Page 25 - SEN107 SEN Magazine July-August 2020

Donna Stevenson shares her five top tips for home schooling Home schooling children with SEND T he Coronavirus outbreak has seen schools across the country close their doors to all but the children of key workers. As a result, huge numbers of parents and carers have suddenly found themselves getting to grips with the challenges of home-schooling a child with neurodiverse differences such as dyslexia, autism or ADHD – many, for the very first time. In these difficult times, parents can feel anxious about supporting their child’s learning from home without direct input from their teacher. Some will have concerns about their child’s mental health, or the impact the current lockdown will have on their progress once the school gates open again. Below are my five top tips for parents to help them support their children from home in these challenging times. Prioritise wellbeing Children pick up a lot from what’s going on around them so it’s important to think about the different ways you can minimise anxiety and help your child adjust to their home learning environment as quickly as possible. A familiar routine can be reassuring for children who struggle with change, so you might want to create a schedule, such as an hour of reading every morning, some physical activity before lunch or a nature trail in the garden on Friday afternoons. Planned activities help to give the day structure and rewards for positive behaviour or completed tasks can help to minimise negative feelings at a time when children might feel isolated from their friends and teachers. Encourage your child to get involved with home-based activities they might not have tried before senmagazine.co.uk SEN 107 25 Autism