Criterion 3

Students need specialist one-to-one intervention at least weekly, and/or specialist monitoring at least once a month together with daily special education support provided by others. This support must be to help with mobility and positioning or personal care.

Ravi: 4 years 9 months - a brief profile

Ravi has very little independent functional movement and is reliant on an adult for all his positioning, mobility and personal care needs. Ravi has a customised wheelchair with head support and chest harness. He also has a standing frame that he tolerates being placed in for short periods each day. When lying on his front on the floor Ravi can hold his head up briefly and roll over onto his back.

Ravi is unable to clear his throat, his swallowing is significantly impaired and he struggles constantly to maintain a clear airway. When he is fed, care needs to be taken to ensure that he is correctly positioned as he has a strong tongue thrust, gags easily and there is a risk of choking.

With slow, concentrated movements Ravi is able to take objects held out to him. When correctly seated at an easel Ravi can hold a paintbrush with a fist grip and paint marks on paper with hand over hand assistance.

Ravi meets Criterion 3.

This criterion is for students who have an extremely severe physical disability with spasticity or low tone, and difficulties with eating, speaking and swallowing. They may be extremely fragile.

These students are unable to move, change position, sit, eat, dress, grasp, or release or manipulate objects independently. Daily care, physical support and supervision are part of their programmes. They require specialised equipment such as wheelchairs, fully supportive seating systems and standing frames, and need to be lifted and positioned in equipment safely. They may require aids for communication, tubes for feeding and specialised equipment for toileting.

These students require specialists such as physiotherapists and occupational therapists or conductors. Continuing therapist involvement is critical for the development of physical skills and to maintain physical wellbeing so that appropriate learning can occur. Students are also very likely to require a speech-language therapist because of eating difficulties and communication needs.

In addition, students with a deteriorating condition who are no longer independently mobile and have significant difficulties with swallowing, respiration and use of their limbs meet this criterion.