Intellectual Disability in Education Summit - with Dr Paula Kluth

What is inclusion?

Inclusion has no finish line. No end game. 

It's ever-evolving and changing which challenges our ideas of inclusion.

Anytime tamariki ALL do anything, you've lost the INDIVIDUAL need being met.

 

Investigate inequitable rituals and 'norms' - systems we have in place that might not be in the best interest of the tamaiti. Habits that go unquestioned.

Ask - is this more 'special' than it needs to be? It's only as special as it needs to be. if the tamaiti doesn't need differentiated work, don't provide it.

Beliefs are not at the centre. Primary reason should be data centred. You don't get to choose whether you 'believe' in inclusion. 

Centre piece - what do we know about the data?

Pose to our team - What might the benefits be of 'allowing' these tamariki (Z) their own autonomy throughout the day (more likely to live independently)?  What are the benefits for Z of not allowing him autonomy?

When people say, 'I tried it and it doesn't work'. Ask - 'What is your 'it'?

The more complex the needs of the tamaiti, the more times you'll need to return to the drawing board. Many iterations! Normalise the hustle of trialling ideas, complex planning, and having the kōrero. 

Common error - providing the 'real estate' approach. What works for 1 wont work for all. If you know 1 child, you know 1 child.

The go to questions - 'What about the other kids?' "How come he get's to sit on a chair and they have to sit on the mat?' When conversations occur when tamariki can question equity, they understand themselves in a more sophisticated way. They investigate the definition of success. They find out a lot more about themselves. 

At a truly inclusive school you'd see role mixing. 100% of the adults are working with 100% of the kids. 

Coping strategies - masking, problem behaviours.

Misconceptions

• The absence of evidence is the evidence of absence. NO. 

Tamariki are not easy to assess. Need a team approach. 
Effective communication - who get's to choose what's deemed as 'effective'?

'People are impatient and language moves fast' 

Every person has language. Jordon Zimmerman

• Functional skills should be a priority. NO. 
  

"She/he won't get anything out of it." "He/she doesn't need to know that."

Often asd tamariki are not allowed to build skills for the hell of it like neuro-typical tamariki. 

IEP Matrix

• Inclusion only works best for older kids. NO

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) 

UDL is an educational framework designed to optimize teaching and learning for all students by proactively removing barriers. Grounded in cognitive neuroscience, it uses flexible methods, materials, and assessments to accommodate individual learning differences and ensure equal opportunities to succeed.

The origins of UDL

UD came out of architecture, not education! In Chicago?

Came out of changes being made to physical accessibility. The city was not designed for people with mobility issues. 

How do we design (from the ground up) accessibility, elegance in simplicity.

The notion of being inspired but human differences.

We can all benefit from clearing the path! Think about electric toothbrushes, audiobooks, typewriters, subtitles - all created for people with higher needs. 

Adapt the aim/objectives. Everyone needs to be in on that. 

Breakout 1: Re-thinking the Role o Teaching Assistants when supporting tamariki with ID  

TeacherAides working with the child - it's becoming THE way, rather than A way.

How can we all be working together? 

Research (International) found that/Good practice suggests that - 

Preparedness - 

The role of the TA - it's usually ABOUT them, not WITH them.

Make sure they're given appropriate and on-going PLD opportunities

Up-skills the teachers who work with the TA!

TA goal setting opportunities

Including the TAs in the planning  and prep time . BUT know that the full responsibility falls with the classroom teacher.

When a TA walks into the class - do they know learning outcomes etc?

Deployment - 

Informal support to students with the most needs. 

Separation effect - the support separates the child from the class/their peers. 

TA becomes the primary educator.

TAs should supplement not replace the teacher.

TAs should be assigned to to class/teacher not a child

Practice - 

Feedback time! Communication is ad hoc. 

TAs feeling underprepared for the work they were needing to do. 

They assume the most responsibility for pedagogical moment-by-moment decision making. 

Verbal diff. Emphasis on task completion and correction = children not learning to think independently! 

In class support = no impact. 

Structured Interventions - most impact if it's evidence based and time spent learning how to implement. 

Introduce the TA to the learning space. 

Help children take ownership by giving the least amount of support in the initial stage. Give time. Space. 

Independence is not a skill that can be explicitly taught.

Student Outcomes - 

The more support, the less progress. Typical deployment is not leading to significant improvements. Increased dependency on TA. 

TEAM APPROACH!

Breakout 2: The Problem with Behaviour Problems: 3 Positive Supports for Students with ID

As adults, we struggle with these from time to time! 

Build relationships

Watch your language

Is my support supportive? 

Check the curriculum

Seeing Students Strong

Presume competence - and go about the business of finding it! Benefit over a deficit orientation = when a student does not reveal competence, we don't say, "oh, he can't do it." We keep trying! We do not want to limit opportunity.

TAKEAWAYS TO COME BACK TO

Jayne - What is your interpretation of is there a too low to be included? School level? Classroom level?

Print awards!

Home visits - should we do these for new cherubs

What is out 'data'???

Peer tutoring

Start with the goals of the child - how can we meet those goals in the classroom?

Should we set goals for our spicy tamariki coming in? Working with the whānau - setting goals.

Using timers - concrete representation 

'Emerging' kids needing IEPs

Do you think Z realises when we hit the 'right fit' for him?

Jayne/Mariska - Could we do this? TAs should be assigned to to class/teacher not a child

Go me

Junior Project Session 2

Ready for Learning

Key gaps in foundation skills (Precursor Skills)

Helper hand vs holding hand - the hand that holds the pen and the hand/arm that supports/guides. The child might not even know!

Inability to cross the mid line - what might the child do?

- turn whole body

- turn their book/paper

Using PVA supports fine motor skills - leave the gluesticks out! Gluesticks foster the Palmer grip (fist grip).

Use this phrase when using pva - 'Not a lot, just a dot!'

Proprioception, often called the "sixth sense," is your body's ability to subconsciously perceive its own position, movement, and orientation in space. It relies on specialized sensors in your muscles and joints, allowing you to do things like touch your nose with your eyes closed.

Use small pencils to encourage proprioception.

Watch for risk averse children. Not willing to begin. They don't believe they can do it. Emotional engagement - if they don't see themselves as learners, they'll turn off. Self belief is pretty much set by age 7.

Concrete skills are the focus. What about the underpinning skills?

• Broad vocab
• gross motor skills (balance/core strength)
• fine motor (pincer)
• working memory
• self help skills
• how you feel about yourself
• persistence

Kids who are not making the expected progress - let's look at the underpinning skills they're missing.

Think about the language we use with kids. "You have a strength in ..."

Try not to use

- "I like the way you..." Puts the focus on the teacher.

- "Good girl." Evaluative feedback, signals obedience/approval. Child can think, "If I can't do it, i won't start, incase I fail. Fail = bad.

Automaticity - refers to the ability to perform complex skills with minimal attention and conscious effort. It can take 300-500 repetitions for a skill to become automatic. Multiple exposures everyday. If it 's not automatic, it's taking up cognitive load.

NE class - opportunities for kids to come back after a break and write their names/identify their name. Manipulate it in some way. Up on a wall to support shoulder girdle.

Getting from A to B - great opportunities to develop gross motor skills (crossing the centre line). Transitions in class/moving to assembly etc.

- Heel to toe movement

- Hopping feet together

- climbing up the slide

- Bear crawls

Kids are moving less - more time as babies in Jolly-Jumpers, exer-saucers.

Signs of poor core strength

• Leaning on furniture
• avoiding games
• sitting in a W shape (can also be a flag for dyspraxia)
• fidgeting in seat
• difficulty sitting still

Phase 1 Writing - transcription skills - comfortable posture

Developing pincer grip and other fine motor skills

• tearing paper
• threading beads onto pipe cleaners
• threading wool into colanders

Visual Timer

Let them climb the trees!

Speaking

Fundamental, primary skill.

Oral language skills are lower than before.

Learning through play

"Use your words." YUCK. Many do not have the words.

Visual conversation starters  - What would you rather? Eg. 2 pictures of a scene - beach and skiing. 

Word walls  - to use more complex vocab - eg. weather - scorching, stifling...

Story telling - mahi-ā-ringa and pūrākau or any pakiwaitara! 

Oral story telling

Hearing

Early phonological awareness

• Environmental sounds - Children's worlds are very noisy - they don't hear the finer environmental sounds eg. birds chirping, cars going past.
• Move in time to simple rhythms.
• Hear rhyming words and syllables
• Phonemic awareness
• Complete familiar songs and sentences

Barrier games

Heggerty

Brain breaks

Shared reads with no pictures - kids are developing their imagination and learning. how to listen.

Seeing

Seeing objects that are the same and different - I spy. Also develops memory

Visual perception activities will foster and develop ability to differentiate letters. 

Eg. a picture of a tiger is a tiger no mater which way it faces. The letter b for example, could be a 'p', 'd', or 'q'.

Print

READ A BOOK! Read and Feed time. Tuākana/tēina reading time.

What makes a great activity for developing Foundation Skills?

• Teacher enthusiasm
• Fun
• Within reach - Zone of Promixal Development
• Teachers/TAs not taking over
• Correct practice
• Bang for your buck - sneak in a few skills

Maths- Rob Proffit-White

Manaiakalani Refresh with Angela

Ako ~ Hanga ~ Tohatoha

Ako ~ Learn - What is quality teaching and learning ? (RAT) - Recognise Amplify Turbocharge

New Zealand Teaching Standards 2026

Effective Teaching Practice = Accelerated Learning

R.A.T.E - Recognise Amplify Turbocharge = Effective Practice

Knowing the success criteria is essential for student understanding as well as effective feedback. It answers the question: "What does success look like?" 

When students co-construct these, it directly activates their agency into the mahi.

Teachers need to know what is being learned and what constitutes success. There needs to be aclear difference between a Learning Outcome and an Activity

Digital technology is not just a tool!

Great Teaching + Digital Affordances = Acceleration

Visible Teaching Practices
Learning Objectives vs Activity - what is the difference?
Rewindable Learning

Hanga ~ Create 

Creative skills helps student become better problem solvers, communicators and collaborators. 

MaryAnn F. Kohl (2008) describes what creativity looks like in young children when she states, "Creativity focuses on the process of forming original ideas through exploration and discovery.

In children, creativity develops from their experiences with the process, rather than concern for the finished product. Creativity is not to be confused with talent, skill, or intelligence. Creativity is not about doing something better than others, it is about thinking, exploring, discovering, and imagining".

Children need to be creators, not just consumers. 

Tohatoha ~ Share

We don’t need to be psychologists to understand WHY we share.

We share to make connections with people.

Sharing requires an audience. And not just any old audience - an authentic audience

Most of us have probably experienced that occasion when we were sharing and the other person or people were clearly not interested! As teachers, one of the strangest things we have done over time is ask learners to write for an audience - when the only audience was a teacher with a red pen. Not an authentic audience.

Definition of Authentic Audience: People who choose to listen to you

There are two kinds of audience:

Compulsory - forced to listen to you

Eg when a child reads their work to the class (class has no choice), assembly (classes are forced to be there)

An authentic audience - one who chooses to listen to you

Eg has the remote in their hand, the power to click away quickly, one who pays to be there

Connected learners share.

Formative and Summative Assessment