Programs


Every student at Avonvale Education Support Centre is on an Individual Education Plan and every program is tailored to their unique individual needs. Depending on the needs of the student, the program can be predominately academic based, life skills based or a combination of academic and life skills.

 

The focus for Primary and Lower Secondary students are based on the Western Australian Curriculum:

  • English
  • Humanities and Social Sciences
  • Mathematics
  • Technologies
  • Health and Physical Education
  • Science
  • The Arts
  • LOTE

 

As well as following the Western Australian curriculum, the Upper Secondary phase of schooling focusses on skills, knowledge and strong pathways which will prepare students to enjoy successful lives after school.They include:

  • Self-Management Skills
  • Safety in the Community
  • Alternatives to Employment
  • Workplace Learning
  • TAFE Certificates
  • ASDAN Courses

 

As well as following the above programs, all students participate in protective behaviours and life skills.

 

Protective Behaviours is a program that teaches students how to keep themselves safe from the risks that surround us in our everyday life. By teaching and reinforcing the two primary concepts “everyone has the right to feel safe at all times” and “nothing is so awful we can’t talk about it.”

Protective Behaviours is a key component within each child’s Individual Education Plan and is explicitly taught in all classrooms. We aim to teach our students with strategies they need to keep themselves safe, which is implemented through role play, social stories and structured lessons.

 

Life skills provide students the opportunity to practise learnt skills in real-life functional applications such as cooking, gardening and community access. These classes provide opportunities for students to practise Maths, English, Communication, Science, Self-Management and Independence learning.

 

 

Depending on the needs and abilities of the student, all subject areas are taught. The main pedagogies used are;

 

ABA

ABA focuses on teaching small, measurable units of behaviour in a very systematic way, called discrete trial training (DTT), initially with physical, verbal or visual prompts. A task is broken down into small steps and taught in a one on one situation. Teaching trials are repeated many times, initially in rapid succession, until the student performs a response readily without prompts. To maximise a child’s success, emerging skills are practised and reinforced in many less structured situations (generalised) e.g. group activities in class, on excursions, and at home.

ABA helps children develop their social, academic, self-help and behavioural skills needed to interact with others and to cope with the challenges of everyday life. It is a highly structured program designed to meet the individual requirements of each child, while building the foundations for life-long learning including reading, writing, mathematics, and communication, gross and fine motor skills, and daily living skills.

 

TEACCH

The TEACCH programme offers individualised instruction emphasising skills appropriate for the child’s age and developmental level in a highly structured learning environment. The curriculum is developmentally sequenced and functionally based. General domains for skill development are communication, socialisation and practical skills. The learning environment is clearly defined with concrete physical boundaries. Separate areas are designed for specific activities including independent work stations, play areas, and group work areas.

A personal schedule is designed for each student. The daily routine is displayed visually through picture symbols, photographs, line drawings, and written words in a top to bottom or left to right progression. The student is taught to manipulate the schedule independently.

 

Key Word Sign

Avonvale ESC teaches Key Word Sign as its Language Other Than English. Key Word Signs is used daily in the classroom and playground by our students and is supported throughout the school. Key Word Signing supports the student’s ability to communicate by supplementing spoken language via a visual means. This process allows the child to understand information and encourages the development of spoken language. Here is a key word sign poster