Children with Disabilities
- Have the right to be enrolled and included at their local school
- Have the same rights, freedoms and responsibilities as other students of the same age
- Have the right to have their individual learning and development needs met and appropriate accommodations made so they can access the school curriculum and participate in school life
- Have the right to seamless education from when their needs are identified until they leave the education system.
B4 School Checks
Some pre-school children with disabilities will have had their needs assessed by Ministry of Education Early Intervention staff and services should therefore be in place for them when they start school. Sometimes a child’s learning and development needs will be identified at the B4 School Check and some may not be identified until after they start school.
The B4 School Check is a nationwide programme offering a free health and development check for 4-year-olds. The B4 School Check aims to identify and address any health, behavioural, social, or developmental concerns that could affect a child’s ability to get the most benefit from school, such as a hearing problem or communication difficulty.
Information about this service can be found on the Ministry of Health website.
Enrolling a child with a disability
Despite all children having the right to be enrolled and included at their local school, IHC frequently hears reports of children not being welcome at their local school.
Once parents decide which school they want their child to attend, an appointment should be made to meet the Principal. It is important that planning begins early so that support is in place when your child starts school.
Ask the school:
- How they will make sure your child is included in all aspects of school life?
- Which staff member is likely to be teaching your child and who you can talk to about progress?
- Whether your child will have an Individualised Education Plan (IEP) and who will attend those meetings?
- Whether the school has experience in developing and monitoring IEPs?
- Whether they have experience in making applications to the Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS)?
- How the school's Special Education Grant (SEG) is spent to support students with special education needs and how your child accesses that support?
- Where the Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) is based, what other schools they work with, and how they might be involved in supporting your child's learning?
- Who will supervise the child in the playground, if required?
- What will happen when the teacher aide is not able to be at school?
- What will happen with school outings, sports events and school camps?
