From Inclusive Education Policy to Practice: Exploring Teachers' Perceptions and Training in Teaching Neurodivergent Learners and Implementation of DCAPS in LSEN Classrooms and Schools. Literature Review

Inclusive education in South Africa is guided by constitutional mandates, policy frameworks such as Education White Paper 6 (Department of Education, 2001), and international agreements like the Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education (UNESCO, 1994). These frameworks promote the rights of all learners, including those who are neurodivergent, to quality education in supportive and accommodating environments. Neurodivergence encompasses a range of conditions classified under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Specific Learning Disorders such as Dyslexia and Dyscalculia, Severe Intellectual Disability (SID), Profound Intellectual Disability (PID), and Down Syndrome. In South Africa, the Differentiated Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (DCAPS) was developed to adapt the national CAPS framework to the needs of learners with barriers to learning in LSEN (Learners with Special Educational Needs) schools. However, research indicates a persistent gap between special needs education policy and its classroom implementation. Teachers’ perceptions, levels of training, and access to resources significantly influence how special education is practised. This literature review aims to examine teacher perceptions, professional development, and DCAPS implementation in LSEN contexts, highlighting the challenges and opportunities for bridging the policy-practice gap.