The posts here come from my experiences in the classroom when I met children who needed something extra. Some children required me to have a much clearer understanding of specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia and to allow those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder to manage their learning in novel ways. I have met boys and girls on the autism spectrum and would encourage all teachers to have a better understanding of girls with autism, there are as many girls as boys with autism but it presents itself very differently. I have taken a Postgraduate Certificate in teaching children with Special Needs which, to me, quickly showed that Montessori classrooms are a wonderful way to meet these children’s needs and that we are capable of doing so when we resource ourselves with information and care for our energies and care for the children in front of us. I think Montessorians and the Floortime community have a lot to offer each other and share and other inclusive models which focus on individual need rather than labels, diagnosis and adult-led plans for children to follow.
I encourage people who have lots of children with additional needs to look at the Self care section of the website, looking after yourself is one of the best ways to care for others.
All children have the same needs – and when we connect with this language, culture, impairments, neurological differences, behaviour and trauma can be overcome and learning happen.
Two great places to start are,
‘Women and Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Understanding Life Experiences from Early Childhood to old Age’ by Sarah Hendrickx
‘’The Irregular School: Exclusion, schooling and inclusive education’ by Roger Slee
