Inclusion
Reasonable Adjustments
I would like to start off by welcoming everyone back for another exciting year at Ocean Grove Primary School. For those of you who do not know me, my name is Ryan Baltetsch and I am the Inclusive Practices Learning Specialist. If you see me in the school yard, in classrooms or up at the office, please come and introduce yourself.
With a new year starting, I thought it would be timely to share with you some of the adjustments you may see happening at our school for all students to experience success. The Department of education defines reasonable adjustments in the following manner:
‘A reasonable adjustment is a measure or action taken to help a student with a learning difficulty and/or disability take part in their education on the same basis as their peers.’
Adjustments can be made:
- in the classroom
- in the playground
- to excursions and camps
- to the premises.
These adjustments often benefit not only the student involved but the entire school.
Some examples of adjustments that are made for students at OGPS include:
- providing access to classroom materials through assistive technologies such as screen readers or iPads
- adapting the physical environment, for example, installing ramps or lifts
- modifying the curriculum and assessments, for example allowing a student to answer assessments orally or use a computer/iPad
- presenting classroom materials in a different way such as visual, oral or demonstrations
- adapting teaching style, for example breaking lessons and/or activities into smaller sections so they are easier to understand
- allowing more time to complete an exam or assessment or giving the student rest breaks
- planning excursions in accessible locations, for example making sure the location is wheelchair accessible.
- allowing students time to regulate their emotions (this could be through exercise, mediation, sensory tools or desirable tasks)
In some cases, adjustments come in the form of recommendations from Allied Health Services external to the Department of Education. It is the school’s job to review the adjustments and see if they can be reasonably implemented/achieved in our school setting. These forms of adjustments are a partnership between allied health providers, home and school.
An adjustment is considered reasonable if it achieves its aim of making sure a student with a disability can take part in their education on the same basis as students without a disability, and if it balances the interests of everyone affected. This includes the education provider, staff and other students.
Kind regards,
Ryan Baltetsch