The Upper Grand District School Board introduced a special needs strategy for children and youth at its annual monthly meeting on Dec. 16.
Trudy Counter, coordinator of communication, language and speech services and Sandra Ellis, community connections and collaborative projects lead introduced the strategy.
The project is led by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, which also involves the Ministries of Education, Community and Social Services, Health and Long Term Care. It is designed to provide seamless services for children and youth with multiple and/or complex special needs from birth to end of schooling (age 21 in most cases).
The families and these children will have access to coordinated service planning (through a “go-to” person to contact and who will monitor their needs), and integrated delivery of rehabilitation services (occupational therapy, speech and language services and physiotherapy services) delivered from birth to the end of school.
All local (Dufferin and Wellington) health services are involved including Community Care Access Centres, Local Health Integration Networks, Dufferin and Wellington child and family services agencies, the school boards and other agencies and organizations.
Two committees of all stakeholders are developing the strategies to serve the needs of the children and their families, in the way and at the place that meets their needs.
They are operating on very tight timelines: March 5, for the coordinated services delivery strategy to start in July, and June 1, for the integrated delivery of rehabilitation services, which will begin in January 2016.
Many questions have yet to be discussed and an update on the services will be provided as the committees meet and the work progresses.
Annual Accessibility Report
Superintendent Bonnie Talbot presented the Annual Accessibility Report to trustees. It outlines steps that the board has taken over the past year to identify, remove and prevent barriers. It, and the multi-year accessibility plan, are required under provincial legislation.
The report for the 2013-14 school year focused on ongoing training for all staff, new educational resources added to UG2GO and the Terry James Resource Centre, transportation plans for all students with disabilities, additions to the staff handbook, consideration of how disabilities may affect purchasing, an updated and accessible website and employment through accessible ads and disability plans for staff. Board resources were focused on renovations to provide accessible washrooms, door openers and accessible parking spaces.
The next meeting of the board will be on Jan. 27 at 500 Victoria Rd. N. beginning at 7pm.
