I Ketut Trika Adi Ana, a lecturer in the English Language Education Study Program, Department of Foreign Languages, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Undiksha has completed a 10-day academic visit to the UK. The activity aimed to study the best practices of inclusive education, especially in dealing with children with dyslexia, at Brynhyfryd Primary School and Hafod Primary School in Swansea, Wales. In addition, Trika also presented the results of research related to dyslexia in Indonesia at an international conference held at University College London (UCL). This program was fully supported by a foreign grant from the Government of Wales and UK as part of a collaborative effort to strengthen inclusive education in both countries.
During his visit to Swansea, I Ketut Trika Adi Ana conducted direct observations at two inclusive schools renowned for their excellent programs in supporting children with special needs. Some of the main activities carried out included observing inclusive classroom strategies implemented since early childhood, including detailed recording of students’ learning difficulties and regular discussions with parents, exchanging experiences on assessment methods and the preparation of individual learning programs, learning innovative learning techniques and media that help dyslexic children understand the material better, and participating in school team discussions in weekly evaluation meetings to evaluate student progress and provide solutions toward the challenges faced.
At the highlight of the visit, Trika Adi Ana presented a study entitled “When dyslexia is still an alien: How teachers, parents, and classmates treat dyslexic students” at an international conference at UCL, London. The study got special attention from conference participants from various countries.
As a result, Trika Adi Ana planned several strategic steps, including establishing international cooperation through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Undiksha and Brynhyfryd Primary School and Hafod Primary School for collaboration in the field of inclusive education, developing more effective media and learning techniques for dyslexic children in Bali, increasing public awareness of the importance of inclusive education, and strengthening cooperation between teachers, parents, and schools in supporting children with special needs.
