Teach-Primary-Issue-19.8

potential. Some of these strategies might seem counterintuitive to you, but they work. Sadly, in my experience, there’s still a tendency for schools to discourage these things because they’re seen as disruptive or because it’s ‘not fair’ for the autistic pupil to behave one way and the neurotypical pupils to behave another way. But, sorry, this isn’t equality; it’s discrimination and refusal to implement reasonable adjustments. If this were an employee, they’d be taking the employer to tribunal. W hat if I told you that letting a pupil sit under the table while you teach could improve their learning, reduce workload, and make your classroom more inclusive? I’ve been asked to give you tips on how to support neurodivergent pupils (specifically pupils with autism) to meet their greatest potential in mainstream schools, without relying on increased funding or staffing levels. Well, I’ve gone a step further. I have some easily applied strategies you can use in your mainstream classroom that will make a tremendous difference and actually reduce workload. I’m excited, because I’ve been delivering autism training for almost 12 years, but I’m also about to go through my own autism and ADHD assessment. So, I’m coming at this from a fresh perspective, even for me. Is it dangerous? One of the amazing things about pupils with autism is that they often have special interests and their own coping strategies. They’ve developed techniques to help themselves reach their DIFFERENT? Disruptive, or just Letting pupils sit under tables might be the best thing you do for SEND progress this year, argues Adam Dean ... the case, please let them, they’re hurting nobody. Finally, eye contact is hard. I run a school, and when I’m thinking, I close my eyes and look away. It’s never been a problem. Ask yourself this: is it dangerous? Is it severely disruptive? If the answer is no, then it’s probably fine, will help the pupil to learn, and make your job smoother. Our job is to teach, not to force conformity. Let’s not make pupils use a wrench when they already have a spanner. It’s also making your job more difficult. I’m not talking about anything unreasonable here, just going with the flow. Let’s look at a few examples. Some pupils might find that sitting under the table helps them to focus. Again, it’s not typical, but it helps. Group work can be draining for some autistic pupils. But that’s okay; some of our brightest minds work better alone or with short, snappy interactions. Some pupils need to flap or draw or chew their shirt sleeves. If that’s “Let’s not make pupils use a wrench when they already have a spanner...” 34 | www.teachwire.net