How can I tell if my disabled child is getting the inclusive education they deserve?

An inclusive education goes beyond simply getting disabled and neurodivergent children through the school gates and into a mainstream classroom. A disabled child’s presence in the classroom alone does not mean ‘job done’.

All children vary in their educational needs, and New Zealand schools vary too, in how well they provide learning support to individual learners. The schools that do best are those that foster an inclusive school culture and prioritise supporting all children’s learning within the same cohort.

Disabled and neurodivergent children are not taught in separate classrooms or separate spaces and do not do colouring-in while the rest of the class learns.

Even within schools the quality of support can vary from teacher to teacher, which is why a commitment to inclusive education must be apparent in all aspects of the school infrastructure and service delivery.

As a parent, if your child’s school is ‘not quite there yet’ in terms of providing the level of support your child needs, it may be up to you to hold the school and the Ministry of Education to account.

Visit the school regularly and foster a team approach to ensure your child engages and thrives in that environment.

The Ministry of Education has recently launched a new website dedicated to helping schools become more inclusive.

Online learning modules are available here, designed to help schools develop a culture of inclusion, unpack biases, and remove barriers to belonging.
Also available are specific guides to help teachers to meet the needs of diverse learners, including those with FASD, Autism, Down Syndrome, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia and more.

As a parent, if you are not entirely sure what an inclusive classroom should look like, here are some of the key features to look out for:

• Teachers actively support disabled students where diversity is positively acknowledged and responded to. This includes accepting behaviour that does not hurt themselves or anyone else but can be seen as ‘challenging’ such as stimming, making sudden noises, flapping hands or clapping.
• Lesson plans are adapted for students with learning needs – they may require less writing and writing. Visual aids and assistive technology are used. Tasks are broken down into manageable chunks.
• The same curriculum is provided to all the students but is differentiated according to students’ different learning styles, in the way it is presented and assessed.
• Teamwork is evident between the teacher, teacher aides and any other relevant school staff to maximise your child’s learning.
• Your knowledge of your child’s strengths, weaknesses and interests are incorporated meaningfully into their IEP (Individual Education Plan) if they have one.
• A commitment to Professional Development encourages teachers to gain additional skills and expertise that support children with diverse needs.
• Assistive technology – audiobooks, alternative keyboards, talking calculators, speech recognition programmes - are available and used when needed.
• Cooperative learning through peer tutoring and buddy reading and writing is evident.
• Social relationships that are caring and supportive, are fostered throughout the classroom cohort, and between teacher and pupils.
• Students with additional needs are not just assigned to a teacher aide and segregated from their classmates, but rather are an active member of the classroom with plenty of opportunities to interact with their teacher and their classmates.

Things that might indicate a problem:

• Your child is being excluded in the playground and left out of school activities such as sports days or trips to the zoo.
• Your child’s teacher aide is the main person they interact with at school.
• Your child has limited social interactions outside of schooltime.
• Your child’s teacher, teacher aide or other school staff express low expectations for your child’s achievements and learning engagement.
• Your child does not appear to be thriving – academically or socially.

Talk to your school about these issues and how to resolve them. And in the meantime, your child might appreciate knowing some of the following tips:

• If things are tough, talk about it with an adult they trust.
• Everyone learns differently – it’s no big deal and doesn’t mean they can’t learn.
• Join in in school activities like the school play – ask their teacher how they can participate.
• Become an expert on something other kids their age are interested in – it’s a great way to make friends.
• Become a helper so they’re not the one always feeling like they need help. Perhaps they can help younger children get familiar with school routines.
• Practise ways of staying calm when frustrated.
• To do their best, even if they’re not getting all the support they need.

It’s not ideal, but if progress with your local school seems to be going too slow you might want to see if there are other schools in your area that have a more committed inclusive school culture.

You can also get involved with IHC’s Education complaint which aims to bring about the systemic change necessary to allow the NZ Education system to become truly inclusive.

If you would like to know more about Inclusive Education, the following articles by Awhi Nga Matua and IHC Library may be of interest to you.

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Meryl Richards

I’m Meryl Richards. What a pleasure it’s been to join the Awhi team. I get to spend my days researching information that supports me as a parent, and sometimes challenges me to rethink what I thought I knew. My hope is that it will be useful to you too. I live in Kapiti with my partner and two teenage boys, and spend as much time as possible in the surrounding bush and at the beach.