Education Adjustment Program Verification Current September 2012

Education Adjustment Program The Education Adjustment Program supports schools to: understand and meet their obligations to make reasonable adjustments for students with disability identify students (from Prep-Year 12) who meet criteria for the EAP categories report the education adjustments they are making to meet the teaching and learning needs of these students.

EAP Categories Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Hearing Impairment (HI) Intellectual Impairment (II) Physical Impairment (PI) Speech-Language Impairment (SLI) Vision Impairment (VI)

EAP Process Identification Obtain & record parent permission to start process Diagnosis / Specialist Assessment Verification of Disability Register student on database (AIMS) EAP Profile completed and submitted Validation Step 1 Quality Assurance Points Recognised Specialists Statewide Verifiers Principal authorises accuracy Validation process Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Adjustments

Criteria All EAP categories have two criteria: –Criterion 1 relating to impairment –Criterion 2 relating to activity limitations and participation restrictions for the student at school resulting from the impairment.

EAP Criteria Criterion 1 Impairment + Criterion 2 Activity limitations/ participation restrictions = Disability Adapted from: World Health Organisation’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) (WHO, 2001)

Disability: ICF Model

Verification Verification is the process of confirming that a diagnosis or specialist assessment and the associated activity limitations and participation restrictions meet DETE criteria for one or more of the six EAP categories.

EAP Criteria The impairment (medical condition or other impairment in structure or function at the level of the body) may be diagnosed or identified by either an authorised specialist external to DETE, or an authorised specialist internal to DETE. Associated activity limitations and participation restrictions in an educational context relate to accessing and participating in the curriculum and life of the school. This is the impact of the impairment in the educational context which requires significant education adjustment.

Identification: Information gathering Education adjustments are made as part of the daily teaching and assessment processes and become more refined as teachers get to know their learner Parents are a key source of information to assist in data-gathering Data-gathering processes need to be in place to check that the education adjustments are targeting barriers to learning.

Consent If it is known or suspected that the difficulties a student is experiencing may be related to a disability, informed parent consent must be recorded using the EAP Consent Form (EAP 1) before progressing through the steps of the EAP. Consent Form (EAP 1)

Criterion 1 Diagnosis or specialist assessment of the impairment is required from the relevant specialists listed for each EAP category. Autism Spectrum Disordera registered paediatrician, psychiatrist or neurologist Hearing Impairmentan audiologist or otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat specialist) Intellectual Impairmenta guidance officer/psychologist and senior guidance officer Physical Impairmenta registered medical specialist (e.g. paediatrician, neurologist, orthopaedic surgeon, geneticist or rheumatologist) Speech-Language Impairmentan Education Queensland speech-language pathologist Vision Impairmenta registered ophthalmologist or in cases of cerebral vision impairment, a registered paediatrician or neurologist

Criterion 2 Description of activity limitations and participation restrictions is required from members of the school team using all the information gathered. The evidence required varies according to the EAP category. These requirements are outlined in the Education Adjustment Program Handbook and also on the EAP Verification forms for each EAP category. Education Adjustment Program HandbookEAP Verification forms

Criterion 2 Teachers may need to consult with a variety of specialists to identify the most appropriate adjustments available to support a student in: accessing curriculum achieving core-learning outcomes and participating in the life of the school.

Criterion 2 For the purposes of EAP, significant education adjustments: may benefit all/other students, but are essential for the identified student to access and participate in the intended curriculum need to be specific and targeted to address the needs arising from the identified impairment for the individual student include the range, breadth, frequency and complexity of adjustments that are required.

Verification Forms All EAP Verification Forms have 3 sections toEAP Verification Forms be completed: Part A Student Details Part B Evidence supporting Verification of Disability Part C Principal Request for Verification of Disability

Verification Forms The school principal requests verification and in doing so confirms that: processes are in place to support the student within the school all documents for verification are complete parent consent has been documented on the EAP Consent Form (EAP 1) relevant actions have taken place on Adjustment Information Management System (AIMS).Adjustment Information Management System (AIMS) This is documented in PART C of each EAP Verification Form.

Verification Forms The original EAP Verification Forms are kept at the school Copies are sent to: The EAP Verification Team 141 Merton Road Woolloongabba QLD 4102 For verifications in II and SLI, forms and processes must undergo local quality assurance before being sent to the Verification Team

Verification Processes The required documentation is received by the EAP Verification Team and is assigned to the relevant statewide verifier. The statewide verifier considers the information according to the DETE criteria. If the statewide verifier requires any further information, the relevant school or district personnel are contacted.

Verification Decisons The verification decision, as recorded on AIMS, will be either (a) Verified, or (b) Rejected: a) Verified –Request accepted as meeting criteria with no review required. –Request accepted as meeting criteria with review required for Criterion 1 and/or Criterion 2 by a specified date. –Request for removal from an EAP category accepted (verifying an end date on AIMS). b) Rejected –Request not accepted as meeting DETE criteria. –Request for removal from EAP category is not accepted (i.e. the end date is rejected on AIMS).

Review of Verification At the time of verification, the statewide verifier will determine: whether a review is required the criteria to be reviewed (Criterion 1 and Criterion 2 or Criterion 2 only) the review date.

Review of Verification The following are considered when deciding if a review of verification is required: age stage of schooling individual impairment information described activity limitations and participation restrictions.

Further Information EAP Website dex.html