Assessing the Implementation of Inclusive Education in Indonesia through Neurodiversity Framework & Identifying Support for Teachers in Teaching Neurodivergent Students

Education is a human right for every child; however, neurodivergent students often face limited access to education. Neurodiversity-informed inclusive education is essential for equitable learning; however, its implementation in a classroom setting remains underexplored. This study explores how Indonesian primary school teachers understand the neurodiversity framework and implement it in inclusive education practices, and what support is needed to improve inclusive education teaching practices. 12 teachers from mainstream, inclusive, and special education schools across five regions in Indonesia participated in semi-structured interviews. The data was analysed using Braun and Clarke (2022) Reflective Thematic Analysis. The finding revealed three major themes: teachers understanding and attitudes towards the neurodiversity framework, current teaching strategies and programs for neurodivergent students, and supports required by teachers to enhance inclusive education practices. The findings showed that the majority of participants are unfamiliar with neurodiversity terms; however, they have a strong awareness to support neurodivergent students. There are two learning supports that teachers provide: 1) curriculum differentiation includes Individual Educational Programs (IEPs), visual learning media, and differentiation assessments and feedback, and 2) teacher-parent regular meetings. In addition, participants highlighted the need for continuous practice-oriented professional development, multi-stakeholder collaboration, improved learning facilities, and support for teacher wellbeing. This study contributes to improvement in inclusive education settings not only in Indonesia but also around the globe by identifying context-specific barriers and support needed by inclusive education classroom teachers, highlighting the need to bridge policy into the enhancement of practice. Overall, the findings from this study hold significant insights for policymakers, school leaders, educators and program designers to enhance inclusive education practices.