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[On-screen text: Inclusive Classrooms / Professional learning program / Autism Course – Greater Shepparton Secondary College.]
Teresa Deshon: Inclusive Classrooms is a Department of Education initiative offering a range of courses in the area of inclusion and neurodivergence.
Barbara O’Brien: We've tried to build the capacity of staff holistically across the college. In fact about 120 have trained in Inclusive Classrooms - Autism practises and that includes teachers and ES staff.
Teresa Deshon: The customisation of the course to the school’s context enabled staff to talk about students in their classes and collaborate on the types of supports and adjustments that they were going to put in place pretty much the next day.
Jessica Hendrickson: You've got your student that has ADHD and might need to be at the back of the room to be able to get out of their seat to have a walk around. Where's the best spot in the room for that student?
Teresa Deshon: What they previously saw as misbehaviour they now can see characteristics of neurodivergence, particularly autism in a strengths based way.
Barbara O’Brien: We can all identify what triggers a student and what do we need to do to lessen the impact of those triggers.
Jessica Hendrickson: Them realising it's OK that I'm different and I'm neurodivergent but my teacher’s going to support me in my learning and make sure that I can access it - that's the biggest one because until students are feeling safe in our classrooms, they're not going to learn.
Disability Inclusion Education for all / The Education State / Victoria State Government / Department of Education / Victoria State Government – Authorised by the Victorian Government, Melbourne]
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