Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and ADHD
- Jane Hicks (Sept'18)
- Jul 10, 2018
- 3 min read
Teachers are expected to differentiate for all pupils in their classrooms, it can be very hard, frustrating work on top of everything else they have to do, especially as they often get little or conflicting advice. For parents and carers, trying to understand how to help with school work is often an issue and can cause worry and conflict at home also.
For pupils with diagnosed (or obvious) problems with literacy, comprehension or focus, there is a huge amount of information about how to alter classroom approaches to make sure they can access learning.
As a SENCo I am constantly trying to find ways to simplify this information and demystify these labels- some ideas:
The Dyslexia friendly classroom:
Imagine you are a foreign language teacher where words are symbols which might not mean much to your students. Think about how you would get your message across.
Use multi-sensory resources; audio, visual, 2/3D etc
Allow your students extra time and make sure they feel comfortable asking you for help (before or after the lesson maybe?)
Have a look at this link and maybe print out the page to remind you when you are planning your lessons.
https://metro.co.uk/2015/06/06/this-is-what-it-is-like-to-have-dyslexia-5232994/?ito=article.desktop.share.top.linkRead more: https://metro.co.uk/2015/06/06/this-is-what-it-is-like-to-have-dyslexia-5232994/?ito=cbshare Twitter: https://twitter.com/MetroUK | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MetroUK/
Dyslexia doesn't just affect spelling and writing. Pupils often have a lot of trouble with sequencing, memory and being organised. Repetition during and at the end of your lesson is helpful. Speak to your students (and their support staff) about what is difficult for them and how you could help. All students are different and one size does not fit all.
If your planning reflects your student's individual needs, you are less likely to assume they can do things which they can't (i.e tell the time).
The Dyspraxia friendly classroom
Dyspraxia is 'a developmental disorder of the brain in childhood causing difficulty in activities requiring coordination and movement'.
This will affect your student's ability to write and draw. Dyspraxia can also affect a student's ability to understand what you are saying, to link ideas, and to communicate effectively; all the things you would expect pupils to do in a normal classroom. Depending on the level of need (all the more reason to get to know your pupils) this can cause teachers problems in terms of differentiation. Where possible, in your planning, do a mental risk assessment for this pupil; what problems will they have in accessing this lesson?
The ADHD friendly classroom
Most of our pupils have problems with concentration in one form or another. Mobile phones, friendship issues, lack of confidence, all contribute to them not being able to focus for too long.
For some pupils this is more extreme and they cannot keep quiet or sit still for longer than a few minutes.
As with all SEND pupils, find out from them what they find most difficult and any strategies which have helped them in the past.
Seating plans are particularly important, make sure they have space to move about in a constructive way which does not disturb others.
Give them a large sheet of doodling paper (some useful research on how good this can be for learning) so that they can take time out during the task to re-focus.
A small egg timer or watch can help students regulate the time they take off and on tasks. Agree beforehand how long they can have off task and how often.
Review and reward progress on self regulating during the lesson.
Blutak and other discreet fiddling toys can also help.
Pace your lessons so that there are changes of task, from listening, to reading, to doing, to asking questions and partnership working. Make sure there are obvious opportunities to talk or move around.
Where possible, have a visual representation of how the lesson is planned so that the pupil knows they don't have too long to wait before they can get up and move around or have a chat with a partner.
Tick off sessions as they are completed to help pupils gauge the progress they have made, make this as positive as possible.
Catch them being good, praise on-task or self-regulating behaviour with a simple gesture or comment.
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