IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIAL NEEDS

There is no official definition of special needs in Latvia. Deviations from customary abilities, intellectual and physical development and behaviour which prevent pupils to follow the general curricula are considered special educational needs. The pupils who possess them are eligible to the adapted and special education and educational support.

Usually all children start their schooling in mainstream environment with exception of those who has diagnosed disability in early childhood and the parents choose to place them in special educational institution.

During the first year of schooling pupils follow mainstream curriculum. If they show considerable difficulties in acquiring this curriculum and academic achievements do not correspond to requirements of national primary education standards the teachers can suggest that the child repeat the year the second time or attend pedagogical psychological commission. The commission prepares recommendation what kind of curriculum the child should follow but it is up to the parents to make the final decision about their child’s education.

There are two types of pedagogical psychological commissions – the State Pedagogical Psychological Commission (SPPC) formed by the Ministry of Education and Science and Municipal Pedagogical Psychological Commissions formed by district or town municipalities. The commissions consist of different specialists – special teachers, psychologists, doctors and social workers. They assess different aspects of child’s performance.

The competence of the SPPC and municipal commissions are defined by Regulations issued by the Cabinet of Ministers.

The commissions can identify following special educational needs:
- learning disabilities (difficulties);
- sensory disabilities (different degrees of hearing and visual impairments);
- physical disabilities;
- speech and language impairments;
- intellectual disabilities (disabilities of mental development);
- multiple disabilities.

Parents can choose what kind of educational institutions their child should attend – special school, special class in the mainstream school, a special group in the mainstream school or should he/she be integrated in a mainstream class.