My specialist experience working with young people with SEN to develop trusting and meaningful relationships: I believe that a positive relationship between a student and their teacher is fundamental to all learning. Most of the children that I have worked with have been pre-verbal or non-verbal. To develop a relationship with any student, specifically with those who are non-verbal, it is vital to build a rapport and to make a meaningful connection with them. I work towards building these connections by understanding the child’s interests, and incorporating these interests to ensure that our interactions have positive meaning for the individual. I also take time to observe the (sometimes subtle) ways that an individual communicates and expresses themselves or their feelings. For instance, this could be a subtle change in facial expression, body language or voice sound(s). Students start to develop trust when the adult acknowledges and understands their communications and preferences, is patient, and provides a consistent, reliable and predictable approach. When a student feels safe, secure and understood, they will be most likely to learn.
My experience working with young people with speech and language needs: All of the students that I have supported for the past few years have had significant speech and language needs and most were nonverbal. When working with a nonverbal child, I focus as much on supporting their understanding of language as well as supporting their expressive communication. Some examples of strategies that I have used to support a child’s receptive and expressive communication include visual timetables, a Now-Next board, PECS, Makaton, choosing boards and many other types of symbols. I have worked with children who have complex medical needs whose physical limitations make it difficult for the student to reach for or to touch picture symbols and other augmentative communication tools. Creative approaches such as using a pointing stick or relying on the child’s gaze and other methods of non-verbal communication have been supportive strategies. I have worked closely with Speech and Language Therapists (SLT), and I always aim to incorporate their strategies/target work into my teaching (where appropriate) to provide consistency for the young person.
My experience working with young people with complex medical needs: When supporting a young person with complex medical needs I am always looking for subtle communications. I have supported many children with complex needs including cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and pupils who have acquired brain injuries. Sometimes these children have experienced discomfort or pain due to their medical needs and medical interventions. Lots of these children have also been nonverbal, and it has been important to spend time to get to know them and to ask their parents and carers for information about what each child’s movements/voice sounds may be indicating. It is important to notice that if a child looks away or intentionally closes their eyes that they are communicating their feelings and preferences. It is so important to me that a student feels acknowledged, comfortable and as relaxed as possible. Strategies that have been successful for individual learners with these needs have included allowing lots of time and offering repeated/predictable learning experiences. Taking regular breaks has supported some individuals. Other students have enjoyed sensory learning activities, switch toys and cause and effect toys. I like to think of all activities from the perspective of the young person, and it is important to me that I have spent time building a relationship with them and getting to know and to understand them first, so that I can support their learning comfortably through their own personal interests, likes and dislikes.
My experience teaching social communication and language skills: I have worked with lots of children with social communication difficulties. I start off by identifying the individual’s interests, and then build relationships with these interests at heart. These interests could be based upon something such as a TV programme or character, or engaging with an area of their interest. I then plan all learning activities around the child’s individual interests. Alongside considering a student’s personal interests, I observe their learning style so that the learning tasks can be tailored to suit their preferred style. I have used visuals to support both social communication skills as well as language skills. For instance, social communication skills can be supported with the use of strategies such as objects of reference, personal stories, Now-Next boards, visual timetables and the zones of regulation. I have supported language skills with strategies including using reduced language, Aided Language Displays, PECS, Makaton and choosing boards. I also use repetition and routine to help young learners to feel safe and secure.
My experience working with young people to boost their confidence and self-esteem: There is nothing more rewarding than supporting a young person to reach a new milestone in their learning and development. The seemingly smallest of steps are often a huge cause for celebration. I find that it is useful to break longer term goals down into smaller steps, and to work towards achieving each step in a logical order using the backward chaining approach. Reaching a small step provides motivation and self-confidence to any learner, and it encourages them to persevere and to take safe risks in order to develop a new skill.
My specialist experience providing engaging sessions to inspire a love of learning: Along with developing a meaningful and trusting relationship, my other priority when I work with a student is to ensure that they enjoy their learning experiences and have fun! When a person is enjoying something and having a good experience, they learn in that moment, and are also likely to build upon that positive learning experience by participating in future learning too. As mentioned previously, I love to celebrate the smallest steps of new learning, and I enjoy offering praise where it is welcomed by the individual. The most satisfying aspect of teaching is supporting others to achieve something that they previously could not, and the ensuing self-confidence and self-achievement boost that this gives the student.
My skills and experience supporting young people to develop their independence: It is so important for all students to develop independence and to gain a strong sense of self as these are traits that are useful throughout their lives. I have used a variety of approaches to support the development of independence skills including teaching through demonstration during play, using visuals to support the steps within a task and using the backward chaining approach. I have also supported students to recognise, understand and to express their emotions using physical actions, picture symbols, Makaton and personal stories. Developing a child’s independence skills leads to a positive can-do attitude and boosts self-esteem, which in turn supports future approaches to learning.
