Charisma – Special Educational Needs

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About Charisma

Charisma is all about Special Educational Needs. We are established to provide the best education possible to all children and adolescents with special needs.

The director, Maria Christina Mountouccou, with a degree on Special Educational Needs initiated Charisma to increase awareness of special education in Cyprus and differentiate the learning of children.

Services

Special Education

Learning support for children with learning difficulties, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, with genetic syndromes (Asperger), autism, mental retardation, attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity and developmental disorders.

Homework support for primary school

Support & guidance
Preparation for assignments
Revision
Time management

Support and reinforcement of Greek , English & Mathematics for primary school

Preparing infants for primary school

SEN Category Descriptors

Cognition and Learning

Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD):	Learners with SpLD may have memory and processing difficulties, difficulties in organisational skills and also coordination difficulties.	This category can include learners with a diagnosis of: Dyslexia: Learner shows marked and persistent difficulties in acquiring the skills for accurate and fluent reading. The learner may have significant difficulties in learning to spell, and may have poor comprehension, handwriting and punctuation. Dyscalculia: Learners show marked and persistent difficulties in grasping basic number concepts. The learner may have significant difficulties in learning number facts and calculation processes Dyspraxia: Learner shows marked and persistent. Difficulties in their organisation of movement and may appear clumsy. The learner may have significant difficulties in gross and fine motor skill development, and may appear reluctant to engage in actions needing motor planning – skipping, hopping, catching a ball, etc. The learner may have poor balance and coordination. They may be late to develop language.
Moderate Learning Difficulty (MLD):	Learners with MLD have difficulties in learning across the curriculum, requiring support in all or most areas of the curriculum.	Learning is significantly more difficult for these pupils, who experience difficulties in acquiring skills and making progress in basic literacy and numeracy. They are likely to have additional difficulties in speech and language development, this can be in expressive and/or receptive language and be apparent in spoken and written communication. They are also likely to have immature social skills, memory and/or processing difficulties, with limited concentration and attention.
Severe Learning Difficulty (SLD):	Learners with SLD have significant and severe difficulties in learning across the curriculum, requiring support in all areas of the curriculum.	Learning is significantly more difficult for these pupils, who experience difficulties across the curriculum, and in developing wider life skills. The wider difficulties usually include weaknesses in the development of mobility and coordination, the perception and development of self help skills, and the development of communication. Most earners with SLD will use sign or symbol to communicate.
Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty (PMLD):	Learners with PMLD have severe and complex difficulties in learning and development. They are likely to have additional significant difficulties in relation to communication, sensory impairment and/or physical difficulties	Learning and development for these pupils is significantly more difficult due to the severity and complexity of each pupil’s needs. These pupils will have difficulties in developing and maintaining mobility. They will require significant intervention in all areas of development.

Communication and Interaction

Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN):

Pupils with SLCN have difficulties in developing speech and communication. This can be a difficulty in expressive language, with the development being delayed or disordered. This can be a difficulty in receptive language. The difficulty could be in speech production, or the difficulty can be in social Communication.

Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD):

Pupils with ASD have difficulties in understanding and using verbal and non- verbal communication. They also experience difficulties interacting with other children/young people and adults.Their thinking and behaviour can lack flexibility, they may demonstrate restricted, obsessional or repetitive activity. There may be difficulty in developing effective communication, or there may be a delay in developing communication. Pupils find it difficult to understand the behaviour of others. They can also experience high levels of stress and anxiety, this can lead to inappropriate behaviours. Some pupils have sensory integration difficulties where their perception and reaction to sound, light, smell, touch and taste can be different.

Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties

Social, emotional and mental health
difficulties (SEMH):

Emotional difficulties:phobias,anxiety and depression
Emotional and/or Conduct difficulties:defiance, oppositional problems, aggression, anti-social
behaviour, bullying
Attachment difficulties
Other mental health problems(eating disorders, habit disorders,self-harm, substance abuse)

Learners with social, emotional and mental health difficulties display behaviours or reactions which could be inappropriate or challenging in an
educational setting.
Children/young people with SEMH may also experience difficulties in developing
their social and emotional skills. Learning can be difficult in some or all
areas of the curriculum because the difficulties create barriers to learning.

This category can include learners with a diagnosis of any of the following:

Attention deficit disorder (ADD)
Attention deficit hyperactive
disorder (ADHD)
Attachment disorder
A disruptive disorder
Schizophrenia or bipolar disorder