About Students with Significant and Complex Disability

This course is for educators teaching and supporting students with complex disability needs, where substantive and extensive adjustments are required to support their daily needs and maximise learning.

The course introduces some of the most common disabilities together with teaching principles to address the functional impact of disability at school.

Course content

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), also known as dyspraxia, represents a category of motor coordination difficulties that can significantly impact a student's academic performance despite their intellectual capabilities aligning with their peers. This course is designed to deepen educators' understanding of DCD and its implications for learning and to equip them with the tools to support students facing these challenges.

The course focuses on:

• An overview of DCD, including definitions, the range of terminology used, and the distinction between fine and gross motor skills difficulties.
• The identification of 'hidden disabilities' and how motor coordination difficulties, though often not immediately visible, can affect a student's academic achievements and daily life.
• The exploration of co-occurring difficulties associated with DCD, such as speech and language challenges, poor organizational skills, challenging behaviors, and social difficulties, along with strategies for addressing these issues.
• Guidelines for assessing student needs effectively and evaluating the success of interventions, focusing on a variety of practical and achievable strategies.
• The development of SMART goals for students with DCD, tailored to meet their specific needs and support their full participation in the classroom environment.
• Practical strategies for making classrooms more inclusive for students with DCD, supported by evidence-based approaches.

This course aims to support teachers in recognizing and addressing the complexities of motor coordination difficulties, thereby making a significant difference in the inclusivity and effectiveness of their teaching practices.

This course focuses on:

• barriers to learning for these students and areas where support is needed
• how to assess student needs across a range of functional areas
• identification of appropriate adjustments needed to overcome these barriers
• the development of SMART goals and targeted intervention plans tailored to the unique needs of individual students

The course is designed to provide educators with the tools to make a significant and positive difference to the successful education of students with the most significant disabilities.

This course is divided into four sections.

• Understanding
  This first section aims to:
  • identify which students this course is focussed on
  • describe the categories of disability defined by the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD)
  • introduce what is meant by inclusive education and factors that support successful inclusive practice
  • provide an overview of commonly occurring disabilities
  • identify potential barriers to learning faced by the most disabled students
  • describe the main areas where support is needed to facilitate inclusive practice
• Assessment
  This section aims to:
  • outline the elements of a health and social care plan
  • describe the main forms of assessment
  • give specific guidance on how to assess major areas of need
  • describe the SETT framework for assistive technology
  • provide an opportunity for you to plan specific goals for a student you are working with
• Adjustments
  This section aims to:
  • introduce the concept of the team around the student
  • describe the challenges in communication associated with a range of differing disabilities
  • provide an overview of the ways in which assistive technology may be used
  • highlight the ways in which students with visual impairment may be helped by mobility training
  • raise awareness of the phases of learning which underlie the learning process
  • describe in detail a range of teaching strategies which may be applied across all disabilities
• Case Studies
  This section presents the real-life stories of a variety of students the course is intended to support, and will be added to as further stories emerge.
• Resources
  The course includes links to over 100 relevant resources which are kept under continuous review.

Who is the course for?

The course is aimed at all those who work in schools and specialist settings, such as teachers, learning and support teachers, support staff and school leaders. The target age range is students in primary and secondary education, although the course may also benefit education professionals working in early childhood and kindergarten settings.

This is a new course, launched in 2025, which has been commissioned by our licensed jurisdictions across Australia.

Why join the course?

Participants’ pre and post-course evaluations demonstrate significantly increased confidence in identifying, assessing and supporting students with significant and complex disabilities.

This course looks at the impact significant and complex disabilities can have on a student’s life. It shows how you can make your classroom and practice more inclusive for these students and offers practical assessment ideals and intervention strategies.

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What you will learn

On successful completion of the course, participants will be able to:

• understand the obligations schools have to include the most disabled students
• know what successful inclusion looks like, and what factors support it
• become aware of potential barriers to inclusion, and the main areas where support may be needed
• appreciate the elements required in a health and social care plan
• be familiar with the different types of assessment
• know how to assess student need across a variety of educational domains
• be able to apply the SETT framework to assess the need for assistive technology
• appreciate the importance of working collaboratively with all relevant parties to support the inclusion process
• have a wide understanding of the potential challenges in communication students might face and how to tackle these
• understand the ways in which assistive technology can be employed to support inclusion
• know how mobility training can assist students with visual impairment
• appreciate the different phases of learning which underpin the learning process
• be aware of a range of teaching strategies that can be applied to all students and to all areas of the curriculum
• have had the opportunity to plan specific goals and adjustments for a student with whom they are working

You might also be interested in

• Speech Language and Communication Needs course
• Students with Special Needs (SEN)