Children
should be seen AND heard
Harvey attends a special school but has some of his lessons in a mainstream school. Listen to Harvey talking about his school.
What is Harvey's view on what the mainstream school could do better?
How could the school improve Harvey's ability to learn?
Excessive background noise, unclear speech and complicated instructions make it difficult for Harvey to learn.
Your ideas for what Harvey's teachers and peers could do to help Harvey might include:
- Paying particular attention to noise levels when Harvey is in the class.
- Waiting for quiet before speaking in class
- Speaking slowly and clearly, and
- Breaking down instructions into smaller steps.
Such changes would probably benefit all pupils in the class, not just Harvey.
Considering
quality
of life is a key to empowerment
of life is a key to empowerment
Thinking about the quality of a child's life is important for many reasons. It can help you to:
- Empower the child
- Think about what the child's life will be like when they eventually grow into an adult
- Understand the child from a number of different perspectives, and
- Appreciate that the child is part of a family and the wider community, and is influenced by them.