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VISITING TEACHER
SERVICE
CATHOLIC EDUCATION OFFICE
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
Visiting Teachers for Chronic Health and
Physical Impairment
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Monika Davies
Julie Edward
Neville Reale
AIM OF THE
VISITING TEACHER SERVICE
To provide support to students with disabilities
and impairments in Catholic schools.
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This support may take place in a variety of forms:
Direct teaching
Assistance with curriculum development
Consultancy to PSG’s
Professional development
CHRONIC HEALTH IMPAIRMENT
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The impairment must be confirmed by a medical specialist in
writing at the time of the referral.
The student has been absent from school for a block period
in excess of four weeks or medical evidence supports this is
likely to occur.
The student’s ongoing absences from school exceed one
third of total attendance time or medical evidence supports
this is likely.
The impairment is the primary cause of the student’s
educational difficulties
School refusal is not a factor in the current absence.
Chronic Health Impairment
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Cancer
6
Leukaemia
4
Chronic Fatigue 1
Crohn’s Disease 2
Heart Diseases 5
Juvenile arthritis 1
Hypermobility
2
Epilepsy
5
Kidney Transplant 1
Cystic Fibrosis
7
Kidney disease
3
PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENT
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Impairment must be confirmed by a
medical specialist in writing at the time of
referral.
The impairment must have a significant
impact on the student’s educational
progress.
Physical Impairments
Examples of Physical Impairments
 Cerebral Palsy 13
 Muscular Dystrophy 4
 Spina Bifida 2
 Acquired Brain Injury 1
 Osteo Imperfecta 1
Visiting Teachers of Hearing
Impairment
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Di Austin
Anne Casey
Colleen Dalton
HEARING IMPAIRMENT
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An audiogram of the student’s hearing
must be provided with the referral form.
Free assessments can be provided by
Australian Hearing Services.
Students must be diagnosed with a
permanent hearing loss - either sensorineural, conductive or unilateral.
The service provided will be dependent on
the impact the hearing loss has on the
student’s educational progress.
TYPES OF HEARING LOSS
Sensori-neural Loss
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Permanent loss.
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Damage to inner
ear
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Ranges from mild
to profound loss.
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Hearing aids
fitted.
Conductive Loss
 Usually temporary
 Damage to ear
canal, middle ear or
outer ear
 Ranges from mild
to moderate loss.
 Hearing aids are
sometimes fitted.
Contact details
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For hearing tests
www.hearing.com.au will provide you
with the closest Australian Hearing
centre.
Or ring 131797
Visiting Teacher For Vision
Impairment
Odette Budge
VISION IMPAIRMENT
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The visual condition must be defined as actual
vision impairment and not a learning difficulty
involving visual perception.
A distance acuity less the 6/18 when measured
with correction and both eyes open OR a visual
field reduction to less than 20 degrees.
Must provide supporting documentation from a
ophthalmologist, which must be written no more
than 6 months prior to the referral date.
LEGALLY BLIND
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Children who have a vision of 6/60 or less
are eligible for funding under LNSLN
program
They may be eligible for extra equipment
eg Computer or software for a computer,
reading boards tape recorder. Curtains for
the classroom.
Visual Acuity :Distance
6/36 vision is
only being able
to detect these
letters on the
chart at 6 metres
Normal vision 6/6
is being able to
detect this row of
letters at 6
metres
EVAC
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A further assessment may also be
recommended to Educational Vision
Assessment Clinic at the Royal Eye and Ear
Hospital.
The EVAC team includes a consultant
paediatriciac opthalmologist, an educational
psychologist and the Education Officer of
Vision Impairment.