On a daily basis, teachers and teaching assistants will encounter a large variety of children with varying skill levels.
The majority of children perform at a standard that either meets or surpasses their expectations, however some children may struggle with aspects of the curriculum and find certain tasks more difficult than the rest.
It’s important that any staff member within a school environment keep a close eye on anything that seems out of the norm, as it will be a lot easier to support children from an early age, than it will be later on in their life.
Sometimes people can find themselves confusing a learning disability with autism or other special educational needs, but there is a big difference between the two! Afterall, some children with autism can be incredibly intelligent and at the top of their class.
So how can a teacher or teaching assistant stop themselves from confusing a learning disability with autism?
The Autistic Spectrum (ASD) is used to reference different types of autism. Every form of autism is different but most children who have it, will share these difficulties;
- Social communication and interactions with other children.
- Language skills.
- No enjoyment during group activities.
- Lack of empathy or difficulty explaining what they mean.
- Sensory concerns.
- Not maintaining eye contact.
- Small attention span.
- Easily distracted.
- Interrupting the teacher.
- Struggling to control their anger.
- Looking stressed or anxious in unplanned situations.
If a member of staff suspects that a child might have a form of autism, they will need to inform their line manager so that they can have a meeting with the child’s parents and tell the SENCO at the school so they can do a full evaluation. The Teacher can then create an individual programme for the child, so that its tailored to their needs and helps them to understand the curriculum.
If you’re a Teacher or Teaching Assistant looking for work, then please contact Tick Education info@tickeducation.co.uk or 01234 975200 so we can help you find your dream job in education.
We deal with day to day supply, long term placements and permanent roles, so whatever you’re looking for, we can help you.
Not only that but all our candidates get access to free training courses with our own in house qualified trainer, so you can further your skills and feel more confident in your abilities.