APST 1.6 Strategies to support full participation of students with disability
Topic 8 Inclusivity and diversity: Inclusion as every child's right to belong and participate.
Resource: Inclusion Support Program Guidelines (Australian Government Department of Education, n.d.)
Inclusion is something very imperative to me, as assisting young children with a disability participate in a mainstream curriculum is how I started working in the ECEC industry, I believe it is a child’s right rather and understanding my legal and ethical obligations is essential if every child is to participate fully in kindergarten. The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005 require reasonable adjustments. The ECA and ECIA (2016) joint statement goes further, framing inclusion as every child's right to belong and learn alongside their peers. Cologon and Mevawalla (2023) remind me that inclusion begins with the language and attitudes teachers bring, and (Forlin et al., 2013) found that inclusive settings benefit children with and without disability. I selected the Inclusion Support Program Guidelines (Australian Government Department of Education, n.d.) because they outline practical supports, such professional support for teachers and services to help remove barriers and implement a Strategic Inclusion Plan (SIP), as well as specialist equipment, additional staffing and much needed funding (Figure 1 & 2). This resource will help my inclusion practices move from good intentions to planned, funded adjustments so every child can engage inclusively in supportive environments and engage meaningfully in play-based learning.
Create Your Own Website With Webador