Enrolment Documentation Requirements
The following criteria are used by the Department of Education to establish eligibility for enrolment at Jacana School for Autism under the category of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
| CRITERIA | EVIDENCE |
| A A diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder;
AND B Significant deficits in adaptive behaviour established by a composite score of two standard deviations or more below the mean on an approved standardised test of adaptive behaviours; AND C Significant deficits in language skills established by a comprehensive speech pathology assessment demonstrating language skills equivalent to a composite score of two standard deviations or more below the mean.
Note: A Student Support Group should be established and personalised learning and support planning undertaken for any student with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, regardless of whether they meet the above eligibility criteria.
|
• Multidisciplinary evidence provided by professionals with experience and knowledge in the assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorder
• The multidisciplinary diagnosis will include a comprehensive report from a child psychiatrist or paediatrician, and concurring reports from a psychologist (including a comprehensive report of a Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scale assessment), a speech pathologist (including a comprehensive language/ pragmatic language assessment), and where appropriate an occupational therapist.
Note: Written agreement for a formal assessment or statement must be provided by the student’s parent/carer(s). OBTAINABLE FROM: Parent/carer held information or specialised teams, e.g. Royal Children’s Hospital, and Regional and Greater Melbourne Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). There are also a number of publicly funded teams located at Northern Health, DPV Health, Western Health, Melton Health, Gateways (Geelong), Monash Children’s Hospital and Peninsula Health. Professionals are requested to refer to the Department’s Program for Students with Disabilities Professional Guidelines for Autism Spectrum Disorder, available from Regional Disability Coordinators. |
Source: Program with Student with Disabilities – operational guidelines 2022.
AND
D A cognitive assessmentthat is less than 2 years old from a registered psychologist which clearly indicates a cognitive functioning score (IQ). This report should include observations of ASD traits by the psychologist, family, and where possible, teacher.
Please note that all speech, occupational therapist and Vineland assessments must be less than 12 months old.
If all documentation is submitted and reports fall within the eligibility criteria, an application can be lodged through JSA. If there are no reports, families need to enrol at a local government school to obtain these reports. Following that, an application can be lodged through JSA once the reports have been acquired. If an application is submitted through a local primary school, the family/school should inform JSA they are submitting an application for funding but wish to attend JSA.
