Special Needs Issues

On November 20, the Canadian Council for Social Development (CCSD) released an informative report entitled Children and Youth with Special Needs. The report highlights the difficulties and barriers facing children with special needs, problems that most people feel should be diminishing, but which in fact remain daunting.

Dec 1, 2001 - Keenan Wellar

It was about one year ago that the Ontarians with Disabilities Act was a hot topic in this column and just about anywhere else in Ontario where disability issues were of concern. It would seem that many key issues remain unresolved.

Nov 1, 2001 - Keenan Wellar

A new program known as Students Leading Students will help secondary school students "to learn about disability, about how students (with intellectual disabilities) can be educated in regular classes, and how it's a better way to educate them.

Oct 1, 2001 - Keenan Wellar

Community and Social Services Minister John Baird formally announced on September 11 that agencies serving people with developmental disabilities throughout Ontario will be eligible for increased funding immediately.

Sep 1, 2001 - Keenan Wellar

A new program designed to give high school students with disabilities an opportunity to experience their first job was officially launched on July 23, 2001, by Tim Sale, minister responsible for persons with disabilities in the province of Manitoba.

Aug 1, 2001 - Keenan Wellar

Four Ottawa non-profit organizations will have a chance to improve accessibility for persons with disabilities as a result of government funding announced by Cam Jackson, Ontario Minister of Citizenship with responsibility for disability issues.

Jul 1, 2001 - Keenan Wellar

Responding to the concerns of individuals and groups serving people with developmental disabilities, Community and Social Services Minister John Baird will introduce legislation on June 5 that, if passed, will repeal the Homes for Retarded Persons Act.

Jun 1, 2001 - Keenan Wellar

FAS is the most preventable cause of cognitive disability. In fact, it could be eradicated through abstention from alcohol during pregnancy.

May 1, 2001 - Keenan Wellar

The March 22, 2001, release by the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) of its Policy and Guidelines on Disability and the Duty to Accommodate has been strongly commended by Ontario Citizenship Minister Cam Jackson.

Apr 1, 2001 - Keenan Wellar

New funding will help children's aid societies respond to increased service demands resulting from greater public awareness of child abuse and neglect, and the strengthening of the Child and Family Services Act.

Mar 1, 2001 - Keenan Wellar

Instead of tearing families apart, the system must build and reinforce the lifelong supports that are required to enable people with disabilities to reach their potential.

Feb 1, 2001 - Keenan Wellar

There are many children born with Cerebral Palsy who are unable to sit up, play or even do the simplest tasks. Colleen Rose, mother of four whose second child, born in 1983, was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at the age of a year, has written a self-help book entitled "Step by Step" (Real Life Experiences with Cerebral Palsy).

Jan 1, 2001 - Keenan Wellar

If any of the wonderful readers of this column should be in the Ottawa area for New Year's Eve, come and join me at the coolest party in town. Please see http://www.schoolnet.ca/sne/e/snn/gala.html if you are interested, and see you in the 2001!

Dec 1, 2000 - Keenan Wellar

Elections Canada offers information and education services to persons who have a disability, seniors, persons with limited reading and writing skills, and persons living in transitional situations (homeless or living in a shelter for victims of abuse).

Nov 15, 2000 - Keenan Wellar

In response to criticism with respect to progress on the proposed Ontarians with Disabilities Act(see last month's article) on November 15, 2000, the Ontario provincial government claimed to have reaffirmed its commitment to improve opportunities for people with disabilities in Ontario.

Nov 1, 2000 - Keenan Wellar

According to the Ontario Association for Community Living, a leaked document on Ontarians with Disabilities Act shows the government is more interested in dollars than in citizenship.

Oct 1, 2000 - Keenan Wellar

The Ontario government is considering closing the province's last three institutions for the developmentally disabled as part of a plan to overhaul the entire $1-billion caregiving sector.

Sep 1, 2000 - Keenan Wellar

Its time to start thinking about the coming school year and for parents to consider how they can help their child with learning difficulties to make a smooth transition from a relaxing summer schedule to school, attending a new school or any sort of change that their child will encounter at school in the fall.

Aug 1, 2000 - Keenan Wellar

Robert Latimer's long legal saga wound its way back to the Supreme Court today with his lawyer arguing Latimer killed his disabled daughter out of love. Edward Greenspan said Latimer acted to save his daughter, who had severe cerebral palsy, from the agonizing pain of yet another operation.

Jul 1, 2000 - Keenan Wellar

The Supreme Court of Canada will hear the appeal Wednesday of Saskatchewan farmer Robert Latimer who admittedly killed his disabled daughter, Tracy. His assertion that he murdered his child out of love is an absurd affront to families across Canada who fear an outcome that would condone the "compassionate" murder.

Jun 1, 2000 - Keenan Wellar

"Our government has heard and responded to the concerns of people with developmental disabilities, their families and those who work with them," said Ontario Minister of Community and Social Services John Baird. "This additional $50 million in funding will provide vital services to the most vulnerable people in society."

May 1, 2000 - Keenan Wellar

Some education critics do not share Minister Ecker's enthusiasm for a province-wide school code of conduct. One common concern that has been expressed is that a province-wide code of conduct may interfere with local solutions that may be working quite well for individual schools and communities.

Apr 1, 2000 - Keenan Wellar

4.2 million Canadians – one in six Canadians of all ages – have a disability. The federal government, through the February 28 budget, has made a number of committments to helping Canadians with disabilities participate in the labour force and deal with medical and care-related costs.This budget builds on numerous measures in previous budgets.

Mar 1, 2000 - Keenan Wellar

1,500,000 Ontarians with disabilities face many kinds of barriers, which prevent them from participating fully in the economic, social and cultural life of our province. This situation is, of course, not unique to Ontario. These barriers can be physical in nature, relate to the inability to access information, or to attitudinal issues in society.

Feb 1, 2000 - Keenan Wellar

The idea that "disability" is a socially created phenemonon has been legitimated, particularly in recent years, within social, cultural, and policy frameworks and structures that interpret disability as a form of social oppression.

Jan 1, 2000 - Keenan Wellar

The theme for this year’s observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons - Accessability - reminds us that for many people with disabilities, the lack of access to essential services remains a source of discrimination and lost opportunities.

Dec 1, 1999 - Keenan Wellar

Is high school a waste of time? What is the purpose of a high school education? How well are students with special needs served by the high school education system? The answers to these questions are largely unknown - but they shouldn't be! Read this article to find out what Leon Botstein and I have to say about it.

Nov 1, 1999 - Keenan Wellar

It is assumed by many that the major barrier to employment for this population is ability. What I have learned is that the context of the workplace environment is a major barrier to the application of skills. This is the real issue at hand.

Oct 1, 1999 - Keenan Wellar

University of Calgary medical researchers have found the location of a gene that makes people likely to inherit dyslexia. It is hoped that this ongoing research will lead to routine genetic screening that could provide early identification of the condition, so that children could get help prior to and upon entering the school system.

Sep 1, 1999 - Keenan Wellar

What is astounding about the summer learning programs is to discover the level of "learned helplessness" that many youth with developmental disabilities bring with them in an authentic community environment. This only serves to reinforce my belief that school-based simulations do not transfer will to community settings. Such basic activities as boarding a bus or using an elevator proved to be substantial obstacles for some.

Aug 1, 1999 - Keenan Wellar

What is unique about this project is that we have recognized that having a developmental disability or a related cognitive challenge is not necessarily the biggest barrier to employment. If you do not have the self-confidence and self-reliance that comes from authentic experience, if you do not understand how to interact socially and professionally in the workplace, if you have never had a chance to develop a work ethic, and if you do not have any means to get your foot in the door of potential employers, you are not going to get a job. The actual disability or challenge is in many ways a secondary concern if all of these issues are not effectively addressed.

Jul 1, 1999 - Keenan Wellar

They have all dealt remarkably well with the fact that society treats adults with developmental disabilities in the worst fashion possible: we ignore them.

Jun 1, 1999 - Keenan Wellar

I recently caught the last half of an interview with Howard Gardner on the Pamelin Wallin show. Gardner, the Harvard psychologist who revolutionized our thinking with his theory of multiple intelligences in the early 80s, is now taking on the future of education. In his latest book, “The Disciplined Mind,” he offers new teaching strategies for the technological age, and argues for what he calls “education for understanding.” While this latest work was not created to specifically address isues in Special Education, anyone who has worked with children with special needs will find themselves nodding their heads in agreement with most anything Howard Gardner has to say. The following interview is reprinted here with the permission of the NEA.

May 1, 1999 - Keenan Wellar

A team comprised of scientists from several countries say that the new drug Copaxone is not only effective in treating symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis, but also has the potential to protect the brain and combat the MS disease over time.

Apr 1, 1999 - Keenan Wellar

Well folks, the clock is ticking. The end of April is drawing near, which means it's time to dig out those receipts, dust off the calculator, sharpen those pencils, and get down to business. Yes, that's right, it's time to complete your income tax return. Here's some information about taxes as related to persons with disabilities.

Mar 1, 1999 - Keenan Wellar

For persons with disabilities in Ontario it has been a long wait for an employment supports program that directly addresses their needs. Up until just a few weeks ago, the only assistance came by way of Vocational Rehabilitation Services. Even the title of the VRS program was a clear indicator that it was never properly directed towards serving people with disabilities. With the introduction of the new Employment Supports program, it is said that this will change for the better.

Feb 1, 1999 - Keenan Wellar

Well dear readers, it's a whole new year, but for people with disabilities and those who care about them, it looks like the struggles of 1998 are here to stay.

Jan 1, 1999 - Keenan Wellar

You will have to excuse the rather dramatic headline, but I am in no mood for subtelty. I get sort of cranky when I open my National Post and find out that a boy who used to have no bigger problem than staying alert in school has died, thanks to his "ADD medication". This happened five years ago, so although his death is still upsetting, what really has me fuming is the fact that little seems to have been learned from this tragedy.

Dec 1, 1998 - Keenan Wellar

On November 6-7, I had the honour of hosting the Special Needs Services Exhibition (SNSE) on behalf of the Special Needs Network, a non-governmental charitable organization. The idea behind the exhibition was to bring a number of community service providers together so that families could enjoy "one-stop shopping" in locating programs for people with developmental disabilities and related special needs. There were also informative seminars running every hour.

Nov 1, 1998 - Keenan Wellar

For some strange reason, it has been decided that people with developmental disabilities are not like the rest of us. They are forced to leave the public school system at age 21 (whether they have achieved functional academic skills or not) and that is, for most, the end of their formal education. Why is this so?

Oct 1, 1998 - Keenan Wellar

For some children who do not perform well in school, the usual diagnoses (such as Attention Deficit Disorder) may not apply. The problems may be the result of a serious sleep disorder, and a simple surgical procedure can change their lives.

Sep 1, 1998 - Keenan Wellar

If it is not applied learning, what kind of learning is it? A personal experience with a summer program for youth with developmental disabilities begs this question.

Aug 1, 1998 - Keenan Wellar

Yes, make contact - lenses, that is! Preliminary tests show that a new system of coloured contact lenses can lead to significant improvements in reading for both children and adults with dyslexia, which can be broadly defined as a specific difficulty with processing language, memory and organisation.

Jul 1, 1998 - Keenan Wellar

The new Ontario Disability Supports Plan. The philosophy behind the document appears progressive, but will this comprehensive program lead to better lives for people with disabilities?

Jun 1, 1998 - Keenan Wellar

People with developmental disabilities are of course capable of working, this has been proven time and again. However, the ability of a person to work is not an indication that their disability has been eliminated, and does not mean that they do not require economic assistance (or the possibility of assistance) to augment their employment income.

May 1, 1998 - Keenan Wellar

Well, it's not like I really approached this volunteer opportunity thinking I would have fun. But the rewards are many. Best of all, I have been meeting some incredibly dynamic people, who have taught me that while I may be a "busy" person, I'm not that busy - I can find that extra few hours a week to give something back to my community.

Apr 1, 1998 - Keenan Wellar

Most parents are so busy working tirelessly to make life better for their children that they don't have time to stop and think about what their departure from this earth could mean for their kids. Just how serious an issue this is was recently revealed by an incident in Ottawa. Laurie Aylsworth, 49, died after a long bout with cancer, leaving behind three sons, including her eldest, Cedric, a quadraplegic with cerebral palsy and developmental disabilities.

Mar 1, 1998 - Keenan Wellar

In brief, for many of the participants it was clear that they viewed the issue of educational placement as an either/or issue: a child is either segragated or included. Given the wide range of educational strategies available, I will not waste anyone's time arguing that these terms are massive generalizations...there are no absolutes in life, and that is certainly true in the case of educational programming.

Feb 1, 1998 - Keenan Wellar

Is A Code Of Conduct The Answer To School Discipline

Jan 16, 1998 - Keenan Wellar

Yes, it is time to break free...to break free from the bonds of those four cement walls, that great Orwellian creation we know as "the classroom".

Jan 1, 1998 - Keenan Wellar

The holiday season is a time for celeberation, but like many others I also find it to be a time for reflection. Amidst the shopping, eating, and visiting, many of us cannot help but look back at the year that has passed and ponder what was, what could have been, and what will be.

Dec 1, 1997 - Keenan Wellar

Teachers strike: week one. After what seemed like an eternal stay in purgatory, Ontario has finally been lowered into the fiery inferno of an illegal walkout by public school teachers. In brief, I'm disgusted with both "sides" of this issue, and I'm offended that we as a society have allowed "sides" and "education of children" to be part of the same dialogue!

Nov 1, 1997 - Keenan Wellar

The Education Improvement Commission. What's it all about? Will teacher representatives and the government ever learn to work together?

Oct 1, 1997 - Keenan Wellar

Educational spending cuts are currently on the minds of governments, educators, parents, and other educational stakeholders across Canada. What will it all mean for students with special needs?

Sep 1, 1997 - Keenan Wellar