WikiProject Belgium/Conventions/Special needs schools
Special needs schools
In Belgium, all schools are expected to have some support for students with moderate learning problems. For example, a student with dyslexia will get some extra time on tests.
However, if following the normal curriculum is not possible and this is certificatied by a medical team, a student may enroll in a special needs school.
Special needs school have support for different types of students. Secondary schools have an additional categorization based on orientation.
Indicating that a school is a special needs school
| Tag | Meaning | Dutch name |
|---|---|---|
| school:special_needs=only | School only for special needs students; a certificate is needed to enroll | Buitengewoon onderwijs, BUSO, BLO |
| school:special_needs=yes | School with special needs students. Please use a more descriptive tag! | |
| school:special_needs=separated | School with special needs students; but the special need students don't have lessons with non-special needs students. Other facilities (e.g. schoolyard, refectory) might be shared, separated or timeshared. | Brugklas in een gewone school, speciale vleugel in gewone school |
| school:special_needs=mixed | School with special needs students where the special needs students have classes with the non-special need students | |
| school:special_needs=limited | School with normal students and a normal curriculum, but "reasonable adjustments" are made for students with moderate (learning) disabilities. This is expected from all schools in Belgium | Gewoon onderwijs |
| school:special_needs=no | School with no support at all for students with special needs. In Belgium, this should be equivalent to school:special_needs=limited |
Indicating what type of students are enrolled
In Flanders, special needs school specialize depending on the type of disability they have. For example, there are schools for deaf people, schools for physical disabilities, ... They are assigned a category (type). Many schools support multiple types, use a semicolon-separated list in that case.
| Tag | Description | Type name (Flanders) | Dutch name |
|---|---|---|---|
| special_needs:intellectual_disability=yes | For students with an  intellectual disability, typically IQ < 60, Down's syndrome, ... |
Type 2 | Verstandelijke beperking |
| special_needs:emotional_behavioural_disorder=yes | For students with an emotional and/or behavioural disorder |
Type 3 | Gedragsproblemen |
| special_needs:physical_disability=yes | For students with a physical disability |
Type 4 | Motorische beperking |
| special_needs:blind=yes | For blind and visually impaired students | Type 6 | Blind en slechtziend |
| special_needs:deaf=yes | For deaf students and students with severe hearing loss | Type 7 (doof) | Doven |
| special_needs:language_disorder=yes | For students with developmental language disorder (DLD) |
Type 7 (DLD / STOS) | Spraak- en Taalontwikkelingsstoornis, STOS, TOS |
| special_needs:autism=yes | For students with autism spectrum disorder |
Type 9 (autisme) | Autisme, autisten, autismespectrumstoornis, ASS, autiwerking |
| special_needs:learning_disabilities=yes | For students with a learning disability not fitting one of the other categories (e.g. dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD, ...). In Flanders, this is known as basisaanbod, which is only organised in primary schools. Having this tag on a kindergarten or a secondary school thus has no special meaning. | Basisaanbod | |
| special_needs:intellectually_gifted=yes | For intellectually gifted aka high potential students. |
Cognitief sterk functionerend, hoogbegaafd |
Quite some schools have both a primary and kindergarten section. In theory, there might also be primary and secondary school in the same campus. It is possible that one age bracket has support for a certain type of student, while another age bracket has not - but this is rare. Thus, school=kindergarten;primary and school:special_needs=autism can be assumed to be about both the kindergarten and the primary school (except basisaanbod, see above). If this is not the case, please create a node or way for the primary school and one for the kindergarten.
The tags described above correspond with what is officially organized in Flanders. However, some schools might also have expertise with specific (other) disabilities, e.g. "adhd", "dyslexia", ... Feel free to add extra tags, but be aware that those might not be offically recognized by the government.
Often, schools offer support for multiple types (typically autism and learning_disabilities). Some schools mix those students, some don't. Some have expertise with combined disabilities (e.g. autism and a physical disability), some don't. This tagging scheme doesn't say anything about this.
School:orientation
In Flanders, special needs schools are also classified based on where pupils will end up. These are the official claffisications and how to tag them below:
| Tag | Description | Dutch name | Notes in dutch |
|---|---|---|---|
| school:orientation=care_institution | Trains elementary life skills to live in an institution. There is no intention to do a (paid) job after training | Opleidingsvorm type 1, OV1 | Bereidt voor op leven in een instelling |
| school:orientation=sheltered_workshop | Prepares to work in an environment with extra care and facilities (thus in a sheltered workshop). Enrolled students typically have a (light) mental disability. | Opleidingsvorm type 2, OV2 | Bereidt voor op werken in een maatwerkbedrijf (in de volksmond beschutte werkplaats) |
| school:orientation=vocational | Prepares for a job and a (more-or-less) independent life in society. Gives a diploma equivalent to normal secondary schooling | Opleidingsvorm type 3, OV3 | Bereidt voor op (min of meer) zelfstandig leven en een job, geeft een diploma gelijkwaardig aan een diploma secundair onderwijs arbeidsfinaliteit |
| school:orientation=professional | Prepares for a job and a (more-or-less) independent life in society, or for continued education. This might result in a normal diploma of secondary education. Pupils with e.g. ASS or a learning disability are typically enrolled here, as they need some more structure, ... | Opleidingsvorm type 4, OV4 | Opleiding equivalent aan gewoon secundair onderwijs, maar met extra ondersteuning, trager tempo, ... |
Many schools organise multiple forms, use a semicolon-separated list in that case.
Note that those values overlap with school:orientation=* as for normal education. This is intentional, especially because they give equivalent certificates even though they are named diffently. See page for more info.