Inspiration
Have you noticed that the number of primary school students with SENs are increasing every year? Or perhaps that none of the classmates at school care for them? We can empathise because we know a few people who are in that exact situation! We have a group member whose sibling has ADHD, and he is excluded and mistreated by his classmates…that’s when we decided we were going to help SENs and end this misery!
What social problems do we want to solve?
We want to solve the problems between the people who don't have SEN and the people who have SEN. We would like to help students learn more about different learning needs and understand how SEN students feel. The reason they are lonely and sad is because they feel that they are not welcomed by others, leading to a situation where they have no friends. After doing our own research, the three most common kinds of SEN in Hong Kong primary schools are Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Speech and Language Impairment (SLI) and Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We also know what problems they face, so we want to help them as a group.
The challenges we encountered
Helping 'normal' students understand the experiences of peers with Special Educational Needs (SEN) is challenging due to the need for sensitivity, engagement, and accuracy. Creating impactful simulations or activities requires avoiding stigmatization, ensuring accurate representation, and overcoming potential resource and cultural barriers, all while fostering empathy and inclusivity. We learned that SEN includes many types of learning differences and disabilities. This made it hard to create a solution that works for everyone. We had to spend a lot of time understanding what each person needed. Despite these hurdles, innovative approaches and collaboration with our school counsellor made this endeavor both meaningful and transformative.
Our products
- A simulation board game
- A simulation book to experience how SLI students read
- A real simulation game to experience the life and choices of an ADHD student
The resources we need
For making our game and book, we need:
- Social workers to help us further understand SENs
- Support for publishing the book
- Materials for creating the game
Who are we
Claris, Audrey, Caylee, Annabelle, Sofia, Jessica, Heidi, Novena, Fabienne and Charlotte are a dedicated team working to help students better understand and empathize with peers who have special educational needs. Our mission promotes inclusivity and tries to fosters a supportive learning environment.
