Educational pathways and support for children with disabilit...

Educational pathways for children with disabilities in North Rhine-Westphalia

The first day of school is an important moment for every family - and the start of a new chapter in life. This also applies to children with disabilities or developmental disorders.

In North Rhine-Westphalia, every child has a right to individual support. Pupils who require special support due to a disability or a learning or developmental disorder receive special educational support according to their individual needs. As a rule, special educational support takes place in the general school. Alternatively, parents can choose a special school.

Eine Lehrerin schaut gemeinsam mit einem Mädchen mit Behinderung im Klassenzimmer auf ein Tablet.

As a rule, parents submit an application via the general school to initiate the procedure for determining the need for special educational support, which is decided on by the responsible school supervisory authority. Parents can submit the application when registering their child for school at the relevant elementary school. If the child has a mental or physical disability or a hearing or visual impairment, the child can be registered directly at a special school and the application submitted there.

When determining the need for special educational support, an assessment is carried out to determine what support your child needs in order to learn well. For this purpose, a special education teacher and a teacher from the general school will draw up a report. The appointed teachers invite the parents to a meeting and inform them about the procedure and other advisory services.

The need for special educational support can relate to different areas: A distinction is made between learning and developmental disorders (learning, language, emotional and social development) and the main areas of support

Hearing and communication,
Sight,
Mental development,
Physical and motor development.

If a need for special educational support is identified, the school supervisory authority will suggest at least one mainstream school to the parents where a joint learning program is available. If the parents have chosen a special school instead of a mainstream school, the school supervisory authority will suggest at least one such school with the special educational needs identified for the pupil. Parents can also enrol their child at another mainstream school with joint learning provision or at another special school that meets the need for special educational support.

School types at a glance

General schools with special educational support

The general school is the standard place of support for pupils with special educational needs. In North Rhine-Westphalia, there is an extensive range of schools with joint learning in all school levels and types of school close to where pupils live. Pupils with and without special educational needs are taught in the classroom or in the learning group. In addition to general school teachers, special education teachers and specialists from other professional groups also work there.

Special schools

If you as a parent choose a special school for your child, the responsible school supervisory authority will suggest at least one special school with the support needs identified for your child.

Special schools with a focus on mental development and physical and motor development are generally run as all-day schools. Special schools can also be run as schools with different special educational needs in a network, i.e. special schools with different special educational needs are combined under one roof.

Special forms of teaching
In addition, in North Rhine-Westphalia there are also special forms of teaching that come into effect in certain situations:
- Home schooling
  If your child is likely to be unable to attend school for longer than six weeks or on a long-term basis and regularly at least one day a week due to illness, you can submit an application for home schooling to the education authority via your child's school.
- Clinic school
  If your child is unable to attend school for a period of at least four weeks due to inpatient treatment in hospital or a comparable medical/therapeutic facility, they will be admitted to the clinic school. Compulsory schooling is fulfilled by attending classes at the hospital school.
- In addition, there are vocational training courses with special support at vocational colleges.

Support in everyday school life

Children with disabilities often need additional support in everyday school life in order to reach their full potential. This support can look very different:

A school companion or integration aid can accompany the child in everyday school life and support them in lessons, e.g. during group work or breaks. The youth welfare or social welfare authorities are responsible for checking entitlement to school support.
Technical aids can ensure that all areas are accessible if the need is identified.

What comes after graduation?

In NRW, young people with disabilities are prepared for the transition into working life at an early stage. Career exploration, internships and career guidance programs at school help to discover strengths and find suitable paths. The Agentur für Arbeit, the Integrationsfachdienst as part of the Landesinitiative KAoA-STAR, communal advice centers and special programs of the state provide support when starting an apprenticeship.

Studying is also open to people with disabilities. Universities in NRW are obliged to remove barriers and provide individual compensation for disadvantages so that no one is excluded from studying due to a disability. Advice is available directly on site, for example from the disability officer at the respective university.

Financial aid

The everyday school life of a child with a disability can require special support - for example, through a school companion, technical aids or a transportation service. In NRW, there are various financial benefits that provide relief for families. These may also include reductions or exemptions from certain fees and tax concessions. You can find a comprehensive overview on the page "Financial assistance for parents with a disabled child" here on Familienportal.NRW.

Where can we find help and advice?

You can find contact persons and inclusion advisors in your area via the interactive map of the Quality and Support Agency - State Institute for Schools.

The coordination office of the Competence Centers for Independent Living (KSL) NRW networks and provides advice for parents with disabilities in your area.

You can find a general overview of services and contact persons on the website of the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (MAGS NRW).

Types of school and educational opportunities for children with disabilities