Inside the Classroom: learned helplessness

 My next few posts will be switching from educational applications to focusing on what’s going on inside the classroom while teaching communication skills by integrating augmentative communication and routines for students.

In relation to my other posts we are talking all about helping the student and keeping a student centered mentality. This post will discuss strategies to help students overcome “learned helplessness.”

This is important because it can drastically affect a student’s performance.

Learned helplessness is a lack of communication on the student's part because of years of being told or implied that they could not do it on their own. They rely on other and do not initiate or understand what is within their control.

Here are some strategies:

1.       Build a daily expectation of communication through specific activities. Let them make choices.

2.        Construct a brief daily report to parents that is communicated by the student.

3.       Allow natural consequences to occur and provide avenues for repair. This includes setups that alter the environment to provide less support or sabotage.

4.       Provide for choice making whenever possible that allows the student to use his or her augmentative communication system.

5.       Provide powerful phrases on the device for students to reject or protest something.

 

 

This video is an example of learned helplessness. I think not only is this post important to give strategies for students who suffer from this, but to make sure we are not inflicting learned helplessness on to our current students.

This really made me think about how I interact and respond to my students on a daily basis.

~ Michelle