Monash Special Developmental School

Monash Special Developmental School is a government school located in the North Eastern Victorian Region in the City of Monash. Monash SDS provides an educational program for children with a moderate to profound intellectual disability and multiple disabilities including autism spectrum disorder from the age of 2.8 to 18 years old. Our 77 staff support approximately 155 students to achieve their potential. The school has been on the current site for 11 years in a well-resourced purpose built facility. In addition to the general classrooms the school also features specialist areas, outdoor learning environments, a multi-purpose gym, a hydrotherapy complex, a bike path and specialised indoor and outdoor sensory areas. Monash SDS is gold accredited in School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS), AMAZE accredited and e-Smart accredited. Monash SDS provides a first-rate education to all students. Students are taught using the Victorian Curriculum. Curriculum based individual learning plans are developed for each student and are taught using a variety of high impact teaching strategies and specialised curriculum supports including the STAR (Strategies for Teaching Based on Autism Research) and Links Program. The STAR and Links Program is research and evidence based and uses the principles of Applied Behaviour Analysis. It provides a framework and the necessary tools to teach the Victorian Curriculum through the implementation of Discrete Trial Training (DT), Pivotal Response Training (PRT) and Functional Routines instruction. A school wide Structured Teaching Framework provides every student with a highly visually based structured environment that promotes an understanding of schedules, activities and expectations.