Pupils with cognitive additional support needs

What needs are included?

there is a very large range covered here from mild dyslexia to severe cognitive impairment. The main categories are:

• Pupils with moderate or severe additional support needs
• Pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties
• Dyslexia
• Dyscalculia
• Dyspraxia

Safety issues

In general there are not many issues here that specifically relate to health and safety. Although it is important to remember that it may take more time and effort to get important safety information across to learners with learning difficulties.

Pupils with dyspraxia are more likely to spill, drop or break things. Lack of good fine motor skills affect tasks such as using chemical apparatus, and this can be difficult for some learners.

In addition, an integral part of dyslexia, dyspraxia and some other conditions is an element of disorganisation. Problems with short-term memory as well as issues regarding planning can cause increasing, confusion and disorder, confusion and a loss of confidence.

Possible approaches

• Be aware of the issues particular learners may have.
• Learners with co-ordination problems should have a closer level of supervision.
• If spills are likely, think about what chemicals are being used.
  • Can they be replaced with safer ones?
  • Can you reduce the volume so a spill will be less serious?
  • Can the spill be contained (eg by working on a shallow tray)?
• For equipment some strategies might be
  • Where possible use things that are fairly robust. 
  • Maybe use plastic beakers, measuring cylinders etc for some parts of the process?
  • Use squat measuring jugs rather than tall, unstable measuring cylinders
  • Perhaps use digital thermometers rather than glass ones etc?
  • Use non-slip mats to prevent things slipping off benches and breaking?
  • Consider alternatives. A scalpel, for instance might easily slip and cause a nasty cut. If a similar result can be achieved with a pair of scissors then use them instead.

It is important that these learners are not made to feel excluded. If plastic or other, non-standard equipment is being used it is important that everyone in the class uses it.

Teaching strategies

In general, the sorts of strategies that will help learners with cognition needs will be applicable across the board and there is lots of guidance available for ideas to try.

Some ideas of specific relevance to science and technology though might include.

• Instructions should be clear. The use of illustrations will usually be more helpful that just text.
• Divide experiments into short, distinct steps. Clearly display these with expected times.
  • A good way to do this is by using ‘Reduced Cognitive Load’ instruction sheets – as developed by Dave Paterson. The presence of tick boxes for each step can be an additional help.
  • There is a Bulletin article on this here https://www.sserc.org.uk/secure/b3sie2ge/273-sserc-bulletin-april-2021-complete.pdf#page=3  
• Have pupils working in groups so they are able to draw on each other’s strengths and share skills.
• Use alternatives to paper-and-pen for recording experiment results where possible. Video the experiment? Use dictation and speech to text where appropriate?