Shadow Support
Shadow Support is a specialised programme that provides individualised assistance to children with special needs in mainstream school settings. While our trained shadows are adept at offering support and guidance to help children succeed in their academic and social activities, there are limited benefits to receiving only Shadow Support services in silo.
We provide a full-fledged, seamless service that serves to:
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Train shadows with a strong focus on equipping them with dynamic, clinical skills.
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Provide families with well-trained Shadows who are mentored by Speech-Language Pathologists and Professional Therapists to carry out shadow support.
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Work with educational professionals to provide an effective solution to the learning needs of a student.
A great shadow is a wonderful asset to a student’s learning experience in school. He/She can help in the following ways:
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Facilitate skills that enable the student to pay attention to classroom instructions.
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Train the student to cope with the classroom curriculum on a “here and now” real-time basis.
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Help the classroom teacher understand the student’s challenges and learning needs.
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Create situations where the student could practise social skills.
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Ensure that the IEP goals are implemented in the classroom situation for better results.
How do I know if my child needs shadowing?
Some signs your child might require shadow support:
(These signs might come from your own observations or frequent teacher feedback)
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Disorganised and messy work, missed classroom instructions
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Lack of focus and attention in class
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Requires additional support in academics
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Disruptive classroom behaviour (Poor social awareness and social skills)
These are some manifestations that might indicate that your child struggles with at least one or more of the domains of Executive Function, Social-Emotional Regulation, Speech and Language (expressive and receptive), as well as Academics (Literacy and Math). Shadow support would be an asset to your child’s learning experience in school, as it provides timely facilitation of your child’s participation in the classroom setting.
A consultation with our qualified clinicians (Educational Therapist, Speech-Language Pathologist, Developmental Therapist), along with a school visit would provide us with an indication of whether the child requires shadowing.
Will this create a crutch mentality?
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A great shadow possesses great dynamic skills that allow her to know when to step back and when to jump in.
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The focus is on building skills at every opportune moment, including in classrooms and during breaks.
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The focus is also on building independence so that the shadow can be weaned off at the right moment.
Steps to Shadow Support:
Parents can enroll with the following steps in mind:
STEP 1
Enquire with Shadow Advantage to find out more about Shadow Support. This could be a phone call, a zoom or an in-person meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to gain a better understanding of your child's needs. If necessary, the Shadow Manager would recommend an assessment. This may cover a full Speech and Language, Occupational, and/or Educational report. If the child does not already have an Educational Psychologist report, he may be referred for this as well.
STEP 2
After the Evaluation, the Shadow Manager will advise on intervention and the appropriate shadow for the child. Shadows work in a variation of 3, 4, and 5 full school days. Shadows are appointed on a 6-month basis before reviewing progress.
STEP 3
A group meeting will be set up for the parents, Shadow and Case Manager. The case manager will set out Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for the child.
STEP 4
The Shadow Process will commence.
Faciliating Independence
At every stage, the shadow will be fostering competency, and independence of learning.
Wherever possible, support would be gradually faded out so that the student does not develop a crutch when it comes to learning.
