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1. Disabled Children’s Right to Education

   Human Rights Commission (2009). Disabled Children’s Right to Education. Wellington: Human Rights Commission. This report assesses the extent to which the right to education is realised for disabled children and young people in New Zealand, on the basis of complaints...

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   Disabled Children’s Right to Education

   Human Rights Commission (2009). Disabled Children’s Right to Education. Wellington: Human Rights Commission.

   This report assesses the extent to which the right to education is realised for disabled children and young people in New Zealand, on the basis of complaints and enquiries to the Human Rights Commission. It also discusses the concepts of inclusive and special education and summarises the relevant legal, policy, and human rights frameworks in New Zealand and overseas.

   Resources for:

   Further learning

   Relevant to:

   Special education and ASD in NZ school settings

   Contributed by:

   2009 Human Rights Commission.

2. icommunicate: Speech and Communication Therapy

   icommunicate is an Australian-based website dedicated to sharing resources and information to support people with communication difficulties, including those with ASD. The information is reliable, as it is written by qualified speech therapists. There are (or will be) sections on:...

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   icommunicate: Speech and Communication Therapy

   icommunicate is an Australian-based website dedicated to sharing resources and information to support people with communication difficulties, including those with ASD. The information is reliable, as it is written by qualified speech therapists. There are (or will be) sections on:

   • ASD in children: prevalence, causes, and treatment
   • strategies for communication
   • strategies for social skills (see especially the section on social stories)
   • visual strategies
   • strategies for behaviour
   • strategies in the classroom
   • language and cognitive development
   • assistive communication and technology.

    There is also a resource centre with speech and communication downloads and videos. A discussion forum is in development.

   Resources for:

   Further learning , Taking action

   Relevant to:

   Understanding autism spectrum disorder, Evolving inclusive practices, Managing transitions

   Contributed by:

   icommunicate Therapy Limited .

3. Inclusive Education Action Group

   IEAG advocates for a fully inclusive New Zealand education system. It provides information about inclusive education on its website and through workshops for educators, parents, whānau, and caregivers....

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   Inclusive Education Action Group

   IEAG advocates for a fully inclusive New Zealand education system. It provides information about inclusive education on its website and through workshops for educators, parents, whānau, and caregivers.

   Resources for:

   Further learning

   Relevant to:

   Understanding inclusion, Special education and ASD in NZ school settings

4. Barriers to School Inclusion: An Investigation into the Exclusion of Disabled Students From and Within New Zealand Schools

   Alison Kearney's recent doctoral thesis Barriers to School Inclusion: An Investigation into the Exclusion of Disabled Students From and Within New Zealand Schools is based on evidence that disabled students are being excluded from and within New Zealand schools.Kearney wanted...

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   Barriers to School Inclusion: An Investigation into the Exclusion of Disabled Students From and Within New Zealand Schools

   Alison Kearney's recent doctoral thesis Barriers to School Inclusion: An Investigation into the Exclusion of Disabled Students From and Within New Zealand Schools is based on evidence that disabled students are being excluded from and within New Zealand schools.

   Kearney wanted to know how this was happening, and why. To answer these questions she conducted qualitative research with parents and school principals, teachers, teacher aides, and a group of year 6 students. A significant number of the parents and caregivers volunteered that their child had ASD.

   Kearney’s thesis is an important contribution to our understandings about inclusion in New Zealand schools, but its length makes it more suitable for selective reading.

   One approach may be to begin with her conclusion, in which she organises her major findings in relation to five key areas: access, accountability, attitudes, knowledge, and responsibility. She then provides tables of prompts for teachers, school principals, and senior managers for each area: “These prompts are designed to help guide attention and discussion to issues that are important if exclusion is to be reduced and eliminated” (page 217). You could use these prompts to help assess your current position and then review the effectiveness of your inclusion plan, setting up a system to collate and summarise your responses so that you can track progress over time.

   Kearney, A. (2008). “Exclusion at School: What Is Happening for Students Who Are Disabled?” The International Journal of Diversity in Organisations, Communities and Nations, 7(6), pp. 219–227.

   Resources for:

   Further learning , Taking action

   Relevant to:

   Inquiry and knowledge-building, Understanding inclusion, Special education and ASD in NZ school settings, Audit

   Contributed by:

   Kearney, A. 2009 Unpublished doctoral thesis. Massey University: Palmerston North.

5. You're Going to Love This Kid

   Kluth, P. (2010). You're Going To Love This Kid! Teaching Students with Autism in the Inclusive Classroom. Baltimore, MA: Brookes.Kluth, P. (2011). You're Going To Love This Kid! A Professional Development Package for Teaching Students with Autism in the Inclusive...

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   You're Going to Love This Kid

   Kluth, P. (2010). You're Going To Love This Kid! Teaching Students with Autism in the Inclusive Classroom. Baltimore, MA: Brookes.

   Kluth, P. (2011). You're Going To Love This Kid! A Professional Development Package for Teaching Students with Autism in the Inclusive Classroom. Baltimore, MA: Brookes/Landlocked Films. (DVD and facilitator guide)

   See also Paula Kluth's introductory video clip You're Going To Love This Kid!

   You can also find an article by Paula Kluth on “Supporting Students with Autism: 10 Ideas for Inclusive Classrooms” on the Autism Speaks website.

   The title of these resources by renowned educationalist Paula Kluth is indicative of the tone throughout all her work – Kluth loves students with ASD for who they are as unique individuals and for the way they enrich the lives of those around them.

    Reviews of Kluth’s work emphasise the practical nature of the strategies and resources she provides, her commitment to inclusion, and the strong foundation on research. The 2010 book and professional development package include observation forms and checklists that could be used to review your practice and make decisions about what to do. Examples, case studies, and the DVD show that the approaches she suggests do work. They include checklists for auditing aspects of school and classroom practice, including whether the school is inclusive and whether classrooms are comfortable for students with ASD. Advice is provided on how the materials can be used for professional learning, both in the book and in the manual accompanying the DVD.

   Before purchasing a copy of her resources, you may like to access a copy on loan from Autism New Zealand and/or view the video clips available on the Internet. The introductory video is available here, but you can also find other extracts by typing in the words “You're going to love this kid!” and “DVD”.

   One of the features of Paula’s website is a set of readings on ASD, inclusive schooling, differentiated instruction, and literacy.

   Resources for:

   Further learning , Taking action , Others' stories

   Relevant to:

   Leading change, Understanding autism spectrum disorder, Understanding inclusion, Audit, Building inclusive school cultures, Producing inclusive school policies, Evolving inclusive practices, Managing transitions, Specific issues for secondary schools

   Contributed by:

   Kluth, P. 2010 .

6. Autism New Zealand Inc: Proposal for Resource Development. Phase 1 Research and Needs Analysis Report

    Learning Media (2011). Autism New Zealand Inc: Proposal for Resource Development. Phase 1 Research and Needs Analysis Report. Wellington: Learning Media. The preparatory work for this report included an extensive needs analysis that collected and contrasted the perspectives of three key...

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   Autism New Zealand Inc: Proposal for Resource Development. Phase 1 Research and Needs Analysis Report

    Learning Media (2011). Autism New Zealand Inc: Proposal for Resource Development. Phase 1 Research and Needs Analysis Report. Wellington: Learning Media.

    The preparatory work for this report included an extensive needs analysis that collected and contrasted the perspectives of three key groups:

   1. school governance (including principals, deputy principals, and school trustees)
   2. teachers and specialist staff with working with students with ASD
   3. parents and caregivers of students with ASD.

    The findings showed a worrying picture:

   • School leaders often lack a realistic understanding of what is going on for the autistic students in their schools and how teaching staff are coping.
   • Teachers and teacher aides mean well, but generally lack the deep understandings they need to support autistic students to develop and progress holistically.
   • Parents often feel excluded and frustrated by the lack of support for their children.

    The report concluded that many autistic students are not currently fully included in New Zealand schooling.

    You can read a summary of the findings here.

   Resources for:

   Further learning

   Relevant to:

   Special education and ASD in NZ school settings

   Contributed by:

   Learning Media 2011 Wellington: Learning Media.

7. Educating Children with Autism

   Lord, C., and McGee, J. (eds.) (2001). Educating Children with Autism. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.The age, size, and place of development of this extensive literature review limit its value, especially in light of the subsequent publications of the New...

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   Educating Children with Autism

   Lord, C., and McGee, J. (eds.) (2001). Educating Children with Autism. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

   The age, size, and place of development of this extensive literature review limit its value, especially in light of the subsequent publications of the New Zealand Autism Spectrum Guideline (Ministries of Health and Education, 2008). Nevertheless, it covers a wide range of topics in great detail and with considerable authority.

   Resources for:

   Further learning

   Relevant to:

   Understanding autism spectrum disorder, Building inclusive school cultures, Producing inclusive school policies, Evolving inclusive practices

   Contributed by:

   Lord, C., and McGee, J. 2001 Washington, DC: National Academy Press..

8. Disabled Children Negotiating School Life: Agency, Difference and Teaching

   MacArthur, J., Sharp, S., Kelly, B., and Gaffney, M. (2007). "Disabled Children Negotiating School Life: Agency, Difference And Teaching Practice". International Journal of Children's Rights, 15, pp. 99–120.This important journal article covers many of the topics addressed in this resource...

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   Disabled Children Negotiating School Life: Agency, Difference and Teaching

   MacArthur, J., Sharp, S., Kelly, B., and Gaffney, M. (2007). "Disabled Children Negotiating School Life: Agency, Difference And Teaching Practice". International Journal of Children's Rights, 15, pp. 99–120.

   This important journal article covers many of the topics addressed in this resource but from the perspective of students themselves. It highlights the barriers to inclusion, but also describes policies and practices that make students feel included. The abstract reads:

   This paper reports on data from a three-year ethnographic study that highlights 11–14-year-old disabled children’s experiences of primary and secondary school. Observations at the micro level of the classroom and school grounds, and disabled children’s accounts of their life at school, combine to illustrate children’s agency as they negotiate a complex, changing, and often challenging social world. Children’s desires and rights to be valued and included as active participants in the group of “all children” are at risk, with some disabled children feeling and being made to feel different, and that difference being experienced in negative ways. Adults and peers at school can support disabled children’s agency, enhance their learning, and uphold their rights, but it is argued that systemic change is vital. The paper supports a focus on those aspects of school culture and pedagogy that are responsive to diversity, and on consistent and explicitly inclusive policy frameworks centred on children’s experiences and rights.

   Resources for:

   Further learning , Others' stories

   Relevant to:

   Understanding inclusion, Effective schools, Special education and ASD in NZ school settings, Building inclusive school cultures, Producing inclusive school policies, Evolving inclusive practices, Specific issues for secondary schools

   Contributed by:

   MacArthur, J., Sharp, S., Kelly, B., and Gaffney, M. 2007 .

9. Learning Better Together: Working towards Inclusive Education in New Zealand Schools (DVD and booklet)

   A prominent New Zealand researcher and disability advocate, Jude MacArthur creates a coherent picture of what we can aspire to in our schools.The Learning Better Together booklet is closely aligned to the principles outlined in the Index for Inclusion. The...

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   Learning Better Together: Working towards Inclusive Education in New Zealand Schools (DVD and booklet)

   A prominent New Zealand researcher and disability advocate, Jude MacArthur creates a coherent picture of what we can aspire to in our schools.

   The Learning Better Together booklet is closely aligned to the principles outlined in the Index for Inclusion. The topics addressed include:

   • medical (deficit thinking) versus social models of disability
   • what inclusion means … and what it is not
   • Māori and inclusion
   • developing an inclusive school culture and inclusive classroom practices
   • inclusive education as matter of human rights and social justice
   • students’ social experiences and learning in regular compared to special education settings
   • the need for teacher professional development
   • the role of leaders.

   A   DVD is also available.It covers similar topics as well as a range of perspectives from children, parents, teachers, and principals. It is particularly valuable for exploring the principle of inclusion and the related concepts of segregation and exclusion. It shows disabled children being included in the classroom and playground context, clearly demonstrating the benefits to them and their peers. Important principles are addressed – for example, the need for active involvement by all concerned, the need for good communication between home and school, and the role of the teacher in addressing individual needs and setting up the classroom culture.

   The DVD shows that strategies for supporting students with special education needs (for example, visual schedules and social stories) are really just about knowing learners well and explicit teaching, and can be used to benefit others. The key message of both the DVD and the booklet is that inclusion is about responding to diversity and that it is a fundamental human right, not an act of beneficence.

    MacArthur, J. (2009). Learning Better Together: Working towards Inclusive Education in New Zealand Schools. Wellington: IHC New Zealand.

   Resources for:

   Further learning , Taking action

   Relevant to:

   Leading change, Understanding inclusion, Effective schools, Special education and ASD in NZ school settings, Building inclusive school cultures, Producing inclusive school policies, Evolving inclusive practices

   Contributed by:

   MacArthur, J. 2009 IHC New Zealand.

10. Te Pikinga ki Runga: Raising Possibilities

    “Te Pikinga ki Runga: Raising Possibilities” is a framework for teachers and special-education practitioners working with Māori students who are presenting with challenges. The framework was developed by Angus and Sonja Macfarlane and draws on the work of leading Māori...

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    Te Pikinga ki Runga: Raising Possibilities

    “Te Pikinga ki Runga: Raising Possibilities” is a framework for teachers and special-education practitioners working with Māori students who are presenting with challenges. The framework was developed by Angus and Sonja Macfarlane and draws on the work of leading Māori educationalists to offer a kaupapa Māori approach that can be applied in practice.

    The Macfarlanes prompt critical thinking about culturally responsive teaching and provide a planning framework that is culturally safe and whānau-centred.

    Macfarlane, S. (2009). " Te Pikinga ki Runga: Raising Possibilities". set: Research Information for Teachers, No. 2., pp. 42–50.

    Macfarlane, A. H. (March, 2009). " Education Discipline, Democracy and Diversity: Creating Culturally-safe Learning Environments". Presentation at Taumata Whanonga, Wellington. (slide presentation)

    Resources for:

    Further learning , Taking action , Others' stories

    Relevant to:

    Understanding autism spectrum disorder, Understanding inclusion, Evolving inclusive practices

    Contributed by:

    Macfarlane, S. 2009 No. 2., pp. 42–50.