Criterion 8

Students need specialist one-to-one intervention on an average of once per month, or specialist monitoring on an average of once per school term together with daily special education support provided by others. This support must be to help with needs arising from a severe disorder of both language use and appropriate social communication.

David: 4 years 10 months - a brief profile

David is not involved in most activities and has a brief attention span for anything not self-chosen. He completes a favourite inset puzzle of nine pieces. Left to himself he runs a train around a track constantly or flicks very quickly through two favourite books about trains. He is distraught if he can't find both of these books at every kindergarten session.

David follows very familiar routines such as washing his hands before morning tea, but needs frequent adult prompts. If the routine changes or there is a lot of noise, David reacts by screaming and hitting. When directed he urinates in the toilet at kindergarten but only does a bowel motion in a nappy.

Given a range of appropriate prompts David matches colours and shapes, makes lines on paper and recognises big and little. He rarely shows generalisation of learning in new situations and does not engage in pretend play.

David leads and pushes to make his needs known, or screams until someone works out what he wants. He often uses unintelligible jargon and echolalia but names some common objects.

David does not join in peer social play, and needs an adult to facilitate turn taking. He relates to teachers through gestures and grunts when he needs something, although he smiles at his education support worker when she arrives at kindergarten.

David meets Criterion 8.

This criterion is for students whose communication and social behaviours are very unusual and inappropriate in their social context. They have a combination of severe difficulties with social interaction, communication and imagination and carry out rigid and repetitive behaviours. The particular combination and intensity of these characteristics vary but are apparent most of the time.

These students:

• are difficult to engage in almost all learning and social activities. They show frequent avoidance behaviour and require prompting to participate. As a consequence their learning achievements are significantly delayed
• usually distance themselves from social situations and seem to be largely unaware of people around them although they may respond positively to their parents and other very familiar people
• often have trouble understanding and using non-verbal communication. They may take a person to something they want but do not indicate this by pointing or gesturing. These students also have severe difficulties processing verbal information. Some recognise symbols and words but do not demonstrate how to use this knowledge. Some use learned phrases and ritualised words that appear irrelevant to the current topic and may have little meaning for others
• are severely distressed by change, needing to be reassured even when prepared in advance for new environments or changes in routines. Feelings of confusion or frustration may result in sudden changes in emotions.

Most students who meet this criterion have a diagnosis of autism but some have another, or no, medical diagnosis. A very small number of older students with a severe mental health condition also meet this criterion.

These students need regular specialist interventions from a psychologist and/or speech-language therapist to take into account their unusual and inappropriate behaviours while promoting learning and participation in social interactions.

This criterion is not for students who, despite major difficulties with communication and/or social behaviour, can be engaged to participate in meaningful learning in the curriculum.