ISP at DMT
What is an ISP Program?
Intensive Support Programs (ISP) are designed to support communities of exceptional (special needs) students who have similar behavioural, communication, intellectual, or physical needs.
Access to this level of support is by the decision of an Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) or by the recommendation of a Special Education Program Recommendation Committee (SEPRC) in consultation with the student’s parents/guardians/caregivers. A committee will first consider the student’s needs and determine which ISP program is the right placement for the student.
ISP at DMT
At David and Mary Thomson CI the ISP students are welcomed into a safe, caring and inclusive learning environment. Our philosophy is for students to:
Participate and be included as fully as possible in all activities of our school community.
Be valued as individuals for their unique contributions to school life.
Have no boundaries placed on, or pre judgments made about, their capacity for learning.
Enjoy a safe and secure learning environment.
Enjoy a sense of belonging to a school community that accepts ownership and responsibility for their learning
Be unencumbered by stereotypical, outdated perspectives on abilities and disabilities
ISP Curriculum
ISP students work towards a Certificate of Accomplishment and the program focuses on:
Functional Academics
Development of basic literacy and numeracy skills by daily language and math lessons.
Life Skills
Each class focuses on developing independence and daily life skills by weekly cooking or baking lessons.
Community Awareness
The program includes many weekly excursions to various community resources such as: the bowling alley, public library, and grocery store.
Experiential Learning
Developing work skills is an important aspect of our program. All students will get the opportunity to work at in-school jobs such as cleaning the cafeteria and recycling. Some students then get the opportunity to participate in experiential learning co-op placements outside of school with a job coach such as at the local grocery store, neighbouring elementary schools and retail shops.
Athletics
Throughout the year students are able to participate in many various athletic opportunities such as track and field, badminton, and bocce ball. We run a year long adapted physical education program that is integrated with mainstream peer leaders.
Social Skills
Our program encourages healthy age appropriate social interactions for all of our students. We celebrate birthdays and special holidays with classroom dances and luncheons. In addition, our students participate in school events such as the Holiday Spirit Assembly and the Multicultural Show.
Technology
Students in our program have ready access to the latest technology in their classrooms. Our department has microsoft tablets, iPads, and Promethean boards in each classroom to assist in their literacy and numeracy development.