It’s been an exciting finish to 2023 with the publication of the second edition of The A to Z of Specialist and Inclusive Education and published by the experienced team at Essential Resources. I’ve loved being able to revisit this text which has been so popular with many educators for years, and totally rewrite and update it, using the latest educational research.
This new version reflects how much has changed in the inclusive education sector in the past decade – and how far we have come as educators in working with children who have additional learning needs. As educators, we have come such a long way in understanding that each child is unique, with their own characteristics and skills.
We know that it is important to teach each child at their current point of challenge, rather than teaching to a particular disability or set of features. We have learnt how important individual planning is when working with any child, not just those who have additional needs. We also understand much more about capacity within families, and how to work in partnership with families to help children achieve their best. Although there is still lots to do in the coming years, the research and conversations I’ve had as I planned and developed the book have made me so excited about the future of inclusive education in Australia and New Zealand.
Practical approach to additional needs
When I talked with the team at Essential Resources, we decided to keep a similar format to the first edition of The A to Z of Special Needs, with the practical tips and adjustments as well as providing educators with the background knowledge that helps them feel confident working with children who have additional learning needs. We kept the focus on practical, easy to implement strategies that we know work in real classrooms – simple things like visual schedules and modified, age-appropriate resources and that we know set students up for success with their learning. We knew it was important to provide educators with clear, straight forward information about a whole range of disabilities, additional needs and health conditions that can impact learning in the classroom. Each of these topics has been carefully updated and revised to make sure the content is relevant to today’s learning spaces and students.
Individual focus
There are some new sections that we felt were important to include, such as Developmental Language Disorder, Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Stuttering and Long Covid. For general and special education teachers, it is important to understand how conditions such as Acquired Brain Injury, Rett Syndrome, ADHD and Cerebral Palsy can affect children’s learning in the early and primary school years. We decided to add a future focus to each section, so educators could see some of the exciting developments and research that may inform their practice in the coming years. Throughout the book, we make sure educators know that each child who has additional learning needs is unique, with their own set of characteristics, learning style and skills. The A to Z of Special Needs has been written as a starting point for educators, to help them feel confident they understand the fundamentals that are important when they are working with children who have additional needs in their setting.
Into 2024
Now that the A to Z of Special Needs (Second Edition) is up and running, it's time to make new plans. The writing continues into 2024, with another new title soon to be released early in the year. Working in Partnership with Families of Children with Additional Needs will be coming soon, highlighting the best ways of working with diverse families and children in early years and primary settings. I've had a sneak peak at the cover and edited pages already, and I'm thrilled to see how this new title will look when it is ready for print!
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