EMT603 Inclusive practices in education settings
Cat StEvens 419516
Assessment Task 3
Promoting Rose’s learning, development, and achievement
This document relates to the diverse educational needs of ‘Rose’, a Grade 6
student who faces a range of challenges at school, and how she can be supported with
Universal Design for Learning (Capp, 2017), effective pedagogical practice and parental
involvement. Rose is a sensitive, caring student who is passionate about art, animals and
the environment. She is bright and creative and wants to become an actress. Rose is
autistic but experiences no language delays or intellectual disability, making her
diagnosis consistent with the previously classified Asperger syndrome. She also has
dyslexia and experiences considerable anxiety. Rose’s educational needs are interrelated
as her autism and dyslexia both contribute to her anxiety, and her anxiety exacerbates
the difficulties she experiences from autism and dyslexia (Hebron & Humphrey, 2014).
Rose’s parents report that she has difficulty following verbal instructions and
often becomes emotionally dysregulated when being asked to carry out simple tasks at
home, and they have highlighted the ability to follow instructions as a key outcome on
Rose’s learning plan. Visual and written supports should be used to help her; for
example, I would demonstrate visually what needs to be undertaken in the learning task
by modelling the activity myself, and showing the class what the completed piece of
work should look like, as well as writing any instructional steps on the board as prompts
(Yu, Cheung, Chua & McAlonan, 2011). As observational learning can be challenging
for autistic people due to inattention to environmental factors (Townley-Cochran et al.,
2015), I would explicitly teach the observational skills necessary before modelling, such
as saying “Please can you watch what I do with my hands for this step, as you will have
to do this yourself to complete the task”. This strategy would not only be helpful for
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EMT603 Inclusive practices in education settings
Cat StEvens 419516
Assessment Task 3
Rose, but for all students in the class, as it would accommodate diverse learning styles of
everyone, and multimodal communication has been found to be more effective than
verbal instructions alone (Capp, 2017). Implementing this strategy for the entire class
will also help to alleviate some of Rose’s anxiety about being ‘different’, which she
expressed concerns about in her learning plan. Cooperative learning could also assist
Rose in this respect, as other students could assist her to remember steps that need to be
followed to complete a learning activity, and this would be a strategy I would use if
instructions were complex (Jenkins, Antil, Wayne & Vadasy, 2003).
Similarly, Rose’s learning plan states that she also experiences issues with
executive function, specifically remembering important dates and to complete and return
homework, regulating her attention, and difficulties with short term memory (SemrudClikeman, Walkowiak, Wilkinson & Butcher, 2010). To assist Rose with executive
function, I would provide memory cues to keep her on task, such as using a daily visual
schedule for the whole class (Rao & Gagie, 2006). I would exercise leniency with
meeting homework deadlines and use parent-teacher communication tools such as Class
Dojo and school newsletters to ensure that Rose’s parents are informed of any important
dates to avoid her becoming excluded from school activities (Afolabi, Sourav & Nenty,
2013). It could also be advisable that Rose’s parents implement a visual schedule for her
to follow at home, so they would not have to ask her to complete chores but refer her to
the schedule, and I would ensure that we used the same visual images at home as at
school to provide continuity. This may also assist her to remember to complete her
homework and pack it in her school bag for its return, which would not only support
Rose to keep up with the class academically and therefore reduce some of her anxiety
around ‘feeling stupid’, but also decrease anxiety around getting ready for school in the
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EMT603 Inclusive practices in education settings
Cat StEvens 419516
Assessment Task 3
morning, which her parents have stated is always a stressful experience (Hebron &
Humphrey, 2014). If Rose can feel calmer when she arrives at school, then she will be
more able to engage with her peers and learn effectively (Graziano, Reavis, Keane &
Calkins, 2007).
The communication challenges that Rose faces as part of her autism diagnosis
contribute significantly to her anxiety. Rose becomes overwhelmed when being asked
direct questions and requires longer time than others to consider her answers (Mayes &
Calhoun, 2007), so when asking direct questions I would provide her with multiple
choice, although as too many options is also overwhelming, I would limit this to just two
(Beymer &Thomson, 2015). This strategy could also be employed by her parents at
home to reduce her emotional dysregulation. It is important to check Rose’s emotional
state before asking direct questions, as her parents have reported that she can become
nonverbal when stressed, particularly with authority figures (Steffenburg, Steffenburg,
Gillberg & Billstedt, 2018). I would avoid asking Rose direct questions in front of the
class as this would increase her anxiety unnecessarily, and instead address questions to
the whole class so she could benefit from hearing her peers’ answers, which would also
benefit other students (O'Connor, Michaels, Chapin & Harbaugh, 2017). It would be
useful to have an ‘emotional check in’ board for the entire class to visually demonstrate
how they are feeling to others, which they could adjust throughout the day as necessary
(Bucholz & Sheffler, 2009). Increasing Rose’s contributions to class discussions is a
goal in her learning plan, however research shows that being a silent participant in class
discussion is just as effective as being vocal, so I would be more concerned about raising
her confidence generally instead (O'Connor, Michaels, Chapin & Harbaugh, 2017). As
Rose wants to be an actress, the use of drama and roleplay activities could be beneficial
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EMT603 Inclusive practices in education settings
Cat StEvens 419516
Assessment Task 3
for boosting her self-esteem (Lanou, Hough & Powell, 2011), in conjunction with
disability mentoring programs that could be implemented at the school for students with
and without disabilities, consistent with Universal Design (Gillespie-Lynch et al., 2017).
I would provide feedback to Rose in a written format, using strengths-based language, to
reduce the anxiety she may encounter from a face to face situation (White & Waters,
2015).
Rose has trouble initiating communication with her peers and asking for help,
and this is identified as another goal on her learning plan. I would support Rose in
developing her social skills by integrating small group discussions into each lesson,
which is consistent with social constructivism learning theory (Pagan, 2006), and
provide frameworks for group discussions in lessons, such as sets of questions to be
answered between the students. I would also implement alternate ways to ask for help,
such as each student having a red, yellow and green cup on their desks to demonstrate if
they need help, a little guidance, or require no help respectively (McCaffrey &
Ferguson, 2018). This method would be useful for the entire class, and I would actively
encourage peer support as a learning strategy for everyone. During groupwork, I would
strategically assign groups rather than letting the students choose, to eliminate students
feeling excluded (Chasteen, 2017), and emotional awareness strategies would be used to
build prosocial behaviour through whole class, such as meditation, roleplay, and tasks
involving examining behaviour to raise metacognitive awareness (Desbordes et al.,
2012).
Being autistic also means that Rose contends with sensory issues, which in her
case relates to sound. Rose finds loud environments highly distracting and has trouble
concentrating on her work in such circumstances and can become distressed and anxious
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EMT603 Inclusive practices in education settings
Cat StEvens 419516
Assessment Task 3
when people shout. The provision of quiet areas in which Rose could work or take a
break is therefore essential for her emotional and academic wellbeing, and I would also
provide earmuffs to wear if learning tasks are noisy. However due to her anxiety, Rose is
often reluctant to use earmuffs as it singles her out as being different, so I would be
proactive in modelling sensory awareness, modelling the use of the earmuffs, and
regulating the volume in the classroom (Your Therapy Source, 2018). This is consistent
with one of the objects of the Disability Standards for Education (2005) “to promote
recognition and acceptance within the community of the principle that persons with
disabilities have the same fundamental rights as the rest of the community”. It would
also be important to exercise strategy when structuring groupwork, so that Rose is not
placed with students who are too loud or dominant who would make her lose focus.
Having dyslexia means that Rose struggles to meet standards for her age in
spelling and reading, which causes her considerable distress as English is one of her
favourite subjects and her creative writing is above standard, and improving her reading
and spelling is also one of Rose’s personal goals on her learning plan. To support her in
reading tasks, I would provide her with extra time for reading and writing, and prompt
her to decode words letter by letter as whole word reading can become confusing due to
her perceiving scrambled and moving letters (Huriyah, 2018). It is also helpful for her to
isolate the words that she needs to read from the rest of the text as this can minimise
interference (Dyslexic.com, 2016). Another reading strategy that can be beneficial is for
Rose to attend to words in the context of the entire sentence, so that she can use her
comprehension skills to decode a troublesome word (Huriyah, 2018). Rose also finds
reading aloud more difficult than reading internally, so I would allow her to practice
reading texts and record her reading privately for the assessment of her reading level
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EMT603 Inclusive practices in education settings
Cat StEvens 419516
Assessment Task 3
(Square Pegs, 2018). It is also important that I use multimodal methods to communicate
information to the class and provide all students with the choice of multiple methods for
demonstrating their knowledge in assessment tasks, such as giving presentations,
creating artwork, drama, and practical activities (Capp, 2017). The use of ICT will be
invaluable in this respect as Rose could not only have access to spellchecking
equipment, which has been found to increase spelling ability in students, but also text to
speech facilities which will help her with reading (Huriyah, 2018). This will ensure that
not only Rose, but all the students will be able to work with their strengths to achieve the
best learning outcomes (White & Waters, 2015).
Although Rose has not been diagnosed with dyscalculia, she also struggles with
numeracy and experiences heightened anxiety during mathematics lessons. She will
need to be provided with longer time to complete written calculations, and breaks if her
anxiety becomes too acute (Jordan, McGladdery & Dyer, 2014). In these moments I
would help Rose to engage in mindfulness and breathing techniques to calm her down
(Desbordes et al., 2012), and to use tactile sensory aids such as squishies and putty,
which her parents have reported are effective in relaxing her. I would also provide
visual and practical materials to assist the students to understand maths concepts and
ensure that the students can engage in rich tasks involving authentic contexts (Siemon et
al., 2015).
Aside from specific decoding strategies in reading, all the above strategies
would be implemented for the entire class, consistent with Universal Design for
Learning methodology, so that no adjustments would need to be made specifically for
Rose (Capp, 2017). In this way, Rose is treated with equity and respect while the other
students will also benefit from the teaching strategies applied, thereby adhering to the
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EMT603 Inclusive practices in education settings
Cat StEvens 419516
Assessment Task 3
specifications in the Disability Standards for Education (2005) that all reasonable
adjustments be made to accommodate students with disability to ensure their full
participation in the learning program. I would conduct regular diagnostic, formative and
summative assessments to ascertain where the teaching and learning practices are
effective and implement self-assessment strategies to increase student confidence and
engagement (Education Endowment Foundation, 2018). Regular meetings with Rose
and her parents would be arranged to discuss these strategies against her learning plan,
and I would encourage her parents to attend an anxiety training program to assist them to
recognise the signs of overwhelm and develop strategies to help her (McCaffrey &
Ferguson, 2018).
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EMT603 Inclusive practices in education settings
Cat StEvens 419516
Assessment Task 3
References
Afolabi, O., Sourav, M. & Nenty, H. (2013). Implementation of inclusive education: Do
parents really matter?. Specijalna edukacija i rehabilitacija. 12(3). pp. 373-401.
DOI:10.5937/specedreh12-4370
Australian Government [DSE]. (2005). Disability Standards for Education 2005
Beymer, P.N. & Thomson, M.M. (2015). The effects of choice in the classroom: Is there
too little or too much choice?. Support for Learning 30(2). DOI: 10.1111/14679604.12086
Bucholz, J. L. & Sheffler, J.L. (2009). Creating a Warm and Inclusive Classroom
Environment: Planning for All Children to Feel Welcome. Electronic Journal for
Inclusive Education 2(4).
Capp, J. (2017) The effectiveness of universal design for learning: a meta-analysis of
literature between 2013 and 2016. International Journal of Inclusive Education
21(8). pp.791-807. DOI: 10.1080/13603116.2017.1325074
Chasteen, S. (2017). How can I help students work well in small groups, so they are
more likely to engage?. Retrieved from PhysPort.org at
https://www.physport.org/recommendations/Entry.cfm?ID=101224
Desbordes, G., Negi, L.T., Pace, T., Wallace, A., Raison, C.L. & Schwartz, E.L. (2012).
Effects of mindful-attention and compassion meditation training on amygdala
response to emotional stimuli in an ordinary, non-meditative state. Frontiers in
Human Neuroscience. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2012.00292
Dyslexic.com. (2016). Reading rulers. Retrieved from
https://www.dyslexic.com/product-category/visual-stress/reading-rulers/
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EMT603 Inclusive practices in education settings
Cat StEvens 419516
Assessment Task 3
Education Endowment Foundation. (2018). Metacognition and self-regulated learning:
Guidance report. Millbank, London. Retrieved from
https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/Publications/Metacogn
ition/EEF_Metacognition_and_self-regulated_learning.pdf
Gillespie-Lynch, K., Bublitz, D., Donachie, A., Wong, V., Brooks, P. J., & D'Onofrio, J.
(2017). "For a long time our voices have been hushed": Using student
perspectives to develop supports for neurodiverse college students. Frontiers in
psychology 8(544). DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00544
Graziano, P. A., Reavis, R. D., Keane, S. P., & Calkins, S. D. (2007). The Role of
Emotion Regulation and Children's Early Academic Success. Journal of school
psychology 45(1). pp.3–19. DOI:10.1016/j.jsp.2006.09.002
Hebron, J. & Humphrey, N. (2014). Mental health difficulties among young people on
the autistic spectrum in mainstream secondary schools: a comparative study.
Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs 14(1). pp.22–32. DOI:
10.1111/j.1471-3802.2012.01246.x
Huriyah, S. (2018). Using ICT programs to support students with dyslexia in aquiring
literacy. Eternal (English Teaching Journal), 9(2).
DOI:10.26877/eternal.v9i2.2982
Jenkins, J.R., Antil, L.R., Wayne, S.K. & Vadasy, P.F. (2003). How cooperative
learning works for special education and remedial students. Exceptional Children
69(3). pp.279-292.
Jordan, J.-A., McGladdery, G., & Dyer, K. (2014). Dyslexia in higher education:
implications for maths anxiety, statistics anxiety and psychological well-being.
Dyslexia 20(3). pp.225–240. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1002/dys.1478
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EMT603 Inclusive practices in education settings
Cat StEvens 419516
Assessment Task 3
Lanou, A., Hough, L. & Powell, E. (2011). Case studies on using strengths and interests
to address the needs of students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Intervention in
School and Clinic. Hammill Institute on Disabilities. DOI:
10.1177/1053451211423819
Mayes, S. D., & Calhoun, S. (2007). Learning, attention, writing, and processing speed
in typical children and children with ADHD, autism, anxiety, depression, and
oppositional-defiant disorder. Child Neuropsychology (6). pp.469–493.
DOI:10.1080/09297040601112773
McCaffrey, F. & Ferguson, R. (2018). Parent training as a means of reducing anxiety in
autistic children. Middletown Centre for Autism. Retrieved from
https://network.autism.org.uk/sites/default/files/ckfinder/files/Parent%20training
%20to%20reduce%20anxiety%20PDF%20ready(1).pdf
Pagan, B. (2006). Positive Contributions of Constructivism to Educational Design.
Europe’s Journal of Psychology 2(1). Retrieved from
https://ejop.psychopen.eu/article/view/318/html
Rao, S.M. & Gagie, B. (2006). Learning through seeing and doing: Visual support for
children with autism. Teaching Exceptional Children 38(6). pp.26-33.
DOI:10.1177/004005990603800604
Semrud-Clikeman, M., Walkowiak, J., Wilkinson, A. & Butcher, B. (2010). Executive
functioning in children with Asperger Syndrome, ADHD-Combined type,
ADHD-Predominately inattentive type, and controls. Journal of Autism and
Developmental Disorders [J Autism Dev Disord] 40(8). pp. 1017-27. DOI
10.1007/s10803-010-0951-9
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Cat StEvens 419516
Assessment Task 3
Siemon, D., Beswick, K., Clark, J., Faragher, R., & Warren, E. (2015). Teaching
mathematics: Foundations to middle years (2nd ed.). pp.14-15. South Melbourne,
Vic: Oxford University Press.
Square Pegs. (2018). Teaching strategies. Retrieved from
https://www.squarepegstas.org/teaching-strategies
Steffenburg, H., Steffenburg, S., Gillberg, C., & Billstedt, E. (2018). Children with
autism spectrum disorders and selective mutism. Neuropsychiatric disease and
treatment 14, pp.1163–1169. DOI:10.2147/NDT.S154966
Townley-Cochran, D., Leaf, J.B., Taubman, M., Leaf, R. & McEachin, J. (2015).
Observational learning for students diagnosed with autism: A review paper.
Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 2(3). pp. 262–272. DOI
10.1007/s40489-015-0050-0
White, M.A. & Waters, L.E. (2015). A case study of ‘The Good School:’ Examples of
the use of Peterson’s strengths-based approach with students. The Journal of
Positive Psychology 10(1). pp.69-76. DOI: 10.1080/17439760.2014.920408
Your Therapy Source. (2018). How to prevent sensory overload at school. Retrieved
from https://www.yourtherapysource.com/blog1/2018/09/06/how-to-preventsensory-overload-at-school-2/
Yu, K. K., Cheung, C., Chua, S. E., & McAlonan, G. M. (2011). Can Asperger
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MRI studies. Journal of psychiatry & neuroscience 36(6). pp.412–421.
doi:10.1503/jpn.100138
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EMT603 Inclusive Practices in Education Settings
Assessment Task 3 – Feedback
Assessment Criteria
High Distinction (80-100)
Distinction (70-79)
Credit (60-69)
Pass (50-59)
Apply terms and
principles of the
Disability Standards for
Education 2005 (20%)
An expert level of understanding of
terms and principles of the
Disability Standards for Education
2005 was applied with great insight
into the context
A professional level of
understanding of key terms and
principles of the Disability
Standards for Education 2005 was
applied in a way that was highly
relevant to the specific context
A clear and accurate understanding
of key terms and principles of the
Disability Standards for Education
2005 was applied in a way that was
appropriate to the specific context
A sound working knowledge
of key terms and principles of
the Disability Standards for
Education 2005 was applied
with consideration of the
specific context
Analyse the educational
needs of a student with
disability (20%)
A scholarly analysis of the
individual students’ educational
needs was provided, which was
realistic and insightful in terms of
informing learning and teaching
practices
A professional analysis of the
individual students’ educational
needs was provided, which was
realistic and formed a strong basis
for learning and teaching practices
A well-informed analysis of the
individual students’ educational
needs was provided, which was
realistic and very useful in terms of
informing learning and teaching
practices
A sound analysis of the
individual students’ key
educational needs was
provided, which was realistic
and mostly useful in terms of
informing learning and
teaching practices
Explore, propose, and
justify strategies to
involve parents/carers in
the educative process
(20%)
Innovative strategies for involving
parents/carers were proposed and
justified with consideration of the
context of the specific student and
rigorous examination of relevant
research evidence
Thoughtful strategies for involving
parents/carers were proposed and
justified with consideration of the
context of the specific student and
relevant research evidence
Some appropriate strategies for
involving parents/carers were
proposed with consideration of the
context of the specific student and
supporting evidence
Some appropriate basic
strategies for involving
parents/carers were proposed
and justified
Design and justify
learning and teaching
practices for a student
with disability (20%)
A comprehensive and clear
explanation of innovative learning,
teaching, and assessment practices
for the student was provided, with a
scholarly justification of the
supporting evidence base
A comprehensive and clear
explanation of highly appropriate
learning, teaching, and assessment
practices for the student was
provided, with a professional
justification of the supporting
evidence base
A clear explanation of highly
appropriate learning, teaching, and
assessment practices for the student
was provided, with a justification
associated with some supporting
evidence base
A clear explanation of
appropriate learning, teaching,
and assessment practices for
the student was provided,
together with some relevant
justification
Communicate specialised
knowledge, ideas and
complex concepts (20%)
The overall presentation was
exceptional: a wide range of
relevant literature, including cutting
edge publications, was synthesised
and critically analysed; referencing
and presentation was at a scholarly
standard
The overall presentation was of a
high standard: a wide range of
relevant literature, including cutting
edge publications, was synthesised
and accurately referenced, with
next to no typographical errors, and
professionally communicated
The overall presentation was very
good: a wide range of relevant
literature, including recently
published material, was synthesised
and very well referenced, with
minimal typographical errors, and
very well communicated
The overall presentation was
satisfactory: drew support
from a range of relevant
sources which were well
referenced, with few
typographical errors, and quite
well communicated
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Comments:
Grade:
Assessor:
Date:
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