Using the Design Process to Enable Primary-aged Children with Severe Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (EBD) to Communicate More Effectively

Abstract

While working at a special primary school for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties, I noticed that their ability to communicate effectively in both 'Circle Time' and more generally was consistently poor. As the pupils enjoyed design and technology lessons, I wondered whether or not the design process and the teaching of skills used in design could also be used as a means of improving more general communication skills. The article shows the relative effectiveness of using lessons in design as a way of improving the general communication skills of a group of disturbed and challenging pupils.