INCLUSION FOLIO

1. Introduction to Student
Jane Green is a thirteen year old female who attends a remote
public school named Beaforth State School. Jane was diagnosed with
combined presentation ADHD at age 8 and was prescribed the
medication Ritalin as a form of treatment. She was also provided
with a number of cognitive strategies at home and at school, which
aimed to improve her social and behavioural awareness, leading to
her inclusion at school. Whilst taking Ritalin, Jane experienced a
sense of hyper-focus and the work that she presented in her primary
school classes showcased that she had above average intelligence.
However, the Ritalin began to make Jane feel trapped and
uncomfortable and at age 12 she decided to stop taking the
medication and instead monitors her behaviour with support from
the school and her family. Janes year 8 teacher has noticed that her
most prominent behavioural characteristics in all classes include:

Forgetting instructions
Easily distracted
Talking a lot
Calling out in class
Trouble participating quietly

Janes favourite subject is drama and her least favourite subject is

mathematics and as a result her behaviour is easier to manage in a drama
classroom, because her interest often leads to concentration. She has
loving parents who provide her with support and understanding. The
school has a number of resources including ICT tools and teacher aides,
that are designed to guide the inclusion and learning of Jane, as well as
the inclusion and learning of her peers (Coghill, 2014).

2. Introduction to Lesson

The subject is drama and the topic of the day is improvisation and
characterisation. The class aims to develop students understanding
of characterisation and their ability to think on the spot in a range of
practical activities. This aim can be deconstructed into three main
learning objectives that are as follows:

To work effectively and collaboratively within a group

To understand basic elements of characterisation such as

walk, stance and role

To participate in activities that require quick thinking without
inhibitions, to create dramatic meaning and build students
confidence in the subject

As this lesson is an introductory lesson, it will be taught in a practical

manner in order to grasp the interest and engagement of students. This
will increase the chances of students being able to recollect the basic
lessons they were taught in the class. A recollection of these basic lessons
will provide a firm foundation of knowledge for the teacher to build on
both practically and theoretically in future lessons. Without the basic
foundational knowledge provided in this class, students are less likely to
grasp, remember and retain interest in future lessons that may be more
complicated.
In this class students will participate in a range of characterisation
activities such as photographs and walking. They will participate in
improvisation activities such as freeze frames, what are you doing and
space jump. The class will end with a quick written reflection based on
the question what have you learnt this class? The answers will be shared
in a group discussion.
Achievement Standards:
This class and its learning objectives aim to enhance and guide student
learning so that by the end of the term they have achieved to the ACARA
achievement standards. This includes understanding of the elements of

drama and applying that knowledge to the formation and performance of

pieces. (ACARA, 2015)
Assessment:
Assessment in this class will include the writing of a basic script and an
improvised group performance. In accordance with Queensland disability
legislations, certain adjustments in assessment can be enforced to help
students with disabilities to achieve a fair mark. For students with ADHD,
such considerations are deemed unrequired. However, teachers can
implement their own adjustments. For instance, in the performance task,
Jane will be forgiven if she forgets some of her lines. The criteria sheet will
not require the student to memorise all of their lines, instead it will ask
that the student showed thorough evidence of practise and thus the
students can be marked equally based on factors that they can control
(Queensland Government, 2015).
This drama class has a range of activities, all of which promote energy
and enthusiasm. It is therefore a positive learning environment for Jane
because the activities compliment her behavioural characteristics.

3. Student Development
The behavioural characteristics that are linked to ADHD can affect a
students academic, social and emotional development. With behavioural
support and guidance provided by Janes teachers, support workers and
parents her development in these areas will continue to improve, resulting
in a positive and inclusive school experience (National Institute of Mental
Health, 2015).
Academically: Jane is of above average intelligence and she does not
struggle to understand content. ADHD affects Janes attention span so it is
the responsibility of her teachers to create lessons that are interesting,
with a range of differentiation activities in order to hold Janes attention.

This will enhance her concentration so that she is able to learn and
achieve to the competent level her strong intellectual abilities allow.
Socially: A student with ADHD possesses behavioural characteristics that
can lead to their social exclusion. In primary school, Jane was set up with
an effective buddy system and underwent behavioural therapy which
helped to develop her social skills. In drama class, Jane is a fun and
interesting character and her peers generally seem to find her humorous
and entertaining. She is extremely outgoing and does not struggle to
make conversation. Jane has two best friends that she has had since
primary school, who she would consistently talk and move around with for
the duration of the class without monitoring. Whilst some students find
Janes outgoing and loud personality distracting, the combination of her
positive personality and implementation of behavioural strategies have
overall resulted in social inclusion and acceptance for Jane.
Emotionally: In most of her classes, Jane exhibits a healthy and happy
persona. She seems to have high self-esteem and a positive outlook on
learning. This happiness may stem from the freedom she feels as a result
of no longer taking medication, which was part of her life for the past four
years and negatively impacted her emotionally. This happy and positive
persona can be nurtured and advanced if Janes teachers remain calm and
informed educators who develop strategies to guide her in school. Certain
classes where Janes temperament is tested include mathematics class. In
this class the teacher consistently reprimands Janes behaviour and Jane is
not interested in the work. The mathematics teacher would need to seek
advice from support documents and teachers regarding protective factors,
to prevent this negativity from accelerating and potentially impairing
Janes interest in learning and school.

4. Student Characteristics in Inclusive Setting

Jane possesses strengths as well as challenges that affect inclusion
within the classroom. Janes strengths are her enthusiasm and

willingness to participate. The challenge with this enthusiasm is that

it is partnered with hyperactivity such as excessive talking and
moving. This can distract certain students from learning, in turn
damaging the inclusive setting.
Jane has above average intelligence; she is particularly good at
drama and could easily achieve high marks in the subject. Janes
biggest challenge is becoming distracted which detracts from her
learning. This challenge can be partially overcome with hard work
from the teacher who will thoroughly consider teaching and
differentiation strategies that will captivate Janes attention as much
as possible.
5. Impact on others/environment
Janes On the go personality can cause frustration and lack of
tolerance in certain teachers. It is important for those teachers to redirect their emotions in a positive and productive manner. Janes
behavioural characteristics such as lack of concentration disrupt her
learning. Her consistent talking and moving can be distracting for other
students and as a result, negatively impact on their learning. However,
Jane has a positive and friendly nature which makes her likeable and
encourages support from her teachers, peers and other school staff.
With this support, Jane can learn to impact her learning and the
learning of her peers in a beneficial manner.

6. Goals for student:

Janes biggest challenges in drama class are staying on task, staying quiet
when necessary and directing her hyperactive qualities in a productive
manner. Jane has excellent participation in drama class when it comes to
practical activities. However, it is not uncommon for Jane to get too
enthusiastic and in turn become distracted by other students or the
humour in a situation. She tends to lose concentration when it is time to
participate in an activity that involves written work. Jane is learning to

respect that other people like to participate in drama class and that she
cannot be chosen for every activity. She is learning that she needs to
applaud and be silent when other students perform. With that in mind, the
three main goals that could be set for Jane in this drama class are:
1. Stay on task in both practical and written tasks
2. Follow classroom rules such as remaining quiet when the teacher is
speaking
3. Show respect to your peers by being supportive and quiet when
they are chosen for an activity that you may have wanted to do

7. Differentiation/ Adjustments
An adjustment is a measure or action taken to assist a student with a
disability to participate on the same basis as other students (Wormelli,
2003). Differentiation doesnt mean teaching entirely different activities
but providing interrelated activities based on students needs (Good,
2006) Some school funding from the Government is targeted at resources
that will help support students with disabilities through differentiation and
adjustment. Beaforth has spent some of this allocated funding on support
teachers, teacher aids and assistive technologies. These are whole-school
student support resources so they will provide support for Jane as well as
the rest of her peers, which promotes inclusion whilst still providing
support for students with disabilities.
In terms of effectively learning content, an individual education plan (IEP)
is a common and positive strategy that aims to enhance a students
learning. To construct an IEP, the teacher articulates the individual needs
of the student and develops strategies that will be the most beneficial to
that students learning. An IEP is a plan usually designed for a student
whose disability creates differences academically, socially and emotionally
in a classroom setting and therefore results in their need for an
individualised plan. Jane has proven that she is capable academically, she
relates to her peers socially and is stable emotionally. Janes areas of

concern are primarily to do with concentration, which is a factor that all

students experience in varying degrees and her needs can therefore be
targeted with a curriculum adjustment plan (CAP) (Foreman, P. & ArthurKelly, M).
A CAP is developed with the help of a specialist support teacher that was
hired as part of Beaforths differentiation plan of action. The support
teacher will work with Janes teachers to design a curriculum plan where
they consider content length, presentation, teacher input, student input
and time limits. They consider these factors in terms of what would be
best for the class as well as what would be best for Jane and other
students who display signs of inattention and hyperactivity in the
classroom. Simple adjustments such as writing dot points instead of
paragraphs and allowing verbal answers instead of written answers can
target concentration issues exhibited in the classroom (Foreman, P. &
Arthur-Kelly, M).
In addition to the CAP and support teachers, the Queensland Government
provides a list of support links for teachers, with adjustment ideas
specifically designed to support students with disabilities. The strategies
that would be most beneficial for Janes teachers to incorporate include:

Testing/ working in a quiet place (to prevent distractions and over

stimulation that will affect Janes concentration.)
In a drama class, working quietly can be difficult when participating
in practical activities. However, by allocating Jane an isolated area in
the classroom, furthest away from other groups and keeping her
groups small, Janes learning will be better supported than if she is
in a large group in the middle of the room.

Allowing frequent breaks.

Jane is forced to concentrate in every class for an entire day and
concentration is not something that comes naturally to her.
Therefore, it requires serious discipline and mental effort on Janes

part to abide by the classroom rules. Allowing Jane a break from this
mental strain is completely acceptable and it is beneficial to Janes
emotional well being (Queensland Government, 2014).
Finally, selecting and monitoring adjustments and differentiations is an
ongoing task, the teacher may have to adapt certain aspects depending
on the specific student and what is working for her.

8. Teaching and Learning Strategies

There are a large variety of teaching and learning strategies available to
teachers that promote inclusion and a positive learning environment
within the classroom. When teaching any student, with or without a
disability, it is integral that the teacher exhibits understanding and
tolerance. An effective behaviour management plan is impossible if a
teacher is influenced by frustration or negative emotions. Students,
including Jane, need support, guidance and understanding to reach their
full potential. In any classroom, an overall behavioural philosophy should
be enforced. A solid behavioural system reduces disruptions which in turn
supports learning. The behavioural philosophy that is effective in Janes
drama class involves praising positive behaviour and redirecting or
ignoring incorrect behaviour. This philosophy encourages teachers to
focus on good behaviour instead of highlighting incorrect behaviour, which
prevents anger and negative emotions from students and minimises
disruption. This philosophy can be specified further to target Janes needs
and help her excel in the drama classroom (Health Direct Australia, 2014):

Ignore minor behaviours in improvisation activities

This is known as selective attendance and it is a strategy whereby
you ignore students who behave incorrectly and praise students
who do behave correctly. In a practical drama lesson it is common
for students to be excited and engaged. Janes favourite subject is
drama and she is always eager to be selected for important roles in

certain activities. By choosing Jane for an important role her

engagement in the task is ensured, but it is also important to
promote strategies that will minimise her desire to consistently
speak. This can be achieved through selective attendance. When
choosing someone to take on an important role in the drama class
the teacher could say I will give this role to whoever is the
quietest. They can then repeat this mantra when selecting the
student by saying Jane, you can have this role because you stayed
very quiet. This way Jane gets to participate in the class, and she
has learnt that positive things will happen if she follows class rules
such as staying quiet when the teacher is speaking. If Jane follows
this class rule and is still not chosen to participate in an activity she
may lash out and show anger. To prevent this, it is important to
make sure she knows that there will be plenty of other opportunities
to participate in activities and the teacher should make eye contact
with her to indicate that she will be chosen for another task. This
strategy will help Jane achieve her goals for the lesson which
involved staying quiet when the teacher is talking and respecting
her peers.
Teacher provides on-task prompts
Janes teacher can help direct Janes concentration and learning by
regularly providing simple, calm, clear and regular prompts. For
example in the freeze frame task the teacher could say:
Become a potato in ten seconds. She could repeat this simple
comment

at

five

seconds

and

two

seconds.

This

provides

clarification and numerous opportunities for Jane to absorb what is

expected. The teacher would also include non-verbal clues such as
eye contact to ensure that Jane was on task. These prompts will help
to direct Janes behaviour so that she can achieve her learning goal
which requires her to stay on task.
9. Strategies for well-being and resilience

Resilience is overcoming setbacks and challenges and bouncing back

during difficult times. A students resilience as well as their wellbeing is
dependent on factors such as caring relationships and a sense of
belonging, support, positive expectations and opportunities to participate
and contribute. These factors are of high importance and both Catholic
Education and Education Queensland have policies and strategies
developed to ensure that a students well-being and resilience is
maximised. Beaforth is a state school so it refers to strategies set by the
Queensland

Governments

Department

of

Education,

Training

and

Employment. In order to ensure Janes wellbeing and resilience, a number

of strategies are promoted (DETE, 2014).These include:

Structures to support pastoral care such as lessons that develop

personal and social capabilities and peer support systems such as
buddying. This buddying system was highly beneficial to Jane when
she was in primary school and resulted in her social inclusion and
the maintenance of a strong friendship. The friendship gave Jane a

sense of belonging which enhanced her wellbeing.

Beaforth also involves students in school decision making and
policies, in regards to things like playground rules and computer
use. By giving students like Jane a voice, they feel trusted and
important. This is an excellent way to positively develop students
emotional well-being and create confident, happy young people.

10. Protective factors

Protective factors in a school include:

Positive school environment to prevent school failure

Sense of belonging to prevent negative peer influences
Recognition of school achievements to prevent poor attachment to
school

An example of a protective factor that has a positive impact on Janes

school life is school assemblies. At each school assembly, Beaforth calls a

number of students to the stage and congratulates them on their

academic and behavioural achievements, or on their involvement in the
school community. This year, Janes behavioural achievements have been
recognised and she received a With all your might award. This award
was given to students who received a grade of B or higher in the effort
column of their report cards. This recognition of Janes achievements was
encouraging and prevented her from developing a poor attachment to the
school.
11. Conclusion and reflection
As educator Carol Ann Tomilson states:
We might change the layout of the track, but all students are in the same
race (Wormelli, 2003).
By understanding Janes needs and setting goals for her, a teacher has
taken the first steps towards successful inclusive practices. If the teacher
implements useful differentiation and adjustment plans as well as learning
and behavioural strategies, Jane will have a positive learning experience
in the drama classroom. Certain strategies extend outside of the
classroom and need to be considered. These strategies relate to
resilience, well-being and protective factors and will ensure that Janes
school experience is supportive and inclusive.

References
Australian Government (2015). Foundation to year 10 drama curriculum.
Retrieved From
http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/the-arts/drama/curriculum/f-10?layout=1
Coghill, D. D. (2014, August 14). What is ADHD? Retrieved From
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/adhd/whatisadhd.htm
Commenwealth of Australia (2005). Promoting Resilience and Wellbeing.
Retrieved From

http://www.responseability.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/4783/PromotingResilience-and-Wellbeing.pdf
Foreman, P. & Arthur-Kelly, M. (Eds). (2014). Inclusion in action. South Melbourne,
Australia:
Cengage.
Health Direct Australia (2014, April). Attention Deficit Disorder. Retrieved From
http://www.healthdirect.gov.au/attention-deficit-disorder-add-or-adhd
National Institute of Mental Health. (2015). What is
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD, ADHD)? Retrieved From

Attention

Deficit

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorderadhd/index.shtml
National Research Centre of ADHD. (2015). Behavioural Treatment for Children
and Teenagers with ADHD. Retrieved From
http://help4adhd.org/en/treatment/behavioral/WWK7s
Queensland Government, Department of Education, Training and Employment
(2014, June). Learning and wellbeing famework. Retrieved From
http://deta.qld.gov.au/initiatives/learningandwellbeing/resources/learning-andwellbeing-framework.pdf
Queensland Government (2014, February 17). Disability Policy. Retrieved From
http://www.education.qld.gov.au/schools/disability/index.html
Queensland Health (2013, June 18). Topic: Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder
ADHD. Retrieved From
http://access.health.qld.gov.au/hid/ChildHealth/MentalHealth/attentionDeficitHyp
eractiveDisorderAdhd_is.asp
The educators guide to learning disabilities and ADHD. (2015). Teenagers with
ADHD. Retrieved From
http://www.ldonline.org/adhdbasics/teens
Wormelli, R. (2003). Differentiating Instruction: A Modified Concerto in Four
Movements. Retrieved From
http://www.ldonline.org/article/Differentiating_Instruction
%3A__A_Modified_Concerto_in_Four_Movements