Possible Educational Adjustments

Educational adjustments are designed
to meet individual student needs on a case-by-case basis. Possible adjustments
include:

Adolescence

Preferential seating

• Pre-arranged breaks




• Exit plan -
       permitting students to leave the classroom if anxiety becomes unmanageable
       (with a pre-arranged safe place in the school, where they will be
       supervised by an adult)




• Work with the
       parents/carers and the clinical care provider to understand how
       the disorder manifests for this student.




• Clear behaviour
       management plans




• Providing explicit
       guidelines for assignments




• Identifying any
       changes to routine well in advance




• Exemption or
       alternative arrangements (refer to QSA Policy on Special Consideration)




• Recognising small
       achievements using positive reinforcement, communication strategies and
       feedback




• Extended time for
       tests and exams




• Use of memory aids
       during exams


 

• Alternative
       evaluation/assessment procedures (e.g. substitute assessment- many
       students experience anxiety with oral presentations; provision of
       alternative formats to demonstrate knowledge e.g. narrative tape instead
       of written journal, oral presentation to the teacher and a few close
       friends rather than the whole class)




• Reduced subject load




• Negotiated attendance
      




• Programs with
       strategies tailored to manage anxiety e.g. RAP - Resourceful Adolescent
       Program




• Access to external
       agency support (Child and Youth Mental Health Services)




• Regular access to a
       guidance officer or school based youth health nurse.


 

Early and Middle Childhood

• Identifying high risk
       activities and times, and developing strategies accordingly e.g. handover
       or transition at the beginning of the day




• Work with the
       parents/carers and the clinical care provider to understand how
       the disorder manifests for this student.




• Develop strategies to
       reinforce attendance at school, e.g. providing preferred activities on
       arrival and a reward schedule




• Desensitising
       strategies to focus on anxiety related behaviours e.g. remaining in class




• Modifying curriculum
       where necessary by shortening task lengths, alternatives to oral
       presentations or other assessments which may cause anxiety




• Recognising small
       achievements (initially may require recognising very small achievements,
       such as writing the date or a name at the top of the page, saying hello to
       someone on arrival at school, or even the fact that the student arrived at
       school in the first place.)




• Scaffolding, setting
       limits of work, particularly around any subjects or topics that cause
       extreme anxiety




• Conducting a
       Functional Behavioural Assessment (FBA) to identify triggers/antecedents,
       as well as maintaining consequences to anxiety and developing strategies
       to manage resulting behaviour (safe corner in room to go to, chill out
       space)




• Exit plan (chill-out
       card)




• Providing structured
       time-out




• Assigning buddies to
       support unstructured time such as lunch breaks




• Structured classroom
       routine with preferred activities on arrival




• Reward schedules






• Explicit teaching of
       stress management skills such as relaxation and problem solving skills




• Programs with
       strategies tailored to manage anxiety e.g. FRIENDS Program




• Access to external
       agency support (Child and Youth Mental Health Services)




• Regular access to a
       guidance officer or school based youth health nurse