- Let young people know that their views are valued and that what they’re saying will have an impact. Due to the nature of schools, particularly secondary schools, young people can feel undervalued and not listened to, so are less willing to feedback if they feel that it is a ‘waste of time’.
- Understand the impact of the disability of a young person that you are getting feedback from. For example, as an autistic person,they may struggle to make eye contact in conversation, and get overwhelmed when multiple questions are asked at once. Some young people who have ADHD cannot sit still and hold a conversation, so it might be better for a chat with them while going for a walk. A general understanding of the needs of the young person, and how a conversation can be adapted is important in getting feedback.
- The wording of questions is important. For example, when filling in forms for an annual review, there are broad questions such as ‘do you feel safe at school’ and ‘what are your hopes for the future’. Even without taking autism into account, young people struggle with answering questions that are so broad that they become meaningless and ends up with no answer or an answer that is inaccurate or doesn’t mean much. Professionals should ideally word questions that are specific enough to get a meaningful response, from which a conversation can develop.
What makes a difference for a young person with SEND?
- Professionals should always remember that, at the end of the day, they are dealing with people. It is important that the people making decisions think about SEN pupils as individuals
- Listen to the young people and let them help you to understand their needs. Listen to their views so you can make the adjustments and adaptations needed. Understanding is required to find the best way to support a young person with SEND.
How can we get young people engaged in giving feedback?
- Most importantly, conversations are easier and more effective than questionnaires, the latter tending to lead to inaccurate responses, as it ‘puts people on the spot’. They also have the problem of being tedious and therefore teenagers are reluctant to express an opinion at all, and can lead to ‘on the spot’ responses that don’t give the full picture.
- Aim for a fairly relaxed conversation, which is also partially guided by prompts. Young people, especially teenagers, can be very quiet when asked questions directly, but a more relaxed approach in a conversation, would be more likely to bring out useful information. Within a mainstream school, this would probably be better if it were done with SEN staff, such as those in a Learning Support department, as they have a very different relationship with pupils compared to teachers, who pupils might be less willing to feedback to.
Created by Ben F, secondary aged SEND Ambassador
