Supporting Learners with SEND in One-to-One settings

Reflections from Our CPD Session with Lynn McCann

Earlier this week, we had the pleasure of hosting a specialist CPD session as part of our Love2Learn Specialist Practice Sessions, welcoming Lynn McCann from ReachOut ASC.

Lynn is an experienced specialist teacher and author who works closely with schools and families to support autistic learners and young people with additional needs. Her work focuses on practical, thoughtful strategies that help educators understand learners more deeply and create environments where they can engage and thrive.

The session explored how we can better support learners with SEND in one-to-one contexts. This is an area that feels particularly relevant to our work at Love2Learn Education, where we often support learners who have struggled to access learning in traditional classroom environments.

While many of the ideas discussed were already familiar to us in practice, the session offered a clear framework and shared language that we can continue to build on with our tutors and the learners we support.

Below are a few reflections that stayed with us.

Understanding behaviour through a lens of need

One of the most powerful reminders from the session was that behaviour is often a form of communication.

When a learner appears disengaged, anxious or resistant, it is rarely about unwillingness to learn. Instead, it may reflect sensory overwhelm, uncertainty about expectations, or difficulty processing information in that moment.

Shifting our perspective from “How do we change this behaviour?” to “What might this learner need right now?” allows us to respond with curiosity and compassion.

For learners who have experienced repeated difficulties in school, this shift can make a significant difference to how safe and supported they feel.

Creating the conditions for learning

Another key theme was the importance of environment and regulation.

Before learning can happen, learners need to feel calm enough and safe enough to engage. For many learners with SEND, particularly autistic learners, sensory and environmental factors can strongly influence their ability to focus and participate.

Small adjustments can have a powerful impact. This might include reducing distractions, providing movement breaks, offering predictable routines, or using visual supports to make expectations clearer.

In one-to-one work, tutors often have the flexibility to create these conditions in ways that are not always possible in busy classrooms.

Attention, interests and flow

The session also explored the concept of monotropism, which helps explain how attention can work for autistic learners.

Many autistic learners focus deeply on a small number of interests or tasks. When they are able to concentrate in this way, they may experience a state of flow where learning feels natural and engaging.

Difficulties can arise when attention is interrupted too quickly. Being pulled out of that state of focus can sometimes lead to dysregulation, particularly if the learner is already managing sensory or emotional demands.

For educators, a helpful question is how we can work with a learner’s focus rather than against it. Bringing their interests into learning and allowing space for sustained engagement can often lead to deeper learning.

Practical tools that support independence

Lynn also shared a number of practical strategies that can support learners in one-to-one contexts.

Visual supports such as timetables and task boards can help learners understand what is happening now and what will happen next. Structured workstations and clearly defined tasks can reduce uncertainty and support independence.

Sensory tools and movement breaks can also help learners regulate their energy and attention so that they are better able to participate in learning activities.

Many of these strategies are simple to implement but can make a meaningful difference to how learners experience a session.

Learning together

Supporting learners with SEND is complex and deeply individual work. There is no single approach that works for every learner, and this is why opportunities to learn from experienced practitioners are so valuable.

Our Love2Learn Specialist Practice Sessions are designed to bring educators together to share knowledge, reflect on practice and strengthen the support we offer to learners.

We are very grateful to Lynn for sharing her expertise and to everyone who joined us for the session.

When educators continue learning together, we create better opportunities for every young person to feel understood, supported and able to make progress.

If you would like to learn more about our work supporting learners with SEND, you can explore our approach here:https://www.love2learneducation.com/

We would also like to thank Lynn McCann and the team at ReachOut ASC for sharing their expertise and practical insights during this session. ReachOut ASC offers a range of resources, training and support for educators working with autistic learners and young people with SEND.

You can learn more about their work here:https://reachoutasc.com/