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1. Strengthening Families

   The  Strengthening Families website uses the term 'care communities' to denote all those who care for a child and have a part to play in promoting their welfare.The care community around some young people and their families/whānau can be extensive and...

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   Strengthening Families

   The  Strengthening Families website uses the term 'care communities' to denote all those who care for a child and have a part to play in promoting their welfare.

   The care community around some young people and their families/whānau can be extensive and involve multiple agencies. Strengthening Families provides a way of facilitating connections across agencies in a streamlined process that is responsive to what the families want. Families tell their story only once and the participants jointly construct a plan that clearly identifies who will do what. It is empowering for families, and it is free.

   The website provides clear, detailed information about the process and how to participate. The case studies includethe stories of two families whose challenges included parenting a child with autism. In a third case study, a principal found that a referral through the Strengthening Families process provided better access to support services, with benefits for both the family and the school.

   Resources for:

   Taking action , Others' stories

   Relevant to:

   Understanding inclusion, Building inclusive school cultures, Producing inclusive school policies

   Contributed by:

   Ministry of Social Development .

2. 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 Unpublished PhD thesis, Public Policy, Victoria University of Wellington.In her doctoral thesis Hilary Stace, herself the mother of a son with ASD...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 Unpublished PhD thesis, Public Policy, Victoria University of Wellington.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. .

3. A Beginner's Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorders: Essential Information for Parents and Professionals

   Taylor, P. G. (2011). A Beginner's Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorders: Essential Information for Parents and Professionals. London: Jessica Kingsley.Paul Taylor is a New Zealand paediatrician based in Nelson. This book arose out of his experiences in supporting teachers and...

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   A Beginner's Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorders: Essential Information for Parents and Professionals

   Taylor, P. G. (2011). A Beginner's Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorders: Essential Information for Parents and Professionals. London: Jessica Kingsley.

   Paul Taylor is a New Zealand paediatrician based in Nelson. This book arose out of his experiences in supporting teachers and professionals to understand the perspectives of people with ASD and how to support them at home and at school.

   Taylor discusses his book in this  video post on the publisher’s website. He shares the story of how one school came close to excluding a boy with ASD. Taylor helped the board of trustees to understand the anxiety behind his behaviour. Today the school is 'ASD-friendly'.

   Resources for:

   Further learning , Taking action , Others' stories

   Relevant to:

   Understanding autism spectrum disorder, Understanding inclusion, Building inclusive school cultures, Evolving inclusive practices, Specific issues for secondary schools

   Contributed by:

   Taylor, P. G. 2011 London: Jessica Kingsley.

4. What Children’s Perspectives Tell Us About Inclusion

   This Open University unit is based on research into children’s perspectives of their experiences of education, in both mainstream and special education contexts. It could be used to prompt whole-school inquiry into the concept of inclusive education.The unit is intended...

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   What Children’s Perspectives Tell Us About Inclusion

   This Open University unit is based on research into children’s perspectives of their experiences of education, in both mainstream and special education contexts. It could be used to prompt whole-school inquiry into the concept of inclusive education.

   The unit is intended to provide:

   • an understanding of a context in which listening to the perspectives of children is important in developing inclusive education
   • an insight into the varying perspectives of children
   • an opportunity to reflect on how children’s perspectives fit into your developing model of good practice and how they relate to your own perspectives.

   Resources for:

   Further learning

   Relevant to:

   Understanding inclusion, Building inclusive school cultures, Producing inclusive school policies

   Contributed by:

   The Open University .

5. Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP): Action Research for Developing Inclusion

   A UK educational research initiative, the Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP) included an extensive action research network focused on inclusion. The network included 25 schools that collaborated with policy makers and university teams to identify and address barriers to...

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   Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP): Action Research for Developing Inclusion

   A UK educational research initiative, the Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP) included an extensive action research network focused on inclusion. The network included 25 schools that collaborated with policy makers and university teams to identify and address barriers to inclusion. Later, a smaller study focused on the use of action research to improve inclusion in secondary schools. The Index for Inclusion (Booth et al., 2000) was the starting point for the research, and the findings are summarised in  Improving Schools, Developing Inclusion (Ainscow et al., 2006).

   The Programme’s website has short summaries and research briefings on findings that you may, at least initially, find more useful than the book. Two are likely to be especially helpful:

   • The Development of Inclusive Practices in Schools: Through What Processes Can Schools Become More Inclusive
   • Engaging Teachers, Engaging Learners: Action Research for Developing Inclusion In Secondary Schools.

   TLRP has also developed set of  Practitioner Applications that provide suggestions about how the findings can be applied to the classroom.

   Resources for:

   Further learning

   Relevant to:

   Inquiry and knowledge-building, Understanding inclusion, Building inclusive school cultures, Producing inclusive school policies, Evolving inclusive practices, Specific issues for secondary schools

6. UNESCO: Education for All

   Education for All is a global commitment to ensuring a quality basic education for all children, youth, and adults. This commitment was first made in 1990, in the World Declaration on Education for All (EFA). It was renewed at the...

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   UNESCO: Education for All

   Education for All is a global commitment to ensuring a quality basic education for all children, youth, and adults. This commitment was first made in 1990, in the World Declaration on Education for All (EFA). It was renewed at the World Education Forum in 2000, which established six goals to be met by 2015.

   UNESCO’s  Education Toolkit can be used to help create a child-centred, learning-friendly environment for all children, including those with special education needs. They include practical teaching strategies, illustrated with examples from around the world.

   There is some tension between the concepts of ‘inclusive education’ and ‘education for all’. If you are interested in exploring this while learning more about disability education around the world, you may find the article by Miles and Singal of interest. Their conclusion includes the suggestion that 'Developing local understandings of the complex concepts of "education", "all" and "inclusion" is critical to the development of appropriate and sustainable policies on teaching and learning' (page 7). (The article cn be access on the  ERIC databse, document number EJ875302.)

   Miles, S., and Singal, N. (2010). “The Education for All and Inclusive Education Debate: Conflict, Contradiction or Opportunity?” International Journal of Inclusive Education, 14(1), pp. 1–15.

   Resources for:

   Further learning , Taking action , 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:

   UNESCO .

7. UNESCO European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education: Inclusive Education in Action

   UNESCO’s  Policy Guidelines on Inclusion in Education are intended as 'a resource for policymakers, teachers and learners, community leaders and members of civil society in their efforts to promote more effective strategies for reaching the EFA goals' (Foreword, page 4). They...

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   UNESCO European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education: Inclusive Education in Action

   UNESCO’s  Policy Guidelines on Inclusion in Education are intended as 'a resource for policymakers, teachers and learners, community leaders and members of civil society in their efforts to promote more effective strategies for reaching the EFA goals' (Foreword, page 4). They highlight the fact that each of us has a part to play in achieving these goals.

   The Guidelines can be used to consider the concept of inclusion and its relationship to EFA. They include checklists on attitudinal change, inclusive curriculum, and teachers and the learning environment that are intended for national policy makers, but might be adapted for use in individual schools.

   The Guidelines sit on the  Inclusive Education in Action website, where you can also find examples of policies, accounts of practice, stories, and videos.

   UNESCO (2009). Policy Guidelines on Inclusion in Education. Paris: UNESCO.

   Resources for:

   Further learning , Taking action , Others' stories

   Relevant to:

   Leading change, Understanding inclusion, Effective schools, Special education and ASD in NZ school settings, Audit

   Contributed by:

   UNESCO/European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education .

8. Whānau Ora

   Whānau Ora is an interagency approach that, like Strengthening Families, has at its centre the goal of empowering whānau. It does not focus on individual family members and their needs, but on the whānau as a whole. Whānau are supported to...

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   Whānau Ora

   Whānau Ora is an interagency approach that, like Strengthening Families, has at its centre the goal of empowering whānau. It does not focus on individual family members and their needs, but on the whānau as a whole. Whānau are supported to navigate their own path, which may include working with hapū, iwi, or non-government agencies to develop their own ways of improving their lives.

    Governance Group Chair Sir Mason Durie (2011) has described the critical role of education in achieving the goals of Whānau Ora:

   ... the Whānau Ora programme, currently being implemented across the country, has placed considerable emphasis on education as a key to whānau capability building. It has also recognised that culture is a fundamental component of wellness. While transmission of culture, including language, is essentially a whānau function, it is unlikely that whānau will be in positions where they can provide all language needs for their children, any more than other families can provide the full range of knowledge and skills necessary for the English language. In effect, schools will have major impacts on Whānau Ora, partly because they will prepare students to participate fully in society, and partly because they will contribute to cultural integrity.

   Advice to the Chief Education Advisor, Iterative Best Evidence Synthesis Programme, October 17 2011

   Resources for:

   Taking action

   Relevant to:

   Understanding inclusion, Building inclusive school cultures, Producing inclusive school policies, Evolving inclusive practices

   Contributed by:

   Te Puni Kōkiri Ministry of Māori Affairs .

9. Katherine Rees, Disability Advocate

   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.Katherine Rees does not have ASD but is...

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   Katherine Rees, Disability Advocate

   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.

   Katherine Rees does not have ASD but is a strong advocate for students with disabilities. While still in school she was a member of the Young People’s Reference Group to the Office of the Children's Commissioner. She continues this advocacy work today in groups such as  Action for Children and Youth Aotearoa and  Be.Accessible.

   Katherine contributes her voice to “ School for All: Children’s Right to an Inclusive Education in New Zealand”, which discusses the concept of inclusive education, the commitments New Zealand has made to this goal, and the reality for students and their families and whānau.

   In  Whakarongo Mai Katherine describes further her experiences as a disabled student at school, and especially at secondary school. She calls for greater collaboration that includes the voice of the student in decisions affecting their schooling experience.

   Both items can be used to prompt thinking on what is happening in your school – for example, how you engage with students, use teacher aides, construct IEPs, and manage students in large groups such as at assembly.

   These  video clips in which Katherine talks about disability, inclusion, and her role as a member of the Children’s Commission’s Young People’s Reference Group are several years old now but still provide excellent insight.

    Rees, K. (2010). “Beyond inclusive education: How to get there and why it matters”. In Whakarongo Mai, Listening – Stories from the Inside. Wellington: NZCER/Cognition Institute/Office of the Children’s Commissioner.

   Resources for:

   Further learning

   Relevant to:

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

   Contributed by:

   Carroll-Lind, J., and Rees, K. 2009 Wellington: Te Papa.