Designing schools to accommodate students with disabilities is a complicated task and needs a lot more research than what is out there.
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Every school in Australia must be built with the varying needs of students with disabilities in mind. This is a worthy goal but achieving it is complicated. Looking at some examples can help.
Australia’s disability royal commission looked focused on the education system this week.
Cameron Laird
Thousands of Australian students are disengaged from school and leave early. Governments have provided alternative learning options for these students, but are these having unintended consequences?
More than one in ten students with a disability are being refused enrolment.
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A survey shows nearly half of students with disabilities are being excluded from school events and activities, while one in ten are being denied enrolment. These reports suggest illegal practices.
Knowing the right strategies can help parents of children with autism spectrum disorder boost their children’s communication skills.
College of Education & Human Development, Texas A&M University
Specialists offer a series of tips on how parents of children with autism spectrum disorder can help their children communicate with more people and in different places.
Students with vision impairments should the same opportunities as their peers.
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Interviews with students who have a vision impairment show they wish their teachers and friends knew more about them. Here are the four key messages they want to communicate.
Parents may need to play the advocate for their child, especially if their child has a disability which affects their ability to communicate.
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The needs of children with albinism aren't met in the classroom and this often leads to them dropping out of school.
Physical activity improves memory, problem-solving and decision-making ability. Active children have better executive functioning, including planning, self-regulation and the ability to perform demanding tasks with greater accuracy.
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Sport and other physical activity is vital to the developing bodies and minds of children; for those with disabilities it can be hard to access and is yet even more important.
Practically, it must be recognised that full inclusion can only be achieved through a planned transition.
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Other states have had recent smaller inquiries, but the NSW inquiry into the education of children with a disability was across all systems, and could lead best practice nationally.
For a student who is blind, the obvious test adjustment is providing a braille test if they are proficient in braille.
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Standardised tests restrict how well students with disability can do, which reinforces the idea that there are things they can't do that children without disability can.
Early years settings, like preschools and kindergarten, are often the first place social difficulties are identified.
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Numerous measures are in place to help young disabled children thrive, but the transition beyond school can be a difficult one. Here are some tips for families to help their children prepare for life beyond.
Though challenges like dyslexia can make learning difficult, these disabilities shouldn’t define who you are – or what you can do.
Tim Kwee
The story of a six-year-old boy with dyslexia who, with support from friends and teachers, became a successful professor. Now he teaches teachers how to help children like him.
Whether you have a physical disability, mental illness or learning challenge, there are strategies to help you earn your degree.
Stocksnap
For many disabled students, college is the first time that they're put to the test of making their own way. The experience can be challenging, but there are strategies to help ease the way.
Pauline Hanson has made claims about the negative impacts of having children with autism in mainstream classrooms.
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'Cage-like' facilities, segregation, and high numbers of exclusions show the concerning ways schools have responded to challenging behaviours by students with disabilities.
The majority of support funding is used to ‘buy’ teacher aide time.
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Students with disability are experiencing a range of harms in schools, and teachers are struggling to support students with increasingly complex needs.
Children with albinism often have poor eyesight, so classroom seating plans are important.
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Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Architecture, Building & Planning, Universitry of Melbourne. Co-Director Learning Environments Applied Research Network., University of Melbourne