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1. Ministry of Education: Special Education

   The Special Education section of the Ministry of Education website includes pages on ASD, including   ASD evaluation and research. While the reports are made to the Ministry of Education, they are a treasure trove of evidence that school communities...

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   Ministry of Education: Special Education

   The Special Education section of the Ministry of Education website includes pages on ASD, including   ASD evaluation and research. While the reports are made to the Ministry of Education, they are a treasure trove of evidence that school communities can use for their own decision-making. They include:

   • evaluations of professional development programmes such as Tips for Autism and of parent education programmes such as Early Bird and ASD Plus
   • a review of the effectiveness of applied behavioural analysis
   • an investigation into Māori perspectives of ASD.

   Other research publications dealing more generally with special education include:

   • a review of international trends in special education
   • a summary of the public response to the Review of Special Education
   • a literature review on interventions for students whose developmental disabilities are associated with challenging behaviours.

   Resources for:

   Further learning

   Relevant to:

   Leading change, Understanding autism spectrum disorder, 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:

   Ministry of Education .

2. Including Students with High Needs

   Education Review Office (June 2010). Including Students with High Needs. Wellington: Education Review Office. In t his report, ERO found that half of schools demonstrated mostly inclusive practices for students with high needs. Thirty percent of schools had some areas of...

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   Including Students with High Needs

   Education Review Office (June 2010). Including Students with High Needs. Wellington: Education Review Office.

    In t his report, ERO found that half of schools demonstrated mostly inclusive practices for students with high needs. Thirty percent of schools had some areas of good performance, and 20 percent had few inclusive practices.

   ERO recommended that school staff:

   • use the report’s findings, case studies, self-review questions, and inclusive teaching indicators to review the extent to which students with high needs are included across the school
   • identify where students are not well included and implement a plan to extend the effective practice already in the school.

   Resources for:

   Further learning , Taking action

   Relevant to:

   Inquiry and knowledge-building, Understanding inclusion, Effective schools, Special education and ASD in NZ school settings, Audit, Building inclusive school cultures, Producing inclusive school policies, Evolving inclusive practices, Managing transitions, Specific issues for secondary schools

   Contributed by:

   Education Review Office June 2010 .

3. Learners with Special Needs in Aotearoa New Zealand

   Fraser, D., Moltzen, R., and Ryba, K., eds (2005). Learners with Special Needs in Aotearoa New Zealand, 3rd ed. Palmerston North: Dunmore Press.This book is a standard text for people working in special education. While drawing on international research, it...

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   Learners with Special Needs in Aotearoa New Zealand

   Fraser, D., Moltzen, R., and Ryba, K., eds (2005). Learners with Special Needs in Aotearoa New Zealand, 3rd ed. Palmerston North: Dunmore Press.

   This book is a standard text for people working in special education. While drawing on international research, it emphasises New Zealand research and perspectives and how they are applied to practice. Discussion questions and case studies support the book’s use as a professional tool.

   The theme common to all parts of this multi-author book is a commitment to learner-centred, inclusive education that builds on strengths and addresses needs.

   Resources for:

   Further learning

   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

   Contributed by:

   Fraser, D., Moltzen, R., and Ryba, K. 2005 3rd ed. Palmerston North: Dunmore Press.

4. 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 .

5. 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.

6. Inclusive Educators

   Melrose, S., Bissenden, M., and Rutherford, G. (2010, 17 October). Inclusive Educator. Radio New Zealand National Programme, One in Five. (radio broadcast)In this Radio New Zealand podcast, two Otago University students draw from their own experiences to discuss the notion...

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   Inclusive Educators

   Melrose, S., Bissenden, M., and Rutherford, G. (2010, 17 October). Inclusive Educator. Radio New Zealand National Programme, One in Five. (radio broadcast)

   In this Radio New Zealand podcast, two Otago University students draw from their own experiences to discuss the notion of inclusive education and consider the advantages and disadvantages of mainstreaming and special schools. Their lecturer, Gill Rutherford, then talks about her thesis on the experiences of students with disabilities and their teacher aides.

   Gill's thesis brings out the critical nature of the relationship between student and aide, showing that teacher aides can be both a barrier to and a resource for inclusion.

   Rutherford, G. (2008). “Different Ways of Knowing? Understanding Disabled Students’ and Teacher Aides’ School Experiences within a Context of Relational Social Justice”. PhD thesis, University of Otago, Dunedin.

   Resources for:

   Further learning , Others' stories

   Relevant to:

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

   Contributed by:

   Melrose, S., Bissenden, M., and Rutherford, G. October 2010 .

7. Special Education

   This section of the Ministry of Education website describes how the Ministry works with schools to support the vision of a more inclusive education system. It is a substantial site that is worth revisiting.Some of the information is for educators...

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   Special Education

   This section of the Ministry of Education website describes how the Ministry works with schools to support the vision of a more inclusive education system. It is a substantial site that is worth revisiting.

   Some of the information is for educators and boards of trustees, some for parents. It is organised under the following headings:

   • About Us: The Ministry’s purpose, the way it works, the legislative and policy context, contact information, and how to make a complaint
   • Careers and professional development: Information about study awards, study leave positions, fellowships, and scholarships
   • Services and support: Information on all services including assistive technology, ASD, Behaviour, Early Intervention, Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS), and Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB).
   • Our work programme: Projects, programmes, and initiatives including a link to the section on Supporting Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
   • Publications and resources: Corporate publications, a parent information kit, tools for boards and educators (such as teacher booklets), and forms and guidelines.

   The publications and resources are well worth exploring. Parents, for example, will be interested in the booklets on services, starting at primary and at secondary school, and on leaving school; the National Transition Guidelines; and the Family/Whānau File, which can be used for sharing information about their child as they grow up.

   Resources for:

   Further learning , Taking action

   Relevant to:

   Understanding autism spectrum disorder, Effective schools, Special education and ASD in NZ school settings, Building inclusive school cultures, Producing inclusive school policies, Evolving inclusive practices, Managing transitions, Specific issues for secondary schools

   Contributed by:

   Ministry of Education.

8. Office of the Children’s Commissioner

   The role of the Children’s Commissioner is to advocate for children and young people so that their rights are respected and upheld.The website's  page on education provides information to help people understand their rights and responsibilities, and what to do...

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   Office of the Children’s Commissioner

   The role of the Children’s Commissioner is to advocate for children and young people so that their rights are respected and upheld.

   The website's  page on education provides information to help people understand their rights and responsibilities, and what to do when things go wrong with regard to:

   • school discipline processes
   • bullying
   • school enrolment schemes
   • special education.

   The article “ School for All” is based on a talk by Children’s Commissioner Dr. Janis Carroll-Lind on the concept of inclusive education, the commitments New Zealand has made to this goal, and the reality for students and their families and whānau. Katherine Rees co-presented and talked about her experiences as a student with a disability.

   This  series of video clips of a forum on bullying includes Dr. Carroll-Lind. It could serve as a prompt for discussing this sensitive topic and working out ways to deal with it for the good of all students.

   Carroll-Lind, J., and Rees, K. (2009). “School for All: Children’s Right to an Inclusive Education in New Zealand”. Proceedings of the Making Inclusive Education Happen: Ideas for Sustainable Change Conference. Wellington: Te Papa.

   Resources for:

   Further learning , Taking action

   Relevant to:

   Special education and ASD in NZ school settings, Building inclusive school cultures, Producing inclusive school policies, Evolving inclusive practices

9. Autism at School: A Video Resource for Teachers and Parents in New Zealand

   Smith, J. (2009). Autism at School: A Video Resource for Teachers and Parents in New Zealand. Auckland: Southern Moon Productions. (DVD) This DVD shows how New Zealand teachers are creating environments in which students with ASD are able to learn...

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   Autism at School: A Video Resource for Teachers and Parents in New Zealand

   Smith, J. (2009). Autism at School: A Video Resource for Teachers and Parents in New Zealand. Auckland: Southern Moon Productions. (DVD)

   This DVD shows how New Zealand teachers are creating environments in which students with ASD are able to learn and thrive. It features parents and students talking about their experiences with school and includes practical advice from specialists. The DVD is split into three sections:

   • 'The School Experience' features classroom action in mainstream primary and secondary schools, satellite classes and a special school (80 minutes)
   • 'Advice and Tips' includes the impact of autism on learning, strategies for managing behaviour, creating a suitable classroom environment and tips for teachers and parents (50 minutes)
   • 'Talking About School' includes the blame-free bullying approach being put in action to support a student with ASD (20 minutes).

   Resources for:

   Further learning , Taking action , Others' stories

   Relevant to:

   Understanding autism spectrum disorder, Special education and ASD in NZ school settings, Building inclusive school cultures, Producing inclusive school policies, Evolving inclusive practices, Managing transitions, Specific issues for secondary schools

   Contributed by:

   Smith, A. 2009 .

10. Moving Beyond Luck and Love

    Stace, H. (2011). “Moving Beyond Love and Luck: Building Right Relationships and Respecting Lived Experience in New Zealand Autism Policy”. Unpublished PhD thesis, Public Policy, Victoria University of Wellington.In her doctoral thesis Hilary Stace, herself the mother of a son with ASD...

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    Moving Beyond Luck and Love

    Stace, H. (2011). “Moving Beyond Love and Luck: Building Right Relationships and Respecting Lived Experience in New Zealand Autism Policy”. Unpublished PhD thesis, Public Policy, Victoria University of Wellington.

    In her doctoral thesis Hilary Stace, herself the mother of a son with ASD and now a lecturer at Victoria University, traces the history of New Zealand public policy about ASD and considers how it might be transformed through attending to the ‘lived experiences’ of people with ASD and of their families/whānau. At the same time, her thesis provides insight into a range of other issues and concepts, including: 

    • the social versus the medical model of inclusion
    • different ways of thinking about ASD and the concept of an ASD culture
    • ASD and social justice
    • the concept of ‘right relationships’
    • the development and implementation of the New Zealand ASD Guideline.

    This  conference presentation provides an opportunity to get an overview of Stace’s key ideas. Its PowerPoint format makes it very easy to use to prompt discussion.

    Stace, H. (2011, November). “Tackling Wicked Problems: Lessons from Autism Policy”. Paper presented at the New Zealand Disability Studies Conference, University of Otago, Dunedin.

    Resources for:

    Further learning

    Relevant to:

    Leading change, Understanding autism spectrum disorder, Understanding inclusion, Special education and ASD in NZ school settings, Building inclusive school cultures, Producing inclusive school policies

    Contributed by:

    Stace, H. .