Disability learning at home
A guide to providing instructional learning activities for students with disability and additional learning and support needs, who are learning from home.
Continuity of learning for students with disability
Schools and staff are best placed to know their communities and how best to provide support for students and their parents or carers.
The local knowledge includes:
- providing support aligned with the students’ disability and additional learning and support needs
- the age and developmental level of the student
- technology and other tools available.
Teaching and learning from home
Schools should prepare instructional learning activities that can be provided in the most appropriate form to meet the student’s learning needs. It may be through online access (or in hard copy) including individual program resource packs, or a combination of both digital and hard copy resources. As much as possible, the learning activities should continue to be in line with any existing program that is in use in the classroom, including resources to support the learning, textbooks, digital content, workbooks, quizzes, assistive technology and scanned or printed worksheets.
Provide or support instructional learning activities through:
- using the school website or other existing school-wide communication systems to inform students, parents and carers about their learning
- teaching and communicating online with students and their parents and carers using the department’s email, Google Workspace or Microsoft Office 365 applications or existing tools and platforms
- providing ideas for instructional learning activities that parents and carers can complete with their children
- using web conferencing tools to conduct live broadcasts or lessons with students
- off-line or non-digital content such as worksheets, workbooks, activities or text books that can be mailed to students
- SMS or telephone calls.
The department has teaching and learning resources available which provide online and offline practical instructional learning activities and resources for early childhood, K-6 and 7-10. You may wish to also access the Universal Design for Learning planning tool, which will support you in making your resources inclusive for more students in your classroom.
Students may require access to assistive technology or alternate formats, including Braille, e-text and large print materials. Assistant Principals' Vision and Hearing will receive targeted information for supporting the continuity of learning for these students. Other itinerant staff are also available to support studentssuch as Assistant Principals Learning and Support. Visit the Itinerant support page for more information.
Communicate clearly and frequently
You are encouraged to communicate clearly and frequently with students, parents and carers. Make sure they know:
- how they can contact teachers for learning support
- when the support teachers will be available
- when their teachers will contact them
- which method of communication will be used
- how they can access support.
Communication channels could include email, digital learning platforms, school website, social media, phone, web conferencing tools, or Sentral.
Regular communication with students, parents and carers is essential to ensure everyone feels connected, supported and confident. Make instructions as clear and concise as you can, use plain English and check if you need translation services.
Plan your students’ days
Consideration could be given to the following:
- utilising existing timetables and schedules
- providing schedules for each day of the week with visuals to support understanding
- delivering content depending on individual student and digital capability.
- continue the work and routines that would happen usually in the classroom.
Using technology
Teachers may require support in using technology for online learning delivery. The department has developed the Digital learning selector that provides information (educational use, links to training and getting started) about online learning tools available to teachers and students. These include using assistive technology to support student learning.
The Professional learning on demand page has a range of recorded webinars and video resources to support learning from home, including a range of videos to personalise learning form home for students.
Read the Guidelines to support schools using live video with students (PDF 234KB).
Teachers are also encouraged to use the department's internet filtering-web filter (access via staff portal) to determine the appropriateness of digital resources provided to students.
Social Stories
You may wish to use a social story to support discussion of the Coronavirus with your students. Below are two examples or you could create your own for the appropriate age level: