Emily Hodge 17479921

Inclusive Education – Theory, Policy and Practice

Emily Hodge 17479921 - (Assignment 1 - Essay)

Inclusivity in educational settings is a crucial aspect of modern schooling. The term ‘inclusive education’

refers to equal participation of all students and involves educational institutions providing students with the

ability to take part in every aspect of school life regardless of their differences (Loreman, Deppeler &

Harvey, 2011). Inclusive education is the concept that all students should feel they belong in their school

environment and should not be excluded from mainstream classes due to physical or intellectual disabilities

(Thomas, 1997). While there is emphasise in this paper on students with disabilities, it is important to note

that inclusive education refers to all students within a school being given a chance to receive quality

education. Articles such as that written by Thomas (1997), explain the crucial difference between inclusion

and integration and the importance of providing an environment which accepts students of all abilities and

aims to provide fair and equal education, in contrast to a schooling environment which promotes integration,

which focuses strongly on the deficits of students and promotes segregation. The aim of this paper is to

detail the changing views and opinions regarding inclusive education, the historic difficulties students with

impairments face in schools and delve into the key legislation that provides educational institutes with an

inclusive framework. It will also discuss the responsibility of teachers in providing an inclusive environment

to all students including students with disabilities, inclusive of those students diagnosed with Autism

Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

The definition of disabilities is offered in the Disability Standards for Education, 2005 (Commonwealth of

Australia, 2006) framework and includes the loss of function of a part of the body, loss of mental function,

presence of organisms in the body causing illness or disease, a disorder or disease that affects thought

processing, perceptions of reality, emotions or judgement, or a disorder that results in a person learning in a

different manner to another person without that disorder. This definition covers a vast range of disabilities

and impairments including physical disabilities, learning disabilities as well as developmental disorders such

as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). ASD is characterised by social and communication difficulties, can be
1
Emily Hodge 17479921

accompanied by repetitive sensory or motor behaviours and is often diagnosed within the first few years of

childhood. While Autism was once a narrow diagnosis it is now viewed as a spectrum with characteristics

and behaviours ranging from mild to severe, with this spectrum inclusive of other disorders such as

Asperger’s disorder. Children diagnosed with ASD often present very differently from each other, making

this a largely individual disorder (Lord, Elsabbagh, Baird &Veenstra-Vanderweele, 2018).

Children with disabilities face many challenges in a schooling environment. A paper presented by Walsh

(2012) presents statistics gathered from the Australian Bureau of Statistics regarding children with

disabilities. These statistics state that 43% of children with disabilities have difficulties related to their

learning and 30% have difficulty fitting in a social environment. 23% of students with disabilities have

trouble communicating and have difficulties participating in sports (13%), sitting (8%) and seeing/hearing

(5%). Walsh further states that children who experience these difficulties require extensive support to

participate fully in mainstream classrooms. In a recent study, it was found that the greatest areas of difficulty

for students with disabilities include literacy and numeracy, social and emotional issues, communication and

speech issues, attention/concentration difficulties and physical/motor difficulties. The students discussed in

this study include those with a wide variety of learning, sensory, physical, language, developmental and

emotional disabilities (Maciver et al., 2017).

These statistics demonstrate some of the challenges to inclusion that children with disabilities are faced with

in the classroom. Recent studies confirm that students with disabilities have been seen to have significantly

lower levels of educational access and achievement which results in future disadvantage (Macauley,

Deppeler & Agbenyega, 2016). Teachers of students with disabilities must consider the challenges these

students face during their school days and make appropriate changes to their teaching to allow for all

students to participate.

The history of inclusivity in education has been tumultuous and strained prior to the introduction of

legislation aimed at implementing equal and inclusive education in Australian schools. An article written by

Dunn (1968) demonstrates the previously held view of the inclusion of children with disabilities into

2
Emily Hodge 17479921

mainstream classrooms. Dunn states that prior to the implementation of compulsory education, children with

disabilities would often simply be excluded from school all together. With the introduction of compulsory

attendance came the implementation of segregated ‘special schools’ into which children with disabilities

were transferred. This was done with the vision that students with disabilities would make greater progress

in these classes which would be greater tailored to their needs. However, Dunn argues that these schools

only succeed at promoting the labelling and exile of children and did not prove to increase the students’

academic achievement. In fact, students demonstrated a greater improvement whilst in regular classes, thus,

Dunn argues strongly for the abandonment of segregated schooling institutions and notes there is still much

progress to make in the future.

Through the introduction of vital pieces of legislation such as the Disability Discrimination Act, 1992, and

the Disability Standards for Education, 2005, Australia began seeing a drastic change to the promotion of

inclusive education in schools (Commonwealth of Australia, 2003 & 2006). With the introduction of this

legislation, we also began seeing a change in terminology surrounding students with disabilities which

provides a stark contrast to that which was used previously in articles such as that of Dunn (1968). The

Disability Discrimination Act, 1992 was introduced to ‘Eliminate, as far as possible, discrimination against

persons on the ground of disability’ and to ensure that people with disabilities are given the same rights and

equal access as people without disabilities. Section 22 of this act dictates that it is against the law for an

educational institute to discriminate against someone based on a disability and, furthermore, Section 31

allowed the creation of the Disability Standards for Education, 2005. These standards delve even deeper

into equal rights for those with disabilities with reference to equality in an educational institution. They

focus on the key areas of enrolment, participation, curriculum development, accreditation and delivery,

student support services and the elimination of victimisation. These standards apply to all educational

services and state that it is a schools’ responsibility to treat students with disabilities on the same basis as

those without disabilities and that schools must make reasonable adjustments, with the consultation of both

the student and parents/guardians, for students with disabilities to actively participate in everyday school

3
Emily Hodge 17479921

life. A reasonable adjustment is defined as an adjustment which is in the interest of all people affected and is

therefore not reasonable if it causes excessive strain on the institution or there is little benefit for the student.

Due to the implementation of these crucial pieces of legislation, modern schools have progressed greatly in

the acceptance and inclusion of students with disabilities. Modern teachers and schools have placed a

stronger emphasis on tailoring their teaching methods to provide students with disabilities with the best

possible education. Educators now begin to effectively move away from the deficit model, which labels

students with disabilities and limits their potential by focusing on what they are unable to achieve. Instead,

educators are now urged to place their focus on a much more important and influential concept for students

with disabilities known as the strength-based approach to teaching. This approach is in direct contrast as it

focuses strongly on a student’s potential by giving them the opportunity to achieve (Laursen, 2000).

An important aspect of teaching in an inclusive classroom is avoiding simplifying or ‘watering down’

curriculum content which results in a diminished standard of education. It is crucial for educators to develop

the skills required to teach the content, using a variety of techniques, differentiated instruction and tailored

assistance, to all students in a classroom opposed to simplifying content for those students with disabilities

(van Kraayenoord, 2007). It is important to note that while there are multiple indicators of a student having a

learning disability, it is a teacher’s responsibility to observe and report what is occurring in their classroom

and consult with support services, parents or guardians regarding how to further assist their child, it is not an

educator’s role to diagnose or place a label on a student themselves. This dictates the importance of

assessment in aiding students who may be experiencing potential difficulties learning in the classroom. By

assessing the progress a student is making, we can measure the effectiveness of the instruction and

potentially alter teaching practices to provide more effective education to our students. Students with ASD

who are non-verbal, face additional challenges in literacy assessment which require reading or dictation and

often results in an assumption that the student has difficulty reading, however, the ability to speak is not

necessarily related to the ability to read (Arnold & Reed, 2016), thus the importance of differentiated

4
Emily Hodge 17479921

assessment for students with disabilities which allows students of all abilities to demonstrate their

knowledge.

Differentiated instruction is defined as varying the learning activities, content, assessment and environment

to meet the needs of each student (Darrow, 2015). In every school and classroom, teachers will encounter

students of various abilities and needs, and it is important to have a vast repertoire of skills and

differentiated teaching methods. One such way of achieving this is the use of assistive technologies.

Assistive technologies are defined as a tool, device, software or service that aids in enhancing a students’

learning experience. They are sometimes necessary for a student to be able to actively participate in

classroom learning and provide the opportunity for students to fully engage. Assistive technologies can

include the use of a laptop for students who are unable to use a paper and pen, and can include others such

as text/font enlargement of colour contrasting documents/worksheets, a Brailler for students with visual

impairments, a personal frequency modulation (FM) system for students with hearing impairments, other

aids such as electric tilt tables, wheelchairs and ramps for those with physical disabilities or spell

check/word prediction programs and interactive learning games for students with learning disabilities

(Lersilp, Putthinoi & Chakpitak, 2016).

One method of teaching students with high functioning ASD is the use of cooperative learning. This type of

learning involves collaboration between students and activities which aim to build self-confidence and

engagement. For students with ASD, social interaction is a common barrier to education, however, effective

group collaboration in a classroom can aid in overcoming these challenges. Reading, communication and

comprehension is an additional challenge that students with ASD face but can be combatted with the

implementation of definition cross-checking, word building exercises, concept mapping and using graphical

association whereby the student is presented with a picture and its associated word. Students may also have

difficulty with figurative language therefore it is important for a teacher to always instruct students clearly

and concisely (Woolley, 2016).

5
Emily Hodge 17479921

For students with ASD, a useful adjustment is to provide areas within a classroom for students to de-stress

and allow them to recover control of their emotions before returning to their peers. This aids students with

repetitive stress behaviours, emotional or sensory overload issues. Implementation of routines and schedules

to create consistency within the classroom also greatly helps these students (Porter-Johnson, 2011). While

literature suggests these things, all adjustments and accommodations will be highly individualised for each

student.

Differentiation skills educators can use in their instruction for those students with disabilities include

providing various methods of learning for students who learn more effectively via visual, auditory or

kinaesthetic means. Providing engaging visual media, kinaesthetic or hands on practical activities not only

benefits students with disabilities but all students within a classroom. Visual media such as picture graphs,

demonstrations, videos or graphical organisers and schedules can assist both ASD students and those who

are visual learners (Tissot & Evans, 2003). Using videos for students with hearing impairments is also a

benefit to all students. Auditory media such as audio books and videos with speech commentary aid students

with visual impairments, ASD students and Auditory learners. Kinaesthetic learners also benefit from hands-

on activities, physical model building, manipulation of objects and colouring/artistic tasks which also benefit

ASD students (Noor, Aini & Izzati Hamizan, 2014).

Providing structured tasks and clear instructions along with ensuring the lesson isn’t moving too fast,

providing a quiet space to minimise distraction and sensory overload greatly assist students with ASD in

their learning (De Verdier, Fernell & Ek, 2018). Just as importantly, teacher attitude can greatly affect how a

student learns in their classroom.

Inclusivity in education is of vital importance. Through the implementation of legislation and the use of the

abovementioned skills and teaching techniques, as well as many more, educators can provide all students

with an inclusive learning space in which all students have equal access to learning. It is vitally important

that teachers maintain a positive and accepting attitude towards inclusive education to be able to provide all

students with the education they deserve.

6
Emily Hodge 17479921

References

Arnold, S., & Reed, P. (2016). Reading assessments for students with ASD: a survey of summative reading

assessments used in special educational schools in the UK. British Journal of Special Education,

43(2), 122-141. doi: 10.1111/1467-8578.12127

Commonwealth of Australia, (2003) Disability Discrimination Act 1992. ACT: Australian Government

Publishing Service. Accessed from http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/dda1992264/

Commonwealth of Australia (2006). Disability Standards for Education 2005. Plus Guidance Notes. Barton,

ACT: Australian Government Publishing Service. Accessed from

http://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/Programs/Documents/Disability_Standards_for_Education_200

5.pdf

Darrow, A. (2014). Differentiated Instruction for Students With Disabilities. General Music Today, 28(2),

29-32. doi: 10.1177/1048371314554279

de Verdier, K., Fernell, E., & Ek, U. (2018). Challenges and Successful Pedagogical Strategies: Experiences

from Six Swedish Students with Blindness and Autism in Different School Settings. J Autism Dev

Discord, 48, 520-532. doi: 10.1007/s10803-017-3360-5

Dunn, L. (1968). Special Education for the Mildly Retarded—Is Much of it Justifiable?. Exceptional

Children, 35(1), 5-22. doi: 10.1177/001440296803500101

Laursen, E. (2000). Strength-based practice with children in trouble. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 9(2),

70-75.

Lersilp, S., Putthinoi, S., & Chakpitak, N. (2016). Model of Providing Assistive Technologies in Special

Education Schools. Global Journal of Health Science, 8(1), 36. doi: 10.5539/gjhs.v8n1p36

7
Emily Hodge 17479921

Lord, C., Elsabbagh, M., Baird, G., & Veenstra-Vanderweele, J. (2018). Autism Spectrum Disorder. The

Lancet, 392(10146), 508-520.imary Schools. International Journal of Law & Education, 17(2), 33-

48.

Loreman, T., Deppeler, J., & Harvey, D. (2011). Inclusive education (pp. 1-48). Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen

& Unwin.

Macaulay, L., Deppeler, J., & Agbenyega, J. (2016). Access to Quality Education for Students with

Disability. Journal of Social Inclusion, 7(2), 3-17.

Maciver, D., Hunter, C., Adamson, A., Grayson, Z., Forsyth, K., & McLeod, I. (2017). Supporting

successful inclusive practices for learners with disabilities in high schools: a multisite, mixed method

collective case study. Disability and Rehabilitation, 40(14), 1708-1717

Noor, N., Aini, M., & Izzati Hamizan, N. (2014). Video Based Learning Embedded with Cognitive Load

Theory: Visual, Auditory, and Kinaesthetic Learners’ Perspectives. International Conference on

Teaching and Learning in Computing and Engineering, 58 - 63. doi: 10.1109/LaTiCE.2014.19

Porter-Johnson, L. (2011). PROGRAMMING FOR STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM

DISORDER, 1-22.

Thomas, G. (1997). Inclusive Schools for an Inclusive Society. British Journal of Special Education, 24(3),

103-107. doi: 10.1111/1467-8527.00024

Tissot, C., & Evans, R. (2003). Visual Teaching Strategies for Children with Autism. Early Child

Development and Care, 173(4), 425-433. doi: 10.1080/0300443032000079104

Van Kraayenoord, C. (2007). School and Classroom Practices in Inclusive Education in Australia.

Childhood Education, 83(6), 390-394. doi: 10.1080/00094056.2007.10522957

Walsh, T. (2012). Adjustments, Accommodation and Inclusion: Children with Disabilities in Australian

8
Emily Hodge 17479921

Woolley, G. (2016). Reading comprehension intervention for high-functioning children with autism

spectrum disorders. Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties, 21(1), 41-58. doi:

10.1080/19404158.2016.1190770