How can we involve the pupil in planning support for understanding ambiguous questions?

The same visible difficulty can arise from language demands, uncertainty, prior experiences, attention, memory, sensory load, skill gaps, relationships, fatigue or a mismatch between the task and the support available. Look for patterns across people, places and times of day, and compare difficult moments with occasions when understanding ambiguous questions goes more successfully.

Make the question accessible

Ask about understanding ambiguous questions using language, pictures, rating scales, choices, drawing, sorting or observation according to the pupil’s communication strengths. Questions such as ‘What makes this easier?’, ‘What is the hardest bit?’ and ‘What should adults stop doing?’ often produce more useful information than asking whether school is good or bad.

Take disagreement seriously

For can we involve the pupil in planning support for understanding ambiguous questions, avoid assuming that one strategy will suit every pupil. Use examples from ordinary lessons, ask the pupil what helps, and make one purposeful change at a time. Keep changes that improve access or independence and reconsider those that do not.

Show what changed because they spoke

Apply this principle specifically to can we involve the pupil in planning support for understanding ambiguous questions. Gather a few concrete examples, identify what makes the situation easier or harder, and choose a response that addresses the barrier rather than the surface behaviour. Review whether the pupil becomes more able to participate independently.

Keep the response proportionate

Apply this principle specifically to can we involve the pupil in planning support for understanding ambiguous questions. Gather a few concrete examples, identify what makes the situation easier or harder, and choose a response that addresses the barrier rather than the surface behaviour. Review whether the pupil becomes more able to participate independently.

Further reading