CASE STUDY - Tristan EDUC3032

CASE STUDY - Tristan

Taylor Howlett

Southern Cross University

Student number: 24227621

Unit: EDUC3032

Tutor:

Tutorial time:

Due date: 5/04/2025

Date submitted: 5/04/2025

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Reference 1 - Tristan NCCD story

Reference 2 - disability Discrimination Act

Tristan is a 16-year-old non-verbal student who attends a regular secondary school. He has both autism and an intellectual handicap. To manage his sensory challenges, communicate with gestures and visual aids, and develop functional abilities, he needs a lot of help. A customised IEP, behaviour management strategy, and full-time adult support for communication, hygiene, and self-care are among the modifications.

Context

Tristan's educational path is a thorough illustration of how a mainstream secondary school may efficiently assist a student with autism and an intellectual handicap while promoting an inclusive learning environment. Tristan, who is 16 years old, is enrolled in a dual program that offers an on-site Education Support Centre together with the advantages of a regular high school. With this combined strategy, Tristan is guaranteed to have access to the specialised interventions required for his development in addition to the social and academic possibilities of a mainstream environment. 1

Tristan needs major accommodations in every area of his schooling because of his nonverbal communication and dependence on other techniques, including gestures, simple sign language, and visual-pictorial systems. Although he has difficulties with communication and sensory control, he likes going to school. Without a lot of guidance and support, Tristan finds it difficult to communicate his emotions, ask for assistance, or know when he needs breaks. The school has put in place a strong support system to meet these requirements, one that aims to provide fair access to education while encouraging his social involvement. 1

Student Details in Relation to Learning Needs

Tristan's needs are mostly met by the way the school is set up. For students with a range of learning needs, the integrated Education Support Centre offers specialised programs that provide tailored attention in a welcoming environment. Tristan works closely with education assistants who have received specialised training in helping kids with complex needs, which guarantees that the programs he attends have lower staff-to-student ratios. This model allows the school to provide highly individualised help while maintaining inclusion.

The main developmental areas that are essential to Tristan's development and eventual independence are the focus of his Individual Education Plan (IEP). Learning-to-learn behaviours, practical skills for community involvement, and readiness for the shift to community-based activities over the following three years are some of these. His functional program has specific objectives that focus on developing communication skills, personal safety awareness, hygiene practices, and self-care abilities. These areas of concentration are specifically designed to meet Tristan's demands and are applied uniformly in every situation he comes into contact with.

Supports for communication are essential to Tristan's educational journey because of his nonverbal status. Staff are instructed to interact with him one-on-one at close quarters, usually within 30 cm, in order to see and react to his delicate communication attempts.

They are able to identify and acknowledge a wide range of communication styles, such as vocalisations, body language, facial expressions, and variations in volume or tone 1. In order to promote engagement and guarantee that Tristan can engage in his learning environment in a meaningful way, other communication channels are also incorporated throughout his day.

The daily schedule is set up to provide Tristan regularity and predictability. For instance, staff members help him unpack and pack his school bag as part of his arrival and departure procedures. Routine actions including greetings, eating, using the restroom, and switching between tasks all include the utilisation of touch and verbal signals. 1. In order to assist Tristan comprehend what is required of him at any given time, concrete items are used as visual signals for certain tasks. For example, a bowl and spoon indicate cooking activities

Another essential element of Tristan's support system is sensory regulation. To assess his interaction with the surroundings and pinpoint the causes of sensory overload or disengagement, functional behaviour evaluations are carried out on a regular basis.

Tristan has access to regular routines with built-in sensory breaks since sensory management techniques are applied consistently in all contexts. Additionally, his learning environment has been adjusted to reduce sensory distractions and increase engagement possibilities.

Tristan's capacity to engage in educational activities fairly is further improved by curriculum changes. His learning objectives are quite specific and centre on practical skills that meet his developmental requirements. In order to effectively measure his development without putting him under unnecessary stress, assessment techniques are modified to take into account his communication preferences. Extra levels of help are offered via specialised learning resources and longer time allotments for job completion.

Legislation and Reporting Requirements

Tristan's modifications largely adhere to Australia's legal standards under the Disability Standards for Education 2005 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA). The DDA requires schools to make reasonable accommodations to guarantee equal access for all students and forbids discrimination against people with disabilities in the classroom. 2 The wide range of services offered to Tristan, from customised lesson plans to techniques for regulating his emotions, shows how dedicated the school is to meeting these responsibilities.

Additional guidelines on how schools should accommodate children with impairments may be found in the Disability Standards for Education 2005. These guidelines stress how crucial it is to guarantee involvement in educational activities, access to assistance, curriculum adjustments that cater to individual requirements, and settings free from harassment or discrimination on the basis of disability. These values are reflected in the extensive modifications made for Tristan, which provide an accepting atmosphere that allows him to flourish both socially and intellectually.

The school's Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) reporting procedure also includes Tristan. Under this effort, schools must identify children who are getting modifications relating to their disabilities, define the type of impairment being addressed, and indicate the amount of adjustment being offered. The school has concluded that Tristan's cognitive handicap necessitates significant changes. This categorisation recognises that in order to make clear, focused, complete, and individualised modifications, he needs constant adult support.

=//Medical reports attesting to Tristan's diagnosis of autism and intellectual disability, thorough parent-teacher meeting records, notes from his disability service provider, staff training records, his IEP, and his behaviour management plan are all pieces of evidence that support his inclusion in the NCCD. These documents not only show that the school complied with legal standards, but they also show how cooperatively they planned and provided support that were especially catered to Tristan's needs.

Tristan's educational journey serves as an example of how a mainstream school may successfully strike a balance between providing children with complex needs with individualised help and promoting inclusion. Through a combination of curriculum modifications, specialised programs provided by the on-site Education Support Centre, individualised communication strategies, sensory management interventions, and compliance with legal requirements like the DDA and Disability Standards for Education 2005, the school guarantees Tristan equitable access to education while preparing him for increased independence as an adult. Other schools looking to establish inclusive settings where all kids may thrive whatever their problems or talents should use this case study as a model.

Adjustments to Support Social Inclusion

I use a variety of tactics catered to Tristan's requirements in order to promote social inclusion in my classroom and create a friendly and compassionate atmosphere for all of the pupils.

Awareness and Education of Peers

I often lead peer education workshops to help students appreciate individual diversity and comprehend a variety of communication styles. These sessions concentrate on doable strategies for including Tristan in tasks, such modifying communication approaches or utilising visual aids. My pupils learn to perceive Tristan's special talents rather than his difficulties by cultivating empathy and helpful interpersonal skills. We may, for instance, role-play situations in which students engage in inclusive behaviours, such asking Tristan to play a game or cooperating on a project.

Organising Social Opportunities

I provide controlled social encounters to make sure Tristan feels included. In paired activities, peers are carefully chosen and given guidance on how to best help Tristan. Tristan may participate actively in small group projects with defined duties without feeling overburdened. Tristan may engage in a peer group in art class, for example, where he concentrates on activities that play to his strengths, such selecting colours or setting up supplies. To ensure that everyone is aware of their duties and responsibilities, interactions are guided by visual aids.

I design cooperative games for physical education that prioritise cooperation over rivalry. This enables Tristan to engage with his peers in ways that demonstrate his strengths.

Collaboration Across Sectors

Through monthly case meetings and shared professional development, I collaborate closely with Tristan's family and their selected disability service provider. Consistency between the school and outside surroundings is guaranteed by this partnership. For instance, in accordance with the objectives of Tristan's Individualised Education Plan (IEP), we co-create a highly customised transition program that progressively exposes him to community-based activities.

Adaptation of Technology and Resources

I assist Tristan's interactions with instructors and classmates in the classroom by using digital visual communication tools that are available on several platforms. Routines use sensory management techniques to assist him deal with sensory difficulties. Materials that have been modified guarantee that he can successfully interact with the curriculum. Tristan may, for example, utilise an interactive e-book with visual cues to help with understanding during reading time.

Activities for Community Integration

In line with his IEP objectives, Tristan takes part in community-based learning activities. To facilitate transitions into unfamiliar settings, these activities incorporate dependable behavioural patterns and well-known routines. For instance, during a visit to the local library, students might explore books of interest and practise the communication skills they learnt in class.

Together, these modifications provide an inclusive learning environment where Tristan is respected and supported as a vital member of our school community.

Conclusion

Supporting a student like Tristan requires making significant, customised changes in every learning setting. These modifications must take into account the student's particular learning profile and social inclusion demands while also adhering to legal standards. Schools may build truly inclusive settings where kids with significant support needs can learn, grow, and engage meaningfully in school life by using evidence-based strategies, cross-sector collaboration, and thorough preparation.

In order to allow students with severe disabilities to receive an education "on the same basis as other students, fulfilling both the letter and the spirit of Australia's disability legislation," the Disability Discrimination Act's guiding principles can be translated into useful, everyday supports, as demonstrated in the case of Tristan.