPECIAL EDUCATION PLAN

 

The review of Section 2.11 and Section 2.12 of the Special Education Plan was deferred to the next meeting.

 

 

9.0

CORRESPONDENCE - None.

 

 

10.0

ASSOCIATION REPORTS AND OTHER BUSINESS

 

D. Scherer submitted an article from the Provincial Parent Association Advisory Committee entitled “The Importance of Special Education Advisory Committees to Boards of Education”.

 

 

11.0

QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC - None.

 

 

12.0

FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

 

·        2003-2004 EQAO Testing Results and Exemption Rates

·        Updates to 2002-2003 Internal Review of Special Education Programs and Services

·        Special Education Plan - Review of Sections 2.11 and 2.12

 

 

13.0

NEXT MEETING

 

 

 

Thursday, January 27, 2005

 

Wallaceburg District Secondary School - Library

 

7:00 p.m.

 

 

14.0

ADJOURNMENT - 9:20 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joan Sparks,

 

Recording Secretary.