IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIAL NEEDS

The decision as to whether a child's development requires special consideration or support is dependent on a concrete assessment of an individual child. The principle of the assessment is the pedagogical one. The assessment of a pupil can only be done with the parent’s approval. It is stressed to provide the needed support and special pedagogical assistance as early as possible to prevent the pupil’s academic failure and other negative developmental consequences.

As a rule, it is the teacher who deals with student's special needs, in co-operation with resource centres (special schools) and counselling services. The responsibility of parents is to take the decision for their daughter and/or son to undergo the assessment of special needs. The experts from special educational and/or educational – psychological counselling centres look into the nature of the need of a child and make proposals for special support and provisions. The head teacher of the school decides about the form of special education support. Parents have the right to approach this decision-making process and their opinion is crucial.

The professionals from the health sector are responsible for medical diagnoses and medical recommendation to support education.

The assessment of educational needs is carried out by pedagogical-psychological advice centres, special pedagogical centres, centres of educational care and diagnostic institutes within the educational sector.

There is a network of counselling institutions in the Czech educational system providing psychological and special pedagogical support and other services. The assessment of special needs of a child is based on using psychological and special pedagogical tools. Big majority of the students with special needs difficulties in the education connected with learning abilities and behavioural disorders. Special pedagogical centres are a part of the resource centre and are dealing with expert assessment of special needs and support service delivery to certain group of pupils with regard to the kind of impairment they deal with.

Centres of Educational Care are responsible for assessing and dealing with the support delivery to children with behavioural problems, to their parents and teachers. They also deal with pupils endangered by negative social phenomena.

Diagnostic Institutions are dealing with the assessment of children sent to the protective educational regime by the Court decision and also with youngsters whose parents or guardians have asked for their placement into the Diagnostic Institution because of behavioural disorders problems, and/or because of the dysfunction of the family. Diagnostic Institutions are the part of the system of education in the Czech Republic.

Process of assessment of special needs
Pupil’s assessment focused on his/her special educational needs is based on multidisciplinary and holistic approach. The procedure is carried out by the Educational Psychological Counselling Centres and/or at Special Education Centres professionals - special pedagogues and/or psychologists – both at schools and/or at the centres. 

The recommendation for undergoing the assessment is given by the class teacher, parent, the pupil him/herself, physician or by another person who is in contact with the pupil.

The assessment as well as special educational support cannot be done without the parent’s approval.

The assessment of special needs of the pupil consists of detail description of individual needs, the way the needs are to be met, the professional contact person as a consultant, the decision about the process of education and its organisation including assessment of the pupils school performance, placement and additional necessary support (personal, technological, professional, teaching materials, special text books, etc). This statement becomes a part of the individual educational plan of an individual student with special needs.

According to the Act on Education the parent must approve the placement of the child into special education and/or his/her placement into the special school and/or special class/unit. The parent can, however, object the placement decision. And the school headmaster is obliged to initiate the change of the placement or educational programme of the child whenever the situation of the student concerning his/her special needs changes. There is a “free track” from special school into mainstream and vice versa.