In the past 10 years Aotearoa/New Zealand, the educational landscape has experienced a significant shift towards Innovative Learning Environments (ILEs). The paper discusses the perceptions of 79 Aotearoa/New Zealand teachers who work with students with high and very high needs in mainstream Innovative Learning Environments (ILEs), and the aspects…

Background: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a common form of developmental disability but may be poorly understood by professionals working with people with FASD. The aim of the research is to understand the FASD knowledge, attitudes, awareness, and practices among people employed by the education sector in Aotearoa New Zealand and…

This study aims to generate thorough and comprehensive review of the teacher's perspective and hands-on experience in mainstreaming LSENs in a regular classroom, including teachers' attitudes and perceptions, challenges encountered, and teaching approach in handling mainstreamed classrooms. A scoping review framework by Arksey and O'Malley's…

Inclusive education is vital for the rights of all children to education to be met and teacher aides are key players in inclusive education efforts. But inclusive education policy aspirations, like other policies, often fail to be fully realised. In this article we focus on the inclusion of teacher aides in educational networks and the extent to…

This 2-year participatory action research project explored how learning to use narrative assessment supported teachers' inclusive practices for disabled secondary school-aged students who are considered to be working long term in Level 1 of The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) (Ministry of Education, 2007). Although the Ministry of Education has…

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework has the potential to enhance the inclusive practices of teachers with autistic learners in their classes. This study examines the extent to which the UDL framework is currently being used as a model for the inclusion of autistic learners in New Zealand primary schools. This study gathered data from…

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a research-based theoretical framework that can be used to design teaching and learning opportunities that are more responsive to the variability of student need in any classroom, although a vast number of teachers appear to know nothing about UDL. One population whose needs are becoming increasingly visible…

In New Zealand, every child has the right to participate in inclusive, quality early childhood education (ECE), as outlined in the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC). However, research reveals both the struggles children with disabilities and their families experience to have their rights recognised and upheld, and…

Assisting students with learning support needs requires a collaborative approach to educational planning and the development of a multi-dimensional profile of the student. However, developing such a profile can be difficult when information is gathered from multiple sources, culturally-relevant information is not included, and incongruent or…

Significant movement in educational practice within New Zealand schools, particularly evident in special education, has seen schools actively encouraged to mainstream students. Central to the success of this transition, is the facilitation of a child's acceptance and belonging within the school setting. Yet, there is a dearth of literature in New…

Despite implementation of significant legislation and policy initiatives related to human rights and inclusive practices, children with disabilities can still experience discrimination and exclusion in multiple areas of their lives, including in early childhood education (ECE). Evidence of a gap between policies about inclusion and the reality of…

The purpose of this article is to review recent literature on twice-exceptional students and consider implications for their education in the context of the trend towards increased inclusive education for students with disabilities. The review focused on teachers' experiences and perceptions and the school experiences of twice-exceptional…

Inclusive education expects that all students are welcome and that teachers focus on adapting environments so every student can be present, participate, learn and belong. This article summarises a mixed methods, small-scale inquiry which investigated how a sample of 44 New Zealand secondary school teachers understand inclusion and how this…

Inclusive education within New Zealand requires teachers to meet the needs of all students, including those with high or very high needs. The use of the individual education plan (IEP) is one tool that can support inclusive practice in classrooms through the collaboration of those supporting the individual student. This article reports on a small,…

This report investigates students' perspectives on a sense of belonging, and the relationship between inclusive practices. It further considers the implications for Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) as they work in secondary schools to support inclusive teaching practice. The inquiry question, "How can RTLB effectively support…