They have been published by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) and include:
- Meeting the needs of autistic learners, created in partnership with the National Autism Implementation Team, National Autistic Society Scotland, Scottish Autism and Children in Scotland.
- Meeting the needs of dyslexic learners, created in partnership with Dyslexia Scotland.
- Understanding neurodiversity in the context of equality and inclusive practice, created in partnership with the Salvesen Mindroom Centre.
The professional guides are short and offer practical guidance that encourages reflection as well as advice that can be adopted into teaching practice.
They complement the increased focus given to additional support needs in the revised Professional Standards for teachers, which become mandatory in Scotland in August 2021.
Ken Muir, chief executive and registrar at GTCS, said: “In the last 10 years we have seen a near six-fold increase of children and young people with a recorded additional support need in our schools. During this time, we have embarked on a number of projects to help registrants enhance their skills and capacity to support children and young people with additional support needs, the latest of which is the publication of these professional guides.”
The guides are part of a suite of publications from GTCS on key themes which are designed to enhance teacher professionalism. Previously published guides focus on equality and diversity, working online, and a children’s rights-based approach to education. Guides on trauma-informed practice and learning for sustainability are planned soon.