Normalisation

Normalisation, as defined by Ashman & Elkins, (2008) is the ‘belief that people with a disability or impairment should enjoy the same rights, privileges, opportunities, and access to services and facilities as those who do not have impairment’. In a country where diversity and equality are promoted within our nations Identity, the concept of ‘Normalisation’ is a concept which should also come naturally to Australian societal behaviours.

Normalisation is a process which cannot operate without the appropriate support from both the educational community and the wider community. This support exists within the integration and development of Policies, Principles, Legislations and Frameworks. Although, it is clear to say that in the modern day society such Policies, Principles, Legislations and Frameworks are readily available for developmental usage by educators, it has not always been this way. This report will discuss how past and present attitudes towards Policies, Principles, Legislations and Frameworks, have greatly impacted upon modern educational society.

Policies, Principles and Frameworks work within the Inclusive Educational environment once they have been adopted by an individual or social group as a plan of action. These plans of action are designed to promote the external or internal prosperity and future success of students, no matter what their special learning needs may be. Policies, Principles and Frameworks are the fabric beneath the educational society. With plans of action come positive and negative attitudes towards the influence each will impose on society.

Historically, teachers have not been favourably disposed to the policy of increased inclusion of children with special needs within the regular classro...

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...the education society, but for now it is each individual teacher’s responsibility to cater their teaching to every student in their classroom.

In modern day society it is the Policies, Principles, Legislations and Frameworks such as the Disability Discrimination Act, Inclusive Education Statement – (2005) and the Salamanca statement that have heavily impacted upon the way in which students are educated – whether they have Special Learning Needs or otherwise. Teachers of mainstream modern day society are now becoming aware that every student has specific learning strengths and weaknesses, and therefore each class is universally diverse. As a pre-service teacher, it is important to acknowledge and understand such policies and frameworks (both negatively and positively) to effectively implement these into teaching strategies for the development of future students.