Supporting students with special needs, educators share impacts within MHPSD

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on April 11, 2025.

newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com

Members of the Medicine Hat Public School Division’s Alternative Learning Team, which supports the changing needs of students and staff within the division, presented impacts in an update to board trustees on Tuesday.

The presentation outlined the team’s area of focus and special delivery model, highlighting the division’s student caseload and how many members of staff are involved throughout the practice.

Trustees heard the team often collaborates with several teachers at a school to provide focused support on an individual student, or small groups of students with a similar profile. Educators work together to develop a coaching strategy that includes informed strength-based individualized programming that is monitored.

In long-term support cases, an occupational therapist assessment is provided. Their focus is on improving complex communication skills, enhancing behaviour, emotional support and providing specialized programming support.

This year, ALT has visited 14 schools and has delivered professional development to 12 students within the school division, involving a total of 84 staff members.

Last year the team worked with more than 30 students. During the pandemic in the 2020-21 school year the team caseload reached more than 40 students.

Formerly known as the Behavioural Emotional Support team, ALT was formed in 2018 to provide MHPSD with Tier-4 support for students from Grade 2-6. Tier-4 support is targeted at students with complex and diverse behavioural and social-emotional learning needs.

9
-8