The support teachers provide is crucial to ensuring all students have the opportunity to engage in learning in safe, supportive and well-managed learning environments. Students may require varying supports depending on their strengths and needs, including reasonable adjustments to the learning environment, teaching or curriculum.
This practice guide will help teachers support students’ communication needs so students can successfully engage in learning and positively interact with adults and peers at school. It’s part of a suite of resources developed in partnership with MultiLit and the Institute of Special Educators to help teachers refine or refresh their understanding and practice of supporting students with diverse needs.
This guide outlines the following practices for supporting students’ communication needs:
- Identify students’ preferences, strengths and needs.
- Support students’ receptive language.
- Support students’ expressive language.
- Support students’ use of language for different purposes.
- Explicitly teach vocabulary.
- Support the use of communication aids and systems.
The advice in these guides is designed to complement – not replace – existing school and system policies, procedures and guidance.
Keywords: classroom management, student engagement, disruption, disruptive behaviour