Julia Mastripolito

110066420

Inclusive Education
Assessment 2 Research Project
Inquiry
The importance of educational support at school and home for students with
learning difficulties and the factors that can hinder access to this support.
Description

The educational outcomes for students with learning difficulties are often
significantly poorer than their peers (Madeleine, 1986). This disparity will often
increase if they are in a situation that denies them access to support services at
school, home or both (Meadmore, 2004). This was the case for a Year 1 child with
suspected learning difficulties at a school in Adelaides North. He had not been
formally assessed by DECD, therefore he was not able to access support services
at school and he was also not receiving educational support at home.
Consequently, the aim of this research report is to highlight the importance of
educational support at school and home, for students with learning difficulties
and drawing attention to factors that can hinder access to this support.
The learner at the centre of this enquiry clearly displayed the detrimental effects
caused by a lack of educational support both at school and in the home
environment. In his Year 1 class, the students peers were able to write pages
about their weekend, but Student X still struggled to write his own name.
Through close observation, collaboration and conversations with the student and
his teacher it was very apparent the learner struggled to recognise and form
letters and words which was exacerbated by speech and language difficulties.
The 6 year old student had completed his Foundation year at a Category 1 school
where behaviour issues of other students were extensive. His current teacher
suggests that due to his passive nature, the early signs of learning difficulties
were not recognised. When the student started Year 1 at his current school, the
teacher noticed immediately how far behind he was. Since this time, the teacher
has been trying to have him formally assessed so he could have access to the
support services that he needed. Despite the teachers best attempts to speak to
the students parents about assessment, an application was not completed until
Term 3, after months of trying to get documents signed by parents. In the final
weeks of Term 3 the student was assessed, but there was not a definitive
outcome so more assessments needed to be conducted. Meanwhile, the student
continued to struggle.

Feelings

By working with Student X, I witnessed his everyday struggle. My overwhelming

feeling was one of sadness that such a young child was feeling frustrated and
despondent as he constantly struggled with work. It was difficult to comprehend

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that this child, did not have the support of an SSO but others in the class, whose
needs were not as severe, had been funded for up to 10 hours of SSO support. It
was also frustrating to find out that his parents were apathetic to their sons
situation and did not provide him any educational support at home.
The first AITSIL (2015) standard know students and how they learn is based on
the premise that each student is given the best opportunity to succeed through
their teachers comprehensive knowledge of their learning needs. This was
reflected in the teachers practice and it was heartening to see how concerned
she was about her student. She was always trying to build her knowledge of him
and how he learnt, taking into account his home situation and previous
experiences at school. Lessons were differentiated so that he could experience
success, even if he was working at a level well below other students. It is a credit
to her knowledge and care that the student was eventually was assessed.
This experience forces one to understand the complexities of the ethical code
teachers in South Australia adhere to. It states teachers must advocate for
learners (Teachers Registration Board of SA, 2015) which seems simple, but in
reality can be quite challenging. A teacher could be the strongest advocate for a
childs learning but constant obstacles may need to be overcome to continue to
do this. The obstacles in this situation were the parents unwillingness to engage
with their childs education, as well as DECDs processes that were not only long,
but required specific diagnoses for support to be provided.

Evaluation

The opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of DECDs processes in

allocating support services, was a beneficial one. The long and tedious process
the teacher had to endure to ensure Student X was assessed, made it clear that
a teachers word is not golden. Even if one is certain a child needs support,
educational psychologists or speech pathologists make the final call.
It was difficult to observe the teachers attempts to collaborate with the parents
of Student X, but eventually I came to appreciate how disengaged they were with
their childs learning. The teachers primary source of contact with the parents
was through a communication book, which was often misplaced, making it even
more difficult to communicate with them. At school drop off and pick up times,
the teacher always made the effort to look for them but they were rarely on the
school grounds. Eventually, through a phone call a meeting was arranged, but
was cancelled and postponed many times. When they did meet, the teacher
described them as indifferent to the situation, they accepted their son had
learning difficulties but did not seem to understand the gravity of the situation.
After further written communication between parents and the teacher the
application for assessment form was finally signed. Watching other parents
interact with their children in the class was a stark comparison and the concept
of cultural capital was visible here, in that some students backgrounds and
situations set them up for success whereas others do not (Lareau, 1987).

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Critical Analysis

In Term 3 of Year 1 the learner was still at a pre-reception reading level and there
were no signs of significant improvement. The need for additional support, at
school and home, was unmistakable. Yet there were hindrances that impeded
this support being accessed.
There was a lack of parental engagement with the childs education, which
occurred in three man ways. Being difficult to contact, allowing the child to have
a high rate of absenteeism and not providing educational support for the child at
home. A study by Lonigan and Whitehurst (1996) demonstrated that children
with below average oral language skills benefited significantly from parents
being involved in their education, through reading with and to their children at
home. From this it stands to reason that if Student Xs parents were more
involved in their childs education, by reading with him at night for instance, he
would progress faster and with more ease than he had been. Sociological
theories suggest that due to the childs working class background, his parents
were not engaged with their sons schooling because education is not highly
valued by working class families, like it is in middle and upper class families
(Lareau, 1987). This theory may explain the lack of concern shown by the
parents at the suggestion that their son had learning difficulties that needed to
be addressed. It can also explain the childs high rate of absenteeism, which
resulted in him falling further and further behind. A study by Balfanz and Byrnes
(2012) states that students must attend school to succeed as achievement is
sensitive to attendance, especially for core subjects like literacy and
mathematics. If this is the case, then a student with learning difficulties and high
rates of absenteeism is not positioned to succeed.
On top of a lack of support at home, the school system also failed to provide
appropriate support for this student because of the eligibility requirements
enforced by DECD (sa.gov.au 2015). These determine who can access support
services for speech and language impairments/difficulties. It is stated that
children must be diagnosed with a speech and/or language impairment to access
support services. Yet the process to have a child assessed by an educational
psychologist or speech pathologist is a long an arduous one, even without the
added burden of seeking parental consent. A study by Jenkins and OConnor
(2002) stated that language and reading problems are not usually recognised
until problems are well established which makes assisting students more difficult
as time goes by. For this reason, it is crucial that identification and support is
provided as soon as possible. The DECD processes reflect that of the Medical
Model which is based on labelling and diagnosis (Millar & Morton, 2007) and for
students who do not fit a particular label this approach is not appropriate and
leaves students without the support they desperately need.

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The Critical Incident Techniques effectiveness in addressing this enquiry had

both positive and negatives points. This technique relies heavily on memory,
which can be difficult, especially trying to remember specific conversations. It is
easier to remember first hand experiences of the student rather than those
explained by the teacher. In addition, discussing the parents in this situation also
proved to be challenging considering there was no face to face contact with
them directly. Perceptions of them were formed through conversations with
others who had dealings with them or through distant observations. The
technique was effective in the way it allows personal perceptions to be explored
deeply.

Conclusions (general)

Having critically analysed the important nature of partnerships between

educational personnel, families and support services, this experience has
highlighted the complex nature of a teachers work in trying to advocate for a
childs learning. Each child brings their own complexities to the classroom and
are impacted by external forces such as the governing school system and family
influences.
The literature suggests that parental support in the education of children with
learning difficulties is crucial in achieving better educational outcomes
(Meadmore, 2004). It is important for teachers to appreciate the impacts of
family on their students and work to find ways that involve families in the school
community (Intoual, Kameniar & Bradley, 2009). Lareau (1987) suggests that
parents from working class families do not value education, but there are many
examples in the literature where schools have engaged families that were once
disconnected from their childrens school environment. One example of this is in
an article by Intoual et al. (2009), where the Indigenous Australian practice of
Yarni is employed. This practice encourages teachers, children and families to
share and know each others stories. In this way, a deeper understanding of
one another creates a unique trust and comfortableness that establishes a safe,
productive environment for children and their families. By engaging families in
this way, it is easier to call upon them to support their childs education at home
(Meadmore, 2004).
Another equally important factor in the support of children with learning
difficulties is the support provided and implemented by the school. It is not
acceptable that students, who are clearly struggling in class and are far behind
their class mates, are not provided with additional support, merely because they
do not fit into a particular box. The movement away from the Medical Model in
educational institutions is strong as it highlights deficits and disregards strengths
(Riehl, 2000), yet the governing body of education in the state of South Australia
relies on this model to allocate support to students in need. In almost every other
aspect of education, a more student centred and inclusive approach is enforced,

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yet students who have learning difficulties that cannot be labelled are excluded
from receiving additional support.

Conclusions (specific)

This inquiry suggests that Student X is a product of his situation. His learning
difficulties were overlooked in his foundation year and because of this he fell far
behind his peers. When he presented at his new school he was still at a prereception reading level and did not progress from here throughout the year. His
pre-existing learning difficulties left him vulnerable to long term poor educational
success but studies suggest that environmental influences can either have a
positive or negative effect on learning difficulties (Corrigan, 1996). In his case,
due to the lack of access to support provided at school and home the childs
environment was one that negatively influenced his educational outcomes and
did not set him up for success. While the ethical responsibility (Teachers
Registration Board of South Australia, 2015) to advocate for the students
learning was on the teacher, it is hard to judge her actions as she tried hard to
be an advocate for his learning. Could more have been done? Perhaps yes, she
could have put in place additional informal support for the child. For example,
she could have made sure the child practiced his reading each morning with a
parent volunteer or spent more time working with him one on one when other
students were settled. These suggestions would be achievable in the ideal
classroom but, classrooms are far from ideal.
The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians (2008)
places emphasis on customised learning to satisfy the various abilities of each
student, yet it was in this very area that the student was let down by the DECD
system. While the teacher tried to differentiate lessons for the student, he still
required significant support to be able to gain any educational benefit from
them. For Student X, his personal learning needs required access to additional
support that could assist him in finding strategies to compensate for his learning
difficulties and bring him to a point where he was working at a more independent
level. York et al. (1992) states that a characteristic of an inclusive classroom is
the teacher working collaboratively with support personnel to better provide for
students with learning difficulties. Unfortunately, this was not able to happen in
this situation because the learning difficulties that Student X had could not be
specifically labelled.
The TfEL (2010) framework inspires teachers to challenge learners to reach a
standard that is their personal best. Student Xs teacher tried to do this without
the support of the DECD system or his parents. It was because of the teacher
that the student was still able to experience small successes, in different ways.
His teacher knew if she was able to provide him with additional support, his
successes would grow and point him in the direction that could lead to better
educational outcomes in the future.

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Personal Action Plan

The determination of the teacher in this situation was commendable. It is

important for pre-service teachers to witness the energy a teacher can put into
one student, to give them a better chance of future successes. Even though in
the end a finite outcome was not reached the teacher was still tenacious in her
goal to provide additional support to the child. However, at times the teacher
seemed to be caught up in the students deficits and forgot to look for his
strengths. The teacher could have taken a more person centred approach in
dealing with the student, to optimise his unique strengths and abilities (Croke &
Thompson, 2011). By failing to do this, the student often faded into the
background of the everyday commotion in the classroom. He was often
unconsciously excluded from group activities because the teacher and students
assumed that he would not be able to contribute meaningfully.
The road to assessment seemed to have a slow start partly because of the lack
of information passed between the childs previous and current school, leaving
the teacher at a disadvantage in understanding his needs. If a similar situation
were to arise, it would be beneficial to organise a meeting with the parents and
student very early on in the school year (or even before), to gauge the childs
ability level and family situation. By doing this it also creates the opportunity to
engage parents and make them feel welcome in the school environment.
Building on the practice of Yarni, creating a safe and trusting relationship
between teacher and parents can be beneficial for calling on parents to support
their child at home.
Having this support at home is most beneficial in conjunction with additional
support at school, as shown in the study by Lonigan et al (1998). The process
teachers must go through to have a child formally assessed is a long one, not
including the time it takes for the assessment to take place and have an
appropriate outcome reached. Unfortunately, the system is hard to change but
teachers can advise parents to seek independent assessments by a Speech
Pathologist, Paediatrician or Educational Psychologist. This can hasten the
process of the child receiving support significantly. Again, it is important for
teachers to have developed a rapport with parents that allows them to give
these recommendations without seeming disrespectful (Sheridan, 2012).
Advocating for a childs learning may be an ethical requirement of teachers but it
is also just good teaching practice. Showing determination to find a way to
support a child, whether this be through the DECD system or privately, is a way
of ensuring the learner can reach their full potential. Again forming collaborative
bonds with the parents of students is good teaching practice and is not only
necessary for children with learning difficulties, but for all students. The AITSIL
(2014) standards implore teachers to engage professionally with parents and find
effective strategies to do so, to benefit the progress of their childs learning.
However, none of this would be possible without the recognising the first AITSIL
(2014) standard that is based upon teachers gaining a comprehensive

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knowledge of students and how they learn.

The overall lesson from this inquiry is that being a teacher means being a
champion for all students, sometimes the teacher is the only one willing to be a
childs champion.

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