8. Student case study - social and functional use of language
Name: Simon Age 14 Setting: Mainstream Secondary School
Strengths:
• he likes Geography and ICT.
• he is fluent at reading
• he can be interested in specific topics and learns factual information by rote.
• he learns social rules and has a strong understanding of right and wrong.
Areas of need:
• attention control and auditory memory is limited
• slow to process language
• reading comprehension is lower than reading accuracy skills
• can formulate complex sentences but the content is confused
• weak verbal reasoning skills - tends to interpret information literally
• speaks to a few selected friends in the learning support base at break-time but prefers computer games
Impact on learning:
• unable to follow instructions and start tasks without support
• difficulty in learning new complex and abstract vocabulary
• unable to select key information for revision purposes and complete written work
• difficulty with collaborative work and negotiation
Impact on social development:
• difficulty forming and sustaining friendships and relationships
• misinterpretation of communication intent - can lead to frustration and disagreements with others
Emotional behaviour:
• difficulty understanding and expressing emotions and feelings
• can be distant and aloof
• low self-esteem.
• has been referred to CAMHS
Organisational:
• easily loses equipment and forgets to bring/use planner in school
Key strategies:
• clear and consistent instructions
• use plain English
• provide task organisers and teach how to use
• may need step by step instructions
• check comprehension regularly
• prioritise understanding and use of key vocabulary
• forewarn of changes to staff, room and timetable
• avoid idiom and use of sarcasm
• teach social rules and expectations- may require small group social skills opportunities
• support generalisation across the school and support collaborative work
• may require support for less structured times of the day