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102084: Inclusive Education- Theory, Policy and practice Assessment 1: Essay

Inclusive Education Essay


Introduction

The concept and practice of inclusive education has gained crucial importance in today’s increasingly

globalised world. The fundamental principle of inclusive education stems from the notion that all children with

and without disabilities participate and learn together regardless of any difficulties or differences (Dreyer,

2017). Over the years, society has become accustomed to the idea that children with disabilities are to be

taught in separate classrooms or entirely separate schools; with many people associating special education

with separate education. Loreman, Deppeler and Harvey (2011) suggest that when classrooms celebrate

and value diversity; that when mainstream schools take on the responsibility of adapting and changing the

curriculum, content and teaching methods to suit the needs of all students irrespectively, then inclusion is

successful.

This paper delves into specific legislation, such as the Disability Standards for Education, 2005 and

the Disability discrimination act, 1992 to highlight the changing views about inclusive education and how

these legislations’ have impacted an educational system that services all students including those with

difficulties or differences. Furthermore, to grasp a better understanding of the roles educators’ have in

achieving an inclusive learning environment, this paper will also examine the measures put in place to help

educators, school and the community successfully create appropriate adjustments and accommodate an

inclusive education for students with disabilities, in particular students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Legislation to students with additional needs

The mistreatment of people with disabilities, would see these individuals treated in a less favourable

manner under the same circumstance, in comparison to those people without a disability. As a result, in 1992,

the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) was introduced to combat discrimination apparent in

mainstream society. The DDA made it illegal to unfairly treat people that have a disability based on their

condition (DET, 2012). Working alongside the DDA, the Disability Standards for Education was established

in 2005 to work together to achieve student inclusion across the country. Disability Standards for Education

are responsible for regulating standards set by the DDA, they are in charge of overseeing “enrolment,

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102084: Inclusive Education- Theory, Policy and practice Assessment 1: Essay

participation, student support services, curriculum development, accreditation and delivery and elimination

of harassment and victimisation for students with a disability” (DET, 2012, para. 2).

Achieving inclusive education is an international priority, as the World Declaration on Education for

All (EFA) adopted in 1999 had a vision of “universalizing access to education for all children, youth, and

promoting equity” (UNESCO, 2009, p. 9). However, it was not until a Convention on the Rights of People with

Disabilities held in 2006, which formed the basis for the development of inclusion for people with disability.

They addressed central elements with regards to ensuring “the right to access an education and the right to

quality education and the right to respect in the learning environment” (UNESCO, 2009, p.9). In response to

the universal effort of promoting equal and active participation of all people with disability, Australia and other

nations in 2008 held a Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. In terms of education, the

Convention states, “persons with disability should be guaranteed the right to inclusive education at all levels,

regardless of age, without discrimination and on the basis of equal opportunity” (ARACY, 2013, p. 4). These

changes in policy allowed for the recognition and implementation of our modern “inclusive” classroom.

Changing views on inclusion

Previously held assumption concerning inclusivity have undergone change throughout the years.

However, we as a society still have a long road ahead before we are able to achieve an all-inclusive

classroom setting. The late 19th century saw the segregation and isolation of students with disabilities with

many of these students receiving little to no education at all. With the passing of the Public Schools Act, 1866

attendance became compulsory for students (Shorten, 1996). However, this act failed to consider the

inclusion of students with special needs hence, these students were segregated from the mainstream

classrooms and placed in specialised schools. These schools claimed to educate students with special needs

yet acted as a residential facility that was solely created to house these students and isolate them from the

mainstream classroom, which did little towards the students’ overall educational growth (Sweeney, 2007).

Specialised schools set a precedent in the years to come with more schools being established with

semi-trained individuals who understood how to care for these students but were not particularly informed on

how to educate them. At the time, the idea of ‘inclusivity’ was very limited, with many believing that these

specialised schools were what is best for these students. According to Konza (2008), it was not until the
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102084: Inclusive Education- Theory, Policy and practice Assessment 1: Essay

1970s that students with disabilities were integrated within the mainstream educational setting. Although the

perspective on students with disabilities has changed, integration was only a step in the right direction

towards achieving inclusion. In relation to ASD, incorporating the concept of inclusivity is still seen as struggle,

as “the characteristics of ASD can cause stress and a variety of problems for both students and educators

within the fully integrated classroom” (Leblanc, Richardson & Burns, 2009, p. 167). The shift in attitude came

about in response to the efforts of Australia and other nations during the 2008 convention. This shift in

perspective towards inclusion aligned with the Disability Discrimination Act, 1992 and the Disabilities

Standards for Education, 2005. Konza (2008) points out that inclusion will only be achieved if we as a society

move away from the idea of ‘accommodating students with special needs into a “normal” system’ (p. 39);

education equality is access to local schools for all student, irrespective of levels of disability.

Inclusion for students with ASD

In order to effectively provide an inclusive classroom for students with ASD educators must first

understand the varying level of the spectrum disorder and the challenges associated with it. ASD is a neuro-

developmental disorder that results in cognitive and behavioural deficits and is classified according to its

severity on the Diagnostic Statistic Manual- 5 (DSM-5) (Reagan, 2012). The varying levels of ASD increases

in order of severity, these include: Autism disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental

Disorder- Not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), which is also referred to as ‘Atypical Autism’.

Students with ASD often have difficulty in understanding or communicating their needs to teachers

and classmates, students may find it difficult to follow classroom instruction, along with the subtle vocal and

facial cues of teachers. These characteristics and behaviours “can jeopardize student learning, not only

because they interfere with relationships, but also because they interfere with the learning environment”

(Goodman & Williams, 2007, p. 53). Teaching students with ASD has its challenges however, with that being

said, the copious amount of research out there suggests the opposite, that in fact, if done correctly and

students with ASD or students with special needs are included in the mainstream setting, students will

experience a “higher levels of engagement in social interaction, give and receive higher levels of social

support, have a wider social network and have more advanced education goals compared to their

counterparts in segregated settings” (Lindsay, Proulx, Scott & Thomson, 2014, p. 102).
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102084: Inclusive Education- Theory, Policy and practice Assessment 1: Essay

Attitudes of educators towards meeting the needs of students with ASD is particularly important as

Connor (2000) highlights that students with ASD are at an increased risk of experiencing social exclusion

and bullying. Educators must have a good understanding of ASD, as a step in the right direction to achieving

an all-inclusive education. Educators must be prepared to respond to the behaviours that might manifest as

a result of the disorder (Marks et al., 2003). It is crucial to that the varying learning needs across the entirety

of the classroom setting are being catered for, to achieve optimum student growth.

Teaching skill, adjustments and accommodations

Inclusion of disability can be significantly impacted by the teacher’s knowledge and comfort level when

teaching an inclusive classroom. As more children are being diagnosed with learning and behavioural

difficulties, it is becoming more important that educators meet the needs of these diverse learners. If

educators have better access to effective teaching strategies to help teach students with disabilities,

educators would feel more comfortable accommodating students with disabilities to make them feel included

their classrooms (Leblanc et al., 2009).

Teaching skill

Inclusion within a classroom is crucial for students with special needs as it provides an environment

that caters to them and allows them to develop and learn alongside their peers. Knowing how to effectively

cater to these students requires proficient pedagogical skill and being able to differentiate to meet the specific

learning needs of students across a range of varying ability (AITSL, 2014). The basis of all teaching skills is

to be able to first form connections and to know your students and how they learn. McGrath and Van Bergen

(2015) suggests that to create an effective learning environment requires the ability to connect to students of

all needs and building positive student-teacher relationships. Loreman et al. (2011) further highlights how

positive teacher attitude is the key to creating an inclusive environment, attitudes affect the way we perceive

things which directly influences our actions. Hence, to achieve an all-inclusive classroom setting, it is vital

that educators have a positive attitude towards accommodating students with special needs.

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102084: Inclusive Education- Theory, Policy and practice Assessment 1: Essay

Providing students with different mediums to complete learning tasks and assessments with the same

outcomes of what is expected, is the teacher’s ability to work in a flexible classroom. According to Conner

(2000) children with ASD have visual-spatial strengths, educators could use these strengths and incorporate

explicit instruction and demonstration. Instead of expecting the students to understand teacher expectations,

demonstrating and making expectations clear will not only assist students with ASD but it could also assist

students with a hearing impairment and improve the overall inclusive classroom. Educators can achieve

inclusion through implementing project-based learning strategies, as students will have a clearly designed

process with the end outcome in mind.

Adjustments and accommodation

Along with necessary teacher skills and attitudes, appropriate adjustments and accommodations

should be implemented to cater to the individual needs of students. Adjustments are any modifications made

for these students and can be classified into either: instructional, curriculum or environmental. It is important

to know that a single teaching approach cannot be effective for every student within the classroom, hence

providing variations of the pedagogical approach is imperative. Utilising the Universal Design for Learning

(UDL) model when planning a unit of work or lessons, can assist educators in differentiating the learning for

their students (Hall, Strangman and Meyer, 2003). Learners vary greatly in the way in which they discern and

comprehend information and the UDL model highlights different ways to approach content delivery. It

provides educators with the means to represent information in various ways to appeal to diverse learners,

but also delves into methods of content delivery that is both engaging and allows for meaningful expression.

Modifying the curriculum slightly can also help students with special needs meet the learning outcome better

(Konur, 2006). For example, in Science if there is an investigation that is to be undertaken as part of the

syllabus, students with learning needs or ASD can be given a less complex variation of the same investigation

to better cater to their needs.

The use of technology in the classroom provides a means of engagement and inclusion for all

students within a classroom. Technological devices and applications have become a standard instructional

tool used by educators across all classrooms and subjects. Reasoning associated with the wealth of benefits

technology has to offer and the range of resources and individualised applications available. For students
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102084: Inclusive Education- Theory, Policy and practice Assessment 1: Essay

with ASD, visual and auditory impairments in particular, it provides a simple and effective way to deliver

instruction or assist with instruction (Wehmeyer, et al., 2008). In addition to the UDL, educators can

accommodate students with special needs by implementing Individual Education Plan (IEP). An IEP can

help students with learning disabilities and other challenges succeed in school. An example of an IEP that

educators can utilise is peer tutoring and collaboration. Collaboration is a strategy which can accommodate

diverse learners, by engaging the students in pairs they are able to pro-actively learn from each other

(Harrower and Dunlap, 2001). Collaboration brings forth inclusivity as it can provide students with ASD a

voice, it gives students the ability to express their thoughts and it’s a medium which allows them to be heard;

as collaboration empowers students to reflect on their thoughts through positive relationship.

In conclusion, the approaches taken by the Australian education was a result of the changing views

on inclusion was seen through the implementation of the Disability Discrimination Act, 1992 and the Disability

Standards for Education, 2005. Stemming away from the segregated model, the aforementioned legislations

has allowed for the concept of inclusivity to be adopted in educational settings across Australia. Although,

challenges come with adopting an all-inclusive setting, when educators further develop their skills and

increase their knowledge on what students with special needs require, all students ultimately win. Inclusion

can be implemented through utilising UDL models and IEP, educators can also successfully promote

inclusion through positive attitudes and collaboration, so all students can shine through regardless of ability.

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102084: Inclusive Education- Theory, Policy and practice Assessment 1: Essay

Reference:

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