Week 5 Disability

Myth of normal.
- Within industrialised western countries there are shared and clearly
defined expectations around what normal development looks like for
children. Notions of healthy and typical development are pervasive
within the literature of health, psychology, and education fields.

Children with Autism.

- Autism is a developmental disorder which affects how a person
communicates and relates to other people. It is a lifelong condition.
- Autism can be characterised by difficulty in social communication,
difficulty in social interaction, and restricted or repetitive behaviours
and interests.
- Autism may present substantial challenges for those who have it,
their families, and friends.
- Although autism is lifelong, the social, communication, and sensory
deficits that some children experience may be remediated with the
use of intervention therapies and structured support.

Philosophical principles underpinning inclusion.

- A number of principles have formed the basis of policy and practice
for the inclusion of young children with a disability. They are used by
schools to develop system-wide policies; school leaders to develop
school policies and practices; and teachers to prepare and
implement inclusive programs.

There are 5 philosophical principles that underpin the premise of inclusion.

1. Social justice and human rights.
2. All children can learn.
3. Normalisation.
4. The least restrictive environment.
5. Age appropriate behaviour.

1. Social justice and human rights.

- Social justice – a belief system based on equity, human rights, and
fairness for all.
- Now much less likely that people will have their lives restricted or
determined by their gender, religion, race, ethnicity, sexuality, or
disability.
- Changing attitudes to disability have produced changes in education
– all part of the social justice movement, and this has resulted in
changes for several minority or disadvantaged groups. It is now
recognised that people with a disability want to be regarded as
people first, want to make decisions about their own lives, and do
not want decisions based solely or primarily on their disability.
- Inclusion in education is as much a rights issue, as it is an issue of
what works best.
2. All children can learn.
- Up until about 40 years ago it was thought that some children were
incapable of learning. And until 1972, school principals in some
Australian states could refuse to enrol indigenous students if there
was community objection to their enrolment.
- Since then there is a widespread acceptance that all children have
the capacity to learn, and all children are entitled to an
appropriately funded education program.
- Not all learning that takes place is the same for all students and
may not be typical school learning, but it is still learning, and it can
be nurtured and developed by teachers and other staff in school
settings.

3. Normalisation.
- All people are entitled to live as normal a life as possible in their
community.
- Normal is what other people in a person’s culture do.
- In relation to education, normalisation suggests that all students
should be able to attend their local school, or an independent
school, whatever is preferred by the student and their family.
- Social role valorisation – what social role do individual perform and
what value does society take place on it? Think about Australian
society – what social roles are more highly valued?
- The social roles of people with a disability tend to be poorly valued.
Genuine inclusion means having a social role that is valued by the
rest of the community.

4. The least restrictive environment.

- The opportunity for people living with a disability to live in
environments that give them the greatest range of choices, and the
fewest restrictions.
- Some environments are intrinsically more restrictive than others.
- Range of Australian educational settings from least to most
restrictive.
1. Regular class
2. Single special class in a regular school with part-time regular
placement.
3. Single special class in a regular school – no part time regular
placement.
4. Special unit located in a regular school.
5. Separate special day school on a regular campus.
6. Separate special day school.
7. Residential school for students with a disability.

5. Age appropriate behaviour.

 - This means behaviour or activity that is consistent with the
behaviours and activities normally undertaken by the same aged
peers.
- All students need to be able to participate in the centre’s or school’s
day to day activities and wherever possible perform roles that are
seen by their peers to be positive and valuable.
- Applying the principles of normalisation and the social role
valorisation means that students’ activities need to be age
appropriate.

Models of disability.
Understanding the medical model.
- Disability is within people.
- The person with a disability is seen as broken and needing to be
fixed.
- Disability is tragic.
- People with disabilities need sympathy.
- Medical view looks at what is wrong with people, what people
cannot do, and how people are different to norm.
Understanding the social model.
- Disability is imposed upon a person by society.
- The person is whole, it is society that imposes restrictions and needs
to be fixed, not the person.
- Society needs to change to accommodate diversity rather than
individuals changing to fit society.
- This model looks at what is unique about people, what people can
do, how all people are different.
Understanding the biopsychosocial model of disability.
- It attempts to integrate the medical and social models it considers;
biological factors, psychological factors, and social factors.
- The language used is heavily influenced by the medical model and
whilst promoted in education, this model is not seen as useful in
inclusive education because it focuses too much on an individual’s
impairment and not enough on the structural barriers that can be
adjusted.
The preferred model is the social model.
- Disability is imposed upon a person by society.
- The person is whole, it is society that imposes restrictions that need
to be fixed, not the person.
- Society needs to change to accommodate diversity rather than
individuals changing to fit society.
- This model looks at what is unique about people, what people can
do, how all people are different.

The power of language.

- Language is power, life, and the instrument of culture, the
instrument of domination, and the instrument of liberation.
- Person-first language: Always put the person first.
 - A person is not defined by their disability, they are a person before
anything else.

Stigma.
- A person with characteristics considered to be different from the
norm, therefore reducing the individual from a whole and unusual
person to a tainted discounted one.
- By definition of course we believe that a person with stigma is not
quite human. On this assumption we exercise varieties of
discrimination through which we effectively, if often unthinkable
reduces his life chances.
- When a person is labelled, set apart, and linked to undesirable
characteristics, a rationale is constructed for devaluing, rejecting,
and excluding them.
- It takes power to stigmatize… however, the role of power in stigma
is frequently overlooked because in many instances power
differences are so taken for granted as to seem unproblematic.

What is inclusion? Inclusion is a right!

- Every child has rights, irrespective of their race, religion, abilities,
whatever they think or say, and whatever type of family they come
from.
- Inclusion is a universal human right. The aim of inclusion is to
embrace all people irrespective of race, gender, disability, medical,
or other need. It is about giving equal access and opportunities and
getting rid of discrimination and intolerance. Research shows that all
children benefit from belonging to, and participating in, quality
inclusive communities, including education and care settings.
- Inclusion happens when children are viewed as capable and valued
contributors as opposed to having deficits that need to be fixed.
Inclusion is about embracing our diversity as a strength and viewing
each child for their unique qualities.
- Inclusion is not about fixing a child or improving their skills so that
they fit into the community or education environment. Inclusion
focuses on the whole environment, and making changes to it so that
all children can participate. In an inclusive environment diversity is
acknowledged, respected, and viewed as a resource for learning,
growth, and change.
- An inclusive environment provides a unique opportunity for children
to play, develop, and learn together with children of their own age.
These relationships are the foundations for learning and provide a
powerful way of belonging to a group and developing a sense of who
they are.
- Inclusion benefits everybody and makes a difference not just for
now, but for the future.

Inclusion: a word for all.

- Inclusion is not just about children with a disability or developmental
delay attending mainstream programs, but about creating
 environments for all children to be able to develop relationships,
have opportunities that enable them to meaningfully engage and
participate in all activities.
- When children are included, they will see them;
 Feel safe and valued.
 Be supported to contribute.
 Make their own choices.
 Play with their friends.
 Have opportunities to learn new things.
 Participate in the programme alongside their same age
typically developing peers.

Family-centred practice: Ten core practices.

1. Treat families with respect.
2. Work in partnership and collaboration.
3. Share information completely and in an unbiased manner.
4. Be sensitive and responsive to family diversity.
5. Promote family choices and family decision-making.
6. Base intervention on family-identified desires and needs.
7. Provide individualised support and resources.
8. Utilise a broad range of formal and informal supports and resources.
9. Employ competency-enhancing help-giving styles.
10. Enhance family strengths and capabilities.

Family centres practice supports inclusive education.

- When professionals work in respectful partnerships with families.
they are doing two key things.
- Firstly they are acknowledging families’ capacities to manage the
challenges that arise from raising a child disability.
- And, secondly they are demonstrated a willingness to learn from the
families about how best to meet the child’s needs while maintaining
the daily routines that are central to the life of the family as well as
to the early years setting.