18807235 – Assignment 1

An Inclusive education system can be implemented through different policies, strategies and
perspectives. According to Konza (2008), an inclusive education means developing and
designing schools, classrooms, activities and programs where all students can learn and
participate together. Currently, schools are recognising that children with disabilities continue
to experience different forms of exclusion within mainstream educational classrooms (Konza,
2008). Inclusive education for students with disabilities means to remove barriers between
regular and special education by providing appropriate guidance for all students according to
their levels of ability within the classroom (Cassady, 2011). In efforts to support an inclusive
environment, teachers and schools may need to make modifications and accommodations for
children with disabilities within the school and classrooms. This paper will discuss how
teachers and schools can address barriers for the inclusion of learners with Autism Spectrum
Disorder (ASD), and, how the introduction of legislations and policies such as the Disability
Discrimination Act, 1992, and the Disability Standards for Education, 2005 have influenced
the treatment for students with disabilities.

After almost a century of segregated settings, Australia began to educate students with
disabilities in integrated classrooms in the mid-1970s (Konza, 2008). This revolution in
education was in response to studies about the effectiveness of special education in school
environments and the changing views of how people with disabilities should be educated
(Konza, 2008). Wolfersberger (1970), also added to the changing attitudes by highlighting
the rights of all individuals to have the opportunity to contribute within their communities,
and to be treated equally (Konza, 2008). Since this era of change in the education system, the
policy in Australia has been to integrate children with disabilities into regular mainstream
classrooms wherever possible, however, segregated facilities for students with severe
disabilities remained available (Konza, 2008).
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In efforts to eliminate discrimination of children with disabilities in all areas, including

education, Australia has signed numerous treaties. For example, the United Nations
Convention on the Rights of the Child, ensures that all children in Australia must be able to
access training and education necessary to reach their full potential (Human Rights
Commission, 2014). The changing views of an inclusive educational system is also evident in
Australian legislations such as the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act 1992
(DDA) and the Disability Standards for Education, 2005, which entitles people to work and
live in Australia without being discriminated against because of their disability (DET, 2012).

The DDA aims to protect individuals in Australia from discrimination based on their
disability. This legislation also makes it against the law for schools or any educational
authority to discriminate someone with a disability. This means that if a child with a
disability meets the necessary entry requirements of the school, then he or she must have the
chance to study there just as any other individual (DET, 2015). This trend which affirms the
rights of students with disabilities continued in 2005 with the Disability Standards for
Education legislation. The Disability Standards for Education was formulated under the
DDA, which requires educational authorities to make sure students with disabilities have the
same access to education on the same basis as any other student (DET, 2012).

The Standards clarify responsibilities of educational authorities to ensure that students with
disabilities can access education on the same basis as any other student. For example,
Standard 5.3 of the Disability Standards for Education, states that education providers must
ensure that programs and courses are sufficiently flexible for students of a disability to be
able to participate in (DET, 2012). The Disability Standards for Education 2005, also covers
areas in enrolment, accreditation, student support services, harassment and victimisation.
Within Australia, both government and non- government schools must comply with the DDA
and the Disability Standards for Education 2005 across all states and territories. These
legislations provide protection for children with disabilities from being discriminated against
and encourages everyone within the community to share the benefits from implementing the
act from participation of a range of people (DET, 2015).
18807235 – Assignment 1

Of children with disabilities, Autism poses particular challenges when being included in regular
mainstream classrooms. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong mental condition,
which affects an individual’s ability to socially interact with other people (Robertson,
Chamberlain & Kasari, 2003). Within the Autism Spectrum, there is not one but many types
of ASD, caused by different environmental factors and combinations of genetic structures
(Kluth, 2010).ASD is characterised by challenges and difficulties in social communication,
attention, repetitive behaviours, nonverbal communication and forming relationships
(Robertson,Chamberlain&Kasari,2003).Classrooms today are social environments where
social interactions and communication with students are important for social- emotional
learning and regular classroom activities. For students with ASD, this may intensify levels of
anxiety, stress and depression during their daily classroom experiences (Robertson,
Chamberlain & Kasari, 2003). This lack of social emotional competence can affect a student’s
engagement with the lesson, connectedness to the school and their academic performance. For
example, children with ASD have difficulties with social interactions, which may give the
impression that they do not won’t to interact with others (Kluth & Chandler, 2008). Moreover,
their unusual characteristics and behaviours may also affect their positive relationships with
others. According to The Australian Bureau of Statistics (2012), 86% of children with Autism
who attended school reported ‘having difficulty’ with learning, communication and fitting in
socially at school.

As children with ASD are increasingly being integrated into mainstream classes, teachers and
schools need to know as much as possible about the characteristics of ASD and the teaching
strategies and modifications that will work best for these students (Akcin, 2013).With the
inclusion of children with ASD in a general classroom, teachers must be aware of
instructional and environmental consideration, as they must be differentiated for these
students to reach their academic potential (Moyes, 2001). According to Simpson (2005),
teachers can be more successful in teaching students with ASD if they have effective
classroom management strategies and procedures in place. This means being prepared when a
student demonstrates appropriate or inappropriate behaviours and how to respond to allow an
increased pro social behaviour and engagement.
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A suitable classroom strategy for teachers to use includes following routines and scheduled
lessons (Moyes, 2001). Unexpected changes to lessons can often be disruptive to children
with ASD and cause anxiety, therefore it is recommended for teachers to follow predictable
and consistent classroom routines (Moyes, 2001). This strategy allows students to know what
to expect in their environment as transitioning from different activities or changing locations
can often be difficult for students with ASD (Moyes, 2001). It can also be effective to give
students warnings before any changes or transitions within the schedule. Teachers can
support this with using visuals or picture cues as timers or reminders. When constant routines
are implemented it increases the student’s ability to work independently within the classroom
environment (Simpson, 2005).

Another teaching strategy for teaching students with ASD in the classroom is the use of a
‘buddy system’. Students with ASD often find it difficult to interact with other students in
school, therefore to increase the likelihood of inclusion between these two groups of students,
it is highly recommended to implement the peer ‘buddy system’ to develop social skills
(Forster, 2011). Studies also show that the use of the buddy system can also significantly
decrease anxiety levels of students with ASD (Forster, 2011). Some other strategies include
immediate positive reinforcement for all students within the classroom. According to Cooper
& Heward (2007), ‘when a certain behaviour is followed by reinforcement, there will be an
increased likelihood of that type of behaviour being repeated’. For teachers, this means that if
students engage in a certain behaviour, and this behaviour is rewarded by the teacher, then
the student is more likely to repeat that positive behaviour that was rewarded by the teacher.
Therefore, teachers can provide encouragement and reinforcement on social skills during
school to improve student’s social skills and in time be able to greet others, initiate
conversations and interact in different types of environments (Cooper & Heward, 2007).

In addition to teaching strategies, The Disability Standards for Education 2005 outlines that
education providers must also make adjustments to ensure students with special education
can participate in education on the same basis as other students. Therefore, the assessment of
students with ASD needs to be adjusted to allow them to achieve their individual outcomes
and to enhance their learning (Cologon, 2015). These types of adjustments may vary giving
the needs of the individual student.
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Regarding assessment, students with ASD may often not be able to demonstrate their
knowledge in the same ways as other students, due to difficulties in processing information,
producing speech and answering responses within a given time- limit. Collaborations with the
Student Needs Office should take place early in the year to discuss assessment strategies for
students with ASD. Often students with ASD have limited handwriting skills and may work
best with computers, however, other adjustments may include extra time or rest breaks and
often a separate room for in-class assessments to reduce distractions and levels of anxiety
(Abedi & Faltis, 2015).

Furthermore, there are a range of teaching skills that are needed from teachers to enhance the
inclusion of students with ASD within the classroom. One important teaching skill when
working with students with ASD is to be able give clear and direct instructions (Akcin,
2013). According to Akcin (2013), when giving instructions to students with ASD, they must
be clearly identified using key words and positive terms of what students must do rather than
what they must not do. When presenting information verbally, teachers can also support
students with ASD by using a modified tone and pace, demonstrations, hand signals and
repeated instructions to allow time for students to process information. Students with ASD
will often struggle in a classroom where much of the instructions and information is
presented verbally as they have difficulty processing language including metaphors, jokes,
and innuendos (Akcin, 2013). Although students with ASD often have difficulties processing
information verbally, they can have great visual memory which can lead to productivity in
the classroom (Simpson, 2005). To support this strength of students with ASD, teachers and
students will benefit from instructions presented visually with pictures, videos, icons and
models to help students better understand what is being asked of them (Simpson, 2005).

Although there are strategies, adjustments and skills to enhance the inclusion of students with
ASD, the effectiveness of inclusive education may be influenced by the attitudes of the
teachers and educational providers involved. According to Cassady (2011), teachers are often
not receptive to the inclusion of students with special needs because they do not know how to
differentiate their instruction or have enough knowledge to provide support to these students.
Identifying teacher’s attitudes and beliefs towards inclusive education is important as it can
significantly influence their interactions when teaching students with disabilities.
18807235 – Assignment 1

Horne & Timmons (2009), reported that lack of training and resources can cause stress and
strain for teachers within inclusive settings. Therefore, providing teachers with training and
resources such as support may improve the views of inclusive education. A positive attitude
towards inclusive education for students with disabilities can be associated to teacher
collaboration, greater teacher efficacy and the willingness to differentiate instruction
(Ljiljana, 2008). The support provided by the principal can also strongly dictate teachers
teaching methods and attitudes as teachers may become more willing to differentiate their
pedagogies when the school administration provides a supportive environment that
encourages collaboration and inclusive education for all students (Ljiljana, 2008).

In conclusion, this literature has identified the change of views and the challenges faced with
the implementation of an inclusive education for students with ASD. It has also confirmed
that with a range of conditions and accommodations in place, the implementation of an
inclusive education can be successful. With the introduction of legislation such as Disability
Discrimination Act, 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education, 2005, Australian
schools has seen an increase of students with ASD integrated into mainstream classrooms. As
a result of the changes in educational settings, educational stakeholders, staff and teachers
must collaborate to accommodate the needs of students with disabilities such as ASD.
Educational providers are also required to provide support for an inclusive environment as
there are a range of resources, training, strategies, skills, accommodations and attitudes
needed to implement an inclusive educational environment.
18807235 – Assignment 1

References:
Akçin, N. (2013). Comparison of two instructional strategies for students with autism to read
sight words. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, (51), 85-106.

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2014). Autism in Education. Autism in Australia. Latest issue
released at 11:30am (Canberra Time) on 4/6/2014.

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

Discrimination Act, 1992: Fact Sheet.Australian Government

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

Standards for Education 2005.Australian Government

Australian Human Rights Commission. (2014). A quick guide to Australian discrimination

laws.Australian Human Rights Commission

Cologon, K. (2015). Inclusive education means all children are included in every way, not
just in theory. The Conversation.

Cooper, J., Heron, T., & Heward, W. (2007). Applied Behaviour Analysis. New Jersey:
Pearson Education

D.Konza (2008). Inclusion of students with disabilities in new times: responding to the
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Foster, Kristi (2011). "Using a peer buddy system to increase interaction between students
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Horne, P. E., & Timmons, V. (2009) Making it work: Teachers’ perspectives on inclusion.
International Journal of Inclusive Education, 13(3), 273-286

Jamal Abedi, Christian Faltis (2015).Teacher Assessment and the Assessment of Students
With Diverse Learning Needs Review of Research in Education Vol 39, Issue 1, pp. vii - xiv
. First Published March 1, 2015
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Jennifer M. Cassady ( 2011). Teachers' Attitudes Toward the Inclusion of Students with
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Kluth, P. 2010, “You’re Going to Love this Kid!” Teaching Students with Autism in the
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Kluth, P., & Chandler-Olcott. 2008, A Land we can share: Teaching Literacy to students with
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Disorders. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities .Vol 20, Issue 3, pp. 140 -
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Robertson, K., Chamberlain, B. & Kasari, C. J Autism Developmental Disorders (2003) 33:
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