One of the reasons that we decided to set up our own business was to give us the flexibility and freedom to work with children, parents and school staff in a way that was useful and unique to them. All children and all schools are different and, therefore, responses to their needs has to be bespoke or the support given will not be effective.
What works with one child will not work with another, and what works with one child on one day, may not work with them the next. If there were simple solutions to the behaviours displayed, school staff and parents would use them. Every case is unique.
We have both been teaching for a long time and, over the years we have seen many changes. One of the positive things that we have seen is the way schools have adapted their practice to support children who are struggling for whatever reason. Medical science has advanced, and more is known about the brain and how early experiences can impact on us. School staff attend training to learn about how they can support the wide range of need within their classrooms because we want to do the best for the children we teach.
Unfortunately, what works with one child will not necessarily work with another child; it is about building relationships with children to learn about their needs and to really try to understand what support they would best respond to. A child who has experienced trauma may not respond to a strategy or resource in the same way another child may. Children are all different and they all come with different levels of experience and needs. Children with autism or ADHD will respond to things differently compared to a child who has suffered neglect or another child who has not been given a positive parental role model. We need to build positive relationships to help us choose the best strategy or resource to support the children in our classes.
Schools that we work in are trying to use creative ways to support children in schools who may be struggling. They think out of the box and are willing to try new and innovative ways of working.
We can think out of the box to help our children (while ensuring the other children in the class are also supported). I saw this and thought it was relevant to this blog.
Reach Behaviour 