The purpose of the LASP is to:

• Collaboratively gather student information
• Provide background knowledge and support material for the process
• Assess student needs
• Plan and document appropriate programs of support across the domains of learning: Behaviour and Social Skills, Cognitive, Sensory, Communication, and Personal Independence.

The LASP is firmly anchored in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory (1979), which explains that a student’s learning and behaviour are inextricably connected with the systems and environments in which they live and operate (home, school, community, society).

Central to the structure of the LASP is the Profile. Many students experiencing problems at school have complex needs and histories, and the Profile gathers information from a number of sources to inform further assessments, design teaching approaches and facilitate communication amongst stakeholders.

The Behaviour Domain is the main focus of our school team’s work. It is our primary area of expertise, and has resulted in a form of functional behaviour assessment (FBA) that leads into the design of behaviour interventions detailed in a function-based behaviour plan.

The LASP is designed to pick up where the NSW DEC’s Personalised Learning and Support Signposting Tool (PLASST) leaves off; the PLASST points to areas where a student needs support, and the LASP provides a process and format for more specifically assessing needs and designing support structures. As a result, the LASP is a quality form of evidence of adjustment for the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data: School Students with Disability (NCCD), which is now mandatory in all schools.