INCLUSIVE EDUCATION: PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES

ASSESSMENT-3

DHANUSHKA GUNAWARDENA
STUDENT NO:17387792
 Assessment-3
Part 1: Case study and Universal Design for Learning (Profile 11 – Candice)
Candice is a 13-year-old girl in year 8 who has been displayed various challenges related to dyslexia. Dyslexia is a neurobiological learning disability. It is

characterised by the problems with accurate word recognition, poor writing, poor spelling and low comprehension of age-appropriate reading (Dyslexia in

Australia, 2018). Dyslexia is a phonological processing disorder which influences the ability to decode words into pieces when read, spoken or written. This

difficulty directly mitigates the ability to effective coordinating of important parts of language: grammar, syntax and discourse (Mills, 2018). In Candice’s case,

her communication skills score remarkably below age level, especially in expressive vocabulary, syntactical expression, and comprehension of figurative and

abstract language concepts. She is still trying to improve writing simple sentences with correct syntax. Furthermore, phonological processing knowledge and

working memory are essential for effective reading and comprehension (Mills, 2018). But students with dyslexia experience difficulties with verbal memory,

verbal processing speed and reading slowly with more errors. In essence, Candice struggles with reading, reads at a lower level and appears slow when

reading out or copying passages from a book.

Moreover, students with dyslexia show poor self-esteem in regards to reading ability than their peers without dyslexia. They encounter teasing and bullying

and feelings of exclusion (Humphrey, 2002). In Candice’s case, some of her peers have begun teasing her and the more this upset her, the more they do it.

Therefore, her confidence and self-esteem have been shot to pieces. Humphrey and Glazzard also found that students with dyslexia show timid behaviour

such as avoiding situations of possible stress than students without dyslexia (Glazzard, 2010; Humphrey, 2002). In essence, Candice started making up

excuses not to go to school and has started missing lessons.

According to the most common opinion, students with dyslexia are especially creative and they show unpredictable strengths in many areas such as music,

art, drama, maths and social skills (Kannangara, Carson, Puttaraju, & Allen, 2018). Despite Candice’s dyslexia, she has various strengths and interests: strong

math skills; avid soccer player, loves music of all kinds, and plays flute in the school band. These strengths and interests can be used to improve her

motivation and achieve learning outcomes.

As many students with dyslexia are educating in mainstream schools, it is important that teachers should focus on the inclusive education for those students

in her classroom and make sure their needs are being met. That can be achieved by implementing a Universal design for learning (UDL) frame work. This

framework aims to establish flexible and equal educational benefits for all the students in the classroom by using highly creative pedagogical methods,

resources, instructional and learning goals and assessment criteria regardless of disabilities or cultural backgrounds (Reid, Strnadová, & Cumming, 2013). The

UDL framework includes three major principles: multiple means of representation, multiple means of expression and multiple means of engagement (CAST,

2018).

The multiple means of representation, aims on the ‘what’ of learning (CAST, 2018). As students vary in the form they grasp and understand the lesson

content being taught to them, it is important that this content is delivered multiple times in a different ways (Vitelli, 2015). Multiple means of representation

are delivered in the following lesson plan by providing teacher explicit instructions and demonstrations both verbally and written on the board. By both

writing and verbalising the tasks students can obtain multiple forms of receiving the content. As Candice struggles with reading, having this verbalised will

assist her understand the learning content. Moreover, when presenting a learning concept, such as chemical changes and physical changes in the following

lesson plan, a meaning of these scientific terms are given to all students verbally and written form and then ask students to define them in a way they are
able to remember them easily. e.g. sentence form, bullet form, symbols, diagrams or images. Therefore, Candice can use symbols, diagrams or images to

define the terms rather

References:

CAST. (2018). The UDL Guidelines. Retrieved from http://udlguidelines.cast.org/

Dyslexia in Australia. (2018). Australian Dyslexia Association Retrieved from https://dyslexiaassociation.org.au/dyslexia-in-australia/

Glazzard, J. (2010). The impact of dyslexia on pupils' self‐esteem. Support for Learning, 25(2), 63-69. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9604.2010.01442.x

Humphrey, N. (2002). Teacher and pupil ratings of self‐esteem in developmental dyslexia. British Journal of Special Education, 29(1), 29-36. doi:10.1111/1467-

8527.00234

Kannangara, C., Carson, J., Puttaraju, S., & Allen, R. (2018). Not All Those Who Wander are Lost: Examining the Character Strengths of Dyslexia. Glob J Intellect

Dev Disabil, 4(5). Retrieved from https://juniperpublishers.com/gjidd/GJIDD.MS.ID.555648.php.

Mills, J. R. (2018). Effective Multi-Sensory Strategies for Students With Dyslexia. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 54(1), 36-40. doi:10.1080/00228958.2018.1407181

Mishra, R., & Mohan, A. (2016). Developments in effective teaching strategies for students with dyslexia: A review of literature and research. International

journal of applied research, 2(6), 206-208. Retrieved from https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Developments-in-effective-teaching-strategies-for-

A-Mishra-Mohan/5cb6ca699b334e9bea89095b00438d1e53c92e78.

Novak, K. a. (2016). Udl now! : a teacher's guide to applying universal design for learning in the classroom (Revised and expanded edition. ed.): Wakefield,

Massachusetts : CAST Professional Publishing, 2016.

Reid, G., Strnadová, I., & Cumming, T. (2013). Expanding horizons for students with dyslexia in the 21st century: universal design and mobile technology.

Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 13(3), 175-181. doi:10.1111/1471-3802.12013

Vitelli, E. M. (2015). Universal Design for Learning: Are We Teaching It to Preservice General Education Teachers? Journal of Special Education Technology,

30(3), 166-178. doi:10.1177/0162643415618931