Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697796326897.pdf (Dominica)
The Ministry Education, Human Resource Planning, Vocational Training and National Excellence CONSIDERATION AND GUIDELINES FOR SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS Eﬀective September 2020 Consideration and Guidelines for Special Needs Students Guidelines for Re-opening of Special Schools Students with Disabilities: The impact of loss of instructional time and related services, including counselling during the period of school closures is signiﬁcant among this population.
Students with disabilities may also have more diﬃculty with the social and emotional aspects of transitioning out of and back into the school setting.

Therefore, school personnel should: Develop a plan to ensure a review of each child who has been assessed and provide individualized reports with recommendations for intervention based on the child’s need.

This is to determine the needs for compensatory education to adjust for lost instructional time as well as other related services.
Consider whether or not a student has experienced a regression of skills and/or lack of progress.

If regression and/or a lack of progress is observed, identify opportunities for recovery, including additional services and accommodations.
Before Re-opening • Train all staﬀ on sanitizing and disinfecting of the school • Train staﬀ on physical distancing and safe hygiene practices • Hold parenting sessions on procedures and guidelines established for the school • Prepare posters and videos on handwashing and respiratory hygiene • Implement psychosocial training for teachers to support students • Review the needs for each individual child for eﬀective planning to make up for lost instructional time • Ensure suﬃcient supply of cleaning supplies, masks, sanitizers and disinfectants • Set up a sick bay if none exist to provide for isolation of a student with symptoms of respiratory illness while awaiting parents or health oﬃcials.
• Consider students’ health conditions if wearing of masks is requested.
• Provide transparent masks for the deaf, dependent on availability After Re-opening • Hands and bags should be sanitized upon entry to school • Masks should be worn if physical distancing is not possible due to size of classroom • Classrooms should be arranged that deaf student can see all students in the class • Staggering of break time to ensure outdoor physical distancing if outdoor space is small • Schools to implement strategies to maintain social distancing by blind and deaf students • Use of white canes for those legally blind to inform others that they are blind • Ensure use of glasses by students with low vision to assist them in seeing visual markers • Designated guide to inform them if they are getting too close (maintaining social distancing) • Sanitizing of handle and tip of white cane after use • Each desk sanitized before entry of children to the classroom • Schools should also ensure that bars on wheelchairs are sanitized if student needs assistance in pushing the wheelchair around.
Both the student and the one assisting should wear masks • Separate storage areas for each child’s bag or lunch box • Students eat at their desks before going outside • Engage students in drill/education sessions on handwashing and social distancing • Increased supervision of outdoor spaces and handwashing procedures • All toys washed twice daily and those that cannot be washed should not be used.
• Sanitize playground equipment twice daily • Limit use of computer and tablets by groups of students and these should be cleaned after each use • Hands should be washed before handling books that are shared • Restrict access of family or visitors on school premises during school hours.
• Children with respiratory illness to remain at home For additional guidance and information regarding the above, please refer to Framework for Reopening of Schools in the Caribbean, including schools for learners with special education needs.

UNESCO, IIPL, CARICOM, CDB- (Referral Document) CONSIDERATION AND GUIDELINES FOR SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS Eﬀective September 2020