Definition of the target group(s)
The Law on Education specifies that the purpose of special educational assistance and separate special support, is to make the education of pupils in need of specialist educational support more effective. Special educational support is provided to those up to 21 years of age, for anyone who has had intermittent schooling due to illness and where documents have been submitted justifying the reason for such interruptions – up to the end of the school year in which they turn 23. The required documents are provided by special teachers working in the educational psychology services and schools as defined in the procedure established by the Minister of Education, Science and Sport. Higher education institutions are excluded from this.
Special support for pupils in need, is provided at school. Such support includes sign language interpretation, text reading and note-taking as well as other services now increasingly availability. The procedure for the provision of special support at higher education institutions is regulated independently by each higher education institution, as required.
Special teachers working in educational psychology services and schools provide counselling to the recipients of special educational assistance, their parents (foster parents or guardians) and teachers.
In Lithuania, special education is organised in compliance with the Constitution, the Law on Education, government resolutions and other legislation.
Admission requirements and choice of school
The Law on Education specifies that children recognised as having SENs have the right to be educated in educational institutions located as close to the place of their residence as possible.
From the start of the 2024 school year, all schools and kindergartens are required to accept children with special needs if their parents, in consultation with specialists, decide that attending such an institution is the best option for their child. However, special schools will continue to be provided. Parents will be able to choose, in consultation with professionals, which institution best suits their child’s needs.
Classes for pupils with special educational needs are set up in accordance with The Rules for the Development of the Network of Schools Implementing Formal Education Curriculum.
A special class for children with mild intellectual disabilities and speech and language impairments can have up to 12 pupils. A special class for the visually-impaired and partially-sighted, the acute or partially hearing-impaired, those with mobility and positional impairments, and those with moderate, severe or profound learning disabilities can have up to 10 pupils. A special class for pupils with complex disabilities, including intellectual disability, behavioural and emotional disorders, and multiple developmental disabilities can have up to 6 pupils.
The Procedure for Special Education Evaluation and Appointment in Accordance with the Pedagogical, Psychological, Medical and Social Educational Aspects for Pupils with Special Educational Needs (excluding pupils with exceptional abilities), who are assigned special education provision, are entitled, with the approval of their parents (foster parents or guardians), to choose one or other form of education (i.e., either complete or partial integration into mainstream schools, or to be schooled in a special educational institution), based on the recommendation of the Educational Psychology Service.
Pupils with SENs are admitted to follow an individualised primary, and/or lower secondary curricula and a social skills development curricula in accordance with the Procedure for Consecutive Learning in Accordance with the General Curriculum Framework.
A person with special educational needs due to a learning disability who has completed an adapted primary education curriculum, a special primary education curriculum, or an individualised primary education curriculum, is admitted to an individualised lower secondary education curriculum (the first part of an individualised lower secondary education curriculum), on the basis of a certificate of achievement in primary education or a certificate of learning achievements.
A person with severe or very severe special educational needs due to a learning disability who has completed an adapted lower secondary education curriculum, a special lower secondary education curriculum, or an individualised lower secondary education curriculum, is admitted to the social skills development curriculum on the basis of a certificate of achievement in lower secondary education or a certificate of learning achievements.
On admission to vocational schools, anyone with special needs under the age of 21 are required to produce statements from the Educational Psychology Service. Their special needs should not prevent them from following a particular vocational training curriculum and work, according to the professional qualification obtained. Anyone who has completed the adapted basic education curriculum and achieved the basic education certificate with a statement about the adapted core general education subjects taught in the final grade of basic education (grade 10) and also their learning outcomes (to show what they have learned), are admitted to vocational schools to follow the adapted secondary education curriculum.
Age levels and grouping of pupils
Education and learning levels by age for pupils recognised as having special needs do not differ from the usual education levels. They include pre-school education (from birth to the start of pre-primary or primary education), pre-primary education (starting in the calendar year in which the child turns five years of age up to the 30 April and can last two years), primary education (in the calendar year in which the child turns seven years of age or one year earlier), basic education, secondary education, vocational education, higher education and adult non-formal education.
The number of children in special groups at pre-school institutions depends on the age group and the type of impairment.
Anyone with special needs who follows the individualised primary education curriculum, the individualised lower secondary education curriculum or social skills development curriculum are educated in the mainstream classes of general education schools.
In forming classes, pupils with special needs (excluding pupils with minor communication difficulties), are included in the total number of class pupils by applying a coefficient of 2 (i. e. one pupil with special needs equates to two pupils).
Curriculum, subjects
The General Teaching Plans for lower and upper secondary education programmes specify that the school must respond to the needs of pupils with SENs when developing its own Teaching Plan and ensure the inclusion of all pupils in education, remove barriers to participation and learning difficulties and provide the necessary educational support.
The school prepares an individual education plan for each pupil with special educational needs, which includes a support plan that specifies the educational support and support from other professionals, required to enhance the effectiveness of the education, and appoints a person to prepare and coordinate its implementation, who, together with the teachers and educational support professionals, the pupil and their parents/guardians, defines the objectives of the education and support, and ensures individual timetables are implemented in accordance with the timetable of the class in which the pupil is studying.
Pupils follow the primary education curriculum study for moral education (religion or ethics), Lithuanian and a foreign language, mathematics, perception and understanding of the world, art and technologies, music, physical education and other subjects selected at the school’s discretion. Those following the basic and secondary education curricula, study moral education (religion or ethics), Lithuanian and foreign languages, mathematics, information technologies, history, geography, biology, chemistry, physics, art and technologies, music, physical education and other subjects selected at the school’s discretion.
When organising the education process for SENs pupils, the school takes account of the following aspects: the pupil’s SENs and disabilities; the form of education (complete or partial integration in mainstream education, provision at home or in institutions for separate special education); the curriculum (the General Education Curriculum Framework or the curriculum tailored to their individual SENs: modified, adapted or individualised); the funds available to support the education and teaching (learning) environment.
When drawing up a Teaching Plan for the school, a separate class or an individual SEN pupil, the special or general education school providing education to SEN pupils must be guided by the number of weekly lessons allocated for the implementation of the primary education curriculum subjects in the General Teaching Plan. In addition, the school may adjust (up to 25 per cent), the number of weekly lessons allocated for the implementation of the curriculum subjects, any changes (reduction/increase), the number of lessons allocated for individual subjects, the plan for special classes and/or an increased the number of lessons allocated for artistic education, the teaching of other subjects and the provision of additional assistance for a teacher.
For pupils with minor or average mental health difficulties who follow either the General Curriculum Framework tailored to the needs of SEN pupils, or the special primary education curriculum, the school may reduce the minimum number of compulsory lessons per pupil by 1–2 lessons by increasing the number of hours allocated for non-formal education.
In the course of the school year, the school may take into account the evaluation and advice of the Schools Special Education Commission or Educational Psychology Service and change the number of lessons (hours) allocated for special classes, practical training and individual support, or allocate additional hours for a certain period of time for each individual pupil or group, to intensify the provision of special educational support or assistance for teachers.
With regard to individual pupils’ health issues and recommendations of the Schools Special Education Commission, the school may decide to reduce the duration of lessons by five minutes and spend the time gained on changing the pupils’ activities and arranging breaks.
In implementing the formal and non-formal education curricula, the school is free to set the number of SEN pupils in the group based on the funds allocated, the pupils’ needs and also the available teaching and learning conditions and teaching aids.
For pupils with complex disabilities when limited learning capacity is part of the profile, the Teaching Plan is drawn up taking into account the limitations and includes special education support for the improvement of other dysfunctions. To that end, in special developmental classes for pupils recognised as having moderate, significant and very significant learning disabilities and those with complex disabilities with moderate, significant and very significant learning disabilities as part of the combination, the teacher will design an individual curriculum, and the school may make arrangements for classes like that to be engaged in various activities during the school holidays (except in summer). Senior pupils engaged in social activity programmes may volunteer and help teachers organise those activities.
On advice from the Schools Special Education Commission and Educational Psychology Service and subject to the agreement of the pupils’ parents, a number of SENs pupils, including those who are deaf and hard of hearing, have average or significant speech and language impairments, pupils with autism (high functioning), behavioural, emotional and social difficulties, dyslexia, average or significant mobility restrictions (motor and support apparatus requirements), limited or impaired learning capacity, pupils suffering from mental illnesses as well as pupils with the above mentioned disorders who are learning at school in the ethnic minority language do not have to study foreign languages, but may take them up later. Pupils with hearing disorders are not required to learn and the deaf do not need to learn music. pupils with limited mobility (motor and support apparatus requirements) can be exempt from technology lessons. To replace these subjects, the school may provide for the pupil’s SENs, by organising special classes and provide teachers with additional assistance, allocating additional hours for the teaching of the state Lithuanian language for pupils who are learning at school in the ethnic minority language as well as those who are. All changes to the Teaching Plan related to the exemption of pupils within mainstream education from learning particular subjects are documented as instructed by school principals.
Pupils with special needs who are attending special schools for those who are deaf and hard of hearing and pupils with impaired vision, impaired speech and other communication impairments are allocated an additional year of compulsory schooling in a preparatory class in order to achieve, over a longer period of time, the outcomes specified in the General Curriculum Framework. The number of hours allocated for separate subjects may be altered at the school’s discretion to meet the child’s education needs but a minimum number of compulsory lessons per week are preserved.
For pupils who are deaf and hard of hearing, classes in communication activities (seven classes per week), are organised instead of classes for foreign languages. Those communication activities include the following: Lithuanian, communication, and one lesson per week allocated for the teaching of the Lithuanian sign language. Classes of cognitive activities for those pupils include social and cultural activities, understanding the natural environment and formation of the elementary mathematical images. Classes for artistic activities consist of getting to know the rhythmic patterns of music and the fields of art. Three lessons per week are allocated for practical activities and two individual lessons per week for each pupil (2–3 individual lessons per week for Cochlear implant users), are allocated for the training of pronunciation and the development of speech and hearing skills. Individual sessions for training pronunciation and the development of speech and hearing skills are conducted during the classes of communication and cognitive activities (the contents of the training sessions and the respective classes should be consistent).
The Teaching Plan for children with speech, language and other communication issues must include special classes for the development of pronunciation, speech and hearing. One class per pupil is allocated to individualised training.
The Teaching Plan for children with visual impairments must contain a special class for abilitation training (the development of sensorimotorics and vision).
The school designs the curriculum for the teaching of shut-in SEN pupils at home by selecting the corresponding areas of education, tailoring the syllabuses of the subjects taught to those pupils’ aptitudes and education needs and taking into account the recommendations of doctors.
While educating deaf or hard of hearing children at home, surdopedagogues or speech and language therapists together with the parents (foster parents or guardians) adjust the curriculum to the child’s individual needs, develop his/her skills and provide counselling to the parents taking into account the individual abilities of the child and the level of his/her hearing impairment.
The number of hours allocated for at home education of SENs pupils with minor mental health difficulties as well as SEN pupils with minor mental health difficulties who are learning in an ethnic minority language amounts to 6 hours per week. Those hours are allocated for linguistic, mathematical and social education as well as special lessons to meet the pupil’s SENs.
The number of hours allocated for at the home education of SENs pupils with moderate, major and severe mental health difficulties as well as SENs pupils with minor, major and severe mental health difficulties who are learning in an ethnic minority language, amount to 6 hours per week. Education is organised in separate areas of activities including communication, cognition, orientation, art and practical work. The child is educated at home by a special teacher who, with each child’s individual abilities in mind, together with the parents (foster parents or guardians), adjusts the General Primary Curriculum to the child’s individual needs, develops their abilities and provides counselling to the parents. When organising education at home for children with major and severe mental health difficulties who are recognised as having limited mobility (motor and support apparatus requirements), 1–2 hours per week are recommended for therapeutic exercise.
The provision of SENs at home to pre-school children for whom attendance at an early childhood education institution is unavailable, is organised in accordance with the Procedure of the Special Educational Assistance at Home to the Pre-school Children(Specialiosios pedagoginės pagalbos teikimo specialiųjų poreikių ikimokyklinio amžiaus vaikams namuose tvarka).
Teaching methods and materials
Teachers who educate those with special needs must adjust educational methods, the curriculum and its content and also select relevant teaching aids to reflect their special needs.
Education according to the curricula adapted for the special needs of the disabled determines the application of new teaching and learning methods. Pupils with different disabilities and different learning needs are taught using different ways and methods. The main principles in selecting educational methods are the differentiation and individualisation of teaching. Teaching methods are chosen according to individual special needs. Even when the same educational curriculum is being followed, a variety of methods can be applied for each individual.
In the process of educating pupils with special needs, a variety of methods are used, including narration, explanation, observation, conversation, demonstration, printed or audio materials and traditional or computer-based games. Pupils learn to understand their reality, evaluate phenomena, and develop individual views about people, things, the environment and themselves. They are engaged in practical work, experiments, observation, active and didactic creative games, and are given logical challenges to solve. Games are played in groups or teams and children are allowed to evaluate their own work. Individual work with children is used as corrective education. Excursions and practical work are extensively used as methods of education.
When teaching hearing-impaired pupils, the prevailing tools are visual aids. Verbal communication (pronunciation and lip-reading skills) is developed, more information is provided in writing and work is organised on an individual basis. Visual aids and visual information (various charts, pictures, tables, formula and arbitrary signs), are hugely important, as well as specific communication means like sign language and finger language (dactylology). Hearing-impaired children in mainstream schools are provided with the special assistance of a surdopedagogue. The deaf and hard of hearing children are taught total communication using a verbal or bilingual method. Artistic development is very important when educating the deaf. Pupils are encouraged to express themselves through the synthesis of elements of modern dance and movement on the stage.
Special teaching aids are used in the process of educating visually-impaired children. Every high-risk visually-impaired child is given half a lesson every week (during a period of up to four years), to learn Braille. With the help of touch, visually-impaired and partially-sighted children are taught to perceive their surroundings, things, and people.
The school supplies SENs pupils with teaching resources free of charge by using funds included in the ‘class basket’ designated for this purpose.
Progression of pupils
The learning achievements and progress of a pupil following a general curriculum are assessed in accordance with the achievements set out in the General Education Curriculum and in accordance with the provisions this curriculum. The learning progress and achievements of a pupil for whom the General Education Curriculum has been adapted, are assessed in accordance with the objectives for individual progress set out in their individual development plan. These are aligned with the achievements set out in the General Education Curriculum, the content of the education, the aims and learning goals of the pupil, the way in which the pupil will be taught, the ways in which their learning achievements will be assessed and tested, and the teaching/learning tools that will be used, are discussed with the pupil, their parents (guardians) and the educational support professionals, .In assessing pupils’ progress and achievements, the types of assessment used include formative assessment (oral and in writing), diagnostic assessment (according to the formalised way of assessment chosen by the school), and informative assessment (used to report on a child’s progress). In primary grades, pupils’ progress and achievements are not assessed in marks.
The assessment of the learning achievements (methods, and timing), of a pupil following an individualised primary education programme, an individualised lower secondary education programme or a social skills development programme and the format of the assessment are agreed by the school. Arrangements are made taking into account the pupil’s capacities and an understanding of the assessment, the SENs, expected progress, and the wishes of the parents/guardians/carers. The methods of assessment are chosen by the school (the marking scale, “pass”, “fail”, descriptions, grades, etc.).
Certification
The Description of the Procedure for Issuing Certificates and Matura Attestations regulates issuance of certificates and Matura Attestations to pupils of primary, basic, secondary and special education.
A certificate for learning achievements is granted to a pupil who has completed the individualised primary education curriculum, the individualised lower secondary education curriculum or the social skills development curriculum in the transfer class after completing each part of the curriculum and identifying who has been promoted to the next grade.
A certificate for the learning achievements in primary education is granted to a pupil who has completed the primary education individualised curriculum. A certificate attesting to the learning achievements in lower secondary education is granted to a pupil who has completed the lower secondary education individualised curriculum. The certificate contains the names of the subjects in the curriculum, their codes, and annual grades.
A certificate for the learning achievements in upper secondary education is granted to a pupil who has completed the social skills development curriculum. The certificate contains the names of the subjects in the curriculum, their codes, and annual grades.