Inclusive Pedagogy

Demand-Buffering Resources

Empathy, engagement, and reflection are particularly important to fostering the sense of belonging that all humans seek. Inclusion is more than presence, it’s meaningful participation. All learners should experience this regardless of the extent of their needs or complexity of their learning context. While BC’s inclusive education policy emphasizes all students be placed with same-age peers whenever possible, and human rights legislation establishes a duty to accommodate, FI spaces can often function as conditionally accessible spaces.

'Evidence' is a subjective modifier (Burns & Rouw, 2017), and the range of pedagogies claiming to be evidence-based is considerable.

Wray et al. (2022) identified five factors that influence teacher self-efficacy in inclusive Education:

Demographics

Teacher Demographics (Wray et al., 2022):

Knowledge of relevant Inclusive Education Policy
Teaching setting
Years experience

Also relevant, are student demographics:

ASD diagnoses increased 175% from 2011-2022 (Grosvenor, 2024)
Anxiety diagnoses in children have increased to 1 in 4 (Racine et al., 2021)
Depression diagnoses in children have increased to 1 in 5 (Racine et al., 2021)
Prevalence of ADHD increased from 6.1% to 10.2% from 1996-2016 (Xu et al., 2018)

...and those of their families:

32% of families of children with disabilities feel their child's needs are met (RCY, 2025)
14% of families of children with disabilities have considered surrendering their child to the Ministry to receive appropriate support (RCY, 2025)
7% of families if children with disabilities expect their child’s needs will be met within the next 3 years (RCY, 2025)

Teacher Education and Professional Learning

Practical experience throughout teacher training
Ongoing in-service

Rusconi and Squillaci (2023) conducted a systematic review to consider the effect of UDL training on teacher competence. They ideitified three conclusions:

UDL training has significant impact on student diversity-valuing skills
Course effectiveness is independent of duration
UDL training fosters the implementation of accessible lesson planning and implementation

Teacher Internal Attributes

Positive attitude towards inclusion
Confidence
Motivation
Openness
Sense of Coherence

School Climate

It is important to create and nurture a supportive work environment that creates a culture of emotional safety and values continuous improvement (Armenakis, 1993; Deszca et al., 2024; Northouse, 2021).

Cooperative sources of support
Emotional safety

Experience Interacting with People with a Disability

Socially
Professionally

For Further Reading

Ainscow, M. (2005). Developing inclusive education systems: What are the levers for change? Journal of Educational Change, 6(2), 109–124. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-005-1298-4

Armstrong, T. (2015). The Myth of the Normal Brain: Embracing Neurodiversity. AMA Journal of Ethics, 17(4), 348–352. https://doi.org/10.1001/journalofethics.2015.17.4.msoc1-1504

Boucher, A. R., Rappolt-Schlichtmann, G., & Hensler, E. (2025). Universal Design for Learning: A Shared Language to Create a Culture of Collaboration and Leverage Interprofessional Practice. Language, Speech & Hearing Services in Schools, 56(3), 581–597. (186696954). https://doi.org/10.1044/2025_LSHSS-24-0014

Boysen, G. A., Lyles, K. D., Wylie, M. M., & Ozomma, D. F. C. (2025). A review of neurological support for universal design for learning. Policy Futures in Education, 14782103251412473. https://doi.org/10.1177/14782103251412473

Finlay, B., Ragot, S., Lach, L. M., & Zwicker, J. D. (2025). Disability Policy in Canada: Provincial and Territorial Report. Kids Brain Health Network. https://kidsbrainhealth.ca/disability-policy-in-canada-provincial-and-territorial-report/

Glasser, W. (1998). Choice theory: A new psychology of personal freedom (1st ed.). HarperCollinsPublishers.

Grosvenor, L. P., Croen, L. A., Lynch, F. L., Marafino, B. J., Maye, M., Penfold, R. B., Simon, G. E., & Ames, J. L. (2024). Autism Diagnosis Among US Children and Adults, 2011-2022. JAMA Network Open, 7(10), e2442218. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.42218

Lindner, K.-T., Schwab, S., Emara, M., & Avramidis, E. (2023). Do teachers favor the inclusion of all students? A systematic review of primary schoolteachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 38(6), 766–787. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2023.2172894

Lowrey, K. A., Hollingshead, A., & Howery, K. (2017). A Closer Look: Examining Teachers’ Language Around UDL, Inclusive Classrooms, and Intellectual Disability. Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities, 55(1), 15–24. (121227297). https://doi.org/10.1352/1934-9556-55.1.15

Meyer, A., Rose, D. H., & Gordon, D. (2025). Universal Design for Learning: Principles, Framework, and Practice. Cast, Incorporated.

Murphy, L. K. (2020). Declarative Language Handbook: Using a Thoughtful Language Style to Help Kids with Social Learning Challenges Feel Competent, Connected, and Understood. Linda K. Murphy.

Racine, N., McArthur, B. A., Cooke, J., Eirich, R., Zhu, J., & Madigan, S. (2021). Global Prevalence of Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms in Children and Adolescents During COVID-19: A Meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatrics, 175, 1142–1150. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.2482

Representative for Children & Youth. (2025). Too Many Left Behind: Ensuring Children and Youth with Disabilities Thrive. https://rcybc.ca/reports/too-many-left-behind/

Rusconi, L., & Squillaci, M. (2023). Effects of a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Training Course on the Development Teachers&#8217; Competences: A Systematic Review. Education Sciences, 13(5), NA-NA. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13050466

Towle, H. (2015). Disability and Inclusion in Canadian Education: Policies, Procedures, and Practices. Canadian Centre For Policy Alternatives https://canadacommons.ca/artifacts/1195037/disability-and-inclusion-in-canadian-education/1748163/

Wray, E., Sharma, U., & Subban, P. (2022). Factors influencing teacher self-efficacy for inclusive education: A systematic literature review. Teaching and Teacher Education, 117, 103800. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103800

Xu, G., Strathearn, L., Liu, B., Yang, B., & Bao, W. (2018). Twenty-Year Trends in Diagnosed Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Among US Children and Adolescents, 1997-2016. JAMA Network Open, 1(4), e181471. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.1471

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse