SEN (special educational needs) children often struggle to get the help they deserve.
Have you faced this too? Many parents we work with share similar stories of how difficult it can be to pin down some real support.
EHCPs (Education Health and Care Plans) can take years to arrange, educational psychology assessments are expensive, and because there are few school placements available beyond mainstream, learning support can be limited.
Every child is different, of course. But this is why a child with educational needs requires a more personalised approach to help them be just as successful as anyone else.
Understanding how a learning problem manifests itself and what measures could be put in place is a positive starting point.
How to Build SEN Strategies that Work
It’s so important to stress that disability doesn’t mean inability – and that a special need doesn’t mean the child isn’t capable of achieving.
Many children with SEN can be high achievers academically, often in specific subjects such as Maths and Science, but then massively underachieve in other subjects.
SEN children also struggle to maintain momentum when learning scaffolding isn’t put in place. Here are some practical steps you could take if you are in the same situation:
- If your child hasn’t been diagnosed, or a new need has presented itself in Secondary school which was less pronounced in Primary, contact the school SENCo as soon as possible – and keep trying. Small interventions can have a big impact on your child’s progress.
- Seek out subject teachers to explain difficulties your child is having. Sometimes, subject teachers simply don’t know what problems your child is up against. SEN children often have stressors that are triggered in school. Having a quiet word with a specific teacher can give them a deeper insight in to the problem your son or daughter is facing.
- SEN children often put barriers up – not because they don’t want to, but because they can’t access a subject. Perhaps learning scaffolding needs to be put in place, environmental considerations need to be met, or note-taking could be looked at to ensure that your child doesn’t fall behind.
- Rather than ask the school to come up with strategies, be armed with a list of strategies which work for your child. That way, you can work together to resolve issues. For instance, autistic children or those with Asperger’s have a different operating system to everyone else. Adults who understand this will be less judgemental and more responsive to finding different routes to success.
- Because SEN children are often afflicted by anxiety, why not speak to your child’s form tutor about what measures could be put in place to help manage anxiety such as a quiet time-out place at lunchtime to homework strategies.
Need Extra Support in Place?
Over the years, we’ve had some incredible success at helping young people achieve. One-to-one tuition tailored to your child’s exact needs can make learning a positive, enjoyable experience with those all-important ‘light bulb moments.’
Whether your child is dyslexic, has a social difficulty, struggles to process information, has anxiety issues or any other named learning issue, we can help.
Get in touch with our lovely team here. We’re ready to listen…
Tags: aspergers, autism, Autistic, Dyslexia, EHCP, learning interventions, processing issues at school, scaffolding, school placements