Dynamic teaching support for young children with learning difficulties and their families

Abstract

Educating a son or daughter who has learning difficulties is likely to be a lifelong responsibility for many parents who find themselves in this situation. This practice-based paper explores the nature of effective teaching support and how it may be offered to parents. Flexible support which meets the needs of the child and the family at the beginning of this journey, aims to build confidence and skills which will be invaluable along the way. The priority of the specialist teacher, working to support the parents or carers of very young children with learning difficulties, is to build a relationship based on mutual trust and understanding with the parents. This relationship acknowledges that parents and teachers have different but equivalent expertise and provides the best opportunity for the teacher to work directly with the child as a ‘trusted adult’ within the family. By getting to know the child and how he learns, the visiting teacher can work with the child's family to develop the optimum learning environment for the child within the home. As relationships evolve, a range of techniques can be sensitively developed into a cohesive approach to help the child learn within the family context. Part of this work is recorded on an Individual Educational Plan (IEP), which aims to summarise the priorities of the parents alongside the advice offered by all the professionals involved with supporting the child. The visiting teacher must be aware of the dangers of being overly prescriptive when advising families about teaching specific skills, at the expense of nurturing interactions and relationships within families. The potential for developing practice in working in collaboration with parents is recognised. Further research into effective schemes is necessary to inform future service provision on a national scale. © 1999 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.