These students are not struggling to learn, they are struggling to access learning, argues Jacqueline Anderson.
So, who are these students? They are children with autism, SLCN, ADHD, social anxiety and sensory processing differences.They are children who are bright, curious, creative, deeply thoughtful, and often misunderstood.
Before the pandemic, I honestly preferred tutoring in person. I have cupboards full of sensory toys, visuals, specialised worksheets, and resources I’ve created over years of working with neurodivergent learners. It’s easier to pivot, adapt, and change direction mid-session when you’re physically in the room with a child who’s losing focus or dysregulating. But lockdown forced me, like everyone, to reconsider what was possible online.
Surprisingly, what began as a necessity became a powerful tool for many students who had struggled for years to access education in traditional settings. The children who attend privately usually come for extra academic, emotional, or social support. The students commissioned by local authorities and schools often attend because they cannot access school due to severe anxiety, school-based trauma, sensory processing difficulties, or a combination of all three.
Online sessions quickly proved to be more than a temporary solution—they became a lifeline. They can offer access without pressure. For school-refusing students, and for children who face significant anxiety or sensory overload, just being asked to go back to school is unrealistic. Online tutoring lets them learn from the comfort of home, avoid overwhelming sensory environments and feel safe enough to engage. Safety always comes before learning. Online sessions can also provide a gentle pathway back into learning (not all online tutoring is academic). If a child has been out of school for months or years, we can’t just start with fractions or comprehension. We need to start with establishing connection, emotional regulation, co-creating goals, talking therapies, building confidence and trust. Online platforms can make this more accessible and less intimidating. Online sessions can also encourage personalisation without distraction. Children who struggle in busy environments often thrive in quieter online spaces. Tutors can tailor visuals, communication styles, or teaching pace instantly. There’s also the benefit of reduced transitions, where students have no travel, no stress, no rushing—just a stable, predictable routine. Similarly, parents can be more actively involved when nearby—they can learn strategies and reinforce them throughout the week.
They won’t even get on the laptop. How on earth will they do tutoring? It’s a fair question. The challenges include children who are already disengaged from learning, or missing the structure of school, or finding home too relaxing to study in. Finding the righttimeof day can be a challenge. Many SEND learners do better late in the morning or in the afternoon, and parents have to juggle work, siblings and routines. This is why engagement must come before education. If we don’t rebuild the child’s relationship with learning, even the best teaching in the world won’t land.
SEN tutoring is not just tutoring. It requires specialist knowledge, compassion, and adaptability. A tutor must know how the child learns. This involves understanding what dysregulates them, how to support their sensory needs, how to scaffold communication, how to break learning into manageable and meaningful steps, and how to adapt expectations without reducing ambition. They must be willing to go at the child’s pace and spend the first few sessions simply building trust. High expectations matter, but so does being realistic and relational. Differentiation isn’t optional—it’s essential. I often teach discreetly, weaving learning into games, conversations, or activities without putting pressure on the child.
SEND children deserve an education that honours their strengths, respects their needs, and sees them as a whole person, not as a problem to solve.
Author: Jacqueline Anderson
Jacqueline Anderson
Jacqueline Anderson is a specialist tutor for children with autism and learning disabilities. She founded Diamonds in the Rough, which offers bespoke alternative provision placements for children and young people whose individual needs cannot be addressed in school.
Facebook: @Diamondsintherough Ditr
Instagram: @diamonds_in_the_roughcic
