It is interesting how when you type in “teacher training for special needs children”, Google offers courses for specialist teachers of SEN or for Teaching Assistants. However, since the 2014 Code of Practice the emphasis has been on inclusion and not intervention through withdrawal for small group or one-to-one teaching. Therefore, the landscape of teacher training should have changed with the Code of Practice: but is this the case?
Every teacher will tell you that the nirvana of teaching is pure personalisation. This means every child is being taught in a way that is suited to their needs. In reality, few teachers successfully achieve differentiation within a lesson on broad ability types. This is partly due to class sizes and partly due to a lack of training in how to address different children’s needs.
With the arrival of the summer holidays, parents of children with special needs often find ourselves having more time available to spend bonding with our children. Whilst doing fun sensory and stimulating activities at home is rewarding, sometimes going out on a summer adventure can be a welcome break for both of you.
