Free Articles from Interaction 28 Issue 2 Perceptions can not control reality ... | Page 5

v28/2/’14 : interaction

Historic Cultural
Response to a
Student with a
Disability

Historic Cultural
Response to a NonDisabled Student

Student has limited
potential determined
by IQ and diagnosis/
disability - outcome
not determined by
quality of teaching
or motivation of
student.

Student has
unlimited potential outcome determined
by quality of
teaching and
motivation of
student.

Teachers are sensitive to the history of low
expectations and “learned helplessness” of individual
students - teachers work with parents to increase
expectations and maximise student learning.

Unable to go on
camps, trips etc.
without parent/
dedicated adult
assistance.

Automatically
included on camps
without need for
specific assistance.

Peer support and regular support structures are used
to support all students in novel situations - teachers
consult parents about individual students and
organise any normative safeguards accordingly.

Inclusion dependent
on additional
resources.

Current resources
shared with all
students according
to need.

All students share the school resources according to
need - emphasis is on supporting each other through
collaboration and peer support rather than by
automatically requiring teacher aide support.
Teacher aides are used as supports to the teacher and
assist all students to develop greater independence
and better social relationships.

The problem is a
medical one.
Doctors and
therapists are the key
advisors.

Teachers and
parents are the
experts on the child.

Teachers and parents are the key decision makers
with advice from others utilised when appropriate,
sensitive to risks of “medical labels”.

Can be included as
long as ‘the gap’ is
not too large. Then
they have to be
segregated.

If the student is not
keeping up they are
supported to achieve
as much as possible.

Students are involved in all regular lessons with
emphasis on the core concepts being attained by all
students - multi-level teaching employed as well as
universal design concepts in lesson planning.
Fundamental assumption is that ‘keeping up’ is not a
requirement to be a class member - all students are
there to learn as much as they can as well as to learn
how to be a part of society.

The child needs to
be taught in special
ways by specially
trained teachers who
know about the
diagnosis.

Lessons use
evidence-based
approaches to
achieve positive
outcomes.
Adjustments are
made to cater for
individual learning
styles.

Good teaching works with all students. Focus on
using evidence-based strategies, parent partnerships
and collaboration with colleagues.

What an Inclusive Cultural Response should be for
all Students

Australian Institute on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

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