Students will sometimes encounter problems during their studies and you may be called on to provide support. If an issue is not addressed, they may become withdrawn and fall behind in their work. You can assist them to get the help they need. Some students may approach you directly, but others will lack the confidence to ask for help, so you will need to provide encouragement and opportunity for them to do so.
Your response will depend on the situation: sometimes, acknowledging their feelings will suffice; in other cases, you may need to offer more encouragement and opportunity for them to discuss their problems. If the student denies they are experiencing problems, explain why you are concerned (for example, their behaviour has changed significantly or the quality of their work has deteriorated). If they refuse to discuss the matter there may be little more you can do, but pass on information about how to seek help in case they change their mind later on. However if you believe a student is at risk you will need to seek assistance promptly.
Students in Difficulty
Students may sometimes exhibit patterns of behaviour that are outside the bounds of accepted norms. There are strategies that you can implement to prevent and respond to disruptive behaviour, and reduce the likelihood of harassment or discrimination.
Dealing with disruptive behaviour can be difficult, but there are a number of preventative and reactive strategies for doing so effectively. Once again if you believe that a student is at risk, displaying significantly abnormal behaviour or the student’s behaviour is impacting others you will need to seek assistance promptly.
Disability Services
There is a range of useful resources available for helping students become independent learners and job seekers. You can assist students by being familiar with these resources and, if possible, having copies available for students to use.
Your institution's disability service in your organisation is also a great resource for students. They will be able to assist students to identify the implications of their disability for study and assessment and documenting accommodations and services required in the form of a Learning Access Plan (or similar). They will also be able to assist you to problem solve issues and provide information about support services, assistive technology and learning strategies.