• Flinders enjoys partnerships across the spectrum of public, private and not-for-profit organisations such as Acacia Hill School in Alice Springs, I Can Jump Puddles, Growing Space, Community Bridging Services and many more, providing you opportunities to make valuable  industry connections and build practical skills and experience.
• Our work with industry ensures our suite of disability programs meet the needs of the community
• Our industry partnerships are embedded in both research and education placement.
• We have worked closely with industry to ensure our Bachelor of Disability and Developmental Education graduates, as well as Bachelor of Disability and Community Inclusion students who undertake a fourth year, are eligible for the professional accreditation with Developmental Educators Australia. The Bachelor of Disability and Developmental Education is the only undergraduate course in the country to offer this.
• Teaching staff are members of the Developmental Educators Australia and work closely with the professional body to ensure our teaching aligns with industry needs.
• As a student of the Bachelor of Disability and Developmental Education program you will become prepared for the workforce with over 500 hours of practical field placement, providing you with important connections to industry and hands-on preparation for your career.
• As a student of the Bachelor of Disability and Community Inclusion program you will undertake a 100-hour and 150-hour placement that build skills and knowledge for your career.
• Take advantage of interstate and overseas placement opportunities.

• Smaller cohort teaching ensures a personal approach to learning.
• The relationships have with our students and graduates are highly supportive and long-lasting.
• Learn full-time or part-time. Courses are on campus and online. 

• Flinders has a long and proud tradition of producing exceptional disability graduates.
• Our graduates have an excellent understanding of advocacy and support services for people of all ages with diverse needs to help them live their best life. 
• Flinders graduates have an excellent reputation within industry.
  

• Many of our teaching staff are active and highly-awarded researchers and members of Flinders University’s Caring Futures Institute.
• Our research projects include confronting everyday harms and preventing abuse of people with disability to post-parental housing transition among people with intellectual disability.

Developmental educators are disability specialists and allied health professionals who are guided by a human rights approach to working with and alongside people with a disability across all ages to achieve their goals and promote an inclusive society. Developmental educators adopt a holistic and strengths-based approach to support skill development, self-advocacy, self-determination and supported decision-making.

The BDCI is a three-year program which qualifies you to work as a skilled disability practitioner, for example as an NDIS support coordinator, case manager, program coordinator, supervisor or team leader.

Graduates of the four-year BBDE degree are eligible for accreditation as Developmental Educators – allied health professionals skilled in providing therapeutic support, conducting ethical assessment and leading practice in community teams.

The BDCI forms the first three years of the BBDE degree so graduates can return and complete the final year of the BBDE to be eligible to practice as a Developmental Educator.

Positive Behaviour Support is a specialist area of service delivery; to meet specialist qualifications, practitioners need PBS specific qualifications to effectively apply theory to practice. This course consists of theoretical topics, with a practical focus on report writing and plan development. The course provides regular opportunities for interactive dialogue with PBS specialists working in the field, with workshops and activities to guide learning. Currently, this is also the only post-graduate qualification that consists of a PBS practicum and mentoring program, guiding both students in applying theory to practice and interdisciplinary teams in this process.

Yes! With the advent of the NDIS, jobs in this sector are growing rapidly. There are employment opportunities working as a skilled disability practitioner, working as a case manager, an NDIS support coordinator, supervisor or team leader.

For those who graduate as a Developmental Educator, there are opportunities to also provide therapeutic support, ethical assessments and leading practice in community teams. Developmental Educators are highly sought-after industry professionals in the disability sector.

Graduates of the Bachelor of Disability and Developmental Education can apply for accreditation with Developmental Educators Australia Inc (DEAI).

Developmental Educators are recognised as PBS practitioners; you do not need to do the Graduate Certificate in PBS to work in this space given Developmental Educators have completed a four-year qualification with PBS specific curricular.

Yes, this program is available online and we have many students from interstate.

Yes, this program is available to study part-time.

Yes, there is a mid-year entry for all Disability courses except for the Graduate Certificate in Positive Behaviour Support (GCPBS).  

You may be eligible for 1 x 4.5-unit practicum credit if you have been in a suitable role for a minimum of 12 months full-time or equivalent.

Students with a Certificate IV or higher are eligible for credit towards the undergrad disability courses. 

No, you are required to complete the practicum within the course rule.

The current pandemic situation (COVID-19) will affect many aspects of your study, from topic availability on campus to how your classes are delivered. For detailed information about the impact of COVID-19 on your study please refer to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) information page.

• Applications are completed via SATAC
  
• Visit: satac.edu.au/