My breakthrough question:

How can I help a pupil with special needs and help the class cope with his behaviour?

by Janet Aylesbury (Teaching Assistant)
Wiltshire, UK

Posted May 2008

What was your question all about?

I'm a Senior Teacher Assistant at Crockerton Primary School. Nathan was a child at our school who had a huge number of problems and different syndromes. He could change moods very quickly and become violent. He had obsessive ways and was argumentative, but he could be very likeable. I had great empathy with his parents. They felt that they were being judged. And I could understand that feeling. As a result of the ecl training I had done, I began to realise that although we had problems with him at school, he was also part of his family.

He needed a sense of belonging and for it to be seen that he belonged in the class. Before the training I think that we used to deal with Nathan, and only Nathan. If there was an argument we were going to have it out with Nathan. Eventually we realised that he was part of the class, part of the whole jigsaw puzzle in school, and without Nathan the puzzle wasn't finished. I think that's when things changed, although it was only small steps, and not everybody would recognise it.

Janet with a Year 6 pupil

What things did you try?

One day when we knew Nathan was going to be absent from school, Val, the Headteacher and I sat down with the other children and discussed the impact that Nathan had on them. They had experienced a very difficult time with him in the past few days. They weren't learning, they couldn't concentrate, and they were being distracted. Some were quite enjoying seeing him get into trouble and even found ways to 'press the right buttons' to start him off. But when we spoke to them they told us what they thought triggered off these tantrums, even some that we hadn't thought of.

They told us that the trigger could be as simple as the teacher coming in with a drink of hot chocolate, since chocolate was banned for the children. Nathan had very strong feelings about 'fairness'. Touching his pencil case was another trigger. We made a whole list of 'triggers' that caused him to get angry and then talked about how to help him. From then on things changed. Nathan hadn't changed at all. It was the rest of us. Although he carried on being him, he certainly didn't have such a negative impact on the children. much. They stepped back from him and saw that he did have problems which they could help with.

What did you learn and what insights did you get?

The other children were able to step back from Nathan and see that he did have problems which they could help with. After that they felt that they had a bit more control over the situation and ownership of what happens in the class.

They needed a 'vehicle' to be able to talk about him. They worked out a system to inform us about potential trouble, because he would have reacted very badly, even violently, if he thought they were telling on him. They just jotted down in a book when things were beginning to boil over and this helped them cope on bad days because they felt that they could communicate safely with us.

After awhile they weren't even thinking of our list of triggers, they got into a way of life with dealing with Nathan. That session made the children and us, as staff, realise that Nathan's behaviour wasn't just his responsibility but it was also all of ours.

This is our class doing the Spiders Web exercise.

How does your insight affect what you're now doing and what difference is this making?

I work with Key Stage 2 (8 - 11 year olds) and generally with the children who are 'less able'. I enjoy working with groups or individual children trying sort out their problems. I have changed my way of teaching completely since the training I had with the Nowhere Foundation on a residential course.

This training has helped quite a bit by helping me to accept that where the children at school are concerned, I know I can only do so much. I know in my heart that I've done what I can - but then I can accept that that is all I can do.

Further Options

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Further comments from ecl moderator Val Culff

After attending ecl training, Senior Teacher assistant, Janet Aylesbury began to bring a new and fresh approach to her work with pupils with Special Educational Needs. Nathan, a pupil with Aspergers Syndrome and various other conditions, had presented Janet and the Headteacher who also taught him, with some very difficult challenges.

By involving the whole class in an honest appraisal of the situation and in identifying the 'triggers' to Nathan's outbursts, Janet and Val succeeded in making the challenge one which belonged to everyone. His peers were allowed some control and ownership of the situation and understood their responsibility to help maintain calm for Nathan.

Words of Appreciation

Reading 'my story' again has made me realise how much I have changed in my attitude towards children (and parents) and the way I was teaching in class. This has been totally due to the workshops and training that I have had with the 'nowhere foundation'. It has made me far more aware about the 'whole child' and the importance of not judging situations and parenting skills.

I must further acknowledge the support that I have had from my ex-headteacher, Val Culff, who I have admired for so many years in both her teaching and leadership. I have been guided by her in so many areas of my work, she is of course a talented teacher in Maths etc, but far more importantly she understands the emotional needs of all children and I feel honoured she has passed some of this knowledge on to me. I get very excited and am enthusiastic about carrying on with this way of supporting children in my care. With the training of the nowhere foundation and support from Val, I have, I feel, become a much better Teacher Assistant.

I would like to thank the named children and their parents in 'my story' who have trusted me and allowed me to work with them. It has been my pleasure and honour.

Janet Aylesbury