Special Education Law, 5748-1988
חוק חינוך מיוחד, תשמ"ח-1988
Unofficial English translation — for reference only. It may contain errors or omissions and cannot be relied on as a legal text. Only the Hebrew text published in Reshumot is legally binding.More
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The Hebrew text as published in Reshumot (ספר החוקים) and on the Knesset website is the sole authoritative and legally binding version. In any discrepancy, the Hebrew text prevails.
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Chapter IV: Studies in a Special Education Institution
Duration of the School Year§
The Minister, with the consent of the Minister of Finance, may prescribe that the school year in special education institutions, all or some of them, shall be extended beyond a regular school year; the Minister may also prescribe that studies in such institutions shall be held also during regular school holiday periods.
Long School Day§
Teachers§
Class§
The Minister, with the consent of the Minister of Finance, shall prescribe by Regulations the maximum number of pupils in a class of a special education institution, according to the type and character of the institution.
Non-teaching therapists§
Individual study programme§
Summative assessment§
At the end of the school year, the parents of a pupil with special needs studying in a special education institution shall receive a written assessment of the extent of the pupil's progress in various areas, with reference to the individual study programme.
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Contact Us →Chapter IV-A: Integration of a Pupil with Special Needs in Regular Education
Definitions§
In this Chapter –
"integrated pupil" – a pupil with special needs who is entitled to free education under section 6(a) of the Compulsory Education Law, 5709-1949, in respect of whom one of the following applies:
"regular education institution" – a recognised education institution that is not a special education institution;
"education worker" – a person engaged in teaching or education in an education institution;
"special services" – transportation and escort services, assistive aids, support services, psychological services, para-medical services and any other service that the Minister has prescribed by Order, in consultation with the Minister of Health or the Minister of Labour and Welfare, as the case may be;
"the integration programme" – the programme determined by the Minister under section 20c.
Entitlement of a pupil with special needs within regular education§
An integrated pupil is entitled, within the framework of his studies in a regular education institution, to a supplement of instruction and study as well as to special services under the provisions of this Chapter (in this Chapter – the entitlement).
Integration programme§
The Minister, with the consent of the Minister of Finance, shall determine a programme for the integration of pupils with special needs in regular education institutions; the programme shall also include the manner of allocation of resources to regular education institutions.
Multi-disciplinary team§
Appeal to an eligibility and classification committee§
Teachers and non-teaching therapists§
The instruction, study and special services under section 20b shall be provided to an integrated pupil, within the framework of his studies in a regular education institution, by teachers as referred to in section 16 and by non-teaching therapists as referred to in section 18.
Individual educational programme for an integrated pupil§
Summative assessment for an integrated pupil§
At the end of the school year, the parents of an integrated pupil shall receive from the regular education institution in which he studies a written assessment of the extent of the pupil's progress in various areas, with reference to the individual educational programme.
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Contact Us →Chapter V: Miscellaneous
Amendment of the Compulsory Education Law§
In the Compulsory Education Law, 5709-1949, sections 4a to 4e, 6(a1) and 9 – are repealed.
Savings provisions§
Implementation and regulations and amendment of the Schedules§
Commencement and application§
shall be applied gradually, commencing from the school year 5752, pursuant to Orders to be determined by the Minister, with the consent of the Minister of Finance, for each of the said matters, in whole or in part, provided that the application shall be completed no later than the beginning of the school year 5759.
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Contact Us →First Schedule (the definition "pupil with special needs", and sections 7(a) and 20d(a))
| Column A Type of Disability | Column B The Professional Authority Whose Diagnosis or Opinion is Admissible |
|---|---|
| Borderline intellectual functioning | Educational psychologist, developmental psychologist or clinical psychologist |
| Intellectual and developmental disability | The diagnostic committee pursuant to the Welfare Law (Treatment of Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disability), 5729-1969, and where necessary – an additional professional authority whose diagnosis is admissible in accordance with the additional disability or disabilities |
| Suspected intellectual and developmental disability | Educational psychologist, developmental psychologist or clinical psychologist |
| Behavioural and emotional disorders | Educational psychologist, developmental psychologist, clinical psychologist or specialist physician in child and adolescent psychiatry |
| Disability on the autism spectrum/ASD | Specialist physician in child and adolescent psychiatry, paediatrician with at least three years' experience at a child development institute or specialist physician in child neurology and child development; in addition, at the initial diagnosis – a diagnosis by a clinical psychologist specialising in the clinical field of the child, a developmental psychologist, or a rehabilitative or educational psychologist with proven training in the field of autism |
| Mental disorders | Specialist physician in child and adolescent psychiatry |
| Multi-problem learning disability | Educational psychologist, specialist psychologist trained in the subject of learning disabilities, or a specialist psychologist and didactic diagnostician, whether in a single document or in separate documents |
| AD(H)D | Specialist psychologist, specialist physician in child neurology and child development, specialist physician in child and adolescent psychiatry or paediatrician with at least three years' experience at a recognised child development institute |
| Physical disability | Paediatrician with at least three years' experience at a recognised child development institute or specialist physician in child neurology and child development |
| Hearing disability | Communication clinician certified in audiology; for this purpose, "audiology" – conducting hearing tests and fitting hearing aids |
| Vision disability | Low vision institute or ophthalmologist |
| Developmental delay in the functional domain | Specialist physician in child neurology and child development, or educational or developmental psychologist – together with a communication clinician or occupational therapist |
| Developmental delay in the language domain | Communication clinician at a child development institute |
| Rare diseases and syndromes | Paediatrician with at least three years' work experience at a recognised child development institute or specialist physician in child neurology and child development |
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Contact Us →Second Schedule (the definition "pupil with special needs", and sections 7(a) and 20d(a))
Part 1: Regular Class in a Regular Education Institution
An integrated pupil as defined in section 20a is entitled to special education services as detailed in the table below, as the case may be, all in addition to the basic budget of the education institution for all pupils in the institution.
An integrated pupil as defined in section 20a, who is not a pupil entitled to an individual or group response in accordance with the provisions of a Director General circular, as detailed in the table below, shall be entitled to a personal basket, as well as to the services listed in Columns B to E, alongside the type of disability, as the case may be; the personal basket shall include, inter alia, a flexible personal budget comprising teaching, treatment and support hours, as well as guidance of the team in the education institution; it is possible to carry out a different division from that determined for the hours allocated to teaching, treatment and support in accordance with the individual needs of the pupil, pursuant to the recommendation of the multi-disciplinary team and in cooperation with the parents of the pupil; the scope of the weekly hours within the personal basket, broken down by age group, shall be as follows:
| Column A Type of disability | Column B Functioning level 1 High | Column C Functioning level 2 Medium-high | Column D Functioning level 3 Medium-low | Column E Functioning level 4 Low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borderline intelligence | Individual or group response, as well as team guidance | Support hours as needed in accordance with Director General circular guidelines | Support hours as needed in accordance with Director General circular guidelines | Support hours as needed in accordance with Director General circular guidelines |
| Intellectual-developmental disability | At least 16 support hours per week | At least 16 support hours per week | At least 16 support hours per week | At least 24 support hours per week |
| Suspected intellectual-developmental disability | At least 16 support hours per week | At least 16 support hours per week | At least 16 support hours per week | At least 24 support hours per week |
| Behavioural and emotional disorders | Individual or group response, as well as team guidance | Individual or group response, as well as team guidance | Support hours as needed in accordance with Director General circular guidelines | Support hours as needed in accordance with Director General circular guidelines |
| Disability on the autism spectrum/ASD | Support hours as needed in accordance with Director General circular guidelines | At least 8 support hours per week | At least 16 support hours per week | At least 24 support hours per week |
| Mental disorders | Individual or group response, as well as team guidance | At least 8 support hours per week | At least 16 support hours per week | At least 24 support hours per week |
| Complex learning disability AD(H)D | Individual or group response, as well as team guidance | Individual or group response, as well as team guidance | Support hours as needed in accordance with Director General circular guidelines | Support hours as needed in accordance with Director General circular guidelines |
| Physical disability | Support hours as needed in accordance with Director General circular guidelines | At least 8 support hours per week | At least 16 support hours per week | At least 24 support hours per week |
| Hearing disability | Support hours as needed in accordance with Director General circular guidelines | At least 8 support hours per week | At least 16 support hours per week | At least 24 support hours per week |
| Visual disability | Support hours as needed in accordance with Director General circular guidelines | At least 8 support hours per week | At least 16 support hours per week | At least 24 support hours per week |
| Developmental delay in the functional domain | Individual or group response, as well as team guidance | Individual or group response, as well as team guidance | Support hours as needed in accordance with Director General circular guidelines | Support hours as needed in accordance with Director General circular guidelines |
| Developmental delay in the linguistic domain | Individual or group response, as well as team guidance | Individual or group response, as well as team guidance | Support hours as needed in accordance with Director General circular guidelines | Support hours as needed in accordance with Director General circular guidelines |
| Rare diseases and syndromes | Support hours as needed in accordance with Director General circular guidelines | Scope of support at least 8 support hours per week | At least 16 support hours per week | At least 24 support hours per week |
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