Students Who Learn
Differently Overseas
AT SCHOOL
INTERVIEWING
AT SCHOOLS
Many
international companies offer a "look-see" visit prior to accepting a
post overseas, and this offers an ideal time to investigate the various
educational options available there.
Write down your questions in advance of the meeting with the school, and
take notes so you will have a record of your interview and any promises the
school might make regarding accommodations for your learning-differently
student. Go back over your notes
before the interview is ended to help avoid any misunderstandings in the future
(e.g. “It is my understanding that . . .”)
For an excellent check list
of questions to download and take with you, go to http://web.archive.org/web/20071109033142/www.ditt-online.org/Archives/DHT-basic-guide.pdf
. This entire booklet is well
worth reading, and was originally put online by Dyslexia International, Tools
and Technologies. The check list
of questions to ask schools can be found on pp. 25-31.
Many parents and teachers living overseas are involved with
international schools. These schools are not run like the public ones back
home, nor are they run like the national schools of the host country.
International schools are private institutions, and like
private schools in other countries, they do not have to make allowances for
learning-differently students. One FAWCO researcher who investigated two
international schools in her area reported, "Both schools were very
helpful and said each child would be evaluated on an individual basis, and if
they didn't feel that the very best could be provided, they would decline to
take the student."
Another school policy stated that they ". . . will not accept
students who, because of cognitive or physical disabilities require special
education classes or services."
However in some locations, international schools are the
only option for the relocating family, and as one FAWCO questionnaire
respondent reported, "Parents find themselves totally alone, in many cases
in fear of losing their jobs because there are no facilities for any type of
learning problem."
On the other hand, large international hubs like Athens and
Brussels do offer many English-speaking schools from which to choose.
This does not mean to say that most international schools
make no provision for special needs.
In fact according to the responses to one of our questionnaires, 13 out
of 16 of the clubs who answered this question said that their international
school did provide some sort of special help.
Of special note is the program available at the Casablanca
American School in Morocco:
Program for Ability Centered Education
(PACE)
The goal of the PACE program is to help
students who are not achieving at grade level or students who are performing
above grade level.
There are three ways a child can qualify
for PACE support:
· Demonstrate a significant need for both
decoding skills and increased comprehension in reading
· Be diagnosed with a learning disability
· Demonstrate exceptional academic abilities
in one or more subject areas. (This is usually inclusive rather than pull-out.)
[1]
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL ACCREDITATION
As noted, international schools are not subject to the
rules, regulations, and laws that most national schools are subject to. But many are members of associations
that do have standards of accreditation.
The following is taken from such an association, the European
Council of International Schools (http://ecis.ccsct.com/):
The ECIS
Guide to School Evaluation and Accreditation is intended to provide a uniform approach
in the evaluation and accreditation of schools located throughout the
world. The desire of the writers
and sponsors has been to develop an effective global system of accreditation
which:
·
Fosters
excellence in all stages of school-based education.
·
Encourages
school improvement through a process of continuous self-study and peer
evaluation.
·
Assures
a school and the constituencies it serves that an accredited institution
provides a quality education program for students based upon clearly defined
goals and objectives that are appropriate to the unique school population
served. [2]
Their Standards of
Accreditation are concerned with, among many other things, Special Needs
Education. What follows are some their expectations in this area:
· There shall be effective procedures for
identifying and addressing the special needs of students with learning disabilities.
· There shall be effective procedures for
identifying and addressing the special needs of students of exceptionally high
ability and/or exceptional talent. [3]
For a full
listing of all the 14 areas of special needs educations that are addressed,
please go to http://www.cois.org/uploaded/documents/Accred/6th_EDITION_EA_GUIDE_Sept1999.pdf
.
For a listing of
the current ECIS member schools, go to http://edmundo.ecis.org/new/search/SearchSchool2.asp
.
OPTIONS OFFERED AT SOME INTERNATIONAL
SCHOOLS
In 2000, European Children in Crisis (ECIC) conducted a
survey of the English-speaking schools in Belgium which were found primarily in
the Brussels and Antwerp areas.
The questions asked concerned what facilities and accommodations were
available for special needs students in their school. Twenty-four schools responded to the survey, five of which
were Montessori schools. Some of
the schools were for kindergarten or elementary pupils only. We are very grateful to ECIC for
allowing us to present the results of this survey, which appear below:
1. Does the school have an established special needs/learning
support unit?
12 - yes
11 - no
1 - not applicable
2. Would it be acceptable to have a classroom
aid/interpreter alongside a child?
17 - yes
2 - no
3 - maybe
2 - not applicable
3. Is it compulsory for all pupils to learn a second
language?
12 - yes
11 - no
4. Would it be acceptable for a pupil with specific
learning difficulties to tape-record lessons?
14 - yes
1 - no
2 - sometimes
5 - not applicable
5. Would a pupil with specific learning difficulties
be given extra time in tests and exams?
15 - yes
2 - possibly
7 - not applicable
6. Would a pupil with specific learning difficulties
be allowed to use a computer/spell checker/reader/writer, etc. during tests and
exams?
15 - yes
3 - depends
5 - not applicable
7. Could a child with Down's Syndrome be
accommodated in the school?
11 - yes
7 - no
6 - possibly
8. Could a child with mild autism be accommodated in
the school?
15 - yes
5 - no
4 - possibly
9. Could a child in a wheelchair be accommodated in
the school?
8 - yes
15 - no
1 - with difficulty
10. Is there a full-time nurse at the school?
8 - yes
14 - no
2 - part time
11. Is there
a separate sickroom?
10 - yes
14 - no
12. Does the school have an educational psychologist?
11 - yes
13 - no
13. Does the school have a speech therapist?
10 - yes
13 - no
1 - part time
14. Does the school have a counseling service?
13 - yes
10 - no
15. Does the school have tutors to provide extra help
outside school hours?
15 - yes
8 - no
1 - not applicable
16. Is there a school bus service?
14 - yes
10 – no
Some schools indicated that the cost of financial support
for special needs students has to be paid by the parents.
Please check the websites for the schools below to see if
there has been a change in their policies since this study was done:
Antwerp International School (http://www.ais-antwerp.be/
) in Belgium indicated:
At AIS, students in all grades with identified learning needs
receive additional academic assistance through the Learning Support program. An
individualized plan with specific educational goals is set for each student in
need of learning support, to provide the most appropriate learning journey for
each student.
For more information about Learning Support Services at AIS,
please contact our Learning Support Coordinator at learningsupport@ais-antwerp.be. [4]
The British
Junior Academy of Brussels (http://www.bjab.org/
)wrote:
We have several members of staff with experience in dealing with
special needs, but because we are a small school we have not established a
specialist department. Our small class sizes allow a considerable amount of
individual attention, and each application is considered carefully. We therefore
ensure that we are able to cater effectively for each child’s needs, so
ensuring that they benefit from the educational programme we offer. [5]
For the most part, public schools, wherever you find them, recognize
some responsibility for making provision for students who learn
differently. These provisions
range from superior ones that can be found in countries like Great Britain
where children have the legal right to be taught in a way appropriate to their
learning styles, to countries where special needs programs are just being
established.
Except in Great Britain and Ireland, there were no specialized
English-speaking boarding schools for learning-differently students that we
were able to find. Most host
countries, however, offer such possibilities in their native language and at no
additional charge to the family for the tuition. However, costs like transportation and room and board might
not be covered. These schools are
usually only for severe cases, and once a student is admitted it can be
difficult to get him back into the mainstream schools.
Sometimes the school system won't pay for help until the child is
a certain age. Sometimes there is a time limit set for free help after which
the family must pay.
Most host countries do not require that the student attend school
in one particular school district.
This can be to the great advantage of the learning-differently student
as one school might offer much more help than another. One FAWCO researcher recounts
experiences with host country schools, "I have heard stories in our club
of children who have been treated as 'stupid' and made to do all the normal
schoolwork with no extra help, and I have heard parents tell of children who
have been given the very best of extra help with their learning
disability."
Many host country schools follow the Greek example in their
approach to the education of children with special education needs:
The ministry educational policy concerning
the education of children and youth with special needs is clearly integration
oriented not only in theory but also in practice.
The basic characteristic of this development is the differentiation in the
strategies and methods
of providing special education programmes of the pupils who need them not
inspirited and
isolated schools or institutions, but in the mainstream schools.
These strategies lead not only to the school, but also to the social
integration of the children
with special needs.
The development of special programs in the
ordinary schools is a major trend in Greece today
and obviously a good and fruitful way towards school and social
integration. [6]
OPTIONS OFFERED AT A FLEMISH SCHOOL
The official recognition by the Flemish educational
authorities (Dutch-speaking area of Belgium) of specific learning difficulties
as a valid condition that should be addressed by mainstream teachers has come
only recently. However, interest
by many of these teachers in the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium is high, and
schools are beginning to consider specific accommodations that can be allowed
in regular classrooms. Below
is a list prepared by one school in Antwerp for their learning-differently
students:
- These students
are exempt from dictation examinations for language subjects.
- These students
do not have to read aloud in class unless they choose to do so.
- Spelling
faults would not figure in the grading of subjects that were not language
subjects.
- There will be
15 to 20% more time given for exams or a shorter exam will be given in
those subjects where language plays a big role (e.g. languages, geography
and history).
- A word
processor may be used for essays and compositions.
- Correct
spelling will be required for vocabulary tests.
- For multiple-choice
questions, the instructions will be read aloud.
- A book report
will be graded on a written and an oral presentation. A student may choose either to
read fewer books, thinner books, or books especially written for dyslexic
readers.
- There must be
enough time provided for students to fill in their homework assignments in
their agendas.
- If there is a
listening exercise, the most difficult words must first be written on the
board.
- These students
must make a list of words with definitions that they find difficult that
apply to each subject, and together with the teacher, make sure that these
are correct. Then this list
may be used during class as a work aid.
INTERNATIONAL AND HOST COUNTRY SCHOOLS
One FAWCO club in a developing country
reported no international schools and no special help yet available in the
national school system due to financial limitations. In a case like this, children with special needs either had
to be home-schooled or returned to their home country for schooling.
It was felt that in most all schools,
whether public or international, the staff was accessible, and arranging a
conference was easily done.
Unfortunately such conferences did not always result in the improvement
of the child's situation.
The manner in which either system provided
special provision ranged from regular classroom teachers attempting to tailor
their teaching to the learning style of the student to highly-trained,
specialized learning resource personnel.
For the most part, there was no additional
charge in either the public or the private schools for any special help that
was available on site. However, often this help was found to be inadequate and
families found themselves in the position of having to pay for additional
remedial treatment and/or assessment.
Some schools do not have referral systems,
and the parents must not only pay for special help, they must also find it on
their own.
The most often repeated kind of advice
given by FAWCO respondents regarding coping tactics was that "one must be
strong-minded, persistent and very direct."
As has been noted, many
learning-differently students are not recognized until they leave their first
six years of formal school because elementary school teachers are usually taught
to teach in a multisensory and repetitive manner and this is the approach to
which learning-differently students respond best. The students see, hear and do, more or less simultaneously. The teacher writes "cat" on
the blackboard. As it is
being written, the teacher says the letters and the word. The students then repeat the letters
and the word a few times. Then
they copy the word on their paper. Perhaps the teacher will show a colored
picture of a cat, or maybe even a cat will be brought into the classroom, and
the sense of touch might be added to the learning experience. The student's own senses are used to
the greatest extent possible, and over-learning, or repetition, is employed.
MIDDLE SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE
There is a vast difference between teaching techniques in
the elementary school and those employed in secondary and higher
education. Once in the higher
grades, students are often expected to learn using fewer senses, as when they
must listen and take notes from a lecture. They are expected to organize their
own time and find their own way.
Elementary teachers are taught how to teach. Most often teachers in the middle
school, high school and college or university classes are not. They merely have to have a degree in
the subject they are teaching, and sometimes, not even that. Therefore they are ill-equipped to help
the LD learners in their classes.
The information below in “12 Things” might help teachers to understand
how some LD students feel.
12 THINGS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH ADD/ADHD
WOULD LIKE THEIR TEACHERS TO KNOW
The following comes from “12 Things High School Students With ADD/ADHD Would Like Their Teachers To Know”, by Eileen Bailey the then director of ADDHelpline:
1. I really do forget things, I
am not trying to be smart, sassy or arrogant, I simply do not always remember.
The myth that if it is important enough I will remember it is just that, a
myth.
2. I am not stupid.
3. I really do complete my homework. It is easy for me to lose papers, leave them at home
and otherwise not be able to find my homework at the proper time. Completing
homework in a notebook is much easier for me as it will not get lost as easily.
Loose papers are difficult for me to keep track of. (Once my mother found my
homework in the bread drawer after I had left for school!)
4.
If
I ask the same question over or ask many questions, it is not out of arrogance. I am trying hard to understand,
comprehend and remember what you have said. Please be patient and help me.
5.
I
want to do good. I
have struggled with schoolwork for many years and it is frustrating to me. My
goal is to do my best and pass this class with flying colors.
6.
ADD
is not an excuse. ADD
really does exist and it does affect my thinking process. I would like to be
"normal" and be able to remember and process information quickly, I
do not enjoy being "different" and made fun of for my differences.
7.
I
need your help to succeed. It isn't always easy for me to ask for help and sometimes asking makes
me feel stupid. Please be patient with my attempts and offer your help.
8.
Please
be sure to talk with me in private about behaviors or actions that may not be
appropriate. Please
do not humiliate me, insult me, or call attention to my weaknesses in front of
the class.
9.
I
do better with a detailed plan and knowing what you expect. If you should change plans in the
middle to adapt to some outside influence, please help me to adapt. It may take
me longer to adjust to the changes. Structure and guidance are my best allies.
10.
I
don't like having "special accommodations." Please do not draw attention to them
and help me to succeed with the least amount of attention drawn to my ADD.
11.
Learn
about ADD/ADHD. Read
information and find out all you can on how kids with ADD learn and what can
make it easier for them.
12.
Always
remember that I am a person with feelings, needs and goals. These are as important to me as
yours are to you. [7]
TIPS FOR COLLEGE-BOUND STUDENTS
The following information comes from the school newsletter of AIS
in Vienna in June of 1997:
Colleges may request complete
psycho-educational evaluations for learning disabled students to help them
determine admission as well as qualifying the student for special services or
allowances once admission is granted.
In any case, it is helpful for high school students to be assessed if
any difficulty is suspected because they might qualify for special considerations,
like extra time, when taking the SAT, AP and IB exams.
The college guide, How to Get Into the College of Your Choice . . . and How to Finance It
(see Resources/Books), provides a whole chapter
entitled "Some Tactics for Those with Learning Disabilities." They advise that you keep the college
of your choice fully informed about your learning-differently problems. A sample letter is provided to be
submitted along with the application to the college admission office describing
any difficulties, and also a sample letter to send after the student has been
accepted requesting any special considerations.
Some schools, in particular international schools, don't
always have a budget that will support an adequate number of special needs
teachers. One solution might be to
hire learning support assistants. The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) lists
recommendations for training such assistants on its Internet site, http://www.bda-dyslexia.org.uk/. There
they state that:
The BDA wishes to encourage the training
of assistants to teachers in order for such assistants to be able to facilitate
effectively the learning of pupils with specific learning difficulties,
particularly in the areas of literacy and numeracy. The BDA recommendations and
criteria . . . are made with the understanding that teacher assistants must
work under the direction of the classroom teacher and that training is intended
to enhance this supportive role. It is not intended to suggest that these
assistants should function independently to supplant the teacher's
responsibilities.
Such in-class assistance supports mainstreaming in a very
effective manner. In many cases
when a family is living abroad, international school education might be the
only real option available for their learning-differently children. If necessary and as a last resort, it
might be possible for the family to hire the in-class assistant themselves, if
this is the only way that the international school will grant admission.
Enrollment in a national school that does not use the
student's native language may further complicate the student's learning
process. The following is from an
article written by a mother who was living in Germany:
Unfortunately we have learned there is
little room in school systems throughout Europe for children with any sort of
difficulty that might inhibit their ability to learn. Given the uniform nature of instruction and absence of
individualization in most schools, even a teacher aware of learning
difficulties in a child will have little chance of modifying the classroom
curriculum, rhythm or teaching style so the affected child can cope. For this reason, placing a child like
Geoffrey in a local European school is out of the question.
As with any school selection, homework is
required of the parents. Speak up
and be specific about their needs.
Bring records along for interviews if possible. This is risky because no one wants a
preconceived notion of their child imposed on prospective teachers. However, we have found it worse not to
speak up. Sometimes the ill will
created by a child's behavior is damaging beyond repair.
It is imperative to receive a proper diagnosis
for any and all learning difficulties. . . And most importantly, be involved
and alert to what is happening.
Parents of children who have to work harder must advocate for their
child. [8]
Students
Who Learn Differently Overseas
by Susan van Alsenoy, AWC Antwerp
Email: swl@fawco.org
Page created 10/29/99 EvE. Last updated 03/01/11 SvA.
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