Aboriginal Teacher Education Program
  Special Education

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In the fall of 1999, the Aboriginal Teacher Education Program of Queen's University's Faculty of Education proposed a Special Education First Nations initiative in the Western James Bay region. This initiative was dedicated to developing coursework and resources to help in the teaching, identifying and evaluating of special learning needs of Aboriginal students.

Corresponding with the report Special Education in First Nation Classrooms (J.C.Brant, 2000), the recommended resources involve three strands:

Content

• types of exceptionalities
• early childhood education and development
• assessment
• basic-skills
• independent learning
• positive group behaviour

Requirements

• standard special education procedures
• caseload management
• Individual Education Plan (IEP) development
• evaluation to match adapted goals to curriculum
• building positive relationship with the parents
• referral process

Awareness

• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and effects
• association between physiological and psychological development
• associated learning disabilities

Definitions and Terminology

Learning Disabilities

This term describes a disorder that affects a person's ability to either interpret what they see and hear or to link information from different parts of the brain. These limitations can show up in many ways: as specific difficulties with spoken and written language, coordination, self control, or attention. This is a broad term that covers a pool of possible causes, symptoms, treatments, and outcomes. These types of learning disabilities include: developmental speech and language disorders, academic skills disorders, and other — a catch-all that includes certain coordination disorder and learning handicaps not covered by other terms. Each one of these categories includes a number of more specific disorders.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a birth defect syndrome caused by the mother's intake of alcohol during pregnancy. The spectrum of alcohol-related diagnoses includes Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE), PFAS (Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome), ARND (Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder) or ARBD (Alcohol Related Birth Defects). In addition to the major signs listed below many FAS children may be born with heart and kidney defects, problems with bones and joints, and other physical defects. The most common expressions of these abnormalities include: Stunted Growth (children with FAS are typically very small at birth and usually remain so throughout life), Facial abnormalities (children with FAS typically present with small, widely spaced eyes, a short, upturned nose, small, flat cheeks, and a smooth philtrum), and Central Nervous System Abnormalities (children with FAS typically present with signs of developmental delays, hyperactivity, perceptual problems, poor coordination, and learning difficulties).

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a condition that becomes apparent in some children in the preschool and early school years. It is hard for these children to control their behavior and/or pay attention. The principal characteristics of ADD are inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. These symptoms appear early in a child's life. Because many normal children may have these symptoms, but at a low level, or the symptoms may be caused by another disorder, it is important that the child receive a thorough examination and appropriate diagnosis by a well-qualified professional.

IEP infomation from Nipissing University in PowerPoint [144 KB ppt]