Directors of Student Teaching from the Western Canadian provinces participated in focus groups about the realities and decision-making processes around practicum for preservice teachers with disabilities. Results showed current standards, when applied rigidly, served to reify a static, homogenous, and unrealistic definition of ‘teacher’ that marginalises preservice teachers with disabilities. However, the effort of directors to challenge this notion of ‘teacher’, framed within the constructionist model of disability, gives hope for a more inclusive future teaching force.

For the past twenty years integration of students with special needs has been emerging as one of the most significant educational and social challenges facing the world’s communities. Since the early 1970’s, the Commonwealth Schools Commission has supported attempts throughout Australia to integrate students with special needs into ordinary school settings, rather than to expand provision of segregated schools and centres. The nature and funding level of the Commission’s integration element has been the subject of extensive discussion in recent years and these discussions have now extended to the regular school arena where increasing numbers of students with special needs are being integrated. There was, therefore, wide consenus throughout Australia that a review of integration was needed at this time. The national review reported in this paper was commissioned by the Commonwealth Schools Commission in response to a request from the OECD Centre for Educational Research and Innovation to participate in a three-country (Australia, Sweden and France) review of integration policies and practices. The purpose of this paper is to discuss some of the factors identified in this review as being vital to effective integration in Australia.

Although professional standards for Australian teachers were developed several years ago, this country is yet to develop such standards for special education teachers. The lack of standards for the special education profession is associated with the absence of a consistent process of accreditation in Australia and a lack of clarity in the pathways that teachers may pursue to achieve accreditation. In this paper, we review professional standards for special education teachers in the UK and the US, and the related yet limited work completed in Australia. Substantial commonalities across these jurisdictions demonstrate that much of the groundwork has been completed in the important task of developing special education standards in this country.

This study explored the potential of using a new but simplified form of stop-motion animation called slowmation to support 4 primary school students with mild intellectual disabilities in co-constructing an animated social narrative about their own social skills. The research used a multiple case study design incorporating a range of qualitative methods to identify what stop-motion skills the students could use and to what extent the co-construction of an animation influenced their identification of their own social skills. Findings revealed that each student was able to use a range of stop-motion skills with varying levels of support. As a consequence of their co-construction, the students’ understanding of their own social skills increased. Classroom implications, limitations and recommendations for further study are discussed.

Previous research in clinical, community, and school settings has demonstrated positive outcomes for the Secret Agent Society (SAS) social skills training program. This is designed to help children on the autism spectrum become more aware of emotions in themselves and others and to ‘problem-solve’ complex social scenarios. Parents play a key role in the implementation of the SAS program, attending information and support sessions with other parents and providing supervision, rewards, and feedback as their children complete weekly ‘home mission’ assignments. Drawing on data from a school-based evaluation of the SAS program, we examined whether parents’ engagement with these elements of the intervention was linked to the quality of their children’s participation and performance. Sixty-eight 8–14-year-olds (M age = 10.7) with a diagnosis of autism participated in the program. The findings indicated that ratings of parental engagement were positively correlated with children’s competence in completing home missions and with the quality of their contribution during group teaching sessions. However, there was a less consistent relationship between parental engagement and measures of children’s social and emotional skill gains over the course of the program.

The increasing inclusion of students with disabilities in regular classes still leads to debate and many advocate for full inclusion of all students. Arguments for full inclusion are generally rights-based, but proponents also claim research supports the effectiveness of full inclusion over specialist provision for all students with disabilities. In this article, we analyse and critique the use of the research literature in an Australian advocacy paper as an example of the broad claims made concerning full inclusion. We examine the extent to which the sources used provide conclusive evidence about the merits of full inclusion. We find the advocacy paper relies heavily on opinion and non-peer-reviewed literature, with little use of quantitative research that compares outcomes for students in different settings. We suggest that policymakers should treat the conclusions drawn in this paper cautiously and give due consideration to the literature that is not supportive of full inclusion.

With current preparation for the release of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) in 2013, many changes have been proposed for the diagnostic criteria, including changes to the pervasive development disorder category — of which Asperger's disorder is a part. Using focus group discussions this study explored how Asperger's disorder is perceived by Australian health and education staff, parents of children diagnosed with Asperger's disorder and community members. A total of 51 people participated in eight focus groups. Theory-led thematic analysis of the discussions revealed five themes of aetiology uncertainty, challenging behaviour, barriers in service provision, terminology confusion and label stigma. These themes are discussed in relation to the proposed diagnostic changes and implications for future research.

In this article, the evidence regarding a proposed ‘cure’ for dyslexia and other, arguably related, conditions is examined critically. The origins and history of the Dore program and its progenitors, its introduction to Australia and its advertising claims are reviewed, with a focus on the claims made with regard to dyslexia, and particularly with regard to reading. The article compares the claims made about the program and the existing published research, considers whether the Dore program makes conceptual sense in the light of current scientific research and theory, evaluates the existing specific evidence adduced by its advocates as proof for the efficacy of the program, and compares the claims made by the program promoters with the scientific evidence available. It is concluded that none of the necessary desiderata to substantiate claims for a cure are met by the available scientific evidence for the efficacy of the Dore program.

Scripts in written or auditory form have been used to teach conversational skills to individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but with the proliferation of handheld tablet devices the scope to combine these 2 formats has broadened. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate if a script-based intervention, presented on an iPad conversational app, would be effective in teaching basic conversation skills within a school setting. A multiple baseline with probe design across scripts was employed to teach a student with ASD on-topic responses. Experimental control was demonstrated across 2 of the 3 baselines. Surprisingly, a substantial degree of generalisation was evident, which may have compromised demonstration of experimental control. This app may be a practical and effective tool for teaching on-topic responses to an individual with ASD, and further research is warranted.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that can affect a person’s ability to manage the complexities of varied social and environmental situations. This is particularly evident in the dynamic context of a school classroom. To assist students with ASD to navigate the complexities of Australian primary and secondary mainstream classrooms, educators are required to provide ‘reasonable adjustments’ to support learning; that is, to make changes that are practicable and achievable in order for students to access learning on the same basis as their peers. We present an argument that the ‘reasonable adjustments’ made by schools to ensure that students with ASD have equitable learning opportunities should meet a criterion of acceptability where the adjustment is evidence based. The paper also offers a summary of evidence-based pedagogical strategies that have been effective for students with ASD and concludes with a discussion offering evidence-based practices as a solution to meeting legislative requirements for students with disability.

Richard Nixon was moved to exclaim that: “writing is the toughest thing I have ever done”. We feel similarly daunted at the prospect of writing about the legal system’s miserly treatment of children in need of special schooling. But at least we will be saved in our endeavours from the temptation of the lawyers’ notorious prolixity. For the story is a short and simple one. It will be very difficult to make it long and complicated.

There is no doubt that a great deal has been achieved in special education over the past few years. We can only speak of the Sydney and Melbourne metropolitan areas. But it is probably true to say that in them, most children with disabilities can be reasonably sure of receiving a high quality education in an educational setting which is well provided with resources. But this is because it is currently Government policy in these States to provide disabled children with a place in a mainstream school, where this is feasible.

The present study surveyed teachers and students without disabilities regarding the inclusion of students with disabilities at an Australian primary school. The school provided special education to 35 students with special needs and some of their education was provided in regular classrooms alongside peers without disabilities. Fifteen regular classroom teachers and 109 classroom peers without special needs completed questionnaires. Both groups provided a range of supportive comments about regular classroom placements for student with special needs, but also expressed concerns about the implementation of special education in regular classrooms. Specific concerns included the extra time and added stress of educating children with special needs in the regular classroom setting, potential disruption and disadvantage to other students and the lack of support and resources. Unless these concerns are addressed, placement of students with special needs in regular classrooms may generate stress, concern, and even possibly resentment among some teachers and students without disabilities.

Extant research on sources of information about interventions used by parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has provided a general overview of sources used. However, it has provided little insight into why parents view certain sources as reliable or trustworthy, or how useful parents found the information provided to them by the sources and why. This paper provides a qualitative analysis of interviews conducted with 12 Australian parents of preschool-age children with ASD. Participants discussed the factors related to their perceptions of the reliability and trustworthiness of sources used, as well as the usefulness of the information provided. Parent ratings of the reliability of sources were influenced by factors including the firsthand experience of other parents, the parent's relationship with the source, and their beliefs about the sources’ intentions. A number of parents reported that sources provided either information of limited use or an overwhelming amount of information. Considerable variation was reported in the usefulness of information provided to parents. Recommendations regarding research and practice are offered.

Poor comprehenders are generally students who have significant language-learning deficits. A particular problem for students with poor comprehension is that they have difficulty learning new vocabulary because they are inclined to read less, and are unable to apply new meanings to unfamiliar words. This leads to the situation where the gap widens between them and their more successful peers, resulting in more noticeable reading difficulties in later grades. They generally have good word decoding skills but have difficulty connecting meaning to unfamiliar words in context. This is often problematic because they have particular difficulties making inferences and forming a coherent mental model of what they have read. However, effective vocabulary instruction can be achieved by the incorporation of an intervention framework that balances the teaching of word-learning strategies with strategies fostering whole story integration. This article introduces a pedagogical construct based on a modified KWL framework using a combination of evidence-based visual and verbal instructional methods, in conjunction with the development of metacognitive and self-regulating strategies. The implication is that the cognitive load on working memory will be reduced and overall story comprehension will be improved when a well-constructed pedagogical framework is utilised to enhance the acquisition of new vocabulary during reading.

The aim of the study was to identify transition planning processes as reported by participants for school-aged youth serving custodial sentences in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, and to establish the extent to which these reflect current evidence or research-based transition practices reported in the literature. The authors used inductive content analysis methodology to analyse interviews with 44 staff members from the education and juvenile justice systems in NSW. The findings of the study indicate that although a number of evidence/research-based practices are being used, there are some that still need to be implemented. Specifically, there is a need for more involvement of the families of incarcerated youth and support for the self-determination of the young people in custody.

The paper reviews investigations on the use of coloured filters in relation to possible causal mechanisms, effects on reading achievement and effects on eye movement. Studies of causes suggest a retinal - sensory after-imaging problem, possibly related to the magnocellular visual neurological pathway. Studies of reading achievement suggest this disability may be one causal factor in reading problems but improvement will be influenced by prior word attack skill and willingness to be involved in reading. Investigation of reading strategies suggest that the claimed reductions in print distortions could allow more reading fluency and enable attention to be directed to meaning rather than word identification, which in turn facilitates access to text context as a supplement to word recognition.

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is key to student success. Teachers can effectively implement SEL programs to a variety of school populations, with demonstrated improvements in emotional, social, and academic outcomes. Research also suggests that SEL for students on the autism spectrum can result in improved outcomes. Although social-emotional difficulties are core characteristics of autism, there is a dearth of research identifying the SEL needs for high school students on the autism spectrum and how to meet these needs. The aim of this preliminary qualitative study was to explore teachers’ perceptions of SEL needs in a high school setting with adolescents on the autism spectrum. A focus group was conducted with 8 experienced teachers from mainstream and special needs settings. The thematic analysis identified 3 themes: (a) SEL needs of students on the autism spectrum, (b) teaching SEL in high school settings, and (c) gaps in SEL. The study also revealed suggestions for how a SEL program could be developed so that it best meets the needs of the teachers who would be implementing it. Outcomes from this study provide important insights into SEL in adolescents on the autism spectrum in special education and have practical implications for intervention models.

A pilot study of the effectiveness of guided access to websites that provide information on intervention options for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was conducted with 12 parents of preschool-aged children with ASD. Guided access to reliable websites that included information about the efficacy of interventions for ASD (Raising Children Network, 2006–2014; Research Autism, 2006–2014) was provided in the format of a DVD presentation. The guidelines for choosing interventions provided on the Raising Children Network (2009) website were reiterated and assistance was provided with navigation and interpretation of the sites. Participants reported the guided access to reliable websites as useful and also reported an increased level of confidence in making intervention decisions after using the package. However, the guided access did not appear to influence the factors that parents considered important in decision-making, their understanding of the level of research support for interventions, nor their desire to use different interventions. Implications for future research and attempts to disseminate information to parents are discussed.

The articles in this journal focus on what is, arguably, the biggest challenge facing school systems throughout the world, that of educational inclusion. It is hardly surprising that this is particularly challenging in secondary schools. Within such schools, internal factors, such as size and organisational complexity, clearly complicate attempts to foster more flexible and responsive arrangements. At the same time, external factors, not least the effects of competition between schools and parental choice, create particularly intensive pressures to achieve improved results in tests and examinations.

Commentary on the introduction of the Australian Curriculum (AC) has reflected a tension for educators of students with disabilities (SWD) between in-principle support for a curriculum that is inclusive of all students and the challenge of translating a general framework into relevant, individualised learning experiences appropriate for all SWD. In this paper, we report on findings from the second part of a national online survey in which we explored the perceptions and practices of 151 educators of SWD in specialist settings (special schools, disability units co-located at mainstream schools, special classes within mainstream schools) in relation to the AC. Specifically, these findings relate to the professional learning (PL) experiences and perceived needs of educators of SWD related to the AC and their advice to policymakers about the AC for SWD. Consistent with previous research, participants expressed a preference for PL experiences delivered on site, facilitated by content experts over extended periods, with opportunities for demonstration and targeted feedback, and in the context of collegial learning communities. In addition, participants raised concerns about the extent to which the AC is fully inclusive of all SWD. Implications for policy, practice, and future research are discussed.