Training teachers of children with special needs is a prime objective of OS. Therefore, OS continues to sponsor the Institute on Exceptional Children, offered by the Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE). Formerly known as the annual Optimal Match Network Institute (OMNI), the Institute provides training for resource, classroom and ESL teachers, as well as school psychologists and diagnosticians, in assessing students with high capability, those with learning disabilities and those requiring English-as-a-Second-Language. The Institute also teaches participants about designing appropriate education programs to meet each of those students’ needs. Since its inception in 1993, the Institute has provided training to over 1,100 teachers from Department-assisted overseas schools.
