ABSTRACT
This chapter shows for the benefit of teachers hesitant about requesting support, how school-based support and training groups can deal with issues, to encourage them to invite their own special needs support or pastoral colleagues to examine the issues with them. It discusses the role of special needs consultant and support staff, whether on the school's staff or external. The chapter examines the preliminaries necessary for establishing staff support groups and the skills required for their development. Those who are already working with teachers, either as special needs or pastoral post-holders on the school staff, or acting as consultants from the school services, confirm that teachers are troubled by the discrepancy between their actual response to many special needs. They therefore respond to a form of in-service support and training which succeeds in offering them knowledge and skill to reduce this gap.
