Category E - Visual Impairment Why is inclusion important for

“A student with visual impairment is one whose

visual acuity is not sufficient for the student to
students with exceptionalities?
participate with ease in everyday activities.” (BC
All of our students deserve the best education
Ministry of Education, 2016, p. 74).
possible, regardless of their abilities. In order to

Let’s Learn Together:

Teaching Strategies
accomplish this, “teachers use universal design
- use braille, visual aids, technological devices, and plan proactively to meet the needs of all their
students” (Hutchinson, 2017, p. 3). This is not

Inclusion of Students
such as audiobooks, audio-calculators, etc.

something that is “difficult”, or “more work” for

- use notetakers or scribes

teachers, it’s something that we do naturally

- magnified printed materials or provide

with Exceptionalities
because we know how important it is to include
magnifiers

ALL of our students in our classroom activities.

- read aloud instructions, texts, or worksheets

When we focus on supporting students with

Category H - Students Requiring exceptionalities in our classrooms, ALL students
By: Samantha Maliszewski

Intensive Behaviour Intervention or

benefit.

Students with Serious Mental Illnesses

“Students identified in this category are those most
in need of intensive interventions. These students
should have access to co-ordinated school/
community interventions, which are based on inter-
service/agency assessment processes that are
required to manage, educate, and maintain the
students in school and in their community” (BC
Ministry of Education, 2016, p. 57).
The British Columbia Ministry of Education
defines inclusion as: “the principle that all
students are entitled to equitable access to
learning, achievement and the pursuit of
excellence in all aspects of their education. The
practice of inclusion is not necessarily
synonymous with integration and goes beyond
placement to include meaningful participation
and the promotion of interaction with

others.” (BC Ministry of Education, 2016, p. v). It

Teaching Strategies
is so important to help our students to not only
- allow students to go to the counsellor and/or participate in our classrooms, but also to learn
any other support staff members at any point how to interact with their peers and create
positive and supportive relationships throughout
during class

- check in with students to ensure their lives.

understanding of material and their emotional
state

- use “cool down” methods to help regulate

behaviour

- use behaviour assessments to create positive

support plans with student
Resources:
Support Staff Classroom Teachers Parents Students

- these include Learning - communicate with - communicate with - seek help when
Visual Impairment Resources
Support teachers, parents and student
teachers and support needed

- http://www.teachingvisuallyimpaired.com/
counsellors, staff

- https://www.prcvi.org/
Educational - ensure learning - try to remain positive
- https://www.blindbeginnings.ca/
Assistants, Special objectives are clear
- be a part of the IEP and motivated to
- https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/ Education Assistants, process
succeed in the
- provide adapted classroom

kindergarten-to-grade-12/teach/teaching-tools/ Resource teachers, curriculum to best - encourage child to

inclusive/students-with-visual-impairments.pdf
Interagency teachers
support students
seek help if struggling
- participate in
- communicate with classroom activities

Students Requiring Intensive Behaviour Intervention - interact with SEA’s, - take advantage of
or Students with Serious Mental Illnesses parents

LST, or Resource community programs

Resources
teachers
for child outside of
- help create IEPs for
- https://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/specedu/beh/ school

students every year

pdf/4.pdf
- use Universal Design
- https://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/sites/default/files/ - provide additional for Learning to provide - emphasize positive
images/family_toolkit_m5.pdf
support often outside multiple opportunities social skills and
- https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/ for students to values in child

of the classroom

kindergarten-to-grade-12/teach/teaching-tools/ succeed

- help provide more - support the inclusive

inclusive/mental-health-disorders-vol2.pdf

intensive, - consult IEP’s on a practices being

- https://vantagepointrecovery.com/students-with-
regular basis provided for child
mental-health-disorders/
individualized support
- https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/

References:
kindergarten-to-grade-12/teach/teaching-tools/
inclusive/learning-behavioural-differences.pdf

General Resources for Special Education

Hutchinson, N. L. (2017). Inclusion of exceptional learners in Canadian Schools: A Practical Handbook for 

Teachers.Toronto: Pearson.
- https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/
administration/kindergarten-to-grade-12/ Ministry of Education. (2009). A Guide to Adaptations and Modifications. Print.

independent-schools/se_cat_chklst.pdf

- https://bctf.ca/parents.aspx?id=3368
Ministry of Education. (2016, April). Special Education Services: A Manual of Policies, Procedures and 

- https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/ Guidelines.

administration/kindergarten-to-grade-12/
Paths to Literacy. (n.d.). Instructional Strategies for Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired. Retrieved from 

inclusive/special_ed_policy_manual.pdf

http://www.pathstoliteracy.org/instructional-strategies-students-who-are-blind-or-visually-impaired

Title Image from: Arellano, D. (2018, May 10). What are the educational journeys of B.C. students with special 

needs? UBC team wants to know. Retrieved from https://globalnews.ca/news/4195900/ubc-special-needs-

study/