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Supporting Friendships: One Parent's Reflections

A mother of a child with Autism, shares the moving story of the friendships formed through his participation on the Science Olympics team.

Lessons Learned About Promoting Friendships

This article discusses methods to facilitate real friendships between people with and without disability, with emphasis on school-aged students. It is suggested that the focus should be shifted from 'activities' to 'relationships', while being aware that building friendship takes time and effort.

The Tie That Binds

Aishling writes about her unique friendship with Sue, a 25 year-old woman with autism. Their friendship formed in a high school English class and has been life-long, with Aishling playing the role of support worker and friend.

The Glass-Eyed Bead Game

This humorous article discusses the policy implementation process as a series of 'games' between players with diverse interests. Each player will seek to avoid scrutiny of their actions, and responsibility and blame for any wrong decisions.

Building Inclusive Capacity at School: A Practical Conversation with Educators

This article extracts a conversation with the Deputy Principal and senior teacher of a Perth primary school which has implemented a unique model of inclusive education. The key elements of the program's success are partnership and collaboration with parents, a positive school leadership, and positive classroom attitudes.

Escaping the Continuum

This article reviews a video, which follows the inclusion of a child with disability in a regular classroom. It examines the benefits to not only the child but the whole class.

Should Schools Include Children with Disability

This article provides ten moral arguments in support of inclusive education. These include the longer-term benefits of an inclusive society, as well as the benefits to students with and without disability, and their teachers.

Academic Progress of Students Across Inclusive and Traditional Settings

This academic study investigates the impact of inclusion on the progress of students in Grades 2 to 5 with and without disability. Students without disability educated in inclusive settings made significantly greater progress in reading and maths, than did their peers in 'traditional' segregated settings.

Friendships Between Persons With and Without Developmental Disabilities

Interpersonal connections, friendships and belonging, play important roles in a person's emotional and physical well-being. However, recent studies reveal that persons with developmental disabilities often live with few connections and friendships within unwelcoming communities.

Joscelyn's Journey

In this video you are introduced to Joscelyn Sweeney, her family, school and friends. Joscelyn is in Year 6 at Lake Albert Public School in Wagga Wagga, NSW. She was the first child with significant intellectual disability to be educated in the regular class at this school.

Ordinary Lives