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

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 June 2012

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

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.

Type
Articles
Copyright
© The Authors 2012

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