5 Tips I have learnt for working in a special needs school!

Working in a special needs school or class for the first time can be a bit daunting even if you have experience outside of the classroom. How can you adapt the curriculum to meet your children's needs, how can you ensure that all the children in your class have individual learning opportunities, will you be able to handle behaviours and different communication needs?

Below are 5 tips I have learnt from my own experience working in a special needs school. I am sure there are many more and would love to hear other people's ideas in the comments below.

1) Remember that all children are individuals: - I'm sure you will have done a lot of research on different special needs before you decided to go for a job in a specal needs school and you may have read in depth about different special needs such as autism, adhd, down syndrome etc.It's certainly good to do research and to have a good understanding of different strategies and techniques you can use within the classroom, but it is important to remember that children are individuals whether they have special needs or not. Not all children, with for example autism, are going to be the same. Some of the children with autism that I have worked with have been quiet and enjoyed very methodical activities such as construction whereas other children with autism have been loud, animated and loved to make up and tell their own stories. Take each child as you find them and use their interests to motivate them in the activities you prepare for them.

2) Break down tasks into manageable steps: - This is a good tip for anybody working with children and teaching new skills. Many of the smallest tasks we do each day are actually quite complex. Think about eating your dinner with a fork or spoon. First you need to be able to hold something in your hand, then you need to be able to move the spoon to your plate, you then need to scoop the food stuff onto your spoon before balancing it carefully on the spoon and bringing the spoon to your mouth. For some of our children this task can prove very difficult and that's before we get into the complexity of mouth movements and chewing the food! Make sure you have broken down any tasks into their smallest parts and teach the skills needed for each part and give frequent opportunities for practicing them.

3) Get to know symbols and pictures: - many children with special needs will have communication difficulties. They may find it difficult to understand verbal language and some may find it difficult to remember what has been said. Once you have said your words (or signed them using Makaton or BSL) they will have disappeared. If a child is struggling to understand the words have disappeared before they have had a chance to process them. Use symbols and pictures to accompany what you say and sign for a total communication approach and as a permanent reminder of what you are communicating. 

4) Use positive language to address behaviours: - You may come across behaviours that you find challenging. It is always a good idea to read the behaviour plans for each individual child so that you know what to do in these circumstances. However, don't make the mistake I did of using negative language to tell a child to stop. I asked a child to 'stop shouting.' When a child is in a heightened state of anxiety and are using challenging behaviour to communicate this to you, they will find it even more difficult to understand than when they are calm and happy. They may only hear the last word you said which in my case was 'shouting.' They may take this as a direction to shout more! Try to use positive words about what you want the child to do instead. For example, if a child is running instead of saying 'don't run' say 'please walk' instead. In my situation I could have said 'speak quietly' and used a calm and quiet voice myself.

5) Use the knowledge of other professionals:- It is likely that other professionals such as advisory teachers, psychologists, speech therapists and occupational therapists will have a lot of input into the teaching and learning of the pupils you work with. USE this to your advantage. These people have a wealth of knowledge and ideas but don't often get to use these to their full advantage as they don't work with the children they assist on a regular basis. I have had excellent input and advice from different professionals. I have had brilliant advice from an occupational therapist and set up sensory programs to help with sensory processing disorders, set up hand writing programs for children with fine motor skills difficulties and sensory input for children who just found some of our class activities difficult. Don't be afraid to try new approaches in your classroom!