Preparing teachers to support inclusion: The benefits of interaction between a group of pre-service teachers and a teaching assistant who is disabled.

This qualitative study investigates the development of preservice teachers' attitudes toward people with disabilities during a semester-long unit. Ten students enrolled in a special education teaching elective were interviewed before and after they were engaged in a teaching program designed to expose them to direct, structured interactions with a teaching assistant who was physically disabled. The teaching assistant interacted with students in both small and large group tutorial discussions throughout the semester. Also, students kept a reflective journal on their experiences with people with disabilities throughout the teaching program. Data were collected through the use of semi-structured interviews and journals, and analysis indicated that: (i) students developed a more positive attitude and became more comfortable in interacting with the teaching assistant during the semester, and (ii) learning experience improved their knowledge about disability issues

Supporting inclusive classrooms: can Western approaches to teaching be applied within an Indian context?

As there has been an increase in Western Higher Education Institutions delivering their degree programmes in the emerging economies of Asia so have concerns been expressed that these initiatives may become a form of ‘colonialism’ seen as offering ‘superior’ understanding of how universal educational challenges should be addressed. This concern quite rightly demands that future partnerships for the development of professional development courses needs should be built upon secure and established principles of equity and collaboration. Demands for a more inclusive education system, endorsed through such international agreements as the Salamanca Statement (1994), and more recently through the Millennium Development Goals have led to an increase in training programmes aimed at equipping teachers with the skills to address the needs of a diverse school population. However, in many instances this has resulted in attempts to transport a westernised approach to education to cultural contexts which differ greatly from those in which inclusive schooling has been advanced. The potential for cultural dislocation is clearly in evidence and may prove to be an inhibiting factor rather than a means of promoting the inclusion agenda. This paper is based on a small scale research project which examines the tensions and challenges in transferring skills, knowledge and research findings within a UK accredited University master’s degree programme in inclusive education delivered in India. Course participants were asked to report on the application of ideas and strategies presented on the course and to identify issues related to cultural interpretation and transfer. A survey instrument enabled the researchers to gain data related to teacher expectations, application of learning and cultural transfer and was followed by interviews to elaborate on data acquired at the survey level. Initial findings indicate the importance of course planning and delivery being undertaken in partnership with local educators and the early recognition of cultural factors that may influence assumptions made about learning. Examples of student interpretation of definitions and ideas around inclusion and approaches to teaching illustrate the value of such collaborative initiatives. Aspects of the programme funding, delivery and assessment of outcomes will be shared based on qualitative data accrued from participating staff and students. This will include the presentation of practical learning outcomes demonstrating a synthesis between theory and practice and the implementation of teaching approaches in Indian classrooms which foster increased inclusion of children with learning difficulties. The authors will suggest a successful outcome based upon a well-established learning partnership whilst highlighting points of sensitivity and potential challenge between differing perceptions of inclusive education especially in relation to special educational needs an identification of universal ‘truths’ which transcend cultures and creeds will be offered

Disproportionate over-representation of Indigenous students in New South Wales government special schools

A significant gap exists in the Australian research literature on the disproportionate over-representation of minority groups in special education. The aim of this paper is to make a contribution to the research evidence-base by sketching an outline of the issue as it presents in Australia’s largest education system in the state of New South Wales. Findings from this research show that Indigenous students are equally represented in special schools enrolling students with autism, physical, sensory, and intellectual disabilities, but significantly over-represented in special schools enrolling students under the categories of emotional disturbance, behaviour disorder and juvenile detention. Factors that might influence the disproportionate over-representation of Indigenous children and young people are discussed, and based on these observations, some practical implications for policy and practice are provided

Virtual reality in the rehabilitation of people with intellectual disabilities

Virtual reality (VR) possesses many qualities that give it rehabilitative potential for people with intellectual disabilities, both as an intervention and an assessment. It can provide a safe setting in which to practice skills that might carry too many risks in the real world. Unlike human tutors, computers are infinitely patient and consistent. Virtual worlds can be manipulated in ways the real world cannot be and can convey concepts without the use of language or other symbol systems. Published applications for this client group have all been as rehabilitative interventions. These are described in three groups: promoting skills for independent living, enhancing cognitive performance, and improving social skills. Five groups of studies are reviewed that utilize virtual technology to promote skills for independent living: grocery shopping, preparing food, orientation, road safety, and manufacturing skills. Fears that skills or habits learnt in a virtual setting would not transfer to the real world setting have not been supported by the available evidence, apart from those studies with people with autistic spectrum disorders. Future directions are in the development of more applications for independent living skills, exploring interventions for promoting motor and cognitive skills, and the developments of ecologically valid forms of assessment

Wherefore art thou, inclusion? Analysing the development of inclusive education in New South Wales, Alberta and Finland

Over the last two decades, moves toward “inclusion” have prompted change in the formation of education policies, schooling structures and pedagogical practice. Yet, exclusion through the categorisation and segregation of students with diverse abilities has grown; particularly for students with challenging behaviour. This paper considers what has happened to inclusive education by focusing on three educational jurisdictions known to be experiencing different rates of growth in the identification of special educational needs: New South Wales (Australia), Alberta (Canada) and Finland (Europe). In our analysis, we consider the effects of competing policy forces that appear to thwart the development of inclusive schools in two of our case-study regions

Interpersonal influence in families: development and psychometric evaluation of the influence in families questionnaire

The objective of this article was to develop and psychometrically evaluate a self-report instrument that would assess interpersonal influence in families. The Influence in Families Questionnaire (IFQ) was developed as a 16-item scale which assesses both positive and negative influence. The IFQ and its sub-scales, when administered to a sample of 581 adolescents and Young adults, showed high internal consistency and exhibited a promising pattern of convergent, divergent and criterion validity in relation to relevant criteria such as impact messages, family and attachment relationships and interpersonal sense of control. Overall, these results suggest that the IFQ is a useful instrument for measuring interpersonal influence within families

The Impact of a Universally Designed, Inclusive Third Level Education Programme for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities in a Dublin College

The right to an inclusive education is explicitly stated in Article 24 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD 2016). The term Inclusion is significant, and it has replaced the preceding term Integration. Where integration may simply involve a student with a disability being placed in a mainstream setting, inclusion involves a focus on the experience of that student, removing barriers and supporting the student to participate in the educational process in the same way as their non-disabled peers. Integrated education in Ireland has been part of education policy since 1993 when a report recommended ‘as much integration as is appropriate and feasible with as little segregation as is necessary’. (Department of Education and Science 1993, p.22) At around the same time The Salamanca Statement (Unesco 1994) put Inclusive education on the international stage claiming that .... those with special educational needs must have access to regular schools which should accommodate them within a child centred pedagogy capable of meeting these needs (UNESCO 1994, p.viii). Ireland\u27s policy has moved towards inclusion with many references to \u27Inclusive education\u27 in the Education for People with Special Educational Needs Act (2004) This move towards inclusive education has been reflected in the allocation of increased resources (teaching hours and special needs assistants) to children with various disabilities in mainstream schools. In 2015/16 over 29,000 students with special educational needs were supported by Special Needs Assistants and almost 53,000 students received additional teaching supports within mainstream schools. (NCSE 2016, p.13) While many may argue that the supports remain insufficient, there is no doubt that the resources for inclusive education have increased significantly over the past three decades in school settings

Developing an Information System for Assistive Technology Apps

The goal of this project was to create an easy, accessible way for Seven Hills employees to find apps to assist the various needs of their clients. To accomplish this goal, we have created the following deliverables: an assistive technology (AT) apps database, and both written and video tutorials for the database. This system currently contains over four hundred apps that are searchable by various identifiers such as name, category, and disability to name a few. It also allows users to request new apps to be added, and allows administrators to edit and delete apps. Most of the research the staff conducts are through peer review, so the system also includes rankings and comments. The tutorials are for both users and administrators, and explain how to search, edit, and maintain the database