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Inclusive Education (IE) has become an increasing concern within the Australian education
system over the recent years. This has not only been influenced by national legislation
discussed, alongside the specific classroom actions of differentiation and teacher attitudes.
This will not only provide a broad understanding of IE in general, but will also provide insight
into specific strategies that can be used to assist students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Before discussing the specific steps that need to be taken to accommodate a student with
entails. A school that embodies IE recognises and responds to the unique needs of each
student and provides accommodations for both learning rates and styles (UNESCO, 1994).
Given this broad definition, both teacher attitudes and differentiation are seen as essential
The importance of IE can be seen to relate to the Australian context given the Australian
Professional Standards for Teaching (APST), which was put in place by the Australian
Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). Within this set of standards, standard
1.6 outlines that in our teaching we must incorporate: “Strategies to support full
participation of students with disability” (AITSL, 2012). The Quality Teaching Model (New
South Wales Department of Education and Training, 2003) also refers to the importance of
Inclusivity within the classroom. These two examples highlight the shift towards IE that has
become significant within the Australian education landscape. The changing views of IE will
now be discussed on a broader context, with key pieces of legislation being highlighted. The
changing view of IE within the Australian education system will now be developed further
Inclusive education has adapted over the years, to become what is present within our
schools today. This is in large part due to government legislation, both on an international
and national stage. Both the Education Reform Act of 1990 and the Disability Discrimination
Act of 1992 will be discussed along with their impact on IE within Australia. A comparison
will then be drawn to thoughts and attitudes that existed prior, to demonstrate the
One such example of key legislation that pushed for the inclusion of all was the Education
Reform Act of 1990. The act ensures that all personnel within the education sector: “[assist]
each child to achieve his or her educational potential”, as well as providing opportunities
and assistance to children with disabilities (NSW Government, pg 4). This piece of legislation
was fundamental in creating the view of inclusion that we have present now in Australia.
The act ensures that all students have access to support and assistance to achieve their
Another key piece of legislation that changed the view of IE within Australia is the Disability
Discrimination Act of 1992 (Australian Government, 1992). This piece of legislation follows
from the Education Reform act, with a greater focus on the mistreatment of people with
disabilities. Similarly, it entails that all students with disabilities be given the same
educational opportunities as those without. It is a requirement for all schools and staff to
abide by the points outlined in the act. Both acts mentioned highlight how inclusion is vital
to the educational outcomes of all students, despite their ability. A brief outline of the
Prior to the implementation of the key pieces of legislation discussed above, there was a
segregation between ‘mainstream’ and ‘special’ schools. Ballard (2012, p.70) raises the
important issue that prior to the implementation of IE, ‘mainstream’ schools bring forth the
notion that this was: “…the proper order of things and was, therefore, where those
excluded needed to be placed.” Ballard later expands on this idea, claiming that in
opposition to the idea of the mainstream, inclusion aims to reconsider the values and
practices that limit children from being able to achieve their educational potential. Whilst a
divide can still be seen somewhat today, the changing viewpoint of inclusion within the
education system can clearly be understood. It has moved from an understanding that
students with unique needs need to be segregated from ‘mainstream’ schools, to one that
By viewing the changes in key pieces of legislation, the shift from exclusion to inclusion for
students with special needs can be seen. The change to IE that is present today focusses on
giving all students, despite their ability the support they need to achieve their personal best.
Now that an understanding of the shifting landscape of IE in education has been achieved, a
Within our diverse education system, it is common to have students from a wide range of
abilities and cultural backgrounds. One such example of a situation which requires thought
and consideration is being presented with a student that has ASD. The American Psychiatric
Association (2013) lists people with ASD as having difficulty with social interaction as well as
problems with maintaining and understanding relationships. One of the challenges however
is that ASD exists on a spectrum, and as such it is often hard to define exactly where a
student may exist. Mackenzie (2008, p. 20) posits that the: “…amount or severity of each of
the major characteristics varies considerably from individual to individual.” This statement
raises the importance of having an individual plan for students with ASD, as their behaviour
may vary greatly from others with the disorder. This will be discussed in greater detail with
Strengths based teaching approaches are something that students with ASD can benefit
greatly from, as it refocusses the paradigm on what they are good at, and not what they
cannot do. Hammond & Zimmerman (2010, p. 6) argue that: “…every person, family, group
and community holds the key to their own transformation and meaningful change process.”
must first gain a deep understanding of the specific needs of the student. The idea of a
strength-based approach also coincides with the shift away from the separation of
‘mainstream’ and ‘special’ education. Through identifying strengths, you are not focussing
on what the student cannot do, but rather on what they can achieve.
Now that an understanding of what Autism Spectrum Disorder entails has been achieved,
specific classroom related strategies involving differentiation and teacher attitudes will be
discussed to provide specific strategies for dealing with students with ASD and other diverse
needs.
For the legislation mentioned above to be effectively implemented into a classroom setting,
there are certain things that teachers can do. One of the most important aspects in terms of
Differentiation is defined as being the way in which teachers proactively implement a wide
range or strategies to ensure all students can achieve success (Scoggins & Sharp, 2017;
Munro, 2012). Whilst catering for a wide range of abilities is a difficult task, it is one that is
Key to differentiation in the classroom, is the idea of creating a personalised learning style
and unique support system for each student. The Department of Education and Training
(2015, p. 3) outlines that to cater for students unique learning needs and interests we must
provide: “…personalised learning and targeted support.” Salend (2011) extends this point by
identification of meaningful goals and strategies. To provide the best outcomes for all
students, we must consider how each individual learns best. In doing so, we ensure that
teaching strategies are targeted specifically to their needs. In relation to a student with ASD,
as a teacher you may enlist the help of a School Learning Support Officer (SLSO), who can
assist you in creating a specified learning plan for the given student.
Finally, the importance of differentiation is also highlighted in the APST, with standard 1.5
outlining that teachers must: “Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of
students across the full range of abilities” (AITSL, 2012). Overall, differentiation is an
important classroom level factor that teachers must be mindful of when considering the
attitude and strive to make adjustments that benefit the educational outcomes of students
within all classes. These adjustments are not only important on a personal level but are also
a legislative requirement (Poed & Elkins, 2012). To support the importance of adjustments,
The Disability Standards for Education 2005 outlines that students with disabilities are to be
presented with reasonable adjustments so they can participate in education on the same
basis as other students (Australian Government, 2005; University of Canberra, 2014). Simple
adjustments that a teacher can make include: The layout of the room itself (including any
sensory issues the student may have), clear responsibilities for teachers and students and a
behaviour plan tailored for each student (Autism Classroom, 2017). Whilst these
adjustments seem minute, they can make a major difference in giving students the best
As a specific example, teachers must keep in mind how students interact with one another
as often it can lead to students feeling isolated. With reference to ASD, Boutot (2007)
mentions that students with ASD often find it difficult to read social cues, keeping a
conversation as well as behaving appropriately around their peers. We may often think as
teachers that how our students relate to one another in the class is out of our control, but
when referring to a student with ASD it is something that must be taken into consideration.
Other adjustment strategies that can be put in place include allowing the student to view
materials they will cover beforehand and making them aware of any changes that may arise
in the schedule. This will allow the content to become more predictable, in turn helping the
student cope with change (Hundert et al, 2012). Bryan & Gast (2000) also found that using
picture-activity schedules, which visually direct students as to what will occur throughout
the day increased student’s ability to remain on a task independently. This adjustment also
brings structure and predictability to the course of the day and would greatly assist a
Along with differentiation, teacher attitudes are another classroom level action that can
assist students with ASD and other learning needs. By changing and adapting our thinking as
educators we can more effectively tailor our teaching strategies to be accommodate the
Inclusive education is something that has been changed and adapted throughout many
years, and its influence and impact upon current education can be seen. Several major
pieces of legislation have led to its implementation within Australian schools and its
maintain the changing nature of inclusion within the classroom setting, it is important to
consider both differentiation and teacher attitudes and how they may lead to creating
greater educational outcomes for all students, despite their ability level.
References
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