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Assessment Task 1: Inclusive Education Essay

Inclusion in an educational setting provides opportunities for a range of students

whom have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or any other additional disabilities in general.

There are several challenging aspects in which teachers face to create an inclusive

environment for these students. Though teachers need to become more involved and

responsible educators when they deal with students in general including students with ASD

or any other disabilities. Therefore, the first step towards recognition is acceptance.

Accepting students with diverse abilities should be modeled by teachers within a classroom

setting as to promote the world is full of unique individuals. Teachers are required to have the

personal and professional skills to teach these students, as ASD has become a common

disorder in the educational settings. Teacher attitudes are crucial when it comes to the

effective implementation of inclusive education, as they are the first point of contact for

many students, therefore they are the primary determiners in the effectiveness of pedagogical

practices. Therefore, training is an effective strategy for teachers to learn more about and

understand the circumstances to these disabilities, as they will become more knowledgeable

towards the disorders. It is believed that in an educational setting Australia began in the mid

1970s to “integrate students with disabilities into mainstream classrooms” (Konza, 2008,

p.39). Inclusions for these particular students have become noticed and have been effective

ever since the 1970s, overall this essay will further look into these major points mentioned

above.

In order to successfully gain knowledge about ASD and any other disorders, teachers

need to achieve a high understanding of the characteristics of these disabilities as well as

understand the behavioural strategies. This will allow teachers to examine students

individually because each student with any disability is unique and special in their own way,

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while Jeffress believes that, “Focusing on the linguistic representation of disability is an

excellent way to begin reflective conversations” (2017, p.2). In order for good teaching,

knowledge and skills are required, these may include adapting to the curriculum content,

applying assistive technology that deepen understanding, assessing special needs, as well as

modifying teaching procedures that will suit a range of different abilities for every student.

Therefore teachers need to assess effective strategies they believe that will best fit to meet the

student’s standards so they could reach their full potential. It is also crucial that teachers

create an environment to foster all students including students with ASD to work together,

collaborate and not feel left out. Teachers need to endorse the classroom as a positive

community where all students are involved in all classroom activities, as students would be

exposed to an applicable environment that positively influences students with ASD in the

same manner as every other student. Therefore, every other student in the classroom or

outside will learn to respect students with disabilities.

According to research teachers have stated concerns in relation to confidence they

lack within an inclusive classroom, even after they have attended training sessions teachers

have stated, “although the course was helpful, they still required more support in instructional

strategies and understating characteristics of students with different types of disabilities”

(Able, et al., 2015, p.46). These teachers however need to take responsibility and demonstrate

how they can help students with ASD to succeed. Therefore, teachers need to create

strategies they intensely believe that will be an effective way to teach students, they need to

trust their strategies while they learn the characteristics of ASD. Teachers are required to look

beyond the label of students being ‘autistic’ or ‘disabled’ and rather understand that these

students exert their symptoms through their behaviours. All students with ASD and any other

disabilities should have equality in educational opportunities, as this is a principle of

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normalisation while “the idea of normalisation is also a key concept in education and social

welfare area” (Sanagi, 2016, p. 229). The attitudes of society impacts inclusion in which

people have changing views to any student with a disability relatively, excluding them from

the mainstream society believing that they are not normal and should be excluded. However

the aim of normalisation in education is to include all students regardless of their disabilities

to experience “normal” patterns in a classroom by including them to conform to social norms

and treating all students equally (Foreman & Arthur, 2008, p.8). Wolfensberger (1972) has

published his thoughts towards normalisation as he clarifies that the issue of normalisation

arose due to the way the institutions were designed to run, as people ‘dehumanised’ others

who had disabilities by treating them as if they cannot be educated and had no feelings.

Although views have changed throughout the years, the principle of normalisation has

advocated the community for students with disabilities, they are moving towards a broader

idea by achieving obstacles to gain better knowledge. This also looks at the major point of

teacher attitudes as they play a role by contributing in workshops and deepening their

knowledge towards these students with the disabilities. The role the school plays towards

inclusion has to be valued as they could include family members, the community and also

anyone else who is interested in participating to further create opportunities to promote

valued learning for all students with or without disabilities.

Moreover, the Salamanca Agreement implemented fundamental policies that promote

inclusive education in order to enable schools to serve all children. The agreement proposes

strategies, theories and protocols in which schools and organisations could implement. These

were then adopted into documents on principles, policy and practice for students with special

needs in inclusion as an Action Framework in education. The Universal Declaration of

Human Rights proclaims the right of every child to an education “and was forcefully

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reaffirmed by the World Declaration on Education for All” (Conference Statement, 1994,

p.495). As a result of this, Australia including many other countries began to implement

inclusive education. An international review broadly looks at the idea of recruiting pre-

service teachers with disabilities to serve as a role model for children, this however allows

students and individuals to recognise the “positive orientation towards disability”

(Conference Statement, 1994, p.501). Although, studies indicate that inclusion within a

classroom affects students; however these students learn through accepting and respecting

diverse students by being able to tolerate and learn a life lesson, conversely students with

disabilities grasp more on ‘social and emotional’ understanding in mainstream classrooms

therefore is beneficial for student’s with additional needs and student’s with ASD (Evins,

2015, p.28).

The Australian Disability Standards for Education 2005 acknowledges people “with

disabilities have the same rights to equality before the law in the area of education and

training as the rest of the community” (Ruddock, 2005, p.6). Similarly, Nketsia (2018) also

states, “The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Standards are intended to give

students with the disability the same rights as other students, including the right to education

and training ‘on the same basis’ as students without disability”. Equally this aims to promote

a community of acceptance and recognition while the goal of this is for the environment to be

multicultural in addition to staff welcoming all students regardless of their race, ethnicity,

class as well as their disability. It is also viewed that not only this can help students to feel

connected and belonged, it will however ‘change beliefs, values and attitudes of all staff

within the school as to how schools are structured’ (Loreman, 2007, p.23). Boutot argues that

in order for students to feel accepted teachers should plan and support inclusive classrooms

for students with ASD similar to the way they plan for any other typical students (2007,

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p.156). Teachers need to be very organised when it comes to teaching their class because

some students find it tough to stay on track with what is happening in the classroom,

therefore teachers should use a routine, as this will reduce and maintain anxiety levels for all

students including students with disabilities. Clear structured routines will allow students to

be aware of what will happen during the class, teachers could have a clear agenda written on

the board during every lesson for students to understand what the lesson will be based on.

Breaking down instructions as well as delivering information in a clear and concise manner,

known as the ‘instructional teaching approach’, which will easily strengthen student’s

understandings. Most students tend to be more of a visual learner rather than a listener, this

also includes students with any other disabilities as well as students with ASD, whereby they

tend to grasp knowledge faster when they focus on visual information. Teachers therefore

could become creative and present information through creative ways that might include

visual presentations, cards that display images as well as charts/graphs or videos that could

help them remember faster.

Teachers are to work their way around the Australian Curriculum as to how the

curriculum sets out to cater students with disabilities, correspondingly, “The ideal curriculum

should be framed accordingly. The demands of the mainstream curriculum will generally be

beyond the scope of students with intellectual disability” (Balakrishnan, & Djk, 2012,

p.85). This also includes students to be able to realise their full potential. Therefore, teachers

need to organise their lesson plans according to the curriculum by assisting students learning

needs that best provide a clear structure to the outcomes provided. This may include personal

and professional skills that could take place to cater their learning. The Australian

Curriculum also emphasises that within the learning area ‘knowledge, understanding and

skills’ are essential as “Teachers are able to choose how best to introduce concepts and

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processes, and how to progressively deepen understanding to maximize the engagement and

learning of every student” (ACARA, 2012 p.19). Therefore, there are various personal and

professional skills that could assist students with disabilities as communication differs with

every student. For example the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers clearly states,

“know students and how they learn” and “know the content and how to teach” (AITSL,

2011). Personal skills may include collaborating with their parents, guardians or any other

stakeholders to assist the student’s best needs by knowing them before teaching them. This

also includes teachers to exercise their autonomy as they participate towards the action they

chose to take and the reflection involved by them to implement towards the curricula through

a collaborative way to meet student’s needs. Educators could also build student profiles as

this will further build on teacher’s lessons as to what they can teach in their activities

according to what they like or dislike to fulfill their needs by getting them effectively

engaged through pedagogical approaches. Furthermore, professional skills would include

assessment and adjustments to the curriculum to fulfill students learning requirements.

Support skills may also include speech pathology for appropriate outcomes. Personal and

professional skills could correspond in ways to accommodate learning for all students, it is a

great example for teachers to conduct formal assessment to gain further insight and

understand on all student’s strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, “inclusivity embraces the

idea that everyone is an individual and their diversity is respected” (ARACY, 2013, p.27).

Overall, all students are equitable to having the same opportunities and experiences in

life whether they diverse or multicultural as long as the material provided covers all content.

As a result, teachers are to collaboratively work together in order for schools to accommodate

all students’ needs by promoting inclusivity within all classrooms. This can also involve

parents and caregivers as they could help assist and promote belonging within the inclusive

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environment. Hence, the ‘Disability Standards for Education 2005’ and ‘Disability

Discrimination Act 1992’ has allowed adjusting views in relation to inclusivity, therefore

Australia has become more inclusive in ways where the Australian Curriculum has evidently

improved to fit all students need. Yet, schools and teachers play a major role, as they need to

be able to accommodate and adjust ways of inclusion in the classrooms, they need to ensure

that all students are benefiting throughout their learning process, as this can be assessed

through individual student assessment. Hence, pedagogical framework strategies including

further adjustments and accommodations in an educational setting with support a range of

different methods to student’s success.

Word Count: 2017 words

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References:

Able, H., Sreckovic, M., Schultz, T., Garwood, J., & Sherman, J. (2015). Views from

the Trenches: Teacher and Student Supports Needed for Full Inclusion of

Students with ASD. 38(1), 44.

ACARA. (2012). The Shape of the Australian Curriculum. Retrieved from

http://docs.acara.edu.au/resources/The_Shape_of_the_Australian_Curriculum_V3.pdf

(ARACY) The Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth. (2013). Inclusive

Education for Students with Disability. Retrieved from

https://www.aracy.org.au/publications-

resources/command/download_file/id/246/filename/Inclusive_education_for_students

_with_disability_-

_A_review_of_the_best_evidence_in_relation_to_theory_and_practice.pdf

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2011). Australian Professional

Standards for Teachers. Available online:

<https://www.aitsl.edu.au/docs/default-source/apst-

resources/australian_professional_standard_for_teachers_final.pdf

Balakrishnan, J., & Djk, C. (2012). Inclusive Education for Students with Intellectual

Disability. Disability, 23(2), 81-93.

Boutot, E. (2007). Fitting in: Tips for Promoting Acceptance and Friendships for Students

with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Inclusive Classrooms. Intervention in School and

Clinic, 42(3), 156-161.

Conference Statement: Framework for Action on Special Needs Education. (1994).

International Review of Education / Internationale Zeitschrift Für

Erziehungswissenschaft / Revue Internationale De L'Education, 40(6), 495-507.

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Evins, A. E. (2015). The Effects of Inclusion Classrooms on Students with and Without

Developmental Disabilities: Teachers’ Perspectives on the Social, Emotional, and

Behavioral Development of All Students in Inclusion Classrooms.

Foreman, P., & Arthur‐Kelly, M. (2008). Social Justice Principles, the Law and Research,

as Bases for Inclusion. Australasian Journal of Special Education, 32(01), 109-124.

Jeffress, M. (2017). Pedagogy, Disability and Communication: Applying Disability

Studies in the Classroom. (Interdisciplinary Disability Studies).

Konza, D. (2008). Inclusion of students with disabilities in new times: responding to the

challenge. In Kell, P., Vialle, W., Konza, D. & Vogl, G (eds), Learning and the

learner: exploring learning for new times (pp.38 - 64), University of Wollongong.

Loreman, T. (2007). Seven Pillars of Support for Inclusive Education. Moving from “Why?”

to “How?” 3 (2), 22 – 34.

Nketsia, W. (2018). Inclusive Education – Theory, Policy and Practice. 102084. Retrieved

from

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w&content_id=_3145840_1&course_id=_24385_1

Ruddock, P. (2005). Australian Government: Disability Standards for Education 2005. p.6.

Sanagi, T. (2016). ATTITUDES TO NORMALISATION AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION.

Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 16, 229-235.

Wolfensberger, W. (1972). The principle of normalization in human services. Toronto:

National Institute on Mental Retardation.