Special Needs and Schooling

In Australia, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare estimates that 1 in 10 students aged 5 to 18 have a disability, with almost 1 in 18 a severe or profound disability. Most students who are considered to have a disability, around 89%, attend a mainstream school, with the remaining 11% of students attending a special school. Today to discuss our topic with us is Jim Goodin Jim gravitated towards teaching high needs children with social-emotional issues, specialising in intense exercise and Judo classes for them which he found to be very therapeutic for them as it had been for himself. Jim employed techniques loosely based on classroom remediation and intense physical challenges to instil individual confidence, coordination and group cooperation, while coordinator of the Clayton Technical School remedial annexe. Jim became departmental head of an integration department at Parkdale Secondary College for several years. Jim later became a principal class officer at a school for children with profound physical and intellectual disabilities for over 12 years. In 1987, Jim joined the Mental Health Foundation Australia. From 1987 onward, he have served and participated in many organisation and mental health roles including: Chairperson and is currently the Vice Chairperson of the Mental Health Foundation Australia, Vice President of the Australian National association for Mental Health (ANAMH), Director of the Tourette Syndrome Association Victoria, and many more. Link for article discussed in episode: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326948392_Eight_Myths_About_Special_Education