Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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Jacob has certain impairments that affect his ability to interact in a normal
fashion with his environment and other individuals. These impairmentsy are manifested
in the following ways. Jacob is resistant to social interaction however, does not reject it
completely. He will not sustain conversation or interact with peers of his own accord and
prefers solitary activities so therefore he lags far behind the developmental level. Jacob
does not understand social or emotional reciprocity. He has trouble processing and
making choices when provided to him and adheres to strict classroom and home routines
where deviation from that routine can, but not always, result in aggressive meltdowns.
Jacob has certain tactile sensory issues and will avoid touching anything he deems
messy, he also refuses to sit on hard objects. Jacob has an intense preoccupation with
cars and has an extensive knowledge of makes, models and working parts of engines.
Jacob struggles with organisation and has trouble finding, organising and keeping his
personal items in check whilst he also has substantial difficulties adhering to timeframes or deadlines and staying on task for specific or longer term lessons or activities.
Learning Needs and Inclusive Practices in Learning and Teaching for a Child with
ASD
The No Child Left Behind Act (2001) is one of the many documents that
emphasise the importance of educating children with disabilities, including those
diagnosed with ASD, alongside their typical peers. There are many steps that can be
taken at a school level to ensure proper integration and overall inclusion of a student or
students with ASD. Education institutions should use forward planning at all levels so
that all children can benefit on an operational level from day-to-day activities, staff
should be well informed of the disability and peers should be educated to include and
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brushes. Jacob also has organisational issues. The teacher may give him a limited
amount of items to keep track of and provide him with a single place for all of his
belongings, such as a tub with his name on it. The Department of Health (2002) stresses
the importance of altering small details in the school or classroom environment to
account for the sensory difficulties some children with ASD may face.
Another example of inclusion practices for a child with ASD would be to utilise
visual supports. Visual cues are very important for a child with ASD and, generally
speaking, a child with ASD is able to process visual information better than that which is
delivered orally (Department of Health, 2002). Visual supports provide students with
ASD adequate time to decipher meaning as well as enabling communication to be
specific (OConnor, 2009). In order to cater for this need in the classroom the teacher
may adopt a variety of strategies to minimise Jacobs anxiety and help him adhere to
time frames. Providing a visual class time table with the days of the weeks and pictures
of which subject goes where during the course of the day would help him to know what
is coming next and when. In order tTo help Jacob keep to time frames, small reasonable
adjustments to the classroom environment might be made such as providing Jacob with a
timer on his desk which starts when the activity begins and slowly counts down to when
the activity ends. This allows him to visually associate the time frame given with the
task at hand. Visual supports can not only serve to enhance instructional engagement
but, when used successfully, they can also improve the social membership and
empowerment of children with ASD as they provide a framework for meaningful
interaction and communication (Arthur-Kelly et al., 2009).
Providing multiple means of representation, action, expression and engagement
is an important part of developing a curriculum that caters for a diverse range of student
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needs. When planning for students with special needs collaboration is imperative and
active student involvement is an important factor to consider when planning inclusive
techniques and strategies for teaching practice (Ashman & Elkins, 2012). Although it is
important to recognise that Jacob may need adjustments to the curriculum or school
environment it is important to consult him as to whether he deems the adjustments
relevant and reasonable. Standard 3.5 of the Disability Standards for Education (Cth,
2005) outlines the importance of consulting the student on any adjustments being made
and also outlines that the teacher and student should assess whether the adjustment could
be modified to be less intrusive or disruptive but of no less benefit to the student.
Although adjustments do need to be made in the classroom/school environment
to facilitate and encourage Jacobs learning and improvement there may need to be
significant curriculum adjustments through differentiation in order for Jacob to achieve
the same learning outcomes as his peers. According to Ashman & Elkins (2012): an
inclusive curriculum caters for the learning needs of all students it provides a neatness
of fit for each student, while still retaining the focus of control for the curriculum within
the classroom (p.239). Jacob has a preoccupation with cars and this fixation could
potentially be used as a stimulus to keep him actively engaged and on track to achieve
the required learning outcomes of particular lessons. Section 6.3, paragraph b, of the
Disability Standards for Education (Cth, 2005) outlines that a teacher may take measures
to alter or modify a: course or program, delivery modes and learning activities to
take account of intended educational outcomes and the learning capacities and needs of
the student (p. 24). An example of this might be to use cars as the subject of a
mathematics lesson. One of the content descriptors provided by the Australian
Curriculum: Mathematics Version 6.0 (ACARA, 2014) at the relevant grade five level is:
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Improving Social Skills Within the Classroom for a Child with ASD
The Disability Standards for Education (Cth, 2005) mandates in its preliminary
objectives the importance of eradicating discrimination against individuals on the
grounds of disability and to promote acceptance and appreciation within the community
that those with a disability have the same rights as all others. In order Ffor this to occur
successfully, ASD students who have significantly impaired social abilities may need
extra support to learn how to interact effectively with their peers. The Australian
Curriculum (2012) defines in its general capabilities the importance of personal and
social abilities while The Melbourne Declaration on the Educational Goals for Young
Australians (The Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth
Affairs , 2008) explains the importance of social capability and its role in helping
students become successful learners: helping to improve their academic learning and
enhancing their motivationsocial capability supports students in becoming creative
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and parents see progress and plan for future improvement in behaviour, social capability
and other units of work (Ashman and Elkins, 2012).
Providing an inclusive education for all children including those with ASD, such
as Jacob, is not only important for the development of the individual students it is also
required by law. The Disability Standards for Education (Cth, 2005) set forth clear
guidelines to instruct educational providers as to their legal obligations in this matter and
The Victorian Teaching Profession Code of Conduct (Victorian Institute of Teaching,
2008) outlines that all teachers must be aware of the legal requirements that pertain to
their profession and should always know their students well whilst respecting their
individual differences and catering for their individual abilities. This discourse had been
intended to reflect the understanding of the educational needs of a child with ASD.
Examples of teaching, learning and assessment practices have been discussed in line
with The Disability Standards for Education (Cth, 2005). To exit, a quote from the
Ashman & Elkins (2012) is particularly relevant: Even if schools have provided
inclusive programs an understanding of the full meaning of inclusion can still be
missingschools need to be vigilant when thinking about how all aspects of school life
can be inclusive of all students (p. 50).
Strong conclusion.
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References
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders (4th ed). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
Arthur-Kelly, M., Sigafoos, J., Green, V., Mathisen, B., & Arthur-Kelly, R. (2009).
Issues in the use of visual supports to promote communication in individuals
with autism spectrum disorder. Disability & Rehabilitation, 31(18), 1474-1486.
Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.utas.edu.au/eds/pdfviewer
/pdfviewer?sid=89b31ddd-c4fe-40f8-93301b8e62efe7b3%40sessionmgr4002&v
id=8&hid=4103
Ashman, A., & Elkins, J. (Eds.). (2011). Education for inclusion and diversity (4th ed.).
Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education Australia.
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Luiselli, James K. (2011). Teaching and Behavior Support for Children and Adults with
Autism Spectrum Disorder : A Practitioner's Guide. Retrieved from
http://www.eblib.com
The Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (2008).
The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians.
Retrieved from: http://www.mceecdya.edu.au/verve/_resources/national_
declaration_on_the_educational_goals_for_young_australians.pdf
O,Connor. G. (2009). Visual Supports for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Retrieved from http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/blog/wpcontent/uploads/2
009/08/visual-supports.pdf
Sansosti, F. J., & Sansosti, J. M. (2013). Effective School-Based Service Delivery for
Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Where We Are and Where We Need
To Go. Psychology In The Schools, 50(3), 229-244. doi:10.1002/pits.21669.
Taylor, B.A., & DeQuinzio, J. A. (2011). Video Modeling. In Luiselli, J.K. (Ed).
Teaching and Behavior Support for Children and Adults with Autism Spectrum
Disorders: A How To Practitioners Guide. New York: Oxford University
Press.
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The Victorian Institute of Teaching. (2008). The Victorian Teaching Profession Code of
Ethics. Retrieved from http://www.vit.vic.edu.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/PDF
/1543_Code-of-Conduct-June-2008.pdf
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Distinction (70-79)
Credit (60-69)
Pass (50-59)
A professional level of
understanding of key terms and
principles of the Disability
Standards for Education 2005 was
applied in a way that was highly
relevant to the specific context
A clear explanation of
appropriate learning, teaching,
and assessment practices for the
student was provided, together
with relevant justification
An explanation of appropriate
learning, teaching, and
assessment practices for the
student was provided, together
with some relevant
justification
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