Supporting Students with Learning Disabilities

This book landed in my hands at just the right time. Maslow Before Bloom by Dr. Brian Pearlman is a heartfelt, practical guide that speaks directly to what so many of us in education already feel deep down: kids can’t learn if they don’t feel safe. Pearlman doesn’t just throw theory at you—he gets it. He knows what it’s like in real classrooms with real children, especially those navigating trauma, anxiety, or emotional dysregulation. He breaks down the importance of meeting students’ basic emotional needs before expecting them to engage with academic content. It’s a refreshing, validating read that gives permission to prioritise connection over curriculum. What I appreciated most is how grounded and usable it is. From co-regulation strategies to simple shifts in language and perspective, Pearlman offers tools you can start using straight away. It’s less about “fixing” behaviours and more about understanding what’s underneath them. This book isn’t about lowering expectations—it’s about redefining success through compassion, trust, and human connection. If you work with young people, especially those with SEMH needs, this is a must-read. It doesn’t just inform your practice—it changes the way you see your students (and maybe even yourself). Five stars. Wholeheartedly. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #MaslowBeforeBloom #WholeChildEducation #TraumaInformedPractice #SEMHsupport #TeachWithHeart #RelationshipsMatter #SafeClassrooms #ConnectionOverCompliance #CoRegulation #NeurodiversityAffirming #EducationThatHeals #DrBrianPerlman #EducatorReads #TeachTheWholeChild

I love this reframe of Maslow’s hierarchy — rewritten not as needs but as felt experiences. In SEMH (Social, Emotional & Mental Health) settings, we often work from Golding’s hierarchy of relational needs — and what strikes me is just how aligned these frameworks are. Whether we call it connected, secure, valued, confident, inspired — or Maslow’s belonging, safety, esteem, self-actualisation — we are ultimately talking about the emotional states a nervous system needs to move from survival to growth. In SEMH schools, many young people spend most of their day simply trying to stay regulated enough to access a sense of safety or connection. That’s why, as integrative psychotherapists, we don’t start with “learning outcomes” — we start with co-regulation, belonging, felt safety, and only then move upwards. ✨ The crossover matters — because every level is a positive possibility, not a deficit. ✨ Progress is not linear — it’s relational, sensory, embodied. ✨ Our role is not to fix but to facilitate movement up the pyramid, however slowly, however relationally. The question I’m now sitting with is: What environments, relationships and rhythms allow young people not just to cope — but to feel valued, confident, and inspired? That is the real therapeutic task in education.

🔍 Supporting Neurodiverse Learners: A Practical Guide for Educators & Caregivers 🧠💡 Children with AuDHD (Autism + ADHD) often experience a unique set of challenges that can impact their success and well-being in the classroom and beyond. To help bridge the gap between understanding and action, this Comprehensive Strategy Guide is a game-changer! 🛠️ 📌 It breaks down key support areas like: ✔️ Transitions between activities ✔️ Attention & focus ✔️ Sensory regulation ✔️ Social interactions ✔️ Emotional & impulse control ✔️ Task initiation ✔️ Communication ✔️ Collaboration with adults ✔️ Strength-based approaches ✅ Each section offers: 🔹 Common challenges 🔹 Practical strategies 🔹 Helpful tools & resources 🔹 Clear rationale behind each approach Whether you’re a teacher, SENCO, parent, or therapist, this guide offers evidence-based, actionable insights to support your neurodivergent learners with empathy and structure. 🌈🧩 🔗 Let’s create environments where all students feel understood, empowered, and supported. #InclusionMatters #Neurodiversity #AuDHD #ADHD #AutismSupport #InclusiveEducation #SEND #TeachersOfLinkedIn #SENCO #ChildDevelopment #ExecutiveFunction #BehaviorSupport

The Department for Education has brought together, in one place, a really valuable collection of rapid evidence reviews on identifying and supporting children and young people with SEND in mainstream settings. The collection includes evidence reviews covering: • Cross-cutting themes in identification, support and collaboration • Cognition and learning needs • Sensory and/or physical needs • Social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) • Speech, language and communication needs • Autism • Supporting stammering, speech and language needs in the early years There's a lot to digest, but it provides a useful synthesis of the current evidence base, highlighting 'what works' in identifying needs, delivering effective support and strengthening collaboration between education, families and other professionals. It should prove to be a valuable resource for school leaders, SENCos, teachers and anyone with an interest in inclusive practice. https://lnkd.in/eXyxrMA5 #SEND #Inclusion #Education #SchoolLeadership #SENCO #Teaching #EvidenceInformed #DfE

Identifying and Supporting 'Learners of concern' In every classroom, approximately one in eight children may have additional learning needs, often categorised under terms like Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD), Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEN/D), or more recently, referred to under the broader and more inclusive terms of neurodiversity and neurodivergence. Recognising and supporting these learners can sometimes be challenging due to constraints like time, resources, or the subtlety of their needs. Understanding 'learners of concern' 'Learners of concern' are students who may not have a formal diagnosis but show signs that they might benefit from additional support. These signs could be academic, behavioural, or social and are often noticed by teachers, parents, or the learners themselves. Without identification and proper support, these students may face significant barriers to learning and development. How can we help? The Do-IT Schools Profiler is an innovative tool designed to facilitate the identification and support of these learners in a nuanced and effective manner. Here’s how it can help: Early identification: The Profiler provides a systematic way to assess students who may require additional support. By screening for a wide range of learning needs, it helps in identifying learners who might otherwise go unnoticed. Child-centred guidance: Once a learner is identified, the Profiler offers tailored recommendations and strategies to help the SENCO and classroom teacher. This personalised approach ensures that interventions meet the specific needs of the child, enhancing their learning experience and outcomes. Cost and time efficiency: Screening all children in a classroom may not always be feasible. The Do-IT Schools Profiler focuses on those who exhibit potential signs of learning challenges, making the process more manageable and focused. Support for teachers and parents: The Profiler equips teachers and parents with insights and tools to better understand and support their students and children. This collaborative approach fosters a supportive learning environment both at school and at home. Enhancing educational equity: By providing targeted support to those who need it most, the Profiler helps in levelling the playing field, ensuring that all students, regardless of their learning needs, have the opportunity to succeed. The transition towards recognising and supporting neurodiversity in schools is crucial. With tools like the Do-IT Schools Profiler, educators can ensure that every child receives the attention and support they need to thrive in their educational journey.

Every school proudly says, “We have a counsellor.” But what exactly is the counsellor doing the entire day? Substituting for absent teachers. Taking classes. Exam invigilation duties. Dispersal duties. Standing at the school gate. Bus duty for hundreds of students. Paperwork. Admissions. Timetable adjustments. Discipline rounds. Event coordination. And somewhere between all this, we expect them to regulate children in distress, identify trauma, handle panic attacks, support emotional breakdowns, address bullying, self-harm, anxiety, aggression, loneliness and behavioural concerns. Then we wonder why students are struggling emotionally. A school counsellor is not a “free period teacher.” Not an all-rounder backup staff member. Not someone to fill institutional gaps. A counsellor is a trained mental health professional. Your school nurse does not take classes. Your admin head is not sent for bus duty. Your accounts department is not handling discipline rounds. Then why is the counsellor expected to do everything except counselling? Children do not open up in five rushed minutes between duties. Emotional support requires: Time. Trust. Observation. Consistency. Confidentiality. Availability. A child having a panic attack does not need timetable adjustments. They need a regulated adult. A trained listener. A safe space. As per CBSE guidelines, school counsellors are expected to work on: • Emotional wellbeing and mental health support • Crisis intervention • Behavioural and emotional concerns • Life skills education • Bullying prevention • Child protection and safeguarding • Supporting students with anxiety, stress and emotional difficulties • Parent guidance and teacher sensitisation • Creating emotionally safe school environments But are schools even allowing counsellors to do this work? One counsellor for hundreds of children. No dedicated emotional wellbeing periods. No mental health infrastructure. No understanding of psychological roles. Mental health in schools cannot improve until emotional wellbeing is treated as seriously as academics. Because children cannot heal in a system where the very person meant to emotionally support them is too busy managing duties. #schoolheads #management #educators #schoolcounsellors #mentalhealthcrisis #cbsemandate #duties #responsibilities #seriousness #follow #share #repostforbetterreach

The recent decision by Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur to induct 10 counsellors after a series of tragic student suicides is a stark reminder: "LEARNER WELL-BEING CANNOT BE AN AFTERTHOUGHT" This follows their SETU initiative (Support, Empathy, Transformation, and Upliftment) and the appointment of the first Dean of Student Well-Being- steps intended to ensure students don’t just cope, but feel genuinely supported. ✅ Why this matters High academic stress and career pressure remain very real. Proactive, visible counselling makes a difference, especially when counsellors meet students where they are in hostels, clubs, and common spaces, helping to reduce stigma and increase access. As someone working on national and international standards for educational institutions, I see this as a systemic challenge. Academic pressure, inadequate mental-health support, and the absence of clear operational benchmarks leave many campuses reactive rather than preventive. At the Bureau of Indian Standards, our Subcommittee on Campus Facilities and Accommodation Services (SSD 04:03) is finalizing the National Standard for Campus Facilities and Accommodation Services—Requirements. Thanks to dedicated team members- Sudhirkumar V Barai Sandeep Kanojia Aditya Bhatt Tarush Chandra Bhavna Tripathi Kajal Marwaha and the others- we are close to publication. The draft sets measurable requirements for: Safe, inclusive residential and learning spaces Health & wellness centres with mental-health and counselling services Mechanisms for continuous feedback and improvement, and more Standards can’t replace empathy- but they establish non-negotiable accountability and a measurable baseline that every campus, public or private, large or small, must meet. It’s time to move beyond ad-hoc measures. Every campus must be designed to nurture both intellectual growth and emotional resilience. True success is not only in academic achievement, but in how well students are supported along the way. We build that, and we build lasting resilience. https://lnkd.in/g-gh5dUN

Here's a cheat sheet to support special education students, ideal for teachers, therapists, and caregivers. It includes strategies, accommodations, and communication tips—simple and practical! 📘 Cheat Sheet: Supporting Special Education Students For teachers, therapists, and support staff 🧠 Understand the Student ✔️ Read the IEP (Individualized Education Plan) ✔️ Know their strengths and needs ✔️ Learn their triggers and calming strategies ✔️ Build rapport and trust 🤝 🛠️ Classroom Strategies 🔤 Instructional Supports ✅ Use visuals (charts, symbols, schedules) ✅ Break tasks into small steps ✅ Repeat & rephrase instructions ✅ Use multi-sensory teaching (see 👀, hear 👂, touch ✋) 📚 Academic Supports ✅ Extra time for assignments ✅ Modified workload ✅ Use assistive tech (text-to-speech, audiobooks) 🧘 Behavioral & Emotional Support ✅ Use calm tone & clear expectations ✅ Offer choices to reduce power struggles ✅ Use positive reinforcement 🎉 ✅ Provide break options (sensory corner, quiet time) 🗣️ Communication Tips ✔️ Use clear, simple language ✔️ Allow processing time ✔️ Use visuals or gestures 🖼️ ✔️ Confirm understanding ("Can you show me what to do?") 🧩 Collaboration 👨👩👦 Work closely with families 📅 Hold regular meetings with the IEP team 🤝 Collaborate with therapists (OT, speech, PT, etc.) ❤️ Build an Inclusive Environment 🌍 Celebrate differences 🫂 Encourage peer support & empathy 📣 Promote strengths and talents 🔁 Daily Routine Ideas ⏰ Visual schedule 📦 Morning check-ins 📕 Preview of changes ⭐ End-of-day review Would you like this turned into a printable Ms word, a visual graphic, or adapted for a specific age group (e.g., preschool, high school)? #specialkids#occupationaltherapy#specialeducation#speechtherapist#abatherapist#socialpost

How Trauma Shapes Behavior in Students As a school counselor, I am constantly reminded that behavior is often a reflection of deeper experiences not just “choices.” The image below illustrates how trauma can manifest in four common responses: Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Fawn. Fight: Anger outbursts, controlling tendencies, irritability. Flight: Overthinking, perfectionism, anxiety. Freeze: Feeling stuck, indecision, dissociation. Fawn: People-pleasing, loss of identity, self-critique. In the school environment, these responses may appear as classroom disruptions, avoidance of tasks, difficulty focusing, or even excessive compliance. What looks like “defiance” or “laziness” may actually be a student’s nervous system trying to cope with unresolved stress. 💡 My role and that of educators and caregivers is not just to discipline but to understand. When we recognize these trauma responses, we can shift from asking “What’s wrong with this student?” to “What has this student experienced, and how can we support them?” By creating safe spaces, teaching emotional regulation, and affirming student identities, we help young people rewrite their stories from survival to growth. 🌟 How do you see these trauma responses showing up in your classroom, workplace, or community? #SchoolCounseling #TraumaInformedCare #Education #MentalHealthAwareness #StudentWellbeing

Scaffolding techniques are vital for supporting students with learning disabilities, as they provide structured, personalized pathways to understanding while honoring each learner’s unique needs. For students with dyslexia, tools like phonemic awareness activities, color-coded texts, and audio books can reinforce decoding and comprehension, allowing them to engage with content without being hindered by reading challenges. Those with dyscalculia benefit from hands-on manipulatives, visual models, and real-life math applications that make abstract concepts more concrete and accessible. Students with dysgraphia thrive when given graphic organizers, typing options, and chunked writing tasks that reduce cognitive overload and promote expression. For learners with ADHD, scaffolding might include clear routines, visual schedules, movement breaks, and task segmentation to maintain focus and reduce impulsivity. Meanwhile, students with auditory processing disorders need multimodal instruction such as written directions, visual supports, and opportunities for repetition to fully grasp spoken information. These scaffolds not only enhance student confidence and independence but also help teachers create inclusive environments where every learner can flourish. #AccessibleEducation