InclusionED

inclusionED is an online professional learning community, co-designed with educators, for educators. It provides free evidence-based and research-informed teaching practices and tools to support diverse learners in inclusive classrooms.

In the average Australian classroom, at least three children have a learning difficulty or neurodevelopmental disability. The support and scaffolding these children receive during school can set the trajectory for the rest of their lives, but many teachers don't feel equipped to effectively support the learning of all students in their classrooms.

In 2016, Autism CRC finalised a national study to understand the educational needs of students on the spectrum, surveying 1,500 educators, parents and students. The study participants told us that we needed to develop evidence-based resources and teaching practices and to upskill educators, to provide more inclusive environments for students with diverse learning needs, including those on the spectrum.

The teaching practices on inclusionED are underpinned by the principles of Universal Design for Learning. They don't provide a single one-size-fits-all solution but rather flexible approaches that can be customised for individualized learning. The platform also facilitates a national community of practice, enabling social sharing, comments and reviews of the experience implementing specific practices. During the co-design and development of inclusionED, educators reflected on the value of being part of an active, ongoing conversation to share good ideas that work in real classrooms.

More than 200 teachers, parents, young people on the autism spectrum and professionals have been involved in the co-design, development and evaluation of the inclusionED platform.