AllPlay Learn program adds to its resources

A new tool from Deakin is helping Victorian students with a disability or developmental challenge ease their schooling transitions.

The university’s free AllPlay Learn program – a partnership with the Victorian Department of Education and Training – is now releasing “Back to School” packs for families and educators through its website.

AllPlay founder Professor Nicole Rinehart said the packs contained resources for each transition stage – childcare, kindergarten, primary school, secondary school, and post-school education, training or employment.

“Research shows children with a disability are one of the key at-risk groups during school transitions, so we need to get better at working together to support our young people through that period.

“For the first time, researchers interviewed families and teachers to understand specific issues children with disabilities and developmental challenges face when transitioning, then used these insights to co-design a series of unique resources.

“The AllPlay Learn resources also draw from the best published scientific evidence, distilled from screening more than 177,000 research papers.”

The AllPlay Learn transition resources include information sheets, checklists, strategies, schedules, scripts, case studies, stories and videos to help support students who are transitioning in 2020, with materials specifically aimed at parents, students and educators.

Professor Rinehart said transitions could be difficult for children and young people with a disability, but the jump into high school was particularly tricky.

She said one of the best strategies for parents was to highlight the similarities between primary and secondary school to help children or teenagers feel confident that they already have many of the skills they will need.

For more information, head to allplaylearn.org.au.
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