Inclusion... a key factor in the success of learners on the autism spectrum
- Therapeutic Link
- May 10, 2022
- 4 min read
Barriers and factors that support the successful inclusion of learners on the autism spectrum have been explored in a recently published report.
In Australia, 1 in 10 school students aged 5-18 have a disability and our classrooms are very often home to a diverse range of learners who all have unique and individual needs.
Research has shown that children with autism spectrum disorder and other learning disabilities such as ADHD perform better academically when using an integrative approach that provides inclusive classrooms and learning facilities that accommodate an individual’s particular needs.
Autism CRC, one of Australia’s first national cooperative research efforts that is focused exclusively on factors that impact the lives of people with autism, has recently released a report which provides insight into the benefits of authentic collaborative partnerships with family members, peers, and other relevant partners. The report was the result of a collaboration and partnership with Queensland University of Technology, Monash University, and Autism Queensland. Findings from the report emphasise the importance of implementing and maintaining student-focused collaborative partnerships within an inclusive context that promotes a fair and unified voice for all partners involved maximises learning success for pupils on the spectrum within the schooling environment.
This approach has been shown to be one of the most effective ways of learning by providing the capacity to build on and develop the culture of inclusion in schools. Collaborative partnerships are fundamental as they allow educators to manage and address the diverse learning needs of students. A collaborative approach also offers support to school communities and teachers to help build connections with students, families, and external agencies in relation to the diverse needs of their pupils.
Collaborative partnerships with parents/carers, colleagues and external education agencies help to advocate for a culture within schools that is inclusive and promotes the ability to successfully attain positive education outcomes. They can also can also help teachers and parents to:
Understand students and the unique ways they learn
Plan and implement strategies to meet students’ needs and strengths
Create a safe and supportive learning environment that promotes student participation
Encourage communities to work together to share responsibility, knowledge and understanding of students and their unique academic, behavioural, and socio-emotional outcomes
Parental involvement in collaborative learning and decision making has been demonstrated to be essential in order to foster success for individual learning outcomes. Parental involvement may also improve academic achievement and attendance, aid in the development of practices better tailored to individual needs and deepen a mutual understanding between families and educators. Some of the ways educators can encourage parental involvement include:
Encourage collaborative parent-teacher meetings to offer the opportunity to monitor student development
Promote positive communication such as positive feedback about student achievements and progress
Inform parents about necessary support materials that can be used at home to help aid with schoolwork
Provide regular updates about important changes within the school environment
Qualitative research from Autism CRC’s joint research collaboration focused on three independent aims:
Collecting a case study of collaborative partnerships within a real-life education context
Illustrating the process of collaboration within a multidisciplinary educational community which includes teachers, parents and allied health professionals through the collection of data such as meetings, interviews and observations, which had been mapped across a school year
Development of multimedia resources as a professional resource within school communities that will offer support in engaging in positive, authentic, and sustainable collaboration between families and students on the spectrum, multidisciplinary staff, and external agencies
The case study used for this project involved five (5) participants, including an adolescent on the autism spectrum, the student’s maternal parent, the student’s teacher, an occupational therapist who worked with the student in their classroom, and the teacher aide involved with the class. The candidates were working in an autism-specific context with collaborative partnerships focusing on supporting adolescent learners on the spectrum. Three main themes were found as a result of this project that identifies the essential elements to successfully actioning collaborative partnerships.
Establishing student-centred collaborative partnerships
Valuing a collective voice in student-centred partnerships
Sustaining student-centred collaborative partnerships
Theme one displayed the elements that would influence the establishment of such partnerships such as: who should be involved, ways to involve partners, strategies for setting goals, most effective ways to involve partners, creating links between partners, and maintaining contact and collaboration.
Theme two related to identifying factors and/or practices that can help nurture and value a collective voice within those partnerships by sharing expertise and views, the input of planning and goal setting, facilitating trust, and clearly defining roles.
Theme three placed emphasis on sustaining student-centred collaborative partnerships through the use of communication, evaluation and maintaining, monitoring, and reviewing goals.
The key aim of the project was to develop a suite of multimedia educational resources that use data to demonstrate how educational communities can work together to support the needs of students. These results will help to enable teachers and other professionals working in schools across Australia to employ evidence-based practices in classrooms which they have found difficult to do so in the past due to the absence of evidence behind the source material provided. These products can be found on the Autism CRC inclusionED website which can be accessed in the ‘useful links’ section below.
Parents can also utilise the free tools available on inclusionED which include:
Instructional and informative videos
PDF tip sheets, word templates and handouts
Research reports and journal articles
Materials found on inclusionED can be used to support teachers and empower school communities in integrating authentic collaborative partnerships into their practice.
Useful links
Autism CRC
InclusionED
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