Latest release
Unit Group

2514 Specialist Education Teachers

OSCA - Occupation Standard Classification for Australia
Reference period
2024, Version 1.0

2514 Specialist Education Teachers

Teach academic and living skills to children and adults with learning difficulties, who are blind or have low vision, or are deaf or hard of hearing, and promote students' social, emotional, intellectual and physical development.

Social educators are excluded from this unit group. Social educators are included in Occupation 422231 Disability Support Worker.

OSCA skill level

The occupations in this unit group have a skill level corresponding to the qualifications and experience below.

  • Skill Level 1: Bachelor Degree, higher qualification, or at least five years of relevant experience
Occupation

251431 Special Education Teacher

Teaches academic and living skills to early childhood, primary and secondary school students with particular learning difficulties using various techniques, and promotes students' social, emotional, intellectual and physical development.

Registration or licensing is required.

Specialist Teachers (Vision Impairment) and Teachers of the Deaf are excluded from this occupation. Specialist Teachers (Vision Impairment) are included in Occupation 251432 Specialist Teacher (Vision Impairment). Teachers of the Deaf are included in Occupation 251433 Teacher of the Deaf.

Skill level: 1

Main tasks

  • Assesses students' abilities and limitations with regard to intellectual, sensory, physical, social and emotional disabilities, or specific problems of language and culture
  • Develops and implements individualised learning, behaviour and wellbeing plans to maximise students' growth
  • Teaches students with physical, social, intellectual, emotional and linguistic needs
  • Enhances student engagement through enriched differentiated and individualised learning programs
  • Administers various forms of assessment and interprets the results
  • Prepares and maintains students' data, and records and submits reports as required
  • Advises, instructs and counsels parents and teachers on the availability and use of special techniques and therapies that benefit students' growth
Occupation

251432 Specialist Teacher (Vision Impairment)

Promotes and supports equity, inclusion, learning and wellbeing of students who are blind or have low vision, deaf-blindness or multiple disability, by building teacher capacity and student strengths, and by promoting evidence-based practices across all aspects of the curriculum and learning environment.

Registration or licensing is required.

Skill level: 1

Main tasks

  • Supports and promotes inclusion and equitable access, participation and engagement of vision impaired students in education and learning
  • Works in a multidisciplinary team with students, parents and carers, teachers, school learning and support staff, eye health and allied health professionals, and other stakeholders
  • Supports teachers to develop learning plans, and provides reasonable adjustments to the curriculum, teaching and learning strategies, assessment, educational materials and the learning environment for vision impaired students
  • Supports student acquisition of vision-specific skills, including skills in compensatory access to information, communication and literacy, sensory efficiency, technology, orientation and mobility, independent living, social interaction, recreation and leisure, career education and self-determination
  • Provides information and professional learning for school staff on evidence-based best practices in education for students with blindness and low vision
  • Supports school staff in interpreting assessments and recommendations for clinical and functional eye health, literacy and learning media, and optical and assistive technology for learning
  • Facilitates the timely provision of textbooks and instructional materials in alternative formats, including braille, large print and digital/audio
  • Contributes to school documentation of vision impaired student information
Occupation

251433 Teacher of the Deaf

Teaches academic and living skills to deaf and hard of hearing students, and promotes students' social, emotional, intellectual and physical development. Supports students with equitable access to communication, learning and socialisation opportunities in a range of educational settings.

Registration or licensing is required.

Skill level: 1

Main tasks

  • Uses teaching strategies based on knowledge of the implications of hearing loss on students' physical, social, emotional and cognitive development to improve student learning
  • Develops teaching activities that incorporate reasonable adjustments based on individual language levels, spoken and signed language modes, communication systems, and multimedia technology such as captions
  • Develops modifications to the curriculum and assessment needs to support the full participation of students who are deaf or hard of hearing, and those with additional disability
  • Applies knowledge and understanding of the expanded core curriculum for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, which may include managing personal audiological devices, and working with educational Interpreters and note takers