There has been a continual shift in attitude towards including students with special needs in

mainstream classrooms in Australia. When looking at inclusion in the classroom this refers

to all students being able to participate in the same classrooms despite any disabilities. This

is important because it does not allow for segregation or division in the Australian school

setting to exist. This shift has gained its substance from the idea that students with

disabilities are far better off being placed in an inclusive environment rather than receiving

segregated education. This is particularly the case when it comes to students with Autism

spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD refers to a lifelong developmental condition that affects,

among other things, the way an individual relates to his or her environment and their

interaction with other people (Autism spectrum.org). A major factor that has allowed for a

shift towards inclusive classroom environments has been due to certain legislation that has

been enacted. Examples of these legislations include, the Disability discrimination act

(1992), the Disability standards for education (2005) and the Salamanca statement and

framework action (1994). These pieces of legislation will be discussed in relation to how the

shift in attitude towards fostering an inclusive schooling environment has come about. As

well as this, it is the role of teachers to understand the importance of applying an inclusive

pedagogy whilst they are teaching so that they are promoting a more successful classroom.

This includes the way they set up their classrooms, their engagement and collaboration with

parents and support teachers as well as differentiating classroom activities and making

necessary adjustments for students with disabilities and students with ASD.

Firstly, when looking at understanding how changing views about inclusion has come to

fruition it is important to look at the legislation that has been created to allow for these

changing views. Australian schools today are filled with students who may have a slight
disability or have been diagnosed as having ASD. “The prevalence rate of ASD is currently

estimated to be 1 in 68, which is an increase from 1 in 88 just 2 years earlier” (Able,

Sreckovic, Schultz, Garwood and Sherman, 2015, p. 45). The implementation of the

following legislation allows for teachers to address the frequent number of encounters they

will have with students who may have a disability. There are many examples of legislation

that affords rights and equity to students with disabilities in the education setting. For

instance, The Australian Government supports the right of children with disability to have

the same educational opportunities as other children. This concept is reflected in the

Disability discrimination act (1992). All state and territory education providers, including

government and non-government schools, must comply with the Disability discrimination

act and the relevant disability discrimination legislation of their state or territory. All

education providers must also comply with the Disability Standards for Education 2005.

According to the Disability standards for education (2005), “the act seeks to eliminate, as far

as possible, discrimination against people with disabilities. Under section 22 of the Act, it is

unlawful for an educational authority to discriminate against a person on the ground of the

person’s disability or a disability of any associates of that person” (p. 4). The Salamanca

statement (1994) also proclaims, “every child has a fundamental right to education, and

must be given the opportunity to achieve and maintain an acceptable level of learning”. It is

clear that the aforementioned legislative policies are being actively used in schools in

Australia. The changing in attitudes towards inclusion is primarily due to these forms of

legislation being enacted. In terms of what these policies cover, this can include assisting

students with disability with enrolment, curriculum development and delivery, student

support services, participation in classrooms, and the abolishing of harassment and

victimisation. Therefore, these forms of legislation have been enacted to ensure that
schools participate in creating an inclusive environment so that no student is left behind.

With all these legislations put in to place it is clear to see how the changing views about

inclusion have come about.

Moreover, it is imperative that students with disabilities, and in particular ASD, are included

in a mainstream class setting so that they are not segregated and left behind. There have

since been several sources of empirical evidence that shows that students with ASD are far

better off being placed in a mainstream classroom rather than being placed in a specialised

class due to their disabilities. For example, Dunn (1968) states, “results are well known and

suggest consistently that retarded pupils make as much or more progress in the regular

grades as they do in special education” (p. 8). With this in mind it is clear that students with

ASD are going to be allowed to make far more progress in an inclusive classroom setting

rather than in a special education class. A further study concluded the similar results and

showed that “mildly handicapped children did as well in the regular grades as in special

classes, concluding that there is little or no evidence that special class programming is

generally beneficial to handicapped students as a specific method of intervention and

correction” (Dunn, 1968, p. 8). As well as ASD students benefiting from being included in a

mainstream classroom, there are other benefits as well for these students. Not only will

students feel more positively about themselves if they are able to participate in a

mainstream classroom, they will also feel a greater sense of connection to their school and

their community. For example, “when students are educated in the neighbourhood school,

as opposed to a special class or school some distance away, they become part of their local
community” (Konza, 2008, p. 40). Therefore, it is important for teachers to understand their

role in how creating an inclusive environment has several benefits for students with ASD.

Furthermore, the attitudes that teachers adopt will determine how successful inclusion is in

their classroom. Teachers must try their hardest to not focus on the disabilities that some

students possess. Rather, they should try and focus on the strengths and capabilities of all

the students in their classroom. Loreman, Deppeler and Harvey (2011) share a similar

sentiment in which they believe it is critically important to see beyond superficialities,

especially when it comes to education and schooling. Furthermore, “when it comes to

making classrooms work there are two overriding attitudes that matter most. The first is the

belief that all students can learn. The Second is that teachers who believe they can make a

difference do just that” (Loreman, Deppeler and Harvey, 2011, p. 47). Research has already

confirmed that students with ASD learn at the same rate if not even more if they are

included in a mainstream classroom. It is thus the role of the teacher to adopt a positive

attitude towards these students so that they can help make a difference for the students

with a disability. Positive attitudes are also one of the seven pillars of support for inclusive

education which is of high importance. Loreman (2007) notes that “negative teacher

attitudes towards inclusion, once developed are extremely difficult to change. This

highlights the importance of pre-service teacher education which engenders positive

attitudes towards inclusive education in beginning teachers” (p. 25). As a pre service teacher

it is imperative that a positive attitude is adopted towards inclusion in the classroom so that

you are starting your teaching pedagogy on the right foot. Thus, it is of high importance to

develop a positive attitude towards inclusion as early as possible. For instance, Hobbs and

Westling (1998) suggest that positive attitudes are central to the success of inclusive
education. Not only does a positive attitude encourage correct practices it basically

guarantees the attainment of success of inclusion.

In addition, a further professional skill that would be required of teachers would be to

devise lessons based on the strength of your students with disabilities rather than focusing

on their possible hinderances. Teachers need to understand that their classroom will be

made up by a range of diverse students and abilities. With that being said teachers must be

able to organise their classrooms accordingly to suit their students who have diverse needs.

By differentiating work for not only students with ASD but students with other disabilities

such as ADHD then students will more likely be able to succeed in their learning (Salend,

2011). For instance, you might have a student who has ADHD in your classroom, and you

have identified that one of their strengths is in creative drawing. Instead of asking the

student to write out their answer in a written format, they could possible give you their

answer in the form of a creative drawing. A further example that a teacher can use to assist

students with mild disabilities and students with ASD is that they can dedicate a quiet space

for these students so that they can manage their own overstimulation and be able to stay

on task, thus promoting positive learning outcomes. As well as this, teachers can home in

on disabled students’ significant strengths (Konza, 2008). For instance, the implementation

of a support teacher for classrooms with students with disabilities can create a routine that

allows for these students to feel comfortable in an inclusive environment (Konza, 2008).
Lastly, collaboration with parents and caretakers is another essential aspect of creating

successful inclusive teaching. Simply placing students with ASD in a mainstream classroom is

not enough to ensure successful learning. Instead, it requires complete participation from

both teachers, parents and support teachers to instil a sense of belonging for these students

with ASD (Loreman, Deppeler and Harvey, 2011). There are many possibilities for teachers

to interact successfully with collaboration. For example, teachers can create a range of

strategies for families to communicate frequently about their expectations, as well as, their

child’s learning progress and well-being that reflects their preferences (Loreman, Deppeler

and Harvey, 2011). Teachers can also begin this process by setting a clear message to both

students and families that, as a teacher, you will be setting high expectations for all students

regardless of any disabilities that they may have. Therefore, family involvement is of

significant importance when looking at inclusive education. As well as this, the importance

of collaboration between home and school is also critical to ensure successful collaboration

(Loreman, Deppeler and Harvey, 2011).

To conclude, the positive shift in attitude towards creating inclusive environments in

Australian schools is largely due to the adherence to legislation and policies that have been

enacted to ensure all students are free to participate in an inclusive classroom setting.

Teachers must be aware of students in their classroom that may have any disabilities and

must be able to promptly address this by differentiating or adjusting classroom settings and

tasks. Teachers must also actively participate in collaboration with parents and caretakers to

ensure that inclusivity is successful in their classroom.

 References

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(2015). Views From the Trenches: Teacher and Student Supports Needed for Full
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