My specialist experience of engaging students with SEND in their learning and developing meaningful relationships: All children respond better and engage more effectively in their learning if they feel safe, calm and know that they are valued and being listened to. It is my job to make sure that this is the case with every child I teach. I will take the time to get to know your child, their needs, their interests and dislikes. I’ll plan fun, bespoke sessions and learning activities that will be based on your child’s individual needs and personality. I will treat them with kindness, patience and respect, and I always value families’ input as you are the expert on your child. Do not worry if they become disengaged or dysregulated – we will work through it together, one step at a time and at their pace. There are many ways of calming and re-engaging children after such moments. They all depend on the individual child, but include activities such as having a movement break, using a pictorial emotions board, setting clear goals, using praise and agreed rewards, trying a different learning style, and using adaptive and supportive resources to reduce tiredness and frustrations.
My specialist experience of working with students with autism: I have been a primary school teacher in Manchester schools for the last 20 years. The majority of this was as a class teacher, but I moved into a more specialist SEND-based route as the years went by. One of the most significant projects was when I was asked to help set up a specialist hub within our mainstream primary school to support around 12 pupils with complex SEND who were not able to cope and/or reach their potential in their regular classes. Most of these children were autistic and it was my job to help develop the SEND hub itself and then plan and resource the learning activities for each child on a weekly basis. It was my privilege to then work with the children, who were aged 4 to 11, on a 1:1, small group and larger group basis. There were some ideas, activities and resources that were key to making the hub as effective as it was, including having clear routines for each part of the school day, using visual timetables, using visual resources such as PECs and Widgit symbols, using social stories, and providing lots of fun and practical hands-on activities that linked to the learning topic. It was also vital to utilise and build upon their individual areas of interest, that were sometimes very intense and specific, to engage them in their learning. One pupil loved Alphablocks (a cartoon on Cbeebies) and mobile phone network providers, and so we all became experts in these two subjects, or course!
My specialist experience of working with students with sensory processing issues: I feel that the impact that sensory processing issues can have on learning is often significantly underestimated. They are also sometimes overshadowed by other areas of need. However, there are lots of things we can do to support children who have sensory issues. Sometimes the answers can be as simple as providing ear defenders, having a weighted toy, avoiding certain textures, changing the light levels in a room, or using a sensory cushion. When my son was younger, his writing was clearer when he used a pencil that had elastic bands wrapped around it. A specialist advised us to try it because that sensory stimulation apparently helps to remind the brain that the pencil is there, therefore he had a firmer grip and more control.
My specialist experience of working with students with anxiety and mental health struggles: It is really important to work at a pace that is appropriate for each pupil. Pupils with anxiety and mental health needs often need more opportunities to be successful, even if that means starting with tasks that do not yet challenge their full potential. They often need more activities that will help them to understand how they are feeling and how they can express that to others, such as through the use of emotions visuals and social stories. If their behaviour is challenging, they will probably benefit from agreed expectations for behaviour that can be written together and displayed nearby, and clear and specific praise. Fun cooperative games, sharing successes with others, creating a nurturing environment and opportunities to be helpful are also invaluable.
My specialist experience of working with students with ADHD: It makes me feel sad and frustrated that children with ADHD and hyperactivity are often labelled as disruptive when their behaviour is down to a need, not a choice. Pupils with ADHD can learn much more effectively and have a much more positive experience of learning if teachers are prepared to try a range of strategies that have frequently been found to help. These include:
- giving them lots of shorter tasks to do
- using clear instructions
- removing distractions
- making it fun
- giving them ‘special challenges’ to complete
- using a wider variety of learning styles
- incorporating frequent movement breaks
- using graphic organisers
- pictorial vocabulary support
It is also important to use different ways of recording their learning and successes. Learning and progress can be recorded through photographs, drawings, artwork, a presentation, mind maps, songs, speech bubbles, recorded observations by the teacher… It all depends on the needs of the child and the level they are working at, but all are valuable and should be valued by educators.
