Educational and Academic Services Unit

Introduction

The university goal at the present time increasing the number of students admitted to the university from various disability categories who meet the requirements for admission, and to expand the programs and specializations in which they are accepted, reaching the stage in which it is hoped that all university programs and specializations will be opened in front of them in tune with what students demand People with disabilities themselves by opening various specializations and not restricting their admission to limited specializations as long as the conditions for admission apply to them, and as long as the university provides them the opportunity  of success.

From this point, the university tries diligently to provide an educational environment that provides excellent education for students with disabilities, in tune with what is known about King Saud University as one of the leading universities in the field of developing education, high-quality programs with a reputation, long and honorable history. That is why we find that it was the first to approve the executive rules and procedures for services for students with disabilities, according to which general policies and responsibilities, steps for obtaining services, standards for documenting disability, eligibility criteria and services for each category of disability were approved, based on the laws and regulations approved by the Kingdom, and international agreements signed it.

 

One of the basic factors for achieving this is the university’s commitment to providing equal opportunities through the presence of centers and programs that work to provide the best services with the available qualified specialists who devote themselves to guiding these students. The Educational and Academic Services Unit works in light of its vision and mission to provide the best educational services for students with disabilities by preparing an educational adaptations guide that serves faculty members and university students with disabilities.

Vision:

Teaching staff provide an excellent educational service for students with disabilities.

the message:

Raising the efficiency of faculty members in teaching

 students with disabilities by providing educational adaptations guide that contributes to the delivery of a successful educational process

 

The goal of the educational adaptations guide:

The educational adaptations guide aims to provide assistance to faculty members so that they can succeed in implementing their role related to the university’s commitment to providing equal opportunities for students with disabilities. The faculty members will find the most recent information related to each category of disability, the functional deficiencies and the determinants of disability in students who suffer from these disabilities, as well as some recommended adaptations, and useful suggestions regarding how to succeed in meeting the needs of students in the classroom and in The various university programs through defining responsibilities on the one hand, and through an individual educational program that is prepared for each student based on his needs on the other hand.

 

Responsibilities for providing services to students with disabilities

Responsibility for providing services to students with disabilities is divided among three main bodies:  disabled services centers, faculty members, and students with disabilities themselves.

 

Disabled Services Centers

  The responsibilities of disabled services centers can be identified as follows:

• Facilitating and coordinating the provision of appropriate adaptations for students with disabilities.
• Establishing policies and procedures to direct the provision of support services in accordance with the rules and regulatory procedures for university students.
• Providing students, faculty, and staff with the organizational procedures and rules that regulate the service of people with disabilities.
• Facilitate the evaluation of documents and procedures for academic adaptations and housing.
• Communicate with the student to inform him of the results of the assessment, including requesting additional documents, recommendations regarding transitional support services and / or adaptations appropriate to the case.
• Maintain a group of service providers and coordinate provider tasks.
• Maintain confidentiality of records, including documents.
• Provide guidance and familiarization with sources of resources for students, faculty, and staff who receive and / or provide access to facilities, programs, activities, and services for persons with disabilities.
• Contact the college and faculty on behalf of the student as and when required to facilitate the provision of required adaptations and / or access to services.

 

Common educational adaptations for students with disabilities

 Educational adaptations and support services provided to students with disabilities are determined on a case-by-case basis and are only recommended if a student with a disability does not have equal access to the educational opportunity without educational adaptations and appropriate support services. Special adaptations request forms are submitted to faculty members throughout the semester upon the student's request. Students with disabilities are encouraged to start the registration process early so that faculty members are notified of their needs before the first day of class. Disability centers provide extensive services to students with disabilities, and in general, the adaptations and support services specified in the committee's report are not difficult for faculty members, and they should not change the basic course requirements. We provide educational adaptations and appropriate support services for each category of disability

 

These include educational adaptations for students with disabilities and support services, but are not limited to

• taking notes
• Extending / increasing testing time
• Providing examinations in alternative forms
• Reducing the distracting stimuli from the test environment
• Take breaks
• Extending the completion of tasks and duties on a case-by-case basis
• Reducing the material needed
• Assistive technology (tape recorder, print amplifiers, etc.)
• Use a word processor for articles
• Alternative books with picture (pdf, audio)
• Use a calculator
• Pre-registration for academic courses
• Audio-recorded books
• Register courses that are not available on the tape
• Arranging for a private test
• Assistance in accessing modified computers
• Readers, writers, and volunteer note takers
• Referral for private lessons
• Consulting on how to deal with disability
• Provide sign language and interpretation services
• Providing information and referrals to sources on and off campus

 

Individual pedagogical program in higher education

The administrative concept of the individual educational program:

 A written document for the purpose of communication and administrative coordination between the parties to the educational process represented by the Eligibility and Counseling Committee for People with Disabilities at King Saud University, the student with disabilities, and a member of the teaching staff.

The educational concept of the individual educational program:

A written description of the educational support services and adaptations determined by the nature of the disability and the needs of the student based on the documents submitted by the student and the results of the diagnosis, prepared by a specialized committee.

 

Parts of an IEP:

The individual educational program consists of two parts in terms of preparation and implementation:

Part one: the educational plan

A document written by the Multidisciplinary Eligibility and Guidance Committee for Persons with Disabilities, which provides a comprehensive report on each student with disabilities, through a general description of the nature of the disability and the student's job performance and the limitations of his disability in the cognitive, cognitive and behavioral areas, and the needs and services that result from them.

Part two: the educational plan

The process of implementing the educational plan by specifying educational adaptations and support services, teaching strategies, and appropriate communication methods that are determined by the Eligibility and Counseling Committee in coordination with the student and the faculty member for approval in studying the courses.

 

 Objectives of the Individualized Educational Program:

• The individual educational program occupies an important place in the service of students with disabilities, as it is considered the basis from which all educational support services and adaptations stem.
• The importance of implementing the individual educational program appears more, when we realize that the student is the focus of attention and focus of the individual educational program, as it is considered the center of all information, evaluation and measurement, as well as the subject of the educational process.
• The individual educational program is a source of protection for the rights of the target student in this program, because it contains support services and educational adaptations that guarantee the right of this individual to receive the appropriate educational service and the accompanying other support services.

 

The importance of the individual educational program:

• Reflects the best orientation for special education teachers.
• It is an acknowledgment and recognition of the student's unique privacy in light of which his or her special needs should be addressed.
• It is considered a method for measuring and evaluating student performance as well as describing an appropriate program.
• It gives a faculty member an opportunity to help the student achieve and pass the course goals.
• It helps the authorities related to the individual educational program to monitor the student’s performance and measure his performance.
• The university puts before its responsibilities towards the student in terms of carrying out all operations to provide the required service that he needs in accordance with the specified measurement standards.