See Beyond

Ideally, our kids will never need to engage with police or emergency services unless we are with them.

For kids who are runners and are at risk of escaping from school, or your care while in the community, I have created a resource for parents.

This Safety Profile is an A5 page to alert the responders to your child's communication needs, regulation needs, safety notes AND includes a section for what helps.

I've created one page that is prefilled with some general ideas that are common across some of the kids I work with. And, the other page is completely fillable so you can enter whatever is most applicable to your child's needs.

There is room to attach a photo, which may be helpful to attach if you're submitting to your local police station (which is a good idea for kids who abscond from school).

You can grab this FREE for a limited time at: https://seebeyondau.org/shop/p/police-safety-alert

And, if you are an educator who works in a special school, please feel free to download and share with your families. I'm more invested in the document being helpful and used than ensuring I'm making a few $$.

If you're concerned that something is not quite right at school, it's hard to know where to start.

Your child might already have a diagnosis, or you might be investigating what is going on for them.

The best place to start is the classroom teacher, sending an email to request more information can be a great starting point. And, if you know the inclusion teacher for that class/grade level, include that teacher in the email too.

If the issue is more pressing or ongoing, the best option would be to request a meeting with the class and inclusion teacher to be able to discuss your concerns.

If you aren't getting any traction or response, the next step is to escalate to the Head of Inclusion or Deputy Principal. They typically can help get the ball rolling in the right direction.

If you're still not getting anywhere, email the Principal, let them know what is happening and what outcome you'd like.

If you're making all this contact, and not getting where you think you should be, you can make a complaint to Regional Office (state schools); BCE (Cath Ed); or the school's board (independent). I would include a brief history of your child - grade level, diagnoses, how long they've been at the school. A short summary of what has been occurring, and what outcomes you'd like.

Be prepared for the state system to tell you they investigated and found no wrong doing; Cath Ed will kick the complaint back to the Princpal, even if it is about the Principal; and independent schools are too variable to predict!

If you believe that your child's rights have been violated, and it amounts to discrimination the Queensland (or Australian) Human Rights Commission is your next stop; or if you believe proper procedures were not followed, the Ombudsman. The Human Rights Commissions offer conciliation, but it's often a 12-18 month process before your complaint is heard.

I included your local MP, because they can sometimes help you be a squeakier wheel and get information before the Education Minister, or help advocate on your behalf.

The process can be long and tiring - but that's why we're here to help!

When I hear about the struggles teachers are having, and the difficulty managing kids' behaviour - it always comes back to these core principles