HomeMy WebLinkAbout03a Delegation Sarah CrollWe are writing this delegation to the SEAL in hopes that you can assist in implementing an
Intermediate Language Learning Disability Program for the 2013 -2014 school year as we believe
there is a need.
We believe there are several students (at least 12) in Grade 6 from the three Junior Language
Learning Disability Programs (LLD) who will be looking for a suitable system placement for
Grade 7 in order to access the curriculum. We have come to this belief because there are 7
students alone in Grade 6 at Cambridge PS. We assume that there are Grade 7 students with
Language Learning Disabilities who are still in need of a suitable placement for Grade 8. The
actual numbers can be investigated at the Board level for students in the Junior LLD who are in
Grade 6, and those who left the Junior LLD in June of 2012.
A person with a Language Learning Disability has significant challenges that are best met in a
class that focuses on speech and language support, social support, technological support, and
access to the curriculum through specific strategies that reduce the roadblocks of language. The
students who are currently in the Junior Language Learning Disability Program have scored in
the severe category in at least two areas of language development. They have also been placed in
these classes from the 12 Primary LLD programs Board wide, so needless to say they have the
most severe Language Disabilities in the OCDSB.
The options at the Intermediate Level for our children are: Mainstream with LST support; LD
class; or GLP. None of these options include Speech and Language therapy or support to our
children or their teachers, which is critical for our children to access the curriculum.
The language needs of these students would be difficult to meet in a mainstream
classroom even with intensive support from the board level which would be costly on an
individual basis. The cost to the students' self - esteem and self - concept as a learner could
be huge possibly impacting their behaviours, their motivation, and their desire to be
successful in school which would effect their ability to be part of the OCDS's
graduation rate.
We have each been told that our children would not meet the criteria for the LD class.
This is confusing because all of our children score within the average range for their
cognitive abilities on the nonverbal test administered by Board Psychologists, which
seems to meet the admission criteria of the LD class. Regardless, the LD class does not
provide speech and language supports through a certified Speech Language Pathologist.
The GLP is for students who are functioning cognitively between the 1 -4 percentile. The
students coming out of the Junior LLD fall within the average range for their non verbal
cognitive abilities and there for do not meet the criteria for this program. These students
need the primary focus of their school day to be on advancing their academic skills, not
focusing on daily living skills. It is interesting to note at this point that language issues
and communication have been added to the OCDSB admission criteria and social profile
of the GLP since May of 2011, but have not been changed in the Ministry of Education
definition of Mild Intellectual Disability.
There are several different pathways available at the secondary level, but there seems to be a
disconnect for these students at the Intermediate Level where none of the options place language
as a primary focus. This request of an Intermediate Language Learning Disability class can be
found in minutes from the OCDSB website dating back to January 2006. This illustrates the
continued need for this program. In order to allow these exceptional students to continue to
progress academically and to build strategies to be able to learn independently, they need
intensive support in an Intermediate Language Learning Disability class.
Thank you for your time,
Sarah Croll, Dwayne Stevenson, Raquella Tejada, Jennifer Caillier, Nicole Young, Blair Tucker,
Susan Malone- Tucker, Marc and Jen Lavictoire
Parents of Grade 6 students in the Junior LLD at Cambridge PS