Inclusive Education Essay -17701352

For teachers it is important to provide an inclusive educational pedagogy in order to

maximise the students learning experience however, in order to do this inclusion and
inclusive education needs to be understood. Inclusive education refers to allowing students
equal and equitable opportunities for all students to learn to their best abilities (Cologon,
2015 and Silva, Zervas, Ramon & Sampson, 2016). According to Moss (2013) inclusion in
education involves supporting everyone to feel that they belong and reducing exclusion,
discrimination and the barriers to learning and participation that exist. The purpose of this
paper is to examine the changing views of schools and society regarding inclusion, and how
relevant legislation has had a positive impact on reducing discrimination of disabilities in the
classroom. Additionally, this paper will also discuss how the correct implementation of
inclusive education has assisted teachers in developing appropriate strategies to cater for
students with disabilities, including students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Australia is considered to be one of the most ethnically diverse nations in the world (Moss,
2013). Given the diverse landscape of Australia it is only natural that this will translate over
to schools. From a global perspective, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of
People with Disabilities (2008) and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
(2001) are the combined effort of various nations (including Australia) to promote equal and
equitable opportunities (ARACY, 2013). These efforts have impacted educated as it explains
that everyone is entitled to an education regardless of their circumstances. In regards to
local legislations, the Disability Discrimination Act, 1992 and Disability Standards for
Education, 2005 have altered Australia’s approach to educating students with ASD and other
disabilities. These legislation will be further elaborated on later in the paper.

For years, students with disabilities were segregated in the classroom (Connell, 1982). In the
1970’s this was changed to allow students with disabilities to become integrated with
mainstream classrooms (Konza, 2008). With the integration of disabled students came a
different approach to how teachers taught these students. These changes were supported
by various studies that argued that segregated education through special school systems
could not demonstrate convincing outcomes (Moss, 2002 and Skrtic, 1991, 1995). The idea
of inclusive education involves a complete overhaul of the educational practices in
Australian schooling. This means that there is a responsibility to provide appropriate
alterations to facilities, resources and pedagogy (Konza, 2008 and Moss, 2013). As part of
the changing view towards inclusive education, Australia schools are adopting a humanistic
approach that aims to normalise the learning environment (Hyde, Carpenter & Conway
2010). By normalising the learning environment, students with disabilities or other
circumstances are able to learn in an environment that is equitable and inclusive. This
change can be applicable to various learning groups and is not limited to students with
disabilities. Additionally, by altering the inclusive approach to learning, schools are also
creating a positive discourse around providing all students the opportunity to learning
equally and equitably (Moss, 2013).

These changing views towards inclusive education have been impacted by specific
legislation that has the aim of removing deficit discourses and disability discrimination. In
Australia, to ensure the rights of all groups are met the Australian Human Rights
Commission was established in 1986. As a result of this commissions work, various pieces of
legislation have been created to ensure equality in schools, the workplace and everyday life.
The Disability Discrimination Act, 1992 was established to stop discrimination against
individuals with any disability (DET, 2015). In this law, it is illegal to discriminate against
anyone with a disability or someone related to an individual with a disability. This has
impacted the Australian school system as it ensures all schools provide equitable access and
resources for all students with a disability. In terms of inclusive education, teachers are
required to treat all students the same with no bias favouring any group (Ainscow, 2005).
This legislation has a blanket cover over all the Australian states and territories, which
ensures there is an equal approach from each state and territory to eliminate disability
discrimination.

Stemming from the Disability Discrimination Act, 1992 is the Disability Standards for
Education, 2005. This legislation is directly targeted at the education system to provide
inclusive education for all students with a disability such as ASD (DET, 2012). These
standards require educators to ensure all students with a disability are given the correct
access and have equal opportunities to participate. By providing these opportunities to
students with disabilities, they are being given every chance to maximise their learning
experience and not be restricted by their disability. When the standards are enforced,
teachers are required to make positive adjustments to help the students learning
experience. As a result of the standards, the need to provide differentiation has grown as it
is the best way to comply with the standards. Differentiation allows for the adjustment of
the students learning program so that it can be applied to their level of ability (Tomlinson,
2009 and Mastropieri, Scruggs, Norland, Berkely & al, 2006). This does not mean that the
student will learn different content, but the student will have altered tasks that can still
meet the required learning outcomes. When making adjustments there needs to be a
balance between the level of difficulty and the content outcomes.

In Australia one in five people have a disability of some form and of this statistic 8.6% have
experienced discrimination against their disability. This statistic is higher in young people
aged between 15 and 24 (20.5%) (ABS, 2016). Mental disabilities make up 20% of all
reported disabilities in the Australian census data. In Australian schools, 35,000 students
have a disability such as ASD, physical, intellectual, and other mental health disorders. Other
disabilities that relate to learning difficulties/disabilities are evident in a further 55,000
students (NSW DET, 2012). The vast majority of these students are integrated into
mainstream classrooms which requires a greater understanding of inclusive education.
Integrating differentiation into teaching pedagogy has become essential for assisting these
students so that their learning experience can be maximised (Tomlinson, 2009).

To create an inclusive learning environment, it is essential to understand how integration

and inclusion correlate but are not the same. Integrating students involves placing these
individuals with disability into mainstream learning however, this does not mean that the
student with be given the best opportunities to achieve a learning experience. Inclusion
however, includes students in mainstream classrooms and provides a differentiate learning
program that allows the individual to achieve the required learning outcomes in an
equitable fashion (Croll & Moses, 2000). By utilising inclusive education, teachers are
demonstrating quality teaching practices that meet the standards of the professional
standards for teachers. Evidence suggests that creating an inclusive environment can not
only lead to greater academic performance but also increased motivation and engagement
in learning (Katz, 2013 and Duchesne, McMaugh, Bochner & Krause, 2013).

One disability that is highly evident in schools is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). ASD is a
developmental disorder that affects an individuals communication and behaviour. It can be
diagnosed at any age however, it generally begins to appear in the first two years of life. In
Australia, there has been a gradually increasing number of children and young people being
diagnosed with ASD and this trend continues to grow (Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia,
2015). The majority of students with ASD are included in mainstream classrooms, which has
created the challenge for teachers to stay up to date with current teaching strategies and
differentiation techniques. This also requires teachers to have at minimum a base
knowledge and understanding of these disabilities such as ASD. An example of assisting a
student with ASD is using a visual demonstration of tasks such as a science experiment. By
utilising visual learning the student is able to see first-hand what is required of them and the
desired outcome of the task. This is only one form of differentiation in the classroom that
does not have to draw attention to the students disability. For inclusive education to work
the teacher must continue to build upon the teaching skills they possess. When building a
program teachers can use Universal Design for Learning (UDL) where adjustments and
differentiation techniques can be pre-built into the teaching of the unit. UDL involves
designing realistic methods of creating goals and resources that with best benefit all
students and in particular students with disability such as ASD. An example of correct
implementation of UDL is the use PowerPoint resources and easy to read worksheets. By
doing this the teacher is catering to the student ability to learn visually however, this is
applicable for all students.
Another area to assist students with ASD is the adjustment of curriculum. In designing the
Australian curriculum the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority
(ACARA) have acknowledged the Disability Discrimination Act, 1992 and the Disability
Standards for Education, 2005 and its obligation as an education provided to assist all
students with disability (Moss, 2013). The new curriculum has been designed to reflect the
principles of educational reform and can be used as the starting point for teachers to design
highly educated programs that cater for students with ASD.

Additionally, students with ASD can be assisted through correct implementation of

differentiated assessment. Many students with disability that have learning difficulties tend
to struggle with mainstream assessment due to the skill level required (Shaddock, Giorcelli
& Smith, 2007). These student can perform to the same level however, adjustment is
required to assist student to operate at that level. An example of differentiated assessment
can be found in exams. Generally, the questions start easier and progressively get harder, by
doing so the teacher is giving all students the chance to achieve to the best potential ability.
Another differentiation technique in exams is the use of reader writers. This is where the
student requiring assistance are assisted by another individual to help them reading the
questions or writing down the answers. Some students have difficulty reading and writing,
this method removes this distraction and allows the student to focus on the actual task.

Finally, cooperative teaching is a collaborative effort between teachers to assist students

with disability in maximising their learning experience (Bauwens, Hourcade & Friend, 1989).
In cooperative teaching, teachers can work together to build integrated learning plans for
students. This is where a plan is created that will have the best method for assisting
students with disability to learn the best possible way (Dunham, Skouteris, Nolan, Edqards &
Small, 2016). For this to work however, requires teachers to understand how the student
learns and the best way to work with the disability.
To conclude, it is clearly evident that there has been a ever changing view in regards to
inclusive education. The implementation of global and local legislation (Disability
Discrimination Act, 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education, 2005) has opened
pathways for students with disability such as ASD to be integrated into mainstream
classrooms. This however, requires teachers to stay informed and continually build their skill
set. Utilisation of methods such as differentiation, cooperative teaching and assessment
allows for the teacher to help the student to the best of their abilities. Moreover, if these
methods can be correctly implemented students with disabilities will be able to maximise
their learning experience.
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