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Inclusive Education - Assessment 1

Inclusive education aims at providing students with learning disabilities equity into education
by helping them throughout their schooling to attain a better understanding of lesson
material giving them the opportunity to succeed. The purpose of this paper is to (a) draw on
the change of the school environment toward inclusion education by implementing a
differentiated curriculum into everyday teaching practises, (b) examine the legislation aspect
of Disability Standards for Education, 2005, the Disability Discrimination Act, 1992, and the
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1990 which ensures that students with
disability are not denied the right to education. And lastly (c) a view of teacher perceptions
and teaching practice acquired to asses and accommodate the needs of all students to
achieve an inclusive learning environment regardless of the distinction of learning abilities.

Over the last fifty years there has been a major shift in the education system to encompass
inclusive learning environment. These changes were implemented due to several researchers
work and their contribution towards improving the education outcomes of students with
disabilities along with the movements into normalisation and social justices within the
education system (Foreman and Arthur‐Kelly, 2008). Perhaps the work of Warnock Report in
1978 back in the United Kingdom in which he considered the education of handicapped young
people and children and discussed whether “these disabilities are primarily physical,
intellectual, sensory or emotional” can be managed in regular school setting (Warnock, 1978).
The report provided a revolutionary change to incorporate students with disabilities into
mainstream schools by proposing a special education in which the education providers can
implement to assess and accommodate the need of those students and allowing them to
achieve their full potential (Warnock, 1978). Furthermore, the writings of Bank-Mikkelson
(1069), Nirje (1970, 1985) and Wolfensberger (1972, 1980), had a significant influence on the
way the education system is structured to assess the needs of students with disabilities. In
addition, the focus of these studies was also to define the educational needs of all students
beyond marginalisation aspects such as gender, poverty, language, ethnicity isolation within
the society (Foreman and Arthur‐Kelly, 2008).

According to Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth ARACY (2013), the
movement of the United Nation convention on the right of people with disabilities such as
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) into normal school life has been the precursor to inclusive
education IE (ARACY, 2013, p. 6). This principle of normalisation emphasised the view of
inclusion from been discussed exclusively about students with disabilities to bigger spectrum
of high education that all students can advance from (Dempsey, 2014, p. 158). According to
Anderson & Boyle (2015), the IE refers to the” philosophy that is grounded in social justice”.
Furthermore, applying IE illustrates the demand of reducing the educational injustices in
education system via total reforming of education curriculum, resources implementation in
the schools, and assessment tasks to integrate all students into a single learning environment.
In that, individuals regardless of any present obstacles or physical disabilities should be
valuated equally and provided with the opportunity to contribute successfully within their
society (Anderson & Boyle, 2015).
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Similarly, the concept of inclusion is also supported by many countries including the USA,
Canada, Australia, United Kingdoms and other countries across Europe. In Australia, the
department of education has joined the universal march toward the right of people with
disabilities to equal education and participations regardless of the degree of disability. These
inclusions in education are design to line with relevant universal conventions, laws and
regulations (Jenkinson, 2001). In 1992 Australia introduced a significant legislation, the
Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) seeking the right of people with disability in the
education systems. The act states that “human rights obligations under the convention on
the rights of person with disability and the international Covenant on Civil and Political Rights”
(DDA ,1992 p.3). Moreover, the DDA act defines the disability as “physical, intellectual,
psychiatric, sensory… having a learning disability, and the presence of disease-causing
organisms in the body”. Therefore, according to the act it is illegitimate to segregate or
discriminate people with disability from participation and exercising their right (Sakiz, 2017).

In 2005 the act was developed and strengthened by government releasing Disability
Standards for Education 2005 (Commonwealth Government, 2006), which provided further
expectation from the educational sector. This act also implied that students with disability
have the right and support for enrollment and admission in any course, involvement in
learning experience through curriculum development and ensuring that the learning
environment is free from any discrimination and harassment. Furthermore, the Australian
legislation (2005) requires the educator and the school; “to treat students with disabilities on
the same basis as students without disability” which means that “no students are left behind”
or as the act outline “zero reject”. Moreover, the Standards includes providing the students
and their parent the opportunity and consultation insight of personal related adjustments
provided by educational provider. Also involving obligations for making appropriate
modification to the student’s learning program and or learning environment ("Disability in
Australia: changes over time in inclusion and participation in education", 2018)
The crucial motives of implementing such legalisation with the education policy are due to
the rapid growth of developmental disabilities, or begin more recognising more frequently
due to special needs students encountering educational challenges and social deficit. As
reported on the Australian institute of health and welfare (2017), in 2015 there has been an
estimation of around 15% of students with special needs attending school respectively to 11%
reported in 2003. while 1 in 100 students has been diagnosed with some form of ASD
disabilities in the school setting, others were due to students developing disabilities such as
visual impairment, sever emotional and physical impairment, traumatic, and dyslexia
disabilities related to learning difficulties ("Disability in Australia: changes over time in
inclusion and participation in education", 2018). Autism spectrum Disorder ASD is a lifelong
health condition that can be developed from a very early stage in life. There are different
forms of ASD, many in which individuals are unable or limited to interact with the surrounding
environment (Autism Spectrum Australia, 2017). The various form of ASD can involve areas
such as (1) impairment in social interaction where the person with ASD has limited verbal
communication skills and as results they may not sustain association or lack of personal
collaboration. (2) social communication whereby they are delayed in personal language
development. (3) intellectual learning difficulties or repetitive behaviour in which an
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individual shows repetitive routine such as head and hand movements (Keen, Webster &
Ridley, 2016).
Due to the nature of these incapacities especially in the diagnosis of ASD, the students in this
scenario may encounter varied complications throughout their educational life. Therefore, it
is critical that those students being taught in regular classroom receive inclusive learning via
firstly, effective polices, several legalisations have been introduced by the commonwealth
government such as the disability standard for education 2015. In which it exhibits the equity
right of students with disability into admission, enrolment, participation and service accesses
across the educational institutions. The standard also discusses a number of exhibited and
unlawful treatment students with addition needs my encounter. Also preventing act where
by the education institutions are not permitted to develop any curricula and practices that
promote exclusion or difficulties towards access to education. Moreover, the standards
require the department of education to be enforced under a review every couple of years to
ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of the objective of the current disability discrimination
Act and to have an overview examination of the achievement of students with disability
across national schools (Spencer, Evmenova, Boon & Hayes-Harris, 2014).
Secondly, evidence based pedagogy and school support, Australian Curriculum, Assessment
and Reporting Authority, (ACARA, 2015), highlighted the purpose of education policies and
how Australian schools are focusing on creating successful and confident learners who can be
informed and active citizens via exercising equity and inclusion in education (Cai and Richdale,
2016). Due to increased number of special needs students the education department is faced
with many challenges to accommodate all students need. This involves creating curriculum
that allows the educator to implement differentiation extracurricular flexibilities and better
staffing environment that promotes positive school attitude. In addition, require teachers to
participate in ongoing training and support that enhances their teaching practice and
knowledge associated with inclusion and design for learning principle (Jenkinson, 2001).
Furthermore, the need for the teacher to have the important skills and knowledge to
integrate a different teaching practice. While the need for the school to supply all the
necessary equipment for teacher and students to establish a communication network
between students and their family and school consulting support (Whitburn, 2014).
Thirdly, teacher practice and teacher attitude, research finding in related to inclusion
education have defined the teacher role as the core aspect of successful education
experience, not only for students with special needs but also the inspiration towards a
brighter future for all. Whitburn (2014), it is essential that the teachers acquire many skills
such as teaching strategies, communication skills, skills to create individualised learning
environment and differentiation of learning materials (Whitbur, 2014). Such requirement is
observed in the Australian Professional standards for teachers. The standard necessitates the
teacher to distinguish the variation of learning needs of students with disabilities and to be
aware of legislation for students with disability, most importantly the the Disability Standards
for Education, 2005 & the Disability Discrimination Act, 1992 (Standard 1.5). Additionally,
Standard 1.6 & 4.1 emphasises the need of engagement for students with learning difficulties
and those with disabilities. In the standard modification to the curriculum and class content
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assesses inclusion environment which in turn assesses students’ participation in learning.

Moreover, its vital that both the teachers and the school community promote positive
attitude and encourage the students with disabilities to focus on their strengths. To do so,
school needs to supply the appropriate environment in which students can practice and
further improve their capabilities. In relating to classroom learning, the teacher should choose
adequate curriculum and methods to personalise the learning outcomes based on the
students learning needs (Australian Institute for Teaching and School leadership, 2012).
Likewise, Santarosa & Conforto (2016), explained some learning feature perceived in students
with ASD such as the strengths of visual spatial awareness. In this, the author suggests some
teaching strategies that teachers can use to help students understand the content they are
been taught. For instance, the teacher may incorporate visual content into lessons which may
be video clips, visual demonstration of practical principle such as targeting certain content
during learning or even packing materials and books (Santarosa, & Conforto, 2016).
Additionally, allowing some form of differentiation and scaffolding strategies when designing
learning schedule. According to Munro (2012), to achieve differentiation the educators are to
combine curriculum pedagogy with learning potential toward providing students the
opportunity to display their knowledge and understanding of the learning content. As results,
including differentiation in the learning material has positive influence for supporting not only
students with learning difficulties, it also providing significant support for gifted and talented
students to embrace learning. This can be established by matching learning task with students
learning status for example the incorporation of extra-curricular activities which in turn assess
gifted and talented students. Similarly, in some tasks the students with learning difficulties
may involve in the expression of the task however, objects and outcome still conserved
(Munro, 2012). Moreover, scaffolding principle when designing assessments, the teacher can
assess students with ASD to reach the subject outcome same as their peer by adding some
adjustment to the learning environment. Boujut, Dean, Rousselle, & Cappe (2016), article
explains how students with additional learning needs experience different types of
complication during tasks and exams. Therefore, giving clear instruction to tasks and using
different tools to demonstrate what student are required to perform will allow the students
with disabilities and those with diverse learning ability to better engage and exhibit their
learning (Boujut., etc, 2016).
Another important principle in education inclusion is defined in the context of Universal
Design for Learning UDL. In this, the education provider is to take some action in creative
learning process, assessment and goals whereby the adjustment in the learning creates
significant opportunities for all students to benefit from. The UDL approach ensures that the
change or customisation made for individual learner allows all students to better participate
and advance their learning. Hence, if the teacher shows a large coloured image to explain a
topic for a student with visual impairment, the large image will benefit all students (University
of Canberra, 2017).
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In conclusion, the education policies have had a major shift toward providing inclusion
environment for student with disabilities especially those diagnosed with ASD. These changes
became the precursor for implementing normal school setting in which they follow the
proposed regulation such as Disability Standards for Education, 2005, the DDA, 1992. The
education standard including the Australian Professional standards for teachers which
ensures the right of students and that the teaching strategies and teacher practices are to
support the needs of students with disabilities. This is achieved through making a modification
of educational curricular. Additionally, through the collaboration between the different
parties such as the school community & student family or school and education department
to help one another achieve the best outcome for all. Also creating differentiation in the
lesson context which in turn accommodated the needs of students with special needs and
those with ASD towards inclusive education for better education success.

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