Overview of the area of need:

A physical disability is a limitation to a person’s physical functioning, mobility, dexterity or stamina that has a substantial long term negative effect on the ability to do daily activities.

Cerebral palsy is an example

Children with a physical disability can often get tired more easily than other children as everything takes more effort and they can struggle to keep up with friends

Suggested strategies/techniques:

Promote a growth mindset

Daily praise helps these children with motivation

Plan carefully when children will try and write or when someone will scribe for them or when they will type – writing can sometimes be tricky and take a lot of effort for a child with a physical disability

Give those children extra time to answer questions so they can feel a part of class discussions

Include them in paired and group work

Help them develop their independence

Use APDR’s

Listen to the child on what they need and what they think will help them

Listen to the advice of outside professionals

Include these children in PE!

Install grab rails to help disabled children stand

Inflated cushion that can help them get in and out of their wheelchair

Hygiene suites for disabled students

Table raisers to fit the wheelchair

Ramps and wider doors

Wider gaps between tables

Involve parents in everything you do

Raise your expectations of that child don’t assume they can’t’ do it

Give them additional time to complete tasks

Key points to remember when teaching children:

Treat everyone as their own individual

Help support them to be independent

Physical disabilities can have a strong connection to sensory needs

Some connections to cognition and learning, communication and interaction, social, emotional and mental health difficulties

Disabled children can’t be compared they all have their own unique needs even if they have the same condition

Where to find further information:

Manual handling course – local authority

Ask experts in to talk to staff – occupational therapy, physiotherapy

Advisory teaching service

Pdnet – has training, resources and a forum

Go Kids Go – provider of wheelchair training skills

Scope – disability equality charity

Chance to Shine – charity that gives children the chance to play and learn through cricket – provides coaching for school

The Activity Alliance – national charity that enables organizations to support disabled people to stay and be active for life

Whizz Kids – a charity that provides equipment, support and life skills to help young people with disabilities reach their potential

Area of Need: ADHD

Overview of the area of need:

Neurodiversity – different way of looking at the world

Neurodevelopmental – 3 main features (inattention, hyperactivity & impulsivity)

Can be genetic or caused through brain injury

Suggested strategies/techniques:

Talk to students about neurodiversity so they understand

Support students & teachers

Plans so people understand their needs

Help them to self-manage

Gear lessons towards ADHD - where to sit (can concentrate and have a break), teacher needs to know

when to stop and have movement to

Talk to student before lesson so they know when they will be required to sit/move

Task list & timer for activity (manageable chunks)

Talk for learning

Immediate rewards

Encourage children to take ownership

Movement during lessons

Key points to remember when teaching children:

Attention deficit is perhaps more significant than hyperactivity - need to teach children how to stop &

self regulate.

Need to think of executive function impairments - ability to stop to pay attention, use goal directed to

see activity through to the end.

Girls get missed as they tend to have more issues with A than H

Need to move to concentrate

Trust and relationships between children and staff (especially support staff)

Not as motivated by long term rewards. Have to be more instant - gradually remove rewards to

encourage self management

Time to talk with colleagues about practice - reflection

Ambassador to share experience so children understand that they can still achieve

Be patient and look for strategies - every child wants to succeed

Where to find further information:

ADHD foundation

Additude

Acamhs

Childmind

NICE

NHS

Area of Need: Dyspraxia

Overview of the area of need:

It’s a hidden disability – people often think that a person with dyspraxia are just clumsy or lazy as work may not be as neat as others. Handwriting is something people with dyspraxia really struggle with. Can struggle with Maths and English as it involves so much writing.

Dispraxia is a condition that affects physical skills. It is also known as Developmental /coordination Disorder (DCD)

It affects writing and motor co-ordination and gross motor skill, balance, move round without bumping into other people or objects, throwing and catching. Can also affect non motor skills, organisation, attention, planning, time management, speech is affected in some children too

Suggested strategies/techniques:

Children with dyspraxia mat be more or less sensitive to sensory stimulation which can impact on comfort, ability to concentrate and enjoyment of school.

Teachers may need to consider:

 Lighting, is it too bright or flashing,

Sounds – e.g.repetitive or constant sounds

Touch e.g harsh or rough farbics/ synthetic materials

Each individual with dyspraxia is different get to know your pupil  and agree reasonable adjustments that will remove barriers to learning.

Think whether the is child having difficulties and what can I do to help. Where they are sitting to minimise distraction. Think about tools and equipment available e.g. variety of writing tools or writing slope. Think about what can be done to make activities easier for children with challenges due to their dyspraxia.

Key points to remember when teaching children:
You can’t buy back time. Connect with the child and think about what school is like for them, get to know them  and then you can identify what you can do to help them . Help with the foundation motor skills they will need later, do this when children are younger through play and make it enjoyable. Encourage them to do things e.g. outdoor play and they will get these therapeutic exercises without realising it is therapy.

Multi sensory breaks for a child with dyspraxia can be used by all children in the class, all children can benefit from it.

Allow more time for children with Dyspraxia to do up their shoelaces or zips as they will find this more difficult.

Set targets that are achievable – e.g. to write two sentences in a lesson. This will help the child to see they are able to achieve.

Children will need clear instructions delivered one at a time and repeated when necessary.

More time to complete tasks and to move around school.

Where to find further information:

The Dyspraxia foundation website – for all ages.

The NHS :

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/developmental-coordination-disorder-dyspraxia/symptoms/

https://www.thebraincharity.org.uk/condition/dyspraxia/

Books about Dyspraxia, but observing and finding out about the individual is more useful.

Overview of the area of need:

Lifelong genetic condition

Vast has a cognitive delay

Most have some form of hearing loss (struggle with phonics)

Sensory neural loss – struggle to isolate sounds (struggle with phonics)

Loose muscle tone

Reduced concentration span

Extremely trusting

Suggested strategies/techniques:

Provide more time for processing delay

Visual support to aid communication development

Makaton

Communication book -  pages of symbols

Pencil grip support – different ways to approach handwriting (typing/ipad)

Repeating instructions – breaking down steps

Using language that is understandable

Practical

Overlearning – repeat, practise and rehearse skills

Classroom set up – communication approach

Strong routines

Brain breaks

Talk to parents

Modelling task

Key points to remember when teaching children:

incredibly good visual learners

relationship bond is crucial

Suggested strategies/techniques:

Where to find further information:

Local special school

Downs syndrome research foundation www.dsrf-uk.org

Downs syndrome association www.downs-syndrome.org.uk

Downs syndrome education international www.dseinternational.org/en-gb

International Mosaic Downs syndrome association www.imdsa.org

Symbol UK www.symbolconnect.co.uk

At the start of the topic as a class we make a mind map of what we already know, this goes in their books.

At the end of the topic the children write what they have learnt on the mind map.

Chunking and then retrieval at the end of the day

1. Autumn

2. Summer

3. Spring

B) they are both hot

C) it ends with a g

1. Increased tourism

2. Mining of new minerals

3. Pollution

1. give a little water each day

2. put it in a dark box to keep it safe

3. cover them with hot soil to keep them warm

a) People would make tools from bone and wood instead.

b) Hunting would become much more difficult.

c) Stone Age people would stop painting in caves.

Nativity Story - What if you were Mary and had to travel to Bethlehem?

a) I would know I might feel tired on the journey.

b) I would take an aeroplane to get there.

c) I would not go.

Equivalent Fractions - What if you multiplied the numerator but not the denominator?

a) The fraction would stay equivalent.

b) The fraction would get bigger and not be equivalent anymore.

c) The fraction would stay exactly the same.

Tick = Core training day 3

Book = Core training day 4

Whilst modeling the skill that is being taught, you can use metacognitive strategies like 'think aloud' to share how the problem has been solved. Student's can apply this to their own problem solving tasks.

The application of learning allows the students to deepen their own understanding.

• A pupil spends more time with a TA than a teacher.

• TAs are sitting with the same pupils consistently in class.

Daniel Willingham – Key Ideas for Teaching

• Children generally think in similar ways to adults, but they have less experience and less developed metacognitive skills.

• Willingham argues that teachers should be cautious about relying too heavily on rigid stage theories of development, such as assuming pupils are “not ready” to learn certain concepts because of their age.

• He suggests that teaching should focus on evidence-informed principles that are both practical and supported by research. One key example is that “practice is essential to gaining expertise.”

• Learning is strengthened when teachers:

  • break learning into small steps

  • model thinking clearly

  • revisit prior knowledge

  • use retrieval and practice regularly

  • avoid overloading working memory

• Willingham also highlights that pupils can often achieve more than adults expect when teaching is carefully scaffolded and explicitly taught.

Classroom implications

• Do not assume pupils cannot access challenging learning.

• Use modelling and explicit instruction to support understanding.

• Build strong routines for retrieval and practice.

• Focus on helping pupils think about their own learning through metacognition.

Fraction

Definition

A fraction is a number that shows equal parts of a whole or a group. It has a numerator (top number) and a denominator (bottom number).

Examples

½, ¾, 2/5, 7/8

One slice out of 4 equal pizza slices = 1/4

Non-examples

Whole numbers only (e.g. 5, 12)

Unequal parts of a shape

Letters or symbols without numbers

Decimals written without a fraction bar (e.g. 0.5) when learning basic fractions

Characteristics – Moves, beam, rigid, rotates

Examples – Seesaw, scissors

Non-examples – Screw, ramp