Bullimbal School aims to support all students and staff throughout the region in the areas of special education, augmentative and alternative communication, specialised literacy programs and sensory and disability-specific requirements. The school’s purpose-built facilities are able to be toured by appointment. Our highly qualified and experienced staff are available to support schools and staff in catering for students with personalised learning and support needs.
Professional Learning
Bullimbal School is a centre of expertise in research-based teaching practices in special education. As such, opportunities are available for external parties to attend professional learning sessions that occur at the school. Regularly available professional learning is available in the areas of:
- 2 Day Introductory Pragmatic Organisation Dynamic Display (PODD) Communication Workshop. Presented by Speech Pathologist and Augmentative and Alternative Communication expert, Haylee Parfett.
- 5 Day Advanced Pragmatic Organisation Dynamic Display (PODD) Workshop. Presented by the creator of PODD and internationally recognised Speech Pathologist Gayle Porter and Haylee Parfett.
- Four Blocks to Literacy Model for teaching students with disabilities. Presented by Speech Pathologist and Literacy expert, Jane Farrall.
Other areas of professional learning that will be available from time to time include understanding the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), specialised behaviour management strategies, management of actual and potential aggression (MAPA), communication assessment training in the use of The Pragmatic Profile (of everyday communication skills in children). In addition to this, the school will look at including further professional learning in Augmentative and Alternative Communication(AAC) and using the Roadmap of Communicative Competence (ROCC) to assess students to its schedule in the future.
Our ATLaS project
Bullimbal School has developed a project to support other schools in assessing students’ needs in the area of technology.
Assessment Toolbox for Learning and Support
The website and the associated Assessment Toolbox for Learning and Support (ATLaS) has been developed as a joint initiative through Bullimbal SSP in Tamworth, NSW, and the Department of Education. This Toolbox allows for schools to assess student needs in the area of Technology.
Our ATLaS uses the SETT (Student Environment Tasks Tools) framework by Joy Zabala to guide teachers in identifying appropriate tools that may be effective in supporting students. Student supports that have been identified through the assessment process are then able to be borrowed and trialled within the classroom environment to assess its effectiveness in addressing student needs.
Through the use of this Toolbox schools can conduct a variety of assessments to determine the most effective assistive technology for individual students without the need to purchase any equipment prior to the trial. For further information visit the ATLaS website.
