[Jess Rowbottom, Inclusion Learning Specialist, Surf Coast Secondary]
I think it's really important that we see students for their strengths and not their disability, and that we can encourage and empower them to feel that they can achieve whatever they want.
So the profile process includes looking at six domains, the functional needs of a child, and then 31 activities that are attached. So it's a real strength based approach. So it's what the child can do.
At the meeting, you'll have a facilitator, so the disability inclusion facilitator, you’ll have someone like myself, the teacher that knows that child really well, the parent or guardian and the student.
We tend to like to have the student there, at least for the first 10 minutes, just so that they have their voice and a chance to, you know, say how they like to learn and what they enjoy about school.
It's a chance to really talk about kind of your school context. So what kind of plans you have specific to your school. So for example, like foundation kind of documents like your IEPs, your SSG minutes, but more things that might be a bit more specific to your school, like things like a focus plan or escalation plan.
It's really a chance to look at what adjustments the school's making based off that specialist involvement and to support that child to access whatever learning it might be.
[Cindy, Parent of Blake]
I felt really supported. I felt comfortable going in there because I knew that the team surrounding Blake here at the school had done everything that they could and had prepared really, really thoroughly.
Some of the things that came out of it were the supports for him in class, he needs to have somebody there to prompt him and to keep him focused and to keep him on track.
[Jess Rowbottom, Inclusion Learning Specialist, Surf Coast Secondary]
Another intervention that Blake's part of is the Social Skills Group. So on site we're really lucky to have a speech pathologist at Surf Coast. One of the interventions is working in a small target group with students on social skills.
So playing lots of games, might be learning how to maintain and have a conversation or learning social rules. But a lot of through that play based mode of learning.
[Cindy, Parent of Blake]
He's very inquisitive about the world, he likes to know how things work and why things are.
[Blake, Student, Surf Coast Secondary]
Well, I have a drumming class here, so that's fun.
[Cindy, Parent of Blake]
If there was an excuse for him not to go to school, he would, you know, take that excuse. But now, it's amazing. He wants to go to school, you know, and he doesn't want to miss out. He wants to be part of it. So, yeah, it's huge for his participation. Huge.
[Jess Rowbottom, Inclusion Learning Specialist, Surf Coast Secondary]
I’m almost getting a bit teary just thinking about it, like just thinking about the change that you can have in these kids’ lives, like the fact that I know that he will have more success at finishing high school now because he has that support and then what pathway and just seeing the impact that it's had on his mum Cindy.
Yeah it's just like I've got goosebumps just even thinking about it.
Updated