Understanding Korina. How can psychoanalytic observation support the role of a class teacher teaching special needs children in a mainstream school?

Abstract

This paper looks at material drawn from my daily teaching of a young girl with Down's syndrome in a mainstream classroom. It demonstrates how psychoanalytic observation of our interactions and her interactions with others allowed me to reflect on the play and behaviour she displayed over the year, helping me to understand her unconscious communications. Instead of seeing a ‘naughty’ girl unable to behave appropriately or a ‘happy’ girl always smiling, I recognised a child struggling to deal with her learning disability. My awareness of her feelings and sensitivity towards her needs not only facilitated her learning and development but also my role as class teacher.

Keywords:

• psychoanalytic observation
• learning disability
• play
• development

Notes

1. ‘Makaton is a unique language programme offering a structured, multi-modal approach for the teaching of communication, language and literacy skills. Devised for children and adults with a variety of communication and learning disabilities, Makaton is used extensively throughout the U.K. and has been adapted for use in over 40 other countries’ (Baikie, 2004, p.111).