Special Education Advisor

Special education advisor discovers strategies that work

Discovering a pre-loved baby doll in a second hand store proved an all-important find for Kay, a special education advisor for the Ministry of Education, Special Education (GSE).

At the start of the year, five-year-old Sally (not her real name) - a child with whom Kay works - was about to start school, but had yet to master going to the toilet.

Sally has global delay. She doesn't talk, her coordination is delayed (though she can walk and run), and she has a lot of difficulty using her fine motor and thinking skills.

As the lead worker in a team of five specialists, Kay was responsible for Sally's move from kindergarten to school.

"My first step was to visit Sally's kindergarten to meet the people who support her, to get to know her, and to observe and assess her needs," says Kay.

Together, Kay, Sally's parents, specialists, and kindergarten and support staff developed a transition plan that included a range of strategies such as starting Sally at school for mornings only in term one and teaching her to go to the toilet.

Kay knew she'd found just what she needed when she spotted a toileting doll in a Hamilton op-shop. The doll came with all the relevant under clothing as well as her own potty.

"I wanted the doll to show Sally how to go to the toilet and for Sally to enjoy the learning experience," says Kay.

Kay took photos of the doll as it went to the toilet, taking care to document all the steps involved in the process such as sitting, wiping, dressing and so on. She then made the photographs into a personalised book with captions.

Kay read the book to Sally, while at the same time helping Sally and her doll follow the toileting steps narrated in the book.

"It's been a huge success," says Kay. "Sally's uses her new skills at school and at home."

A bit about Kay's background

Kay has a bachelor of education, a post-graduate diploma in special education and a master's degree in education (majoring in counselling). Kay's professional interests include autism, Down syndrome and trauma.

She is an accredited assessor of brain injuries and sensitive claims for the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) and is the district coordinator of GSE's trauma services.

Kay works closely with local resource teachers: learning and behaviour (RTLB) as GSE's RTLB lead worker. And she represents the Ministry of Education on her local child protection panel - a panel of government agency and social service representatives who help the Child, Youth and Family (CYF) service protect Waikato's vulnerable children.

She has written social stories, developed programmes and provided training on a range of special education topics. Currently, Kay is developing a programme for classroom teachers and support staff about helping students with `high' and `very high' needs achieve independence.

"Mine's a very busy job, but I thrive on it. Saying that, my husband says he needs to introduce himself to me every now and then - but he understands this work is my passion."

Working with Kay - the process

Kay mostly works with school students who have been assessed as having `high' or `very high' special education needs and who have successfully applied for the Ongoing and Reviewable Resourcing Schemes (ORRS).

Usually a student is referred to Kay's team from the school or the early childhood sector. Once a referral is made, Kay talks with a child's support team to find out what support she might provide and how she might provide it.

A child's support team can be made up of a student's mum, dad, classroom teacher, early childhood educators, support worker, caregivers, wider whānau and other specialists such as their doctor, physiotherapist or Plunket nurse.

"Developing a rapport with a child's parents is really important to me, I can provide much better support with their help," she says.

Kay works closely with a child's support team during each step of her process.

Next, Kay observes and assesses a child's needs in a one-on-one, classroom and (very rarely) home context.

Sometimes she works with other Ministry specialists such as a psychologist, physiotherapist or speech-language therapist to observe and assess a child's needs.

Once a child's needs are assessed, Kay shares her findings (and the findings of her wider specialist team) with the child's support team and provides them with a tailored education programme for their feedback and ideas.

"It's incredibly important to work collaboratively with a child's classroom teachers and to not undermine their skills and ability. Having been a teacher, I'm sensitive to their needs and pressures," says Kay.

Eventually, the child's education programme is finalised and its actions, strategies and exercises carried out. Everyone works together to monitor, review and adapt the education programme for as long as the child needs and as long as the child is eligible for Kay's service.

Working with Ministry special education advisors - a point to note

It's important to note that Ministry of Education, Special Education (GSE) special education advisors don't all work in exactly the same way. They adapt what they do to suit the needs of individual children and young people, the needs of families, whānau, educators and specialists, and to suit the context in which children and young people live and learn. They may also adapt the way they work as new research evidence emerges and as their knowledge and experience grows.