Increasing numbers of young people experience disruption to their schooling owing to chronic illness. Absence from the day-to-day life of their school for prolonged or accumulative periods of time can erode their sense of belonging and create anxiety about falling behind academically. Maintaining positive connections to school can meet their desire for normalcy and realisable educational goals. Part of a project called Link ‘n’ Learn, funded by an Australian Research Council Linkage grant (2008–2010), this in-depth qualitative case study of 22 participants — senior secondary students and their mathematics teachers — investigated academic continuity: students’ access to and utilisation of opportunities to learn effectively so that academic progress is made despite disruption to full-time schooling. The students experienced diverse types of chronic illness, medical interventions, and patterns of absence from school. They all sought to continue their school studies. Their teachers highlighted surprise, concern and discomfort related to students studying during serious illness, and school workload issues. Ambiguities about educational responsibility for students during absence were widespread. Teachers demonstrated hesitance to initiate contact with students, but students nevertheless expressed their desire for teachers to remain involved with them. Implications for the educational support of young people with chronic illness are presented.

A cornerstone of special education practice is customising instruction to meet individual students’ needs. Individual education programs (IEPs) are used in many countries to document the manner in which such instruction is customised and to provide a record of student outcomes. Using 2009 data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, this paper examines a range of student and school variables associated with Australian children aged 8 to 9 years who had an IEP at the time. There were significant differences across government, Catholic and independent schools, and significant differences across the states and territories in the use of IEPs. The Discussion section of the paper explores possible reasons for those differences and the desirability for more consistent use of IEPs with students with a disability in Australia.

This study explored the utility of using keyboarding as an alternative to handwriting for students with ASD who experience handwriting difficulties. Participants included 22 students with ASD (M age = 10.83 ± 1.4 years) who had been using portable word processors in mainstream classrooms for at least 6 months to circumvent handwriting difficulties. Teacher, parent and student questionnaires rated perceptions of students’ motivation, ability, preferences and frequency of use of keyboarding as compared to handwriting, helpfulness of portable word processors and factors contributing to or limiting their use. Keyboarding and handwriting speeds were measured in letters per minute. Two short compositions using handwriting and keyboarding were compared in length and quality. Handwriting legibility was also rated. The teacher, parent and student questionnaires indicated that students’ motivation was generally rated as much higher for keyboarding than for handwriting. Teachers and parents predominantly perceived portable word processors as helpful. The group mean scores for keyboarding speed, and length and quality of keyboarded compositions were greater than comparable group mean scores for handwriting. These differences, however, did not reach statistical significance. Keyboarding, nevertheless, was effective in overcoming difficulties experienced by many students in respect of legibility.

A National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) that requires assessment of all students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 is now firmly established on the Australian educational landscape. Australian legislation and policies promote inclusive assessments for all; however, in relation to NAPLAN, almost 5% of students, many of whom have disabilities, are either exempt or withdrawn. Those students with disabilities that are assessed are provided only basic testing accommodations under special considerations, and the achievement levels of these students are not accurately benchmarked. Lessons from experiences in the United States can assist in the development of a more effective and inclusive assessment regime. A range of strategies, including testing accommodations and modifications, needs to be applied to ensure access to NAPLAN assessment for all students.

The education of Australian students with the most severe intellectual disabilities continues to present substantial challenges to policymakers, practitioners and families. These are complex and involve philosophy and ethics generally, and curriculum assessment and pedagogy specifically. In light of the various phases of development for an Australian Curriculum, the authors advocate for broad-based debate about the nature of education for these students. To prime discussion, this paper looks at the past, present and possible futures with respect to the education of Australian students with the most severe intellectual disabilities.