Deakin releases resource to ease school transition

Deakin releases resource to ease school transition

Students with disabilities, their families and teachers will have an easier time returning to school thanks to an evidence-based resource developed by Deakin University.

Deakin University’s AllPlay™ Learn Program was developed in partnership with the Victorian Department of Education and Training with the aim of helping families and educators guide students with disabilities in their school transitions.

The resources include information sheets, checklists, schedules, strategies and other forms of media which are strategically aimed at student, parents and educators.

Citing research, AllPlay™ founder Professor Nicole Rinehart said children with disabilities are among the most at-risk groups when it comes to school transitions as they often feel anxious due to a new environment, routine or people around them, as well as academic and social pressures.

"Children with disabilities often report being unhappy when transitioning to secondary school due to difficulties making new friendships, and in building connections with many teachers; when they have typically been used to building a deeper relationship with one teacher each year,” Professor Rinehart said.

"Ramifications from bad transition experiences can include poor academic performance, difficulty making friends, lower self-motivation, negative feelings of self-worth, difficulty coping with negative emotions and more pronounced levels of anxiety”.

To craft the resources, Deakin researchers interviewed families and teachers to understand what kind of challenges children with disabilities face when moving up year levels. Researchers also made use of more than 177,000 research papers, Professor Rinehart said.

“Our team of clinical psychologists, health and education researchers have sifted through all the national and international evidence so parents and teachers don't have to, giving them access to evidence-based strategies and tools at the click of a button”.

More preparation and training for teachers needed

Despite resources and guides to help teachers handle students with disabilities, new research from James Cook University found that many teachers still question ADHD diagnoses and would simply treat these cases as student simply having bad behaviour.

JCU College of Arts, Society and Education Associate Professor Helen Boon said ADHD studies looking into the brain functions of those diagnosed with the disorder and comparing those with a controlled group unanimously proved the former would have a different “brain circuitry.”

“Researchers around the world have repeatedly found a widespread belief that ADHD diagnosis is subjective. Australian parents in particular have reported that teachers have inadequate understanding of ADHD,” Associate Professor Boon said.

Teachers who doubt their students who were diagnosed with ADHD often do so due to inaccurate knowledge, or due to their own cultural values.

Associate Professor Boon said it is important for teacher educators and education departments – as well as local jurisdictions – to update education and professional learning as teachers can help identify and influence the diagnosis of the disorder.

“The good news is that we now know a lot about that specific areas of the brain are related to specific effects of ADHD - and we know how to manage these effects in the classroom for the specific needs of individual students,” Associate Professor Boon said.

“With the right training for teachers it is definitely possible to plan successful educational support for those with ADHD”.