It was with interest I read of an un-named school principal from somewhere in Melbourne enunciating the difficulties that arise from integrating disabled children in his school. The article published recently in The Age ( Insight liftout June 10, 2017 A balancing act to keep kids safe) included difficult illustrations of various 'basket-holds' used to restrain children. At issue is the problem of protecting staff and other students from the sometimes violent outbursts of children with disabilities, while realising the rights of those same students to participate in a normal classroom environment.
It raises some very real ethical questions for teachers and principals. According to the authors of the article, some of the answers to those questions have been problematic at best. I was surprised when I read of the case in Canberra, where an autistic child had been kept caged; In Melbourne too, seclusion has become a management 'technique'. More difficult is the idea that teachers need to be taught 'what can only be described as martial arts techniques'.
So I wonder at how concepts of social-constructivism and privilege can inform our understanding of disability. It would be an easy argument to say that disability is objectively, or medically defined, and therefore all bets are off when deciding how to manage behaviour. In my experience though, diagnostic 'ideas' such as 'attention deficit disorder' or being on the Autism/Aspergers spectrum can lead to a range of responses and interventions both in the home and in the classroom. The idea is always to enhance the child's experience and capacities. More generally to improve their relationships with their peers and with authority figures.
The tone of the article, ultimately, is not helpful. Surely, there are many more examples of children with disabilities who not only receive a benefit from mainstream schooling but provide a benefit to the wider school community. While I understand the importance of not diminishing the difficulties faced by disabled children, we should not underestimate our own tendency to only see disability as a problem. Inclusive schools, the mantra goes, are effective schools. In 2008, Konza wrote,
"Inclusion provides opportunities for the development of appropriate attitudes towards people with a range of disabilities. Exposure to students of all types on a daily basis allows typical students to see that, just like themselves, students with disabilities have strengths and weakness, and good days and bad days...(Changing) attitudes towards people with disabilities requires, both, information about these disabilities and experience with people with disabilities ... Inclusion facilitates both of these requirements. ... Some students with disabilities have significant strengths in particular subject areas. Local secondary schools allow access to specialist teachers, which many Special Units within mainstream schools do not have." (Konza 2008)
Konza, D, Inclusion of students with disabilities in new times: responding to the challenge, in Kell, P,
Vialle, W, Konza, D and Vogl, G (eds), Learning and the learner: exploring learning for new times, University of Wollongong, 2008,
