ABSTRACT
The lesson took place in a special needs school, in Trafford. The school caters for students aged 11 to 19 who have statements of special education for moderate learning difficulties. Students have a range of additional complex needs including autism spectrum conditions, speech, language and communication difficulties, and physical disabilities. The amount of communication the students are allowed is increased over the task, with the student who draws going from being allowed to speak at all at first, to being allowed to answer yes or no to questions, to being able to fully participate in dialogue. The importance of using dialogue in the mathematics classroom to help develop understanding has been a well-established element of the common sense of the mathematics education community since the emergence of social constructivism. Visualisation is seen as an important and powerful aspect of mathematical thinking, particularly when integrated with social dialogue.
