by Brisbane Tutor Justin Clark specialising in Learning Difficulties
Inclusive Education
Inclusive education is where students of all abilities, stripes, patterns and sizes are accepted and supported within schools. The goal is to build a democratic and caring schooling community, along with the wider school environment as well. Inclusion is an ongoing process of negotiation and communication that is particular to each classroom and school. An important factor in order to foster inclusion is to recognise and acknowledge the attitudes and beliefs within schools in regard to students with learning and developmental difficulties. Often there can be fear and lack of awareness involving these students.
How To Provide Inclusive Education
For a school to be truly inclusive, teachers and educators need to be aware of the needs of students with developmental and learning difficulties.
Many of these students lack the tools to be able to ask for help. Their frustration in not being reached may manifest in withdrawing or becoming silent. Some teachers may interpret this incorrectly as an indicator that the student knows what they are doing and therefore doesn’t need any help. As a result, the need to ask for help maybe something that students with learning difficulties need to have taught to them or modelled, especially students with autism.
Autism
Recognise that the ability to seek help involves a series of intricate decisions and levels of self-awareness that may be challenging for individuals, especially those with autism. This difficulty doesn’t necessarily indicate a lack of interest in the subject matter. For many students with autism, this remains a challenge in certain situations they encounter. To address this issue, teachers or parents can implement steps and strategies to facilitate seeking assistance. One approach involves using cue cards as prompts, reminding children with autism to ask for help when needed. These cards can be placed in their notebooks or other noticeable locations.
Another effective strategy is the use of visual signals. Employing check marks at different points in their work serves as a reminder for students to approach the teacher for assistance. These strategies contribute to enhanced independence, which is the desired outcome for the student, benefiting the entire class.
Anxiety
Remember that it’s not just students with autism that may find asking for help difficult, as students that are impacted by anxiety may need help in this area as well.
Methods to Reduce Problematic Behaviour
To effectively address problematic behavior in teaching children with developmental difficulties, it’s crucial not only to identify what we don’t want the child to do but also to specify the desired alternative behavior. Merely pinpointing undesirable actions is insufficient; we must replace them with more effective coping strategies.
Moreover, these replacements should be meaningful from the child’s perspective and not solely chosen to please adults. For instance, if a child resorts to screaming for attention, it becomes imperative to teach them an alternative method to gain attention. While we might prefer the child to be quiet instead of screaming, it’s essential to acknowledge that being quiet might not achieve the same reaction from others that screaming did.
Autism
If a student with autism resorts to throwing themselves on the floor, it likely provides them with a sense of control, possibly stemming from frustration or a lack of understanding. If the same student throws materials across the room to avoid a particular activity, using a time-out might prove ineffective, as it accomplishes the avoidance goal achieved by the throwing behavior. A more constructive approach would involve teaching the student alternative strategies, such as asking for help or requesting a break from the current activity. This not only addresses their needs but also imparts new skills aligned with the child’s goals.
The question we need to ask is, what are they are trying to communicate? We need to remember that for many students processing uncomfortable feelings can be hard and can be just as hard to communicate without acting them out.
Dyslexia
When aiming for inclusive education for students with dyslexia, it’s important to acknowledge that certain school interventions may merely stabilise their level of reading challenges rather than actively improving or normalising their reading skills. Various factors, including funding constraints and the expertise of specialists within the school, can contribute to this situation. Nevertheless, children with dyslexia deserve the highest quality teaching practices and expertise to help them overcome the barriers they face. The goal is not only for them to gain meaning from their reading but also to experience the joy associated with it.
Once again, awareness is key, along with being equipped with the best teaching practices in recognising the needs of the student. For example, telling a dyslexic student who’s struggling with sight words to ‘try harder’ or that they’re ‘lazy’ excludes these students and builds negative learning experiences. It also highlights a lack of understanding of not only their learning difficulty but the weaknesses of the teaching method being used. Inclusive schools need to build positive learning experiences for all students.
Hope Tutoring led by Justin Clark specialises in tutoring students with learning difficulties. Contact us today if you are looking for a Tutor in Brisbane or someone who can do remote tutoring.
Justin Clark Learning Difficulties Tutor in Brisbane
Justin Clark is a specialised learning difficulties tutor based in Brisbane who provides private one-on-one tutoring for students with dyslexia, autism, dyscalculia etc.