Sarah is 8 years old, and she’s been described with cerebral palsy, which is a neurological condition that impacts the way a child moves and interferes with muscle control. The physical, communicative, social, and academic needs are all part of her specific needs. Targeted planning of an educational programme and MDT input are required to meet these needs (Taberna, 2020).
Sarah has one of the outstanding special educational needs due to her physical limitations. A perforated corpus callosum is a problem because she has difficulty with her gross and fine motor skills, making her incapable of walking independently, writing, using scissors, and many other basic daily activities. This often requires a walker or wheelchair for mobility and may cause fatigue or discomfort, reducing her full participation in the classroom, especially in the school setting, physical education or playground.
Furthermore, Sarah has problems with verbal communication as she does not or cannot speak. She may also communicate using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices or nonverbal cues like gestures or facial expressions. This affects how she can participate in classroom discussions, answer questions, or communicate her needs or emotions, which in turn can lead to frustration and even behaviour challenges.
Sarah finds it difficult to succeed academically and struggles with fine motor control for writing, drawing, and educational tools requiring precision. Additionally, without appropriate support, this may prevent her from being able to do assignments at the same rate as her peers (Dolean and Lervag, 2021). In addition, other ways of learning and showing understanding are possible, such as oral responses or the use of adaptive technology, which also benefits her. Sarah is a socially motivated child who wants to interact with peers and not only communicate, although her physical and communication challenges create obstacles.
The multidisciplinary team will play a significant part in ensuring that Sarah is met holistically, as demonstrated in this Skills Demonstration Based On Case Study through practical MDT collaboration. Each professional's expertise contributes to her learning and development.
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Most challenging behaviour in children with additional needs comes from a child being frustrated, encountering environmental barriers or lacking the ability to meet their emotional or communication needs (Hogan and Bigby, 2023). For Sarah, there could be several possible sources of such behaviours. One of the first issues may be Sarah’s limitations in expressing herself verbally, which may result in frustration because her expressions cannot be faithfully received. Misunderstanding might trigger behaviours such as crying, vocalising or withdrawal (Jones, Hanley and Riby, 2020). Secondly, she may be physically incapable of participating in activities her peers enjoy, such as playing games or partaking in physical education. This should make her feel emotional if left behind or not included in the fun. Lastly, fine motor academic tasks can cause suffocation, inadequacy, or anxiety regarding the capacity to do similar work as her peers.
Various positive and supportive techniques may be applied to manage and reduce challenging behaviour, which is exemplified in the Skills Demonstration Based On Case Study by Sarah’s use of AAC and visual supports. Sarah is expressed nonverbally through visual supports like emotion charts or communication boards. Positive behaviour supports (PBS) help understand why a behaviour is done and teach appropriate options (Fisher and Kelly, 2024). For example, Sarah was prompted to use her AAC device instead of being frustrated and vocalising. Structure is comforting, and Sarah has routine and predictable transitions with structure and expectations. In addition, praise and reinforcement for effort and participation can increase her self-esteem and motivate her (Leif et al., 2023).
Supporting a child with cerebral palsy, such as Sarah, in accessing and engaging with the school curriculum involves several interventions and targeted assistance. Given her physical, communication, and academic challenges, Sarah's curriculum adaptation must be carefully utilised to help her participate fully in curriculum implementation. First, assistive technology is central to Sarah’s educational success (Leif et al., 2023), as highlighted in the Skills Demonstration Based On Case Study showing real-life applications of adaptive tools in classroom settings. She is helped by tools like speech-generating devices or communication apps to connect with class discussions and communicate what she needs. She can use a tablet or even an adapted keyboard to complete written tasks without relying on her traditional fine motor skills. Another valuable software to her is voice-to-text software, which lets her express her ideas verbally and converts them into written form.
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However, differentiation is the key in terms of classroom practice. Sarah’s needs are best served by lesson adaptations matching her strengths as follows, and as far as possible, lesson adaptations that provide multiple means of representation such as visual, auditory, and tactile resources (Beqiraj et al., 2022). For example, rather than completing an activity, such as handwriting, Sarah could show her understanding by matching images, using AAC, or sequencing pictures. It enables her to get the same learning outcomes as the rest of her peers at levels appropriate for her abilities. An additional technique for task breakdown involves dividing the learning tasks into smaller, manageable steps (Narváez et al., 2020). This leads to independence and less cognitive overload. Visual timetables and clear instructions paired with this can help Sarah understand classroom routines and transitions so that she is not anxious and instead confident.
A special Needs assistant (SNA) is key. The SNA will help Sarah position her body, access her learning materials, use her assistive technology, and facilitate communication with her peers and staff (Banville, Meegan and Scanlon, 2019). They also manage fatigue levels and, if necessary, encourage sensory breaks. Sarah’s education plan (IEP) can influence the class teacher to work with the school nurse and assess expectations as they please. It can involve extended time for tasks, alternative means of assessment, prompts, and support for Sarah when working.
In addition, social inclusion and collaborative learning can be promoted through the introduction of peer support programs such as buddy systems. Pairing Sarah with her peers in group activities will help her build her confidence and communication skills and build a sense of social belonging with her peers. External specialist input is sought from the occupational therapist and speech and language therapist to ensure support is based on Sarah’s therapeutic goals (Banville, Meegan and Scanlon, 2019). These professionals can offer classroom strategies, recommendations of particular resources, and participation in review meetings to monitor Sarah’s progress and adjust interventions as necessary.
For Sarah to feel responsible and experience independence, there can be a structured "Daily Desk Setup" routine. This activity will help her cognitive and motor development, while encouraging her autonomy.
In the mornings, Sarah would follow a visual schedule that represents a personalised map of tasks through the morning, such as finding and putting her water bottle and communication device on her desk, putting her bag down, and choosing which learning tools (e.g. book or tablet) she wants to work with. It would be scheduled with laminated cards that contain images and some easy words to correlate her comprehension level (Mangen, Olivier and Velay, 2019). Consistency and repetition reinforce the routine, helping Sarah build confidence over time.
Adaptive equipment such as a slanted writing board, a desk with suitable height adjustments anda tray organiser in reach that supports her needs is to help her physical needs. It would be a task designed for her to do as many steps as possible independently. At the same time, the SNA would provide only the appropriate amount of support: hand-over-hand assistance for challenging issues or a verbal prompt. This learning opportunity provides an opportunity for responsibility, routine, fine motor practice, and communication, as evidenced in the Skills Demonstration Based On Case Study, reinforcing independence through structured daily routines. It gives Sarah a bit of control over her environment and prepares her for more involvement in the classroom.
Skills of Communication and Listening: The SNA needs to comprehend Sarah’s verbal and nonverbal cues, gestures, and use of AAC (Anwar and Hart, 2024). It should promote two-way interaction, use clear language, and model appropriate communication techniques.
Supporting Sarah is a challenge. She needs to be patient and flexible so she can adjust her support level depending on what she needs on any given day.
Observation and Assessment, Sarah performs each task, areas of growth or challenge identified, observations reported to teacher and multidisciplinary team to contribute to IEP goals.
Adaptive Equipment Knowledge: Knowing how to use adaptive equipment, such as communication devices or fine motor aids, is necessary to set up and support its use.
Verbal Praise and Encouragement: The SNA should give Sarah verbal praise and encouragement to increase her confidence and motivation and develop her enthusiasm and willingness to take initiative (Anwar and Hart, 2024).
The SNA needs to collaborate with the class teacher, therapists, and the family to achieve consistency and alignment with Sarah’s broader developmental goals.
Fostering peer interaction during or after the activity, the SNA also promotes Sarah’s social skills and sense of belonging in the classroom, thereby promoting inclusion.
A Special Needs Assistant (SNA) is a fulfilling and stressful position. Occupational stress related to working with children who have complex needs, such as Sarah, who has cerebral palsy, is a significant physical, emotional and mental burden for the staff if not proactively managed (Vadivelan et al., 2020). SNAs are faced with these stressors, and practical strategies to deal with them must be implemented to ensure the organisations can be well and effective. The emotional responsibility of supporting children with additional needs is one of the main stressors for SNAs. Seeing children upset or get down can cause emotional fatigue and when building those strong bonds, it's easy to be emotionally worn out. Being emotionally aware and reflecting regularly is essential to manage this (Cheng and Lai, 2023). Processing emotions and preventing burnout includes reflecting on challenging situations, talking to supervisors and/or writing a reflective journal.
Everyday stressors include time pressures, workload, personal care support, supporting learning, preparing materials, and attending meetings. To deal with this, SNAs use time management tactics such as checklists, arranging prior tasks, and having priority lists (Vadivelan et al., 2020). Working in close collaboration with the class teacher means there are well-defined duties.
Another challenge is physical strain, particularly in hands-on mobility, toileting and manual handling. SNAs cannot prevent injury and fatigue without following correct manual handling procedures and the proper use of assistive equipment (Berrocoso et al., 2020). A proactive step to keep the SNA and child safe would be to ask for training or refreshers on safe handling techniques. Sometimes of the work with children whose communication could be understood in more than several ways includes becoming frustrated or not communicating at all. Stress levels may be amplified to make sense of the child and deal with challenging behaviour (van der Mark et al., 2018). If people find themselves, to alleviate anxiety around miscommunication, professional development in communication strategies, such as Makaton, Lámh, or AAC training, can help increase confidence and skill around this communication.
Another valuable way is building a peer support network within the school. Share experiences, advice, and emotional support by connecting with other SNAs and attending team meetings with colleagues. Further, it is also essential to keep a healthy work–life balance (van der Mark et al., 2018). Regular exercise, hobbies, adequate rest and quality time with either relatives or friends should be a priority for SNAs. These activities are taken in charge of emotional regulation and energy renewal.
As a consequence of thinking through the concepts of segregation, integration and inclusion, I have found myself changing the way I reflect on how children with additional needs, such as Sarah, should be supported within the education system. Before taking this course, I knew what these terms meant but had no idea what it meant to apply it, nor did I understand the ramifications they have in practice for a child’s development and sense of belonging.
This involves segregating special needs children from these typically developing ones in different places. These children cannot be in mainstream classrooms on the baseline of this model because this model assumes that these children cannot meaningfully participate in mainstream classrooms. I started the course seeing segregation can be 'sometimes' necessary for 'specialist support' but failed to consider the social and emotional damages exclusion brings fully. I know now that specialist support is essential but can be provided in inclusive settings where all children can get the most from shared experiences.
On the contrary, integration is done by placing children with special needs in mainstream settings and expecting them to fit into the existing structures without the much-needed support (Passmore, Conway and Baxter, 2020). In the beginning, I saw integration as a progressive step. However, now that I have studied real-life situations and policies such as the EPSEN Act 2004 and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability, I realise that integration does not always happen successfully. As a result, children may be physically present in the classroom but socially or academically excluded for lack of appropriate adjustments.
This was inclusion, as I now understand it, proactively taking steps towards removing barriers to allow all children, no matter their ability, to participate in as much of school as possible. Inclusion is not about “fitting in”. Furthermore, implementing demands a change in attitudes, environment and teaching approaches (Passmore, Conway and Baxter, 2020). For instance, using various assistive technologies, differentiated tasks, and SNA support allows the mainstream classroom to support Sarah, who is physically present but actively learning and socialising with her peers.
I went from seeing inclusion as a hopeful ideal to a right and a basic expectation. All children benefit when inclusion is happening: empathy, diversity and collaboration. Through my work, I have learned we cannot wait to create inclusive environments and we need planning, teamwork and professional learning. This course has also made me more critically aware of my own biases and the importance of being reflective in practice. I now wonder about my actions or assumptions that unintentionally could exclude a child or hinder their potential.
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