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Circumstances in today's schools are requiring a rethinking of pedagogical approaches so that equitable learning opportunities are provided to all students. This small-scale, qualitative Australian study reports how some teachers and school leaders viewed differentiated instruction (DI) being applied in their secondary campus to address diverse abilities and needs. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted using Zoom. The analysis of data identified three themes related to DI: understandings, practices, and concerns. Findings showed that all participants understood many of the important elements of DI. Teachers reported using several well-known DI strategies, with experienced teachers applying a more considered approach. Teachers raised concerns about limited time for planning and instruction while school leaders expressed concerns about the adjustment of assessment tasks and feedback on progress to individual students. These findings provide starting points for more in-depth investigations at secondary schools. Implications linked to teacher preparation and administrative support in schools are presented.

Extensive work has been undertaken in North America on effective practices in early childhood education, early childhood special education, and autism-specific interventions. Much of this work, however, has not been disseminated in teacher-friendly ways nor has it been translated into useable formats that support teacher uptake and incorporation into everyday classroom practice. The research presented here drew on practice literature from North America and a Design-Based Research approach to produce a Model of Practice (MoP) for Australian classroom teachers working with students on the autism spectrum in their first year of primary school. This practice model aims to support pedagogical decision making in relation to the effective and inclusive education of this student cohort. Iterative cycles of design involving generation of educational practices from the literature, content validation by experts, and social validation by classroom teachers were undertaken. These cycles were guided by MoP design principles and resulted in a prototype Early Years Model of Practice (EY-MoP) comprising 29 empirically-supported practices, which were highly endorsed by Australian teachers. The field testing of the EY-MoP should provide preliminary evidence of the applicability of this tool in Australian early years classrooms.

Poor social-emotional reciprocity (SER) has been identified as one of the defining traits of autism. It is a key criterion in recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders editions, DSM-IV and DSM-V (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 1994, 2013). Yet this difficulty related to socially engaging and interacting with others is poorly understood. The study reported here was a small-scale, qualitative inquiry underpinned by a phenomenological approach in which social-emotional reciprocity (SER) was the phenomenon being studied. Semi-structured interviews with three experienced teachers at an Australian autism-specific school were used to capture their understandings and experiences related to the trait. Interestingly, our teachers found it challenging to discuss SER in isolation from other key autistic traits such as repetitive behaviour and restricted interests. When data were formally explored using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), teacher viewpoints clustered around three interconnected themes: perspectives about SER; relationships and friendships; and impact on teachers. Limitations of this inquiry and recommendations for future research in this area are provided.

Teachers play a critical role in the implementation of inclusive education in their schools. In this paper, we report on a study that investigated teacher perceptions of their capabilities to implement effective inclusive practices in their classrooms at an urban, primary (elementary) school in south-east Queensland, Australia. Participating teachers (n = 48) responded to an online survey that contained two open-ended questions that focused on understandings and beliefs about inclusive practices, together with the Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices (TEIP) scale Sharma, Loreman, and Forlin [2012. "Measuring Teacher Efficacy to Implement Inclusive Practices." "Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs" 12 (1): 12-21]. Responses to the open-ended questions revealed that teachers were positively disposed towards the enactment of inclusive practices in their school. Teachers also reported high levels of efficacy across items on the TEIP scale, indicating that they were mainly confident in implementing inclusive practices in their classrooms. They showed highest levels of uncertainty for items related to involving parents in school activities and informing others about inclusion legislation and policies. Implications for targeted teacher professional learning at school and systemic levels are outlined.

The components of effective classroom management are well established; yet concerns regarding student disengagement and the underuse of evidence-based behaviour support practices in Australian schools remain. This paper reports the findings from a systematic literature review conducted to identify what is currently known about teacher implementation of evidence-based classroom management practices. The analysis indicates that teachers underuse many evidence-based practices but may over-report frequency of use. Australian research on teacher implementation of evidence-based practices for classroom management is lacking, and the impact of Schoolwide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) implementation on teacher practice is unknown, despite the adoption of SWPBS in many Australian jurisdictions.

The increasing number of children on the autism spectrum entering mainstream schools requires classroom teachers with the knowledge and skills to create supportive and inclusive environments in which these students can thrive. This paper reports the perspectives offered by 33 teachers who volunteered to trial an Early Years Model of Practice (EY-MoP) designed to provide information and guidance on foundational practices supportive of students on the spectrum. All teachers worked in Australian primary schools and had at least one student on the spectrum in their early years classrooms. In pre-and post-trial interviews, teachers shared their impressions of, and experiences with, the EY-MoP. In general, they endorsed the model as a resource outlining foundational practices for working with students on the spectrum. Insights shared pointed to the positive impact that this kind of comprehensive, foundational resource can have on teaching practice both in everyday planning and as a reflective tool. Responses also indicated that the model enhanced teachers' knowledge and confidence in supporting students on the spectrum. Taken together, these teacher data provide preliminary evidence for the viability of the EY-MoP as a resource to support both beginning and experienced teachers in their work with young children on the spectrum.

Certain characteristics of teacher professional learning opportunities are known to promote engagement by teachers; however, the successful translation of new knowledge into inclusive teaching practice remains challenging. A greater understanding of teacher motivation for engagement with professional learning opportunities may assist in understanding why particular opportunities result in changes in teacher practices. Within the co-design process of an online professional learning platform, nine teachers described professional learning opportunities which had led to changes in individual or school-wide teaching practices. Thematic analysis of the transcripts revealed a complex interaction between themes which were conceptualised as external or internal to the individual teachers. However, engagement in professional learning opportunities that led to practice change was strongly mediated by teacher perceptions of the credibility and authenticity of both the content and the person delivering the content. The meta-theme of credibility and "authenticity" is considered in terms of teacher motivation and engagement.

Limited research is available with a focus on adolescent Autistic girls and their needs during secondary schooling. Consequently, many issues are often not recognised and addressed by educators. The small-scale Australian research reported here explored the experiences of five Autistic girls during their first 2 years of secondary school, with data being gathered via an online survey and semi-structured interviews. Findings are presented from the perspective of the girls themselves and highlight the negative impact of sensory, communication, and social difficulties, as well as the influence of anxiety and executive dysfunction on their learning and academic success. Unique insights into how the girls feel about school and the anxiety they experience there, together with everyday barriers to learning they encounter provide some important messages to schools and teachers.

A preventative approach to classroom management is associated with increases in student engagement and improved teacher well-being. However, research indicates that many teachers use predominantly reactive practices, aimed at controlling student behaviour. Queensland state secondary school teachers (N = 587) were surveyed about the classroom management practices they most often used to prevent and respond to unproductive student behaviours in their classrooms. Findings indicated that teachers mainly relied on practices to establish expectations, practices from the Essential Skills for Classroom Management professional development resource, and practices which sanction students for behavioural infractions. There were, however, also encouraging indications that teachers try to prevent unproductive behaviour by fostering student engagement in learning activities while addressing misbehaviour in low-key ways. Implications for pre-service teacher preparation and ongoing professional development are discussed.

Evidence-based practices for classroom management are well established and predominantly preventative in nature. However, use of reactive practices by teachers has been widely reported internationally, particularly in middle and high school settings. Teachers (N = 587) throughout government high schools in Queensland, Australia responded to a survey about their experiences and confidence with classroom management and their use of 14 evidence-based classroom management practices. Participating teachers reported being confident classroom managers and frequently using the majority of the presented practices. Practices related to teaching and reinforcing expected behaviours were reported to be more intermittently used. Contextual factors which help account for these findings are discussed.

Proactive classroom management is associated with increased teacher wellbeing and improved student learning outcomes. Yet research indicates that many teachers over-report and underuse practices associated with this approach. The research findings reported here were drawn from semi-structured interviews conducted with 26 government secondary school teachers in Queensland, Australia. These teachers favoured a classroom management approach based on establishing positive relationships with students, but they raised challenges related to cultivating student engagement, meeting the diverse needs of learners and adherence to school disciplinary procedures. Although they felt generally confident with classroom management and were relatively satisfied with student behaviour, they identified a need for better initial teacher preparation, improved induction support and opportunities for ongoing professional development for classroom management.

There is a relative paucity of evidence examining the effectiveness of early intervention for young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, in particular those delivered through educationally-based programmes. This study aimed to evaluate the real world effectiveness of a community-based autism-specific early learning and intervention programme in Australia. Children enrolled between February 2010 and May 2013 who had a diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Disorder was eligible to participate in the study. Fifty-nine children with a mean age of 3.98 years participated. Cognitive ability, language, autistic symptoms, and motor skills were assessed at baseline and follow up (12 months or at programme exit) using standardised measures. Pre- and post-measures were compared using paired sample t-tests. Significant improvements were found in receptive and expressive language, autism symptoms, and overall adaptive behaviour. No significant change was found in motor skills. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder attending the community-based programme had significant gains particularly in domains of cognition and language. Study limitations are discussed.

The transition of young children with autism from early intervention to school needs to be carefully managed in order to maintain intervention gains, protect against the risk of child-and-family anxiety, and enable a successful start to formal education. While many North American studies have mapped high-intensity practices for transitioning children with disabilities to school, only a few have recently examined autism-specific practices. The present study drew on this literature to identify and socially validate transition-to-school practices for Australian children with autism and their families. Queensland intervention and advisory teachers (N = 91) used an on-line survey to rate 36 transition practices. Results indicate that all practices were perceived to be highly important in the Australian context. Future transition-to-school research can draw upon this socially validated practice listing

Echolalia, a language phenomenon whereby individuals imitate the speech of others, is commonly used by children and adults with autism. Research into the underlying nature and meanings associated with this repetitive behaviour is characterised by a lack of conceptual definitions and conflicting opinions about the functions of echolalia. A scoping review was undertaken to summarise the range of perspectives on these topics and identify associated research gaps. Five databases were searched, and 28 studies met the eligibility criteria. Results showed clear groupings in the topics discussed, based around interactional intent, factors that affect the frequency and type of echolalia, language development, measurement, and functions of echolalia. The review revealed that echolalia has a number of functions for people with autism, however many interventions continue to focus on reduction or elimination of echolalia. Findings suggest that further research is required to examine possible functions of echolalia. Confirming the function of this behaviour for people with autism is likely to have direct consequences for the type of intervention deemed appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on a comparative study of seven jurisdictions in the Asia-Pacific region to examine current challenges to progressing inclusive education for students with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools. The study used a qualitative approach to collect data from each jurisdiction through a purposive sampling of knowledgeable, university-associated informants. Content analysis was used to identify and quantify specific challenges reported in the data. Subsequently, these items were coded as themes to form a matrix of challenges within and across jurisdictions. Findings revealed that challenges were broadly consistent with recent global trends and shared many commonalities, despite occurring in diverse societal, political and education systems. These challenges are: lack of adequate initial teacher education and ongoing professional development for practicing teachers; lack of resources and support to meet the needs of students with SEN; inconsistent policy guidelines and implementation action plans; restricted stakeholder engagement and collaboration across all levels of education; and limited local inclusion research to inform practice in schools. The findings underscore the need for government and institutional commitment and oversight to bridge the policy-to-practice gap, and an urgent need for local research to identify and disseminate successful approaches for including students with SEN throughout the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over recent decades, teacher aides (TAs) have had an increasing presence in mainstream classrooms internationally, providing vital support to students and teachers on a daily basis. Although the evolution of the role has given rise to many implicit and explicit shifts in TAs' responsibilities, opportunities for TAs to develop and shape their own identities within school contexts remain limited. Set in Australia, our study responds to calls for TAs to be afforded 'a voice' to contribute to the improvement of the teaching pedagogy used in their schools. We sought to investigate TAs' perspectives on their school's pedagogical framework, based on the TAs' lived experiences of carrying out their roles in the classroom. A total of 23 TAs from a primary school in Queensland completed an online survey, which included questions that invited the TAs' views on the main approaches and strategies embedded in the school's pedagogical framework, and their reflections about the strengths and challenges of using it. Descriptive statistics were produced from the survey data and open responses were analysed qualitatively. The analysis suggested that the TAs felt they had good knowledge and understanding of the teaching pedagogy and were confident and supportive of its use in the school. Participants cited student self-confidence in their learning, and improved academic results for children with diverse learning needs and those working beyond year-level expectations, as key strengths of the pedagogy. However, time constraints and student behaviour were seen as challenges to the success of the teaching pedagogy. Whilst these findings are focused on one school, understanding TAs' perspectives on their school's teaching pedagogy as they go about their classroom work offers a starting point for further study into an important but insufficiently explored area of research. It highlights the need for TAs to be included as valued partners in their schools' pedagogical journeys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite decades of research on family adaptation in relation to caring for a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the wellbeing of fathers remains poorly understood. Method: The present study sought to investigate experiences of fathers of young children with ASD aged between 2-and-a-half and 6 years attending an ASD-specific early intervention centre. Eighteen fathers initially completed a mailed questionnaire and 8 of these fathers were then interviewed by telephone. The questionnaire included standardised measures assessing constructs of the double ABCX model of family adaptation. The interview used open-ended questions to understand the experiences of fathers' involvement in caring, sources of support, and coping strategies. Results: Fathers experienced elevated levels of parental stress and elevated depressive symptoms. Interviews deepened understanding of fathers' personal experiences of each component of the double ABCX model. Conclusions: Findings from this study provide further insight into the fathering role and demonstrate the utility of the double ABCX model as a framework for exploring their experiences. The need for further research to explore practical implications to better support fathers is discussed.

Poor post-school outcomes for youth with disabilities have consistently been reported internationally. Interagency collaboration between school systems and post-school services is critical and key to improving post-school life for these youth. An initial Queensland study that benchmarked the teacher practice of 104 transition teachers and associated personnel indicated that interagency collaboration practices had the lowest levels of implementation. These results were the motivation behind a second study which investigated the hypothesis that lack of teacher control over interagency collaboration practice formed a roadblock for effective transitioning of youth with disabilities. Results generally confirmed the hypothesis and provide further understanding about the multi-faceted nature of interagency collaboration and the stakeholders involved in this process. Three interconnected actions are proposed to bypass identified roadblocks. If these actions are put in place, schools should improve their connections with post-school services, teachers should enhance their practice, and students should achieve improved post-school outcomes.

Introduction: This study examined the everyday work of eight teachers of students with visual impairments at governmental primary and secondary schools in Queensland, Australia. The small-scale study aimed to capture the scope and complexity of the activities of these teachers and the regular challenges they face in their expected everyday roles. Methods: Telephone interviews were used to collect descriptive data from the teachers. A direct field-sampling procedure was used across the governmental schools to recruit qualified and specialist teachers who met prespecified criteria, most of whom lived in Brisbane, Queensland's capital city. The content of the interviews was generated from two sequenced activities with a different group of experienced teachers of students with visual impairments. Results: The teachers carried out complex and demanding duties as part of their everyday roles. These duties were consistent with those performed by their counterparts around the world. The most frequently performed and most important activities including providing direct support to students, advocating for students' needs, and collaborating across school and community contexts. The identified challenges were linked primarily to the lack of time to undertake important activities. Discussion: Three important and interconnected findings can be drawn from the results: role complexity, time and collaboration, and the importance of the expanded core curriculum. Implications for Practitioners: The findings provide an initial snapshot of the changing role reported by the teachers. Thus, these data offer a beginning point for future probes into the workplace knowledge and skills required by teachers of students with visual impairments.

Extensive work has been done in North America to examine practices recommended to facilitate postschool transitions for youth with disabilities. Few studies in Australia, however, have investigated these practices. This study drew on the Taxonomy for Transition Programming developed by Kohler to benchmark practice at government and nongovernment schools throughout Queensland, Australia. A statewide survey was used to gather data from teachers and other influential staff (N = 104). Participants were asked to (a) indicate their level of agreement that each practice was a program quality indicator and (b) report on the current use of that practice in school programs. Transition practices in the areas of Family-School Relationships, Student Development, and student-focused planning were strongly endorsed and frequently implemented. Lower levels of endorsement and implementation, however, were signaled in the areas of Interagency Collaboration and Program Structure. Recommendations for reform at the school, systems, and interagency levels are provided. (Contains 8 tables and 2 figures.)