For immediate release
March 26, 2001

New initiative promotes early intervention
at Hastings and Prince Edward schools
 
        Four schools in the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board have  been named as demonstration sites to pilot a new initiative of the Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario (LDAO). During the 2001-2002 school year, Prince Charles Public School in Trenton, Queen Elizabeth Public School in Picton, Foxboro Public School and Bancroft Public School will all be implementing and evaluating the Dynamic Screening and Intervention Model of Senior Kindergarten as part of the Promoting Early Intervention Initiative.
        The Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario is a volunteer-led organization that acts as a catalyst and resource for the development of appropriate community services for people with learning disabilities. In 1999, $2 million was allocated to the LDAO by the Ontario government to establish the Promoting Early Intervention Initiative. This pilot in the local schools is the first field testing of the initiative, scheduled to be rolled out across the province the following year. It will assess the readiness to learn of Senior Kindergarten students.
        "The Promoting Early Years Intervention Initiative supports all kids and identifies those students with more complex issues," says Kate Lloyd, of LDAO.
        "This program offers great benefits for our students and can compliment our current Special Education screening, identification, and service delivery process for students who are experiencing difficulty with their learning," says Les Jewell, Superintendent of Instruction and Special Education Services.
        The LDAO and the Board have high hopes for the initiative. It is expected to identify and support children who are at risk of school failure, enhance the accuracy of identification of learning disabilities, and decrease the development of behavioural and emotional problems related to untreated learning disabilities. In addition it will provide intervention techniques to teachers, make resources and support available to the school board, and provide a resource bank of services for children with identified learning disabilities.
 

For information contact:
Les Jewell, Superintendent of Instruction and Special Education 966-1170 ext. 2414