Helping Children Function Better in the Classroom
School is often where difficulties with attention, communication, learning and behaviour become most apparent.
Aakaar Clinic provides assessment and guidance that can help families and schools understand the child's difficulties and identify appropriate support.
Concerns Commonly Seen at School
Poor attention
Hyperactivity
Difficulty following instructions
Slow academic progress
Reading difficulties
Writing difficulties
Poor handwriting
Behavioural difficulties
Social-communication problems
Difficulty completing classroom work
Difficulty adjusting to classroom expectations
Working With Teachers
Teachers observe the child in a group learning environment and can provide valuable information about functional performance.
Where appropriate, we can provide guidance regarding:
Classroom strategies
Attention support
Seating and environmental modifications
Task modification
Academic accommodations
Behavioural strategies
Communication support
Examination accommodations where applicable
The Objective
Educational intervention should not merely reduce classroom problems.
It should help the child access learning, participate in the classroom and demonstrate what they know.
An Appeal to the Principal and Teachers
Every Child Wants to Learn. Some Children Need Us to Teach Them Differently.
Dear Principal, Teachers and School Team,
We request you to look at a child with developmental, behavioural, communication or learning difficulties not merely through the lens of classroom performance.
A child who does not listen, does not sit quietly, does not complete work, does not speak appropriately, does not interact with classmates or does not perform academically as expected may not simply be “disobedient,” “lazy,” “careless” or “not interested in studies.”
There may be an underlying difficulty in attention, communication, language, learning, sensory processing, executive functioning, social understanding or emotional regulation.
The child's behaviour is often a signal of a difficulty, rather than the difficulty itself.
Please Do Not Compare Every Child With the Same Standard
Children develop at different rates and have different developmental profiles.
A child may be good at mathematics but struggle with reading.
A child may understand everything but be unable to express it.
A child may know the answer but be unable to sustain attention long enough to complete the work.
A child may want to interact with classmates but not understand how to enter a conversation or participate in a group.
A child with autism, ADHD, learning disability or another developmental difficulty may therefore need different methods of teaching—not lower expectations.
Look at the Child's Ability, Not Only the Difficulty
Please notice what the child CAN do.
Identify the situations in which the child performs better.
Understand what helps the child attend, communicate and learn.
Then build on those strengths.
The objective of educational support should not be to remove every difference between the child and classmates.
The objective is to help the child learn, participate and become progressively more independent.
A Small Modification Can Make a Large Difference
Depending on the child's needs, useful classroom strategies may include:
Giving short and clear instructions
Breaking a large task into smaller steps
Checking whether the child has understood the instruction
Allowing additional processing time
Reducing unnecessary distractions
Providing visual or written cues
Seating the child appropriately
Giving brief opportunities for movement when required
Using positive reinforcement
Providing additional academic support
Allowing appropriate examination accommodations
Giving the child opportunities to demonstrate knowledge in different ways
These are not necessarily “special privileges.”
They may simply be reasonable ways of providing access to learning.
Please Distinguish Behaviour From Intent
A child who gets up repeatedly may have difficulty sustaining attention.
A child who interrupts may have difficulty controlling impulses.
A child who avoids a task may be struggling with the task.
A child who appears not to listen may have difficulty processing verbal instructions.
A child who refuses to write may have a learning, language, motor or attention difficulty.
Before concluding that the child is unwilling, please consider whether the child may be unable.
This distinction can completely change the way we respond.
Communication Between School and Parents Is Essential
Parents and teachers see different sides of the same child.
Parents know the child's developmental history, strengths and difficulties at home.
Teachers see the child in a structured group environment.
Both perspectives are valuable.
Regular, objective communication can help identify:
What the child is struggling with
What strategies are helping
What triggers difficulties
What has improved
What still needs attention
The purpose should not be to decide who is responsible.
The purpose should be to find what works for the child.
Please Give the Child an Opportunity to Improve
Developmental difficulties rarely disappear simply because we repeatedly tell a child to “try harder.”
Children need teaching, practice, repetition, encouragement and appropriate support.
Progress may be gradual.
A child who could not participate in a group yesterday may gradually learn to participate today.
A child who could not complete five questions may eventually complete ten.
A child who could not communicate a need may learn to express it appropriately.
These small changes are important.
Please notice progress, not only the remaining difficulty.
Do Not Let a Diagnosis Become a Barrier
A diagnosis such as autism, ADHD or learning disability should help us understand the child's needs.
It should not become a reason to stop expecting the child to learn.
At the same time, expectations should be realistic and matched to the child's developmental abilities.
The right approach lies between two extremes:
Neither “the child cannot do it” nor “the child should behave exactly like everyone else.”
Instead:
“What support will help this child do it?”
The School Is an Important Part of Intervention
Therapy does not happen only in a therapy room.
A child spends a significant part of the day in school.
Every classroom therefore becomes an opportunity for learning:
Listening
Following instructions
Communicating
Waiting
Taking turns
Solving problems
Socialising
Managing frustration
Completing tasks
Becoming independent
When the therapeutic goals and classroom strategies support each other, the child has a much greater opportunity to generalise skills into everyday life.
Finally, We Request One Thing
Please see the child before the label.
See the effort behind the behaviour.
See the ability behind the difficulty.
See the progress behind the imperfection.
And whenever possible, ask:
“What can we change in the environment or in our teaching so that this child gets a better opportunity to learn?”
A supportive school does not mean lowering standards.
It means creating a fair opportunity for every child to reach their potential.
