Schools for dyspraxia/dyslexia/dyscalculia

[movingtooz]

Hi,

We are looking to move to Oz from the UK next year, but have no real idea of schools. We were wondering if anyone has any suggestions or recommendations.

We are ideally looking at a secondary school with smaller classes, good pastoral care and a strong awareness of special educational needs. Both our kids have dyspraxia and slow processing, one has mild dyslexia, the other dyscalculia. They score very highly on cognitive tests, though.

The state we end up in largely depends on which job I get, but probably one of Qld/SA/ACT.

Visas are no problem, since the kids are Australian citizens through me (their Mum).

Any suggestions/recommendations would be gratefully received!

Thanks,

Clare

[Quoll]

You're unlikely to find anything special anywhere. The issues you've mentioned aren't going to attract any additional funding through disability programs so any support is going to have to come from within school resources and in secondary that tends to amount to diddly squat. They might, if you are lucky, get the odd accommodation in tests like extra time or assistive technology but I wouldn't be banking on it. If you want small classes and good pastoral care you're probably heading for private schools but they may not want kids who aren't going to cope in mainstream (they'll never say that to your face though) but it very much depends on where you're planning to live.

[Toots]

As Quoll has stated it may be hard to find a secondary school with small classes, good pastoral care etc.  Catholic schools may be the best bet.  One of my sons has mild dyslexia and he was greatly helped at the school he attended and also at university.

State and territory education and disability contacts

Your state or territory education department can give you more information about school support and funding for your child:

• ACT Department of Education – Disability education
• NSW Department of Education – Disability, learning and support
• NT Government – About special education and disability
• Queensland Department of Education and Training – Every student with disability succeeding
• South Australian Government – Learning plans
• Tasmanian Department of Education – Students with Disability
• Victorian Department of Education – Support for children with special needs
• WA Department of Education – Children with special learning needs.

[movingtooz]

Thanks very much for all your help and information. I think we are going to have to look into private and Catholic schools.

Does anyone have any particular recommendations for private/Catholic secondary schools with small class sizes and good pastoral care, please? It's difficult finding which schools to go for, so it's nice to hear of any that have worked well for other people with dyslexic or dyspraxic children.

Thanks,

Clare

[Quoll]

That rather depends on where you're going to live and work. Additional support can be very haphazard, it can depend on the principal of the moment and can change from year to year. It'd be worth your while to get all assessments updated before you leave if you can. Have the full psychoeducational battery of cognitive assessments, physio, speech therapy and adaptive behaviour done. It's unlikely with those diagnoses alone that there will be any disability support anywhere but if there's a cognitive impairment or significant physical impairment you might get lucky. 

[Tuosist]

I would suggest you join the Dyslexia Australia FB group. Very helpful.