Life-Centered Education (LCE) Program

In 2018 the ISK Board of Trustees approved a proposal for ISK to become a more inclusive school, expanding our learning resource services to include services for students with learning needs that are considered to be more intensive than the level of needs that are currently supported. There is a committee working under the leadership and supervision of Heidi Laws, the Head of Student Support Services, to chart our progress towards this goal of a comprehensive special education program for all students grade Pre-Kindergarten through grade 12. 

The Life-Centered Education (LCE) program at ISK is designed to serve students with a diagnosed intellectual or developmental disability and require individualized academic and social skill instruction.The program is not appropriate for students with intense emotional or behavioral needs or severe health impairments. Students accepted in our program receive customized instruction and support from highly trained special educators and assistant teachers. Additionally, students are integrated into our elective classes and optional after-school activities.

“The thoughtful inclusion of students with special learning needs is one very practical and explicit way of enhancing a school’s organizational intelligence. By challenging ourselves to do more than what we are already comfortable doing, we engage in a rigorous exercise of collaborative inquiry that supports our collective intellectual growth and social and emotional development.” - Powell and Kusuma-Powell, Raising Your School’s Organizational Intelligence 2013.

In the Life-Centered Education (LCE) classroom students learn how to improve their reading fluency and comprehension through an interactive and multisensory approach to reading and writing. In mathematics, students improve numeracy and computation through several different math strategies and real life applications. Life skills and social skills are reinforced daily with lessons from the Social Thinking curriculum. Students also receive additional social emotional support from the Elementary School counselors.

Under the supervision of the LCE teacher, grade level teachers and counselors, student schedules are developed to support their abilities and individual needs in the least restrictive environment. This includes both mainstream grade level classes as well as small group instruction in the LCE classroom. LCE students may also participate in PE, art, music, library time, and makerspace, as well as recess and lunch with their peers. 

Students who are included with their peers in academic settings have enhanced physical, mental health and self-esteem and develop skills that promote independence. There is an ongoing collaboration among regular class teachers, special education teachers, and other professionals regarding students' programming and teaching and learning environments. 

At this time, additional support services such as occupational therapy, sensory integration, and speech and language therapy can be provided throughout the day and arranged through the parents.

Students in Kindergarten to Grade 9 may qualify for the Life-Centered Education Program when either of the following descriptions are applicable: 

• Student has a diagnosed intellectual or developmental disability as diagnosed in an psycho education evaluation 

*IQ score below a score of 75, may consider students with higher IQ’s (approx. 76-85) 

• Previous inclusion in, or referral to, an intensive type self- contained program or having had a 1:1 assistant
• Elementary specific:
  • Functional communication skills 
  • A certain level of ADL skills (feeding, dressing, toileting independently) as measured by the Vineland or another parent questionnaire, which can be administered by us 
  • Regardless of true age, developmental skills above a certain age, i.e. age 4 or 5 (can also glean from the Vineland and likely from info on their psycho education evaluation)

The program would be exclusive* of:

• Students with intense emotional or behavioral needs that require intensive behavioral intervention
• Students that require skilled nursing services for severe health impairments

*Consideration is made on a case-by-case basis.

Admission to Life-Centered Education Program and ISK:

Admission to the LCE program would be determined after a comprehensive application process. It is outlined as follows:

• Follow ISK's standard online application procedure.
• The applicant’s parents would need to provide a detailed developmental history of their child and a formal educational-psychological evaluation from a reputable organization or individual.
  • Students in Kindergarten - Grade 9 may qualify for the Life-Centered Education Program.
  • This testing should provide a report inclusive of a student’s cognitive, adaptive, academic, language, social, emotional and behavioral functioning.
  • Evaluation will need to have been conducted within one/two year(s) from the date of application depending of student at admissions.
  • When applicable, recent speech and language, occupational, and physical therapy evaluations may also be requested.
• An interview will be necessary to further evaluate the applicant’s abilities and levels of need.
• We aim to have a healthy proportion for LCE students from the local host country and expatriate population, which will reflect our international culture.

Admissions process: The screening and admission of students to LCE program is by a committee of administration (Principal and/or Assistant Principal), LCE Teacher, and the Head of Student Support Services. Please note that there is an additional fee for admission into the LCE program.