Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 11650)
The short title of Republic Act No. 11650 is the 'Instituting a Policy of Inclusion and Services for Learners with Disabilities in Support of Inclusive Education Act'.
The State declares it as policy to protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels, making education accessible to all, recognizing the rights of learners with disabilities to inclusive, equitable, and quality education, and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for them.
Inclusive Education is defined as the process of addressing and responding to the diversity of needs of all learners by moving towards full participation, presence, and achievement in learning cultures and communities. It involves accommodation, modification, adaptation, and individualization in content, approaches, structures, and strategies to provide equitable opportunities and needed support for learners with disabilities alongside their age-appropriate peers.
ILRCs are physical or virtual centers that provide support and related services to teaching and learning using appropriate, accessible, disability, linguistically-culturally-, and gender-sensitive instructional materials, tools, devices, gadgets, and equipment. They facilitate and enhance learning and assessment for learners with disabilities and provide support from medical, health, and allied professionals for care, rehabilitation, and development.
The Child Find System is a system for identification, location, and evaluation of learners with disabilities not more than 24 years old who are not receiving basic education services to facilitate their inclusion into the general education system, including those below five years old not receiving early education services.
The ILRC functions include implementing the Child Find System, conducting assessments and diagnoses, preparing and reviewing Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), providing support and related services, producing teaching materials, providing training to teachers and families, establishing referral systems, monitoring learners, delivering alternative educational programs, and facilitating access to auxiliary aids and services among others.
The multidisciplinary team may include educational psychologists, guidance counselors, psychometricians, developmental pediatricians, neurologic psychiatrists, physical and occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, braille specialists, FSL interpreters, special needs teachers, and the ILRC supervisor among others as necessary.
Related services refer to provisions including linguistic solutions for deaf learners, speech-language pathology, interpreting services, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, recreation, social services, school health, medical services, transportation and other assistance required to help learners with disabilities fully benefit from education services.
Procedural safeguards ensure learners with disabilities and their parents or guardians are informed in their mother tongue, have access to records, can participate in meetings on identification and placement, and can file complaints with timely administrative resolution within 30 calendar days to protect their educational rights under the Act.
Any private school, government official, employee, or ILRC personnel who violates or fails to comply with provisions of the Act shall be dealt with administratively by the Department of Education and other implementing agencies.