Classroom Learning
School inclusion is about more than being physically present in the same space. It is important that students are engaged alongside their peers in the classroom. They must be respected and supported to be authentic learners, to access the same curriculum, be challenged to learn, and to receive reasonable adjustments to enable their participation.
Students learn better when there are high expectations for their participation, and when they are valued as a learner, have a positive relationship with their teacher, and the classroom environment feels safe and welcoming.
Inclusive Teaching Practices
In all situations, thinking through the “big ideas” and using peer involvement and flexible approaches, the regular lesson can proceed with everyone involved in that same lesson, and most importantly, ALL students will be gaining the core information necessary for life and ALL will be challenged at their level. Everyone gains!
All Means All
There are a number of approaches which promote classroom inclusion and remove barriers to learning. These include Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and differentiation or Quality Differentiated Teaching Practice (QDTP).
The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework supports educators to design learning that is accessible by all learners in their class. It removes barriers during the planning stage so all students can be included and successful.
UDL has been identified by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as the best way to include all learners.
The Committee encourages States parties to apply the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approach. UDL is a set of principles, providing teachers and other staff with a structure to create adaptable learning environments and develop instruction to meet the diverse needs of all learners.
It recognizes that each student learns in a unique manner and involves developing flexible ways to learn: creating an engaging classroom environment; maintaining high expectations for all students, while allowing multiple ways to meet expectations; empowering teachers to think differently about their own teaching; and focusing on educational outcomes for all, including those with disabilities.
The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, CRPD, Gen Comment No 4 (2016), Article 24: Right to Inclusive Education
Article
What Is Universal Design for Learning (UDL)?
Amanda Morin
Here is a short and simple explanation of UDL
"The goal of UDL is to use a variety of teaching methods to remove any barriers to learning and give all students equal opportunities to succeed. It’s about building in flexibility that can be adjusted for every student’s strengths and needs. That’s why UDL benefits all kids."
Video
UDL at a glance
CAST
CAST created the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework, which makes learning inclusive for everyone by designing it be accessible by all learners from the outset.
Video
Removing the Barriers: Planning for ALL
Shelley Moore
In less than 5 minutes, Shelley explains how planning for everyone from the outset saves educators work and time, and leads to greater success for all students.
Checklist
Universal Design for Learning Flowchart
Katie Novak
Dr Katie Novak shares a flowchart that teachers can use when universally designing a lesson.
Click here to read the checklist (PDF)
An approach that teachers use to adjust lessons for students, is called differentiation, or Quality Differentiated Teaching Practice (QDTP).
Website
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL)
The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers state that graduate level teachers will be able to differentiate teaching to meet the learning needs of all of their students, including students with disability.
Video
Differentiation and The Brain: A discussion with Carol-Ann Tomlinson
Carol-Ann encourages teachers to break the bad habit of one-size-fits-all teaching, and to see differentiation as quality teaching that leads to great outcomes for their students.
Article
1. Nicole Eredics: 12 strategies to Engage Students who work below Grade Level
There are many ways to differentiate classroom instruction to include all learners. These inclusive educators share their ideas:
"So, one of the most common questions I hear with regards to inclusive education is, how can teachers keep students who work below grade level engaged and learning during class instruction?
...Thus, I have put together a list of strategies that teachers can use to reach and teach students with intellectual disabilities during classroom instruction."
Website
2. Paula Kluth's Differentiation Daily
"This site is a collection of nearly 800 ideas to help educators add interest, relevance, fun, and novelty to classroom instruction. Specifically, I compiled these materials to support teachers in diverse classrooms who want to meet the needs of students with a wide range of needs, interests, challenges, and strengths, including learners with disabilities and unique learning profiles.
It’s my hope that this page makes the work of teaching and including all students easier and more enjoyable."
Website
3. Julie Causton's 100 Ways to Adapt Anything
"How can this adaptation, accommodation, and/or modification work to support the student?"
Website
4. Inclusion ED. Supporting diverse learners
Autism CRC
Inclusion ED is an initiative of the Autism Cooperative Research Centre (CRC). It translates the latest research on what works to include neurodiverse students in the classroom, into straightforward practices that teachers can apply.
Adjustments - What's Reasonable?
"Adjustments are actions taken to enable a student with disability to participate in education on the same basis as other students. This is fundamental to ensuring that students with disability do not experience discrimination.”
Quote by NCCD
Website
Reasonable Adjustments Are:
Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD)
- Individual – even if they have similar disabilities, each student is unique and has individual learning needs
- Flexible – contexts and students’ needs change over time
- Agreed – they balance the interests of all parties
Booklet
What are inclusive reasonable adjustments?
Community Resource Unit Ltd.
When families can distinguish between inclusive and non-inclusive adjustments, it can help them to advocate for better inclusive practices. This guide helps families think about reasonable adjustments which promote full inclusion and participation. It includes activities for you to think about what this should look like for your family member.
Sometimes families and schools will disagree about what is “reasonable” and “what is inclusive”, and sometimes it will take sustained advocacy to get to better school inclusion. To learn more about how to effectively communicate the adjustments your child needs to be included at school, see Working Collaboratively section (Opens in a New Tab).
Click here to read the booklet (PDF)
Click here to read the booklet (MS Word - simplified format)
Video
Harry at an Inclusive School
This video by Positive Partnerships shares Harry's story and experiences in an inclusive classroom working and communicating with his peers while using his POD to communicate and participate.
Podcast
Classroom adjustments podcasts
This series of Australian podcasts highlights adjustments that can be made in the classroom to enable students with disability to access and participate in education on the same basis as their peers. There are 18 episodes, in which students, their parents, teachers and other professionals speak about the variety of adjustments students are receiving in their classrooms.
Podcast example: Muscular Dystrophy
In this podcast, learn more about Muscular Dystrophy. A student, parent, teacher and an expert discuss adjustments that can be made to support students in the classroom.
Click here to listen to the Podcast
Podcast example: Autism
In this episode, we hear from Steven a year 3 student who explains what school is like for him and from his mum Claire, who shares common adjustments that can be made to support her son in the classroom. Dr Suzanne Carrington discusses common difficulties and the importance of knowing the student’s learning strengths. There is also the five top takeaway tips for students.
Video
Student Diversity: Supporting students through reasonable adjustments
Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority developed this video to help schools and teachers learn more about they can support students through reasonable adjustments.
Click here to view video
Factsheet
Factsheet
The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA)
QCAA gives examples of reasonable adjustments that can be provided for students in the way they are taught, as well as adjustments that can be made to the classroom environment.
Click here download Adjusting Instruction Document Opens in new window
Click here to download Adjusting Environment Document Opens in new window
The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA)
QCAA gives examples of reasonable adjustments that can be provided for students in the way they are taught, as well as adjustments that can be made to the classroom environment.
Click here download Adjusting Instruction Document Opens in new window
Click here to download Adjusting Environment Document Opens in new window
Website
What is the NCCD
Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD)
"Every Australian student who receives an adjustment to access and participate in education, is recorded in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD). The ‘student with disability’ loading provided by the Australian Government is based on the NCCD."
Click here to visit the website Opens in new window
In Queensland, all state schools are currently transitioning to Reasonable Adjustment Resourcing (RAR). RAR provides resources to schools based on the reasonable adjustments schools report they are making through the NCCD.
Article
Designing out barriers to student access and participation in secondary school assessment
Professor Linda Graham
Designing out barriers to learning also applies to the assessment task sheets, which become increasingly important in the secondary school years. This blog applies learnings from research, on how any teacher in any subject at any level of school, can design and write an assessment task in a fully accessible way.
Using Technology Well
When planning reasonable adjustments, educators should consider whether access to the right technology can remove the barriers to learning.
Article 7 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) recognises the importance of access to assistive technology. Assistive technology has been found to be the first step for any next steps: for a child with a disability to play with other children; go to school and be educated; and to become a successful citizen and contributing member of society.
Article
Understanding My Son’s Dysgraphia Helped Me Advocate for Him
Dawn Margolis Denberg
This article by a parent of a child with dysgraphia (impairment in writing) explains how the use of assistive technology opened up a whole new world for her son and the entire family.
Website
Assistive Technology
Department of Education Queensland
Assistive technology supports students with diverse learning needs within an inclusive learning environment. This can range from "high tech" technology, such as electronic devices or power wheelchairs, to "low tech" devices such as a pencil grip, supportive seat or a simple switch.
Website
Assistive Technology - Accessibility Features
The everyday technology we use in modern times have many built in features, ‘accessibility features’, that can be activated to make learning easier for all students. For many students with disabilities, activating these features will be an important tool in facilitating their access to learning and assessment.
These 2 websites describe how to activate specific features across a range of technologies and programs.
Website
Use Technology to Support Written Expression
InclusionED
This resource looks at the wide range of technology that can be used to enable students to have equitable access to written tasks.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Many students may need access to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).
Article
Tips for implementing AAC in the Classroom
Lesley Gallagher and Amy Litton
"We’ve put together a few of our tips and tricks about implementing communication devices in school that we, and the schools have found useful for successful device use in the education setting. This resource is designed for people working in and with schools." The second resource is titled "Helping your Child Communicate with their AAC system" and provides some useful strategies in how parents, family members and school teams can work together.
Website
AAC Resources
The AAC Coach: Kate McLaughlin
"Kate McLaughlin is a speech-language pathologist specializing in augmentative communication (AAC) for individuals with complex communication needs (CCN). She believes that autonomous communication, inclusion, and self-determination are fundamental human rights. She partners with individuals with CCN and their families to support their AAC journey."
Video
AAC at an Inclusive School
by Positive Partnerships and Two Way Street
Zac is included as a valued year 1 student in an inclusive classroom. Zac uses AAC to communicate, and his friends and classmates learn to use AAC too.
Video
Building an AAC Culture in Schools
co-presented by Amanda Hartmann
An excellent video of a workshop on building an AAC culture in schools, presented in June 2022, co-presented by Amanda Hartmann, an Australian speech pathologist and well-known advocate for AAC. “All students, regardless of age, diagnosis or ability can benefit from AAC embedded into curriculum and learning.”
Article
Building Peer Connections
Hannah Gutke
AAC is also important for students being able to communicate with their peers, and so access to AAC should be provided throughout the school day. Read more from a parent on how AAC has been used to build peer connections for her daughter.
Making Sense of Policy and Curriculum
Policy
Inclusive Education Policy
Queensland Government
"Our commitment means that children and young people across Queensland, from all social, cultural, community and family backgrounds, and of all identities and all abilities are able to:
- attend their local state school or education centre and be welcomed.
- access and participate in a high-quality education and fully engage in the curriculum along-side their similar-aged peers.
- learn in a safe and supportive environment, free from bullying, discrimination or harassment.
- achieve academically and socially with reasonable adjustments and supports tailored to meet their learning needs."
Participating in the regular curriculum matters. All students have the right to participate on the same basis as their peers and access the same age equivalent curriculum as their same-aged classmates.
"All students are entitled to access rigorous, relevant and engaging learning programs that are drawn from a challenging curriculum."
Loren Swancutt
Article
Curriculum
Loren Swancutt
Loren Swancutt is an experienced inclusive educator based in Queensland, she highlights characteristics of Inclusive Curriculum provision, compared with non-inclusive curriculum.
"If we provide age-appropriate, commensurate opportunity based on the notion of presumed competence and value in diversity, what results is the authentic possibility for limitless and infinite potential. We bypass the danger and harm of inequity and ablesim, and instead give back power and choice to the student."
Video
Curriculum Adjustments Practical
Inclusive School Communities
"This presentation responds to that challenge by providing a practical way to plan for the inclusion of all students in their age-equivalent curriculum. A facilitated process will be modelled, and opportunity for participants to engage in the practice will be provided."
Video
Accessing the Australian Curriculum achievements standards for all students
Queensland Department of Education
This video explains how the Australian Curriculum is designed to be an inclusive curriculum, and explores how every student can be supported to access the curriculum and demonstrate their learning.
Click here to view the video Opens in new window
Click here to access the Australian Curriculum website Opens in new window
Framework
The Prep-12 Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Framework (P-12 CARF)
Education Queensland
The Prep-12 Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Framework (P-12 CARF) sets out how every student in Queensland state schools are to be taught, assessed and reported on all learning areas of the Australian Curriculum, without exception. Every student with disability has a right to a high quality education, with reasonable adjustments provided so they can learn alongside their similar-aged peers, and demonstrate their learning and progress.
Parents may find this document helpful in discovering what is expected for teaching, assessing and reporting on every student’s learning in Queensland state schools. It includes information about the differentiated, focused and/or intensive teaching that must be provided before a student is considered for an Individual Curriculum Plan (ICP). It also outlines the requirement for parent endorsement of an ICP, and the review requirements of the ICP (eg must be reviewed every semester).
Click here to read the Framework document Opens in new window
Website
Every student with disability succeeding plan
Queensland Government
Website
Showcasing Good Practice in Queensland State Schools
Queensland Government Education
A series of videos showcasing good practice in Queensland state schools can be found on the Department of Education’s website. One example is Kuranda District State College...
"All of the leadership team have very much the same mindset around the inclusion of all students…We don’t actually have a special education unit…All students are included within the classroom."
Click here to view Video Opens in new window
Click here to view more videos Opens in new window
Article
The Australian Curriculum – A curriculum for ALL
Loren Swancutt
"Teachers can utilise the Australian Curriculum to deliver teaching and learning programs that are responsive to diversity within regular, heterogeneous classrooms. It provides tools and approaches that support teachers to seamlessly address variances in cognitive, physical and social development."
Website
Disability adjustments and participation in NAPLAN
National Assessment Program (NAP)
"Adjustments are provided to students with disability to support access to the NAPLAN tests and encourage maximum participation. This page outlines the adjustments and how they can be applied - including examples."
Understanding Senior Schooling and Planning for Life After School
Website
Australian Curriculum: Senior Secondary
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority
Senior Secondary students with disability (years 11-12) in Queensland can apply for Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments (AARA) to participate equitably in Senior Assessment.
Website
School to Work
Community Resource Unit
School to Work will provide information to help students and their families build confidence and explore what work could look like for them.
This project is proudly supported by the Queensland Government through the Department of Education.
The Department of Education website outlines its commitment to Inclusive education through its inclusive education policy.
