2010 MSP / APPA International Travel Award Winner!

At the national conference in Perth recently, the winner of the 2010 MSP / APPA Travel Award was announced - Gaye Glade-Wright, Principal of Eden Hills Primary School in the Adelaide Hills in South Australia.

Gaye's project: Research into best practice in educational placement of students on the autism spectrum

"With an increasing number of students presenting behavioural, anxiety or social issues within a school or pre-school setting being diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum, challenges are arising as these children do not necessarily 'fit' neatly within the mainstream schooling setting. There are ongoing tensions between parents (of ASD and other students), advocates, teachers and school administrators about the rights of students on the spectrum to participate in mainstream classrooms, the rights of students in the class if a student is considered disruptive and/or not well-supported, the rights and responsibilities of the classroom teacher and the state educational authority. It is imperative that research into best practice is investigated, and while there can be no 'one-size fits all' solution, that we trial ways of integrating ASD students successfully into our education system, to ensure that they are empowered through education to have the best possible future outcomes.

"My research proposal involves investigating successful models of integration and inclusion in conjunction with the Education Authority in Singapore and the National Association of Elementary School Principals in the United States to observe best practice sites within their jurisdictions."