In order to provide the best learning experience for your child, we like to work with parents wherever possible.  This is especially true when children have specific learning needs. This term, Hung (not his real name) joined our Grade 1 course. Prior to the course starting, his mother had informed us of his autism. Because we were made aware of this, we were able to work with Hung, his mother, the class teacher, and the teaching assistant (TA) to accommodate Hung successfully. When asked about her experience of the British Council, Hung’s mother said, “It has been a really positive experience. In only eight weeks, I have seen Hung make real progress.”. She went on to say: “He has learnt colours, animals, and knows some of the songs that they have sung in class.  When he wants something, he uses ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, which he didn’t before.”

Hung’s mother feels it is important to be open about her son’s needs, and to try and ensure he is treated the same way as others in the class. She attributes the success at the British Council to the friendly and approachable teacher, as our style is different to his regular school and students are at the centre of all the activities we do in class.  

As a child with autism, Hung can be either very uncomfortable or distressed around strangers. The teacher took time to understand Hung’s needs, and his mother sat in on the first two classes to help settle him. We also provided a second TA to help keep Hung on track with lessons.

Hung has enjoyed his time with us, and now says he wants to come to the British Council all the time!

The class teacher said whilst having a child with specific needs can be a challenge, she has seen real progress in Hung over the last eight weeks, and although the progress is in "small steps", it is noticeable and real. She commented that his social skills are improving as a result of the class. “He’s beginning to engage with the other students, instead of ignoring them as he did to start with, and starting to do the things they do, such as lining up. On a good day he can also respond in English to basic questions without prompting. He’s also learning to negotiate, a skill which was completely absent when he started.”

We would encourage all teaching centre parents who have a child with specific needs to inform us of this so that we can better accommodate them in our classes. ‘Needs’ may be a medical condition such as asthma, emotional or behavioural needs – getting used to a new sibling, autism, sensory impairments or disabilities, or specific learning difficulties or dyslexia. By informing us of this, we can work with you to ensure your child’s learning experience is a positive one.

Hung’s success story shows the benefits of keeping us up to date with your child’s needs, we hope more parents feel they can do so in the future.