Tom’s learning in and through art

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Student	Tom
Age	8
Year	4
School	Primary

Tom has a wonderful sense of humour and we love the way he giggles when he has played tricks on us. Tom has the support of a teacher aide throughout his day as he works alongside his year 4 peers. Tom has a range of complex sensory needs, which can change quickly.

At times Tom can tolerate various materials and sounds, yet within minutes these can be unbearable for him. He is able to communicate with us by pointing at some objects or cards. We have come to understand Tom’s use of pitch to communicate his acceptance or reluctance of requests and tasks. At other times, Tom will use physical actions to express his acceptance or otherwise (for example, dropping to the ground). We continue to work on understanding Tom, taking the time to process the information he is presenting to us, and providing him with a safe learning environment.

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