Classroom Help For Children With SEN

Classroom help for SEN Under the Disability Discrimination Act, appropriate help must be provided by schools and colleges so that children with special educational needs are ‘on a level playing field’ with their peers.

Someone with dyspraxia who writes very slowly may qualify for extra time in exams, get help with typing tuition and be permitted to use a laptop in class.

You should hope for a quiet confidence from your school about fulfilling your child’s special needs, but if staff appear horrified by them or flippant in their attitude to dealing with it then it's time to reconsider what is best for your child.

What helps a child to learn?

Some SEN classroom strategies are simple and don’t cost anything, for example having a ‘buddy’ for a dyspraxic child who is new to the school and gets lost easily, will help him settle in. Others are complex bureaucratic processes that it may seem daunting to tackle but which can open doors to invaluable extra support.

Home and school

A safe and secure environment.
Regular and good communication between all those involved with the child: parents, teachers, therapists, LSAs etc.
High expectations which are communicated to the child.
Gaining the child’s attention; face to face and as far as possible with direct eye contact.
Listening to the child.
Building self-esteem; reward and encourage progress. Gold star, rocket charts and target boards can be as motivating as sweets or treats. Instant rewards help a child to associate the reward with the task.
Achievable responsibility, no matter how small.
Flexiblity – think outside the box, try different techniques or new approaches, as well as tried and trusted methods.
Ignoring (as far as possible) attention seeking behaviour.
Responding to and praising appropriate behaviour.
Having clear routines and helping plan for changes to routine.
Making sure instructions are clear, precise and understood.
Allowing a child time to think and to process responses to questions/instructions.
Not letting ‘no’ be an option but trying to ensure choices are offered.

At school

It is important that home and school behave consistently towards the child. Good teachers will:

Communicate regularly and openly with all staff involved with the child. A home-school book is helpful where a child may be unable to communicate accurately or has difficulty expressing feelings and emotions.
Involve all staff. Make sure all who come into contact with the child eg lunch-time supervisors, support staff et al understand his or her needs and how to respond.
Address the child personally, always use the child’s name. He may not realise ‘children’, or ‘everyone’ includes him.
Have a focused learning environment. Too busy and the child may be easily distracted, too minimal and the child may find the environment lacks stimulation.
Provide a quiet area or time out place for children who may become stressed during the day. The child should know that the use of such an area is to facilitate not punish.
Be consistent when applying rules; and remind and rehearse them regularly.
Reinforce oral instructions and communication with visual and tactile support.
Use visual prompts where necessary, such as PECs or a visual timetable.
Consider how the child will access the curriculum. Think about: teaching and learning objectives, appropriate support, allowing extra time and the style of delivery does it suit all learning styles.
Use a practically based curriculum supported by multi-sensory teaching and learning which addresses all types of learners.
Constantly revise and reinforce learning.
Keep the child busy. Ensure the child always has something to do whether on completion of a task, when stuck or while awaiting the teacher's attention.
Help children build friendships; use peer mentoring, buddies, friendship benches etc.

Provide good role models. Make use of other children and staff to provide good role models.
Encourage communication between children and adults and between children themselves.
Celebrate differences and help other children to recognise and celebrate those differences too.
Avoids using support as a crutch. Support should facilitate independence, not impede it.

We all have good and bad days, highs and lows. A good teacher will help the child to understand that a bad lesson or day can be turned around.

School Action and School Action Plus

Plans are afoot to replace school action and school action plus with a single tier. We will keep you updated.

If your child needs extra or different help, such as teaching in a different way, getting extra help either individually or in a small group, use of specialist equipment etc, the school may recommend your child is placed on School Action or School Action Plus. School Action Plus involves outside agencies, perhaps the educational psychologist or health professionals.

Early Years Action and Early Years Action Plus work in much the same way for preschool children.