Frequently Asked Questions for Teachers
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
How does someone find out if their child is eligible for the NDIS?
A child may be eligible for services under the NDIS if they have a diagnosed disability or are
under 6 years old with a significant developmental delay in one or more areas such as
mobility or communication skills. Parents can find information on the eligibility criteria for
the NDIS, including the My Access Checker tool, on the NDIS website at Link to My Access
Checker on NDIS website.
If I think a child could be eligible, can I refer them to the NDIS?
The NDIS is a self-referral system. This means that a parent/guardian or individual with a
disability can access the NDIS. Any child who is accessing a service such as Therapy ACT or
Disability Education programs in 2014, will have received a letter from the NDIS telling them
what to do. If parents have not already received this letter, please encourage them to
contact the NDIS on 1800 800 110.
When will our students meet with the NDIS to talk about their needs?
The schedule for when people will meet with the NDIS is referred to as ‘phasing’. The
phasing timetable has been agreed by the Federal and ACT governments and is summarised
below.
Children
Children will transition to the NDIS according to their academic year, or age if they are not
yet at school.
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Young children are a priority, as early intervention is important.
o Children under 2 will transition between July and September 2014.
o 2 – 4 year olds who are not starting school in 2015 will transition between
October and December 2014.
School age children will transition during the 2015 school year.
o High school students (7-12) will transition between January and March 2015.
Those in years 11 and 12 will go first.
o Children in primary school (K-6) will transition between April and September
2015. Transition will be from youngest to oldest.
School leavers are going through a significant transition period in their lives, so we
want to move them into the NDIS quickly.
o 2008 – 2013 school leavers who received a Post School Options package and
who have high and complex needs will transition between July and
September 2014.
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Frequently Asked Questions for Teachers
o 2014 school leavers will transition between September and December 2014,
as they finish up school.
Adults
Older Canberrans will have access to the NDIS first to ensure they do not miss the cut-off
age of 65. Adults will then transition oldest to youngest.
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64 year olds will be able to begin their transition between July and September 2014.
63 year olds will transition to the NDIS between October and December 2014.
60 – 62 year olds will transition to the NDIS between January and March 2015.
59 year olds will transition to the NDIS between April and June 2015.
56 – 58 year olds will transition to the NDIS between July and September 2015.
49 – 55 year olds will transition to the NDIS between October and December 2015.
40 – 48 year olds will transition to the NDIS between January and March 2016.
From April 2016, adults between the ages of 20 – 39 will be able to start their
transition to the NDIS.
Group homes will transition together so that each household can be assessed at the same
time. The youngest person in the household will determine at what stage the household is
transitioned to the NDIS.
What support will the NDIS provide in schools?
The NDIS will fund supports that enable participants to attend school education, where
these supports are required by the participant to engage in a range of community activities.
This includes:
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Assistance with self-care at school including help to eat
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Specialist transport to and from school but not for school excursions
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Equipment that is transportable such as a wheelchair, personal communication
device or hearing aid which will be used in all areas of a student’s life
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Specialised or intensive support to transition to or between schools or from school
to post-school options.
What services will still be provided by Education and Training Directorate during the NDIS
trial?
Special Needs Transport is currently provided by Keirs, ACTION or taxi and will continue to
be coordinated by the Education and Training during the NDIS trial. Personal care in
schools will also continue to be delivered to students with disabilities by the Education and
Training Directorate. Schools will continue to fund equipment (such as Inclusive
Technology) required to support a child’s access to the curriculum. The Directorate will
continue to fund equipment prescribed for an individual child access to the educational
program using the processes that are currently in place.
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Frequently Asked Questions for Teachers
How will the NDIS affect services currently provided by the Education and Training
Directorate?
Supports for children within ACT Government schools will not change during the NDIS trial.
This includes inclusion support, support for children with a sensory impairment, learning
support classes and units and specialist schools.
What supports will be available for children with disability in Preschool?
Preschool is a mainstream service and all preschool age children, including those with a
developmental delay or disability, are able to enrol in a local preschool. Families of children
with significant developmental delays or disabilities are able to enrol In specialist preschools
at Malkara or Cranleigh if they meet eligibility requirements.
The Support at Preschool program will continue during the NDIS trial and beyond. All
children who turn 4 by 30 April 2015 will be supported to transition from their current Early
Intervention setting to a mainstream preschool as in previous years.
What will happen to the 2 and 3 year olds with a developmental delay who are currently
accessing Early Intervention programs who are eligible for the NDIS?
NDIS eligible children who are under school age will be able to access early intervention
from a non government service provider in 2015. These families will have the opportunity to
meet with a planner from the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) before the end of
the year and will be able to access a support package from the beginning of 2015.
What will happen to the 2 and 3 year olds with a developmental delay who are currently
accessing Early Intervention programs and are not eligible for the NDIS?
The Education and Training Directorate is currently working the Community Services
Directorate and the Health Directorate to develop services for children under school age
who will not access the NDIS.
Does the NDIS affect the current SCAN process or the allocation of resources for children
with a disability in schools?
No, the NDIS does not have any impact on the current SCAN process or the allocation of
resources for children with a disability in schools.
Where can I find more information?
Further information about the NDIS and early intervention services is available from the
following sources:
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NDIA website - Link to NDIA website
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Education and Training Website - Link to ACT Education and Training website
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ACT Government information line (02) 6207 1086
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Community Services Directorate website – Link to Community Services Directorate
website
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Frequently Asked Questions for Teachers
o NDIS Update:
Link to NDIS update on Community Services Directorate website
o ACT NDIS Taskforce:
Link to ACT NDIS Taskforce information on Community Services Directorate
website
August 2014
Frequently Asked Questions for Teachers
Disability Education and Adjustments
What is the responsibility of the school in supporting a child with a disability?
Under the Disability Standards for Education, it is the responsibility of the school to ensure a
child with a disability can access and participate in educational programs on the same basis
as a student without a disability. Schools are required to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to
enable the student to engage in the educational program. Adjustments may include
changes to the physical environment, curriculum or provision of additional staff to assist
with behaviour management. The aim of adjustments should be to maximise inclusion for
each student.
Inclusive education means:
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recognising, embracing and valuing diversity
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regarding all children as full and valued members of their social group
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enabling children with a disability to access the same learning opportunities as their
peers
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providing appropriate supports are in place to ensure that children are included
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supporting children to develop a sense of belonging within their social group.
Who will assess children to see if they need support after 2016 when Therapy ACT and
Early Intervention programs are closed?
School psychologists employed by the Directorate will continue to provide assessment and
support services for children attending ACT public schools, in the same way they currently
do.
Under the NDIS, services such as Therapy ACT’s Drop-In, Intake and Assessment and
assessment for developmental delay are considered mainstream services as anyone in the
community can access them, not just people with an identified disability. The ACT
Government will continue to offer these services for the duration of the trial and beyond.
Young children who may be developmentally vulnerable but are not eligible for the NDIS will
be able to access mainstream supports such as assessment, referral and family support. The
Education and Training Directorate is currently working with the Community Services and
Health Directorates to develop services for young children who are not eligible to access
supports through the NDIS.
How can I access the support of Allied Health staff if I think it is needed?
Until December 2016, if you think a child requires assessment by a Speech Pathologist,
Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist, you are able to refer (with a parent’s permission)
to Therapy ACT.
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Frequently Asked Questions for Teachers
Will the Support at Preschool program continue?
The Support at Preschool Program will continue and is not impacted by the NDIS trial.
Schools that are including children with significant developmental delays or disabilities are
able to make an application for additional resources to support the adjustments required to
support this inclusion. If you would like further information on how the Disability Education,
early intervention team can assist, please contact Jean Walker – Disability Education Partner
– Early Intervention at jean.walker@act.gov.au
How do I get help to adjust the curriculum for a child who has an identified developmental
delay or disability?
The Education and Training Directorate has systems in place to support you to identify
children with additional needs and to provide support for those children. Each school has a
Disability Education Coordination Officer (DECO) who can be consulted for assistance with
curriculum adjustment. You are able to also discuss concerns with the School Psychologist.
Both the DECO and the School Psychologist are able to access additional support through
Disability Education if required.
Can a child go to preschool if they are not toilet trained or if they require extensive
adjustments?
Under the Disability Education Standards, children cannot be excluded from education
based on a delay in their development or a disability. A delay in development may include
late toilet-training. Adjustments need to be made to accommodate the child’s needs.
What supports will be available to help children with a disability to transition from school
after the introduction of the NDIS?
Under the NDIS, eligible participants will be able to receive specialised or intensive support
to transition to school, between schools or from school to post-school options. Participants
will meet with a planner in the NDIA to discuss their specific needs and will then choose a
service provider that can help them meet those needs.
August 2014