Abstract

Many students on the autism spectrum attend mainstream schools and face challenges coping with the demands of this complex environment. Education in rural and remote locations poses additional challenges due to limited access to additional resourcing, specialised support, and services. This case study describes a problem-solving, collaborative approach providing rural and remote educators with additional direct support and services tailored to meet the individualised and complex learning needs of students on the autism spectrum in the classroom. The Tele-Classroom Consultative (TCC) approach involved a multidisciplinary team working face-to-face and remotely with the school community to deliver a cost-efficient professional support service. Data from semi-structured interviews with the teacher, parent, and school principal were analysed using the Index for Inclusion as a framework to show how the TCC approach enabled educators to implement inclusive approaches in rural and remote settings. Findings indicate that this method has potential for schools in rural and remote locations to meet the needs of all students, including those on the autism spectrum.

Citation

Saggers, B., Tones, M., Dunne, J. & Aberdein, R. (2019). Tele-classroom consultation: promoting an inclusive approach to supporting the needs of educators, families and early years learners on the autism spectrum in rural and remote areas in contextually responsive ways. International Journal of Inclusive Education, early online. doi: 10.1080/13603116.2019.1609103