Inclusion means ensuring every learner feels valued, understood, and supported. This category explores inclusive education principles, neurodiversity-affirming practices, accessibility, and whole-school approaches to equity and belonging.
Whether you’re an educator, leader, or parent, find insights and tools to foster truly inclusive learning environments where all pupils can thrive.
Social stories are a tried and tested way of teaching social skills but for some learners they are too much. I needed a way to remind a student of the rules but in a way that didn’t single them out as being the focus of the story. Some people will say this won’t work as autistic children can’t generalise…. but anyone who has worked with autism knows a lot of what people say is actually a myth or just does not apply to an individual.
Lego Resources in Class This post was originally written to celebrate the second birthday of Inclusiveteach.com with a post about Lego! Lego toys are still popular and with the increasing use of Lego therapy even more widely used in education than when I wrote this blog Lego Resources in the Classroom Playing with blocks and … Read more
Using Videos in Lessons On Youtube you can probably find a video that will link in with your lesson no matter what it is. These can be really effective teaching tools or a way to introduce a new voice to the lesson. If needed you can use a “safe” version of youtube (Youtube Kids) to … Read more
n my role as behaviour lead at my school I am increasingly interested in the impact of sensory processing on learning, engagement and what we perceive as challenging behaviour. I wanted to find out more so asked some questions of the twitterverse. This is a breakdown of some of the things I was able to take away from the chat.
Early Career Teachers (ECTs) – Consider Special Schools when you are Job Hunting. If you are a recently qualified ECT and looking for a teaching post I would urge you to consider working in a specialist provision, whether that be a PRU, special school, specialist unit or residential school. The children deserve your energy and … Read more
When you are a teacher of autistic children, you have a really important role in their lives, you are in a position with responsibility to carry out a task that can impact their wellbeing for life. How often do we question our ability to do this? I don’t mean write a lesson plan. I mean educate a child who processes the world differently to you.
Tips for managing your emotions. Challenging Behaviour: Managing The Emotional Impact on Yourself Part of my current role involves training the new PBS instructors for the county special schools. This is a great opportunity to ensure a consistent approach and ethos towards challenging behaviour between schools. It is also a chance to collaborate and learn … Read more
How To Effectively Manage Challenging Behaviour When faced with displays of behaviour that challenge most schools resort to sanctions and consequences. For some this may work. If you work with Young people with a special educational need, mental health issues, or those experiencing that most troubling of all childhood issues – Puberty; need you to … Read more
This is a follow up to part 1 there are a huge number of great SEN blogs with ideas, resources, and inspiration for you to read and engage with. These are just some I have enjoyed reading and wanted to share them with you. Tracey Lawrence – Tweets as @behaviourteach Assistant head, and host of … Read more
The TEACCH Approach: Personalisation not Normalisation One of the main issues I have with labels is the group children with a huge array of skills, interests, and talents together and that leads to approaches to their education that try to suggest it will work with anyone who has that label. I have used the TEACCH … Read more
Getting Stuck: How the School Environment can Prevent Pupils Transition Autism can create barriers to inclusive education, we as teachers can also unwittingly create barriers to including pupils and making their education as effective as possible. We must take a moment to consider our actions and decisions in terms of how they may create issues … Read more
Three essential components to SEND education. Special education is a fantastic career option. I am always urging NQTs to consider SEND education as an option for their careers. It is different from mainstream education in a number of key ways. However, that intrinsic desire to provide the best outcomes for the children you teach is … Read more
In Real Life: Devaluing Online Identity. This idea formed part of my presentation for the Wellbeing curriculum at the BETT show. I am going to say that the phrase “In Real Life”. Often used to distinguish between online activity and activity in our tangible immediate physical surroundings. Should be retired. The audio version below. Please … Read more
Autism and the barriers to friendship This is a situation that occurred a while ago and now both students are a couple of years into their new placements I feel it can be written and anonymity maintained. The names are made up, ‘Jack’ is what one of my current students calls me despite my trying … Read more
Technology and SEN Children with additional needs do not have the same access to technology as their peers. Specialist equipment is very expensive. The school may have excellent provision, is this the same at home? In their residential provision? Will the same assistive technology or better be available to them in their future placements? I … Read more
Using iPads and Tablet Technology in Sensory Rooms There are many ways to make a sensory room and learning space more engaging, one of the quickest and most versatile is… the teacher. Running a close second is by using technology. In terms of interactivity specialist sensory room equipment cannot be beaten, it is hard-wearing and well-designed. However, … Read more
Measuring and Labelling Beyond Academic Achievement Think of two children you know. Now describe those two children, their attributes, interests, personality and wellbeing. In your head, you are slowly building a profile of the strengths and positives of that child. The characteristics that make them as a whole. You might be thinking of future careers … Read more
This blog is written from my experience as Computing coordinator for a special school. I love technology but I have overcome my youthful exuberance, the spike of excitement at seeing the latest shiny gadget. I say overcome but I think in some ways it is more like a stand off. On one side the fantastic … Read more
Equality and Diversity in Staff Training This is the notes form of an Equality and Diversity presentation I wrote as part of my certification as a PBS instructor. I am now a Principal Instructor for our area in Positive Behaviour Support (PBS is an area I have been putting much thought into). I must stress … Read more
I have gained so much from following the #teacher5aday initiatives. I thought I should give something back. So below is my very short video outlining some key Makaton signs you can use with or teach your class. The benefits of using Makaton with SEN learners: Makaton is a language programme designed to provide communication skills … Read more
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