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The school education system includes all primary schools and high schools. This includes public schools, independent and religious schools, and schools for students with disability.
When we say reasonable adjustment, this means reasonable changes that services need to make so they’re accessible for people with disability.
We also have a guideline about work and study supports .
What school education supports are not NDIS supports?
The school education system is responsible for supports where the main purpose is to help you learn, study and achieve education outcomes.
This includes:
adjusting teaching methods
providing learning assistance and aids
modifying the school building
providing transport between school activities, such as to excursions and sporting carnivals.
Examples of school education supports that are not NDIS supports
Education and tuition fees across all education settings, including reduced school fees for families with financial difficulties
Fees or payments for outside school hours care, including before school, after school, student free days, vacation care and school holiday programs
Day-to-day support and supervision of school-age participants, whether they’re at school, excluded from school or attending school on reduced hours
Standard school equipment, including school uniforms, shoes, lunchboxes or drink bottles
Personalised learning or supports students need to help them learn, including Auslan interpretation or other inclusion supports
Learning aids or equipment needed for learning, such as modified computer hardware, education software and braille textbooks
Textbooks and teaching aids, including in alternative formats
Fixed and non-transportable assistive technology that students may need to access their education, such as hoists and specially adapted furniture
Making reasonable adjustments to school buildings so that students can access the school, such as ramps, lifts and hearing loops
Teaching, learning assistance and other services from teachers and other staff employed by the school or relevant education Department, either at school or in alternative settings
Tutors and scribes
Educational supports for home schooling
School refusal programs
Fees for school camps, incursions or excursions
Transport between school activities, including excursions and sporting carnivals
Work experience that’s generally provided as part of a school program
Changes to the curriculum to meet students’ learning needs
General support, tools, training and awareness building for teachers and other school staff to support and engage students with a disability
Therapy delivered in schools for education purposes, such as allied health practitioners helping classroom teachers to adjust the curriculum
Case coordination for a student’s educational supports.
What are we responsible for?
We’re responsible for NDIS supports for everyday activities that you need because of your disability support needs and aren’t related to learning.
This includes:
personal care and support at school – learn more in our guideline for work and study supports
specialist support you need to transition to higher education, training or work because of your disability support needs.
Sometimes we may also be able to fund transport to and from school, if you can’t catch the bus because of your disability, or if we wouldn’t expect your family to take you.
Learn more in our guideline work and study supports .
Remember, NDIS supports must meet all the NDIS funding criteria before we can include them in your plan.
Examples of supports that may be NDIS supports for you
Assistive technology that students need no matter what activity they’re doing, such as hearing aids, wheelchairs, personal communications devices
Specialised support and training for school staff to help them understand and carry out a student’s specific support needs. This may include specialised behaviour intervention and support
Therapies to help students improve what they can do, if the therapy isn’t related to education
Support to build a student’s capacity for independent living and self-care
Support to develop social and communication skills
Specialist behaviour management plans
Specialist support for students to transition to primary school or high school because of their disability support needs. We can fund this where you need more support than the transition supports that schools must provide
Help to plan and coordinate the supports a student receives from the NDIS, from their school, and from other services
Help for students to find or keep a part-time job
School leaver employment supports to help students get ready for work when they leave school
Travel training so students can travel to school independently.
Example
Anna is starting high school soon. She wants to attend full time, like other students. Anna often takes longer to learn new things than other students and needs behaviour support to help her while she’s at school.
The school education system should provide supports to help Anna learn while she’s at school. The school can adjust the curriculum and their teaching methods to better suit her needs.
This could include providing a teacher’s aide, allowing extra time to complete schoolwork, and making easy-read versions of lessons that Anna can use.
We may fund other NDIS supports that Anna needs because of her disability to help the school and teachers adapt to Anna’s needs.
For example, we may fund a specialised behaviour management plan and supports to help the teachers improve her behavioural, social and communication skills.
We may also fund specific training for teachers and staff at Anna’s school to understand Anna’s disability support needs, so they know the best ways to teach her.