Itinerant support teachers
Itinerant support teachers visit schools and other approved educational centres to help support students and young children with confirmed disability.
Itinerant support teachers visit schools and other approved educational centres to help support students and young children with confirmed disability.
Itinerant support teachers will work directly with your child, and in partnership with you, classroom teachers, the school's learning and support team and other support agencies to plan your child’s personalised learning and support.
All itinerant support teachers specialise in particular areas. You can learn more about these areas below.
Itinerant support teachers (hearing and vision)
These teachers, led by an Assistant principal hearing or vision, will work in NSW public schools with your child if they have a confirmed hearing and/or vision loss. They could visit your child at specific times throughout the week, and work in partnership with your child’s class teacher.
They can provide advice on reasonable adjustments for your child from the age of diagnosis through to Year 12.
The adjustments will address your child’s teaching and learning needs in their classroom and school environment.
These adjustments are directly associated with hearing or vision loss and:
- respect your child’s choice
- recognise your child’s ability and access needs
- respond to access needs by providing high quality learning.
Itinerant support teachers (hearing or vision) work in a multi-disciplinary team with you and your child, school learning and support teams and other professionals.
They may carry out student assessments, take part in review meetings, support school staff in making teaching and learning adjustments, provide students with targeted learning opportunities and provide professional learning for school staff.
Itinerant support teachers (conductive hearing loss)
Itinerant support teachers (conductive hearing loss) provide support and advice to schools for students who have a conductive hearing loss. Conductive hearing loss is often called glue ear or Otitis Media. Itinerant support teachers (conductive hearing loss) are located in public schools across NSW.
They focus on providing professional learning to school communities on Otitis Media and other fluctuating middle ear infections. They develop and implement educational programs for groups of identified students in collaboration with school learning and support teams.
Itinerant support teacher (early intervention)
These teachers work with your child throughout the year prior to them starting school, and continue to provide support into your child's first year of school.
Itinerant support teachers (early intervention) help by:
- supporting the staff of early childhood classes to provide personalised learning and support
- developing individual, coordinated transition plans to support children moving from early education into school
- establishing and maintaining links with a range of local services in the community.
Braille and large print
Braille and large print services are available to vision-impaired students in NSW public schools who are supported by an itinerant support teacher (vision).
Roles and responsibilities
Many people contribute to supporting students with disability and additional learning and support needs and they have a wide range of roles and responsibilities.