If all efforts to control a situation through good behaviour management have failed, in extreme circumstances you can use physical means to prevent injury. Article 4 of the Education Act 1998 enables a member of staff to use reasonable force to prevent a pupil committing an offence, to prevent him causing injury to himself, to …
Read More Promoting and sustaining good behaviour in schools

This is a very brief outline of the code of practice giving the important points which a classroom teacher would need to know.  It is a 5 step procedure. Some children may proceed through all the steps, some may remain at one particular stage, others will start at various stages on the steps and may …
Read More Code of Practice

SEN is a term used to mean Special Educational Needs. A child is considered as having special educational needs if he/she has a learning difficulty which requires special educational provision (that is provision more than the average child) to be made for him/her. Many children have learning difficulties, but the important thing is that the …
Read More The Education Act 1996 (NI)

Claire is a speech and language therapist.  She has recently taken up a newly created post to work in mainstream education.  She covers a wide geographical area and could not possibly treat all children on an individual basis.  Claire’s belief is that all children can benefit from language activities and that this practice should be …
Read More Working with a speech and language therapist

Margaret has working as a classroom assistant in the school for 20 years.  When she started, children with special needs were uncommon in the school and little was expected of them.  Now there are several children in the class and each child is expected to achieve his/her potential and to be independent wherever possible.  However, …
Read More Classroom assistant: promoting independence?

David is a new English teacher in a boys’ secondary school.  In one of his classes he has two boys who have SLD (dyslexia).  A classroom assistant has been allocated to them (Mary) and she started in the school just six weeks before the summer break.  On the first day of term Mary arrives wearing …
Read More Dress Code: necessity or nuisance?

Mr and Mrs McIlgorm have three children. The eldest has an ASD and is at a special school. Paul (see case study) is in P1. As soon as Paul knows it is time for home he has his coat on and is outside the door waiting for his mother. Unfortunately Mrs McIlgorm chooses to pick …
Read More Case Study: Dealing with a chatty parent

Mr and Mrs Black live about 7 miles from Strabane. They have three children, two already attending the local 3 teacher school. Their youngest child Ben has autism. They had been hoping he could attend the same school as his siblings but they have said they don’t feel they can cope, so reluctantly Mr and …
Read More Case Study: The inclusion of a child with autism

Jason is ten years old.  He appears to have normal ability and enjoys class and the company of his peers.  He does however, find it very hard to stay quiet for more than a few minutes.  He frequently interrupts the teacher by making strange noises or gestures which the other children find amusing.  His class …
Read More Case Study: Tourette’s Syndrome

Jack is 9.  He has recently been diagnosed as having Aspergers’ Syndrome.  In class he was always moving about and constantly trying to attract the attention of the teacher or other children.  He always seemed to be looking for something or adjusting an item of clothing or something under his desk or in his schoolbag. …
Read More Case Study: Aspergers’ Syndrome