Special Needs Assisting Learner Record Brief: 10 Reflective Journals (Flood Case Studies)
QQI Special Needs Assisting Learner Record Brief: 10 Reflective Journal Entries (40 Marks)
| Module | Special Needs Assisting (SNA) |
| Award | QQI (NFQ) Special Needs Assisting |
| Assessment Technique | Learner record (reflective journal) |
| Minimum Entries | 10 reflections |
| Total Marks | 40 |
| Core Text | Eilis Flood, Assisting Children with Special Needs: An Irish Perspective |
| Referencing | Harvard |
This SNA learner record asks you to keep a reflective journal of at least ten entries across the module. Each entry links a case study from Flood’s text, such as a pupil with Down syndrome, to what you learned in class and through your own reading, what you did and found challenging, how the module shaped your thinking, and what you personally take forward into your work as a special needs assistant.
Guidelines and Instructions
Your learner record must include a minimum of 10 reflections.
A reflective journal will be kept by learners, detailing:
- Their own learning and attitudinal change in understanding special needs, and the impact that various special educational needs have on the family and the community.
- A focus on the promotion of good practice in working in special educational needs.
- A comprehensive reflection on their experiences in various workplace settings, to reinforce their understanding of the different conditions.
A minimum of ten reflections is necessary. Use the case studies outlined in Assisting Children with Special Needs: An Irish Perspective by Eilis Flood.
Grading Criteria
The learner record is graded according to the following criteria:
- Description of knowledge gained in class and through independent learning
- Description of activities, including challenges or conflict encountered and how they were dealt with
- Reflection on the experience of undertaking this module
- Identification of personal learning throughout the module
Evidence for this assessment technique may take the form of written, oral, graphic, audio, visual or digital evidence, or any combination of these. Any audio, video or digital evidence must be provided in a suitable format.
Assessment Criteria
| Criteria | Marks |
| Description of knowledge gained in class / independent learning | 10 |
| Description of activities, including challenges/conflict encountered and how dealt with | 10 |
| Reflection on their experience of undertaking this module | 10 |
| Identification of their personal learning throughout the module | 10 |
| Total | 40 |
Template Structure for Each Reflection Journal
The centre’s learner record template sets out each journal entry under a topic heading (for example, Reflection Journal 3: Complex Conditions and Syndromes, with a short case study of a pupil with Down syndrome drawn from Flood) followed by four sections:
- Knowledge gained in class / independent learning
- Description of activities, including challenges or conflict encountered and how they were dealt with
- Reflection on own experience of undertaking this module
- Personal learning identified throughout the module
Expert Guidance for Your SNA Learner Record
Most marks on an SNA learner record are lost when entries describe a condition but never reflect on it. Each of your ten journals should move from what you learned about the condition, for example Down syndrome, hypotonia and learning needs, to a concrete classroom activity, a challenge you met and how it was handled, and then a clear statement of how your own attitude or practice changed. Keep Flood's case studies central and reference them in Harvard style. Our SNA learner record help can guide you on structuring reflections against the four 10-mark criteria. You can also compare the 6N1957 SNA skills demonstration brief, the 6N1957 SNA scenario-based case study and the 5N0758 care support learner record brief.
