Some opinions appreciated please

[DrWhoTakeTwo]

Really cant go into details here but hypothetically would you say a child who is perhaps NT and had no addition needs would require sensory aids to function in school?

Should said aids be given out by a teacher without any further input or referal to appropriate people for advice

is a child needing sensory aids to concentrate 'normal' and a parent who worries about their need purely be over thinking things?

as i said not much to go on but opinions appreciated.

It's possible, as a child can have "just" sensory issues or concentration issues without having diagnosed SN, or who might have traits of Sn but no diagnosis. You would expect as bare minimum proper discussion with teacher and/or school senco, but not necessarily any medical/ed psych referral. I would say to a hypothetical parent - are you concerned about your child in any way, do you feel they are progressing academically/socially, are you happy with their behaviour and how they fit in with their peers?

Depends on age and how bad the problem is. DS has various aids and has a string of diagnoses. But there were only 2dc in his class with significant SN and yet the teacher had a whole box of fidget toys etc. they were all in constant use.

If they sit on a wobble cushion and then class is fine, job done, they'll probably grow out of being a wiggle bottom. Maybe look closely at progress, peers, behaviour etc to be sure there's nothing else going on.

I think that a lot of children benefit from techniques which are seen as essential for a child with SN.

For instance, most MS classrooms have some sort of visual reward system, such as "Sun, Cloud, Golden Sun" to tell the children how their behaviour is viewed by the children. Is that so different to the 'traffic light system' used in SN? No. In fact, DD1 goes to Special School and they use the same system as at MS. It works.

Visual Timetables? Well at MS secondary schools, all children are given a timetable breaking down their daily lessons. For a child with SN, a timetable is just a breakdown of a smaller period of time. Many NT children like to know what is happening now/next too.

An NT child who happens to have a small frame may find hard chairs/floors uncomfortable, so wiggle a lot. If they happen to be given a cushion that is commonly used for SN to sit on, and it makes them more comfortable, then where's the problem?

In short, if the child is not affected to a significant extent, and the parents are not concerned about their development in general, then it's perfectly reasonable for the teacher to make minor adjustments to make life more pleasant for all concerned.

If there are deeper or more long-lasting issues, then referrals would be more appropriate.

Agree with lougle many techniques for an children are beneficial for lots of nt children.

Dd is NT and throughout school she has fiddled with blue tack or some elastic bands. It's her concentration tools and the teacher tested her without them and she cannot produce as well without them so they gave them back. So yes I agree with lougle techniques can be beneficial for both

Agree with Lougle, as a teacher and as a parent of a child with AS. Oddly enough, I gave his Y7 form teacher a basic guide to handling my DS, and the tutor found a lot of the strategies he was using benefited a number of the other children in the class.
Including fiddle objects and visual reminders.
Doesn't mean the others had any sort of SN and wasn't seen by the teacher as that either.

In answer to your 3 questions, I would say absolutely yes.
We all learn in different ways....some auditory, some visual, some kinesthetic..most of us have a dominant learning system.

But what is sometimes overlooked is that we also have an optimum level of arousal. Most people wont learn well if they have had a heavy meal or run 5k. Most will learn better if they then go for a walk or do some deep breathing and stretching.

So for kids, they not only need different methods of teaching the material, they also need different methods to 'prime the pump' so to speak.
Some will need a chew toy/gum, some will need to wriggle, some will need to click their fingers or chew their nails, some will need LOTS of movement before they can concentrate.

Sensory aids would be appropriate for them (like blu-tack, gum, mints, wriggle cushions, movement breaks). And for most kids, they will need the same sensory aid for homework or other time they need to concentrate.

Yes the teacher should be able to give these out. IME most teachers know the children who 'need' an extra something but they are not always confident about making a call on it and prefer an outside 'expert' to give specific advice.

Yes the child is normal.

How does your engine run' is a good programme used to teach parents, teachers and kids about this.