Inclusive Education - Theory, Policy & Practice Essay

Inclusive education is an important aspect of education for expanding opportunities for

students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and also other students within the
education system, as the students are able to experience a diverse social environment
(Gartner & Lipsky, 1987). Inclusive education is defined as the recomposition of the
general classroom in order to give all or most students the opportunity to be a
participant of a typical class from special education (Ware, 2018), as no students with
disabilities should be segregated from general education if it is accessible for them
(Quinn, 2009). Loreman (2007) argues that segregated learning has a lack of benefits
for any child and thus teachers and special needs educators should collaborate in order
to create a supportive environment to provide meaningful education for all students.
This paper shall discuss the introduction of legislation revolving around students with
disabilities such as the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD),
2006, held by the United Nations, and the Disability Discrimination Act, 1992, as well as
the transitioning views on inclusive education since the introduction of these laws. It
will also review the professional and personal skills and strategies that teachers can
apply to assist with reconstructing the general classroom into an inclusive environment
for students with diverse needs including students with ASD.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities introduced
international legislation in article 24, “Persons with disabilities can access an inclusive,
quality and free... education on an equal basis with others in the communities in which
they live” (United Nations, 2006). This convention depicts a transition in the views of
education for children with diverse needs such as ASD internationally. The convention
as a whole articulates that people with diverse needs have the right to not be
discriminated against, have access to the opportunities such as education on the same
basis as other people and are active participants within the community (United Nations,
2006). In order to meet those needs, teachers are therefore responsible for making
reasonable adjustments in order to support and accommodate all students to maximise
social and academic development (Quinn, 2009). The Disability Discrimination Act,
1992, is another piece of legislation that shows a changing view on the inclusive
classroom, as the Act clearly describes that discrimination against a person with
disabilities is against the law. Thus, documentation expresses that children with diverse
needs have the right to access the same educational opportunities as other students
(DET, 2015). Australia has been further pushing for inclusive education with the
introduction of Disability Standards for Education, 2005, in which all forms of education
systems must legally comply to and provide opportunities for participation in the
general classroom (DET, 2012). These legislations have been used to minimise
discrimination against a person with disabilities, especially within the education
system.

In the 19th century to the 1920s, Australia and the rest of the world were in a period of
exclusion of children with diverse needs due to the limited knowledge on the care and
support that can be provided for them. As a result, children were often cared for by
parents until they were of age in which they were then transported to the asylum for the
‘insane and feeble minded’ (O’Donoghue & Ron, 1998). It was during this period of time
that it was recognised in Australia, that people with mental and intellectual disabilities
required more care, treatment and rehabilitation. Therefore the view slowly changed
and the education system progressed from exclusive education to segregated education
(O’Donoghue & Ron, 1998). During the 1930s to 1960s, Australia moved towards a
segregated system after being able to implement a system wide process to help identify
children with disabilities so that their needs could be met outside the regular classroom.
This was widely accepted by most groups such as psychologists, parents, teachers and
the community because of three factors. One of the reasons was that segregation was a
major step forward from exclusion. Furthermore, experts such as psychologists and
people within the education system established segregated schooling, thus it was
difficult to question any guidance provided by these parties (O’Donoghue & Ron, 1998).
Finally, many parents and carers viewed teachers within the special education system
as being proficient to work with students with disabilities, the facilities built were
sensory friendly and would provide protection from the likely possibility of rough
treatment from able peers (O’Donoghue & Ron, 1998). The views on the education of
children with disabilities in Australia continued to change as the educational system
progressed to integration for students with disabilities, as they wanted to “maximise the
educational contribution to that student’s quality of life” (O’Donoghue & Ron, 1998,
pp.10). The transitioning of views moved the education system to build support
facilities within schools, to integrate students with disabilities such as ASD and the
social and educational integration of most students. This was a widespread goal of the
Australian education system in the mid 1980s (O’Donoghue & Ron, 1998). Inclusive
education is promoting the ‘normalisation’ of people with disabilities through the
removal of the term ‘special’ from educational facilities to normalise and remove the
negative barrier attached to people with disabilities (Konza, 2008). Thus the view on
education for people with disabilities have progressed from exclusion, through
segregation, integration and towards inclusive education, where it is no longer solely
focused on students with a disability, but education for all children in the Australian
community (ARACY, 2013).

People with Autism Spectrum Disorder have a neurodevelopmental disorder that alters
the way they interact with the environment and other people around in multiple
settings, and is characterised by two main aspects. These aspects are deficits in social
communication and restricted or repetitive interest behaviours, that typically begin
during childhood and persists throughout their lives (Foley, Pollack, Britt, Lennox &
Trollor, 2018). The prevalence of ASD has been continually increasing in number over
the years (Foley et al., 2018). Consequently, teachers must be equipped with the skills
and strategies to ensure that students with disabilities like ASD have equal
opportunities for participation and accommodate for all students within their future
inclusive classrooms. Boutot (2007) suggests that it is important for all students to
develop friendships, including students with ASD, as it would enhance all students
educational experience in a diverse classroom. This would lead to the development of
play behaviours, a social network, social communication with fellow peers of similar
ages which, in turn, would improve their behaviour and become active participants
within the classroom and social group. In order to create a safe environment in which
all students can develop friendships, teachers need to provide the opportunities for
collaborative work for positive social interactions and encourage acceptance of the
students with ASD among their fellow peers, once the student with ASD is an active
participant of the inclusive classroom (Boutot, 2007).
Before the student with ASD is integrated into the class, however, the teacher should
prepare the classroom to the best of their abilities so that it is a safe and inclusive
classroom. This can be achieved through seven strategies; carefully selecting a
classroom, strategic scheduling for the student with ASD, selecting supports, preparing
the general education students, preparing the students with ASD, and securing and
maintaining family support. These then assist with making the transition from
segregated education to the inclusive classroom more smooth (Boutot, 2007). If it is
possible for the teacher to select their classroom, they should ensure that the classroom,
if shared, is with a teacher who understands the principles of social inclusion or have
the student with ASD themselves. The general students of the class should then be
cooperative and supportive and ensure the environment is sensory-friendly by
removing distractions such as poor lighting, loud noises, obstructions to the student
with ASD’s vision and ensuring that all resources are accessible to them (Boutot, 2007).
Teachers also need to strategically schedule the student with ASD timetable with the
Support Learning Officer (SLSO) and therapist. The schedule should maximise
performance after certain classes like physical education, through creating a routine in
which the student does not get anxious or distracted and minimise disruptions when
the student needs to leave or enter the classroom, ensuring that these movements occur
during the transitioning of activities (Boutot, 2007; Able, Sreckovic, Schultz, Garwood &
Sherman, 2015). Students with ASD who are going to be part of an inclusive
environment should be provided with supports that are discreet and least intrusive, and
modification and differentiation to curriculum and activities should be kept to a
minimum (Boutot, 2007). If a SLSO is required for the student, the SLSO should then
provide assistance when required and be offered to the whole class and not just the
student individually (Agzarian, 2012). Teachers should develop positive attitudes,
encourage students to create a welcoming environment filled with acceptance and
prepare their general education students if there is going to be a new student,
regardless of whether they do or do not have ASD, as this smoothen the transition as it
would minimise confusion and curiosity. This can be done by informing the general
education students about the student’s talents, interests such as hobbies and supports,
mainly focusing the new student’s similarity with their new peers. If the student does
have ASD, however, be sure to also specify to the general students if they do have
disruptive behaviour, and noticeable support like a SLSO or specialised equipment
(Loreman, 2007; Boutot, 2007). Students with ASD can also be prepared by meeting
with a few select students of the general classroom whom many peers look up to and
will share classes with, before being introduced into the inclusive classroom. The
teacher and SLSO should work together in order to teach coping techniques, self-
advocacy, self-management, problem-solving, and social skills to address any skill
deficits and promote the student with ASD’s possible social successes. The student could
also learn the expectations and routines of the general classroom that the teacher
expects of all students within their classroom (Boutot, 2007). Finally, the teacher should
ensure they have an open communication network with other teachers who have the
same student with ASD, the family, and SLSO in order to provide high-quality education
for the student, opportunities for the student to be a part of social interactions and
ensure that they are active members of the classroom (Boutot, 2007).

General education teachers should take the initiative to learn more about ASD, having
access to data on the student from the student’s previous teacher(s) that includes a list
of helpful hints, the student’s limits and a brief outline of the student’s characteristics
and needs. They then should have opportunities to interact with students with
disabilities in order to effective accommodate for students with ASD, and continually
engage in ongoing professional development to reflect on their practice (Able et al.,
2015). Having the knowledge backed by research as well as knowing how the student
interacts with different stimuli and interact socially with peers and the teacher, would
allow the teacher to create an individualised education program to meet the student
with ASD’s needs socially and academically. The information could also be use to
efficiently collaborate with special education teachers, parents, school counselor and
psychologists to obtain supportive advice from special educators, create strategies and
an individualised plan that work towards common social and academic goals (Able et
al., 2015). Teachers need to learn how to accommodate for students with ASD so that
the social and academic needs are met. Skills that important for teachers to learn are
deciding when to intervene disruptive behaviour or inappropriate conduct whilst doing
their work. Also, purposeful grouping of students with ASD with students with students
whom are academically serious, as they are more accepting or tolerant of characteristics
associated with ASD and occasionally giving the student with ASD independent
assignments within group activities to contribute to the group are also effective (Able et
al., 2015).

To conclude, the implementation of policies and legislation such as the CRDP, Disability
Discrimination Act, 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education, 2005, greatly
influenced the transition from segregated education to an inclusive classroom. The
views of education for people with disabilities from exclusion, through segregation, to
integration and inclusive have improved the education of all students as they now have
have an equal opportunity to access general education. Teachers now are constantly
learning new skills and strategies within the classroom to provide high quality
education for all students with the help of SLSOs, making adjustments and
accommodations for students with ASD.
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