Key information
Start dates
March
July
Your future in disability and developmental education.
Lead teams or work as an individual practitioner as a Developmental Educator and Behaviour Support Practitioner in the disability and community services sectors.
Developmental Educator
Work together with people with disability to promote inclusion across all stages of life. Focus on the person as a whole, facilitate the rights of people with disability, and tackle social and environmental barriers.
Developmental Educators conduct professional assessments, promote decision making, teach skills for every-day life, support life transitions, facilitate advocacy and promote capacity building.
Behaviour Support Practitioner
Assesses the influences on a person’s behaviour, and design interventions to support a good life for the person and reduce challenging behaviour.
Practitioners are engaged across disability and community services, home environments and school settings. They collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to support people in achieving positive change.
Sources: Jobs and Skills Australia, 2025 | Seek Australia, 2025
Policy advisor
Supports government and non-government organisations to develop policy guiding important issues affecting the lives of people with disability.
Case coordinator/manager
Coordinates and manages services for people with disability, ensuring they receive the support they need. These roles include:
- Local Area Coordinator
- Navigator
- Case Coordinator
Program coordinator
Oversees and manages programs and services for people with disability, ensuring they are delivered effectively
With further postgraduate study and work experience, careers could include:
- Senior developmental educator
- Disability services manager
- Senior policy advisor
- Researcher
- Academic
- Consultant
What will you study to start your career in disability and developmental education?
Study a variety of core topics and electives and get hands-on experience with professional placements.
Accreditation or Professional Recognition
The four-year Bachelor of Disability and Developmental Education is accredited by the Developmental Educators Australia Inc (DEAI), and graduates can apply for full membership with the DEAI to practice as a Developmental Educator and Positive Behaviour Support Practitioner.
No.1 in Australia
in Health Services & Support for full-time employment, learner engagement and skills development
(The Good Universities Guide 2025 (undergraduate), public SA-founded universities only)
No.1 in SA
for overall experience, skills development and teaching quality
(The Good Universities Guide 2024 (postgraduate), public SA-founded universities only)
Learn from the experts.
Our incredible teaching and professional staff are experts in their fields and well-connected to the industry.
Frequently asked questions.
Over the years, many questions have been asked by students before. For the quickest answers view our frequently asked questions or browse the full list @ Ask Flinders.
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. They adopt a holistic and strengths-based approach to support skill development, self-advocacy, self-determination and supported decision-making.
A behaviour support practitoner assesses the influences on a person’s behaviour, and design interventions to support a good life for the person and reduce challenging behaviour.
Practitioners are engaged across disability and community services, home environments and school settings. They collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to support people in achieving positive change.
According to SEEK, the average salary for a Developmental Educator in Australia is $80,000 - $100,000
According to SEEK, the average salary for a Behaviour Support Practitioner in Adelaide is $95,000 - $100,000
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.
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.
- Applications are completed via SATAC
- Visit: satac.edu.au
The table below shows ATAR and Selection Rank data for students offered a place wholly or partly on the basis of ATAR commencing in Semester 1, 2024. It is limited to applicants that have recently completed secondary education (within the last two years). Data may reflect multiple courses available within a suite of courses.
Notes:
<5 – less than 5 ATAR based offers made
N/A – This course uses additional selection criteria and therefore Selection Rank is not published
| ATAR-based offers only across all offer rounds | ATAR - Excluding adjustment factors | Selection Rank - ATAR plus any adjustment factors |
|---|---|---|
| Highest rank to receive an offer | 86.70 | 89.25 |
| Median rank to receive an offer | 68.55 | 72.25 |
| Lowest rank to receive an offer | 60.35 | 63.00 |
| Applicant background (Semester 1, 2024) | Number of students | Percentage of all students |
|---|---|---|
| Higher education study (includes a bridging or enabling course) | 17 | 27% |
| Vocational education and training (VET) study | 14 | 22% |
| Work and life experience | 14 | 22% |
| Recent secondary education - Admitted solely on the basis of ATAR (regardless of whether this includes the consideration of adjustment factors such as equity or subject bonus points) | 11 | 17% |
| Recent secondary education - Admitted where both ATAR and additional criteria were considered (e.g. portfolio, audition, extra test) | 0 | 0 |
| Recent secondary education - Admitted on the basis of other criteria only and ATAR was not a factor (e.g. special consideration pathways) | N/P | N/P |
| International Students | <5 | <5 |
| All students | 63 | 100% |
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South Australia 5042
South Australia | Northern Territory
Global | Online
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