Unit of competency details

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge section and the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide.

1. Consult with athletes to determine special needs.

1.1. Identify athlete's needs  according to relevant legislation  and organisational policies and procedures .

1.2. Liaise with family where appropriate and other relevant support personnel  to confirm requirements of individual athletes with special needs .

1.3. Identify factors  that may affect the acquisition of required skills of athletes with special needs .

1.4. Identify and confirm activity specific modifications  as required.

1.5. Assess athlete's functional ability  and readiness to acquire and perform the activity-specific skills.

2. Plan coaching session to include special needs groups.

2.1. Assess current teaching methods and coaching or instructional styles to determine suitability for athletes with special needs .

2.2. Select and or adapt teaching methods and coaching or instructional styles  to match the athlete's special needs and readiness to acquire and perform the activity specific skill or skills.

2.3. Identify and access additional resources  required to develop and perform the activity-specific skill or skills.

2.4. Adapt resources as appropriate for athletes with special needs according to organisational policies and procedures.

2.5. Assess and plan for levels of support or care required by athletes with special needs where appropriate.

3. Deliver coaching session to include special needs groups.

3.1. Deliver relevant information and demonstrations to teach or develop specific skills to athletes with special needs according to organisational policies and procedures.

3.2. Conduct drills, activities and games to teach or develop the skills of athletes with special needs according to organisational policies and procedures .

3.3. Adapt communication techniques to meet the needs of athletes with special needs .

3.4. Emphasise and monitor  participation in mainstream teams or groups while adjusting or refining skills on an individualised basis.

3.5. Implement the safety and medical considerations of the athlete's specific need as appropriate.

3.6. Monitor the teaching method  and coaching or instructing style  in relation to athletes with special needs and make adjustments.

3.7. Provide feedback  to the athlete  and other support personnel  according to the best practice principles of the sport or activity .

4. Evaluate coaching session.

4.1. Seek and acknowledge feedback from athletes and support personnel.

4.2. Develop evaluation criteria  and analyse all relevant components of the session against the criteria.

4.3. Identify areas where session could be improved to better meet the needs of athletes with special needs and ways of obtaining this improvement.

4.4. Document and implement modifications  to teaching methods , coaching styles and activities in response to results of the evaluation .

4.5. Review own performance and identify potential improvements.

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required skills 

• communication skills to:

• build rapport with athletes with special needs
• liaise with supporting personnel
• deliver coaching sessions to athletes with special needs
• seek feedback on coaching sessions

• problem-solving skills to:

• adapt teaching methods and coaching styles to include athletes with special needs
• evaluate sessions and make modifications to improve outcomes for athletes with special needs

• planning and organising to resource and plan coaching sessions according to the needs, abilities and risk factors of athletes with special needs including adapting equipment as required
• self management skills to review and reflect on own work.

Required knowledge 

• relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures to enable safe, non-discriminatory and inclusive coaching practices for athletes with special needs
• relevant activity or sport-specific knowledge to enable effective planning for the development of relevant skills
• assistive devices or equipment for athletes with special needs to enable customisation of coaching
• principles of inclusive learning and participation to enable athletes with special needs to access and make decisions regarding their participation in mainstream coaching sessions
• factors that may affect the ability of athletes with special needs to acquire relevant skills to enable these to be addressed in the planning and delivery of coaching sessions
• teaching methods and coaching styles to facilitate the development of relevant skills for athletes with special needs
• classification systems to enable equitable competition among athletes with similar functional ability or medical conditions where appropriate.

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment 

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit 

Evidence of the following is essential:

• applies inclusive and non-discriminatory coaching practices and adapts coaching styles and resources to encourage athlete participation and interaction using communication strategies appropriate to the specific needs of the athletes
• conducts and monitors coaching sessions for athletes with special needs that take into consideration the readiness of the athlete to develop the required skills and other factors and reviews and adapts the teaching of a skill in response to feedback
• maintains group control to ensure the safety and enjoyment of the individual athlete and group, and a satisfactory outcome to the experience
• evaluates and reflects on own work performance to identify ways in which coaching outcomes can be improved.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment must ensure demonstration of the resourcing and delivery of multiple coaching sessions specific to the special needs of athletes relevant to the candidate's current or intended work role of sufficient duration to demonstrate competency and consistency of performance.

Assessment must also ensure access to:

• an environment or facility appropriate to the activity specific coaching session
• athletes with special needs relevant to the candidate's current or intended work situation
• equipment and resources required for the delivery of the coaching session including venues, support staff, equipment and materials
• documentation such as relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures.

Method of assessment 

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

• observation of interaction with a range of athletes with special needs and support personnel, including collecting information about athlete's needs, delivering and adapting coaching sessions and seeking feedback
• observation of dealing with contingencies such as difficulty maintaining group control
• oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of factors that may affect the ability of athletes with special needs to acquire relevant skills
• third-party reports from a supervisor detailing appropriate work performed by the candidate.

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:

• SISXCAI303A Plan and conduct sport and recreation sessions
• relevant sport-specific unit or units of competency.

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Needs may include :

• medical considerations
• safety considerations
• levels of support and care
• physical considerations
• cultural considerations
• social considerations.

Relevant legislation  may include:

• occupational health and safety
• equal opportunity
• anti discrimination
• privacy
• duty of care.

Organisational policies and procedures  may include:

• resource allocation
• space allocation
• occupational health and safety
• storage and use of information
• best practice principles for the sport:

• the sport or activity's Coach's or Instructor's Code of Conduct policy
• the Australian Sports Commission Coach's Code of Ethics policy
• national activity organisation regulations and guidelines
• the culture of the sport or activity
• sport-specific or medically based classification systems.

Support personnel  may include:

• administrators
• other coach or coaches
• sports scientists
• sports medicine providers
• agents
• parents or guardians.

Athletes with special needs  may include:

• mature aged athletes
• sensory impaired
• vision impaired
• deafness or hearing loss
• cerebral palsy
• spina bifida
• birth deformity
• spinal cord injury
• amputation
• head injuries
• intellectual disability
• psychological disorder.

Factors may include :

• type of disability
• aging processes
• range of movement
• safety factors
• recovery techniques
• social characteristics
• participation versus competitive motivations
• previous experience and understanding
• cognitive factors
• cultural values
• religious beliefs
• communication strategies
• level of literacy and numeracy.

Activity specific modifications  may include:

• reduced court dimensions
• rule modifications
• introduction of zones
• scoring modifications.

Functional ability  may include:

• sight
• hearing
• movement
• interpretation of instructions
• interpretation of demonstrations.

Coaching or instructional styles  may include:

• informal when appropriate
• mentoring
• whole, part, whole approaches
• shaping approaches
• modelling approaches
• command and response approaches
• directive approaches through specific set tasks
• reciprocal or peer tutoring approaches
• feedback and refinement approaches
• guided discovery approaches
• experiential or problem solving approaches.

Resources  may include:

• equipment
• materials
• indoor or outdoor facilities
• assistive devices.

Communication techniques  may include:

• verbal
• visual
• tactile.

Monitoring  may include:

• questioning and discussion
• observations
• cross referencing with session or program objectives
• ongoing functional assessments of skill performance, physical performance and athlete wellbeing
• consultation with other personnel or specialists.

Modifications  may include:

• communication style
• coaching style
• duration or type of activities.