Cégep du Vieux Montréal
255, rue Ontario Est
Montréal (Québec) H2X 1X6
STUDENT DATA
Topic: Information regarding students with special needs
Madam,
Sir,
This document contains various information on a student taking part in your
group course no. __________________________________________________.
The student’s name is _____________________________________________.
The information contained in this document is considered confidential and is not
to be transmitted to anyone else without the student’s authorization. We
obtained the latter’s authorization before sending you this information.
The presence of this student in a course may give rise to various questions on
how to adequately present course content. My task, as educational advisor for
academic integration is to provide support, answer questions and help put in
place the various services that this student requires.
We invite you to visit our website (www.cvm.qc.ca/saide) where you will find
detailed information on the services we provide.
Should you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact
me. It will be my pleasure to meet with you, either individually or by department.
You can find me at local A3.40 or reach me at (514) 982-3437 ext. 2038 or by
email at: oraymond@cvm.qc.ca
In the spirit of collaboration, I wish you an excellent session.
Odette Raymond
SAIDE, Educational Advisor
Students with motor, visual or neurological deficiencies or with learning
disabilities
He (she) displays
◊ Reading problems
◊ Problems with written expression
◊ Problems with calculations ◊ Other disability:___________
◊ Evaluated by an accredited professional
◊ Awaiting evaluation
Note: The support measures for integration contained in this document have been
proposed by recognized professionals (neuropsychologists, educational psychologists,
special educators, etc.)
TO COMPENSATE FOR HIS DIFFICULTIES, THE STUDENT WILL USE THE
FOLLOWING SERVICES
◊ Note taking:
◊ The student would like to recruit his/her own note taker, alone.
◊ The student would like you to mention this to the class
◊ Cassette recordings (made by SAIDE):
◊ Of material used for the course (made by SAIDE);
◊ Course recording using a tape recorder.
◊ “Proofreading” service for text written in English or other.
(see end of document).
◊ Use of a tutorial service for written works with regard to English.
◊ Other: ____________________________________________________________
(See attached sheet)
TAKING EXAMS
This student:
◊ Does not require any additional time;
◊ Needs some additional time: about __________ more time
◊ The student will take exams in local A3.41 (SAIDE Lab)
we will provide supervision for the exam
(see attached document for details on taking exams)
Cégep du Vieux Montréal
255, rue Ontario Est
Montréal (Québec) H2X 1X6
ACADEMIC TRAINING AND CLASS ATTITUDES
This student requires certain conditions in order to be successful. The
following suggestions have been provided by professionals familiar with
this type of problem. We ask that you follow these, as much as possible.
□ Encourage the student to sit at the front of the class.
□ If possible, establish visual contact with the student when you
notice that he or she is less attentive.
□ Encourage the student to join a study group with other students
taking the course.
□ Encourage the student to plan a short meeting with you on a
regular basis to examine the situation and make sure the student
is on the right track. Help the student establish a study plan and
develop study methods adapted to your course and his or her
needs.
□ Allow and encourage the student to record material presented
during your course
□ Encourage the student to obtain an audio version of manuals
used in the course.
□ You could allow more time for completing work assigned. You
could also lower demands in terms of quantity while maintaining
requirements in terms of quality (ex.: hand in an eight page
report in three weeks instead of two weeks).
□ If possible, provide the student with course notes prior to the
course.
TAKING EXAMS
When evaluating the student’s knowledge and accomplishments, the
following support is recommended so the student is not penalized for his
learning disability and to allow the results to more accurately represent
his actual capacities:
□ During evaluations (tests and exams) the student should be
allowed to read the questions out loud.
□ During various evaluations and exams someone could, if
necessary (for instance, a more advanced student in the program)
read the questions out loud to the student.
□ During various evaluations and exams, one could make sure, if
necessary, that the student understands the meaning of the
question.
□ Evaluations could take the form of multiple choice questions in
order to avoid questions requiring detailed answers.
□ Evaluations could be done orally.
□ It is important that the student not be penalized for spelling or
grammar mistakes in courses other than French.
□ Keeping in mind the nature of the problem, the student might
benefit from using a dictionary during exams.
□ During test and exams, allow the student to use correction charts
to help him verify important elements (Ex.: Did I answer the
question posed? Did I put an “s” at the end of plural words? Do
all the verbs agree with their subjects? Etc.)
□ When writing compositions, allow the student to use word
processing software to check spelling and grammar (WORD and
Antidote).
□ We will provide the student with an environment that is free of
distractions by allowing him to use a room where tranquility
reigns (SAIDE local A3.41).
Cégep du Vieux Montréal
255, rue Ontario Est
Montréal (Québec) H2X 1X6
WHAT IS A LEARNING DISABILITY?
Learning disabilities result in difficulties of a constitutional nature (i.e. neurological). They are
linked to attention deficits, certain difficulties such as dyslexia, dysorthographie? Dyscalculia?,
major linguistic problems and problems with memory, etc. Learning disabilities are persistent and
permanent. They do not result from a lack of interest, motivation, autonomy or weak intellectual
capacities. On the contrary, these people work much harder than their peers and often obtain weaker
results (possibly failure), which is not representative of their effort or will. Nevertheless, with the
proper supervision and adequate adaptations, these students can achieve academic success.
Dr. Dave Ellemberg, neuro-psychologist, author and lecturer
The following page and a half is taken from a document prepared by Joanne N. Senécal in 1999. If you
would like more information, please do not hesitate to ask me.
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“It is a disability intrinsic to an individual with average or above average intelligence1”.
A learning disability is not synonymous with an incapacity for learning on an intellectual plane.
“A learning disability can be translated as a difficulty in processing information1 ».
“A learning disability affects the manner in which a person receives, retains and comprehends information, or the way
a person expresses their knowledge1”.
“A learning disability is detected through a battery of tests administered by a specialist in the field2 “.
Definition provided by the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada:
Learning disability is the generic term that designates a heterogeneous group of disorders caused by the malfunction,
recognizable, or deduced, of the central nervous system. These malfunctions can manifest as problems or difficulties in
one of the following areas: memory, attention, reasoning, co-ordination, communication, reading, writing, performing
calculations, social competencies and emotional maturity3.
Regardless of the type of learning disability that certain people may display, the level of disability and the learning
capacity is different for each individual. These levels can vary greatly from one individual to another, and in the same
person these levels are not the same. Each person possesses certain strengths and weaknesses. In some cases,
students will have major problems with reading but have no problem whatsoever doing calculations. The majority of
these people will have problems with self-correction. However, as soon as their mistakes are pointed out, they are able to
recognize them. Based on each individual’s learning disability, different palliative measures will be used to help achieve a
performance comparable to that of other students.
1
Association québécoise pour les troubles d’apprentissage, Les adultes ayant un trouble d’apprentissage, Publication, 1996, 2 pages.
2
Meighen Centre for Learning Assistance and Research, Introduction aux troubles d’apprentissage, à l’intention des éducateurs du postsecondaire : un guide pour l’animateur,
Nouveau-Brunswick, 1996, 59 pages.
(references are in the order of presentation of notes in the document p.14)
3
Meighen Centre for Learning Assistance and Research, Les Troubles d’apprentissage dans la salle de classe ; manuel à l’intention des enseignants du postsecondaire, NouveauBrunswick, 1996, 44 pages.
(references are in the order of presentation of notes in the document p.3-35-34)