ndis
By Carole Lander
Lexi starts school
Starting school is a milestone every family looks forward to but probably with some anxiety , particularly if the child lives with a disability .
Clare Whitney and Dino Trentin had mixed feelings when their daughter Lexi began her Foundation year at Pender ’ s Grove Primary School in Melbourne this year .
“ The school has been amazing ,” said Clare , pictured with Lexi at right .
“ They have a lot of kids with disabilities – visual impairment , Down Syndrome , children on the spectrum – and one of the teachers uses a wheelchair .”
Principal Douglas Lunt welcomed Lexi with open arms and provided many letters of support to ensure that the Victorian Department of Education and Training ( DET ) funded all the modifications to grounds and buildings so that Lexi can participate at school with her peers .
However , Clare and Dino are on a roller-coaster ride to maintain this success story for their daughter .
It began in 2017 when they first applied for and received NDIS funding .
Lexi was already in mainstream kindergarten as well as attending the Cerebral Palsy Education Centre ( CPEC ) in Glen Waverly .
With Lexi due to start school in 2018 , CPEC ran an intensive program to prepare her . They also ensured the teachers were ready for the new student .
Having spent a great deal of time and energy on NDIS applications , Clare and Dino started all over again with a raft of assessments for the DET . Letters were required from the general practitioner , occupational therapist , physiotherapist , psychologist and speech therapist .
Fortunately , they were granted the highest level of funding , as Lexi has quadriplegic cerebral palsy . Ideally , this should cover a full-time aide ’ s salary , three sets of regular therapy and Lexi ’ s many pieces of equipment .
The specialised equipment she requires in order to participate at school includes a high-low chair so that she can be standing to do art , or sitting on the mat for story-time , and then sitting at her desk . She also needs a wheelchair , walking frame , toilet seat , and corner chair to sit flat on the floor with legs outstretched . She has complex communication
16 ndis linkonline . com . au