Education Programs for Students with a Moderate to Severe or Profound Intellectual Disability

An exemption provided by the Basic school regulation allows for the use of education programs adapted to students with a moderate to severe or profound intellectual disability. These programs, chosen as part of the student’s individualized intervention plan, are designed to meet their specific needs and foster optimum development.

Providing the best possible education for all young people means having students with intellectual disabilities take their rightful place at school. The CASP-I Education Program: A Competency-Based Approach to Social Participation (CASP-I) (PDF 1.56 Mb) is for students aged 6 to 15, and has been designed primarily to meet the needs of students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities (MSID).

The CASP-I Education Program targets the development of five competencies that enable students to acquire the knowledge and skills required for greater social participation and to develop self-determined behaviours. The development of competencies and the acquisition of knowledge take place in specific learning contexts, namely the program’s five life areas. These areas make what the students learn in class more meaningful, anchoring students’ learning in concrete, everyday life situations.

Consult the information sheet for parents (PDF 196 Kb).

Students enrolled in the CASP-I Education Program are exempt from the provisions of sections 30.1, 30.2 and 30.3 of the Basic school regulation for preschool, elementary and secondary education pertaining to results.

The Guide to the Evaluation of Learning (PDF 620 Kb) is made available to schools to help teachers with the task of evaluating the competencies targeted by the CASP-I Education Program and conveying information to parents.

The results recorded in Section 2 of the report card must be expressed in the following double-entry format.

The scales of competency levels to be used in evaluating these competencies can be found in the Guide to the Evaluation of Learning.

For the competency Communicates, the teacher’s judgment with respect to the competency level attained by the student can be qualified by adding the symbol + to the level that corresponds most closely to the competency demonstrated by the student. In assigning a score of 3+, for example, the teacher indicates that the student is able to communicate orally with or without a communication assistance tool and can also understand and produce written messages. The judgment, which is entered in the Observations section of the report card, must be accompanied by comments that back it up.

The addition of the symbol + to levels 3, 4 and 5 applies only to the competency Communicates. This is an adaptation of the original model and is intended to ensure that the scale associated with this competency makes it possible to monitor the progress of students who have problems writing but whose oral communication skills continue to develop.

The competencies to be evaluated each term are determined in the standards and procedures established by the school. The following procedures must be respected:

• Each term, at least two competencies are graded on the report card.
• Over a two-year period, the report card shows at least two results for each competency.
• Every two years, as well as when a student completes elementary school or is streamed into another program, the report card for the last term of the school year shows the student’s level of development and the degree of support required by the adult for all of the program competencies.

The CASP-II Education Program – A Competency-Based Approach to Social Participation (PDF 2.27 Mb) is the continuation of the CASP-I Education Program—A Competency-Based Approach to Social Participation. It is intended for students aged 16 to 21 with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities who are transitioning from school to active life. It aims to equip these students with the tools they need to foster their social participation and develop their self-determination skills, so that they can thrive in the community and achieve their aspirations.

The CASP-II Education Program comprises three complementary and interdependent components: competencies, life areas and complementary areas. Designed to develop six essential competencies for students aged 16 to 21, the program builds and expands on the competencies outlined in the CASP-I Education Program to ensure a progression that is appropriate for their level of education. A sixth competency, which focuses on the exploration of contributive activities, has been added to encourage students to participate in the world of volunteering and work.

The life areas cover aspects of everyday life and serve as contexts in which students develop their competencies. They enable students to acquire the resources they need to meet their personal, social and vocational needs. The complementary areas, for their part, add to the curriculum by supporting the overall development of competencies and supplementing the learning that takes place in the life areas.

See the information sheet for parents (PDF 389 Kb).

Students enrolled in the CASP-II Education Program are exempt from the provisions of sections 30.1, 30.2 and 30.3 of the Basic school regulation for preschool, elementary and secondary education pertaining to results.

The Guide to the Evaluation of Learning (in French only) (PDF 3.11 Mb) is made available to the school network to support teachers in evaluating the competencies targeted by the CASP-II Education Program and in implementing practices for communicating information to parents.

The results recorded in the report card required by the annual directives are expressed using two grades, as shown in the key below. The student's level of competency and the degree of support provided by an adult are indicated for each competency evaluated.

The competencies to be evaluated each term are determined in the standards and procedures established by the school. The procedures are outlined in the annual directives from the minister.

The present document contains an adapted curriculum aimed at fostering the social integration of students aged 16 to 21 who have moderate to severe intellectual impairments and may or may not have other associated impairments.

The aim of this program, entitled CHALLENGES: An Educational Approach That Facilitates Social Integration (PDF 290 Kb), is the development of the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are essential for integration into today's society.  For young adults between the ages of 16 and 21, community living and preparing for the job market are areas of top priority.

Students enrolled in the CHALLENGES program are exempt from the provisions of sections 30.1, 30.2 and 30.3 of the Basic school regulation for preschool, elementary and secondary education pertaining to results. The results recorded in section 2 of the report card must be expressed as a letter grade using the following rating scale.

The results to be communicated each term are determined in the standards and procedures established by the school.

Ensuring the integral and optimal development of every student with a profound intellectual impairment is a challenge that requires the constant adaptation of educational practices. For this purpose, the Education Program for Students With a Profound Intellectual Impairment (PDF 6.63 Mb) provides the basic reference framework for all pedagogical choices. It calls on teachers to work together as a team to help students develop competencies relating to knowledge, communication, motor development, socialization, affectivity and community life. It sets out an educational project that targets the development of students throughout their schooling, from the start of preschool at age 4 to the transition to adult life at age 21.

Consult the information sheet for parents (PDF 822 Kb).

According to the Policy on the Evaluation of Learning, (MEQ, 2003), “Evaluation is the process whereby a judgment is made on a student’s learning on the basis of information gathered, analyzed and interpreted, for the purpose of making pedagogical and administrative decisions.” When used as a learning tool, evaluation allows teachers to adjust their pedagogical actions based on the progress made by students.

To help teachers interpret their observations and support the decisions they make, the Ministère provides teachers with scales of competency levels linked to the evaluation criteria for the competencies of the Education Program for Students With a Profound Intellectual Impairment. These scales provide a common point of reference for all the teachers involved.

When used to recognize competencies, the judgments made by teachers must report the level of development attained for all of a student's competencies. To prepare a record of learning, the teacher must consider all the observations gathered in a number of different learning and evaluation situations before making a judgment.

For more information on the evaluation of learning as it pertains to this program, see Scales of Competency Levels – Education Program for Students With a Profound Intellectual Impairment (PDF 140 Kb).

Report card

Students enrolled in this education program are exempt from the provisions of sections 30.1, 30.2 and 30.3 of the Basic school regulation for preschool, elementary and secondary education pertaining to results. The results recorded in section 2 of the report card must be expressed as a letter grade using the following rating scale.

The results to be communicated each term are determined in the standards and procedures established by the school.

Record of learning

With regard to the record of learning, the results relating to the levels of competency development, as recorded in section 2 of the record card prescribed by the Basic school regulation must be expressed using the following rating scale.

The record of learning is established at the times set out in the document Scales of Competency Levels – Education Program for Students With a Profound Intellectual Impairment.