When children with SEN can express how they are feeling, the world becomes a better place, writes Kim Graham.
Imagine not being able to join in with a discussion, tell someone what you need or explain how you’re feeling.
That’s what school life can be like for a child who has difficulty communicating with their teachers and peers—and it can have a profound effect on their wellbeing.
As a specialist SEND practitioner and teacher, I am seeing more and more evidence of children with SEN whose anxiety is linked to communication and social interaction at school—in fact this type of anxiety contributes to most of the referrals in our caseloads.
However, there is some really innovative practice happening in schools which is having a positive impact on children’s wellbeing. Here are just a few of the ways teachers can support children’s mental health and help them engage fully with school.
- Build emotional literacy
Children need to be able to understand their emotions before they can express them to other people. The starting point is to let children know that no emotion is wrong. One way to do this is through the Zones of Regulation approach which divides a whole range of emotions into four coloured zones. Children use these to identify how they are feeling—for instance, tired, calm, frustrated or scared.
This helped when a child at one of our schools was struggling with the transition into Year 1 and was missing the freedom of the Early Years curriculum. He couldn’t articulate how he was feeling but he was able to identify which zone his emotion was in.
We then worked with the pupil using Widgit symbols which are simple visual illustrations of concepts, objects and ideas. Using these, the pupil could tell us he was feeling worried or upset, and we could find ways to help him regulate these emotions and navigate the transition more easily.
This approach also helps with emotional regulation in situations when a child is overwhelmed by their environment. One of our autistic pupils experienced heightened anxiety when he thought a teacher might ask him a question in class and he would have to speak. So we gave him some symbols he could show the teacher to say ‘I know the answer but please don’t ask me.’ This enabled the pupil to learn in a way that supported his well-being.
- Create an inclusive environment
It is challenging for pupils who don’t have verbal communication skills to tell us about the choices they are making, or to join in with classroom activities.
Cate Marsden who is director of external partnerships at Woodbridge Trust in Bolton explains how her team helps schools give all children a voice.
“A pre-verbal child at one of our settings didn’t want to join in any outdoor learning sessions but couldn’t explain why. We needed to work out why he was afraid to be outside, so we showed the child a board containing symbols of everyday words. This enabled him to tell us he didn’t like the flags in the playground. Once we had taken the flags down the pupil was happy to come outside again.
Children with communication needs sometimes need help building friendships too, as Cate explains. “One of our children was selectively mute, and couldn’t ask her friends to play. So, we made ‘Will you play with me?’ cards using symbols which she could use in the playground. That was a big breakthrough in helping her make friends and supporting her wellbeing.”
- Work closely with families
Parents and carers play a vital role in embedding the communication skills a child is learning at school, making the impact on the child’s mental health even more positive.
My colleague Robyn McGregor, who is an autism family support worker for the Northumberland High Incidence Needs Team, is a passionate advocate of home-school partnerships.
“Helping children with routines is important in promoting their wellbeing. Some children have become used to using visual timetables at school. These are illustrated boards which help children understand what will happen throughout the day, for instance a visual for outdoor play followed by another one for snack time, then circle time.
“We encourage parents to use this approach at home too. When one family was having difficulties with their child’s bedtime routine, we helped them make a visual timetable with a symbol for each step including getting changed, brushing teeth and choosing a story. The family even edited the symbols to make them personal to the child, with a pink toothbrush and a special toy.”
As Robyn explains, “The visual timetable reduced the child’s anxiety by helping her see what will come next, making bedtime easier and reinforcing the importance of a regular routine at home as well as at school.”
At a time when children’s anxiety levels are so high, it has never been more important to help them find a way to express their feelings and understand their emotions. If children with SEN are able to participate fully in school activities, manage routines and make friends, they will have a happier, more fulfilling time at school.
