As a teacher, your classroom management will depend on the specific needs of your Williams Syndrome student. The child, their family, teachers, therapists, along with medical and historical academic information, are the best sources of information to help guide your methods and strategies.
A W.S. child will need consistent direct teaching and supervision to organize their school supplies, plan on what materials are needed, managing time for homework and projects, determining ‘the main idea’ in lectures, projects, assignments and literature along with following processes through from beginning, middle to end. Utilize management techniques that capitalize on the strengths of your W.S. (Williams Syndrome) student in order to facilitate avenues for success. These strengths may include friendliness, expressive vocabulary, natural musicality, long term memory for information, memorizing stories and song lyrics, heightened awareness of others emotions, and positively responding to visual information for improved understanding. Having a small number of students in your classroom is ideal along with the assistance of a teaching aid to help support all the students in your class, as it is important to encourage the W.S. student to develop their independence. Decide with the child on a seat that works best, facilitating their ability to see and hear properly, being aware of potential extra sensitivity to sounds. |
Lowering environmental stress is key for your W.S. student. W.S children respond to routines; avoid rushing, surprises or unscheduled activity which can aggravate anxiety. For example, rountinely quietly playing the same gentle song, indicating that a transition is approaching, is helpful. Have headphones available if the child needs to block out unpleasant noises is also useful.
Let the child become familiar with sources of unusual or potentially disturbing noises such as the school bell or a fire alarm, in order to ease feelings of anxiety. Use a slow step-by-step approach to help the child enter new and unfamiliar places. Reassurance at the beginning of the day and throughout, along with previewing the day helps to ease a child’s anxiety about upcoming and therefore unknown situations. |
Post a digital classroom clock, and picture schedules outlining the step-by-step routine of the day along with calendars indicating scheduled events.
Find opportunities to play relaxing music, listen to audio books, use guided visualization techniques, deep breathing, take walks, engage in gentle exercise and yoga appropriate for children are also helpful ways to manage anxiety. |
Social skills should be considered a goal. Facilitate to bridge discussions between the student and peers, and positive friendship building with classmates, younger and older students in the school. Form an after school club based on the interests of the W.S. student, such as the ‘Wildlife Club’, or ‘Paper Airplane’ Club…in order to bring students with similar interests together. Model appropriate social skills in your class, reinforcing and practicing through stories, role play, and small group experiences that offer the child exposure to a wide variety of discussions and social situations. Incorporate a program such as Best Buddies (http://www.bestbuddies.org/our-programs) to foster relationships between students with and those without a disability.
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Reinforce and facilitate self-control techniques to assist in managing emotions and reinforce positive behavior management. Some behaviors like nail biting, skin picking or rocking will be out of the child’s control, so it is best to not focus on them, or offer a reward for refraining from engaging in the behavior, like a sticker for not biting one’s nails throughout the class. Keep in mind W.S. children have different behavioral issues than those of other students, and their specific issues need to be accommodated differently.
As the child’s behavior can be at times impulsive and socially inappropriate, accept that some of the child’s classmates will resist making friends. During unstructured social times like recess it is important to supervise social interactions that may lead to teasing or bullying. |
Help maintain focus and attention with frequent breaks, praise and encouragement, flexibility and choice, along with a varied and challenging curriculum incorporating the child’s favorite topics to create enthusiasm and sustain interest. To minimize anxiety, schedule a predictable time in the routine for less favorite but necessary activities. Help the child to make connections by using graphic organizers, step-by-step approaches to generating solutions, and videos that provide simultaneous support.
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Allow for time with certain topics which the child feels competent with in order to facilitate their inclusion and socialization; at the same time know how to direct and control the conversation to avoid repetitive questions and prolonged time on a topic.
Use a phonics based reading system, and work with the child’s speech therapist to support language development. Assist the child when they are searching for the right word using phonemic queing, self-visualization and gesturing, for example through role play. Encouraging the child to verbalize and paraphrase what they have understood, along with asking ‘who, what, when, where, and why?’ questions will help W.S. students internalize comprehension. |
Arrange easy access to appropriate manipulatives and other resources that facilitate the child’s preferred ways of learning. For example, create a comfortable carpeted area with cushions allowing the child to relax while enjoying picture books or videos. Designate an IT area for computers and Ipads. Full size IPads are easy for the child to use, and a wide variety of Apps are available that are useful for teaching certain skills, some of which are listed below, and a host of others are recommended through the Williams Syndrome website.
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‘Letter School’ - letter and number writing practice: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/letterschool-learn-to-write/id435476174?mt=8
‘Word Wizard’ – talking movable alphabet & spelling tests: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/word-wizard-kids-learn-to/id447312716?mt=8
‘Pictello’ – Making slideshows or stories: https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/pictello/id397858008?mt=8
‘Word Wizard’ – talking movable alphabet & spelling tests: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/word-wizard-kids-learn-to/id447312716?mt=8
‘Pictello’ – Making slideshows or stories: https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/pictello/id397858008?mt=8
‘iWordQ’ - word processor with word prediction: https://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/iwordq-us/id557929840?mt=8
‘Panther Math Paper’ - “write out math problems” and help with lining them up: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/panther-math-paper/id547090551?mt=8
‘Virtual Manipulatives’ - fractions, decimals & percent: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/virtual-manipulatives!/id471341079?mt=8
Teaching keyboarding and word processing along with utilizing word prediction will help the child’s typing speed and provide easy access to vocabulary and correct spelling. Utilize features such as text-to-speech, or drop and drag assignments. Computers and IPads are terrific sources of visual information, helping to reinforce what is read or discussed during class.
‘Panther Math Paper’ - “write out math problems” and help with lining them up: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/panther-math-paper/id547090551?mt=8
‘Virtual Manipulatives’ - fractions, decimals & percent: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/virtual-manipulatives!/id471341079?mt=8
Teaching keyboarding and word processing along with utilizing word prediction will help the child’s typing speed and provide easy access to vocabulary and correct spelling. Utilize features such as text-to-speech, or drop and drag assignments. Computers and IPads are terrific sources of visual information, helping to reinforce what is read or discussed during class.
Lavoie, R. (2007). LD Online. The Educators Guide to Learning Disabilities and ADHD. Classroom Management. Helping the Socially Isolated Child Make Friends. Retrieved 22nd July 2015, from http://www.ldonline.org/article/c676
Levine, K., Mervis, C., Pegg, R., & Cunningham, E. (2014). Information for Teachers. Strengths, Challenges & Strategies for Working With Young Students With Williams Syndrome. Retrieved 23rd July 2015, from https://williams-syndrome.org/sites/williams-syndrome.org/files/WSA%20Information%20for%20Teachers%202012.pdf
Levine, K., Mervis, C., Pegg, R., & Cunningham, E. (2014). Information for Teachers. Strengths, Challenges & Strategies for Working With Young Students With Williams Syndrome. Retrieved 23rd July 2015, from https://williams-syndrome.org/sites/williams-syndrome.org/files/WSA%20Information%20for%20Teachers%202012.pdf
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Tips for Teachers > Classroom Management > Writing & Reading > Mathematics > Music
Tips for Teachers > Classroom Management > Writing & Reading > Mathematics > Music
Date last modified: 30th July 2015