Inclusion: Introduction to Special Education Needs for Teaching/Learning Assistants
2 short stand alone courses that can be taken separately or together
CPD Bytes introduces two new online courses aimed specifically at classroom teaching and learning support assistants who wish to extend their knowledge of special educational/additional learning needs in the mainstream classroom.Tutors: Moira Thomson & Maggie MacLardie
Sector: teaching/learning assistants working with school
age children & young people
CPD: 2 x 5 hours interactive
Cost: £50 each
Code: IN409A and IN409B Order > SP 
Each 5-hour course is presented in shorter parts - each of which may be completed in about 30 - 40 minutes online. Each part contains links to websites and provides extensive course materials and practical activities which enable the user to explore topics in greater depth. An interactive forum allows direct contact with the course tutors and other course members and there is a useful glossary where terminology may be checked.
The aim of both courses is to raise the awareness of teaching assistants (nursery nurses; learning support assistants; learning mentors; parent support advisors etc) of the wide range of pupils’ special educational needs resulting in additional learning needs in the curriculum and to help them identify and support these in an inclusive mainstream setting. Both courses offer some optional practical activities that will help teaching assistants to develop confidence in their identification of individual pupils’ additional learning needs.
Barriers to learning IN409A
This 5 hour online CPD course is presented in 9 short parts (of about 30-40 minutes) with a brief introduction to barriers to learning. This course introduces barriers to learning likely to be experienced by learners within the mainstream curriculum and explores some of the factors that may impact on learning and underlie a learner’s SEN such as:
- dyslexia
- Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD and ADHD)
- dyspraxia/developmental coordination disorder (DCD)
- dyscalculia
- autistic spectrum disorders (ASD)
- challenging behaviour
- physical and sensory impairments
- other barriers to learning
- individualising the curriculum
Course aims:
- to raise teaching assistants’ awareness of the wide range of pupils’ additional needs
- to help teaching assistants support individual needs in a mainstream setting
The classroom teaching/learning assistant will develop a knowledge and understanding of:
- a number of factors that may lead to a learner experiencing barriers to learning
- some common strategies (including ICT) that might reduce barriers to learning in the mainstream classroom
SEN Framework and the role of the Teaching/Learning Assistants IN409B
This 5 hour online course looks at the impact of recent legislation on provision to meet learners’ SEN and reviews a number of possible roles for Teaching/Learning Assistants within the inclusive framework of mainstream schools. There are 4 parts to the course:
- introduction
- legislation
- role of the TA in identifying the additional learning needs of pupils with disabilities/SEN
- role of the TA in providing specialised support for learners with disabilities/SEN
Course aims:
- to raise teaching assistants’ awareness of the wide range of pupils’ additional needs
- to help teaching assistants support individual needs in a mainstream setting
The classroom teaching/learning assistant will develop a knowledge and understanding of:
- legislation over the past 10 years that has impacted on provision for learners who may have special educational needs
- role of the TA in identifying the additional learning needs of pupils with disabilities/SEN
- role of the TA in providing specialised support for learners with disabilities/SEN
This course is presented in 4 parts:
Part 1 Introduction provides a brief overview of the whole course to enable participants to plan their time.
Part 2 Legislation and Implementation introduces the recent legislation and national initiatives relevant to Inclusion, Disability and Special Educational Needs.
Part 3 Identifying Individual Needs explores the role of the TA and LSA in diagnostic testing and screening for conditions such as:
- dyslexia
- ADHD
- Asperger syndrome
- Dyspraxia/Developmental Coordination Disorder
Part 4 Supporting the delivery of an inclusive curriculum reviews the individual support that may be required to meet the additional needs of specific groups and individual learners for access to the curriculum and considers the specialised training required in order to deliver this type of support. Course participants are encouraged to explore this specialised support in the context of their own school and authority.
There is a brief quiz at the end of each part to help course participants review progress and a longer quiz at the end of the course to enable users to reflect on what they have learned and to plan next steps.
Next steps
For those who wish to apply the knowledge they have gained in these courses, the forthcoming follow up course Developing a Pupil Profile (5+ hours CPD) is recommended. This course includes practical classroom activities and offers the opportunity for course members to submit the profiles they have developed to course tutors for comment.
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