Australasian Journal of Special Education

Table of Contents - July 2012 - Volume 36, Issue 01  

Articles

The Education of Australian School Students With the Most Severe Intellectual Disabilities: Where Have We Been and Where Could We Go? A Discussion Primer

Gordon Lyonsa1 c1 and Michele Cassebohma1

a1 The University of Newcastle, Australia

Abstract

The education of Australian students with the most severe intellectual disabilities continues to present substantial challenges to policymakers, practitioners and families. These are complex and involve philosophy and ethics generally, and curriculum assessment and pedagogy specifically. In light of the various phases of development for an Australian Curriculum, the authors advocate for broad-based debate about the nature of education for these students. To prime discussion, this paper looks at the past, present and possible futures with respect to the education of Australian students with the most severe intellectual disabilities.

Keywords:

  • severe intellectual disabilities;
  • high support needs;
  • curriculum;
  • assessment;
  • pedagogy

Correspondence:

c1 Correspondence: Gordon Lyons, School of Education, The University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, NSW 2258, Australia. E-mail: gordon.lyons@newcastle.edu.au