Abdul is 16 years old and in Year 11 at a large metropolitan high school. He lives at home with his twin brother and parents.
In primary school, Abdul was identified as having a severe language disorder and he received individual intervention to assist him to access subject material. When Abdul enrolled in his current secondary school, his parents met with his year level coordinator to agree on possible adjustments and support.
During his first three years of secondary school, Abdul received specialist language and literacy intervention and made some improvement in skill development. Subject teachers were supported by the school’s learning support team, who assisted Abdul in enhanced vocabulary enrichment with a subject-specific focus.
As Abdul struggled with both the form and content of written expression, teachers introduced visual scaffolding and subject-specific organisational strategies. Abdul continued to have problems accessing the curriculum at his year level and his confidence continued to decline.
In Year 10, he had further school-based assessments. Following discussion between Abdul, his parents and the learning support team, Abdul selected a Year 11 program that included subjects focusing on his strengths – mathematics, music and an off-campus subject. He was also provided with a reduced subject load and scheduled study time with support for one hour per week.
Abdul continues to receive adjustments from the learning support team for language-based content. His confidence has improved since he started Year 11.