NSW — PARENTS of
children with mild disabilities increasingly want them in
mainstream classes, rather than special education
classes, according to the Department of Education and
Training.
The Illawarra and South Coast
Region Parents and Citizens (P&C) meeting held at
Mulwaree High School on Tuesday night invited Schools
Education Director Graham Kahabka to speak on the topic
of special education and student welfare services.
Mr Kahabka told the group the
delivery of special education services in the Illawarra
region, which stretches from Sydney's south-east edge to
the Victorian border, was changing as parents and schools
looked at different ways to meet children's needs.
He said the rising problem of
mental health issues among younger students was also
placing new demands on student support services.
"That would be one of our two
biggest growth areas - the other would be the number of
children assessed as being on the autism spectrum," Mr
Kahabka said.
He said many parents were aware of
the risk of having their child 'labelled' as a result of
their disability, and saw placing them in a regular class
as one way of encouraging them to achieve the same
outcomes as their peers.
"They don't have a big "IM" (mild
disability) stamp on their forehead and treating them
like that can create even more problems," he said.
"As a principal, I had students in
an IO (moderate disability) class who on occasion
performed as well as other students in the year in the
Basic Skills Test.
"We've got to be so careful about
the labels we put on these students."
As a result of more parents
choosing to have their child supported by a teachers'
aide in a mainstream class for all or part of the time,
classes for students with a mild disability (IM classes)
had seen declining numbers, Mr Kahabka said.
He said a number of classes in the
Illawarra area were "under review" because of
continuously low numbers, including one 18-place class in
Goulburn with two students, and another with four
students.
But he said even if one or both of
the classes were closed at the end of the year, there
would be no impact on students enrolled at the school,
and special class places would still be available if
needed.
The Illawarra region is encouraging
schools to take a more flexible approach to funding for
IM classes, by having students in mainstream classes for
all or part of the day and using the funding for the
special class to give mainstream teachers more support
during that time.
Mr Kahabka said the DET was
allocating more funding to support students in mainstream
classes in line with this trend.
Mr Kahabka spoke frankly to the
P&C group about the resources available for students
with various disabilities and emotional issues and
encouraged them to pass the message on to parents that
communication with their school was the key to making
sure their child got the best support.
"The resource level we have is
huge, but at the same time it is never enough," he said,
adding that often getting the right support was a case of
knowing the different options available.
"The needs of students, the needs
of families are so complex, particularly when you're
dealing with disabilities, that while we have huge
resources, it's an area that can never be left alone."
He said there had been a number of
changes "behind the scenes" to give schools more support,
which parents wouldn't necessarily notice.
"Principals now have a one-stop
person they go to who allocates the appropriate person to
deal with the issue, which allows for a much more rapid
response," he said.
He said the DET had also
streamlined the application process for funding for
disability support.
Mr Kahabka said there were 314
itinerant teachers and non-school-based advisers and
consultants for schools across the region to draw on for
any student welfare issue, adding that regular training
opportunities were provided for principals and classroom
teachers to help them better meet the needs of children
with disabilities..
