Strategies for the classroom: A shadow teacher’s experiences

This article based on a video by Communiverse, where special educator – Ms. Gopa Dalal, shares strategies that have worked for her in her role as a Shadow Teacher.

The shadow teacher’s role is to gently guide a child as they settle into school life, ensuring smooth transitions and building confidence in classroom participation.

She shares two strategies that stand out:

• Parallel Talk
  When a child isn’t yet ready to respond directly, the shadow teacher can step in to voice their needs to the teacher and relay the teacher’s words back to the child. This approach reassures the child by giving them a “voice” in the classroom, while also modelling conversation and encouraging them to gradually join in.
  
• Visual Aids
  Tools such as visual schedules can be powerful in helping children anticipate and prepare for upcoming activities. By making routines clear and predictable, visual aids reduce anxiety and increase participation — both in school and in outdoor settings.

Practical Example

• Ms. Gopa shares how a student she worked with was initially fearful of using the school staircase. To ease this transition, she collaborated with the parents to take photos of the actual staircase and created a visual schedule. At home, the child practised the routine by looking at the pictures and rehearsing the steps before school. With consistent practice in the school setting, the child’s anxiety gradually reduced, and within days he was confidently using the staircase on his own.
  
• This example highlights how visual schedules can be adapted to prepare children for a wide range of scenarios. Whether it’s navigating school routines or attending a birthday party, clear visual cues help set expectations, reduce overwhelm, and build confidence.
  
• Visual schedules remind us that preparation and predictability can transform fear into confidence, helping children feel secure and capable in new situations.

Together, these strategies highlight how thoughtful support can empower children to feel included, understood, and ready to engage with their peers and teachers. Every child’s journey in school is unique, and with the right support, they can feel safe, confident, and included.

Strategies like parallel talk and visual aids remind us that small, thoughtful steps can make a big difference — helping children find their voice, build independence, and thrive in both classroom and social settings.

This video and guidance were created by Communiverse, led by Deepa Bhat Nair, an organisation dedicated to providing innovative, family-focused solutions for neurodivergent children and their caregivers. Communiverse offers both online and in-person support, providing highly nuanced interventions for very young children — with remarkable outcomes. The team is also pioneering path-breaking programs for middle schoolers and young adults with social cognition challenges, helping them navigate school, college, and daily interactions with greater confidence.

If you have questions about Autism, Down Syndrome, ADHD, or other intellectual disabilities, or have concerns about developmental delays in a child, the Nayi Disha team is here to help. For any questions or queries, please contact our FREE Helpline at 844-844-8996. You can call or what’s app us. Our counselors speak different languages including English, Hindi, Malayalam, Gujarati, Marathi, Telugu, and Bengali.