Key Points
- There are options available to assist you and your child navigate education
- It is important to explore the education options for your child, and no matter the school, to communicate your child's ongoing educational and health needs
- If your child is already at school, the Advocating for Your Child at School resource looks at common challenges children with mito experience and provides ideas for changes that can be made within the classroom and school environment to help your child.
Download the Considerations for Starting School information sheet for more information.
A few education terms:
- IEP and ELP (Individual Education Plan or Education Learning Plan): Completed when starting school and at the commencement of each school year. These plans are based on your goals for the education and expected personal growth of your child.
- IHP (Individual Health Plan): This plan is a document that records important information about the medical condition and related symptoms and support your child needs to ensure they can make the most out of school. This should be resubmitted each year with updates of any new health changes.
- IFS (Integrated Funding Support): Provides additional funding for the school to provide ongoing support for your child in a mainstream classroom with peers with no disabilities.
- ARF (Access Request Form): This form is used to apply for additional support and funding filled out before starting school or high school. The school might apply for an ARF as part of your child’s ongoing support. Your school’s principal and learning support team will work together to complete the application and may request documents to assist this process. You should be given the opportunity to review, sign, and keep a copy of the application.
Information about the application and enrolment process
Below is information around the application and enrolment process into schools for children with mitochondrial disease (mito). It aims to give you confidence to know what to do when advocating for your child at the beginning of their school journey and when changes to their education occur.
- Begin 8-12 months before you would like your child to start school.
- Have a conversation with the child’s preschool teacher’s day-care or early intervention team to discuss school options.
- Contact local schools to discuss what the school has in place to take care of students with special needs i.e., do some detective work and ask lots of questions.
- Identify your child’s main condition/symptoms and document how they impact on your child’s life day-to-day.
- Start thinking about the goals you realistically would like to see be achieved for your child. This helps prepare for the IEP.
- Gather information about your child, including a specialist letter identifying your child’s condition, and action health plans from GP/specialists e.g. asthma epilepsy plans. A medical action plan is a health plan which identifies the condition and provides the emergency treatment response for the condition.
- Prepare an IHP. This becomes central to establishing a good understanding of the child living with mito. This letter includes a picture of the child, contact info, their doctor’s contact info, diagnosis, and primary conditions/problems and how they impact cognitive learning, socialisation, self-management, sensory impacts mobility, and nutrition (eating and drinking).
- Liase with your child’s medical practitioners to help prepare for changes in your child’s health at school.
- Be prepared for the possibility of increased overall fatigue as the school day is longer and learning will take an enormous amount of energy.
School options available for education in Australia
- Full Time student: Attending full-time (5 days/week)
- Home schooling: Registered with NESA
- Dual education:- Mainstream school and specialised school- Home schooling and specialised school
- Private schools: Registered with NESA
- Special purpose school classes and units: Divide classes according to their intellectual ability
- Special Support Classes: Moderate to high learning and high support needs e.g. autism sensory impairment and physical disabilities classes according to their intellectual ability
- Special Support Classes: IQ <50 based on teaching life skills.
Find out more
- Read the Advocating for your Child at School Information Sheet for ideas for changes that can be made within the classroom and school environment to help your child.
- Find out more about schools and education in your state:
Disclaimer: Resources provided by the Australian Mitochondrial Disease Foundation Limited (Mito Foundation), offers general information and is not a substitute for medical advice. It is essential to assess the suitability of the content for your individual circumstances and make decisions based on your medical condition. The information’s accuracy is subject to change, and we do not guarantee ongoing currency or availability. While efforts are made to ensure accuracy, Mito Foundation is not obligated to provide updated information. The copyright for this document and its content belongs to, or is licensed to, Mito Foundation, and reproduction without prior written consent is prohibited.
Author(s): Mito Foundation
Version: 1
Date published: 17 January 2024Â Â Â Â Â
