The number of SEN places available
varies, with Bradbury School and
Beacon Hill School offering the
highest numbers of primary LSC
places across years 1 to 6. An ESF
special needs place comes with
additional funding and staffing,
with typically one LSC teacher plus
educational assistant per learning
support class. This teacher works with
class teachers to plan for differentiated
and personalised support for each
child. In some instances, children from
the same age group may be grouped
in a single mainstream class, giving
the opportunity for two class teachers
to work together. Parents can expect
their child to have a combination of
mainstream class time as well as some
small group or one-on-one focused
teaching, depending on the individual
needs of the child.
For one parent of a child with an
LSC place at the ESF’s Kowloon
Junior School, integration into
the mainstream class has brought
real social benefits while providing
additional academic support. The
LSC teacher worked closely with her
to learn about her child’s condition,
decide on strategies and ways of
learning to suit her child, and also
incorporate input from an outside
occupational therapist, which was
really beneficial.
The early years
With integration in the classroom, as
well as in social and extra-curricular
activities, being something of a mantra
for many of Hong Kong’s schools
that provide for children with special
needs, Bridge Academy in Sheung
Wan is one place that provides a first
step. Its goal is to prepare preschool
children to integrate successfully into
a mainstream classroom once they
reach primary school age.
Using an ABA (applied behaviour
analysis) approach, intensive therapies
and small-group teaching are offered
to children aged between two and
six in an environment that simulates
a mainstream classroom. The goal
is to nurture skills and an academic
approach that can be practised prior
to school application, setting a child
with learning challenges on a stronger
path to mainstream schooling. Bridge
Academy’s Christine Chan explains
that the preschool years are crucial in
a child’s development and ABA, with
its focus on breaking down skills into
very small steps, can make it easier
for children to learn and be better
prepared to pass that all-important
primary school interview.
If you are interested in meeting and engaging
with parents of children with special
educational needs, Special Needs Network
Hong Kong (SNNHK) offers support and
information, as well as informal meetings
and talks. To contact or join SNNHK, please
email
May 2016
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