additional support needs
Additional Support Needs and the Medical and Social Model of Disability
The Additional Support for Learning Act was introduced in Scotland in November 2004. This Act introduced the concept of additional support needs and placed the responsibility for identifying, planning and making provisions for children with complex or multiple additional support needs onto educational authorities. This essay is going to discuss additional support needs and the ways in which they can impact on pupils learning. In order to do this, two pupils with additional support needs were observed in a mainstream Scottish high school to see how they experienced school life. Firstly, this essay will address the concept of additional support needs, as well as discussing the needs of the two pupils observed. Then a description of both the pupil deficit and social models of disability will be provided before being discussed in relation to the pupils observed. This will enable the adequacy of these models in developing an understanding of pupils needs and helping produce effective responses to be assessed.
Additional support needs are the needs of an individual pupil for support above which is normally provided in a regular school. These can vary, lasting from one day, to a week, to needs which are long term or permanent.
“Pupils have additional support needs when they experience barriers to their learning, achievement and full participation in the life of the school. These barriers may be created as the result of factors such as the ethos and relationships in the school, inflexible curricular arrangements, and inappropriate approaches to learning and teaching. The barrier or barriers may also relate to pupils physical, sensory or intellectual disabilities, to emotional and social needs, challenging behaviour, autistic spectrum disorders and communication difficulties, and to chronic illness and absence from school.” (HMIE, 2004:1)
The concept of additional support needs is linked to the policy
The Additional Support for Learning Act was introduced in Scotland in November 2004. This Act introduced the concept of additional support needs and placed the responsibility for identifying, planning and making provisions for children with complex or multiple additional support needs onto educational authorities. This essay is going to discuss additional support needs and the ways in which they can impact on pupils learning. In order to do this, two pupils with additional support needs were observed in a mainstream Scottish high school to see how they experienced school life. Firstly, this essay will address the concept of additional support needs, as well as discussing the needs of the two pupils observed. Then a description of both the pupil deficit and social models of disability will be provided before being discussed in relation to the pupils observed. This will enable the adequacy of these models in developing an understanding of pupils needs and helping produce effective responses to be assessed.
Additional support needs are the needs of an individual pupil for support above which is normally provided in a regular school. These can vary, lasting from one day, to a week, to needs which are long term or permanent.
“Pupils have additional support needs when they experience barriers to their learning, achievement and full participation in the life of the school. These barriers may be created as the result of factors such as the ethos and relationships in the school, inflexible curricular arrangements, and inappropriate approaches to learning and teaching. The barrier or barriers may also relate to pupils physical, sensory or intellectual disabilities, to emotional and social needs, challenging behaviour, autistic spectrum disorders and communication difficulties, and to chronic illness and absence from school.” (HMIE, 2004:1)
The concept of additional support needs is linked to the policy