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Principal's Message

Message from Principal, Deafblind Programs

Welcome to the W. Ross Macdonald School Deafblind Program website, the only residential/day school program for students with deafblindness in Ontario and the largest Deafblind Residential School Program in Canada.

The WRMS Deafblind Program started in 1971 with seven students and presently serves 39 students from across the province of Ontario, aged 4–21 years.

Each student's ungraded alternative educational program is individually designed by a specialist teacher of the deafblind in consultation with the student's parents and other members of the multi-disciplinary team. The philosophy underlying the Activity-Based Program approach stresses age and developmentally appropriate activities and problem-solving, in a Total Communication environment using a variety of adapted communication techniques.

Students benefit from small class numbers (max. 3 students) with 24-hour intervention and programming in both school and residence, throughout the student's waking hours. All areas of development are incorporated in each student's individualized program, including social-emotional skills, perceptual skills, receptive and expressive communication skills, cognitive/conceptual skills, gross and fine motor skills, life skills, and orientation and mobility skills development.

The program encompasses the "whole" child and assists students to develop to their fullest potential ― academically, socially, emotionally and physically.

Parental involvement is essential and parents are encouraged to be active members of their child's program through regular communication, participation in identifying and planning their child's program goals, visits to the school, and continuation of their child's program at home during weekends and school holidays.

"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much."

― Helen Keller (1880-1968)

William Thompson

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