Systems of Support in Education Settings: Building Inclusive Learning Environments

All classrooms have neurodivergent children and young people in them and how you support them as a practitioner has a lasting impact. This book guides you in understanding and developing a system for supporting neurodiversity in your classroom.

The book introduces the concept of systems thinking to an education setting, providing tools and strategies to both broaden your knowledge of neurodiversity and to develop a framework to meet the needs of neurodivergent learners. Systems thinking will encourage you to get comfortable with uncertainty, to look for connections or patterns, and to be prepared to change if something isn’t working. By increasing your awareness and remaining curious about the individual needs in your classroom, you will enrich the learning experience for all. Chapters guide you to make plans, change practices, and take risks for learners to progress – considering a constellation of skills – with carefully selected tasks and practical interventions to help you to know when to reflect, when to apply knowledge, and when to discuss further with colleagues.

Systems of Support in Education Settings introduces a system for you, with you and your learners at its heart. It provides a hands-on approach to supporting neurodiversity in primary and secondary classrooms and will be essential reading for teachers, both new and experienced, who are keen to improve and invest in effective practice.

Kelly Challis has spent her career in education advocating for neurodivergent people and currently leads a team of specialist assessors for a health care organisation. She has published articles in local press as well as for the PATOSS bulletin, a recognised body for specialist assessors. Her past roles included SENCo/ Head of Learning Support, and education consultant supporting schools to develop high quality literacy provision and raising awareness of neurodiversity. More recently, Kelly designed and implemented training programmes for middle leaders and teachers with a national charity to meet the needs of learners with literacy difficulties in primary and secondary education settings.