Special Education – Constantly Changing
My 25 years of experience has shown me that special education is not just some fixed process, with defined rules and regulations, but rather a system that is constantly changing and evolving. Change has occurred in response to:
- New research
- Improved understanding of special education needs
- Evolving teaching practices
- Increased accountability for outcomes and
- Changing expectations of families and students
I am going to use this blog to share with you the latest news and developments in special education.
Profile: Alison Morse, Provincial Coordinator, Special Education
As the mother of two girls, one with cerebral palsy, I have been advocating in the school system for almost 25 years. I have a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Geography and never expected to become so involved with the school system and supports for students with disabilities. But that’s life!
Through my journey I have become knowledgeable about the special education system in Ontario and I have been advocating for students with physical disabilities, locally and provincially, as a representative of Easter Seals Ontario for 23 years. My first, and most important job, was to advocate for my daughter and find out what services and supports were available to support her success at school. Along the journey I started to speak up for other families and became an Easter Seals Ontario member of the school board Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) in Oxford County and later the Thames Valley District School Board.
As a volunteer with Easter Seals Ontario, I became involved in advocacy at the provincial level and served two terms on the Minister’s Advisory Council on Special Education (MACSE) from 2005 to 2011. As a member of MACSE, I became the Co-Chair of the Dispute Resolution Advisory Committee. More recently as an Easter Seals staff member I have become the Co-Chair of the Provincial Parent Association Advisory Committee on Special Education Advisory Committees (PAAC on SEAC).
My experiences have provided me with a strong understanding of special education in Ontario and I would like to share that knowledge with you.
[…] Easter Seals Kids at School […]