Special needs education:
Special needs education is for students who need specialist support that regular education cannot provide. It is also called intensive support. Special education is available for primary school (SO) students (4-12 years) and secondary special education for secondary school (VSO) students (12-18 years).
Special needs education consists of four clusters of children:
- Cluster 1: blind, visually impaired
- Cluster 2: deaf, hard of hearing, or with a language-speech development disorder
- Cluster 3:
- Students with physical disabilities
- Students with intellectual disabilities
- For children with intellectual disabilities and IQs below 55. The lessons here are practical in nature and more focused on encouraging students' self-reliance and independence.
- Students with long-term illness
- Cluster 4: children with mental disorders and behavioral problems. This also applies to students attached to a secure juvenile facility and subject to compulsory education. Students with behavioral problems and/or mental disorders. Students with behavioral problems and/or mental disorders who are also attached to a pedagogical institute.
For cluster 1 and cluster 2, the institution decides whether the child is eligible for a spot. For clusters 3 and 4, schools are part of partnerships for inclusive education.
Special Needs Education (SO) is for children with severe disabilities who find it difficult or impossible to participate in regular education. At the same time, Special Needs Primary Education (SBO) focuses more on children who, with extra support, can eventually integrate into regular primary education.
Admission to Special Needs Education Schools (SO & VSO) make agreements about which students they refer to SO or VSO within the partnership. For these students, the partnership issues an admissibility statement (TLV). The statement entitles the child to a spot in (secondary) Special Needs Education for 1 or more years.
Admissibility Statement:
The internal counselor of the school where the student is registered or enrolled applies to the partnership for the admission declaration. The partnership decides if the student is admissible, and the special education school (clusters 3 and 4) decides on the pupil's admission.
To draw up the admission declaration (TLV), the partnership is required to seek advice from two experts. The experts are:
- an orthopedagogue and
- a doctor who is more familiar with the particular case/student. Depending on the student whose eligibility is being advised, at least a second expert, namely a child or adolescent psychologist, an educationalist, a child psychiatrist, a social worker, GGD-doctor, or a physician.
More information about TLV will be find here.
Development perspective plan (OPP) for students in Special Education
Schools for (secondary) special education must establish a developmental perspective. In Special Education, this plan states the student's expected post-graduation destination, type of follow-up education or secondary special education post-graduation profile, and the expected post-graduation destination in secondary special education (daily activities, labor market-oriented, or follow-up education).
The school establishes the developmental perspective with the parents. The school also evaluates the development perspective annually with parents and adjusts it if necessary.
Partnerships in the Eindhoven and Kempen region:
Schools within a partnership have a so-called 'duty of care' and must work with parents/guardians to determine a suitable educational arrangement for the registered student. For students who need extra support, this may mean that the school at which the student is enrolled: (a) can provide the appropriate educational arrangement themselves; (b) that it is done with possible support from (secondary) special education; (c) that placement in special primary or (secondary) special education (VSO) is required.
The school where the student is enrolled then consults with the (secondary) special education and the parents/guardians to make this arrangement possible.
Parents in the Veldhoven/De Kempen region can also inquire/apply directly with an SO or SO-VSO school. Other regions can find the right partnership in the sidebar of this page.
