Becky

How I support children and young people who have Pathological Defiant Avoidance Disorder (PDA)

My approach to students with PDA is to listen and take a less direct route to the overall goal involving the child as much as possible in the learning process. This might involve giving a choice of 2 or 3 different activities. I find that once a child feels more in control of the situation and is able to trust the teacher, the barriers start to come down and they are less anxious about learning.

How I support children and young people in English

I like to teach children how to read and write from a specialist dyslexic perspective, as this really helps to embed knowledge. I find breaking a task down into mini parts makes it far more manageable. A mind map can be really useful here to bring the task to life and deal with the more abstract concepts. I also ask older students to provide a question for each section which really helps them with the writing process.

How I support children and young people with concentration difficulties

I use timed activities at the start of the lesson which involve scanning and memory as this really helps focus the mind. Students who struggle with impulse control are only allowed to tell me something once they have finished one of these mini activities. I also use puzzles and problem-solving activities as rewards for concentration during the lesson.

How I support children and young people who have low confidence

My teaching method is multi-sensory, delivered in a relaxed manner with plenty of opportunity for practice to build confidence.

Some of the strategies I utilise when working with students who need their confidence boosted include: working at the child’s pace, displaying a positive attitude and giving lots of praise and positive feedback.

Working 1:1 is often a good way in itself to boost confidence since the learner gets direct attention and the time to ‘explore’ in their learning; getting things wrong without fear and without the anxiety of having to keep up. I find mini tests throughout an intervention in reading or spelling are particularly motivating for children as they provide a sense of purpose as well as achievement which in turn builds confidence.

How I engage children and young people to engage with their learning and provide fun sessions

All learning should involve fun whether that is inherent in the activity itself or whether that is through the rapport the tutor builds with the learner. I find humour extremely important for putting the student at ease. My lessons are pacey and mostly kinesthetic and always filled with a good variety of learning activities. My students often comment that the time goes very quickly!