PARENTS of children with mild disabilities increasingly want them in mainstream classes, rather than special education classes, according to the Department of Education and Training.
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The Illawarra and South Coast Region Parents and Citizens (P&C) meeting held at Mulwaree High School on Tuesday night invited Schools Education Director Graham Kahabka to speak on the topic of special education and student welfare services.
Mr Kahabka told the group the delivery of special education services in the Illawarra region, which stretches from Sydney's south-east edge to the Victorian border, was changing as parents and schools looked at different ways to meet children's needs.
He said the rising problem of mental health issues among younger students was also placing new demands on student support services.
"That would be one of our two biggest growth areas - the other would be the number of children assessed as being on the autism spectrum," Mr Kahabka said.
He said many parents were aware of the risk of having their child 'labelled' as a result of their disability, and saw placing them in a regular class as one way of encouraging them to achieve the same outcomes as their peers.
"They don't have a big "IM" (mild disability) stamp on their forehead and treating them like that can create even more problems," he said.
"As a principal, I had students in an IO (moderate disability) class who on occasion performed as well as other students in the year in the Basic Skills Test.
"We've got to be so careful about the labels we put on these students."
As a result of more parents choosing to have their child supported by a teachers' aide in a mainstream class for all or part of the time, classes for students with a mild disability (IM classes) had seen declining numbers, Mr Kahabka said.
He said a number of classes in the Illawarra area were "under review" because of continuously low numbers, including one 18-place class in Goulburn with two students, and another with four students.
But he said even if one or both of the classes were closed at the end of the year, there would be no impact on students enrolled at the school, and special class places would still be available if needed.
The Illawarra region is encouraging schools to take a more flexible approach to funding for IM classes, by having students in mainstream classes for all or part of the day and using the funding for the special class to give mainstream teachers more support during that time.
Mr Kahabka said the DET was allocating more funding to support students in mainstream classes in line with this trend.
Mr Kahabka spoke frankly to the P&C group about the resources available for students with various disabilities and emotional issues and encouraged them to pass the message on to parents that communication with their school was the key to making sure their child got the best support.
"The resource level we have is huge, but at the same time it is never enough," he said, adding that often getting the right support was a case of knowing the different options available.
"The needs of students, the needs of families are so complex, particularly when you're dealing with disabilities, that while we have huge resources, it's an area that can never be left alone."
He said there had been a number of changes "behind the scenes" to give schools more support, which parents wouldn't necessarily notice.
"Principals now have a one-stop person they go to who allocates the appropriate person to deal with the issue, which allows for a much more rapid response," he said.
He said the DET had also streamlined the application process for funding for disability support.
Mr Kahabka said there were 314 itinerant teachers and non-school-based advisers and consultants for schools across the region to draw on for any student welfare issue, adding that regular training opportunities were provided for principals and classroom teachers to help them better meet the needs of children with disabilities.