Eligibility to enrol
Eligibility to enrol
Students with a disability can apply to enrol in education support centres.
Standard Enrolment
Education support facilities may offer enrolment to students in the following disability categories:
Students with an Intellectual Disability or Global Development Delay and who are eligible for an Individual Disability Allocation under this category. Students with eligibility for an Individual Disability Allocation for Autism Spectrum Disorder and a demonstrated high educational need.
Enrolment through Local Placement
Where a student does not meet the criteria for standard enrolment in education support facilities but demonstrates high educational need, local placement in an education support facility of up to one year is permitted to address identified personal needs with the expectation that the student returns to their local school.
Local placement in an education support facility is subject to:
- Sufficient available accommodation in existing infrastructure and consideration of accommodation requirements for eligible students transferring during the year;
- Case management involving the principal, parents, Senior School Psychologist and/or Lead School Psychologist;
- Appropriate documentation of the approval decision and sign off by the Regional Executive Director;
- Annual review of the appropriateness of the educational program and the local placement; and all decisions to be capable of review.
Parent involvement and informed decision making
Collaborative decision making and the provision of informed consent by parents is essential in the education support enrolment process. It is the responsibility of the principal or delegate of the current school (if the student is already enrolled in a WA public school) to ensure an informed enrolment request is made on behalf of the parents. A Request for Approval for Enrolment in an Education Support Facility must be completed when applying to enrol at an education support facility, then transferring between education support facilities, or when applying for local placement.
INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY
A student must demonstrate:
- Significant impairments in present adaptive functioning - defined as two standard deviations below the mean on a standardised, culturally relevant assessment in at least one of the following domains across multiple environments (home, school, community): - Conceptual (functional academic skills, self-direction, communication) - Social (social/interpersonal, safety, leisure)
- Onset before age 18.
- Significantly sub-average intellectual functioning : an IQ of below 70 on an individually administered IQ test.
- Evidence that academic achievement and progress is limited in comparison to age expectations.
Evidence to receive an Individual Disability Allocation
1. A diagnostic report which shows:
- Results and interpretations of standardised/norm referenced assessments;
- A summary of individual scaled scores and composite and standard scores; (percentile rank or ranges will not be accepted)
- Assessment of adaptive functioning using both clinical evaluation and standardised assessment individualised methods;
- Consideration of the sustainability of the instruments used, taking into account language, cultural background, learning opportunities, disabilities, motivation and co-operation. Interpretation of results must include consideration within these factors;
- All assessments have been completed within a reasonable time period (no longer than 3 months); and
- Only two consecutive assessments of cognitive functioning will be considered unless all other previous assessments can be shown to be valid. Reports must be recent enough for a valid enough for a valid determination to be made, generally considered to be a period of no more than three years.
2. A verification of eligibility for individual disability allocation from detailing the current severity level - mild, moderate, severe, or profound - signed by the Lead School Psychologist.
3. As relevant, the acknowledgment of an external agency diagnosis form signed by the Lead School Psychologist must accompany external agency reports.