Students with Special Educational Needs
Corresponding to Policy 48 Students with Special Educational Needs and Article (53) of the Organising Regulations
Definition(s):
For the purposes of this policy the School refers to Ajyal International School. For the purposes of this policy, Special Educational Needs (“SEN”) is the generic term for any disability, disorder, difficulty, impairment, exceptional needs (rare cases) or other additional needs that may be caused by mental, behavioural, physical, emotional or cognitive factors and which may affect a student’s learning and his or her educational performance. These students require additional educational support beyond that provided in general classrooms in order to achieve the greatest benefit from the curriculum.
Gifted and talented students have exceptional abilities and talents either academically or in a specific field. These are students whose outstanding abilities make them capable of high performance, but are not labelled as Special Education Needs. Their needs require specific consideration within regular mainstream educational programs. Their current attainment or perceived potential places them significantly ahead of the majority of their peers in one or more of the following areas:
- Intellectual ability.
- Subject-specific aptitude (e.g. in science or mathematics).
- Social maturity and leadership.
- Mechanical/technical/technological ingenuity.
- Visual and performing arts (e.g. art, theatre, recitation).
- Psychomotor ability (e.g. sport).
Special education is the additional provision of support designed to meet students’ learning differences and needs, such as special planning and specific teaching techniques, procedures and assessments, and tailored programs and materials, to ensure that such students (including gifted and talented students) reach their full potential, achieve a greater level of personal independence, accessibility to the curriculum, and succeed in school and beyond.
These categories are not intended to specifically identify all medically diagnosed conditions and syndromes that may have an impact on the student’s needs and educational program, but they reflect the main categories defined by the UAE Ministry guidance “School for All: General Rules for the Provision of Special Education Programs and Services (Public and Private Schools) of 2010” and also ADEK’s “Special Education Policy and Procedures Handbook”.
School Owners and Board of Trustees will:
- Monitor their School’s Admission Policy and the services provided to Special Education Needs students to determine the extent to which the School complies with this policy.
Ensure that any non-compliance is addressed in the School Development Plan.
School Principal will:
- Evaluate current practice in admitting and providing services for mild and moderate Special Education Needs students, and monitor same to ensure that their School complies with this policy.
- Make appropriate modifications to the Individual Education Plan, and differentiate and adapt the curriculum where required to meet students’ needs.
- Ensure that student progress reports to Parents/Guardians identify clearly that modifications and services being provided to a student who has a mild to moderate Special Education Needs, or who is gifted and talented.
- Recruit teachers and support staff who are trained and skilled in dealing with Special Education Needs students.
- Be a part of the support staff, and carefully monitor and assess the responses to learning difficulties identified in a student’s Individual Education.
School Owners and Board of Trustees will:
- Monitor their School’s Admission Policy and the services provided to Special Education Needs students to determine the extent to which the School complies with this policy.
Ensure that any non-compliance is addressed in the School Development Plan.
School Principal will:
- Evaluate current practice in admitting and providing services for mild and moderate Special Education Needs students, and monitor same to ensure that their School complies with this policy.
- Make appropriate modifications to the Individual Education Plan, and differentiate and adapt the curriculum where required to meet students’ needs.
- Ensure that student progress reports to Parents/Guardians identify clearly that modifications and services being provided to a student who has a mild to moderate Special Education Needs, or who is gifted and talented.
- Recruit teachers and support staff who are trained and skilled in dealing with Special Education Needs students.
- Be a part of the support staff, and carefully monitor and assess the responses to learning difficulties identified in a student’s Individual Education.
