Forum on special educational needs

Phil Dexter, British Council Teacher Development Adviser, UK

Sharon Noseley, ELT Lecturer/Tutor, De Montfort University,
Leicester, UK.
Sophie Farag, Director, Intensive Academic English Program,
The American University in Cairo, Egypt

www.teachingenglish.org.uk
 Special educational needs: Let's
celebrate diversity and inclusion in
learning
Which of these children have special educational
needs?

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 What’s going on in this classroom? What is not
happening?

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 Special Educational Needs
Access and Engagement

Societal Factors: Cognitive

family, trauma & differences
Displacement

Speech &
language
needs

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 Language for resilience
Role of language in times of crisis - Syria

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 Social and Medical Models of Inclusion

Good practice suggests an integrated

model
access, participation and
engagement

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 Spectrum of cognitive differences
• Social impact factors
lear learners include
• Dyslexia
• ADHD Co-
ocurring
• Dyspraxia
• Autistic spectrum
• Speech and language difficulties

Text based learning – reading/writing

Working memory & sequencing
Concentration/Focus
Social interaction needs
Organisation of work and tasking

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 Is the brain Leaky or Sticky?

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It’s notNeuro-Diversity
what you think –– but howthe
what’s youissue?
think!

Neurodiverse learners typically may have difficulties with traditional

text based approaches to teaching and learning – mainly in classroom
learning contexts. These difficulties have nothing to do with
intelligence but there is clear evidence of underperformance.
How can we transform the performance gap?

In understanding neuro-diversity we recognize cognitive

differences as part of a natural spectrum of ‘ways of thinking’

which are unique and equally valid that should be educationally

and socially celebrated.

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 Celebrating our differences – playing to
strengths
imagination, holistic/big picture thinking, kinaesthetic and
visual memory, strong intuition and creativity.

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Three wave approach to inclusion in mainstream contexts

www.britishcouncil.org
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  Provide overviews and clarification where necessary
Techniques/approaches
 Bridges between lessons celebrating positive learning
 Colour code & notes in advance s
 Assess, plan, do and review
vable step by step approach(
 Monitoring, mentoring &coaching
building successful
 Multi-sensory approaches – outcomes
 scaffolding/differentiation and KISS-E
 Preparation, planning and organisation
 Promote positive stubbornness
 Assisted technology
 Assessment for learning approaches
 High Interest learning – engage our learners in
meaningful ways……..based on what they can do!

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 • http://www.teachingenglish
.org.uk/teacher-training/s
pecial-educational-needs

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www.teachingenglish.org.uk

www.teachingenglish.org.uk/teacher-dev
elopment

phil.dexter@britishcouncil.org