Be actively involved in
THE Special Needs Advisory Committee
A guide for curious and interested parents
Special Needs Advisory Committee (SNAC) is a space for dialogue between parents, professionals and institutional representatives aimed at improving the services offered to students with special needs.
A clear understanding of the role of the SNAC makes it possible to make a concrete contribution to improving the educational path of all children, regardless of their challenges. By learning about the SNAC’s operations, responsibilities, and ways to actively participate, parents can better represent the interests of all special needs students.
What is the Special Needs Advisory Committee?
The Special Needs Advisory Committee is a committee prescribed by the Education Act and established by each school board to provide recommendations on the organization and improvement of educational services intended for special needs students. It ensures better consistency between the needs of students and the resources made available to them. Its existence guarantees support adapted to the specific challenges encountered by these students and promotes their school integration.
Objectives of the Special Needs Advisory Committee
- Advise the school board on the organization of educational services for special needs students.
- Provide advice on the distribution of financial resources dedicated to these students.
- Participate in the evaluation of educational services to suggest adjustments and improvements.
- Promote communication between parents, school staff and specialist organizations.
- Promote recognition of the specific needs of special needs students and the adaptation of teaching practices.
Thanks to this committee, decisions made regarding special education and services are better guided and benefit from the expertise of parents and professionals in the field.
History of the Special Needs Advisory Committee
The Special Needs Advisory Committee was created in 1988 with the Education Act.
It stems from an awareness and a shift towards school inclusion that began in the 70s and 80s, when efforts were made to integrate these students more fully into regular schools.
Even after the 2020 reform that transformed school boards into school service centers in the French sector, the Special Needs Advisory Committee retained its importance. It remains an essential tool for making parents’ voices heard and improving services for students with special needs and disabilities.
Role and responsibilities of the Special Needs Advisory Committee
The Special Needs Advisory Committee is a space where issues related to the integration and support of special needs students in the education system are discussed. Its main function is to make recommendations to the school board to improve the services offered to special needs students. It analyzes existing policies, evaluates existing practices and proposes solutions adapted to the realities of students.
This committee ensures that each student receives adequate support, enabling better academic and social adaptation. It also plays an awareness-raising role, informing the various stakeholders in the school environment about the specific challenges encountered by these students and promoting constructive exchanges between parents, teachers and specialists.
Composition of the Special Needs Advisory Committee
The committee is made up of different stakeholders from the school board and community sectors to ensure balanced representation. It promotes collaboration and consultation between various stakeholders, in order to offer adapted and comprehensive services to special needs students.
Members of the Special Needs Advisory Committee
- Parents of special needs students : They are appointed by the parents’ committee and form the majority of the committee, ensuring strong and legitimate parental representation. They play a key role in sharing their experiences and looking after the interests of students.
- School staff representatives : Teachers, professionals and support staff who work with students with special needs and disabilities.
- School principals and representatives of the school board general management : They participate in discussions to provide institutional insight and ensure the implementation of recommendations.
- Representatives of community organizations : These specialized organizations provide their expertise on interventions adapted to students with special needs and disabilities.
- Other persons deemed relevant by the school board: These members may include education experts or specialist.
This diversity of perspectives allows for a comprehensive and nuanced approach to issues related to inclusive education and services for students with special needs.
How the Special Needs Advisory Committee works
The Special Needs Advisory Committee meets periodically (usually once a month during the school year) and evaluates the policies in place, the effectiveness of the resources devoted to special needs students and makes recommendations to school board. These meetings are essential to ensure constant monitoring of the quality of services and to identify necessary adjustments.
Each meeting is structured around a clear agenda, allowing for the discussion of various topics, such as individualized intervention plans, service funding, access to support professionals, and school inclusion strategies. The decisions taken are not binding, but they have considerable weight in shaping local educational policies.
After each meeting, a follow-up is carried out to assess the implementation of the recommendations and adjust actions accordingly. Monitoring recommendations is an essential step that allows for constant dialogue between the committee and the school board, and ensures responsiveness to changing needs.
Importance of parents
Parental engagement in the Special Needs Advisory Committee is a fundamental element in ensuring effective monitoring of the needs of special needs students. By being directly involved, parents have the opportunity to make their voices heard and contribute to decisions that directly affect their children’s educational path. Their participation also allows us to share concrete testimonies that illustrate the successes and challenges encountered on a daily basis.
More than just an advisory role, parents play a true role as ambassadors for special needs students, helping to identify gaps in services and suggest areas for improvement. Their involvement in the committee promotes a better understanding of the measures put in place and allows them to have access to valuable resources, while developing a support network with other families experiencing similar realities.
Getting involved with the Special Needs Advisory Committee represents a unique opportunity to have a direct impact on the quality of educational services offered to special needs students and to advocate for a schools that welcome each student in all their uniqueness and potential.
The Special Needs Advisory Committee representative on the Parents’ Committee
An essential link between the Special Needs Advisory Committee and the parents’ committee is provided by the SNAC representative who also serve as a member of the parents’ committee. This liaison role helps strengthen communication between these two complementary bodies and ensures consistency in the representation of the needs of special needs students across the various structures of the school board.
This parent, sitting on both the Special Needs Advisory Committee and the parents’ committee, acts as a bridge between the discussions and recommendations of the advisory committee and the broader concerns raised by parents within the parents’ committee. Its involvement helps to raise awareness of the issues experienced by families of special needs students, while disseminating relevant information and initiatives from the Special Needs Advisory Committee to other parents.
Council of commissioners
The parent’s committee has to elect a commissioners representing parents of special needs children.
This represents an important opportunity to make the voice of parents of HDAA students heard at the highest levels of the school board.
Parental engagement
- At the school level, during the general meeting
- Parental Participation Organization (PPO)
- Representative on the governing board (GB)
- Representative on the parents’ committee (PC)
- At school level, anytime during the year
- Daycare Parents’ Committee
(optional – created at the request of parents using the service ) - At the School board level, according to different modalities
- Parents’ Committee (PC)
- Special Need Advisory Committee (SNAC)
- Council of commissioners
- Transport Advisory Committee (TAC)
- Other school board committees
Our guide, “My Commitment to Make a Difference,” presents a simple and accessible way to explore the various forms that parental involvement in school governance can take. It’s a valuable resource for any parent interested in getting involved in their children’s school environment.
How to get involved in the Special Needs Advisory Committee?
- Check eligibility : All parents whose child has an intervention plan and attends a CSS establishment can submit their application to sit on this committee.
- Submit your application : It is the parents “committee which designates the parents who sit on this committee according to slightly different procedures from one parents” committee to another. An interested parent should contact their CP or CSS as soon as the school year starts; appointments are usually made at the beginning of October. The CSS usually calls for applications from parents of eligible students.
- Attend meetings : actively contribute to discussions and the formulation of recommendations.