How do we support the students with special education needs?

[Guest post by a local education officer on Special Education Needs in Singapore]

The most common SEN in Secondary Schools in Singapore nowadays includes Dyslexia, ADHD, Mild ASD (autism spectrum disorder), Visual impairment and Hearing loss.

My personal experience and what I did to help these students

For dyslexia, usually they are not very prominent as they would have learned strategies to cope since primary school. Students with dyslexia can apply for extra time during examinations (subject to SEAB approval). Once diagnosed, tuition centres can also provide more time for these students to read and learn.

For ADHD, as long as we manage our own emotions well and handle arising situations calmly, it will be okay. Sometimes, the student can be very hyper and ask a lot of questions. For these cases, I usually limit the number of questions the student can ask and communicate clearly to the student. Clear expectations will help the students with special education needs understand what are required of them.

Some students’ form of ADHD is where the student is unable to focus on the task and tend to day-dream. We can bring the student back by giving him a more engaging task and is of interest to him. Also, conduct lessons that are more student-centric and give short breaks within the lesson. Once a student asks if he could go to the back of class to jump 10 times. So that he can concentrate on the lesson again. I agreed and praised the child for coming out with a solution to manage himself. (Of course it cannot become an excuse to keep doing and escape the lesson. Also it should be very discrete so as to not affect the rest of the class)

Case Study of a Student with Special Education Needs

I followed a child with mild ASD from Sec 1 to Sec 4 (form teacher).
He has strong learning capabilities in Math and Science, weakest subject is literature as he has difficulties understanding metaphors.

The Challenges Teachers faced

This student has a tendency to use his sense of touch too much. He was not able to read facial expressions well and understand social cues. Thus teachers worked with the Learning Behaviour Specialist (LBS) teacher to manage the child. Meetings were held to learn more about the child’s behaviour. And the LBS teachers taught us some strategies how to handle the child. The LBS teachers also conducted weekly sessions to teach the child how to cope with daily situations. And taught him how to read facial expressions.

As the child has a tendency to touch his classmates, I had to be very mindful of where he sits. The child had early intervention and was taught about right and wrong touches, etc. However, a lot of time was used everyday to reinforce to him and to manage such situations. For example, the boy who sits next to him will complain to me that he always touches him too much. So we will have to teach him how to say no firmly and notify the teacher when it happens. A class session was held to teach the class on how to manage the child with ASD (without his presence).

Actions we can take as Teachers/tutors

When situations arise, firstly stay calm and assess the mental state of the child. If the child is having a meltdown, do not react strongly by scolding or shaming the child. Instead, approach the child calmly and say: “It is okay, you can take a break and sit down first”. Or “is there anything I can do to make you feel better?”. Assure the rest of the class that you are around and you are in control of the situation. Say “do not worry, I am here and I will keep the situation under control, focus on your work”. (something like that). If other students further aggravate the situation, be firm and ask the other students to remain quiet.

Next, contact the LBS teacher and accompany the child out of class to wait for the teacher. Or, we can tell the child to sit down first and wait for the teacher (if child calms down). After everything, have a talk with the child personally to coach him on possible strategies to cope. Actions he can take when experiencing a melt-down or how to prevent it, with the help of a LBS teacher. (differs case-to-case). By secondary 4, the child with special education needs has improved tremendously. Thus he was able to cope with his behavioural needs much better. The hardest part to teach will be his ability to make friends.

Another example of Special Education Needs – ODD

Another case I had is a child who has ODD (Oppositional defiant disorder). The child tends to be very aggressive when he felt he is not understood or asked to follow certain rules. Do not engage the child when he or she is aggressive. Instead offer the child some time to calm down, before talking to him. Work with the child’s parents to find out what is the best way to engage him, before talking to him.

What can tuition centres do to complement schools in supporting Special Education Needs students?

Tuition centres can find out more about the child’s needs to better support them. Inform the teachers about the special education learning needs of the child. Including possible intervention strategies to guide the child, so that teachers are better equipped. The environment can also be adjusted to suit the child. Such as dimming the lights if the child is sensitive to light. Or not having bright colours in the classroom is the student with special education need is distracted easily.

Disclaimer: I am not an expert so this is mostly my personal take. My guideline is: always disengage if in a power struggle or in a meltdown situation. Help the child understand that you are trying to help. If the child uses his condition as an excuse, that is when you can exercise more firmness as a teacher.

Read more at Ministry of Education Website

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