Navigating icebergs: strategies to support pupils with SEN

The iceberg metaphor helps us to think about the difficulties we see that pupils with SEN face in the classroom and prompts us to seek to understand the underlying causes for those difficulties. This workshop will explore some common difficulties pupils with SEN may have – in particular, language and communication difficulties and Asperger’s Syndrome – and will seek to offer practical ideas to take away to support the pupils you teach.

What we see – difficulties, behaviour Reasons why Our challenge: How do we address this?

This session we will be looking at: Categorising Sequencing Emotional language ASD

Context:

Comprehension difficulties Forgetfulness Unable to recall key characters or places Difficulty learning new words Restricted vocabulary Difficulty retrieving words Difficulty categorising words

1. Difficulty learning new words / restricted vocabulary / retrieving words Need support with categorising words E.g. In context: pupil never seems to remember the name of key characters / place names in play Could be construed as comprehension difficulties Unlike peers who soak up language like a sponge, pupils with delayed language need lots of repetition – may need to hear a new word 50 – 100 times – wont learn it in a single lesson Will need to learn lots about the new word. Need to extend their knowledge of categories.

How? Task: Activity re categories Use pictures – in this case from R and J to create an activity that will help pupils fit characters into categories

2. Difficulty with Inference – slow processing, difficulties with auditory memory (working memory), difficulties with vocabulary, difficulty with semantic skills to make inferences despite being given the facts. Sequencing, time concepts, use visual skills and spatial skills to support

How? Task: Activity re sequencing Use pictures to create a task that will help show sequences of events including how things happen at the same time

3. emotional language / emotional literacy R and J – language about love, jealousy, loss ... need support matching the vocabulary of emotions with the relationships. May lack empathy etc.

Task: discuss how you could create an activity that will help pupils match emotional response to character action. What is the emotion? How is it displayed? What do these emotions look like, sound like, feel like? How can you make it visual?

ASD overview Many of the strategies you can use for pupils with language and communication difficulties are helpful for pupils with ASD, especially: Visual prompts Simplified language ‘Scaffolded language’ – written or verbal

ASD: Categories of impairment 1. SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS Coping with groups Interrupting Appearing rude 2. COMMUNICATION Not responding to instructions Understanding adult language Literal interpretations Under or over use of gesture Talking too loudly or too quickly Repetitive questioning 3. IMAGINATION/RIGIDITY Obsessive topics of conversation Insisting on rules Changing the way things are done

Common behaviours in class Will find it hard to participate in group work. Can they work on their own? understand humour / banter in the lesson / sarcasm – think about how we teach? Interrupting? – responding to rhetorical question. Use ‘scaffolded language / questionning’. Not responding to instructions – doesn’t know you are talking to them! Call their name. Change of plan – not doing what you said. Try to do what you said you would do.

Golden nuggets Unless pupils have got the vocab, including names, will not be able to learn about the themes. Language development relies on categorising and sequencing Scaffold your language / keep it simple

Other ideas ... When beginning work on a category, first check to see which words pupil is already familiar with Play pairs with 2 pics or pairs with matching descriptions and pic or words only Odd one out Who is it? – read out clues / play ‘Blockbusters’ Crossword – make one up – www.eclipsecrossword.com