Special Educational Needs Special Educational Needs and and

DysabilitiesDysabilities

What are dys-abilities?What are dys-abilities?

Some children have learning differences manifested as difficulties with:

• Reading and spelling (Dyslexia)Reading and spelling (Dyslexia)• Poor co-ordination (Dyspraxia)Poor co-ordination (Dyspraxia)• Attention and memory (ADD/ ADHD)Attention and memory (ADD/ ADHD)• Numeracy (Dyscalculia)Numeracy (Dyscalculia)• Social interaction (Aspergers syndromeSocial interaction (Aspergers syndrome))

What are the common What are the common characteristics?characteristics?

These children often have:• At least average abilityAt least average ability• Great strengths in creativity / designGreat strengths in creativity / design• Differences in two or more cognitive areasDifferences in two or more cognitive areas• Problems remembering instructionsProblems remembering instructions• Problems organising ideasProblems organising ideas• Mis-match between oral ability and written Mis-match between oral ability and written

workwork• Misunderstandings with ‘authority’Misunderstandings with ‘authority’

What to look for in a young What to look for in a young child:child:

Many parents knowknow from early on that their child is differentdifferent, especially where there is a family history of difficultiesdifficulties.

This may appear in the child as:• extreme clumsinessextreme clumsiness• a disinclination to paint, drawa disinclination to paint, draw• a penchant for jumbling syllables, word ordera penchant for jumbling syllables, word order• late speakinglate speaking• forgetful of instructionsforgetful of instructions

What to look for in an older What to look for in an older child:child:

• Mismatch between oral contributions and Mismatch between oral contributions and written workwritten work

• Late reading / ‘barking’ at printLate reading / ‘barking’ at print• Poor handwritingPoor handwriting• Heavily inscribed writingHeavily inscribed writing• Difficulty staying on-taskDifficulty staying on-task• Spelling problemsSpelling problems• Arithmetic problemsArithmetic problems• Conflict with adults / peersConflict with adults / peers• Poor organisation of work /day-to-day livingPoor organisation of work /day-to-day living

The older child often feels a ‘failure’ , so The older child often feels a ‘failure’ , so needs software to provide access to :needs software to provide access to :

• independent readingindependent reading• writing more independentlywriting more independently• recording diagrammatic informationrecording diagrammatic information• self-remediation for spelling/mathsself-remediation for spelling/maths• organising ideasorganising ideas

How can they be helped?How can they be helped?

• Early identification of learning stylesEarly identification of learning styles• Adaptation of teaching styles to Adaptation of teaching styles to

learning styleslearning styles• Teaching survival strategiesTeaching survival strategies• Providing relevant ICT supportProviding relevant ICT support• Monitoring and reviewing the ICT Monitoring and reviewing the ICT

provisionprovision

Using strengths to help Using strengths to help weaknessesweaknesses

These children have not failed, but need to These children have not failed, but need to develop strategies to support their develop strategies to support their differences in learning through schooling:differences in learning through schooling:

• use speech and sound to supportuse speech and sound to support visual visual strengthsstrengths

• use images to support auditory strengthsuse images to support auditory strengths• encourage handling of objects alongside encourage handling of objects alongside

looking and listeninglooking and listening• encourage the child to articulate and encourage the child to articulate and

repeat new words / ideasrepeat new words / ideas

Helpful hintsHelpful hints• provide a multisensory learning environmentprovide a multisensory learning environment• establish the child’s preferred learning style to establish the child’s preferred learning style to

facilitate more focused learning /teachingfacilitate more focused learning /teaching• use the child’s strengths to support any use the child’s strengths to support any

learning differences learning differences • make use of the variety of equipment / make use of the variety of equipment /

teaching aids, especially in the early years teaching aids, especially in the early years classroomclassroom

• use the technology as and when appropriateuse the technology as and when appropriate• regularly monitor and review its suitabilityregularly monitor and review its suitability• foster close home /school links for good foster close home /school links for good

collaborative support, especially for collaborative support, especially for remediation / extension activitiesremediation / extension activities

Learning StylesLearning Styles

Everyone has a unique preferred Everyone has a unique preferred learning style, which may be learning style, which may be mainly:mainly:

visualvisual

auditoryauditory

tactiletactile

a combination of any of thema combination of any of them

Where the teacher’s teaching style Where the teacher’s teaching style is different to the child’s learning is different to the child’s learning style, the child may :style, the child may :

• be able to adapt the instruction to be able to adapt the instruction to his preferred stylehis preferred style

• give up and ‘switch-off’ give up and ‘switch-off’ • develop avoidance strategiesdevelop avoidance strategies• become an attention seeker / become an attention seeker /

behaviour problembehaviour problem

Promoting confidence and Promoting confidence and self-esteemself-esteem

For all children with dys-abilities it is For all children with dys-abilities it is essential to provide the means of:essential to provide the means of:

• Getting round their Getting round their problemsproblems, so , so they become only they become only differencesdifferences

• Boosting their sense of self-worthBoosting their sense of self-worth• Making support as unobtrusive as Making support as unobtrusive as

possiblepossible

Using ICT can help by :Using ICT can help by :

• providing a multisensory learning providing a multisensory learning environmentenvironment

• being non-judgementalbeing non-judgemental• facilitating individualised work for a childfacilitating individualised work for a child• bypassing some co-ordination obstaclesbypassing some co-ordination obstacles• supporting home/school collaboration in supporting home/school collaboration in

the learning processthe learning process• raising self-confidence / esteemraising self-confidence / esteem

What sort of software?What sort of software?

The young child does not need The young child does not need specialist software, but access to:specialist software, but access to:

• good multisensory early years good multisensory early years software software

• more regular access to the more regular access to the computercomputer

• extra supported practice in areas of extra supported practice in areas of weaknessweakness

What sort of hardware? - 1What sort of hardware? - 1

The young child does not need The young child does not need specialist hardware, but access to :specialist hardware, but access to :

• good multi media computer good multi media computer • more regular access to the more regular access to the

computer than the class normcomputer than the class norm• alternative access devices alternative access devices

(rollerball, touchscreen), if needed(rollerball, touchscreen), if needed

What sort of hardware? - 2What sort of hardware? - 2

The older child may need:• A simple writing aidA simple writing aid• A hand-held spellcheckerA hand-held spellchecker• A hand-held voice recorderA hand-held voice recorder• A laptop with sound and picturesA laptop with sound and pictures• A roller or trackerballA roller or trackerball

Attention developmentAttention development

Using a computer is excellent for Using a computer is excellent for increasing a child's ability to stay on task increasing a child's ability to stay on task because: because:

• focussed activities can be provided focussed activities can be provided • there is room for experimentation within there is room for experimentation within

a time-scale a time-scale • a finite time span can be negotiated a finite time span can be negotiated • it is non-judgemental it is non-judgemental • it increases independence in workingit increases independence in working

Handwriting supportHandwriting support

• Handwriting for WindowsHandwriting for Windows• School fontsSchool fonts• Claude and MaudClaude and Maud• Eye for SpellingEye for Spelling• THRASS ITTHRASS IT

Preparing for readingPreparing for reading

• Use the multisensory aspects of talking books to:

• foster success in readingfoster success in reading• support tracking skillssupport tracking skills• reinforce relationships of image, reinforce relationships of image,

sound and letterssound and letters• encourage independenceencourage independence• foster rhythm, rhyme and pitch skillsfoster rhythm, rhyme and pitch skills

ICT supports writing ICT supports writing through:through:

• personalised handwriting practice personalised handwriting practice sheetssheets

• talking wordprocessing talking wordprocessing • talking wordbanks talking wordbanks • a portable wordprocessora portable wordprocessor

ICT helps remediation ICT helps remediation through:through:

• simple reviewing and simple reviewing and editing editing

• regular spelling practice regular spelling practice

• regular numeracy practiceregular numeracy practice

Useful WebsitesUseful Websites

www.carr.demon.co.ukwww.clickergrids.comwww.djsn.u-net.comwww.DyslexiaAssessments.comwww.dyslexia.com.ukwww.dyslexiacentre.co.ukwww.iamdyslexic.comwww.inclusive.netwww.semerc.comwww.r-e-m.co.uk