Education Adjustment Program Verification

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EducationAdjustment ProgramVerification
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Education Adjustment Program

• The Education Adjustment Program (EAP)
  commenced in 2005.
• The Education Adjustment Program
• contributes to promoting inclusive and
  accountable curriculum for students with
  disabilities
• provides foundation for resourcing processes

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EAP Disability Categories

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• Hearing Impairment (HI)
• Intellectual Impairment (II)
• Physical Impairment (PI)
• Speech-Language Impairment (SLI)
• Vision Impairment (VI)

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EAP Process
Quality Assurance Points Recognised
Specialists Statewide Verifiers Principal
authorises accuracy Validation process
Identification
Step 1
Obtain record parent permission to start process
Step 2
Diagnosis / Specialist Assessment
Step 3
Register student on database (AIMS)
Step 4
Verification of Disability
Step 5
Adjustments
Step 6
EAP Profile completed and submitted
Validation
Step 7
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Verification

• Centralised verification commenced in 2006.
• All disability categories were reviewed from
  2006-2008
• revised criteria for HI, PI and VI implemented
  for the 2008 verification cycle
• revised criteria for ASD, II and SLI implemented
  from Semester 2 2009
• video presentations of the verification reviews

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Purpose of Reviews

• To review existing criteria in terms of
• current best practice in education
• current definitions of disability
• procedural consistency
• conceptual clarity.

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Criteria

• All disability categories have two criteria
• Criterion 1 relating to impairment
• Criterion 2 relating to activity limitations and
  participation restrictions for the student at
  school resulting from the impairment.

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EAP Disability Criteria

• Criterion 1 Impairment
• Criterion 2 Activity limitations/
  participation restrictions
• Disability
• Adapted from World Health Organisations
  International Classification of Functioning,
  Disability and Health (ICF) (WHO, 2001)

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Disability ICF Model

• http//www.who.int/classifications/icf/training/ic
  fbeginnersguide.pdf

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Verification

• Verification is the process of confirming that
  a diagnosis or specialist assessment and the
  associated activity limitations and participation
  restrictions meet DET criteria for one or more of
  the six disability categories.

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EAP Disability Criteria

• The impairment (medical condition or other
  impairment in structure or function) is assessed
  or diagnosed by either an authorised specialist
  external to DET, or an authorised specialist
  internal to DET.
• In a school, curriculum access is the key
  activity limitation and participation
  restriction. Consequently, both teachers and
  specialist teachers should be involved in
  determining how the impairment affects delivery
  of the students educational program.

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Identification Information gathering

• Education adjustments are made as part of the
  daily teaching and assessment processes and
  become more refined as teachers get to know their
  learner
• Parents are a key source of information to assist
  in data-gathering
• Data-gathering processes need to be in place to
  check that the education adjustments are
  targeting barriers to learning.

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Consent

• If it is known or suspected that the difficulties
  a student is experiencing may be related to a
  disability, informed parent consent must be
  recorded using the EAP Consent Form (EAP 1)
  before progressing through the steps of the EAP.

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Criterion 1

• Diagnosis or specialist assessment of the
  impairment is required from the relevant
  specialists listed for each EAP disability
  category.

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Criterion 2

• Description of activity limitations and
  participation restrictions is required from
  members of the school team using all the
  information gathered.
• The evidence required varies according to the
  disability category.
• These requirements are outlined in the Education
  Adjustment Program Handbook and also on the
  disability-specific EAP Verification forms.

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Criterion 2

• Teachers may need to consult with a variety of
  specialists to identify the most appropriate
  adjustments available to support a student in
• accessing curriculum
• achieving core-learning outcomes and
• participating in the life of the school.

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Criterion 2

• For the purposes of verification, significant
  education adjustments are considered to be more
  than inclusive practices.
• Significant education adjustments consider the
  range and breadth, frequency and intensity of
  adjustments that are required.

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Criterion 2

• The adjustments need to be specific and targeted
  to the identified impairment.
• Some adjustments may benefit all/other students,
  but are essential for the identified student to
  access and participate in the intended
  curriculum.

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Verification Forms

• All EAP Verification Forms have 3 sections to
  be completed
• Part A Student Details
• Part B Evidence supporting Verification of
  Disability
• Part C Principal Request for Verification of
• Disability

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Verification Forms

• The school principal requests verification and in
  doing so confirms that
• appropriate procedures have been used within the
  school
• appropriate agreement has been reached with
  parents
• relevant actions have taken place on Adjustment
  Information Management System (AIMS)
• This is documented in PART C of each EAP
  Verification Form.

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Verification Forms

• The original EAP Verification Forms are kept at
  the school
• Copies are sent to
• The EAP Verification Team
• 141 Merton Road
• Woolloongabba QLD 4102
• For verifications in II and SLI, forms and
  processes must undergo local quality assurance
  before being sent to the Verification Team

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Verification Processes

• The required documentation is received by the EAP
  Verification Team and is assigned to the relevant
  statewide verifier.
• The statewide verifier considers the information
  according to the DET criteria.
• If the statewide verifier requires any further
  information, the relevant school or district
  personnel are contacted.

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Verification Decisons

• The verification decision, as recorded on AIMS,
  will be either (a) Verified, or (b) Rejected
• a) Verified
• Request accepted as meeting criteria with no
  review required.
• Request accepted as meeting criteria with review
  required for Criterion 1 and/or Criterion 2 by a
  specified date.
• Request for removal from an EAP disability
  category accepted (verifying an end date on
  AIMS).
• b) Rejected
• Request not accepted as meeting DET criteria.
• Request for removal from EAP disability category
  is not accepted.

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Review of Verification

• At the time of verification, the statewide
  verifier will determine
• The need for a review
• When the review should occur
• The criteria to be reviewed (1 and/or 2)

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Review of Verification

• The following are considered when deciding if
  a review of verification is required
• Age
• Stage of schooling
• Individual impairment information
• Described activity limitations and participation
  restrictions

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Further Information

• EAP Website
• (http//education.qld.gov.au/students/disabilities
  /adjustment/index.html)
• EAP Handbook, Forms, Validation Presentation, etc