102084 Inclusive Education Assessment 1: Essay 18075872 – Tran Tuong Vi Nguyen

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Diversity requires the understanding of difference, such diverse learning environments will

improve the way in which students understand, interpret and perceive the world. This

promotes the idea of respect among students and the society they live in. In order for students

to value diversity, there is a need for inclusive education. Inclusion is aimed to eliminate the

barriers of a segregated system, it hopes to provide equal access and learning opportunities

for all students, regardless of their level of disability or other conditions. This paper

highlights the changing views towards inclusive classroom through the two legislations of the

Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, which

have mandated to sustain anti-discrimination against students with disabilities within the

educational institution. This will assist teachers in understanding the methodologies that

would aid in an inclusive classroom for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other

form of disabilities.

Civil rights movement in 1960 has recognised and advocated on the behalf of all

individuals with disabilities, pushing for policies and practices. Before 1970 students with

disabilities were educated in a segregated setting, excluding them from the mainstream

schools. The Convention on the Rights of the Childs 1989 was first created to prohibit

“disability-based discrimination” (Hodgson, 2012, p. 190) in the education setting. However,

it does not explicitly recognise the best interest for students with disabilities, whether their

needs are served at special education schools or integrated into the mainstream schools

(Hodgson, 2012). Hence, the convention act position and attitudes on the matter was very

ambiguous. The assumption of separated programs had produced a segregated system

through labelling a ‘second class’ or ‘the other’. This had pushed for the recognition that

students with disabilities has been denied the right of autonomy and decision-making by

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102084 Inclusive Education Assessment 1: Essay 18075872 – Tran Tuong Vi Nguyen

previous federal laws (Dunn, 1968; Gartner & Lipaky, 1987). These forms of conviction had

gone against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1946 in terms of not being treated

equally as other members of society (Loreman, Deppeler & Harvey, 2011; United Nations

[UN]). This had mandated the No child left behind Act 2001 to create an Individualised

Education Plans (IEPs) within the law to allow students with disabilities to have the mobility

in a normalised environment (Kozan, 2008; Poed & Elkins, 2012). This leads to the shifting

aptitudes in the western world towards how students with disabilities should be educated. The

significant aspect that moved the changing of attitudes and views was constituted on the

principle of ‘normalisation’. Coining the term “social role valorisation” (Konza, 2008, p. 39)

underlines that all individuals have the right to be valued equally and have the opportunities

to contribute on the same basis as other members of the communities (Gartner & Lipaky,

1987). Such acceptance promotes the notion of ‘inclusion’ that aims to remove the

segregation of education to ensure full participation of all students in all aspects of learning

and to be considered the same (Kozan, 2008; Loreman, Deppeler & Harvey, 2010). This is

reflected in the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for

Education 2005 within Australia, the acts advocate the enrolment and participations of

students with disabilities in the mainstream schools.

It is against the Australian Human Rights Commission through the Commonwealth

Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) to discriminate an individual on the basis of their

disability (Department of Education and Training [DET], 2015; Poed & Elkins, 2012). The

DDA is constituted to protect individuals with disabilities and their family against

harassments in all sectors such as, public spaces, workforces and schools. The DDA is also

implemented to ensure that students with disabilities receive the same right and educational

opportunities as other students (DET, 2015). The Disability Standards for Education 2005

(DSE) is an appendage of the DDA in attempt to stipulate clear expectations and

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102084 Inclusive Education Assessment 1: Essay 18075872 – Tran Tuong Vi Nguyen

responsibilities for equal access and opportunities within the education institution (Federal

Register of Legislation [FRL], 2005). The standards act as a subordinate legislation, insisting

schools to take all available actions and measures to ensure the needs of the students are met

and reflected (Poed & Elkins, 2012). While, it signifies the reasonable adjustments and

accommodations for students with disabilities through additional support, in order to have the

same experiences and opportunities ‘on the same basis’ as other students without disabilities

(FRL, 2005). However, the grounds for the adjustment must be deemed ‘reasonable’ by the

schools. It is stated that the adjustments are reasonable when the needs of the students with

disabilities are met, while it is also cost-efficient and not exceeding hardships on the schools

and staffs (DET, 2015; Loreman, Deppeler & Harvey, 2011). Both the DDA and the DSE

aim to establish equity for those diagnosed with a form of disability by eliminating exclusion

in society and within the educational institution. Additionally, the ‘Every Student, Every

School’ is a learning and support initiative implemented by the NSW Government to ensure

that the Department of Education is sustaining the expectations and requirements of the DDA

and DSE standards (DET, 2012).

It is stated in 2009 that the participation of students with disabilities in school had

drastically increased at the rate of 82.1% compared with students without disabilities of 77%

(Australian of Bureau Statistics, 2013). In the government schools, one in five students are

diagnosed with a form of disability, the increasing surge of students with autism, fetal alcohol

syndrome along with learning disorders of dyslexia, diabetes and other life-threatening

allergies (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2017; The Australian, 2016). The

inconsistencies and difficulties of the ways in which ASD should be diagnosed had pressed

for a new terminology of ‘Autism Spectrum Australia’ in April 2005, to ensure inclusion of

all forms of autism despite their severity (Autism Speaks, n.d; McCollum, 2012). The term

‘autism’ is described as a spectrum of symptoms involving “differences in behaviours, social

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102084 Inclusive Education Assessment 1: Essay 18075872 – Tran Tuong Vi Nguyen

interaction, communication and sensory processing” (Autism Spectrum Australia, p.1), that is

a lifetime neurodevelopmental condition affecting one’s daily functioning. In Australia, one

in every one hundred children is diagnosed with a form of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in

2012 (The Tipping Foundation, 2017). There is three classified diagnosis level of ASD to

evaluate the student’s developmental and social communication skills (Parent Connect,

2013). The three level of diagnosis will anticipate the amount of support and assistance

needed to adapt the students in the mainstream classroom. Henceforth, understanding

students with ASD learning needs will assist the teachers to foster the appropriate approach

of inclusion.

Inclusive education is a reasonably new concept that was acknowledged in Australia

during the mid-1970’s. The model underlines the process of adapting to the needs of all

students in the mainstream schools, regardless of their disabilities such as, autism and other

conditions. This shows that difference is acknowledged, accepted and respected. Inclusive

education is not about integrating, but more towards eliminating exclusions through

restructuring the schools in response to individual differences with pedagogies, activities and

curriculum (Loreman, Deppeler & Harvey, 2011). This is done in relation to teacher adhering

to the students’ IEP, which outlines the required learning supports for the students’ disability

by analysing their strengths and weakness. The IEP support process comprises of gathering

information on the students with disabilities, in order to seek and clarify their all needs,

including personal, physical, medical and learning expectations (DET, 2015). It aims to assist

the teacher to identify, plan and implement adjusted design lessons that would help

differentiate the students with disabilities learning outcomes (DET, 2015). IEP is the

foundation of understanding students with disabilities needs, it sanctions for further teaching

strategies and practices to facilitate effective learning outcomes. Becoming inclusive extends

beyond the schools, the change of attitudes of pre-service teachers, regular and special

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102084 Inclusive Education Assessment 1: Essay 18075872 – Tran Tuong Vi Nguyen

education teachers is a crucial aspect for the success of inclusion (Loreman, 2007; Loreman,

Deppeler & Harvey, 2011).

Differentiated instruction is a pedagogical approach that values the students with

disabilities diverse characteristics and abilities, as the teacher must undertake a combination

of modifying the curriculum, teaching structure and teaching practices (Kraayenoord, 2007).

An example in the document of ‘differentiation consideration for students with ASD’, this

could be used in the English curriculum of language conventions. The teaching and planning

sequenced would be constructed in a way that the teacher could eliminate idioms, while

providing the students with additional “word banks, sentence starters, concept maps and

images as prompts for expression” (Queensland Government, n.d). This example

accommodates across all learning KLAs and other diverse learners. An additional

pedagogical practice is the Universal Design for Learning Principles (UDLPs) where

deliberate planning of curriculum and lesson are created without adaptions and modifications,

through providing equal access for all students (Kraayenoord, 2007). This student-centred

approach encourages self-sufficiency as students have the flexibility of ways to access

information that best suits them. Thus, curriculum-based adjustments are not always

necessary, it is merely the consideration of the classroom teaching and structure.

There are many advantages of an inclusive classroom, it is beneficial for students with

disabilities as well as for students without disabilities. The removal of students with

disabilities had affected their psychological level in terms of their self-esteem, while making

them an easy target to be discriminated against within the community. Hence, it is extremely

crucial to ensure the wellbeing of students with disabilities, prompting the acceptance of

difference and diversity (Loreman, Deppeler & Harvey, 2011; Thomas, 1997). Inclusion

enables a sense of social connectedness and belonging with peers, the school and community.

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102084 Inclusive Education Assessment 1: Essay 18075872 – Tran Tuong Vi Nguyen

Students with diverse learning will benefit from a cooperative environment as it will enhance

their communications and cognitive skills (Loreman, Deppeler & Harvey, 2011). While

exposing students without disabilities will inform their understanding on difference, giving

them the opportunities to change their attitudes and not discriminate. Also, enabling students

without disabilities to develop a sense of leadership through helping others. This is a shared

experience because inclusion allows all students to learn from one another by understanding

that everyone succeeds in different areas based on their strengths and weaknesses (Kozan,

2008). Therefore, the long terms advantageous of an inclusive environment will fabricate a

well-respected community of tolerance and respect.

While inclusive education is beneficial in so many ways, it is not to say that it is not

challenging with several impediments. There is an immense pressure placed on the classroom

teacher to differentiate for a diverse group of students. A ratio of one to thirty stresses the

need for additional and constant training for teachers to improve their knowledge and

prerequisite skills to effectively accommodate diverse learning needs. This stems the

importance of having knowledge on the diverse learning needs, in order for teachers to

identify undiagnosed students that falls between the cracks and needs a formal diagnosis

(Kozan, 2008). Time demands can be considered as the major concern in terms of achieving

inclusion with the classroom, constant supervision and balancing other duties of a teacher.

According to Kozan (2008), there are other challenges when implementing a fully inclusive

model within the classroom:

 Teacher resistance towards inclusion;

 Whether the teachers lack competent;

 Insufficient resources and support aids;

 Behavioural management issues;

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102084 Inclusive Education Assessment 1: Essay 18075872 – Tran Tuong Vi Nguyen

 Inadequate pre-service training and professional development leads to the reducing of

teacher efficacy;

 Need for collaboration viewed negatively, e.g. a sign of incompetent;

 Parents demands and concerns;

 Well planned lessons may not go according to plan;

It is crucial for teachers to be fully aware of these challenges so that preventive measures can

be implemented to promote an inclusive setting. It is essential for teachers to be flexible,

adaptable, creative and willing to constantly develop their own personal and professional

skills. To ensure that the teacher continues to persevere and have the resilience to take on

these challenges, the notion of self-reflection is vital to the success of inclusion. As a pre-

service teacher, I believe teachers must go beyond what is expected of them in order to obtain

their values and beliefs. Building one personal philosophy will allow them to counteract any

challenges, for example, if teachers do not have that sense of persistence, the stress-level they

endure could affect their attitudes towards inclusion and result to a quick-fix solution. In

theory, there are many strategies that may or may not be effective, however in practice, it is

important especially for pre-service teachers to build a concrete foundation of tolerance,

patience, organisation, well-prepared and never give up. Teachers should be able to accept

and admit their weaknesses to further strengthen their understanding by collaborating and

sharing the knowledge and experience to others.

In essence, the representation of students with disabilities and diverse abilities in the

Australian schools are changing through the implementation of the DDA and DSE

legislations. The notion of ‘inclusion’ has been introduced to ensure that schools

accommodate learning needs of all students, as schools exist to meet the educational needs of

the student and not the other way around. Hence, it is essential for teachers to acquire a wide

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102084 Inclusive Education Assessment 1: Essay 18075872 – Tran Tuong Vi Nguyen

range of skills of adaptions and pedagogical practices based on the students learning

requirements to promote inclusive education. In hopes, this is an attempt to remove

discrimination against students with disabilities.

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102084 Inclusive Education Assessment 1: Essay 18075872 – Tran Tuong Vi Nguyen

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eada7b74d466/Education-20905.pdf.aspx

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102084 Inclusive Education Assessment 1: Essay 18075872 – Tran Tuong Vi Nguyen

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102084 Inclusive Education Assessment 1: Essay 18075872 – Tran Tuong Vi Nguyen

The Australian. (2016). One in five students has a disability: confidential data. Retrieved

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