Social Tailored

Check In Check Out Progress Reports
Choice Reinforcement Survey
Functional Analysis Interview Form
Functional Behaviour Matrix
Motivational Assessment Scale
PBIS World
Preventing Extreme Behaviours PL

Baby Animal Sanctuary

MEC boasts two animal sanctuaries. The Well Being Farm and the Specialist Animal Sanctuary. These spaces provide opportunities for students to learn how to care for animals and plants in a peaceful outdoor environment.

ASD Support Resources

Autism Support Resources assist educators in providing a more inclusive educational experience for students on the Autism Spectrum including a sensory room and visual supports. For more information please refer to the following link https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/learningneeds/Pages/supportmaterials.aspx.

Student Profiles

Student profiles are developed for students to provide teachers and teacher assistants with a snapshot so they can quickly cater to the learning styles of the child. A profile will include the students’ name, photo and date of birth. It will also include medical and disability information, their current literacy, numeracy and personal and social goal. It highlights their likes, dislikes, any special considerations and how they learn best. Student Profiles accompany student IEPs.

Sensory Toolkit or Busy Box

Sensory toolkits or Busy Boxes are small boxed or bags that contain few items that can help students to feel grounded. You may want to have a larger box tucked away so you can swap the items over to maintain engagement.

Optimising your toolkit

Sensory resources can help with ‘overactivated’ trigger states (anger, panic, anxiety) or ‘under activated” trigger states (numbness, depression, dissociation).

A list of possible items to place in your toolkit

Manipulatable

- A beaded necklace or bracele
- Fidget toys
- Putty or plasticine
- Pipe cleaners
- Temperature changing:
- Hand warmers
- Heating pad
- Cooling lotion or salve with peppermint or menthol
- Gel eye mask (kept it in the fridge)
- Instant cold packs

Sight

- Images or photos of a few people, places or pets that evoke positive feelings or memories
- Images or art with soothing colours
- Notes with meaningful quotes or affirmations
- A snow globe or glitter jar
- Flameless colour changing candles

Sound

- Earbuds or noise cancelling headphone
- A calming playlist, with music, meditations, stories or nature sounds

Touch

- Soft, squeezable
- Stuffed animal
- Body pillow
- Weighted blanket
- Craft feathers or pom-poms

Scent

- Essential oils added to cloth or bean bags
- Calming and soothing scents: Lavender, vanilla, sandalwood, neroli.
- Energizing scents: Citrus, eucalyptus, peppermint

Cognitive

Puzzles
Jigsaws
Construction toys e.g. Meccano
- Pens, textas crayons
- Paper, colouring in or activity sheets

Buddy Seats

Buddy Seats are placed in the Prep – Six and Specialist areas of the school. The purpose of the Student Buddy Seat is to promote a sense of belonging and connectedness for students. With support, the student can develop a shared understanding that they don’t have anyone to play with and learn strategies to help find someone to play with. Students are also taught to invite those who are sitting in a buddy seat to play with them.

A buddy room is a place that students can go if they are finding it difficult to engage in their current classroom. Student takes their classwork into the next room and works quietly without distractions. After the class has finished, the student’s regular teacher will have a conference with them about how they can support them to regulate their engagement in the classroom.

Speech Therapy

Speech therapy is the assessment and treatment of communication problems and speech disorders. It is performed by speech-language pathologists (SLPs), which are often referred to as speech therapists. Speech therapy techniques are used to improve communication. These include articulation therapy, language intervention activities, and others depending on the type of speech or language disorder. Speech therapy may be needed for speech disorders that develop in childhood or speech impairments in adults caused by an injury or illness, such as stroke or brain injury.
MEC employs external therapists to support students who need specialised intervention. The therapists upskill the staff who support the students so that the students are continually given the resources or interventions they required. This may occur through direct training or professional learning. This upskilling is often accompanied by student-specific plans or guides.
The therapist may also assess and support students on an individual basis.
The school currently has employs the following therapists.
P-6 Area
1x Speech Therapists – MDHS
Specialist Setting
1x Speech Therapists – MDHS
1 x Occupational Therapist – Top to Toe
1 x Physiotherapist – PINARC.
This therapy provision is distinct from the therapist provided through DET Student Support Services.

Speech Therapy Aided Program SPAides

The SPAides program is supported by the SPAides coordinator. The SPAides coordinator oversees the running of the SPAides program in the P-6 area of the school.

Key aspects include:

Liaising with SSS Speech Pathologist and MDHS Speech Pathologist to support students who require speech and language support
Liaise with SSS Speech Pathologist to identify students to be part of the SPAides program
Follow up consent forms for students partaking in the SPAides program and upload to SOCS
Create a timetable and include time to work with individuals and groups of students on developing their speech and language
Develop resources to support the program.

Speech Pathology Aided Programs (SPAides) helps schools provide regular, consistent therapy services to students with speech and language difficulties. The SPAies program supports Speech Pathologists to deliver an effective school-based therapy service.

The SPAides program trains Education Support Officers to deliver therapy programs under the supervision of a Speech Pathologist or Therapist. Students receive therapy sessions per week, which results in more rapid progress towards speech-language goals. Speech Pathologists also benefit from an easier to manage caseload.

The program is successfully running in hundreds of primary schools in Victoria and over a thousand Education Support Officers have been trained as therapy assistants.

Program Structure

The Speech Pathologist assesses the student and prepares an Individual Therapy Plan. The therapy plan is demonstrated to the Teacher Assistant. The TA carries out the program regularly.

The Speech Pathologist regularly observes a session to provide support and guidance to the assistant. Student progress is recorded using Therapy Outcome Measures which give the Speech Pathologist a clear view of the progress made and allows adjustment of the therapy plan if required.

At the end of each term, the Speech Pathologist reviews the student’s progress and prepares a report. The report is proved to teachers and parents.

Student Support Services

The MEC Student Services Support is staffed by a team of people who are responsible for the care and wellbeing of students at Maryborough Education Centre. The team consists of Student Wellbeing Officers for P-6, 7-12, Specialist as well as the schools Family Liaison Officer. We have recently been able to welcome a Mental Health Practitioner to our team.
Student Support Services support children and young people who are dealing with issues that are impacting their learning and wellbeing. This service provides advice and direction to enable a satisfactory outcome to be achieved.
Individual counselling is available to support students who may be dealing with sadness, relationships issues, financial problems, student conflict or sensitive family matters. The importance of counselling is to assist students to work through their issues and concerns and to seek solutions.
Student Support Services are also supported by a broad range of department professionals including visiting psychologists, guidance officers, speech pathologists, social workers and teachers. These professionals work as part of an integrated health and wellbeing team within networks of schools, to support and assist children and young people faced with learning barriers to achieve their educational and developmental potential. They provide strategies and specialised support at individual, group, school and network levels.
Student Support Services also have an excellent relationship and work in collaboration with a number of external services and agencies within the community to identify and intervene early with children and young people who have additional needs or are at risk of disengagement.

MEC Student Services Agency Referral

The Student Services Manager coordinates a team of people who are responsible for the care and wellbeing of students at Maryborough Education Centre. The team consist of Student Wellbeing Officers for P-6, 7-12, Specialist and the Family Liaison Officer.

Student Support Services support children and young people who are dealing with issues that are impacting their learning and wellbeing. This service provides advice and direction to enable a satisfactory outcome to be achieved.

Individual counselling is available to support students who may be dealing with sadness, relationships issues, financial problems, student conflict or sensitive family matters. The importance of counselling is to assist students to work through their issues and concerns and to seek solutions.

Student Support Services also have an excellent relationship and work in collaboration with several external services and agencies within the community to identify and intervene early with children and young people who have additional needs or are at risk of disengagement.

St Luke’s-Connect Central Reconnect Program-to support young people aged 12-18 to remain connected to their families.
St Luke’s- Youth Connections- provide support to young people who are disengaged or at risk of disengaging from school.
CASA-Centre Against Sexual Assault
DHS- Department of Human Services
CAMHS-Child Adolescent Mental Health Service

Child Protection-investigate matters where it is believed that a child is at risk of harm
RODDW worker- Rural Outreach Drug & Alcohol Counsellor
Denis Farell-Youth Police Resource Officer
Maryborough District Health Service.

School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support

Preventing Extreme Behaviours PL

For detailed information please click here.

Check In Check Out Progress Reports

Check-in Check-Out Progress Report provides students with support in meeting targeted behaviours. Students are supported by mentors at school at the beginning and end of the day. They are also supported by their parents/carers at home. There is a reward system for students to encourage them to meet the targets. There are two Check-in Check-Out Options available.

Choice Reinforcement Survey

A Choice Reinforcement Survey assists staff in determining which sorts of rewards students prefer. This provides a greater impact on student behaviour regulation as the staff member knows which reward the student prefers and will consequently have the biggest impact.
An example of a Choice Reinforcement Survey can be found here.

Functional Analysis Interview Form

A Functional Analysis Interview Form assists psychologist and staff in determining what might be getting in the road of student learning. It looks at factors such as ecological events and communication barriers. The goal is to put supports or preventative measures in place so that student can feel safe and comfortable and able to learn.

Functional Behaviour Matrix

A Functional Behaviour Assessment Matrix provides psychologists and staff with a quick tool to determine which behaviour may be interfering with student learning. The goal is to put supports or preventative measures in place so that student can feel safe and comfortable and able to learn.

Motivational Assessment Scale

The MAS is a questionnaire designed to identify those situations where an individual is likely to behave in specific ways. From this information, more informed decisions can be made about the selections of appropriate replacement behaviours to reduce the barrier to learning.

An example of a Motivational Assessment Scale can be found here.

PBIS World

PBIS World is a Positive Behaviour Support website that provides educators with strategies to support students so they can feel calm and learn.