Principles of inclusion for students with ASD

At the core of inclusive education is the human right to education …

Rather than being a marginal issue on how some learners can be integrated in mainstream education, inclusive education is an approach that looks into how to transform education systems and other learning environments in order to respond to the diversity of learners. It aims towards enabling teachers and learners both to feel comfortable with diversity and to see it as a challenge and enrichment of the learning environment, rather than a problem.

UNESCO, 2005, page 15

The principles of inclusion described in this section are based on the concepts underpinning the Index for Inclusion.

Social justice and a strong moral purpose underpin inclusion

This principle means that:

  • Whenever possible, students attend their local school. Their family and whānau feel confident that this is the right choice for their child. (However, parents have the right to choose another school if they wish to do so.)
  • All students have ‘the right to quality education that meets their specific needs as learners; therefore schools have a legal and ethical obligation to cater for all students, irrespective of age, physical need, gender, ethnicity and ability’ (Carroll-Lind and Rees, 2009, page 4). 
  • Everyone has the same basic human rights. However, as a vulnerable population group, students with ASD have an added need for their rights to be protected and promoted.
  • Schools contribute to an inclusive society when they promote wider acceptance of all students, including those with ASD. 

Difference is a resource, not a problem

Inclusion acknowledges difference, viewing it as a resource rather than a problem to fix:

  • How a school community perceives difference is influenced by the attitudes, knowledge, and skills of the teachers and school leaders.
  • Schools that follow the ecological model of disability focus on modifying the learning environment to ensure that students with ASD are present, participating, and achieving. This includes such things as: enrolment and induction; identifying student needs and strengths; linking with families; coordinating services, and support; encouraging extracurricular involvement; and tracking the achievements of students with ASD.

In inclusive schools, all students are engaged and achieving

This is brought about when:

  • School policies, practices, and processes are explicit about the importance of students with ASD actively participating in the school community.
  • Teachers utilise technology to make classrooms more inclusive places for students with ASD.
  • Teachers select teaching and learning strategies to foster a more inclusive classroom environment
  • Teachers adopt a flexible teaching approach towards students with ASD. ‘What worked one hour ago might not work in the next hour’ (Kluth, 2011).

In a truly inclusive environment, everyone is a learner

Effective inclusion means that:

  • Students with ASD see themselves as learners and have strategies that they know will help them succeed as learners.
  • Teachers and school leaders understand the learning needs of their students with ASD in relation to the outcomes valued by each student and their family and whānau.
  • Knowledge is shared between members of a student’s care community to ensure that they experience coherence between home and school.
  • Teachers and leaders welcome interactions in which they learn from students, parents, and whānau.

Inclusive schools hold themselves accountable

This is evidenced when:

  • Whole-school planning is driven by the National Education Goal (NEG) 1 statement: Students are entitled to ‘the highest standards of achievement, through programmes which enable all students to realise their full potential as individuals, and to develop the values needed to become full members of New Zealand’s society’.
  • Schools utilise government funding to establish an accountable and assessment-capable system. Teachers and school leaders set clear expectations, conduct regular monitoring and reporting, share information and examples of good practice, and intervene when necessary.

Inclusive schools establish a community and a place for all

Inclusion is about community and belonging:

  • Schools encourage collaboration to utilise the skills, knowledge, and experience of all members of the school community, in school management as well as teaching and learning.
  • Schools work to improve the relationship between the education system and other support agencies for students with ASD.
  • School communities work together to support students during times of transition – from early childhood education to school, between and within different levels of schooling, and from school to the community.
  • Shool policies, practices, and processes explicitly recognise family and whānau perspectives and knowledge of students.
  • Peer and social support networks share examples of good practice and success stories.

Inclusive schools remove barriers to learning

Inclusive schools remove barriers to learning:

  • The barriers to learning, development, and participation will differ from student to student. All students – with and without disabilities – face barriers that prevent them from reaching their full potential. Students are enabled to develop to their fullest potential when schools, homes, and communities work together to reduce and, if possible, remove these barriers.
  • Schools comply with the inclusion-related policy and legislative requirements that the New Zealand government has committed to.
  • Schools commit to the NEG 7 statement: ‘Success in their learning for those with special needs is about ensuring that they are identified and receive appropriate support. Support may include adaptations to the environment, language or routine’.
  • School communities recognise that many strategies recommended for use with students with ASD (for example, peer coaching) are examples of good educational pedagogy that can benefit all students.

Inclusive schools have committed leadership

Leadership is a key factor for inclusion:

  • Inclusive school improvement requires positive attitudes towards students with ASD, a greater responsiveness to individual needs, and a willingness among all staff to play their part. The principal’s leadership is a key factor.
  • The board of trustees provides a safe physical and emotional environment for all students.
  • The importance of including students with ASD is made explicit in school policies, practices, and processes. These policies and processes are fair, consistent, reach those most in need, provide choices for families and whānau, respond to the diversity of local students, and make the best use of government funding.