When is a student eligible to be included?

The NCCD counts all school students where:

the student’s impairment meets the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 broad definition of disability and
the functional impact of the student’s disability results in the school actively addressing or supporting the student’s specific individual education needs arising from their disability within quality differentiated teaching practice and/or monitoring the student or providing a ‘supplementary’ or higher level of adjustment or support.

To determine whether a student is eligible to be counted, consider whether:

there is evidence at the school that the student is being provided with an educational adjustment to meet ongoing, long-term specific needs associated with disability
decisions have been made in consultation with the student and/or their parents, guardians or carers.

Notes:

The definition of ‘long-term’ for this purpose is over a minimum period of 10 weeks of school education (excluding school holiday periods) in the 12 months preceding the NCCD.
The adjustments do not need to take place each and every day over the 10 weeks. The 10-week period of adjustments does not need to be consecutive; it can be cumulative and split across school terms in the 12 months preceding Census Day.
If a student is participating in a school-based activity during the school holidays (eg camp) where the school is providing adjustments, then this time can be included in the 10 weeks.
Where a student receives adjustments for any amount of time within a school week, that constitutes a ‘week’ for the purposes of the 10-week rule. The amount of time an adjustment(s) is provided to the student may vary from infrequent or occasional (eg for a specific class or activity) through to all day every day of the week.
An approved person may request consideration of an individual student for inclusion in the census because of special circumstances that apply to that student (eg if they were not in attendance during the reference period due to their medical condition). The request must be submitted through the Special Circumstances Application.