Elements and Performance Criteria

RANGE STATEMENT

The Range Statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Add any essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts.


Key issues include:
Access to services for students with impairments and their carers
Family and carer issues
Grief and loss
Meeting individual needs and personal goals of students with impairments


Policy regulatory, and legal requirements may include:
Access and equity policies of the organisation
Anti-discrimination legislation
Disability service standards
Disability services legislation
Education legislation
Equal employment opportunity principles
Guardianship requirements
Individual rights
Medication regulations and organisation policies
Privacy legislation
Workplace health and safety legislation


Different student requirements may be identified from, for example:
Education adjustment program profile
Negotiated education plan


Context includes:
Changing social context of work, e.g. individual centred approach, changing societal views, approaches to working with students with disabilities
Economic context, e.g. the current economic situation as it relates to and affects students with impairments and the subsequent impact on their needs
Facts/myths about impairments
Historical context of work, e.g. changing attitudes
Political context, e.g. government policies and initiatives
Relevant statutory framework


Assess and equity includes:
A non-discriminatory approach to all students, their families and friends, the general public and co-workers
A student oriented culture
Ensuring the work undertaken caters for differences including: cultural, physical, religious, economic, social, developmental, behavioural, emotional and intellectual


Effects of disability on student learning may include:
Absence from school related to the disability
Dependence on specific learning style may become more pronounced
Fatigue associated with the disability may impact on learning
Gaps in experiences brought about by the disability
Progression through stages may be slower
Student may experience a lowered ceiling to the complexity of concepts learned
Student may experience reduced learning without access to special equipment or methods
Student may have impaired capacity for sensory intake and perception
Student may take longer to learn
Students may experience plateaux in learning


Strategies to support students with disabilities may include:
Acting as a point of contact from parents
Assisting with withdrawal activities as directed by the teacher
Assisting with daily classroom based learning activities including listening to students read, assisting with maths and other tasks as guided by the teacher
Assisting with practical activities such as art, music, sewing, cooking and sport
Building the student's self-esteem and confidence by providing positive responses and encouraging risk-taking in activities that assist with development
Controlling the input of new information to avoid overwhelming the student
Demonstrating respect for the student
Feeding and assisting students with personal hygiene
Identifying the knowledge, skills, interest and experiences of the student
Providing minimal and least intrusive cues to assist the student perform tasks and manage their own behaviour
Providing opportunities for students to practice new skills
Providing supportive socialisation activities
Toileting and positioning students with physical disabilities
Using non-verbal signals and gestures to help communicative competence


Rights include:
Assess to complaint mechanisms
Choice to participate
Common law
Confidentiality
Freedom of association
Friendship
Privacy
The right to learn
To be treated in a dignified, safe and comfortable manner
To express their own feelings


Accommodating student requirements may include:
Applying alternative strategies
Catering for different learning styles
Giving more time to learn
Providing adjustments to curriculum, communication, learning environment and access etc that are necessary for the student to participate meaningfully in curriculum and school activities
Providing age-appropriate activities
Providing experiences and language development as a base for learning
Providing learning experiences based on the student's existing cognitive framework
Working with parents and other professionals to provide a supportive environment


Education adjustment program profile refers to:
A process used to demonstrate the types of adjustments to:
communication
curriculum
health and personal care
learning environment/access
safety
social participation/emotional well being
that are being provided for students with impairments to learn, participate and progress towards planned outcomes in relation to his/her same age peers
Rather than focusing on the students' disabilities, this process focuses on the adjustments that need to be made at school to facilitate the student's presence, participation, access and achievement of education outcomes


Respond to situations of risk in the context of the education support role may include:
Identifying risks and appropriate strategies to deal with risks as part of the education team
Implementing strategies for preventing abuse of students with disabilities
Providing information on risks or potential risks
Risk minimisation


Appropriate personnel include:
Administrators
Colleagues
Head of department
Principals
Teachers
Visiting health workers and /or therapists


Inappropriate behaviour may include:
Behaviour that endangers the health or well being of others
Behaviour that interferes with learning that the student could reasonably be expected to control
Behaviour that places self or others at risk

EVIDENCE GUIDE

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate this unit of competency:
The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills
This unit could be assessed either on the job or off the job through an appropriate workplace simulation for a range of age groups and a range of conditions over a number of assessment situations


Access and equity considerations:
All workers in community services should be aware of access, equity and human rights issues in relation to their own area of work
All workers should develop their ability to work in a culturally diverse environment
In recognition of particular issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, workers should be aware of cultural, historical and current issues impacting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues, in particular relating to factors impacting on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities


Context of and specific resources for assessment:
This unit can be assessed independently, however holistic assessment practice with other community services units of competency is encouraged
Assessment requires access to a range of opportunities defined in the Range Statement, including:
appropriate workplace where assessment can take place
simulation of realistic workplace environment for assessment
relevant school/centre policy, protocols and procedures
educational materials


Method of assessment:
In cases where the learner does not have the opportunity to cover all relevant aspects in the work environment, the remainder should be assessed through realistic simulations, projects, previous relevant experience or oral questioning on 'What if?' scenarios
Assessment of this unit of competence will usually include observation of processes and procedures, oral and/or written questioning on Essential knowledge and skills and consideration of required attitudes
Where performance is not directly observed and/or is required to be demonstrated over a 'period of time' and/or in a 'number of locations', any evidence should be authenticated by colleagues, supervisors, clients or other appropriate persons