Dr Kate de Bruin is a Senior Lecturer in inclusion and disability in the Faculty of Education at Monash University. She has taught in secondary school and higher education over two decades. In her academic teaching she has played a central role in developing and delivering the Inclusive Education courses for pre-service and experienced teachers. Her research examines system, school and classroom level practices that are supported by evidence, and that promote quality and equity for all students with a particular focus on students with disability. Her current projects explore teaching and learning interventions that fit within multi-tiered systems of support with a particular focus on the teaching of reading through a Response-to-Intervention framework. She has worked with Commonwealth and State Education Departments on research projects such as the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data for Students with Disabilities: A Moderation Resource, and the Evaluation of Disability Inclusion. She also appeared as an expert witness at the Royal Commission in Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.
Reasonable adjustments: What are they and what do they mean for my school?
Students with disability are entitled to reasonable adjustments at school under the Disability Standards for Education 2005. But what exactly are reasonable adjustments and what do they mean for educators? In this presentation, I will provide an overview of “slippery” terms including reasonable adjustments as well as differentiation and modification, outlining what these are (and what they are not) and how they differ. I make clear how these terms relate to existing legislation and policy so teachers and school leaders can be clear about what exactly is being asked of them. I will explore the practical application of reasonable adjustments, differentiation and modification in relation to instructional planning for all students in the classroom as well as individualised planning for students with disabilities. I will outline some of the implications for working collaboratively with students’ support teams to ensure that planning reasonable adjustments adequately addresses students’ immediate and longer-term goals, ensuring that these are relevant to their learning at school as well as their life beyond.