Overview

Young people connect to their education through positive shared experiences at school. When writing an Individual Education Plan for young people with learning differences, we need to ask the student a few key questions to gain their agency in the process. One of the most intriguing is the question: What helps me to attend school regularly? I have asked this question to many of my students and the answer 9 times out of 10 is "to see my friends!" WHY? As a parent of a Neurodivergent child in mainstream schooling, and an accomplished teacher. I am an advocate for youth INCLUSION & ENGAGEMENT for all young people including w' disadvantage, CALD, Neurodivergent or Disabilities. All young people would benefit from a stronger sense of BELONGING in their schools, some students require SEL guidance and social support in building and maintaining friendships. So, it is important for wellbeing and social and emotional growth that our kids enjoy the time they spend at school with friends, and find a love for learning. Increasingly, parents are concerned for their children's quality of life and future choices when they're adults. To be able to choose a career for themselves or not. This is where achieving at capacity and greatest potential academic success is vital. ----- My position ON INCLUSIVE EDUCATION: In my opinion - specifically for the complexity of Neurodivergent young minds, Inclusion is access to a holistic educational experience. I HOPE! Within our lifetime, we will see breakthroughs in school inclusion culture. A dramatic funding and curriculum reform, inclusive education teacher training, reducing the student to staff ratio - or better still class numbers capped at 15 without the need for band-aid methods of Education Support staff and tutor programs. Finally, we'll have suitably inclusive fit for purpose buildings and learning environments. THEN we will have full inclusion. Not just for inclusion's sake.