This support can be for a short time or it can be for their whole time at school.

You can ask about extra support at any time during your child’s life at school, including in the middle of the school year.

If you would like to discuss additional learning and support for your child, the first step is always to contact your child’s school and ask who the best person is to speak to.

All schools are able to adapt the way they teach students to give support to children with disability or additional learning and support needs. You may hear school staff talking about these changes as ‘adjustments’.

Working with your local school

You and your child can work together with the school to:

• identify your child's strengths, interests, and areas for development
• plan ways to adjust and support your child’s learning
• monitor and review your child’s progress.

Support at school is flexible and caters for each child’s individual needs. You and your family can ask questions and make requests while you plan how your child can be best supported at school. Some things you can discuss with the school could include:

• the factors affecting your child’s learning
• any current support or adjustments the school may be providing
• what other supports or adjustments your child could need.

Your child can also be involved in these plans and discussions.

Your child’s school may recommend or discuss the following support with you:

• Integration funding support (IFS)
• support classes in mainstream schools and Schools for Specific Purposes (SSPs)
• itinerant support teachers vision and hearing.

To get some kinds of additional support, you may need to work with the school so that they can lodge an access request.