The Power of Effective Documentation

Description

Make school observations count.

3-Hour Workshop | $75 per person | Perth | Take-Home Resources | Certificate of Attendance

You see things other professionals may never see
School staff often know a student incredibly well. You see how they cope with instructions, friendships, transitions, written work, noise, change, frustration and the demands of a full school day.
When a family is seeking help from a paediatrician, psychologist, allied health professional or mental health service, those observations can be extremely valuable, if they’re communicated clearly.

Turn observations into useful evidence
This workshop looks at how to write letters, reports and referrals that give external professionals useful information rather than vague statements such as “struggles in class” or “has behavioural issues”.
We’ll explore how to describe what you’re seeing, include relevant examples, analyse patterns in behaviour incidents and distinguish observation from interpretation.

Help families get to the right door
We’ll also look at the broad role of different professionals, common diagnostic criteria and reputable freely available questionnaires or screening tools that may help schools and families organise useful information before an appointment.
The goal is not for school staff to diagnose. It’s to make sure the valuable information schools hold is clear, relevant and more likely to help a family access the right support.

Who is it for?
Teachers, Learning Support, Student Services, Wellbeing staff, Year Coordinators, school staff who write referrals, supporting letters or evidence for external services, and Allied Health Professionals wanting insight into the school-based evidence that supports their own assessments.

Are you a teacher?
This workshop is mapped to relevant focus areas of the Professional Standards for Teachers in Western Australia and may contribute towards your professional learning requirements.

APST Focus Areas: 7.3 | 7.4