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
Meeting individual needs and personal goals of students with impairments
Family and carer issues
Grief and loss


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


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


Context includes:
Relevant statutory framework
Historical context of work, e.g. changing attitudes
Changing social context of work, e.g. individual centred approach, changing societal views, approaches to working with students with disabilities
Political context, e.g. government policies and initiatives
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


Assess and equity includes:
A student oriented culture
A non-discriminatory approach to all students, their families and friends, the general public and co-workers
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:
Progression through stages may be slower
Students may experience plateaux in learning
Student may take longer to learn
Student may experience a lowered ceiling to the complexity of concepts learned
Dependence on specific learning style may become more pronounced
Student may have impaired capacity for sensory intake and perception
Student may experience reduced learning without access to special equipment or methods
Fatigue associated with the disability may impact on learning
Absence from school related to the disability
Gaps in experiences brought about by the disability


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


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


Accommodating student requirements may include:
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
Catering for different learning styles
Giving more time to learn
Providing experiences and language development as a base for learning
Providing learning experiences based on the student's existing cognitive framework
Applying alternative strategies
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:
curriculum
communication
social participation/emotional well being
health and personal care
safety
learning environment/access
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
Providing information on risks or potential risks
Risk minimisation
Implementing strategies for preventing abuse of students with disabilities


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


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

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