Education Support Services

POLICY

The TAC can pay for the reasonable cost of education support services for a client who has an educational need as a result of injuries sustained in a transport accident.

Transport Accident Act 1986 reference: s.3 'rehabilitation service', s.23 and s.60

BACKGROUND

The TAC can support a client's return to an appropriate education program by paying for education support services that may include:

• integration support programs in child care, preschool, primary and secondary schools
• tutoring programs for primary, secondary and post-secondary education
• specialist support, such as therapists, education specialists or other specialist professionals.

Education support services assist in restoring a client's participation in education to a level consistent with his/her pre-accident status or injuries or in increasing a client's participation in an education program. These services are part of a child's overall rehabilitation program and require measurable learning and development outcomes.

The TAC reviews education support services regularly. The type and amount of education support services that the TAC pays for may change when:

• the client achieves measurable outcomes
• the client's education program changes
• the client's condition resolves
• the service is no longer the most appropriate response to the client's needs.

Some education support services respond to short-term needs, e.g. tutoring services required to assist the client to catch up on missed curriculum as a result of a prolonged hospital admission.

DEFINITIONS

In this policy:

• Child care refers to services provided within a child care facility.
• Educational institution includes 3-year-old and 4-year-old preschool, regular school, special school, and post-compulsory institutions.
• 3-year-old preschool is a non-government funded preschool program that is a registered children's service. Children may attend 3-year-old preschool in the year prior to attending preschool.
• 4-year-old preschool is a state government funded program for children in the year before they start primary school. Preschool may be in a kindergarten or child care centre.
• Regular school is a government funded school that is registered with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) or a non-government (independent, i.e. Catholic or private) school that is registered with the Registered Schools Board.
• Special school is a government funded special school that is registered with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) or a non-government (independent, ie. Catholic or private) special school that is registered with the Registered Schools Board. There are three types of special schools each has a different focus and different eligibility criteria:
  • Special Developmental School is a school for students who have an intelligence quotient (IQ) below 50, who have a demonstrated need for intervention by one or more therapists as part of their educational program.
  • Alternative Setting School is a school for students with a physical, sensory (eg. vision or hearing impairment), or other disability and a demonstrated need for intervention by one or more therapists as part of their educational program.
  • Special School is a school for students who have an IQ between 50 - 70, who have a demonstrated need for intervention by one or more therapists as part of their educational program.
• Integration support programs are services provided in regular schools to increase the student's capacity to develop self-monitoring and learning strategies, and to ensure the student's inclusion in primary and secondary school. The program can include integration aide and integration teacher time.
• Post-secondary means education beyond compulsory schooling, e.g. a university degree, a pre-apprenticeship course, etc. 
• Tutoring is a service provided in addition to the school program that provides individual support with a specific subject or specific study skills. Tutoring aims to enable a client to resume his/her pre-accident level of academic achievement or level consistent with the transport accident injuries and may be funded for the student at school or in tertiary education.

Tutoring does not include tasks that are the responsibility of a parent or guardian such as supervising homework and helping to access the local library, other resources or project materials

GUIDELINES

Who is eligible for TAC funded education support services?

The TAC can pay for education support services for a client where:

• the client has a need for education support as a direct result of his/her transport accident injuries
• the client is able to participate in an education program 
• the support service promotes the client's independence in the education setting
• the support services have clearly defined and measurable learning and development outcomes
• the services are appropriate for his/her age and developmental abilities

The TAC will consider the following when reviewing requests to pay for education support services:

• The client's pre-accident development and learning history
• Services which the client accessed, was on the waiting list for or was assessed as requiring prior to the transport accident
• The client's ability to participate in education as a result of his/her transport accident injuries
• The assessment of an independent therapist, special education consultant, or other specialist professional in child education and development
• Education programs to which a client is currently entitled.

What education support services can the TAC pay for?

The TAC can pay for:

• integration programs in child care, preschool, primary and secondary schools (e.g. integration aide, teacher time)
• special school funding
• tutoring
• specialist professional providers (e.g. therapist - speech pathologist, occupational therapist, psychologist, physiotherapist, education specialists or other specialist professionals).

Clients in child care and preschool

The TAC can pay the reasonable cost of the following for a client who did not attend child care or preschool before the transport accident:

• The child care or preschool place
• Integration support for the number of hours recommended by a suitably qualified provider.

The TAC can pay the reasonable cost of the following for a client who attended child care or preschool before the accident:

• Integration support for the number of hours recommended by a suitably qualified provider
• Additional days of child care or preschool that are recommended by a suitably qualified provider.

The TAC can only pay for a place in childcare or preschool with or without integration support when a suitably qualified provider recommends that:

• it is required as a result of injuries sustained in a transport accident
• it is the most appropriate way for the client to achieve rehabilitation goals
• where appropriate, integration support is required to enable the client to participate in the child care or preschool program
• where appropriate, the integration support has clearly defined and measurable learning and development outcomes.

The TAC will take into account:

• any Centrelink entitlements in determining the reasonable cost of a child care or preschool place
• any federal and state Government funding entitlements in determining the reasonable cost of secondary and post-secondary education.

The TAC considers the child care or preschool service to be responsible for the provision of care that is appropriate to the client's development and capabilities.

Can the TAC pay for integration support programs in primary and secondary schools?

The TAC can only pay for an integration support program when a suitably qualified provider recommends that the program:

• is required as a result of injuries the client sustained in a transport accident 
• has clearly defined and measurable learning and development outcomes 
• is required to enable the client to participate in primary or secondary school 
• is required to enable the client to access a compulsory school activity, e.g. an excursion and/or educational camp.

The TAC can fund an integration aide for compulsory school activities that are part of the curriculum in Australia.

The TAC will regularly review the integration support program to ensure it continues to meet the client's needs.

Can the TAC pay for education support services in post-compulsory institutions?

All disabled students enrolled in post-secondary studies have access to support through the Disability Liaison Officer (DLO) at the institution. This support assists them to participate in their education program.

The TAC will work directly with the DLO to identify the student's support requirements. The TAC can pay for reasonable educational supports which are required beyond those available at the institution.

Can the TAC pay for education support services in special schools?

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) sets criteria about who is eligible to attend a special school. Special school students have been assessed by DEECD as meeting these eligibility criteria.

The TAC can pay for the following when a client is eligible attends a special school as a result of his/her transport accident injuries:

• The additional funding for education support services (the Educational Support Allocation) assessed by the Educational Needs Questionnaire (ENQ). The Educational Support Allocation is part of the school's global budget and includes services provided by therapists employed by the school.
• Additional treatment by a specialist professional where this is part of the client's approved rehabilitation program.

The DEECD makes a recommendation to the TAC about the level of support required by the student. The DEECD uses the ENQ to determine the level of funding for education support services for that client.

The TAC will regularly review the education support services provided in a special school to ensure that they continue to meet the student's needs.

Can the TAC pay for tutoring?

The TAC can pay for tutoring to support a client to:

• catch up on studies missed due to an absence from school that is a result of transport accident injuries, i.e. a long hospital admission or continued absences due to an outpatient rehabilitation program
• consolidate classroom learnings where an accident-related learning need has been identified.

The TAC can only pay for tutoring when a suitably qualified provider recommends that tutoring:

• is the most appropriate service to enable the client to achieve measurable learning outcomes, and
• will enable the client to return to his/her pre-accident level of academic achievement or a level consistent with his/her transport accident injuries, and
• is required as a result of injuries sustained in a transport accident.

Who can provide tutoring?

Refer to the TAC Schedule 1 Authorised Rehabilitation Services to view the list of authorised rehabilitation providers.

Can the TAC pay for specialist professional providers?

The TAC can pay for the services of specialist professional providers.

Refer to the:

Speech Pathology policy
Occupational Therapy Services policy
Physiotherapy policy
Special Education Consultant Services policy, or the
Mental Health (Psychology) policy.

The TAC expects that an educational institution will incorporate any recommendations made by a specialist provider into a client's Individual Education Program.

Can the TAC fund adaptive equipment?

Refer to the Equipment policy.

In relation to education support services what will the TAC not pay for?

The TAC will not pay for:

• services for a person other than the injured client
• services where there is no objective evidence that the services are effective and of a clear benefit to the client
• services for a condition that existed before a transport accident or that is not a direct result of a transport accident
• child care provided on a one-to-one basis
• an initial year of 3-year-old preschool and 4-year-old preschool or repeat 4-year-old preschool, primary or secondary schooling where it is required for non transport accident reasons
• services that the client accessed, was assessed as needing or was on the waiting list for prior to the transport accident
• school or education fees for courses that the client was enrolled in prior to the transport accident and where a prolonged absence due to transport accident injuries has occurred
• integration aide and teacher time during school holidays. However, the TAC fee schedule includes an allowance for school holidays
• school modifications, as all schools are responsible for ensuring that school buildings and facilities are accessible to all students 
• any education service to which the client is entitled under the applicable state legislation including services and programs provided in schools to which the client is already entitled such as Reading Recovery programs or Managing Individual Pathways (MIPs) program
• services and programs provided in post-compulsory institutions to which the client is already entitled including general study skills development services and support accessed through the Disability Liaison Office such as tutoring, lecture notes, dictaphones and notetakers
• education expenses levied by the educational institution including school fees, fees for excursions or school camps, stationery and uniforms
• the cost of telephone calls and telephone consultations between providers and clients, and between other providers, including hospitals
• services received by the injured person outside the Commonwealth of Australia
• services provided more than 2 years prior to the request for funding except where the request for payment is made within 3 years of the transport accident. Refer to the Time Limit to Apply for the Payment of Medical and Like Expenses policy.

How to apply for support

The school Student Support Group will need to submit the relevant form below unless directed otherwise by the TAC.

All fields on the forms must be completed in order for the request to be reviewed by the TAC. The forms must be submitted with an Individual Education Plan (IEP).

Applying for support for the student

• Education support services: Application for Aide, Teacher or Tutoring DOC, 0.44MB
• Education support services: Application for Aide, Teacher or Tutoring notes DOC, 0.32MB

Applying for support for the school

• Supplementary school supports: Application DOC, 0.36MB
• Supplementary school supports: Application notes DOC, 0.32MB

Integration support

• Integration support: goal development worksheet DOC, 0.9MB
• Education support: Individual Education plan DOC, 0.91MB
• Integration support: teacher account form DOC, 0.55MB
• Integration support: aide account form DOC, 0.55MB
• Integration support : billing information DOC, 0.71MB

Tutoring support

• Tutoring support: account forms DOC, 0.56MB

Special education

• Special Education: Assessment and recommendations DOC, 0.96MB
• Special Education: review and request ongoing services DOC, 0.94MB