Children who may need additional support
Working in a school, you will always come across children who need additional support – whether it is due to a disability, learning difficulty or something else. Sometimes, however, children do not have an official diagnosis and so it is easy to brush their issues aside – time and resources are limited, after all.
It is important to try and avoid doing this. For some children, getting a diagnosis of a condition such as dyslexia can be a real struggle and many people are not diagnosed until they are at university or even later. School can be extremely difficult for children who feel they are different to their peers, and not having a ‘label’ may not make their issues any less real.
Although funding is probably not available for children without an official diagnosis, there are options that are free but can still benefit them. The most important thing you can offer is good communication – whether it is with the child only or with their parents too. They are the people most able to tell you what the child’s difficulties are and whether there are any actions that could help – sitting closer to the teacher during lessons, for example.
Experiences at school can have a lifelong impact, so providing the best foundations possible will help build a brighter future for every child.
