Student Population
Students eligible for SET-BC services must be receiving funding from the Ministry of Education, Special Education branch, in one of the following six disability categories.
Students with Physical Disabilities or Chronic Health Impairments
A student is considered to have a physical disability or chronic health impairment based on the need for special educational services due to one or more of the following:
- nervous system impairment;
- musculoskeletal condition; and/or
- chronic health impairment.
Medical diagnosis, by itself, does not determine the special educational services required by students with physical disabilities or chronic health impairments. Students are only eligible for funding in this category if their education is adversely affected by their physical disabilities or chronic health impairments.
To be eligible for supplemental funding for a student in this category, the following conditions must be met:
- the student must meet one or more of the above criteria; and
- a current IEP must be in place; and
- direct, ongoing special education service(s) must be provided. These services should be outlined in the IEP and directly related to the student's identified special need(s). The special education service(s) must be in addition to any services provided under formula funding based on total student enrolment (e.g., learning assistance, counseling). Reduction in class size is not by itself a sufficient service to meet the definition.
Students with Visual Impairment
Visual impairment is a generic term which covers a range of difficulties with vision and includes the following categories: blind, legally blind, partially sighted, low vision, and cortically visually impaired.
For educational purposes, a student with visual impairment is one whose visual acuity is not sufficient for the student to participate with ease in everyday activities. The impairment interferes with optimal learning and achievement and can result in a substantial educational disadvantage, unless adaptations are made in the methods of presenting learning opportunities, the nature of the materials used and/or the learning environment. It is not intended to include students described as having visual perceptual difficulties unless they also have a vision loss as described below.
To be eligible for supplemental funding as a visually impaired student, the following three conditions must be met:
In the opinion of an ophthalmologist, optometrist, orthoptist of the Visually Impaired Program at British Columbia's Children's Hospital, the student's functioning may be described by one of the following:
- a visual acuity of 6/21 (20/70) or less in the better eye after correction;
- a visual field of 20 degrees or less;
- any progressive eye disease with a prognosis of becoming one of the above in the next few years; or
- a visual problem or related visual stamina that is not correctable and that results in the student functioning as if his or her visual acuity is limited to 6/21 (20/70) or less; and
- a current IEP must be in place; and
- the student must be receiving additional special education services that are directly related to the student's visual impairment on a regular and frequent basis from a qualified teacher of the visually impaired. The special education service(s) must be in addition to any services provided under formula funding based on total student enrolment (e.g., learning assistance, counseling). Reduction in class size is not by itself a sufficient service to meet the definition.
Students with Multiple Disabilities - Those Who are Physically Dependent with Multiple Needs (Dependent)
A student with dependent needs is completely dependent on others for meeting all major daily living needs. She/he will require assistance at all times for feeding, dressing, toileting, mobility and personal hygiene. Without such assistance and personal care support, attendance at school would not be possible. Many students may also require health care as defined in the Inter-Ministerial Protocols. The estimated prevalence in British Columbia of school-age students requiring this very intense level of service is .07% of the student population.
These students must be receiving an additional special educational service on a regular and ongoing basis to be eligible for special education funding in this category, and a current IEP must be in place. Some students are born with conditions or disabilities that make them dependent, while others acquire conditions or disabilities. For some students, increasing independence as they learn and grow is a reasonable expectation. For other students, decreasing independence may occur due to degenerative conditions or terminal illness.
To be eligible for supplemental funding in this category, the following conditions must be met:
- the student must meet the above eligibility criteria; and
- a current IEP must be in place; and
- the student must be receiving specific additional service directed at the identified special needs. Direct, ongoing special education service(s) must be provided. These services should be outlined in the IEP and directly related to the student's identified special need(s). The special education service(s) must be in addition to any services provided under formula funding based on total student enrolment (e.g., learning assistance, counseling). Reduction in class size is not by itself a sufficient service to meet the definition.
Students who are Deafblind
A student with deafblindness has a degree of visual and auditory impairment which, when compounded, results in significant difficulties in developing communicative, educational, vocational, avocational, and social skills.
To be considered deafblind the student's vision and auditory impairments can range from partial sight to total blindness and from moderate to profound hearing loss.
Students who are identified and assessed as deafblind are eligible for supplemental funding as students with multiple disabilities when the following conditions are met:
- a current IEP must be in place; and
- direct, ongoing special education service(s) must be provided. These services should be outlined in the IEP and directly related to the student's identified special need(s). The special education service(s) must be in addition to any services provided under formula funding based on total student enrolment (e.g., learning assistance, counseling). Reduction in class size is not by itself a sufficient service to meet the definition.
Students with Autism
The syndrome of autism is a condition characterized by a marked disorder of communication and a severe disturbance of intellectual, emotional and behavioural development. It is a syndrome defined and diagnosed through the observation of behaviours. The syndrome is caused by an underlying physical dysfunction within the brain or central nervous system, the exact nature of which is as yet unknown. The Ministry of Education uses the definition of autism as defined by the American Psychiatric Association.
Based on this definition, a student with autism exhibits impairment in:
- reciprocal social interaction;,
- verbal and nonverbal communication;
- imaginative activity; and
- restrictive, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interest and activities.
To be eligible for supplemental funding, the following conditions must be met:
- a diagnosis of autism must have been made by appropriately qualified professionals; and
- a current IEP must be in place; and
- the student must be receiving additional special education services directly related to the autism on an ongoing and frequent basis. Reduction in class size is not by itself sufficient to meet the definition.
Students who are Moderate to Profound Intellectually Disabled
A student is considered to have a moderate to profound intellectual disability if intellectual functioning is greater than 3 standard deviations below the norm on an individually administered Level C assessment instrument of intellectual functioning, and there is delayed adaptive behaviour and functioning of similar degree. These students have particular learning characteristics. They require support in the development of academic skills, communication skills, cognitive skills, fine and gross motor skills, self-care, life skills and socialization skills. Generally, a student with this level of intellectual functioning is also significantly delayed in social-emotional development. There may also be accompanying sensory, physical and health disabilities.
To be eligible for special education funding for Moderate to Profound Intellectual Disabilities the student must also meet the following criteria:
- Ongoing special education service(s) must be provided. These services must be outlined in the IEP and be directly related to the student's identified needs. Reduction in class size is not by itself a sufficient service to meet this funding criteria.