Itinerant support teachers

Itinerant support teachers visit schools and other approved educational centres to help support students and young children with confirmed disability.

Confirmation is carried out using the Department's disability criteria.

Itinerant support teachers work directly with students and in partnership with the school's learning and support team, parents and carers, and other support agencies to plan personalised learning and support.

Access to itinerant support teachers, in the main, is managed by the local School Services team. This is usually requested by the local school the student attends. Local teams can be contacted on 131 536 and calls can be made from anywhere in NSW.

Transition Support Teacher, Early Intervention

Transition Support Teachers, Early Intervention work throughout the year prior to an eligible child starting school and continue to provide support into a child's first year of school. Transition 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.

Itinerant support teachers (hearing or vision)

Itinerant support teachers (hearing or vision) assist and support schools through the learning and support team.

They can provide advice on reasonable adjustments for children with a confirmed hearing and/or vision loss from the age of diagnosis through to Year 12.

Adjustments address the teaching and learning needs of the student in their classroom and school environment.

These adjustments are directly associated with hearing or vision loss and:

  • respect the student's choice
  • recognise the 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 students, parents and carers, 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 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 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 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.

The role of itinerant support teachers (conductive hearing loss) is to work in partnerships with school communities and allied health professionals, including relevant Aboriginal health centres and organisations.

They focus on providing professional learning to school communities on Otitis Media and other fluctuating middle ear infections. They develop short term educational programs for groups of identified students in collaboration with school learning and support teams.

Understanding Hearing Loss

Understanding Hearing Loss is a course offered through the Department's Supported Online Learning Program.

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.

Category:

  • Teaching and learning

Topics:

  • Accessibility
  • Disability
  • Diversity and inclusion

Business Unit:

  • Inclusion and Wellbeing
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