SPECIAL PEDAGOGICAL
SUPPORT SYSTEM
IN LITHUANIA
National Center for Special Needs Education
and Psychology
Lina Palačionienė
Deputy of special education division
Tallinn, 2011
Visit from Estonia
SPPC 2009 04 27-28
Reports of National centre
for special needs education
and psychology
Reports of national
examinations and
qualifications center
2009 04 27-28
REPORTS /PEDAGOGICAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICE
OF UTENA AND ESTONIAN CONSULTING CENTER
DEVELOPMENT OF SPECIAL PEDAGOGICAL
AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT SYSTEM
Implementation of the PedagogicalPsychological Aid Model 2003-2005 and the
Programm for Founding PedagogicalPsychological Services at Municipalities in
2004.
 Efforts are made to provide the special
pedagogical-psychological aid in a more
effective way and closer to the place of
residence of children and pupils.

THE
MODEL OF SPECIAL PEDAGOGICAL AND
PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT FOR PUPILS IN
LITHUANIAN
EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM



The 1st level specialists, who work at school
give special pedagogical and psychological
support - Child Welfare Commission;
The 2nd level: a local Pedagogical
Psychological Service at the municipal level;
The 3rd level: National Center for Special
Needs Education and Psychology.
PROMOTING AN INCLUSIVE APPROACH IN
EDUCATION POLICY
The education Reform Act of June 25,1991,
consolidate democratic principles of education in
country-children’s with severe and profound
disfunctions become “educatable”;
 The first basis in legislation for integrated
education of children with SEN is the Act of Special
educational provision for Children with Special
educational Needs in Mainstream Educational
Institution 1993.
 The Law on Special Education (now it is integrating
into The Law on Education (2008-2011)

NEW LEGISLATION
Procedure for
Assessment
SEN and
Assigning
Special
Education
Procedure for
the
Identification
SEN – groups;
levels
Procedure for
PPC
organization
Procedure for
Providing
Special
Assistance to
school
Procedure for
Providing
Special
Pedagogical
Assistance
Procedure for
School
Children’s
Welfare
Commission
organization
PROCEDURE FOR THE IDENTIFICATION
SEN – GROUPS; LEVELS

Prepared project for evaluation, assessment and
statement to identify pupils with disabilities,
learning difficulties disadvantages and
levels
special educational needs according to A, B, C
cross - national categorisation system - students
with disabilities, learning difficulties and
disadvantages: tripartite categorisation system CRELL (centre for research on lifelong learning)
and OECD
(organization for Economic Cooperation and Development).
PROCEDURE FOR THE IDENTIFICATION SEN –
GROUPS; LEVELS
Examples of the criteria by which students with SEN
include special educational needs of the group are as
follows:

Educational methods, curricula content adaptability;

Textbooks, teaching aids selection of teaching materials,
customization, training / development;

Learning environment adaptability; education, technical
assistance measures need;

Special pedagogical assistance needs;

Special assistance needs;

Psychological assistance needs;

Social pedagogical assistance needs.
PROCEDURE FOR PROVIDING SPECIAL
PEDAGOGICAL
ASSISTANCE
An expansion of special educational
assistance. Assistance will be provided for all
types of schools. Schools that do not support
this providing professional assistance to
ensure the municipal administration
department of education and / or PPC
EDUCATING PUPILS WITH SEN: ANALYSIS OF THE
SITUATION
Number of compulsory school aged pupils( including
with SENs)- 440,504 (2009/2010)
Number of compulsory school aged pupils who have
SENs( in all educational settings) - 51,881
 Pupils with SEN in segregated special schools – 4,253
 Pupils with SEN in segregated special classes in
mainstream schools - 855
 Pupils with SENs in inclusive settings - 46,773
Source: Centre of information Technologies of Education
NUMBER OF SPECIAL EDUCATORS NEEDS SUPPORT
STAFF IN GENERAL EDUCATION SCHOOLS, 2009-2010
8
8
473
Speech therapists
988
Special pedagogues
512
Psychologists
Social pedagogues
389
Surdopedagogues
Typhlopedagogues
Statistics Lithuania
NUMBER OF SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL
STAFF IN PPC, 2009-2010
21
43
NEEDS
SUPPORT
80
Speech therapists
Special pedagogues
150
87
Psychologists
Social pedagogues
Neurologists
Statistics Lithuania
SPECIAL PEDAGOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL
SUPPORT
Specialists
1 level
Schools
special educators,
speech therapist,
psychologist,
social pedagogue
2 level
special educators,
speech therapist,
psychologist,neurologist,
teachers for the deaf,
teachers for the blind,
social pedagogue
3 level
1 or 2 levels specialists,
projects managers
THE FIRST LEVEL OF PEDAGOGICAL PSYCHOLOGICAL
SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS



The main goal - to provide primary pedagogical psychological assessment and special pedagogical
psychological support in a nearest child’s
environment;
Child Welfare Commission operate in every
educational establishment (in pre-school
establishment, as well as in general education
schools).
The purpose of the Commission - to organize and
coordinate the work of preventive, educational
assistance, child-friendly and safe learning
environment and education programs for adaptation
for students with special educational needs.
PROCEDURE FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN’S
WELFARE COMMISSION ORGANIZATION


Child
welfare
commission
on
each
school
The
Commission
consists
of
the
headmaster
School, with up to 60 pupils, the board shall consist of
not less than 3 members of other schools - is no less
than 5.
Board members may be head of the school building or
deputy head of the organizing education, education
support professionals, school leaders (mentors),
teachers, educators, parents (guardians), the local
community, neighborhood representatives.
Evaluate pupils'
language development
features, identify
speech and language
disorders
Removes the pupils
speech and language
disorders
SPEECH
THERAPIST
Advice to teachers,
parents and other
persons directly
involved in the
educational process.
Educates the school
community for pupils'
special pedagogical
support system
Performs educational
assessment of people, provides
peoples knowledge, skill level
accordance training
programs.
Help pupils master the
curriculum content
SPECIAL
EDUCATOR
Advise teachers how to
apply for pupils, teaching
materials and educational
tools
Educates the school
community for pupils'
special pedagogical
support system
PROCEDURE FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN’S WELFARE
COMMISSION ORGANIZATION
To gather the information about the child with learning problems
and make a primary assessment of special educational needs;
To discuss in a team the ways and methods of teaching the child
with learning problems. To consult child’s teachers and parents
(foster parents) and provide them methodological support;
To appeal to the municipal PPS in cases when child has to be
taught according educational programmes.
PROCEDURE FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN’S WELFARE
COMMISSION ORGANIZATION
Gather information from teachers, class leaders (mentors),
educational support professionals, parents (guardians), the child
takes into account the environment and school climate factors
faced by children with SEN, children from socially excluded risk
groups of economic difficulty, go back to families abroad, plan, or
any other educational assistance will be provided, by whom and
for what you will be responsible;
Examines the relationship between children, teachers and child
relationship problems, and provides suggestions for teachers on
the improvement of relations;
The Principal shall provide proposals on social support provision.
THE SECOND LEVEL OF PEDAGOGICAL
PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN WITH
SPECIAL NEEDS
There are 60 municipalities in Lithuania;
 Till 2004 pedagogical psychological services
existed only in 26 municipalities;
 There are 55 municipal pedagogical
psychological services today.

DEVELOPMENT OF PEDAGOGICAL
PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES
MAIN FUNCTIONS OF PPS ARE:
To assess the child's learning difficulties, educational,
psychological and personality and learning problems, special
needs, maturity of the child's school, if necessary, appoint a special
education
Provide
psychological,
social,
educational,
informational
educational assistance to children, special educational assistance
to people with SEN under 21 years of age
Provides information, expertise and counseling to parents and
schools, the educational staff
Provide psychological, social, pedagogical, special pedagogical
assistance to schools that do not help education professionals
MAIN FUNCTIONS OF PPS ARE:
To implement programs and projects on the prevention of violence,
bullying, drug abuse, suicides
To organize training courses, seminars, lectures for teachers,
school specialists, parents on child psycho - emotional
development, education
To construct recommendations on the educational curriculum for
child’s special needs. To consult child’s teachers and parents
(foster parents) and provide methodological support
National centre For Special Needs
Education and Psychology
The main goal:
To develop the special pedagogical
and psychological support system in
Lithuania and make this system
more effective.
CENTER’S TASKS:
To create and implement the strategy of
special pedagogical and psychological
support system in Lithuania;
 To implement the system of provision of
special education materials;
 To organize execution of national
prevention programs, financed by the
Ministry of Education and Science

MAIN





ACTIVITIES:
Coordinates the first and second level of special
pedagogical and psychological support system;
Provides methodical support for pedagogical
psychological services on the municipal level;
Organizes training programs for specialists –
psychologists, special pedagogues, speech
therapists, social pedagogues;
Participating in the development of legislation
acts;
Evaluates special educational needs of a child on
difficult or problematic cases.
NATIONAL CENTRE FOR SPECIAL NEEDS
EDUCATION AND PSYCHOLOGY
DIVISION FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION
Legislation acts
Consulting
Methodical support,
publishing
PPC Cordination
Projects/ ESUPA
Training
National centre For Special Needs
Education and Psychology
Division for Special Education
Main responsibilities
To work on the development of special pedagogical
support system.
Collects information about municipal pedagogical
psychological service activity problems, needs of
specialists.
Provides supervision or advice on assessment of
education needs of a child in difficult or
problematic cases.
Provides methodical support for the municipal
pedagogical psychological services.
Organize training programs for specialists of
municipal pedagogical psychological services.
NATIONAL CENTRE FOR SPECIAL
EDUCATION AND PSYCHOLOGY
NEEDS
DIVISION FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION

PPC methodical support /meeting
day. Team of PPC specialists
Team work
Problematic assessment cases
Individual consulting

Certification for PPC specialists
METHODICAL
SUPPORT PREPARATION/
PUBLISHING

For special educators (PPC)
„ Assessment tasks of pupils academic knowledge
and achievement for I-IV and V-VIII grades”.
Purpose
- assess abilities and difficulties of learners,
identify individual achievements and educational
needs.
- equalize special educators achievement tests in
pedagogical and psychological services.
METHODICAL SUPPORT PREPARATION/
PUBLISHING
 For
speech therapists (PPC)
“Book of speech therapist”
Purpose
- assessment spoken and written language of
preschool and school age child.
- equalize speech therapist achievement tests
in pedagogical and psychological services.
METHODICAL
SUPPORT PREPARATION/
PUBLISHING

For speech therapists (PPC)
“Speech therapy aid for stutters”.
„ Therapy for stuttering “
Handbook for speech therapist.
METHODICAL
SUPPORT PREPARATION/
PUBLISHING
Special educational needs student
in mathematics education features


Primary and basic education according to
programs adaptation recommendations for
special needs pupils with moderate, severe,
profound intellectual disorders
MTP+, 12 komponentas
Methodical recommendation for
specialists and parents
SOME FUNCTIONS:
Development of catalogue of SEM;
www.sppc.lt

Organizing of assesment
of textbooks adaptated
for SEN pupils

CENTER FOR SPECIAL
Thank you for your
attention
NEEDS EDUCATION AND
PSYCHOLOGY
Viršuliškių 103, Vilnius
Lithuania
Tel. 2426403, Fax. 2427002
E-mail: info@sppc.lt
www.sppc.lt