17949771 Hannah Taylor 102084 Assessment 1

Inclusion, in an educational context, is the idea that a student’s abilities or disabilities

must be accommodated for by mainstream classrooms, and that the onus is on the mainstream

classroom to provide for students with special needs to be able to meet their peers educational

​ 2015) states that children with a

outcomes. The ​Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DET,

disability have the right to “the same educational opportunities as other children”, this act setting

the groundwork for the provision of discrimination-free education institutions for students with

disabilities. The ​Disability Standards for Education 2005​ (DET, 2012) goes further, outlining

specific objectives for educational institutions to meet regarding the inclusion of their students

with disabilities. These acts have pushed for inclusion for all students, and have been

instrumental in changing educational views on the idea of inclusion within mainstream

education.

In particular, students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) benefit greatly from the

work of teachers and educators to create inclusive classrooms. ASD is a developmental condition

which affects the way individuals engage with their environment, as well as how they interact

with other people (Autism Spectrum Australia, 2018). It is a lifelong condition that presents itself

in several ways, most notably individuals with ASD have difficulty with (Autism Spectrum

Australia, 2018):

● Social interaction

● Social communication

● Restricted or repetitive behaviours and interests

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● Sensory sensitivities

● Intellectual impairment or learning difficulties

Autism Spectrum Australia (2018) estimates that 1 in 100 people have autism, and that a

diagnosis of autism is almost four times more prevalent in boys than girls. As ASD is a

‘spectrum’ it is implied that individuals experiences with autism are varied. Some people are

“able to live relatively normal lives” while other individuals may “have accompanying learning

challenges and require continued specialist support” (Autism Spectrum Australia, 2018). It is

important when creating inclusive classrooms to understand that ASD is not something with a

‘one-size fits all’ solution in the classroom, and that adjustments and differentiations must be

ongoing and reflective for the students to achieve their potential.

Teachers and educators should endeavour to make their classrooms as inclusive as

possible, and what this means in practice has evolved over the past decades from relating

specifically to students with disabilities to more broadly encompassing the entire spectrum of

learning abilities and the acquisition of a high-quality education for all students (Anderson &

Boyle, 2015). The beginnings of inclusive education started in the mid 1970’s, when Australian

schools first began to include students with disabilities in mainstream classrooms as opposed to

the previous strategy of segregating students into ‘regular’ and ‘special’ educational facilities

(Konza, 2008). The ​DDA 1992 was a legal solidification of the desire to remove discrimination

​ towards students with disabilities in schools, and the ​DSE 2005 was the logical extension of the

changing opinions around educating students with disabilities in Australia (Cologon, 2015). The
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DSE 2005 was followed by other plans, including the NSW Department of Education Disability

Inclusion Action Plan 2016-2020 (DIAP 2016-2020) (NSW DET, 2016) which outlined goals for

continued improvement in the inclusion of mixed ability students in mainstream classrooms.

The standards and objectives presented in the ​DSE 2005 were created under the umbrella

of the​ DDA 1992, and these standards inform how students are to be included in all classrooms.

These acts and standards make it clear that it is illegal to discriminate or act unfairly towards

individuals with disabilities, or those that might possibly have one now or in the future, or

towards people who have family members or friends who are disabled (DET, 2015). Under the

DSE 2005 all students regardless of ability or disability are required to be able to participate in

education “on the same basis as students without disability” (NSW DET, 2012), meaning that

lessons and course requirements are adjusted and accommodations are made as required by the

student so that they have the same opportunities and experiences as their peers without

disabilities. The​ DSE 2005 obliges educators to make “reasonable adjustments”, these being

actions taken by educators towards a students learning program or environment that have “the

effect of assisting a student with a disability” to allow them to succeed like their peers (DET,

2012). It is important here to consult with stakeholders in the affected students life, their parents,

any School Learning Support Officers (SLSOs), and where appropriate the student themselves,

to ensure that the adjustments are beneficial and appropriate to the student in question (NSW

DEC, 2015) . The onus is for the school / educator / institution to provide the “reasonable”

adjustment, one that balances the interests of all parties involved, but they are not required to
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make “unreasonable” adjustments if they would cause unjustifiable hardships to the provider, be

they logistical or financial (DET, 2012).

When planning lessons within a unit of work, it is imperative to consider the

differentiation present in each lesson and activity. Each classroom contains students with diverse

learning needs; some students have a diagnosed learning difficulty like ASD, Dyslexia, or

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), some students need additional help or

structuring, others need extension work, some need new materials presented and explained in

different ways, and some need additional processing time or the ability to take short breaks

between activities. When striving for inclusion within the classroom, it is important for the

teacher to be able to work with these students requirements to ensure that each student is given

the best possible advantage to meet their outcomes. It is imperative that teachers understand the

ways that they can advantage or disadvantage their students, and that they are able to select and

adapt the ideal pedagogical methods and present the curriculum content in accessible ways based

on students learning requirements. For instance, students who can become hyperactive or those

that have ADHD may benefit from the inclusion of physical tasks in their lessons, eg: sculpting

cells in Science lessons out of clay or blu tack, physically acting out a Shakespearean scene in

English, or working with physical objects in Maths lessons, and these activities may also help

other students who are visual or kinesthetic learners. Similarly, students who have hearing

impairments may benefit from videos with subtitles or printed transcripts in the classroom, and

this could also help visual learners and students who have trouble paying attention as there is a

written transcript of the information available to them to refer back to. Students with ASD who
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work best when they have a routine to follow would benefit from instructions written on the

board, and so would students who like to see a logical progression of their lessons. Students with

visual impairments may benefit from larger font on worksheets and bigger board writing, which

allow all students to read the information more easily and would provide more room to annotate

the worksheets. Each of these adjustments can benefit individuals with disabilities greatly, while

providing various positive benefits to other members of the class (Cologon, 2015). Without

differentiating the lessons, a subset of students would be disadvantaged, but the differentiation

allows all students to succeed and provides a rich classroom experience for all.

When accommodating student learning requirements in the classroom, it is crucial for

teachers to understand any limitations that child may have. Students may struggle with becoming

tired and frustrated with lesson work, and be unable to work consistently for an entire hour and a

half long lesson on one activity. However, if the teacher breaks the activity up into several

smaller ones and gives the opportunity for students to take breaks between each one, then

students may be more engaged with each activity and less likely to become overstimulated,

frustrated, and tired. This not only benefits students with ASD, but all students, as each student

benefits from variety in their instruction (Foreman & Arthur-Kelly, 2014). In this way

assessment tasks can also be modified to promote inclusion and respect students learning

requirements. A single assessment task in History about the history of Aboriginal rights in

Australia could be a 1,500 word essay. This would be an easy assessment task for the teacher to

set, but it would not be inclusive of students who find essays challenging, or who do not have the

ability to focus for such a long essay. Instead, the assessment could have options for the students
17949771 Hannah Taylor 102084 Assessment 1

to choose from. They might have the option of a 7 minute video presentation, a slide

presentation, a series of informational posters, an educational skit with additional team members,

an interactive website, or an essay. Each of these activities would require students to show what

they had learned, and no one activity would be the ‘correct’ activity to do for the assessment, but

they would allow students to choose how they were assessed (NSW DET, 2004). A student with

ASD who might be incredibly proficient with technology might choose the interactive website or

video presentation, a student who excels in art might choose the posters, a student who is

nervous with public speaking might choose the essay, and students who works best

collaboratively might do a skit with classmates. Differentiating assessment tasks allows students

to show their learning while not disadvantaging students who have diverse learning needs, and

allows each child to reach their potential in the tasks (Cologon, 2015). The teacher would be able

to gauge each students content knowledge, and the students would be able to create work that

played to their individual strengths.

When striving for inclusive classrooms, it is important for the teacher to feel like they can

achieve inclusivity that is not at the expense of other students. If the teacher feels that the only

way to cater to Gifted and Talented (GNT) students is by setting these students harder

assessment tasks and class work, or that their only way to cater to students with ASD is to create

entire lesson plans for only that student that focuses around the student’s interests and allows

them to avoid social interaction if they wish, then the teacher is doing both themselves and their

students a disservice. Teachers should strive for professional learning that enables them to create

lessons that are engaging and accessible for all students, and for the ability to differentiate a
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lesson on multiple levels to all their students. A GNT student does not need to be ignored

because several students require more structured lessons and help with their coursework, nor

does a student with ASD need to be coddled throughout the lesson at the expense of their peers.

A teacher who differentiates their lesson as per their students is able to give extension activities

to their GNT students, scaffolding to their lower ability students, and is able to help students with

ASD achieve their fullest potential with whatever adjustments they need.

For students with ASD as well as other students with diverse learning needs, an inclusive

classroom provides the stage for them to flourish in their education. A truly inclusive classroom

does not single out students for their abilities or requirements, but instead includes them

seamlessly in the pedagogy and celebrates their achievements with their peers. An inclusive

classroom pushes all students to achieve their potential, and advantages all while disadvantaging

none. The changing views of inclusion are apparent in the formative ​DDA 1992, the substansial

DSE 2005, and the ongoing works shown in the DIAP 2016-2020. With each subsequent

document there was further protection from discrimination, and further demands on educators to

provide the best education they can for students with disabilities. These educational trends favour

the inclusion of all students within mainstream classrooms, prompting teachers to adapt to their

classes needs with a range of pedagogical strategies and frameworks that meet and exceed

students requirements.
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References:

Anderson, J. & Boyle, C. (2015). Inclusive education in Australia: rhetoric, reality

and the road ahead. Support for Learning, 30(1), 4 – 22.

Australian Government Department of Education and Training (DET). (2015). Disability

Discrimination Act, 1992: Fact Sheet. Australian Government. Retrieved April 03, 2018,
from https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/dse-fact-sheet-1- dda_0.pdf

Australian Government Department of Education and Training (DET). (2012). Disability

Standards for Education 2005. Australian Government. Retrieved April 03. 2018, from
https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/disability_standards_f
or_education_2005_plus_guidance_notes.pdf

Autism Spectrum Australia. (2018). What is Autism? Autism Spectrum Australia Retrieved
April 04, 2018, from https://www.autismspectrum.org.au/content/what-autism

Cologon, K. (2015). Inclusive education means all children are included in every way, not just in
theory. The Conversation. Retrieved April 03, 2018, from
http://theconversation.com/inclusive-education-means-all-children-areincluded-in-every-
way-not-just-in-theory-45237

Foreman, P., & Arthur-Kelly,M, editor. (2014). ​Inclusion in action (4th ed.).

New South Wales Department of Education and Communities (NSW DEC) (2015). The
Wellbeing Framework for Schools. Retrieved April 03, 2018, from
https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/wellbeing/about/16531_Wellbeing-Framework-for-schools_
A​cessible.pdf
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New South Wales Department of Education and Training (NSW DET). (2004). Policy and
Implementation of Strategies for the Education of Gifted and Talented Students.
Retrieved April 03, 2018, from
https://schoolsequella.det.nsw.edu.au/file/9d07fa8c-c2be-44fa-8ef7-66a06136fdd1/1/Gift
ed%20and%20Talented%20Policy%20and%20Implementation%20Curriculum%20Diffe
rentiation.pdf

New South Wales Department of Education and Training (NSW DET). (2012). Every Student,
Every School. Retrieved April 04, 2018, from
https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/media/downloads/about-us/how-we-operate/national-partner
ships-program/every-student-every-school/learning-and-support.pdf

New South Wales Department of Education and Training (NSW DET). (2016). NSW
Department of Education Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2016-2020. Consultation
Draft. Retrieved April 04, 2018, from
https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/media/downloads/strat_direction/strat_plans/disaplan.pdf

Konza, D. (2008). Inclusion of students with disabilities in new times: responding to the
challenge. In Kell, P., Vialle, W., Konza, D. & Vogl, G (eds), Learning and the learner:
exploring learning for new times (pp. 38 – 64). University of Wollongong