Designing the Programme

The programme is the most vital element in the IEP process.

When planning the programme the team identifies strategies that will remove barriers to learning and make the curriculum more accessible to the student. There is no step by step recipe to follow. Rather it is an information sharing, problem-solving, trouble-shooting process, seeking creative solutions for a particular situation.

Before individual adaptations and modifications are made to the curriculum, teachers should satisfy themselves that strategies known to increase effective teaching and learning with a diverse range of students are in place.

Examples of these strategies are:

• co-operative learning techniques
• small group work
• whaka whānaungatanga o te tuakana me te teina
• buddy systems
• peer tutoring
• active/experiential learning.

If successful learning outcomes cannot be achieved by these methods alone then the following strategies should also be considered:

• adaptations to the physical environment
• adaptations to the content and delivery of the lesson
• modifications to resources and materials
• use of equipment eg, computers, Braille machines
• provision of support personnel.

Adaptations to the physical environment

The physical arrangement of the room, lighting, noise level, location of materials and resources, access to library, science rooms, technology rooms etc, proximity of peers and teacher are all considerations for environmental modifications.

If a student does not have access to all the essential areas of the school environment they are disadvantaged.

Adaptations to the class programme

The teacher can adapt the programme by adjusting the delivery and design of the lesson or adjusting the demands of the curriculum.

Delivery and design of the programme can be adjusted by:

• allowing more time for the task
• pacing the lesson differently
• ensuring a variety of ways of processing information
• setting up structures that enable achieving smaller steps to the goal
• checking more frequently than usual for understanding
• giving more frequent feedback
• simplifying questions.

Demands of the curriculum can be adjusted by:

• lowering the performance standards in either or both quality and quantity
• presenting the content in a more simple way
• presenting the content in a different way
• giving more opportunities for practical applications of the content.

This is not a comprehensive list of adaptive strategies. It merely indicates some of the ways that curriculum and lesson design and delivery may be adapted.

Some students will require only small changes to the programme while others may need major changes or a completely different programme, depending on their needs.

Modifications to resources and materials

Instructional materials enable students to access information and demonstrate their mastery of the key concepts. Materials may have to be adapted to allow students with special needs to access the information or demonstrate their understanding.  This can be done by, for example:

• simplifying resources and materials
• using different resources and materials
• enlarging print
• taping text.

Use of equipment

For some students with special education needs, access to equipment (also known as assistive technology) is an essential element in their IEP. When selected and used effectively, equipment contributes to learning outcomes. Equipment includes both 'low tech' items such as adjustable desks, and more complex devices such as computer-assisted communication technologies.

Assessment and recommendations for equipment are made by specialist technology teams throughout New Zealand. Before making a referral for this specialist assessment, the IEP team is required to:

• demonstrate links between the proposed equipment use and the learning goals identified in the IEP
• detail the results of the teaching strategies and class-based curriculum adaptations that have been tried
• provide relevant assessment information such as timed writing samples if the student is having difficulties with note-taking
• indicate what access is available to school-based equipment.

Equipment use is, therefore, closely linked to the IEP process.

Equipment provision on its own does not lead to learning gains. Learning outcomes are only achieved when the student and their support team have been:

• trained to use the equipment
• supported to incorporate the use of the equipment in the overall education programme.

The present system for assessing, funding and moderating the equipment requirements of individual students is centrally managed and co-ordinated by Group Special Education within the Ministry of Education.

Provision of support personnel

Despite the adaptations and modifications to the curriculum, some students will need higher levels of assistance than can be provided by the class teacher.

The decision to provide extra support to a student should only be made after the curricular adaptations and accommodations outlined above have been established.

The need for assistance may vary from day-to-day or be needed at predictable times, be required only from time-to-time or, for a small number of students, continuously.

Assistance can be provided by a variety of people:

• school volunteers
• teacher aides
• part-time teachers
• specialist teachers or therapists.

There is no doubt that some students require quite intensive support for large parts of the day and the IEP should identify that support when it is needed. However, to facilitate independence and inclusion, support that can be provided by the class teacher and peers should be employed to the greatest extent possible. Students should not be separated from the rest of the class, either within the class or in a withdrawal situation if they can achieve the same outcomes working with a peer or in a co-operative group.

An implicit goal in programming for students with special needs should be to increase independence and to reduce the need for support over time wherever possible.

A flow chart to assist the curriculum adaptation process is given in the Photocopy Masters section.

The role of the teacher aide

As the name implies, the role of the teacher aide is to assist the teacher.

Funding methods in recent years have allocated specified teacher aide hours to individual students with special needs. In practice this has led to a model where the teacher aide has worked on a one-to-one basis with the student. The teacher aide has been perceived as 'belonging' to that student and is sometimes responsible for the delivery of much of the day-to-day instruction for that student.

There is no doubt that a number of students require this level of intensive help.

However, there are a number of alternative ways of using teacher aide time to maximise the benefit gained from having an extra resource person in the classroom.

For example, the teacher aide might be employed to help the teacher with a range of organisational, non-teaching tasks or to supervise groups of students. This enables the teacher to be released to provide the highly skilled teaching that students with special teaching needs often require.

They may assist in the preparation of materials and resources such as simplified texts or tapes for tape-assisted reading.

They may be required to give physical support for students and to help with personal care.

There is no one role for the teacher aide and should teacher aide assistance be provided, the IEP team should decide how best that resource could be used.

In summary

When developing a programme for a student with special needs:

• ensure that effective and inclusive teaching practices are in place
• identify possible adaptations to the curriculum and to the delivery of the programme
• identify possible modifications to resources and materials
• identify additional or specialised equipment necessary
• identify personal support required.