Libby

General Special Educational Needs experience:

With over 10 years experience, I have taught children between the ages of 3-15 across a range of settings, including three mainstream schools, a special needs school and private tuition. I began my teaching career specialising in Early Years, which gave me a thorough understanding of the foundational knowledge and skills children need to progress and how to scaffold play to create learning opportunities, both of which have proven invaluable in SEN teaching.

I have worked with children with diverse needs including: Severe Learning Difficulties; Moderate Learning Difficulties; Autism; ADHD; Global Development Delay; Speech, Language and Communication Needs; PDA; selective mutism and anxiety. Teaching in a special primary school for children with SLD/MLD was a highly rewarding experience that significantly developed my practice. I was lucky to work alongside a brilliant multidisciplinary team that allowed me to embed SALT (Speech and Language Therapy) and OT (Occupational Therapy) interventions and strategies in my daily teaching practice to meet children's sensory needs, continuously improve their communication skills and to create a calm and happy child centred environment.

This work equipped me to begin 1:1 SEN tuition, delivering EOTAS packages and teaching phonics to children who were struggling to learn to read and write in their schools (both SEN and mainstream). Above all else I believe that forming strong relationships with children and their families is key to securing the best possible outcomes for learners; all children learn best when they feel safe, seen and nurtured.

My experience working with Autistic young people:

I have over 10 years of experience teaching Autistic young people with a wide range of needs and abilities and I believe in adapting my approach according to each child's unique strengths and interests. I truly enjoy engaging with children's special interests and then tailoring learning around these where applicable. I am highly skilled in co-regulation and incorporating sensory strategies into tutoring sessions to create a nurturing environment in which enjoyable learning experiences can take place. I am adept at using clear structures and visual aids to reduce anxiety and aid communication. I understand the importance of consistency and routines, whilst also appreciating the need for flexibility as children's capacity to engage naturally varies from day to day. I have extensive experience of collaborating with Speech and Language Therapists to support Autistic children to progress in their communication skills and this is an area of learning I feel particularly passionate about; being able to help children to better express themselves and their needs is one of the most rewarding aspects of my role.

My experience working with young people with speech and language needs, including children who are pre-verbal:

When working in mainstream I taught many children with speech and language needs and alongside individualised support, I also tried to develop a Total Communication approach in my classroom to enable them to access whole class learning, such as using Makaton, visuals, objects of reference and role play in our everyday provision. When I later moved on to work in a special needs primary school, all of the children had Speech and Language Therapy as part of their EHCP and we worked closely with Speech and Language Therapists to choose realistic and ambitious targets and support them to reach these goals. I have worked with a number of nonspeaking children with Severe/Moderate Learning Disabilities or Global Development Delay and have found Intensive Interaction to be a transformative approach that values each child's unique communication style. I have experience in using low tech AAC, such as PECs and Communication Boards and high tech AAC, such as Proloquo2go and Grid. I am also proficient in creating personalised Communication Boards and editing the settings on Grid, so as to ensure they cater to the ever changing individual needs of the child. I have 4 years of experience implementing Speech and Language Programmes as part of EOTAS packages and am adept in finding creative ways to work on targets that centre children's interests and strengths. I have extensive experience of a range of other Speech and Language interventions and strategies such as: Colourful Semantics, Attention Autism, Lego Therapy, Sensory Stories, Makaton, Social Stories and phonological awareness activities.

My experience working with young people with sensory processing needs:

I have extensive experience of working with young people with sensory processing needs across mainstream schools, special schools and private tuition. I have found that tutoring allows for a high level of adaptation and I am highly skilled in collaborating with children to create an environment that meets their sensory needs. I understand that sensory needs are varied and support children to improve their ability to recognise what they need in the moment and communicate this effectively. I embed sensory circuits into my sessions where appropriate, ensure access to tools that assist regulation such as weighted blankets or fidget toys, and adapt learning according to what level of sensory input the child needs in the moment. Where there is any challenging behaviour, I approach with curiosity and try to understand what underlying sensory needs might be driving what's happening.

My experience teaching Primary English and Maths:

I have over ten years experience of teaching Primary level English and Maths; initially in a mainstream school, then a special school and most recently for private tutoring clients. I am able to adapt my teaching to the needs and the interests of the child and teach through a play based approach. My teaching career began working in a mainstream Reception class and my teacher training specialised in Early Years, which provided a thorough knowledge and understanding of how to equip children with the building blocks to succeed in the Primary Curriculum. Early Years teaching also focuses on supporting children's social communication and language skills and developing their independence, both of which are vital when working with children with Special Educational Needs and were a large part of my focus as a teacher in a SEN school.

My specialist experience providing engaging sessions to inspire a love of learning:

I have spent four years providing private tuiton to a number of children with SEN, which has necessitated providing engaging sessions that are planned around the strengths and interests of the individual. I believe that by forming a strong positive relationship with the children I teach and by showing genuine interest and curiousity in their own unique ways of working, I can inspire a love of learning that helps fuel our sessions together. This will look different for every child; for example when teaching phonics to one client we would line up his cuddly toys and 'co teach' the sounds to the teddies, for another client who was a very reluctant reader he would dictate stories about characters from his favourite TV shows for me to write out, that we would then read together. Each child is unique and deserving of unique sessions that meet their needs for learning and connection.

My experience working with young people with ADHD:

I have a wealth of experience of working with young people with ADHD across mainstream schools, special schools and private tuition. I understand the need to create an environment that meets children's sensory needs in order for learning to take place. I incorporate regular movement breaks, such as sensory circuits, into sessions, offer fidget toys for children to use whilst learning and adapt activities to include more movement when needed. I have received training from OTs on how to use joint compressions to support regulation and have found that learners with ADHD often benefit from this. I understand the importance of pitching learning at the right level of challenge to maintain children's interest without tipping them into overwhelm if it's too difficult. I naturally use visual aids to support working memory, use clear language and chunk tasks into shorter pieces to keep children engaged and focused. I have a playful and warm nature that creates a calm and enjoyable learning experience.

My experience working with young people with PDA:

I have experience working with a number of children with a PDA profile and I understand the importance of a low demand approach that prioritises collaboration and trust. I am naturally warm, nurturing and patient and have extensive experience in co-regulating with children who are experiencing anxiety or distress. I am highly skilled at relationship building with young people and keen to follow their interests. I am able to use humour and playfulness to help lower anxiety and I am child led in my approach; I strive to create a low pressure environment in which learning can gradually take place.

My experience working with young people to boost their confidence and self-esteem;

I have worked with many young people whose confidence and self esteem has suffered as a result of educational provision that hasn't been able to meet their needs. I prioritise building a positive relationship with the children I teach, connecting with them on their terms around their interests and showing them that I enjoy their company, which has a significant positive impact on their confidence. By providing an environment of high, realistic, expectations and high support, children are able to engage in learning, experience success and rebuild their self esteem.