Education Support Professional (SLSO)

About the role

This is a unique 1:1 educational support opportunity with the potential to develop into a long-term SLSO role at a mainstream high school in St Ives.

You will initially support a highly capable Year 6 student preparing for Year 7 in 2027. She has a physical disability similar to Cerebral Palsy, is non-verbal and communicates primarily through eye gaze and AAC. She has an age-appropriate understanding of spoken language, no intellectual or behavioural challenges, and fully participates in the mainstream curriculum.

During the last two terms of Year 6, she will be completing schoolwork at home while recovering from surgery. The family will employ you during this period, providing practical training in how she learns, communicates and accesses her education.

What you'll do

• Support access to all aspects of the mainstream curriculum, including classwork, assignments and assessments
• Learn and facilitate use of her Tobii i13 eye-gaze device, Etran frame and other AAC, supporting her transition from low-tech to high-tech access
• Support access to tailor-made online worksheets, assignments, assessments and examination pages developed specifically for eye-gaze access, with guidance from online AAC educators and an experienced AAC speech therapist
• Help her use eye gaze to demonstrate what she knows, participate in discussions and group work, communicate her ideas and choices, and develop genuine friendships with mainstream peers
• Work alongside teachers, therapists and her education team, while providing straightforward physical assistance with participation, such as transitions, assisting with walking/walker access and enabling functional activities such as lunch.

This is an educational support role, not a carer role. The focus is on enabling a highly capable student to access learning, communicate and participate as independently as possible.

Why this role is different

The student is transitioning from low-tech to high-tech AAC and eye-gaze technology. She is beginning to use eye gaze not simply to communicate, but to access her education and demonstrate her knowledge.

The longer-term goal is for her to use her eye-gaze device to access the full mainstream secondary curriculum and ultimately complete her HSC exams using the device.

This is an exciting and relatively new area of inclusive education and would suit someone genuinely interested in AAC, assistive technology and enabling a student with a physical disability to reach her true intellectual potential, including the possibility of university beyond school.

About you

We are looking for an experienced SLSO, Teacher's Aide, Learning Support Officer, teacher or education/allied-health professional who:

• Presumes competence and has high expectations of students with disability
• Has a genuine interest in inclusive education, AAC and assistive technology
• Is patient, observant, creative and willing to learn
• Can communicate naturally and age-appropriately with a young teenager
• Understands the importance of social inclusion and participation with mainstream peers
• Has strong literacy, numeracy and communication skills
• Is interested in developing a long-term career in student learning support

Experience with physical disability, AAC, eye gaze, speech pathology, OT, physiotherapy or exercise physiology is highly regarded. Previous eye-gaze experience is not required — training and ongoing support will be provided.

The student loves modern art, reading, music and sport, plays All Abilities soccer and trains weekly in race running alongside para-athletes and Paralympians.

This could be particularly attractive to a qualified teacher or education professional looking for meaningful work without the workload of running a classroom or caseload, including someone returning to work after having children. It may also suit an allied-health professional looking to apply their skills in an educational environment.

Hours & longer-term opportunity

Initial hours are flexible and casual, including during school hours, after school, evenings, weekends and school holidays. The role can be arranged around your existing work, study or family commitments.

The intention is for this to develop into a long-term SLSO role at the student's mainstream high school from Year 7 onwards, providing the opportunity to build specialist expertise now while having a pathway to ongoing school-hours employment.

Following the initial training period, you would have the opportunity to interview with the school for the ongoing position and, if successful, transition to school employment and possible part-time school-hours' work an option.

Essential

• Experience working with children/young people in education, learning support or disability
• Working With Children Check
• Full Australian working rights
• Willingness to undertake relevant training

St Ives | Innovative inclusive education | Flexible hours | Long-term opportunity