Special Education
Contact
Jodie Baker
Superintendent of Education
"All students can learn but not always on the same day and not always in the same way."
All students require support from teachers, classmates, family, and friends in order to thrive and to gain full benefit from their school experience. Some students have special needs that require additional supports beyond those ordinarily received in a classroom setting.
Many students have special education needs. Some are formally identified through the Identification, Placement and Review process (IPRC) and have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) that guides their programming. Other students have an Individual Education Plan without the formal identification. Classroom teachers focus on universal design for learning and differentiated instruction to meet the needs of all students. Special education programs and services in the Avon Maitland District School Board support classroom teachers in meeting the needs of our diverse group of learners with special education needs.
Resources, programs and services provided to students depend on funding allotted to AMDSB by the Ministry of Education.
Select this link to access the Board's Special Education Plan and all supporting documents.
David Higgins
System Principal of Special Education
Deb Bice, Judy Dunning, Sharon Reay, Bev Prout
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Department
Teachers of the Deaf & Hard of Hearing provide service to students with moderate, severe, and profound hearing losses. Support is given to the schools on classroom acoustics, amplification, seating and teaching strategies.
John Baxter, Marion Bennett
Blind and Low Vision Department
Teachers of the Blind provide service and program support to students with moderate, severe, and profound visual impairments. Teachers of the blind also provide support through consultative services relating to the student’s vision loss.
Leanne Armstrong, Teresa Hopkinson, Carole Oliver, Diane Porte
Speech and Language Department
Speech & Language Pathologists provide a range of services to support students with speech, language and communication needs in the classroom. This includes consultation, assessment, programming, therapy and community liaison.
Dr. Anne Robinson (Psychologist), Dr. Rosanne Field (Psychologist), D.J. Henry (Psychometrist), William Williams (Psychometrist)
Psychology Department
The Board's Psychology Team provides psychological services such as psychological assessments, consultations and training.
Mary Lynn Cook-McEwen, Missy Pfaff, Leanna McKee, Dayna Knott
Special Education Consultants
Special Education Consultants provide special education consultant services to a region of schools and to the district as a whole.
Shannon Empson (Seaforth site), Cindy Carlson (Stratford site)
Gifted Program
Teachers of the Gifted provide direct service to students identified as gifted in grades:
- 4-5-6 who are admitted to the out-of-school gifted program;
- 7-10 through the Module program;
Our gifted teachers also provide support to other students identified as gifted by consulting with classroom teachers.
Coralee Mathews (ESL Coordinator)
Lydia Wassink, Barb Durrell, Dawn Bellinger, Jodi Welgand (Assistants)
ESL Education Assistants
Work as part of the ESL Team to provide direct support for all Stage 1 and 2 ESL students.
Anne Copeland
Coordinator of Student Support Services
Sue Adair, Claire Bowers
Behaviour Resource Department
Behaviour Resource Teachers observe, plan, and apply behaviour strategies, intervention, data collection and classroom management methods to support classroom teachers, school staff and students experiencing behaviour crisis. Behaviour resource teachers can be accessed through both consultations and direct referrals approved by the Superintendent of Education (Special Education).
Rue Brenner, Kim Martin, Mary Jane Bender, Jean Ryan
Behaviour Resource Team EAs
Assist the Behaviour Resource Teacher in observing, planning, and applying behaviour strategies, intervention, data collection and classroom management methods to support classroom teachers, school staff and students experiencing behaviour crisis.
Heather McGree-Rody, Kerri Otten, Barb Redmond
School-To-Work Transition Program
Job Coaches are available to assist special education and co-op teachers with students in the school to work transition program.