Inclusive Education – Assessment 1

Inclusive Education (IE) has become an increasing concern within the Australian education

system over the recent years. This has not only been influenced by national legislation

changes, but also on an international scale, further emphasising its importance. To

understand this shift in educational thinking, key components of legislation will be

discussed, alongside the specific classroom actions of differentiation and teacher attitudes.

This will not only provide a broad understanding of IE in general, but will also provide insight

into specific strategies that can be used to assist students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

(ASD), and other specific learning needs.

Before discussing the specific steps that need to be taken to accommodate a student with

ASD in the classroom, it is useful to gain an understanding of what inclusive education

entails. A school that embodies IE recognises and responds to the unique needs of each

student and provides accommodations for both learning rates and styles (UNESCO, 1994).

Given this broad definition, both teacher attitudes and differentiation are seen as essential

to the implementation of IE within a classroom setting.

The importance of IE can be seen to relate to the Australian context given the Australian

Professional Standards for Teaching (APST), which was put in place by the Australian

Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). Within this set of standards, standard

1.6 outlines that in our teaching we must incorporate: “Strategies to support full

participation of students with disability” (AITSL, 2012). The Quality Teaching Model (New

South Wales Department of Education and Training, 2003) also refers to the importance of

Inclusivity within the classroom. These two examples highlight the shift towards IE that has

become significant within the Australian education landscape. The changing views of IE will

now be discussed on a broader context, with key pieces of legislation being highlighted. The

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changing view of IE within the Australian education system will now be developed further

with reference to key pieces of legislation, and their effect.

Inclusive education has adapted over the years, to become what is present within our

schools today. This is in large part due to government legislation, both on an international

and national stage. Both the Education Reform Act of 1990 and the Disability Discrimination

Act of 1992 will be discussed along with their impact on IE within Australia. A comparison

will then be drawn to thoughts and attitudes that existed prior, to demonstrate the

changing landscape of education.

One such example of key legislation that pushed for the inclusion of all was the Education

Reform Act of 1990. The act ensures that all personnel within the education sector: “[assist]

each child to achieve his or her educational potential”, as well as providing opportunities

and assistance to children with disabilities (NSW Government, pg 4). This piece of legislation

was fundamental in creating the view of inclusion that we have present now in Australia.

The act ensures that all students have access to support and assistance to achieve their

potential, which is in line with the core components of IE.

Another key piece of legislation that changed the view of IE within Australia is the Disability

Discrimination Act of 1992 (Australian Government, 1992). This piece of legislation follows

from the Education Reform act, with a greater focus on the mistreatment of people with

disabilities. Similarly, it entails that all students with disabilities be given the same

educational opportunities as those without. It is a requirement for all schools and staff to

abide by the points outlined in the act. Both acts mentioned highlight how inclusion is vital

to the educational outcomes of all students, despite their ability. A brief outline of the

thought process prior to the legislation will provide a point of comparison.

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Prior to the implementation of the key pieces of legislation discussed above, there was a

segregation between ‘mainstream’ and ‘special’ schools. Ballard (2012, p.70) raises the

important issue that prior to the implementation of IE, ‘mainstream’ schools bring forth the

notion that this was: “…the proper order of things and was, therefore, where those

excluded needed to be placed.” Ballard later expands on this idea, claiming that in

opposition to the idea of the mainstream, inclusion aims to reconsider the values and

practices that limit children from being able to achieve their educational potential. Whilst a

divide can still be seen somewhat today, the changing viewpoint of inclusion within the

education system can clearly be understood. It has moved from an understanding that

students with unique needs need to be segregated from ‘mainstream’ schools, to one that

encourages inclusion based upon their unique needs and requirements.

By viewing the changes in key pieces of legislation, the shift from exclusion to inclusion for

students with special needs can be seen. The change to IE that is present today focusses on

giving all students, despite their ability the support they need to achieve their personal best.

Now that an understanding of the shifting landscape of IE in education has been achieved, a

brief explanation of ASD will serve to introduce specific classroom strategies.

Within our diverse education system, it is common to have students from a wide range of

abilities and cultural backgrounds. One such example of a situation which requires thought

and consideration is being presented with a student that has ASD. The American Psychiatric

Association (2013) lists people with ASD as having difficulty with social interaction as well as

problems with maintaining and understanding relationships. One of the challenges however

is that ASD exists on a spectrum, and as such it is often hard to define exactly where a

student may exist. Mackenzie (2008, p. 20) posits that the: “…amount or severity of each of

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the major characteristics varies considerably from individual to individual.” This statement

raises the importance of having an individual plan for students with ASD, as their behaviour

may vary greatly from others with the disorder. This will be discussed in greater detail with

reference to differentiation in the classroom.

Strengths based teaching approaches are something that students with ASD can benefit

greatly from, as it refocusses the paradigm on what they are good at, and not what they

cannot do. Hammond & Zimmerman (2010, p. 6) argue that: “…every person, family, group

and community holds the key to their own transformation and meaningful change process.”

In other words, to encompass a strengths-based approach model within the classroom, we

must first gain a deep understanding of the specific needs of the student. The idea of a

strength-based approach also coincides with the shift away from the separation of

‘mainstream’ and ‘special’ education. Through identifying strengths, you are not focussing

on what the student cannot do, but rather on what they can achieve.

Now that an understanding of what Autism Spectrum Disorder entails has been achieved,

specific classroom related strategies involving differentiation and teacher attitudes will be

discussed to provide specific strategies for dealing with students with ASD and other diverse

needs.

For the legislation mentioned above to be effectively implemented into a classroom setting,

there are certain things that teachers can do. One of the most important aspects in terms of

creating an inclusive environment for all students is appropriate differentiation.

Differentiation is defined as being the way in which teachers proactively implement a wide

range or strategies to ensure all students can achieve success (Scoggins & Sharp, 2017;

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Munro, 2012). Whilst catering for a wide range of abilities is a difficult task, it is one that is

necessary to the success of all students, despite their ability level.

Key to differentiation in the classroom, is the idea of creating a personalised learning style

and unique support system for each student. The Department of Education and Training

(2015, p. 3) outlines that to cater for students unique learning needs and interests we must

provide: “…personalised learning and targeted support.” Salend (2011) extends this point by

highlighting that student-centred planning recognises students as being paramount to the

identification of meaningful goals and strategies. To provide the best outcomes for all

students, we must consider how each individual learns best. In doing so, we ensure that

teaching strategies are targeted specifically to their needs. In relation to a student with ASD,

as a teacher you may enlist the help of a School Learning Support Officer (SLSO), who can

assist you in creating a specified learning plan for the given student.

Finally, the importance of differentiation is also highlighted in the APST, with standard 1.5

outlining that teachers must: “Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of

students across the full range of abilities” (AITSL, 2012). Overall, differentiation is an

important classroom level factor that teachers must be mindful of when considering the

outcomes of each particular child.

Similar to differentiation, another key classroom level aspect essential to the

implementation of inclusive education is teacher attitude. Teachers must be flexible in their

attitude and strive to make adjustments that benefit the educational outcomes of students

within all classes. These adjustments are not only important on a personal level but are also

a legislative requirement (Poed & Elkins, 2012). To support the importance of adjustments,

The Disability Standards for Education 2005 outlines that students with disabilities are to be

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presented with reasonable adjustments so they can participate in education on the same

basis as other students (Australian Government, 2005; University of Canberra, 2014). Simple

adjustments that a teacher can make include: The layout of the room itself (including any

sensory issues the student may have), clear responsibilities for teachers and students and a

behaviour plan tailored for each student (Autism Classroom, 2017). Whilst these

adjustments seem minute, they can make a major difference in giving students the best

chance of reaching their educational potential.

As a specific example, teachers must keep in mind how students interact with one another

as often it can lead to students feeling isolated. With reference to ASD, Boutot (2007)

mentions that students with ASD often find it difficult to read social cues, keeping a

conversation as well as behaving appropriately around their peers. We may often think as

teachers that how our students relate to one another in the class is out of our control, but

when referring to a student with ASD it is something that must be taken into consideration.

Other adjustment strategies that can be put in place include allowing the student to view

materials they will cover beforehand and making them aware of any changes that may arise

in the schedule. This will allow the content to become more predictable, in turn helping the

student cope with change (Hundert et al, 2012). Bryan & Gast (2000) also found that using

picture-activity schedules, which visually direct students as to what will occur throughout

the day increased student’s ability to remain on a task independently. This adjustment also

brings structure and predictability to the course of the day and would greatly assist a

student with ASD.

Along with differentiation, teacher attitudes are another classroom level action that can

assist students with ASD and other learning needs. By changing and adapting our thinking as

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educators we can more effectively tailor our teaching strategies to be accommodate the

needs of each student.

Inclusive education is something that has been changed and adapted throughout many

years, and its influence and impact upon current education can be seen. Several major

pieces of legislation have led to its implementation within Australian schools and its

importance is highlighted in the Australian Professional Standards for Teaching. In order to

maintain the changing nature of inclusion within the classroom setting, it is important to

consider both differentiation and teacher attitudes and how they may lead to creating

greater educational outcomes for all students, despite their ability level.

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References

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disorders DSM-5. (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association.

Australian Government. (1992). Disability Discrimination Act 1992. (No. 135). Australian

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ance_notes.pdf

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source/apst-resources/australian_professional_standard_for_teachers_final.pdf.

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42(3), 156-161.

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Bryan, L., & Gast, C. (2000). Teaching On-Task and On-Schedule Behaviors to High-

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content/uploads/2012/02/qt_EPSColor.pdf

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