Inclusive

Experience Report
Reflection and analysis of the
nature of special needs, the
inclusivity around those with a
disability and how inclusion can
be best adapted

Naomi Wharton
Table of Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................... 3
Setting of Experience................................................................................. 3
Pre-experience feelings and beliefs .......................................................... 5
Post-experience .......................................................................................... 5
Current Modifications and Adaptions .................................................... 6
Suggestions for Additional Modifications and Adaptions ..................... 7
Implications for Future Teaching .......................................................... 10
Conclusion ................................................................................................ 10
References ................................................................................................ 12
 Introduction

This report encases the personal journey of growing an understanding of

the nature of true inclusion. It explores learning outcomes and insight

discovered from experiences alongside people who acquire special need due

to various degrees of independent ability. Experience as a teacher’s assistant

at a school for children under the age of 12 who acquire individual teaching

and learning and then later the commencement of a service learning

experience at a horse riding grounds. These grounds accommodate many

riders that are challenged with physical or intellectual disability who benefit

therapeutically from riding.

Service learning is a sacrifice of time to a civic responsibility to investigate

an understanding of an indifferent experience. Enriching one self’s

knowledge and influencing attitudes and beliefs. In execution of service

learning as a pre-service teacher, students become more equipped in

establishing inclusion in the classroom. Whilst serving students develop their

apprehension of inclusivity. Prior to the service learning at the horse riding

grounds was time at an independent public school tailored for primary-aged

students with special needs. Personal experience at this school is the

experience discussed throughout this report as it has yielded the steepest

learning curve in the disability sector yet for me.

Setting of Experience

The service learning experience mentioned in this report is being

undertaken at a not for profit horse riding grounds in Perth’s northern suburbs

for all abilities and ages. Being an active volunteer within this community

entails grooming and maintenance of the animals in preparation for riders,

with or without disability, as well as the walking alongside riders while on a

horse. Horse riding acts as a learning experience and therapeutic recreational

activity for all. The gentle nature of the horses is calming to those facing

difficulty in any aspects of their life. The freedom and independence given to

riders when on the horse is especially enjoyable to those with restricted or

perhaps exploited independence physically, mentally and emotionally. Many

of those whom experience trouble in exercising their independence daily are

those facing a physical/mental disability. Horse-riding is a tactilely

stimulating environment (Fowler & Johnson, 2007). Such a sensory

stimulating activity is integral to development. Those with disabling

conditions that affects their communication are generally given less

opportunity to exercise their use of their senses (Fowler & Johnson, 2007). At

this therapeutic riding grounds both children and adults are granted sensory

exercise on the horses. The aim of participation in this service learning was

aid where possible and learn from the community about inclusion and the

nature of enriching the development of those with special needs.

Prior to the horse-riding grounds was a metropolitan co-ed independent

public school for primary aged students with high need. It offered an

educative experience, schooling children in a ‘separate education support

school’ (Chambers, 2007). The personal experience began in March 2016 in a

teacher’s assistant position. Amongst students there is a sparse variety in level

of communication and medical conditions. These students are impacted in so

many ways it becomes of their best interest to not yet integrated into a regular

school system. Classrooms are divided up based on needs and strengths. The
school prides itself on its detailed attention to individual needs in teaching

and learning to maximise student’s future education and well-being.

Pre-experience feelings and beliefs

Prior to my first day nervous butterflies engulfed me. This

environment was foreign to me. An environment where students were

loved by staff. It was daunting that perhaps I will unknowingly be

offensive to students. According to Frances Ryan (2014) “two-thirds of are

uncomfortable talking to disabled people” (paragraph 1). Personally, I

think this is due to the lack of exposure and integration of those with

disabilities in the community. My extent of exposure prior to my

experience may be greater than most as I went through primary school

with a peer faced with the challenge of autism. The boy’s lovely nature

allowed him to create mutually-enjoyable friendships with classmates that

have lasted beyond high school. I also took on a volunteering respite

opportunity for a family friend on-board in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia,

in December 2015. An opportunity to spend a few hours a day with Emily,

a 12-year-old girl with autism with minimal ability to communicate, for

the month. These people gifted me with feeding my understanding of

autism, boosting my confidence around those who face different needs due

to disability. Making me more likely to engage with all, regardless of their

social-competence.

Post-experience

After the space of seven months’ exposure to this school’s

community, important lessons were learnt. One was not to be only daunted
by the prospect of being offensive to those with and those around the

children but being pitiful towards them, treating them of any less of a

human being. When one young girl refused to accept the food, I was

spooning into her mouth I mistakenly remarked in a light-hearted fashion

that she was being “stubborn.” An educational assistant nearby corrected

me in expressing the limitation in independence and choice many of the

students face. Remarking that the young girl could be choosing to reject

the food to exercise her independence as it one of the few choices she can

choose to make with her cognitive disability. Stunned at first, this was a

turning point in my perspective of the children and the reasoning behind

their behaviour. I realised this gift of understanding is given to few, it

ignited my want for others in society to learn this too. I have recalled this

specific event to many family and friends to spread awareness of a

misconception and have cringed at remarks by others I have not yet shared

with. A specific example as one of my Uber drivers that praised me for

being “so patient” and moral in response to me answering his question of

where I work.

Current Modifications and Adaptions

Rather than domain specific learning there is a student specific

learning aim theme in all classrooms. The school branches to meet suitable

academic as well as immediate physical, social and emotional demands of

the child. With occupational and speech therapists located onsite,

swimming lessons in the school’s own pool, nursing staff that administer

medications, foods and attend to other medical needs and qualified staff
that create sensory and communication materials for individual students

and their classroom.

Communication between teachers and parents is vital to ensuring the

students best results in behaviour, comfortability and achievement. Every

student has a diary brought to and from school daily where teachers and

parents write back and forth to keep each other fully informed on things

such as appointments, sleep, seizures, mood, diet, etc. Communication by

students is aided by the schools appointed PODD books. These act as a

communication device for most students who are capable of intellectually

interpreting signs, symbols and words and answering with body language

such as eye contact for yes, looking away for no.

The classroom setting is altered to meet each class. Key components

of all classes are; the insurance of routine, clear then-and-now instruction

and large chunks of time allocated to what may be ‘simple’ tasks in

mainstream education such as toileting. Physical adaptations encompass

sensory toys, slings and disabled access and toilets. While being useful in

aided alternative needs, the school enforces events that are in mainstream

schools such as assemblies and athletics carnivals, despite them

demanding enormous efforts. All to ensure inclusivity is enforced where

possible, so students will have the smoothest possible transition to high

school and beyond in hopefully the workforce.

Suggestions for Additional Modifications and Adaptions

Students at this schools have high individual needs so their status of

the Services Continuum Model requires attendance of a tailored education

with a greater staff to student ration. However, the attention to their needs
should not restrict the child’s sense of belonging and integration with the

wider society, particularly students without a disability. Kurth,

Morningstar and Kozleski (2014) claim that progress on inclusion has

advanced however, a large percentage of those hindered by serve disability

are educated in segregated settings. Despite that Kurth, Lyon, and Shogren

(2015) supportively state;

Research demonstrates that students with severe disabilities can

learn academic (Browder, Spooner, Ahlgrim-Delzell, Harris, &

Wakeman, 2008; Dessemontet, Bless, & Morin, 2012; Kurth &

Mastergeorge, 2012), communication (Foreman, Arthur- Kelly,

Pascoe, & King, 2004), social (Boutot & Bryant, 2005; Carter,

2011; Fisher & Meyer, 2002), and self-determination (Shogren,

Palmer, Wehmeyer, Williams-Diehm, & Little, 2012; Wehmeyer,

Palmer, Shogren, Williams-Diehm, & Soukup, 2013) skills in

inclusive settings (p.261)

A local primary and high school only blocks away would be a great

opportunity to foster a buddy system. Why can’t these schools so

proximate integrate with these students for class time that can be inclusive

such as art. Art is an independence provoking domain in education where

student’s differences in cognitive ability isn’t as highlighted (Coleman,

Cramer, & Mee Bell 2015). Students self-expression and creativity is

fostered, an ideal environment to set up inclusively. For children art

presents a safe environment that creates opportunity for independent

decision making in the colours they use and what they create. This
opportunity of choice, a human right pivotal for well-being, can be limited

in everyday life for these children, debilitating to development (Fyson &

Cromby, 2013). This inclusive take on learning, students with and without

disability in one class setting, is evidently paramount to the development

of children with disabilities as well as beneficial to the development of

children without (Kalambouka, Farrell, & Dyson, 2007) as they gained

mutually-enjoyable and “helping friendships” (Kruth, Lyon, and Shogren,

2015, p. 270). Exposing young minds to their civic responsibility of

working towards a common good in society, a moral duty to include all

and treat all equally.

The school has difficulty in the lengthy process of sourcing needs-

based funding for school equipment and materials. Expensive or specific

requests for funding must be backed up by the teachers and a request is

presented to government fund administration. This aid in funds is a gift

from the community however has little capacity or scope for negotiation

that can often be more effective for the children. Whilst at the school it

was noted that a two-thousand-dollar weighted chair would be therapeutic

for some students who use pressure as a sensory load to calm themselves.

This classroom trailed the chair and it appeared to be favoured by students

however questionably justifiable at its expense. A similar model of the

chair could have possibly been hand-made by school groundsmen at

minimal cost. However, the government funding, even if the smallest

portion of the certified chair’s cost is required, is unjustifiable as the hand-

made equipment doesn’t have official certification. Funding could be spent

more wisely with reducing excessive rigid formalities (*Name supressed

in ‘Inquiry into students with a disability or special needs in New South

Wales schools, 2017, submission No. 48).

Implications for Future Teaching

As a primary school teacher of a student or students that requires an

independent learning program or any attendance of alternative need, they

are prone to teacher burnout. The extra energy to cater for a greater

diversity in ability in the classroom is personally demanding but

extraordinarily rewarding for all students.

In observing this heightened demand in planning and encouraging

integration, the lesson of delegation and involving the community is learnt.

In pursuit of an inclusive class children with special need’s aids may

disguise themselves as entire classroom aids. Sharing what the students

perceive as even attention. This allows a freedom to the student with an aid

to blend in with peers. The educational assistant becomes not socially

isolative to the child, hindering early human development.

The presence of disability gifts teacher’s with a shifted awareness

from the domain-specific-orientated learning, focused strictly on academic

outcomes. Rather than the aim to enrich all the child’s aspects of

development. So if not blessed with a student, experience or service

learning involving disabilities, may the community itself be a reminder.

Conclusion

In result of an experience in an environment catered for those with

special needs not only has my comfortability and confidence in interaction

with those with special needs and an understanding of their abilities and
restrictions increased. But a personal yearning for all communities in

society to cater for various need and ability. That not just segregated

environments such as special needs catered schools or recreational grounds

cater for those with disabilities. Through continuing to revolutionise

modification and adaptions may society strive for true inclusion. As a pre-

service teacher who has now has had their attention drawn to the issue of

inclusion in education from this experience, work towards what the staff I

met work towards.

References

Foreman, P., & Arthur-Kelly, M. (Eds.). (2014). Inclusion in action

(4th ed.). South Melbourne, Victoria: Cengage Learning Australia.

Fowler, S. & Johnson, H. (2007). Sensory stimulation; sensory-

focused activities for people with physical and multiple disabilities (2nd

ed.). London, UK: Jessica Kingsley Publications.

Fyson, R. & Cromby, J. (2013). Human rights and

intellectual disabilities in an era of ‘choice’. Journal of Intellectual

Disability Research, 57(12), 1164-1172. Doi: 10.1111/j.1365-

2788.2012.01641.x

Kurth, J., Lyon, K. & Shogren, K. (2015). Supporting students with

severe disabilities in inclusive schools: A descriptive account from schools

implementing inclusive practices. Sage Journals, 40(4), 261-274. doi:

10.1177/1540796915594160

Mari Beth Coleman, M B., Cramer, S., Park, Y., & Mee Bell, S.

(2015). Art educators’ use of adaptations, assistive technology, and

special education supports for students with physical, visual, severe and

multiple disabilities. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities,

27(5), 637-660. Doi: 10.1007/s10882-015-9440-6

Rix, J., Sheehy, K., Fletcher-Campbell, F., Crisp, M. & Harper, A.

(2015). Moving from a continuum to a community: Reconceptualising the

provision of support. Review of Educational Research, 85(3), 319-352.

Doi: 10.3102/0034654314554209

Ryan, F. (2014) Two-thirds of us are uncomfortable talking to

disabled people: We need time, money and effort to get over the
awkwardness. Retrieved from:

https://www.newstatesman.com/voices/2014/05/two-thirds-us-are-

uncomfortable-talking-disabled-people-we-need-time-money-and-effort