SEN Magazine - SEN119 - July-August 2022 by SEN Magazine

July • Aug 2022 • Issue 119

Music therapy The SEND Review: a missed opportunity Literacy: catching up Foreign languages The Care Scandal Nutrition • Writing for SEN • Dyslexic MPs • Literacy fun • Foreign Languages Cerebral Palsy • Autism • Days Out • Point of View • Book Reviews • and more

July • August 2022 Issue 119

Editorial Team Jeremy Nicholls

Interim Editor editor@senmagazine.co.uk

Mary Mountstephen

books@senmagazine.co.uk

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Welcome The English SEND Review comes in for some stick in this issue, as Warren Carrett lets off steam on pages 14 and 15, and there’s a more sober review of the legal implications by Douglas Silas on pages 10 to 12. There’s still time to contribute your views to the official consultation, which closes on 22nd July. This can be done online via the following link: https://consult.education.gov.uk/ send-review-division/send-review-2022/. Our lively cover image relates to the Music theme in this issue, and in particular to Emma Kenrick’s delightful account of using music to inspire and build confidence in children of all abilities (see pages 26 and 27). Music is also one of the Ms in Nicola Hankey’s practical article on the three Ms for making literacy fun (pages 32 and 33).

Denise Williamson Advertising Sales Manager denise@senmagazine.co.uk 01200 409808

Emily Bennett on pages 16 and 17 has some practical advice on helping a pupil who returns to school after an acquired brain injury (ABI), and where to turn for support. On pages 46 and 47, Marzena Komisarczuk has some practical tips for posture and movement for students with cerebral palsy.

Charlotte Williamson

We have three articles in this issue which relate to literacy and language. As well as the Three Ms article mentioned above, there’s a plea by Andrea Welter for the post-Covid Literacy catch-up to prioritise pupils with SEN (see pages 37 and 38), and Roseanna Peate calls for more foreign language teaching for pupils with special needs (page 35).

Advertising Sales Executive charlotte@senmagazine.co.uk 01200 409805

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On pages 43 and 44, Headteacher Ben Levinson describes the proactive attitude to mental health which he encourages at Kensington Primary in East London. Conrad Will gives a frank and personal account of how impaired vision affected his school career (pages 8 and 9), and don’t forget to turn to pages 72 and 73 for Mary Mountstephen’s latest Book Reviews.

Design Rob Parry RobP Design robpdesign.co.uk design@senmagazine.co.uk

Last but certainly not least, please make time to read Victoria Annan’s excellent thought-provoking article on pages 57 and 59 in which she explains the benefits of taking SEN techniques mainstream.

Director

If you have something to say about the topics raised in this issue, or if you have ideas for areas we should be covering, or if you just want to let us know your views and opinions, then please contact me at editor@senmagazine.co.uk.

Disclaimer

Finally, I’d like to send a big thank you to all our advertisers. Without your support, SEN Magazine would not be possible.

Jeremy Nicholls

The opinions expressed in SEN Magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher cannot be held liable for incorrect information, omissions or the opinions of third parties.

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Have a great summer, and see you next term.

CONTRIBUTORS Victoria Annan Emily Bennett Roger Broadbent Warren Carrett Nicola Hankey Dan Hughes Jane Johnson

Emma Kenrick Marzena Komisarczuk Mark Lapuz Ben Levinson Mary Mountstephen Roseanna Peate Lucy Plunkett

Jo Price Konstantinos Rizos Douglas Silas Lucy Spencer Elle Vinall Andrea Welter Conrad Will

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July • August 2022 • Issue 119

6 10 14 16 23 26 30 32 35 37 40 43 46 52 54 57

Children’s social care We have a flawed system

SEND Review: appraisal What’s the Government’s plan?

SEND Review: criticism A missed opportunity?

Acquired brain injury (ABI) Back to school after an ABI

Publishing Writing for children with SEN

61 65 67 70

Tutoring A solution for Pathological Demand Avoidance

Sport The Special Olympics

Nutrition Care of feeding devices

School trips Inclusive days out for summer

Regulars 8

Point of view

What’s new?

Book reviews

CPD, training and events

Three Ms for making literacy fun

SEN resources directory

Foreign Languages

About SEN Magazine

Music Rhythm and harmony in everyday SEN

Dyslexia in Parliament Conversations with dyslexic MPs

Literacy

Modern language teaching for SEN

Literacy Catch-Up Please prioritise children with SEN

Curriculum Riverston School’s parallel curriculum

SEMH Let’s be proactive on mental health

Cerebral Palsy The importance of posture and movement

Behaviour Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA)

Behaviour Positive Behaviour Support

Autism Targeted support for Autism

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SEN law senmagazine.co.uk

Music therapy

Literacy & Phonics

57 senmagazine.co.uk

Autism

Cerebral palsy SEN119

Children’s social care

Children’s social care: independent review We have a flawed care system. It urgently needs a reset.

he Independent Review into Children’s Social Care was set up early last year as part of a government manifesto commitment at the 2019 general election. The Government committed to reviewing the children’s social care system to make sure children and young people get the support they need. It concludes that we need a system that provides intensive help to families in crisis, acts decisively in response to abuse, unlocks the potential of wider family networks to raise children, puts lifelong loving relationships at the heart of the care system and lays the foundations for a good life for those who have been in care. What we have currently is a system increasingly skewed to crisis intervention, with outcomes for children that continue to be unacceptably poor and costs that continue to rise. A radical reset is now unavoidable. Without a dramatic wholesystem reset, outcomes for children and families will remain stubbornly poor and by this time next decade there will be approaching 100,000 children in care (up from 80,000 today) and our flawed system will cost over £15 billion per year, up from £10 billion now. The Review recommends a shift in these trends which would mean 30,000 more children living safely and thriving with their families by 2032 compared to the current trajectory. There must be a fundamental shift in the children’s social care response, so that they receive more responsive, respectful, and effective support. To reduce the number of handovers between services, the Review recommends introducing one category of “Family Help” to replace “targeted early help” and “child in need” work, providing families with much higher levels of meaningful support. This new service would be delivered by multidisciplinary teams made up of professionals such as family support workers, domestic abuse workers and mental health practitioners who, alongside social workers, would provide support and cut down on referring families onto other services. These Family Help Teams would be based in community settings, like schools and family hubs, that children and families know and trust, and the service they offer will be tailored to meet neighbourhood needs based on a robust needs assessment and feedback from the families. To achieve this vision, a temporary injection of roughly £2 billion is needed SEN119

“Outcomes for children that continue to be unacceptably poor and costs that continue to rise” over the next five years, targeting about half a million children who require extra support. By 2030, this will have achieved a complete rebalancing of spending within the system so that over £1 billion more every year is spent on Family Help. After the five year reform programme, there should be a dedicated ring-fenced grant to ensure this extra spending continues to be prioritised in the long term. To increase the quality and consistency of help, funding should be accompanied by a clear national definition of eligibility for support and the outcomes Family Help should achieve, alongside a focus on the use of the best evidenced interventions to realise these outcomes. While instead of the risk of harm to children cannot be eliminated, the system of child protection can and must do better for children. Well, we’ll see, won’t we. In the light of the BBC’s recent report on outrageous profiteering and scandalous care failings at a particular care provider (link below), the need for an urgent reset is clear.

If you’d like to have your say, the Review team can be contacted by email at: review.childrenssocialcare@education.gov.uk More details of the Review at https://childrenssocialcare.independent-review.uk/ final-report/ BBC report on Calcot Services for Children: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61709572

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Point of view

Point of view: my school career

Photo: RNIB

People with Vision Impairment deserve equality in education Conrad Will

s a child with vision impairment (VI) in mainstream education, I was lucky to have gone to schools which did their utmost to meet my needs. I also had unwavering support from my family. But even then, the reality was that the outlook for children with VI was mixed at best. I fear that for many children and young people today, their circumstances may not be so fortunate unless urgent changes are made. I am one of over 30,000 people aged 0-25 with a vision impairment in England. We require specialist support to learn on equal terms with sighted children, enabling us to develop the skills we need to succeed at school, live independently as adults and enter employment. Yet as we take stock of the pandemic’s impact on education, new research from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) shows a worrying trend of children and young people with VI being let down. In the past year alone, a third of local authorities in England have seen their budgets for specialist VI education services SEN119

“My school had never had a VI student before” cut – at a time where specialist provision for high need, low incidence disabilities, like VI, could not be more important. Sadly, the deterioration of support for children with vision impairment is not a new development, despite the present backdrop of the wider education sector being under unprecedented strain. In the past four years, over half of local authorities have had their VI service budgets cut at least once, with over three quarters having their budgets frozen or cut. I am sure that I would not have got into Oxford University, nor gone on to work in Parliament, were I not able to participate in mainstream education. It is vital that children with vision impairment can, wherever possible, learn alongside their sighted peers. There are numerous social justifications for this, in senmagazine.co.uk

Point of view

About the author

“Local Authorities shouldn’t be in this position”

addition to the obvious benefits of having equitable access to the same academic environments that other children do. But delivering this is a huge challenge. A key metric of the standard of support is the number of Qualified Teachers of Children with a Visual Impairment (QTVIs) in any given local authority. QTVIs play a central role in supporting VI children: working peripatetically, they perform assessments and define the resources, adaptations and support that should be made to enable access to learning. They can also provide direct teaching of specific subjects and skills. Even with the best will in the world, mainstream schools and teachers need constant guidance and support from QTVIs. At primary school, on advice from a QTVI, I was given invaluable habilitation training which sought to maximise my independence and confidence. Without it, I would have struggled to navigate my way round school and feel part of its community. With secondary school came many new challenges – not least public exams. My school had never had a VI student before. I was given the standard allocation of extra time for exams right up until the year before my GCSEs, when a QTVI stepped in to insist I was given additional time and rest breaks to take the strain off my eyes. I’m not confident I would have coped without those arrangements. Alarmingly, RNIB’s research shows that QTVIs are in short supply. Nearly two thirds of local authorities have reported a decrease or freeze in their numbers, despite rising caseloads. This could affect nearly 20,000 children and young people, meaning they are lacking vital support and being left behind in their learning and inclusion at school, with untold knock-on effects for their prospects and integration into society. Compounding this unfairness is the fact that provision varies so widely across England. Different local authorities use different systems to determine the level of support a child can receive. In some authorities, a child may need to have a specific level of sight impairment to qualify for support, while in others, need can be determined by whether they are failing to meet the expected standard of progress for their age.

Conrad Will is a Public Affairs Officer at the Royal National Institute of Blind People. He previously worked in both the House of Commons and House of Lords after graduating from the University of Oxford with a BA in History and Politics. He has oculocutaneous albinism, meaning he is registered blind and has distinctively fair hair, skin, and eyes. Photo: RNIB

The Government’s recently released SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) Review presents an important opportunity for the Government to address this dire situation and ensure every child with vision impairment is able to fulfil their potential. At the very least, the SEND Review must level the playing field so that all local authorities work to a common framework of allocating support so that a child in Stockport can expect the same standards of provision as one in Southsea. In truth, it should go much further. Local authorities’ hands are tied by ever-evaporating funding pots and difficult choices are having to be made. They shouldn’t be in this position. They should expect adequate and protected funding to deliver specialist education services which can consistently meet the needs of VI children and young people. This can only come from central government. With the right central support, local authorities can begin to take action to boost the numbers of QTVIs and other key professionals such as Qualified Habilitation Specialists. I was lucky at school. I got the support I needed because specialist interventions were made at the right time and my parents had the capacity to ensure that nothing slipped through the cracks. It could so easily have gone the other way and I fear it will for so many children today without urgent change.

Has this article inspired you or given you pause for thought? Your ideas and comments would be welcome.

The result is a patchwork of provision in which children and young people are not always getting the support they are entitled to. senmagazine.co.uk

Email editor@senmagazine.co.uk

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SEN law

The SEND Review Douglas Silas looks at the Government’s current SEND Review.

he Review has been generally warmly received by Local Authorities, but some parent organisations have expressed criticism that it does not make local decision makers more accountable for their decisions, and that it may limit parental rights.

“Poor outcomes for children, young people and their families.”

What is the SEND Review? The SEND Review was finally issued at the end of March 2022. It is properly titled ‘SEND Review: right support, right place, right time’ and opens a consultation on new ‘ambitious’ proposals to deliver greater national consistency in support, access and funding for children and young people with SEND, through an ‘inclusive system’ focusing on improved mainstream provision, improved accountability and improved data collection. It is hoped that a new SEND system will now resolve inequalities, avoid the need to ‘ration’ services and build parents’ and carers’ confidence. The aim is to make things more ‘joinedup’ again and once more embrace the idea that ‘every teacher is a teacher of SEND’, creating a culture of inclusion and a whole-school approach. The Review states that it is the Government’s intention to also ‘level up’ opportunities for children and young people with SEND, as with every other child. Their ambition is to turn SEN119

hopes into reality and help the currently 1.4 million school-age children and young people with SEND, representing nearly 16% of all pupils, to bridge the gap between themselves and their peers without SEND. It also talks about the need to improve parental confidence in the system, and it says that the 2014 SEND reforms (through the Children and Families Act 2014) had the right aspirations but, despite examples of good practice, resulted too often in poor experiences and outcomes for children, young people and their families. The Review kicks off a consultation process which ends on 22nd July 2022. Aside from asking for written contributions, there are also a series of live events to gain additional views and contributions. senmagazine.co.uk

SEN law

About the author Specialist SEN solicitor Douglas Silas is the Managing Director of Douglas Silas Solicitors. SpecialEducationalNeeds.co.uk

@douglassilas @douglassilas

“Parents and carers are frustrated at the increasingly complex and adversarial system.” increasing number of EHCPs and specialist provision mean that children and young people face significant delays in accessing support, including those with more complex needs having to attend schools or placements outside of their local area and community.

What does the SEND Review conclude? The Government highlights again that parents and carers are frustrated at having an increasingly complex and adversarial system and that growing tension is causing delays across the system in accessing support, and increasing financial challenges for local government. The Review also refers to a vicious circle of late intervention, low competence and inefficient resource allocation, and it points to significant inconsistencies in how needs are met based on where children and young people live or are educated, rather than on their needs. The Review says that it has identified three key challenges facing the SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) system: 1. Navigating the SEND/AP system is not a positive experience for too many children, young people and their families; 2. Outcomes for children and young people with SEND/AP are consistently worse than their peers across every measure; 3. Despite continuing and unprecedented investment, the SEND system is not financially sustainable. The Review recognises that sometimes the only means of guaranteeing rights and support is by obtaining an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), but it points out how the senmagazine.co.uk

Finally, it stresses that financial resource and workforce capacity is poor at the specialist end of the system and that there is less available to mainstream settings, in terms of early intervention and timely support, resulting in this vicious circle.

So what is the Government going to do? The Government says that it wants to turn this vicious circle into a virtuous one, where the vast majority of children and young people with SEND should be able to ‘thrive’ in local mainstream settings, without bureaucratic processes, and without the need for an EHCP or placement in special or alternative provision. The Review acknowledges that special provision may be the most appropriate placement for some children and young people with SEND, but says that they should be able to access this with minimal bureaucracy. The Review is really focusing now on trying to set up a single national SEND/AP system, with more consistency across every stage of a child’s or young person’s journey across education, health and care, so that parents and carers will be more confident that their child’s needs will be met in a local setting. It also intends to introduce a standardised and digitised EHCP process and template to minimise bureaucracy, develop consistency, and to streamline the redress process to make

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SEN law

it easier to resolve disputes earlier, including mandatory mediation, with SEND Tribunal appeals now only for the most challenging cases.

How does it propose to do this?

“The 2014 reforms were not sufficiently funded”

The Government says that it will: •

Introduce a reformed and integrated role for alternative provision

•

Reform roles, accountabilities and funding

•

Increase the total investment in the schools’ budget, with an additional £1 billion in 2022 to 2023 to support children and young people with the most complex needs

•

Align incentives and accountabilities to reduce perverse behaviours that drive poor outcomes and high costs in the current system

•

Improve mainstream provision, through teacher training and development, and a ‘what works’ evidence programme to identify and share best practice including in early intervention

•

Clarify roles and responsibilities across education, health, care and local government by means of new national standards and accountabilities

•

Build expertise and leadership, through a new SENCo national professional qualification (NPQ) for school SENCos, and increase the number of staff with an accredited SENCo qualification in early years settings

•

Introduce a new inclusion dashboard for 0 to 25 provision giving a timely, transparent picture of how the system is performing at a local and national level across education, health and care

•

Invest £2.6 billion over the next three years, to deliver new places and improve existing provision for children and young people with SEND or who require Alternative Provision.

•

Work with Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission on an updated local area SEND inspection framework with a focus on SEND and AP

•

Deliver new special and AP free schools, in addition to 60 already in the pipeline

•

Set out a clear timeline, so that by 2030 all children and young people with SEND will benefit from being taught in a family of schools, including special and alternative provision, by sharing expertise and resources to improve outcomes

•

Commission analysis to better understand the support that children and young people with SEND need from health

•

Fund more than 10,000 additional respite placements and invest £82 million in a network of family hubs so more children, young people and their families can access wraparound support

•

Invest £18 million, over the next three years, in the supported internships programme

•

Improve transition at further education, including piloting adjustment passports

How has it been received so far? Many organisations have already spoken about the Review. One has called it a ‘pivotal moment’ but also says the ambitions need to become a reality and make a real difference. Some also talk about the ‘fragility’ of the current system for years which has been pushed back even further by a long and brutal pandemic that has had a major impact on the mental health of children and young people, including increased absences and a tired, overworked and disenfranchised workforce. There have also been a number of criticisms. The main criticism from parent organisations seems to be that, rather than focusing on improving the 2014 SEND reforms and addressing the failure to make local decision makers accountable for the decisions they make, the Government now seems to be changing things again but limiting parental rights previously given, for example by introducing a new right to request a school only on a preapproved LA list, or by limiting the right to appeal to the SEND Tribunal by introducing mandatory mediation.

The Review also proposes to: •

Make AP an integral part of local SEND systems focused on early intervention

•

Give AP schools funding stability focused on early intervention, by requiring local authorities (LAs) to create and distribute an AP specific budget

•

Develop a performance framework for AP with robust standards on progress, re-integration into mainstream or sustainable post-16 destinations

•

Deliver greater oversight and transparency on children and young people’s movements in and out of AP

•

Launch a call for evidence on the use of unregistered provision and investigate existing practice

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Some argue that this does not recognise the inherent inequality that exists in SEND disputes, as appeals are used to ensure that the law is complied with in the first place, so the Government shouldn’t restrict the chance of redress. However, the proposals have been met with a generally warm reception from LAs, who point out that the previous reforms from the Children and Families Act 2014 failed to improve the system as hoped and, although placing children and young people at the centre of the SEND system was right, the reforms were not supported by sufficient funding to allow them to succeed. Local Authorities also welcome the fact that children and young people will now be educated more inclusively in local mainstream provision. senmagazine.co.uk

Learning disabilities

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SEND Green Paper

SEND Review: broken promises Warren Carrett on the missed opportunities of the Green Paper.

hen it landed on Tuesday 29 March 2022, the Government’s Green Paper on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) marked over two years of consultation on what many see as a broken system. Since the introduction of the Children & Families Act in 2014, the numbers of children and young people with an Education Health & Care Plan (EHCP) has risen hugely, and over two thirds of Local Authorities – who retain responsibility for the commissioning of support for children with SEND – have large budgetary overspends, with many special schools under huge pressure to admit more and more pupils without the significant capital investment needed to create more spaces. Then there’s the higher cost of specialist places adding further pressure on overspent budgets, an issue which is compounded by the exponential rise in parents taking councils through the courts to secure a specialist place for their child. Cue vicious cycle. All of this in the context of a high stakes accountability framework and league tables for mainstream schools, which surely drives the exclusion of vulnerable learners, rather than inclusion. Financial insufficiency and an absence of available placements brings the natural dithering – even avoidance – of decision making by Councils, leaving many parents angry and desperate whilst pupils wait and wait for a new school place. No pressure, then, on a Green Paper published just after an economy de-railing pandemic and in the middle of war in Europe, with a Government wrestling with sky rocketing costs and a political drive (currently stalled in a layby!) to keep taxation low and alleviate a cost of living crisis. It is clear that the systemic challenges we face in SEND are beyond what any Green Paper can offer at this time, in a post-COVID, post-Brexit Britain. So we should recognsie that without strong political leadership supported by a big budget settlement from Number 11, any Green Paper on SEND will struggle to address root cause issues. However, this Green Paper seems to aspire to paper over the existing wallpaper, not even the cracks, leaving a bitter taste of disappointment and opportunity lost. SEN119

“A bitter taste of disappointment and opportunity lost”

The suggestion that new standards are needed for mainstream schools to be more inclusive is perplexing. The current SEND Code of Practice – which the Green Paper also separately suggests needs updating – already makes it really clear what is expected, and all teachers have to comply with the Teacher Standards. Why more, additional standards are helpful at this time – when a simpler, more streamlined system is what’s needed – is difficult to fathom. The White Paper, published on Monday 28 March, sets the ambitious target of 90% of children making expected or better progress in Reading, Writing and Maths at the end of Key Stage 2. Given how far away schools currently are from that target, it’s impossible not to fear that more exclusion of vulnerable learners is being generated by the system that the Government want to be more inclusive. The Green Paper suggests that children just need better teachers, and that the flow of specialist staff out of mainstream and into special schools must be stemmed. Two thoughts on this: firstly, I really don’t agree that the current outcomes at KS2 for Reading, Writing and Maths are because teachers aren’t working hard enough, and unrealistic, arbitrary target setting will certainly increase pressure on Heads and teachers alike, increasing turnover and weakening our state education system. Secondly, staff don’t leave mainstream because of the irresistible siren song of special schools. They leave for the same reason anyone leaves a sector: because it is just too hard to carry on. Usually, because there isn’t the financial resource to give children the support they need in mainstream, or because expectations aren’t relative to need. The White Paper aspirations compound this. The Green Paper offers nothing on finance to counteract it, beyond a suggestion that the notional £6k in mainstream budgets needs to be reviewed. senmagazine.co.uk

SEND Green Paper

“Embarrassingly short of what is needed”

The finger for why High Needs budgets are so overspent is pointed to the independent specialist sector early in the Green Paper, but then this issue is left there with no statement for how this could be addressed. The extra £1billion promised to stabilise the system falls short of the structural deficits across Councils, and isn’t followed up by a funding commitment to resource budgets sufficiently in future. What the SEND system needs is the same approach the NHS now has: historical deficits wiped off as an acknowledgement that they have accumulated over a decade of underfunding, and a long term funding plan that not only wipes out structural deficits but also plans for future cost increases, with both population growth and inflation hitting special schools harder than most given the higher staff ratios. Mainstream schools have this certainty with the National Funding Formula. Special schools haven’t even been given the same guaranteed funding from Government to meet in-year pressures that mainstream schools have, with the Schools Supplementary Grant (SSG) being shockingly withheld by most Councils this year. This is a worrying indicator that financial recovery for the sector will be expected to come from providers facing squeezed budgets (but not Independent, as they sit outside of the sphere of Government control). Very worrying indeed. The absence of any proposal for schools to have voice in the mediation/arbitration process for naming a setting on an EHCP is also a big worry, and the proposals to tighten how schools can be directed could leave the resourcing of provision a unilateral matter for Councils to determine. If budgets continue to be hindered by systemic under-funding, how long until unilateralism becomes the only means of financial stability for Councils? For many of us, we are already battling that on a daily basis. That, finally, brings me to the role of Councils in this brave, new world. The area inspections by Ofsted and CQC seem to have drawn the unavoidable conclusion that many Councils aren’t fit for purpose and are failing to meet the legal duties on them. What else do we expect? Councils have been cut to the bone with austerity and don’t have the resource base senmagazine.co.uk

About the author Warren Carrett is the chief executive of Nexus Multi Academy Trust, which has 12 special schools across 4 different local authority areas in South Yorkshire and the East Midlands. Warren has been CEO at Nexus since the Trust was formed in 2016. Warren has worked previously in local and national senior officer posts in the NHS and local government. Nexus MAT was awarded national winner for Outstanding Vision and Strategy by the National Governance Association in 2017, and were national finalists for Outstanding Multi Academy Trust Board in the 2021 awards.

to do what they must. It’s irrefutable that a number have also failed to manage their budgets well, with a lack of any strategy for change. This is all about the absence of capacity, and the system is begging for a change in roles and responsibilities. Councils can’t have a reduced role in the eyes of Government, whilst keeping all they’ve been asked to do. So what does the Green Paper propose? To create more bureaucracy for Councils, with more performance measures and data that must be collected locally and the requirement for yet more local “plans”, which will likely reduce the prospect of regional collaboration and draw more resource into the servicing of local red tape. The promise of around 1.2 extra trained Educational Psychologists per council is well intended, but also embarrassingly short of what is needed, and the pledge is to fund their training – not their ongoing employment. Yet more costs for overspent councils to live with. I know there are others who believe the Green Paper offers promise. Without doubt, it is good news for AP schools, who should finally get the respect and security they have so long deserved. And I suppose new wallpaper is still new wallpaper, even if it’s replacing the old and tattered variety and leaving the cracks exposed. However, we needed more. In trying to assure myself I’m not becoming a grumpy old man in my assessment of the Green Paper, I have chosen to embrace the Spanish idiom that a pessimist is merely a realistic optimist… the problem for us all with this Green Paper is that reality is already biting hard. SEN119

Brain injury

Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Dr Emily Bennett on helping a student back into school after an ABI.

ver 40,000 children and young people (CYP) in the UK experience some kind of acquired brain injury (ABI) every year (NHS England, 2018). While the majority will go back to the school they attended before their injury or illness, many will return with different needs, and will require support from their teachers to assist their recovery and adjustment. Despite this, many teachers and SENCOs report knowing little about ABI, and schools frequently feel unprepared and ill-informed to manage the new needs presented by a child returning to school after an ABI.

What is the impact of childhood ABI? An ABI is an injury to the brain that is acquired after a period of typical development. ABI is identified as the leading cause of death and disability in childhood and can be the result of accident/trauma, infection, illness, stroke, tumour or hypoxic events to the brain. ABIs can range from mild (e.g. concussion) to severe, with the subsequent need for support in school ranging from simple adaptations in the weeks after an injury, to long-term individual support or even changes in school placement. ABI can impact children across the SEN Code of Practice’s four broad areas of need; changes in behaviour and emotions are common, as are cognitive, physical and sensory difficulties. Many CYP also experience high levels of fatigue; and changes in their communication and social skills.

“Many teachers report knowing little about ABI” One of the key challenges with childhood ABI is its ‘dynamic’, and often hidden impact. The true impact of an ABI may only become evident as the CYP’s brain develops across childhood and adolescence; meaning support within education settings may have to evolve as the CYP’s presenting needs do.

Returning to education after an ABI After an ABI, CYP and their families are often faced with the challenge of adjusting to a ‘new normal’ in many areas of their lives. Returning to their education setting is frequently cited as one of the most difficult aspects, with many CYP finding school both familiar, yet completely different. There are a number of reasons this transition can be so challenging, including a lack of training about ABI for teachers, the time taken for the SEND system to respond to acquired needs (e.g. EHCP process/funding applications), and a scarcity of pathways and planning to ensure there is collaborative support across health and education.

Developing resources to support schools: ABI RETURN In light of the crucial contribution made by schools within a child’s rehabilitation after ABI, education has been a key priority within the work of an All-Party Parliamentary Group on Acquired Brain Injury (APPG on ABI). The National ABI in Learning and Education Syndicate (N-ABLES), was formed on the back of the APPG’s Time for Change Report and aims to drive for improved awareness of ABI in education settings. A key priority for N-ABLES was the development of best practice guidance to support the return to education process. This was collaboratively created by a group of professionals working with children with ABI and educators from around the UK. The guidance established core principles for support, which focused on:

■ Chris Bryant MP and friends from the UK ABI Foundation.

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planning and preparation;

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communication and training;

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flexible and dynamic responses within the system;

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child and family-centred working;

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participation and inclusion. senmagazine.co.uk

Brain injury

“Re-learning and coping with newly acquired needs.”

The ABI RETURN guidance includes a poster outlining core principles, forms for teachers and schools to support information sharing and planning of a successful return, and stories from children and young people with an ABI. The accompanying support booklet provides key information about childhood ABI. It has a range of material to aid schools as they navigate an often unfamiliar system; this includes details of professionals who may be involved, and signposting to sources of support. It emphasises the importance of the network sharing information to support schools as they prepare for the CYP’s return to education. The booklet also offers insight into how ABIs can present in the classroom, to help teachers in recognising and effectively supporting the often hidden needs associated with ABI. All N-ABLES resources can be downloaded for free from https://ukabif.org.uk/page/ABIRETURN

About the author Dr Emily Bennett is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist in Paediatric Neuropsychology at Nottingham Children’s Hospital, and the Chair for the National Acquired Brain Injury Learning and Education Syndicate (NABLES). https://bit.ly/3NX8UKX @NABLES10 @EmBennett78

Making a difference together Childhood ABI can present challenges across broad areas of need, and effective RtE planning reflects some of the crucial first steps schools can take in getting support right. Through effective collaboration and communication with the child, family and other professionals, SENCOs and teachers can help ensure their school makes a significant contribution to a child’s rehabilitation by supporting essential relearning, and compensation for newly acquired needs. Ultimately, this support can reduce the longer-term impact of a CYP’s ABI and instead, maximise their participation, self-esteem and success throughout their time in education.

Want to know more about ABI? SENCOs and teachers can learn more about childhood ABI through a range of free and easily accessible training and resources: • The Child Brain Injury Trust (CBIT): www.childbraininjurytrust.org.uk produce a range of resources and offer training courses (supported by the Eden Dora Trust) for teachers • NASEN and CBIT publication for teaching professionals: https://childbraininjurytrust.org.uk/ wp-content/uploads/2018/11/ABI-Mini-Guide.pdf • The Children’s Trust: https://www.braininjuryhub. co.uk/information-library/return-to-education Please visit NABLES for a full signposting list: https://bit.ly/3xaDkTi ■ The ABI booklet is available from the link above.

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The place for everything educational and musical from Andy The Music Man delivers the best high quality musical resources in the world (probably) for very curious musical minds. The videos have been lovingly filmed and edited in 4K with high quality audio. Andy has had the privilege of delivering bespoke music education sessions and concerts over the years for thousands of people with different abilities both here in the UK and abroad. Now you can access some of Andy’s classic songs all categorised ready to help you have fun and make music together!

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Update: School-Led Tutoring Grant (NTP) In April, the DfE gave the NTP a shake-up, with the SchoolLed Tutoring Grant now considered the way forward for in-school tutoring. Two key changes include: • Schools can now utilise the grant during the summer holidays, as the statement deadline for schools has been moved to September; • Schools can now use the tutoring grant for groups of 1:6. However, we would still recommend groups of 1:3 for better quality of learning and faster progress. Book a free consultation and health check with Education Boutique - call 01276 674 210.

musicmansmusicalminds.co.uk

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Ann Arbor Publishers: supplier of clinical & educational assessment and teaching materials

Students win awards at the Young People Awards

Established in 1972, Ann Arbor Publishers is a longstanding supplier of tests and resources to psychologists, teachers, allied health and education professionals and parents. The company is a main UK distributor for several US based assessment publishers. They provide a free, 365-day a year online consultancy service and a variety of free, downloadable SEND articles and checklists.

Students at Fairfield Farm College have won the Student Council Award at Westbury Young People Awards 2022. From fundraising efforts to supporting their peers during the pandemic, the Student Council have shown great strength, determination and have always represented the student voice at Fairfield Farm College.

Ann Arbor offers a ‘Price Match Promise’, guaranteeing the lowest UK price when comparing VAT inclusive prices & delivery. Delivery is free for orders over GBP100.

Another award was won by Ann, a student who picked up the ‘Young Leader and Community Spirit’ accolade. For the last 3 years, Ann has worked tirelessly with the Student Council and led her peers to collect countless boxes of food and essential items for the local food bank.

annarbor.co.uk

ffc.ac.uk

ERIC Paediatric Continence Care Conference

Write Rules: The Ultimate Handwriting Programme

10th October 2022, Hilton Birmingham Metropole (online streaming option also available) The 2022 conference “Equality and Inclusion: Making sure no child is left out or left behind” is aimed at all professionals who are supporting children to achieve good bowel and bladder health and those with a continence condition. The focus will be on children with a learning disability. The keynote speaker is Occupational Therapist, autism researcher and award-winning author, Kelly Mahler, who will be sharing insights from her book Interoception, the 8th Sense: The Science of How We Feel. For more information, please visit eric.org.uk/conference2022

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Are you looking for a fun and easy way to teach your children handwriting? Does your class like to sing and dance? Do you like it when someone else does you planning for you? If so, then Write Rules is the handwriting solution for you! Write Rules is a complete handwriting programme for KS1. It includes songs, stories, fine motor videos, whole body animations, pencil control worksheets, games, and handwriting practice sheets. The lesson plans are already written, all you need to do is press play. Join the free trial today at GriffinOT.com/sen

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What’s new?

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Don’t miss our essential bundle deal – five for the price of four across online modules Developed by autistic people and professionals, our online modules are designed to enhance your autism knowledge while fitting into your busy schedule. All of our online training modules are accredited by the CPD Certification Service (the leading CPD accreditation institution) as conforming to continuing professional development principles. autism.org.uk/online-training

Decodable books for SEN Pupils Moon Dogs Extras are a set of decodable books aimed at older SEN readers. Phonic Books Ltd, specialist publishers of decodable books, have now addressed this much neglected audience. Moon Dogs Extras comprise 24 books that introduce the sounds of the alphabet in a gentle, stepby-step phonics progression. Three parallel books at each stage, provide the additional reading practice at CVC level that SEN pupils need. The stories and illustrations are age-respectful and inclusive, allowing SEN children to relate and engage with the characters. The workbook complementing this series offers further practice and support for SEN pupils. phonicbooks.co.uk

The Exopulse Molli Suit

The ‘207 Sport’ Tricycle

The world’s first electrically powered neuromodulation suit for improved mobility, balance, blood circulation and pain relief.

The ‘207 Sport’ Tricycle is a specialist trike for children and adults who are unable to ride a standard push bike by offering amazing stability and postural support.

The Exopulse Molli Suit allows its users to enjoy a more active and less painful daily life by reducing spasticity, weak muscle activation and chronic pain relief.

Four colours (white, blue, red, pink); Five different sizes (12”, 14”, 16”, 20”, 24”); A range of supports and adjustments. Get in touch to book a FREE product assessment rms-rehab.co.uk

To enquire please call 01784 744900 or email bockuk@ottobock.com and reference “SEN0622”.

Essential Letters and Sounds - getting all children to read well, quickly This DfE validated programme has been developed for teachers by teachers from Knowledge Schools Trust. It has been designed to ensure that all children learn to read well and make speedy progress. Simple, clear, structured, repetitive – ELS is paced to make sure every child succeeds. The daily, same structure lessons mean that children can process and learn without any extra cognitive load. ELS follows the Letters and Sounds 2007 progression, it is expertly matched to OUP decodable books or you can use decodables you already have in the classroom. oxford primary.com/essentiallettersandsounds

Grace Garden School now open Ruskin Mill Trust is delighted to announce the opening of Grace Garden School. Offering an education to young people aged 9 – 16 with complex social, emotional and behavioural difficulties including autism spectrum conditions, Grace Garden School is set in 18 acres of cultivated landscape on the outskirts of Bristol. At Grace Garden School, children and young people are supported to learn as much as possible outside, participating in crafts, gardening and the exploration of nature. From these experiences they will come to understand the larger world and their place in it, along with the connections between themselves and their community. To find out more contact 0330 055 2653 or admissions@rmt.org

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Bring your phonics teaching to life

50 years of Slindon College

My Letters and Sounds is a brand new systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) programme built around 110 stunning, fully decodable Readers together with a wealth of teaching guidance and resources.

Slindon College is celebrating its Golden Jubilee! The independent day & boarding school for boys aged 8-18 has been in residence at Slindon House since 1972.The College has seen many changes but it has always been a home for boys who struggle to thrive in a mainstream environment.

Written by teachers and phonics experts, the scheme provides a rigorous approach to teaching phonics to all pupils, including those with special educational needs. Teaching guidance provides a range of multisensory resources to support the introduction of new GPCs, whilst each Reception decodable Reader clearly highlights every digraph, trigraph and tricky word. My Letters and Sounds is an affordable phonics programme, with decodable Readers available for £2 per book for schools. schofieldandsims.co.uk/mylettersandsounds

The Inclusion Illusion by Rob Webster Publishing on July 4th, and available free to download, The Inclusion Illusion by Rob Webster is essential reading for anyone interested in SEND and inclusive education. It is based on findings from the UK’s largest observation study of pupils with high-level SEND, and reveals that their experience of school is characterised by separation and segregation, and the effect of this on the quality of their education. It suggests why a more authentic form of inclusion is needed, and how it might be achieved.

The College has conjoined celebrations with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and many celebratory activities and events have been taking place. Pupils have made commemorative bunting to recognise important historical dates over the years. Here’s our new joiner from Ukraine with his poignant message in relation to current events. slindoncollege.co.uk

Offering training to support the inclusion of pupils with special needs! Although improvements are being made to support schools to become compliant and confident when moving and handling pupils with special needs, time and budgets are still limited. Solutions Training has developed a unique blended learning solution to ensure that all relevant equipment, specific needs, and theory training are provided in the most cost-effective way. Their blended learning solution includes the completion of our sector-specific People Moving People theory course, accompanied by our tailored video training to teach staff member the practical elements of moving and handling. solutionstraining.co.uk

Available free from uclpress.co.uk/inclusion from 4th July, or as a hardback (£35.00) and paperback (£15.00) from all good booksellers.

SEND Group has a variety of online courses Their SENCO Innovation Course plus Level 3 and 5 Dyscalculia courses tutored by Professor Steve Chinn and Judy Hornigold. Each course includes; understanding dyscalculia, maths difficulties and maths anxiety and how to identify them. Understanding typical maths development and barriers to learning as well as practical solutions to support all learners at their core. The range of courses on offer is expanding to include a variety of short maths courses and further SEND eg, Executive Functioning and associated issues. Other courses will also be made available soon.

‘Sounds of Intent’: A postgraduate course A part-time postgraduate certificate course for those working with children and young people with special musical interests, needs or abilities, is offered by the University of Roehampton, from September 2022. Suitable for teachers, teaching assistants, therapists, music coordinators and parents. Now in its 10th successful year. One day a week. Available with complete flexibility: in person or online (streamed or recorded). Free access to a wide range of fully inclusive musical resources. Some bursaries are available from Sounds of Intent charity. For more information please contact Prof Adam Ockelford, a.ockleford@roehampton.ac.uk or call on 01878 456 472. roehampton.ac.uk/postgraduate-courses

Contact: hello@sendgroup.co.uk sendgroup.co.uk

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Sovereign Play At Sovereign, they are always striving to create equipment and play areas that anyone can enjoy and use to reap the benefits of play. Sovereign’s Apollo Roundabout is designed to allow all users to play together. As it is installed flush with the ground, the product is easily accessible for all and those in wheelchairs can easily ride alongside their peers. Available in a range of colours, the roundabout is the perfect addition to brighten up any play area and encourage users to interact with their friends and make new connections. sovereignplayequipment.co.uk

Tough Furniture – Specialist SEN solutions Through partnerships with staff of leading SEN schools for students with complex learning needs and ASD a number of additions to the range of classroom furniture have been made. The company has many years’ specialised experience supplying the most challenging areas of the care sector, and this has been combined with staff experience and knowledge of needs. The result is furniture that actively helps to optimise the SEN learning environment, by delivering durability, safety and good value. Designing and manufacturing to order offers individual solutions for the flexibility needed as circumstances change. For more information call 01588 674 340 or email sales@toughfurniture.com toughfurniture.com/room/classroom

Sunken Trampolines

Random acts of kindness

Sunken Trampolines are delighted to announce that they have been chosen to be the UK distributor of Global Playgrounds products, which include Bird’s nest swings and playground trampolines. Global Playgrounds are innovators in trampoline design and have produced wonderful shapes enabling schools to have exciting patterns and trails.

During World Autism Acceptance Week, held the first week of April, students at Beechwood College took part in random acts of kindness around the local community. Students decorated plant pots and other items to leave as gifts around the community and on the doorsteps of local homes.

For more information please visit the website: sunkentrampolines.co.uk

One local resident said, “Thank you so much Group 3! We received a lovely bunch of daffodils, such a lovely surprise. My daughter is autistic, this made her so happy when she got home from school!” All gifts were attached with autism awareness cards to continue building an autism-friendly community. beechwoodcollege.co.uk

Would you like to create an outdoor sensory space, but have no funding? The outdoor sensory space in any setting should be fully inclusive and provide the same opportunity for everyone to explore regardless of their ability or special need. It should be a place where diversity is respected and valued, enabling children of all abilities to explore their surroundings in a safe child-centred inclusive environment.

EDUtech Europe, Amsterdam Taking place 5-6 October in Amsterdam, EDUtech Europe brings together the leading minds in education from across the continent. Educators will gather to showcase innovation and inspire their peers. EdTech solution providers will also be there to demonstrate the latest technology innovations that are changing the way education is delivered. Join 3,500+ educators and EdTech companies from across Europe for 2 days of learning and networking. Visit website for more information: terrapinn.com/ exhibition/edutech-europe/

Timotay Playscapes have a free funding guide and free inspiration guide to outdoor sensory play spaces and outdoor sensory play equipment. For a free copy, email enquiries@timotayplayscapes.co.uk or call 01933 665151

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Changing the narrative, one word at a time Lucy Plunkett on writing for children with SEN.

ever more so than now, with reports that the number of referrals to mental health services for children and young people is almost double pre-pandemic levels, positively promoting wellbeing, diversity and inclusion should be at the heart of practice. Certainly, referrals to our Service have rocketed exponentially. A clear pattern is emerging: increased anxieties and Emotional Based School Avoidance (a term we much prefer to school ‘refusal’) particularly for those on the delayed assessment pathway who have had to wait longer to understand themselves and access support. This, along with longer waiting times and stretched resources, has increased the pressure on families. And don’t get me started on the Department of Education’s persistent, anxiety-inducing ‘catch up’ rhetoric of missed opportunities, which was about as reassuring as the sound of nails being dragged down a blackboard. As a parent of a child with autism, anxiety and many other co-existing needs, this is particularly close to my heart. My job is my life, or perhaps my life is my job? I spent fifteen years as a Teacher and Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) before moving on to my current role as a Specialist Advisory Teacher for Speech, Language, Communication and Autism needs in Hertfordshire. As a SEN parent, whose work is supporting children and young people with SEN, I don’t switch off. But what carer of a SEN child does? I’m sure this will resonate with many of you; my child has slept through the night once in her life. Once. As I write this, that is one night out of 12 years, 9 months and 30 days. One night out of 153 months or 670 weeks or 4688 days. One out of 4688. Sensory needs and anxieties affect both the onset and maintenance of her sleep. Every day is a challenge for her at school, including the build up to getting there, and she feels isolated from her peers. So, when I speak with the families and, my favourite part, meet the pupils and capture their views, I’m truly empathetic; I get it. In my role, I’m often asked to recommend resources to support our pupils with an aspect of their needs. I’m happy to do so as books and stories have always been my passion; when a story resonates with you, all that exists are those magnificent words that free you to lose yourself and find yourself too. And when you meet characters you can relate to, it’s like ‘coming home’. I spend hours of my free time researching texts that could help my pupils to experience this feeling of belonging and to understand themselves. I meet so many children who are fearful of their diagnosis or feel that they don’t fit in anywhere. While there is a wealth of wonderful material out there, I’ve found that many of my pupils (and my daughter) needed a more subtle approach so, when I couldn’t find what I was looking senmagazine.co.uk

About the author Lucy Plunkett is a Specialist Advisory Teacher for Speech, Language, Communication and Autism for Hertfordshire County Council. https://bit.ly/3aLRYcf @LucyPlunkett4 Lucy Plunkett

“Many children need a more subtle approach”

for, I wrote my own gently relatable, inclusive stories with positive narratives and diverse characters. The short rhyming stories focus on a different dog’s time at WAG Club (We Are Great), a weekly training club, and involve them experiencing a difficulty relating to their needs. With adjustments, support and understanding, the dog leaves feeling positive. The stories are purposely subtle in their message and address needs in a gentle way, providing a safe starting point for discussion. Each story has been inspired by my daughter and the pupils I’ve supported, who expressed feeling: ‘Naughty; too different to have friends; bad at everything; worried about everything.’ So many children just need a safe platform to open discussions and understand themselves and others. Although my stories are neither illustrated nor published, I’ve shared them with many pupils with positive feedback and outcomes. For example, when sharing with a pupil the story of Walter the whippet, which addresses emotional and sensory regulation linked to autism, he commented, ‘That’s just like me!’ We created a mindmap of ways we could help Walter and, as the pupil

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decided those strategies would also work for him, they are now part of his provision at school. Staff had previously been unable to gain pupil voice before this or support him to engage with adjustments. It was music to my ears. I have written eight WAG Club stories in total, which address: sensory and emotional regulation, anxiety, physical difference, food aversion, attention and focus, selective mutism, tics and Tourettes and phobia of germs. With an increase of referrals requesting support regarding gender dysphoria, I’m currently writing the ninth one. I’ve also written a fiction story to introduce the benefits of having a School/Therapy Dog for supporting the diverse school community. When searching for fictional texts to share with his staff, families and governors to introduce the idea of having a School Dog, my husband struggled to find any that encapsulated the empathy, friendship, kindness, love, positivity, respect, responsibility and trust that having a School/ Therapy Dog can promote. I wrote ‘Theo the Therapy Dog’ for this reason. I hope these synopses provide a little more insight into my stories:

‘WAG Club: Roll Over, Doodles!’

“Too different to have friends, bad at everything, worried about everything”

individuals. My stories may not be right for everyone, but I’m hoping that they can be a source of joy and help for some. I’ll keep writing to address the needs of the children I support, trying to raise awareness and make a positive difference, one word at a time. Exciting Development: I am currently liaising with an independent publisher who creates inclusive and accessible picture books that reflect the diversity and challenges faced by children today. We have set up a Crowdfunder to help realise my dream to start the publishing journey and help children, families and settings far and wide! Further details can be found here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/senchildrens-book-series

Doodles the Dachshund loves learning new skills at WAG Club. With his long, sausage back he is finding today’s roll-over trick very tricky indeed! Doodles’ friends help him to realise that everyone is different and so he finds a different way to succeed.

‘WAG Club: Change Feels Strange for Walter’ Walter the Whippet really enjoys the routine of WAG Club; it’s what Thursdays are all about! Today though, WAG Club is different and Walter feels that Thursday is ruined. That is, until the others help him to see that change can be good, even if it feels strange.

‘Pippa the School Dog’ Theo the Therapy Dog is ready for another day at Skywood School doing what he loves best, helping others. Today, Theo helps the children to come to school, be brave, feel calm, persevere and talk about their emotions. Every day at Skywood School is as unique as its pupils. For now, I’m an unillustrated, unpublished novice and am actively seeking representation and publication so that my stories can realise their potential and help children and families in a wider capacity. It’s been my longest ambition to be a published author (and I’ve come a long way from writing stories about my grumpy dachshund on my childhood, third-hand typewriter) so if you’re reading this and can help me on my journey, please get in touch! A wise friend once reminded me that there are so many parenting books to choose from because one size does not fit all. Just like the many parenting books that weren’t right for my family, not every story will work for, or appeal to, every person; that’s the beauty of being unique SEN119

Dogs are conversations waiting to happen! Let the Dogs of the K9 Project open the door to difficult conversations, positive self talk, and increased understanding. These bright and informative work books are for parents/ carers/teaching and support staff to work alongside children and young people to explore feelings and emotions. Full of photographs of cute dogs, activities and worksheets, and colourful drawings. “The book is sooo helpful!! It’s the most relatable anxiety book I’ve ever read. We’ve got quite a few books for children with anxiety and worries but yours is so clever, honestly. Relating things to dogs - is really sweet. I’d definitely recommend your book!” Marie mum of a SEND young girl of 10.

Available direct from k9: thek9project.co.uk with extra goodies. Also available on Amazon: https://amzn. to/3t8PfQm

https://amzn. to/3wV2GV8

senmagazine.co.uk

Music therapy

Using music in everyday SEN Emma Kenrick on the benefits of music for SEN.

e all have unique connections and associations with music. Music is present from the beginnings of life in our earliest mother-infant vocalising interactions. Music has the power to bring about similar physical and emotional responses in different people at the same time. It is capable of both intensifying a certain emotion and coordinating the way in which a group of people should move together (we’ve all done the Macarena at some stage). Music can express, articulate, and channel feelings that cannot be put into words, bypassing the need for language, and it is this part of music that is invaluable, particularly when working with pre-verbal or non-verbal communities. Through observing and participating in music therapy sessions, staff that I work with in SEN settings often notice how live musical play can evoke intentional communication and motivate responses in children who may otherwise struggle to express themselves. The experience of live music-making within a responsive, familiar relationship, attuned to a person’s sounds and gestures, can be extremely beneficial for development. Unlike recorded music, live musical interaction can draw out a person’s voice and personality, enabling SEN staff to respond in the moment to the quality of the individual’s engagement. A question often asked is how music therapy is different from music lessons. The main difference is music therapists don’t teach people how to play an instrument or piece of music. Music Therapists are Allied Health Professionals, registered with the HCPC and music therapy is an established psychological SEN119

“Music can articulate feelings that can’t be put into words”

clinical intervention. Music Therapists draw upon the innate qualities of music to support people at all stages of life; from supporting new-born babies develop healthy bonds with their parents, to offering sensitive and compassionate palliative care at the end of life. Music offers an anchoring thread in which a person is free to explore their sense of self. This article aims to look at how you can equip yourself with basic musical tools to support communication, learning, motor skills and emotional expression when working with people with SEN.

Social Interaction and Communication Not everyone considers themselves a singer, but we all have a voice and we all can sing. Singing can be used in SEN to attune, match, mirror sounds or vocalisations to reinforce or bring awareness to an individual’s voice. Using familiar songs can be a simple way to stimulate speech. Choosing a song that is meaningful or enjoyable for an individual and leaving gaps at the end of a phrase can motivate phrase completion. senmagazine.co.uk

Music therapy

About the author

“Rhythm is everywhere”

A simple turn taking activity using a small instrument, such as a shaker or bell can encourage social interaction. Use a melody that is familiar to you and change the lyrics to instruct others to pass an instrument around the group (e.g. changing lyrics of ‘Comin round the mountain’ to ‘Susie pass the bells to Mohammed’). This offers opportunity to observe many different skills including gross motor skills; passing the instrument around the group, memory skills; can they listen and remember the instructions in the song and learning skills; how long can they focus and listen until their turn.

Cognition/Learning Skills We have all used music at times to help us concentrate, motivate ourselves or learn. Music can support attention and focus, enhance short term and working memory and provide opportunities to encourage decision making and planning. It can also increase motivation for learning by making it fun! Songs and sound cues can be used in classrooms to promote connection and understanding of the daily routines. Music can be used to reinvigorate lessons and reset attention. Musical cues for different subjects or using songs for targeted learning can be an amazing tool to enrich learning and increase chances of successful remembering. All those jingles you have in your head from TV or radio can be put to good use by making up words to go with them and using them as sound cues for different parts of the school day.

Emma Kenrick is a Music Therapist and flautist working in a variety of settings across London, She gained her MA in Music Therapy from Guildhall School of Music and Drama and BMus (Hons) in Music Performance from TU Dublin Conservatoire. chilternmusictherapy.co.uk @ChilternMusic @ChilternMusicTherapy @chilternmusic

Physical/Motor skills Rhythm is everywhere around us and within us e.g. our heartbeat, footsteps, language. Using melody and rhythm can support to target and reinforce gross and fine motor skills as well as supporting balance, coordination and control of movements. By maintaining a steady beat on a drum, attuned to an individual, it can support connection to bodily rhythms, regulate and even synchronise movement to rhythm or pulse. By matching, rhythm can reinforce a movement. This can also be done using body percussion; tapping knees, clapping, clicking fingers, stamping feet. Another simple idea to support fine motor skills is using music to guide drawing. Following the melody line of instrumental music, such as pieces by Einaudi, can provide a lovely way of both encouraging expression through drawing and a means of relaxation.

Emotional wellbeing We have all had the experience of music influencing our mood, either reinforcing or clashing with our experience of an emotion. Music can be used to explore individual emotional expression and creativity. It can be a safe medium to explore more difficult emotions and can be used to learn about self-regulation. This can promote a level of self-awareness and therefore increase self-esteem and confidence. Emotional identification can be difficult. Offering a means of distinguishing emotions through music can provide a different and motivating way to develop this skill. Musical activities such as applying feelings to different instruments, e.g., the angry

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Music therapy

drum, the happy bells, and singing a song about guessing the feeling can support in establishing how different emotions may sound. Using pictures, such as an emoji feelings chart, can also assist understanding. This could be adapted, using characters in a book, with different feeling states reflected in the story and supported with a musical accompaniment e.g. Winnie the Pooh. Creating playlists can be an effective way to both learn about an individual and provide a means of energising, relaxing, motivating or supporting concentration. Music preference is personal so finding what works and connects with an individual is very important. A relaxation playlist should include music that is

predictable, steady in pulse and may have repeating themes or sections. If you want to motivate, you want music that holds your attention with patterns that you connect with and make you want to move. At the school where I currently work each class has an iPod that has been uploaded with children’s nursery rhymes, Disney songs and classical music. The iPod Pharmacy is a scheme whereby people donate their old unused iPods to Chiltern Music Therapy. These are then reconditioned and uploaded with personalised music for music therapists to loan out to their clients as needed, to support with a range of aims including reducing agitated behaviour, increasing arousal, and supporting emotional regulation or relaxation. For children with sensory and/or noise sensitivities this has provided a safe opportunity to practice building up tolerance to wearing headphones whilst listening to music. How and when a child listens to music is flexible according to individual needs. I also placed an iPod in a quiet corner of the staff room where teachers could spend some time listening to music during breaks. This can provide much-needed relaxation and time-out from hard work and hectic schedules. Music can provide support for staff as much as it can for individuals we work with. Musicality is fundamentally innate and is such a unique human trait. We all have connections and feelings around our own musicality. But using it can open channels of communication and expression that you may not have realised possible. So go forth and sing and play like no one is listening!

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Dyslexia

Dyslexia in Parliament Roger Broadbent talks to MPs about their dyslexia.

his spring, I met four dyslexic MPs. I heard some amazing life stories about ability, hard work, timely support, and tenacity, from four brave MPs who shared some of their hidden selves, with insights that many of their constituents and fellow parliamentarians will never have heard before. Talking to MPs – Tom Hunt, Sir Mike Penning, Peter Kyle, and Matt Hancock – we went back in time to when a teacher laughed at one of them in front of their classmates; how another just “didn’t know what was going on” in lessons; and how another “just hid” at school. From both sides of the house, MPs openly shared their lived experience of being dyslexic at school, through diagnosis, and in the House of Commons. This comes as Parliamentarians consider ways to improve diagnosis and support for the learning difficulty. It was apparent in discussion with these four MPs that the two from schools with fewer resources had had a much more negative experience, both in terms of recognition of their additional needs, and when it came to receiving support and encouragement. Sir Mike Penning admitted that he, “was horrendous at school...I was always scraping and getting the cane”. With his dyslexia undiagnosed, he felt lost at school, SEN119

“The teacher asked me to read aloud in front of the class”

and “didn’t know what was going on”. This is sadly not unique: many dyslexic pupils share this experience, which helps to unravel the explanation of why pupils with dyslexia are more likely to be excluded by their school, or why they self exclude/ truant. A common theme in having an undiagnosed learning difficulty is feeling misunderstood, unsupported, and falling through the cracks in the education system. Similarly, Peter Kyle’s school experience was far from ideal. He can recount the exact moment when he decided that his school was not for him, and he was definitely not for school. His English teacher had asked him to read aloud in front of his fellow pupils, and like most dyslexics he struggled. This affront to his self esteem was compounded by his teacher laughing cruelly at him. He told me that his Local Authority was the last in the country to recognise dyslexia as a learning condition, senmagazine.co.uk

Dyslexia

“I just thought I was bad with words”

About the author Roger Broadbent is director of both the Dyslexia Institute UK and also the Empowerment Passport Ltd. empowermentpassport.co.uk dyslexiainstituteuk.com

and he was put in the remedial class, where he gave up on his education until he was 25. Late diagnoses is a common thread among dyslexic MPs. As Matt says, “I just thought I was bad with words”. It was only when he was at Oxford University that he was sent for a dyslexia assessment by his tutor, who told him, “You can talk, but you can’t write.” For Sir Mike Penning, his dyslexia was only recognized by his Education Officer in the army. He was also later diagnosed as having dyscalculia (difficulty with numbers), after he had joined the fire service. No wonder Mike had a tough time at school. Similarly, Peter Kyle did not get a diagnosis until he was at Sussex University aged 25. Peter is very proud of the fact that he was “the first severely dyslexic student at Sussex University to get a doctorate.” Tom Hunt also talked about some tricky moments during his education, especially during the transition phases. Tom could not tie his shoe laces until 14 (which is not unusual for a dyslexic/dyspraxic person), but managed to get a first from the University of Manchester, and a Masters from Oxford University. Intelligence has never been in question for our four contributors. Like most dyslexic individuals (both diagnosed and undiagnosed), Matt Hancock did not share his difference, “I kept my dyslexia private for 20 years, across my career in business and as a politician,” he says, “when I spoke about my dyslexia, it was a huge relief for me.” All four MPs have worked hard to overcome their challenges and their natural empathy, oratory skills, and ability to see the bigger picture – typical traits of dyslexia – have helped them in Parliament and with their constituents. All, however, are quick to point out that they have good support teams around them, who pick up some of the slack in areas in which they know they are not strong. As Tom Hunt says, “I have a team that supports me with the skills I don’t have, and I have found that very liberating.” Similarly, Matt Hancock shared that, “I have always asked my officials to write a crisp one-page note on the top of all the long submissions, so I can prioritise the most important decisions.” senmagazine.co.uk

It was clear that all four are keen to see a culture change in the way we perceive dyslexia. Consequently, they will be focused on the Schools White Paper; the SEND Green Paper; and Matt Hancock’s call for legislation around universal screening for dyslexia in primary schools, which are all going before Parliament this year. One of the more striking aspects of dyslexia in Britain today is the numbers that make up our prison population. As Matt Hancock comments, “It is a shocking fact that 50% of prisoners are dyslexic...and that 57% have literacy levels below those expected of an 11-year-old.” Sir Mike Penning also expressed frustration with the situation, describing the fact that we “don’t use the opportunity” to help work with offender’s literacy skills in prison as, “a massive problem.” Other topics discussed included the benefit of one-to-one study support, the digital disconnect, and the range of excellent learning software that can be used to help struggling readers, the costs of which would be outweighed by the life choices that would open up to someone who could now write for jobs or consider getting back into education. Another key area was the situation of dyslexics in the workplace. All four agreed that there is still too much negativity around dyslexia at work, and this is too often expressed as prejudice against the dyslexic individual. We need to “help businesses understand the huge talents that dyslexic people bring to the workplace”, Matt Hancock, adding that, “If we invest in our dyslexic children from an early age, we can unleash their potential.” When dyslexic individuals find their niche they can thrive – we only need to look at these MPs to see that. And we can also look to other successful dyslexics to see how they can help businesses thrive from:- Steve Jobs to Bill Gates, Richard Branson, and thousands of other entrepreneurial business owners up and down the country. SEN119

Literacy / Phonics

The three Ms for making literacy fun Nicola Hankey on making literacy fun for children with SEN.

very SENDCo knows that literacy can be key to learning. But it can enrich the learning experience of children with special needs in a much more fundamental way too.

Developing children’s literacy skills can boost their imagination and creativity and help build the critical vocabulary they need to read, write and communicate – as well as encouraging a life-long love of a good book.

“Create different settings, such as Africa or the Antarctic”

Bringing music into the classroom is a helpful way to engage children who have additional needs such as autism or ADHD in what they are learning. It can support children with SEND to develop their written and spoken language too.

The format of a song allows you to cut long phrases into bitesized pieces in a way that may not be as simple to do with written text without losing the meaning. One good example is the song about going on a car journey and spotting different things along the way, such as trees and flowers, farm animals and vehicles. As the song progresses, the list of items the pupils sing about gets longer. This activity can help to build children’s memory skills in a relaxed, fun way. You could even create different settings for the song to increase children’s interest, such as the African plains or the Antarctic.

Rhymes and songs can be used to build the vocabulary pupils need to access the curriculum and make progress and provides a wonderful opportunity to explore different cultures and traditions.

Another approach is to choose a song for everyone to sing and write or project it onto a white board. Allocate a different note on the musical scale to each word depending on its starting letter or phonetic sound, then encourage pupils to sing the

One effective strategy to develop the foundations for literacy in a fun way for children with special needs and disabilities is based on three Ms – Music, Movement and Measurement. I want to share some ideas for taking this approach with you.

M for music

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Literacy / Phonics

About the author Nicola Hankey BEd Hons, NPQH, NASENCO is a teacher and SEND co-ordinator at Ludworth Primary School. Music lead at the school is Charlotte Baines. ludworth.org.uk @Ludworth

“There’s nothing better than a lesson that pupils really enjoy.” You could inspire learning about Florence Nightingale through a poem or song, for example, or include rhythmic dance in a project on the Tudors. The use of rhymes and songs which include physical activity can increase a child’s familiarity and understanding of key literacy skills such as syllable structure and word stress.

notes together. This will make it easier for them to connect the spoken and written forms of the words and join them up to eventually sing the whole song.

It can also be a great way to support children’s emotional literacy. You could ask them to think about how the rhythm and speed of a song makes them feel. This will help them hear how tempo and tone can reflect emotions too, adding further enjoyment to reading.

Comprehension activities can be developed using a song as a core piece too. This can give reluctant readers the confidence to develop inferential as well as literal comprehension skills.

M for measurement

Making lesson musical can ease pressure on children, both with and without special needs, to gain and retain knowledge. The impact on self-esteem and wellbeing can be very positive and what emerges is the pure joy of the activity with the learning often happening without the children even knowing it.

M for movement There’s nothing more satisfying than planning a lesson that pupils really enjoy. Incorporating some active learning techniques into the plan can be a great way to achieve this and get children moving. This is particularly important for children with conditions such as hyper-mobility or ADHD as it can promote engagement and give children the chance to positively channel energy whilst they learn. Songs that include actions such as stamping and clapping often go down well with pupils who have additional needs and they can be either inside or outside of the classroom. With active and kinaesthetic learning, you can help to embed what’s being taught while creating opportunities for fun. senmagazine.co.uk

Whether you add more music, movement or both into the literacy curriculum, it is critical that you can get a clear picture of the impact the changes have on children with SEND, so the third M is for measurement to move forwards. At Ludworth, we assess reading with a piece of software from Lexplore Analytics which has been developed to track a child’s eye movements as they read. It gathers information such as how long the eyes rest on a word, and how they move through the text when a child reads out loud and silently. We’ve found this a much less stressful way to assess the reading ability of pupils with SEND than a pen and paper test. Using an online tool means we can benchmark a child’s reading ability in just a few minutes too, allowing teachers to identify which aspects of literacy children are struggling with and flag the early signs of conditions such as dyslexia, which can then be explored and supported. Children are far less likely to forget a lesson they have enjoyed. Could a focus on music and movement enhance the literacy skills of children with SEND in your school? SEN119

Literacy / Phonics

Foreign Languages and SEN Roseanna Peate on inclusion in foreign language teaching.

here are those who assume that learning Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) is unsuitable for students with SEND, and that instead, time should be given to strengthen their English language skills, but I want to challenge this assumption. I’ve heard the all too familiar cry of: ‘What’s the point – they aren’t going to take it for GCSE anyway!?’ But gaining language proficiency is not the only endgame, there is, in addition, the appreciation of other cultures. Surely no student with SEND should be excluded from the multilingual world in which we live? By taking a pupilcentred approach to language learning and truly understanding each student’s individual SEND needs, language teachers can open the door to a whole new world of linguistic and cultural appreciation that could otherwise remain closed. Opportunities for students with SEND to engage and achieve in the Modern Foreign Languages classroom exist, such as taking part in role-plays with their peers, based on a café or restaurant scenario. Evidence suggests that these types of interactions may facilitate the social skills of students with SEND, especially for students with ASD. Multi-sensory teaching methods including songs, visual aids and team games to help students with SEND remember adjectival agreement rules or retain high-frequency vocabulary, can be used to achieve more inclusive, quality first teaching within the languages classroom. However, experience has brought into sharp focus that no two children with SEND are the same and that what works for one student with ADHD, may not for another. Adapting teaching strategies to suit the needs of the individual with SEND is vital to securing progress, especially if we are to close the attainment gap.

■ Achievement in an inclusive curriculum.

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About the author Roseanna Peate has taught Modern Foreign Languages (Spanish and French) for 14 years and mentored Early Career Teachers. She currently works at Bedford Academy as Lead for Spanish and holds the NASENCO qualification. bedfordacademy.co.uk peate.rosie@gmail.com

Research carried out by the Education Endowment Foundation in 2021 reports that the gap between students with SEND and their peers is double that of students eligible for free school meals and their peers. This highlights the importance of positive dialogue with home to keep parents/carers of students with SEND informed of progress made in MFL. Making phone calls home, awarding ‘MFL Star of the Week’ or ‘Language Leader of the Week’ are practical ways of showing achievement in an inclusive curriculum that is suitably matched to a child’s specific needs. These strategies also raise the profile of a subject perceived to be challenging for students with SEND, encourage positive classroom behaviour and show that these students can meet the high expectations set by you, the teacher. At my school the languages department uses a range of multisensory approaches to enable students to learn vocabulary and find patterns in verb conjugation. The days of the humble card sort are numbered! Now we can select appropriate online quizzes, interactive games and specialist MFL packages to suit every type of learner with SEND. Students with auditory or visual processing difficulties can become fully immersed in learning a language without the need for the teacher to spend hours creating specialist resources from scratch. Understanding the needs of all students with SEND is key to making the right adjustments however, to enable them to fully access the curriculum and realise their full potential, just like any other child in the class. SEN119

Literacy / Phonics

Literacy catch-up Andrea Welter on why literacy catch-up programmes need to prioritise children with SEND.

earning gaps between children with SEN and their peers have significantly widened over the last couple of years – and the greatest negative impact has been for the youngest pupils.

According to a new report published by Juniper Education, the reading attainment gap between Year 2 pupils with SEN has grown from 29 percentage points in autumn 2019 to a shocking 45 points two years later.

About the author Andrea Welter is an assistant head teacher from Pheasey Park Farm Primary School and Early Years which is part of the Elston Hall Learning Trust.

These figures will be a difficult read for SENCOs and support staff, but the data is likely to confirm what many already know. Lockdowns have put children with special needs at much greater risk of falling behind what they are capable of. The report underlines the urgent need for literacy to be placed at the very heart of the targeted catch-up strategies schools are shaping to support pupils with SEN.

“Children’s coping strategies can be hard to unpick”

Literacy – the foundation for all learning It has never been more important for schools to identify and implement effective interventions to eliminate lost learning and help ensure children with SEN get the support they need to fully access the curriculum. Literacy skills are the bedrock needed to prevent children with conditions such as dyslexia from falling behind. When a child has a good level of reading ability, they are in a much stronger position to be able to join in with a class science challenge, source information for a history project about the

Queen’s coronation and retain the names of rock formations in geography. A focus on strengthening literacy skills will encourage a child with autism or Williams syndrome to pick up a book they’re not familiar with or read for the pure joy of it too. It’s what all those who support children with SEN want for their pupils. Without a firm grasp of reading, a child could potentially be on the back foot right the way through their schooling. That’s why literacy catch-up programmes must to be tailored to the individual learning needs of each pupil.

Uncovering the issues One of the key tasks for schools is to identify reading difficulties but this is not always as straightforward as it may sound. The challenges children with additional needs face are often difficult to spot in the typical routine of the school day. Many pupils develop coping strategies over time too, which can be complicated to unpick. At Pheasey Park, we use an innovative piece of software to help us with this. It’s an eye-tracking tool from Lexplore

■ Prevent children from falling behind.

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Literacy / Phonics

Analytics which follows a child’s eye movements as they read and automatically analyses how long their eyes rest on one word. It tracks how quickly the eyes move forwards and backwards across a series of words and offers very detailed information on specific reading difficulties, including the early signs of dyslexia. The results help us to design interventions that make a real difference to the children we support. We even use the technology to measure the impact of the interventions we put in place for each child, allowing us to make adjustments over time to ensure they are getting the help they need to progress.

“Technology-based testing can save time” child may not even be aware they are being assessed, which will provide a much more accurate picture of their reading ability.

Reading difficulties not only affect children’s academic achievement. They can also have a negative impact on a pupils’ emotional wellbeing. So, a successful catch-up programme for literacy should always support the pastoral aspects of the learning recovery journey.

In our school, some of the screening technology we use is so enjoyable, our pupils have been known to ask us if they can repeat the testing process more than once. Technology-based testing can also save time for teachers as results come through very quickly allowing more time to be devoted to planning and delivering activities that help each child to continue making progress.

While it’s important to understand where pupils are in their learning and monitor the progress they are making, schools need to find ways to assess children without piling on the pressure and technology can help here too.

As a SENCo, you know which children will respond more positively to a classroom-based literacy catch-up programme, an afterschool reading club or a scheme that delivers more help at home.

An on-screen activity or digital quiz is often enjoyable for a child to do. When assessment is fun, there is no ‘fear of the big test’ that could potentially spark anxiety and skew the results. The

With the right tools and information, we can ensure every pupil gets the support they need to thrive on their own pathway to learning success.

Considering the pastoral impact

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Curriculum

Curriculum Update Elle Vinall on the Parallel Curriculum and why it works.

ur approach as to how best support children with learning needs and help them reach their full potential is centred on the provision of a mainstream educational environment with the highest levels of pastoral care and at the heart of this is our Parallel Curriculum. The Parallel Curriculum, which is unique to Riverston, is designed and created to meet the needs of pupils working significantly below their age expected norms and allows them the space, time and content to ensure they are learning at the right time, right pace and crucially do not feel judged. A mainstream curriculum simply doesn’t work for all children with learning needs and this new approach, introduced in 2018, has transformed the futures of many children. The Academic Plans that we use to scaffold the framework for our curriculum, both mainstream and Parallel, are very similar. The pupils in our Parallel Curriculum however, are learning at a lower level in the core subjects, securing the essential foundation skills of each subject, before advancing to a typical ‘age appropriate’ mainstream curriculum. Threads from the mainstream curriculum are introduced at every available SEN119

“Learning at the right time and at the right pace” opportunity, when it is felt pupils can access these, so as not to completely distance these pupils from a curriculum appropriate for their actual age. In our creative and physical subjects, the curriculum for mainstream and Parallel pupils is exactly the same – albeit with tailored resources. Importantly, whilst children are grouped by ability for lessons in our Parallel Curriculum model, they re-join children their own age for food technology, drama and PE. We believe that this is an important part of children feeling comfortable and happy at school and makes for a positive community outlook. The biggest learning for us from this approach, that we are keen to share with other schools, has been the necessity as teachers senmagazine.co.uk

Curriculum

About the author Elle Vinall is the Director of Studies at Riverston School and has led the successful development and design of a blended mainstream and SEN curriculum called the Parallel Curriculum. Riverstonschool.co.uk @RiverstonSchool @RiverstonSchool @riverston_school

“Learning is heavily tailored to their needs”

to be flexible. The best practitioners are not static; they adapt to their pupils to ensure their teaching delivery, resources and planning, are tailored to the learning styles and needs of the class and Riverston staff have been incredible at this. Another key learning has been the importance of timetabling both the mainstream and Parallel classes to have subjects at the same time, as this simple step allows for pupils to transition at any time. There is no sense of ‘other’. Pupils are simply just having their learning heavily tailored to their needs. This goes beyond a differentiated worksheet, as we have essentially created a whole other school (curriculum, policies, resources etc.), within our existing setting. All our pupils, mainstream and Parallel Curriculum, are highly aware that they are in a school setting where pupils with SEND are given the opportunity to thrive and the introduction of the Parallel Curriculum reminded us of the importance of continually highlighting this. We do this through form time discussions, visiting guest speakers and celebration weeks such as ‘Neurodiversity Celebration Week’. We also have a display board in our foyer with images of famous celebrities and successful professionals who each have a special educational need. Parallel Curriculum pupils realise that their particular SEND needn’t hold them back and our mainstream pupils see that their peers with SEND are capable of great success. senmagazine.co.uk

We have always known that for children with moderate and mild learning needs, pastoral care is just as important as education and the introduction of the Parallel Curriculum has reinforced this belief. Sometimes children can feel overwhelmed, and it is vital to provide them with an area that is comfortable and feels safe while they are struggling with their emotions. It is so important that children receive the support they need at the right time, which is why pastoral care must be an essential part of the provision of education for children with learning needs. We have a Safe Hub on the top floor of the school where children can go when they feel the need for extra support. Our Director of Wellbeing monitors movements in and out of the Safe Hub and the idea is to get the children back into class as soon as possible whilst providing a safe space for them in moments of difficulty. The Parallel Curriculum has been running for 3 years now and before joining our Parallel Curriculum, only 19% of new pupils in Year 7 were exceeding or working within their predicted levels in the core subjects, but by the end of the 2021 Summer term this number rose to 64% of pupils which is a huge achievement. Our Parallel Curriculum has also helped prepare Sixth Form children that are interested in taking a BTEC course, as our approach is continuous assessment, not one huge assessment at the end. This has resulted in pupils being able to achieve tangible, vocational based qualifications, which will set them up for further education and a life of independence in the working world. The Parallel Curriculum has made a significant difference to the lives of many children and their families and is continuing to do so. We would be delighted to share our experience with any other schools that are interested in this approach. SEN119

SEMH

Mental Health and SEN Headteacher Ben Levinson on why we need to be proactive about mental health.

chools are positive places. In fact, most staff in the Special Educational Needs sector have optimism and problem solving running through their veins long before they start their SENCo training.

Take inclusion. We use visual velcro timetables to make changes to routine easier. We incorporate Makaton signing as standard practice. We deploy 1:1 teaching assistants where intensive support is needed, and we train staff up on positive handling. The golden thread? We’re proactive. Yet when mental health challenges that come with SEN inevitably crop up, we take a very different approach. Whether it’s a lack of appropriate continuous professional development (CPD) or feeling out of depth with changes to best practice, more often than not we don’t address concerns until a child is already suffering.

Prevent and protect Much as we know drinking more water and less coffee will keep our bodies functioning more effectively, we also need preventative measures in place to safeguard the emotional wellbeing of our students. In a climate where SEN pupils are

“We all experience the world differently” more likely to be unhappy at school than their classmates (Department for Education, 2017), this is more important than ever. 20% of our students at Kensington have a recognised additional need, so we don’t take this lightly. We can do better than acting only once a young person is suffering. But as senior leaders, where do we start? Here are five strategies that have helped me:

1. Know where you are starting from Before you implement a proactive approach to mental health in your school, you have to read up on best practice, and compare this to your current standpoint. Public Health England (PHE) and the DfE’s 8 Principles outlined in their Promoting Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing guidance are a great place to start. The principles prompt you to audit your current practice, from looking at how your curriculum promotes emotional resilience to how you are adapting your CPD and deploying your SEN specialist staff. We also need specialist knowledge around the needs particular to our schools. At Kensington Primary School, the vast majority of our SEN pupils are on the autistic spectrum. We have utilised CPD from the Autism Education Trust to give us a deeper understanding of the lived experience of our students, so we have a place to work from.

2. Appoint a mental health lead With the vast amount of information we take on during our teacher training and CPD, the importance of children’s mental health can often take a back seat. Add this to the fact that, as a

■ Audit your current practice.

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SEMH

“We nip many stressors in the bud, meaning pupils have the chance to thrive emotionally, not just academically”

About the author Ben Levinson OBE is headteacher at Inclusion Mark Flagship Kensington Primary School in Newham in East London.

nation, we have only recently started talking about mental health, and it’s clear that we could all do with brushing up on the skills required to knit positive wellbeing into the fabric of a school. Appointing a mental health lead and providing them with solid training is the turning point for many schools. A member of our team signed up to train with the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools, from Leeds Beckett University’s Carnegie School of Education. The government has earmarked funding to increase the number of these mental health leads in schools – so make use of it. In doing this, you’re giving your staff invaluable new skills, and increasing your SEN provision.

4. Adopt an anti-bias stance Have you made the mistake of assuming a young teacher isn’t confident with Makaton, because they’ve been in the job for less time than you? Or perhaps you might assume that a student will always need a one-to-one? That’s bias. When promoting positive mental health in schools, we have to adopt an anti-biased approach. We must see each staff member and student as an equally valued individual and avoid making assumptions of needs and abilities before we know details.

The mental health leads don’t replace the work of CAMHS or SENCos, but are there to make sure we have that deeper understanding of the mental health challenges associated with SEN. They look at our whole school policies and curriculum with a mental health lens, so we might change how we deploy staff or adapt our lesson planning.

Question your internal, unacknowledged bias as a leader and recognise that it could get in the way of a positive mental health day for someone else. It can be a challenge but recognising and working on your own flaws can make a huge difference to those around you.

3. Know the tipping points

5. Don’t be afraid to change things up

Prioritising positive relationships between staff and students is essential to establish a safe, trusting space where wellbeing can be talked about openly, and we can spot when people are reaching their tipping points. This is particularly key to supporting SEN learners.

Expecting excessive documentation for IEPs and using rehashed curriculums can make teachers and pupils feel like cogs in the machine. So, do not be afraid of big changes.

While we all experience the world differently, there are often common challenges that crop up with students who experience the same need or disability. Autism is what we know best at Kensington, and there are classic obstacles that we see each year for these students. Changes to routine can be distressing for some students, so we layer on lots of support during transition phases like changing classes or staff members leaving. Our autistic learners are also more likely to experience sensory overload, so we prepare them well in advance for things like school play props going up. While our training gives us a working knowledge of these needs, we wouldn’t be able to make the adjustments that suit our students as individuals if we didn’t know them really well. These adjustments nip many stressors in the bud, meaning pupils have the chance to thrive emotionally, not just academically. SEN119

One of the changes we made at Kensington Primary was to create a new curriculum from scratch that truly met the emotional needs of our SEN learners – and our school as a whole. Our new curriculum can be adjusted to smaller class sizes, as we know that the best place for every child isn’t always in a classroom of 30. We’ve also created a ‘pre-formal’ group for students that won’t benefit from the classic learner set up. Some children go out and access things like libraries to help them with sensory overload, public transport to promote independence, and climbing to support sensory processing. Prevention is better than the cure – and while we can’t circumvent all mental health issues, there is a great deal we can do to promote a positive mental health culture in our schools. This not only benefits SEN students, but the school community as a whole. senmagazine.co.uk

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Cerebral palsy / Manual handling

Cerebral palsy Marzena Komisarczuk on posture and movement.

or children with Cerebral Palsy the correct posture and maintaining it is vital. I am a parent of a child with Cerebral Palsy and also the founder of a company supplying specialist sitting and standing solutions for children with Cerebral Palsy.

I founded Baffin Technology with the sole aim of finding a suitable solution to help my daughter Sylwia transfer from a sitting to standing position with as much ease as possible. I discovered the Trio standing frame which was manufactured by LIW Care Technology, but the products were not available in the UK and this is when the Baffin dream was born. I can truly empathise with every parent we work with which I think helps. Over 80% of the children we work with have CP and I think I have become something of an expert in helping a child with CP when it comes to their posture when seating or standing. When a child is being assessed I always try to involve the parents and the OT or physio who is involved in their care as they know the child better than anyone. During an assessment the key is to look at the position of the pelvis and check there is enough support on the sides and hips to ensure they don’t slump to one side. When it comes to the seat, some chairs have a flat back which means there isn’t full contact between the child’s spine and the chair which makes it harder to maintain a good posture and increases the risk of the child’s posture potentially deteriorating. It is not only the seating position which should be monitored, other things to take into consideration can include: are the child’s foot positions correct? Are the hips rotated? If so, the pelvis will be tilted which affects the posture but with the correct postural support this can be addressed. You can also adjust the height of the footplate and ankle angle. Equipment these days is highly adjustable so every seating or standing solution can be adapted to the specific needs of the child.

“Check there is enough support”

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Cerebral palsy / Manual handling

About the author

“Switch between sitting and standing”

Marzena Komisarczuk is the founder of Baffin Technology Systems. baffin.co.uk @baffintechnology

Moving from a sitting to standing position as much as possible has been proven to help with many of the side effects caused by CP. For example, when someone moves, their muscles contract but a lack of movement can cause muscle contractors which is when the muscles stiffen and seize up. One of the best ways to alleviate this is to move the child between sitting and standing however I know this is not always an easy process as it can involve several carer’s helping the child out of the chair and transferring them to a standing frame often with the use of a hoist. This is why I established Baffin Technology as I knew what a game changer the Trio would be for Sylwia and many other children living with CP here in the UK as they can move from a sitting to standing position in one movement at the touch of a button with no need for any transferring or manual handling.

@baffin-technologysystems-limited-bts

By ensuring a child moves between sitting and standing many of the side effects that children with CP have to live with can be managed and at times reduced. For example, many children with CP also have various bowel conditions including constipation. But by ensuring the child switches between sitting and standing, the gentle movement helps to keep the bowel healthy. The Childs Cardiovascular system and immunology are also improved by standing as often as possible and this can result in a more general feeling of good health with the child having less coughs, colds and chest infections. Depending on the child’s level of head control and neck muscle strength, a head support can also play an important role in their day-to-day posture. Some children will lean their head to one side for example and this can then have an adverse effect on the spine. I would also urge parents to contact their child’s therapist if they have any concerns about either the equipment they are using or if they feel their child is not benefitting from it. All children grow at different speeds so what might be great to start with may need adjusting after say 12 months. Thankfully more and more equipment these days is being designed to grow with the child which reduces the need to purchase frequent replacements. Another great benefit of a child being able to go into a standing position is eye contact. Over the years, I have lost count of how many parents have commented on how much more engaged their child is when they are standing and therefore able to ■ Alex can stand stress-free.

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make eye contact and see more of the world around them. Alex Cunane from Bury who was born with Autism and Cerebral Palsy is a great example of a child who truly benefits from the correct posture and spending time in both a seating and standing position. Alex’s condition affects all four of his limbs resulting in him being a full-time wheelchair user. It is vital that Alex stands for at least 1 to 2 hours a day as this helps with his general health, digestion and posture. As Alex grew taller with age, his mother Lindsey realised his previous standing system was becoming less suitable and he was finding it increasingly uncomfortable. Lindsey spoke to Carol Galashan who was Alex’s physio at the time who agreed that it was time to start looking for a new system. “Alex had not accessed a standing frame for a significant amount of time. His parents were very keen to get him back in one but wanted something that was easy for his support staff to get him in to. We trialled various standing frames, but the Baffin Trio was most definitely the best suited to Alex. The multifunctional element of this standing frame makes the transfer from sit to stand stress free for both Alex and his carer’s which means he can use it every day. The Trio accommodates his fixed flexion contractures at his knees and provided adequate support to ensure correct positioning throughout. In addition, it is competitively priced – I would certainly recommend to others” commented Carol.

■ The Trio standing frame.

exercises and stretches. As a result of being able to stand, Alex opens up his chest which greatly reduces the risk of chest infections as he is in a prone position as opposed to being seated. The Second Spine® Technology provides great postural support to Alex when he is in both a seated and standing position and keeps his spine in line which is so important. As a mother, it is lovely to see Alex so comfortable and happy” concluded Lindsey. For more information on the full range of products available from Baffin Technology Systems or to arrange an assessment, call 01788 892 056, email office@baffin.co.uk or visit baffin.co.uk facebook.com/baffintechnology linkedin.com/company/baffin-technology-systems-limited-bts

The Trio has made a huge difference to Alex in many ways. “Alex is now able to stand in an almost fully upright position which is great for when he is working with his physio on

■ Marzena and daughter Sylwia.

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Cerebral palsy / Manual handling

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Manual handling

BESPOKE MOVING & HANDLING SOLUTIONS EXCLUSIVE TO THE SPECIAL EDUCATION SECTOR

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Behaviour

Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) Konstantinos Rizos on the myths and misunderstandings surrounding Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA).

n order to write this article, I first reached out to my staff, then to some of my learners, then to my learners’ parents and eventually to my wider community. I wanted to identify the most common criticisms of Applied Behavioural Analysis. I was impressed to see statements I hadn’t encountered before in my twenty years working in the field. I hope that this article sheds some light on a science that has assisted many learners and their families across the world for the past five decades.

1. “ABA is therapy.” ABA is not a therapy, neither a treatment nor an intervention. ABA is a science based approach, and as such, it has an array of strategies that are implemented to support the individuals who are recipients of its methodology and tools. What is more, it is evidence-based and will only use evidence-based strategies to help achieve selected outcomes and improve the quality of life for the learner.

2. “ABA is for autistic people only”. ABA is considered to be a framework and system of practice and support for autistic people (according to the American Psychological Association). However, it also has applications in a wide variety of other areas such as brain injury rehabilitation, mainstream education, clinical behavioural analysis, behavioural sport psychology, behavioural gerontology, behavioural paediatrics – to name just a few.

3. “ABA always uses food as a reward.” This is an understandable misconception. Although ABA practitioners may employ edibles to teach certain prerequisites that will support the acquisition of a skill, those edibles are eventually faded, and other putative reinforcers are then conditioned (paired) that are selected based on being ageappropriate, respectful and contingent on preferences, drives and personal interests of the learners.

4. “ABA is like training a pet.” Although many of the principles of ABA may be used to train animals, and although many ground-breaking discoveries have occurred through animal research, the process of utilising ABA to develop skills in humans is quite different compared to animal training. Those differences relate to the concept, practice, goal setting, and more. In fact, the difference is as fundamental as the difference between animal and human learning; therefore, it is a faulty comparison. SEN119

5. “ABA relies on punishment.” ABA does not rely on punishment. The word punishment has understandably extreme negative connotations in lay language, bringing to mind reprimands, abuse and threats, it does not have the same meaning in ABA terminology. Quite simply, in behavioural science, the process of any stimulus you add or remove to decrease behaviour is called ‘punishment’ (corrective feedback is a better term). That being said, it is sadly but undeniably true that in the distant past, aversive procedures have been used by certain influential ABA researchers. However, the field has moved away from those practices and now uses positive reinforcement. Modern ABA programs are contingent primarily on praise and preferred items/activities. As a matter of fact, the importance of reinforcement rather than ‘punishment’ when developing methodologies is aptly highlighted in the Code of Ethics of the Behaviour Analysis Certification Board.

6. “ABA is teaching learners things below their actual abilities.” On the contrary, ABA sets high expectations in matters of learning. Specifically, for a behaviour analyst to call a skill mastered, they would expect to see their students perform it at a natural pace, across new environments, people and situations, and remember it for an extended period of time. That is why it uses a bottom-up approach by breaking down complex skills to train them in a logical sequence to ensure success and create independent learners.

7. “ABA is more well suited for young and earlier/ intermediate learners than advanced learners. My child is able academically, so how does it fit them?” Actually, ABA has an established history of many innovative contributions to mainstream education, and its impact has been well documented. Behavioural analysts were the first to discuss the importance of evidence-based practices in mainstream education. The most celebrated phonics education software is based on behavioural principles. ABA can be for everybody. However, multidisciplinary, evidence-based approaches should always be recommended.

“ABA is not a therapy, treatment or intervention” senmagazine.co.uk

Behaviour

“Society is getting better at embracing diversity”

8. “The sound of a ‘behavioural plan’ is concerning, and people were sent to my home to inquire specifically about this”. A behaviour plan is a treatment package. Positive behaviour support plans – integral to PBS practice, a form of ABA - have changed people’s lives. Those plans should eventually be faded because successfully withdrawing treatments is key to best practice. This type of planning is standard practice fully accepted by the NHS. Behaviour support plans are not unique to ABA services, but ABA can definitely take credit for refining them.

9. “ABA tries to eliminate stimming and therefore removes self-soothing behaviour. “ Absolutely not. Perhaps looking at reducing it, depending on its impact on the individual’s and others’ lives. Certainly not eliminating it, as long as they’re not harming themselves or another person. These behaviours are calming to autistic people, and behaviour analysts appreciate the regulatory mechanism behind stimming.

10. “ABA is trying to make autistic children fit a neurotypical mould, based on what neurotypical individuals see as ‘right’ or ‘socially acceptable’ behaviour.” Thankfully we live in a day and age where society is getting increasingly better at understanding, accepting, respecting and embracing diversity. As is the case with many sciences, ABA historically has unfortunately not taken full consideration of ableism, intersectionality and neurodiversity. However, as a science, it progresses and constantly aims to improve. An increasing number of presentations, publications, reviews and talks now focus on how to provide services whilst considering neurodiversity. ABA is a science of social validity. People have been speaking, and behaviour analysts have been listening. We are not promoting masking of behaviours. And autistic behaviour analysts will agree.

About the author Konstantinos Rizos is the Head Behaviour Analyst at Forest Bridge School. He is also a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (B.C.B.A.) and Qualified Teacher. forestbridgeschool.org.uk @ForestBridgeSch @konstantinos-rizos-bcba

soon, it poses a continuous threat to the public presentation of the methodology whilst making consumers even more vulnerable to the dangers of malpractice.

12. “ABA teaches total compliance to adults, which puts children in danger. ABA stops them from making choices, and they’re just robots.” Actually, teaching people to make choices is one of the most crucial aspects of an ABA-based programme/curriculum. ABA practitioners will never teach total compliance because this is not socially valid, but more importantly, it is indeed extremely dangerous. ABA will teach tolerance to waiting, tolerance to accepting no, tolerance to accepting the termination of a preferred activity when other tasks need to follow. But it will also teach people how to say ‘no’ to other people, how to express their own emotions, read other people’s emotions and how to advocate for themselves. It is a fact that ABA has received some heavy criticism over the years. Although all concerns need to be heard and addressed, it is constructive feedback rather than negative criticism that helps a field to self-reflect and then move onward and upward.

11. “If you are a BCBA or RBT, then you are someone’s abuser. ABA is abuse.” A bad practitioner of science does not make science automatically bad. The abuse of a system does not make the system abusive. Bad practice is not unique to ABA and can (and unfortunately does) happen across many fields. That is why behaviour analysts have such robust ethical guidelines. The profession is currently not protected in the UK, leaving a severe gap in regulation. Although this will hopefully change senmagazine.co.uk

If you want to gain more information on ABA in the UK, you can visit the UK Society for Behaviour Analysis website. https://uk-sba.org/

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Positive Behaviour Support Jo Price and Jane Johnson on techniques for building inclusion with Positive Behaviour Support.

ositive Behaviour Support (PBS) is a nationally recognised, best practice framework for understanding why behaviours happen - what message a student’s behaviour could be telling us – as well as proactive steps we can take to ensure that going forward, the child or young person’s needs are better met reducing reliance on such behaviours. Students who display perceived behaviours of concern can be one of the most stressful and complex areas of practice in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Recent developments in the field of PBS have focused on improving quality of life for children, young people and adults with learning disabilities, and include a new definition of what best practice looks like today. The 2022 refreshed definition of PBS brings with it the inclusion of a tiered model with an emphasis on improving quality of life by creating capable environments with a continued rejection of aversive, restrictive and abusive practices. SEN119

“One of the most stressful and complex areas of practice”

Understanding behaviour There will always be an underlying reason for any behaviour and distressed behaviour does not occur without reason. A pupil may be struggling with lessons because they are not feeling well; perhaps they have not eaten, or have had a disturbed night’s sleep. Equally, a pupil may be struggling as a result of adverse childhood experiences from the past or more recent experience of trauma or distress. senmagazine.co.uk

Behaviour

Children’s failed relationships with their peers and teachers, with restrictions implemented into their school day, can also contribute to poor quality of life and in turn leads to further distress. In the past, behaviour policies have tended to focus on consequences and sanctions to address behaviours of concern, however for distressed behaviours, this only leads to further distress and fuels a negative cycle of events. A few years ago, a number of mainstream schools adopted “Zero Tolerance” approaches – to the detriment of children and young people with SEND – contributing to an increase in exclusions. With the current movement and more insight into Trauma Informed Schools, there is a huge benefit to improving relationships between teachers and students, something which is difficult to achieve when using aversive methods such as sanctions, restrictions, isolation or coercive compliance.

The power of co-production Experts believe that PBS, and other approaches - such as trauma-informed approaches that seek to fully understand people’s past and present situations and actively avoid retraumatisation by avoiding the use of restraint, as an example, must be inclusive. However, they can only be truly personcentred if professionals, learners, and families, share the power to plan and deliver support together.

About the authors Jo Price is Head of Integrated Services, Orchard Hill College and Bild Associate Consultant.

Jane Johnson is Consultant and Speech and Language Therapist at Bild. Bild’s International PBS Conference in Bristol takes place 21-22 June themed CoProduction: Giving the power back. bit.ly/PBSConf22register

Co-produced person-centred plans will ensure pupils’ voices are heard and that their environment is consistent, predictable and includes meaningful activities which are important to them. By encouraging positive social interactions, ensuring pupils can fully communicate their wishes, choices and concerns, and that their views are seen to be fundamental to the decision making defining their educational journey, can be hugely beneficial.

The power of training Unfortunately, some staff only ever receive behaviour management training that includes punishment and use of restrictive practices. It is vital that this changes with all staff receiving training in preventative approaches. Through adopting approaches including PBS, trauma informed care, and training certified as complying with Restraint Reduction Network (RRN) Training Standards, schools have been able to reduce reliance on restrictive practices and develop more positive cultures. Developing teachers’ and SENCO’s skills around prevention, de-escalation and recovery are key areas. PBS can, and should, be a vital part of the teacher and SENCO’s toolkit when supporting pupils with SEND. As an education workforce, we are responsible for the daily experience of some of society’s most vulnerable children, and as such have a unique role to play, as detailed in the national SEND Code of Practice. Today, perhaps now more than ever, part of this role lies in supporting school communities through co-production. senmagazine.co.uk

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Autism

Autism support Victoria Annan on how targeted support for Autism can go mainstream.

y role at Chalgrove Primary School involves identifying and delivering successful strategies to support the learning and development of our autistic and other SEN pupils.

As autism commonly affects how individuals process the world around them, much of our provision focuses on making the experience of navigating school life easier and helping the children to progress. But when 76% of all children starting school in 2020 lacked the communication skills they needed to thrive, there was a growing sense that some of the effective strategies used to support children with SEN could have a positive impact on the learning and achievement of their mainstream peers too. Interventions can be adapted to support both SEN and neurotypical learners in many areas, from building vocabulary to supporting pupils’ independence and promoting emotional resilience.

Looking at vocabulary Many of the 2020-22 cohort of pupils have missed out on a lot of social interactions and life experiences due to lockdowns. As a result, schools are shaping strategies to close vocabulary gaps and build children’s communication skills. senmagazine.co.uk

“Adapting SEN techniques for mainstream learners gives all children the best chance to thrive” The needs of SEN and mainstream pupils may be different, but by making the school day more visual, a school could help children to engage in what they are learning and put more tailored interventions in place if they are needed. We do this at Chalgrove by providing symbols as visual prompts for all children, both in the classroom and in communal areas around the school. Symbols and visuals help children to focus on the information you want them to know or act upon so they work for both SEN and mainstream pupils. We’ve added Widgit symbols to timetables, for example. With clear images for, say, ‘maths’, ‘assembly’ and ‘snack time’, pupils can quickly see what is happening now and next.

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Autism

We label up our school environment with symbols too. So in the kitchen, there are symbols for equipment and ingredients that match the recipe cards pupils use, making them easier for children to follow. In classrooms all resources are labelled up with symbols, which are displayed clearly at the front of each drawer and cupboard so pupils can navigate their environment as independently as possible. Children respond well to the symbols our teachers hold up while they are giving verbal instructions. It means that with a request to ‘please wash your hands’, a representative symbol of hands under running water can be held aloft, making it clear what the children are being asked to do. This is a lot easier to process than the spoken word which will disappear very quickly.

About the author Victoria Annan is lead of additionally resourced provision (ARP) for autism at Chalgrove Primary School in North London.

Fostering independent learners With a little preparation and some visual prompts, there are some quick and easy ways to encourage children to be more independent. Some children find it hard to manage routines independently or feel lost in the hustle and bustle of the busy school day. Creating a visual routine for lunch time, with symbolic images to represent the steps they need to take – fetch your lunch box, line up, sit down at the dinner table, eat lunch, put your rubbish in the bin – can help. A simple change such as adding symbols to lunch menus means that all children can make their own meal choices and are therefore no one is likely to feel isolated. By adding symbolised images to classroom resources such as paints, scissors and paper and displaying the visual resources needed on the whiteboard, children can get what they need without feeling overwhelmed if they haven’t understood what equipment the teacher has asked them to get out. They are also more likely to return them to the right place when the lesson is finished. This encourages independence.

“Children can get what they need without feeling overwhelmed” Building resilience Many children react differently to change. A child might come to school unsettled after an argument with a friend, a family breakdown or a change to their usual routine and the signs they are not coping well can manifest themselves in disruptive behaviour, anxiety or low self-esteem. Schools can introduce similar strategies to help children manage change effectively, regardless of whether or not the child has a special educational need such as ADHD or ASC. Another strategy that is used to support all children at Chalgrove is Social Stories, a concept developed by autism expert Carol Gray in the 1990s. Social Stories use simple language and pictures in the form of a comic, poster or story to explain certain routines in advance – a new teacher’s name, the fact that they have red hair and love cats, for example – to help children feel more at ease. Social Stories can be created to explain unfamiliar situations too, like a staff member leaving, or a visitor coming into the classroom. The story would be displayed for the children to see or can be provided individually to help children better tolerate situations they would otherwise find unsettling or scary.

Helping all children to thrive

■ Resources are clearly labelled.

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Schools know there is a big challenge ahead to help their pupils recover from the disruption of lockdown and enable them to move towards life beyond Covid. At Chalgrove, we’ve found that adapting SEN techniques for mainstream learners gives all children the best chance to thrive and we hope that our experiences can help inform your plans too. SEN119

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Tutoring

Tutoring and Pathological Demand Avoidance Lucy Spencer ‘on the potential of tutoring for children with Pathologic Demand Avoidance (PDA), a profile associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) The main characteristic of a PDA profile is the avoiding of everyday demands and expectations, to an extreme extent. PDA is widely understood to be a profile on the Autistic Spectrum, and teaching techniques for engaging autistic children need to be carefully tailored for children with a PDA profile. While children with PDA can appear to have ‘good’ social and comprehension skills, they can experience significant difficulty when processing information or communicating and socialising. Often, children with PDA profiles will use their stronger social skills to avoid the ordinary ‘demands’ of daily life, such as attending school and learning in a traditional classroom environment, by diverting conversation or making excuses. This can have a substantial impact on their education and outcomes. It is important to highlight that the root cause of this avoidance is anxiety. A student once explained, “It’s like I have a funnel in my brain and every time someone asks me to do something, I can only deal with one demand at a time. It’s very tiring.” This is why many students with a PDA profile find the mainstream classroom environment a challenge. Home or school-based tutoring provides educators with the senmagazine.co.uk

“Avoiding the ordinary demands of everyday life”

versatility needed to create a learning environment that is led by the child’s individual needs, interests and energy.

Teaching a child with PDA For children with PDA, the traditional idea of learning, putting on a uniform and sitting with a classroom of thirty children listening to a teacher direct them on a series of tasks to achieve an objective, ‘demands’ too much of them, and can trigger an extreme reaction to avoid these activities. A tutor may be

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Tutoring

“Home education can be problematic.”

About the author Lucy Spencer is the CEO of Education Boutique at Eteach. eteach.com

able to help children with PDA by supporting their learning in a way that captures and harnesses their educational energy without ‘demanding’ anything from them. By allowing the child’s natural curiosities or interests to lead the learning, we as tutors can find teaching moments within everyday life or topics that would not fall within traditional lesson plans. For example, I turned up one morning to meet a new student, who had received a slime set for Christmas, which sparked a conversation, and I was able to used my understanding of scientific concept cartoons to guide a covert formative assessment. My interest in the toy allowed us to incorporate and cover various maths models and English text types over the next three weeks. To be able to steer conversation like this and weave in necessary learning topics, I had to have a strong and confident understanding of the curriculum but also my case studies of other learners. In-depth knowledge can help tutors gently direct discussions towards relevant content to ensure children with a PDA profile reach their learning milestones. I have found that so many of my students with a PDA profile feel comfortable initially assuming the role of director and decision maker in our team.

Access to tutoring A common perceived barrier to tutoring is funding, but there are several financial support options available to schools and parents looking for a tutor to support a child’s individual learning needs. The UK government’s National Tutoring Programme provides additional, targeted support for children and young people whose education was most heavily affected because of the pandemic. Most commonly, parents of children with a PDA profile find themselves dealing with school refusal and an inability to access mainstream provision. In these cases, many parents consider Elective Home Education. This can be problematic, as de-registration places the weight of the financial burden to fund the entirety of a child’s education on the parents. It is not a decision to be taken lightly. Education Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS) is another consideration. EOTAS makes educational provision for children with social, emotional, behavioural, medical, or other issues who, without its provision, cannot sustain access to suitable education. We provide packages of 4-12 hours per week of tutoring for local authorities which support pupils on EOTAS packages.

The future of tutoring

■ I can only deal with one thing at a time.

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As is the case with many children with SEND, the key to effectively engaging children with a PDA profile is a thorough understanding of the challenges and the impact it has on how a child interprets information, communicates and learns. The Covid-19 pandemic saw the education sector innovate by necessity, and led to some amazing technological advancements. Long-accepted concepts such as learning being confined to a physical classroom gained a new perspective. In my opinion, individualised methods of delivering education have the potential to revolutionise pedagogy and create an education system that suits everyone. Tutoring is well placed to boost outcomes for all. senmagazine.co.uk

Sport

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Sport

Inclusion in Action Anyone with an intellectual disability can aim for the Special Olympics GB.

veryone knows the benefits of regular sport activity both physically and mentally but for Special Olympics GB athletes, the impact is so much more than that. It’s about the fundamental impact sport and the opportunities that come with being part of Special Olympics GB has on their lives. It’s about the social interaction, feeling included, a chance to make friends, build confidence and feel part of something that gives that sense of pride and achievement. And that is what Special Olympics GB delivers through sport. It is literally inclusion in action. And this summer, for the first time in almost two and a half years, Special Olympics GB is set to return to full-scale competition with the largest celebration of intellectual disability sport in Great Britain with a brand-new format called The Special Olympics GB Summer Series of Sport. Running between June and September, The Special Olympics GB Summer Series of Sport will feature over 17 single and multi-sport events, across 12 sports and will offer the opportunity for at least 1,500 Special Olympics GB athletes, with the support of volunteers, to compete for the first time since February 2020 due to the consequences of Covid-19. senmagazine.co.uk

“27 different sports from ice-skating and skiing to football, boccia and judo” Special Olympics GB is a non-profit organisation and the largest provider of year-round sports training and competition in summer and winter sports for children and adults of all physical abilities who have with intellectual (learning) disabilities. There’s a competition pathway designed to nurture and progress athletes from local competitions through to accessing elite level competitions, and the focus of the Special Olympics GB is on ability not disability, and providing opportunities for athletes to compete with others at similar levels in Great Britain and abroad.

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There’s a network of 95 all-ability, inclusive sports accredited programmes and delivery partners across Scotland, England and Wales, Special Olympics GB offers 27 different sports from ice-skating and skiing to football, boccia and judo to name just a few. All of which is delivered by an team of 3,500 volunteers who support more than 6,500 athletes in a safe and nurturing environment.

Who can take part? Anyone with intellectual disabilities can take in the Special Olympics programme regardless of their age or ability level. Special Olympics GB offers a full range of training sessions and competitions in both summer and winter sports to all people with intellectual disabilities in Great Britain. There’s also a Young Athletes Programme for children aged between 2-7 years. The first step is to sign up to the Athlete Waiting List. Then you will be contacted by one of the participating clubs to register you as a Special Olympics GB athlete. Alternatively, you can approach a club directly (check the list using the link below). Then start training at your new club! During the registration process, you will be asked some questions about your intellectual disabilities to make sure you are able to compete as a Special Olympics GB athlete, but volunteers are on hand to help.

For more information on The Special Olympics GB Summer Series of Sport or how to get involved as a Special Olympics GB Athlete, volunteer or accredited programme visit specialolympicsgb.org.uk specialolympicsgb.org.uk/clubs/find-a-club ■ A sense of pride and achievement.

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Feeding devices

Feeding devices Mark Lapuz on the maintenance of feeding devices for young people with SEN.

hildren and young people with complex needs often have conditions that affect their oral intake and digestion of food or that make them vulnerable to aspiration, choking and cause issues with swallowing. This means they require additional support to meet basic nutrition and hydration needs, something that plays an extremely important role in supporting growth, being able to fight off illness or infection, and remaining healthy.

“Problems can happen from time to time”

Nutrition and hydration in this instance is usually supported via enteral feeding, which is the delivery of feed, medication or nutrients directly into the stomach, usually via a device.

Devices to support nutrition and hydration

The use of enteral feeding devices in the community has more than doubled in recent years, in response to promoting choice, independence and positive outcomes away from highly clinical settings. This is beneficial for children and young people, because it means they can receive optimal nutrition and essential medication support that they would typically receive in hospital, but in the comfort of their own home, so they can remain close to their family and friends.

There are a variety of devices used to support nutrition and hydration in the community. These can be placed through the nose, mouth, stomach or small intestine, to provide nutrition in the form of liquid/blended food, fluid and medications, directly to the gastro-intestinal tract. Some of these devices require a surgical opening called a stoma, to place them in the body. These devices can be short-term or long-term solutions depending on the needs, age and tolerance of the individual.

Short-term devices But when devices are used, it’s essential to take good care of them to avoid complications.

Both nasogastric (NG) and nasojejunal (NJ) devices are nonsurgical and considered a temporary solution. They are common in new-born infants and young children that are still being considered for long term enteral devices such as gastrostomies and jejunostomies.

Long-term devices For long-term requirements, a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy/jejunostomy (PEG/PEG-J) tube or low-profile button may be used. These are preferred in the long-term because they are safe and minimally invasive yet improve outcomes for the individual. Long-term devices should be reviewed regularly though to avoid unnecessary device use.

Good care and maintenance – my top tips While these devices are safe and regularly used for nutrition and hydration support, problems can happen from time to time. However, there are some ways to minimise risk and complications through regular care and maintenance, which is often provided in care plans alongside details on how to troubleshoot the device.

■ Feeding device.

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Feeding devices

My top tips for device care and maintenance include: •

Secure NG/NJ tubes using prescribed dressings to avoid them becoming loose or accidently pulling

•

Change dressings every two to three days or as needed for the individual to avoid infection

•

Monitor skin that is in contact with devices for pressure areas or build-up of secretions

•

Replace tubes as per the manufacturer’s guidelines and always check who should do this

•

Clean stomas daily with a wet gauze using cool boiled water

•

When cleaning stomas, wash the area from the opening in an outward circular motion

•

Clean tubes regularly from bottom to top, using single strokes

•

Clean extensions with warm, soapy water

•

Use foam dressings to protect the stoma and to absorb extra moisture

•

Change the sterile water in balloon devices weekly

•

Check the position and placement of tubes regularly to avoid dislodgement

•

When administering tablets, crush and mix well with recommended amount of water.

•

Flush tubes with clean water before and after feed and medication to prevent blockages

•

When in doubt, always seek professional, medical advice from the hospital

Poor care and maintenance = complications Poor care and maintenance can not only stop the device from functioning properly, but can also lead to irritation and infection, which can cause further, serious complications. Some of the most common problems associated with these devices though involve the skin, which is delicate in children and young people, especially when there is an opening that is exposed daily.

Redness, irritation, infection and leakage This can be caused by friction, pressure, ill-fitting devices, poor cleaning routines and changes in temperature. For pressure related irritation, a barrier cream is usually prescribed and for infection, a medicated cleaning solution should be used. A medical review is also be completed in case an antibiotic is needed. Ill-fitting devices should be replaced, and the stoma site should be measured to ascertain the correct device size. SEN119

About the author Mark Lapuz is a Clinical Nurse Educator at Children’s Complex Care by Voyage Care. voyagecare.com @VoyageCareLtd @voyagecareltd

Granulation Granuloma is a tissue overgrowth on the device caused by poor fitting devices, incorrect sizing and friction on the skin. While not infectious, this can bleed and lead to discomfort or infection if not managed properly. If this happens, you should speak to your GP. Depending on the size and severity of the granulation, they will prescribe cream and medicated cleaning solutions. The granulated skin should be monitored and reviewed regularly.

Why it’s important It is easy to underestimate the importance of good care and maintenance of these devices, but the complications can be detrimental and aren’t worth the risk. Neglecting the care and management of nutrition and hydration devices could delay essential feeds or medications, that are often time sensitive for children and young people with complex needs. That’s not to mention skin complications that could cause pain, discomfort and lead to infections. These outcomes could ultimately result in health deterioration such as malnutrition or dehydration, unnecessary hospitalisation, and affecting the overall condition of the vulnerable children and young people that rely on this type of intervention.

Useful resources Your care provider and care teams should have good knowledge of the nutrition and hydration devices used to support your child or young person. They should also be able to spot early signs of complications or risks, all of which should be documented in individual care plans. However, your GP, community or district nursing team are always the best resource for further information around care and maintenance of enteral devices for your child or young person. senmagazine.co.uk

Want to reach school leaders, teachers, SEN professionals and families? Advertise with the UK’s leading special educational needs magazine In print (over 36,000 readers) • online • email newsletter Contact Denise | 01200 409808 | denise@senmagazine.co.uk

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School trips

Summer days out Dan Hughes on inclusive summer fun. There are more than 1.4 million SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) children living in the UK alone. Despite this growing number, there is still a significant shortage of inclusive clubs, facilities, and activities available for SEND children. If you’re the parent or carer of a SEND child and you’re reading this, chances are that you’ve struggled to enjoy days out due to a lack of inclusive amenities or the fear of being judged. The good news is that we’re seeing an increasing number of SEN sessions popping up across the UK—safe inclusive settings where your children can enjoy themselves in their own way and at their own pace.

About the author Dan Hughes is a musician, content writer, and proud SEN parent. He is currently on a mission to inspire more businesses across the UK to set up SEN sessions. He lives in North Staffordshire with his wife, Lynsey, son, Sidney, and labrador dog, River. danielhughes.contently.com @ogdensnutgone @DiHughesie @the_SEN_life

Reasonable adjustments and smaller numbers mean that your child can access the facilities or amenities they deserve and you can relax, safe in the knowledge that the people around you understand. If you’re looking for fun and inclusive days out over the summer season, here are four featured SEN sessions that are worth checking out.

Early Birds at The Science Museum, London London’s Science Museum is one of the UK’s most iconic exploratory settings, but its noisy and busy nature can make visiting difficult. But, with the museum’s Early Bird SEN sessions, SEN children can enjoy all this kaleidoscopic space has to offer with lower sound volumes, fewer people, and specially-creating sensory activities. The museum also sends out information on what to expect on the day so you can prepare your children in advance. An excellent addition to a leisurely walk and picnic in one of London’s leafy parks or green spaces. New dates are being released soon—keep your eyes peeled. https://bit.ly/3NDRXFE

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Winchester Science Centre & Planetarium A hands-on, interactive, science and technology centre located in Morn Hill, just outside the city of Winchester in Hampshire. Accessible STEM experiences for everyone. Winchester Science Centre offers an excellent accessible STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) experience. The Centre’s Accessibility team is available to discuss particular access or health needs. https://bit.ly/3mKax38

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School trips

Gravity Trampoline Park, UK wide On a rainy summer’s day (let’s face it, they’re quite frequent in the UK), Gravity Trampoline Park is the perfect place to burn energy and enjoy sensory stimulation in a way that’s fun and positive. With Gravity’s SEN sessions, carers get a free ticket and the space is made exclusive for SEN children as well as people from registered disabled groups. Friendly staff are always on hand to help and across every location and the vibe is good. Check the Gravity Trampoline Park website for locations and dates. gravity-uk.com

InJoy, Southampton and Derby

The Ice Cream Farm, Cheshire Almost everyone loves an ice cream from time to time— and this popular setting has plenty to go around. The Ice Cream Farm is part, well, ice cream parlour, part adventure playground, and part theme park. Within the space, you will find clearly marked toilet facilities, ample seating, and a wealth of sensory activities to enjoy—including a full water play zone. During the session, all hand dryers deactivated, noise cancelling headphones are available on request, and music is turned off. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, too. Keep checking in with The Ice Cream Farm’s website as times and dates are released throughout the summer season. https://bit.ly/3tq6n48

InJoy is an educational play centre equipped with a host of rewarding interactive facilities, activities, and installations. These centres run regular SEN sessions that enable participants to enjoy the facilities in a setting with more space and adjusted sound as well as light levels. Here, your child can enjoy soft play, laser tag, interactive gaming, trampolining, arts & craft classes, and fun walls in a way that suits them—there’s also a pleasant cafe at each location. New summer dates to be announced soon. https://bit.ly/3xd3J2S

Useful resources We hope our SEN session suggestions help to make your summer as fun-filled as possible. For more useful information on sourcing suitable SEN sessions in your area, we recommend joining a forum to ask for tips and advice. Also, here are some other excellent SEN sessions worth checking out: Dorset Wild Explorers Apple Tree Town, Stoke-on-Trent SENScot, social enterprise network in Scotland Gambado soft play, Chelsea (London) Cadbury World, Birmingham

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Book reviews

Book reviews A Guide to SEND In the Early Years K. Murray

Kerry Murphy is an Early Years lecturer and consultant, specialising in wellbeing, behaviour and neurodiversity and disabilities. Her website, www.eyfs4me.com provides extensive information about her educational philosophy, approaches, resources etc. The book is written from a proneurodiversity perspective, that recognises the individual strengths, interests, differences and needs of all children. Murphy has drawn on the contributions of parents, specialists and practitioners, and this helps in providing the reader with a wide range of information such as the role of important legislation, recognition of outdated approaches

and ways to overcome barriers to developing genuinely inclusive practice. There are case studies, top tips, reflective activities and chapter summaries that all support the reader in developing knowledge, competences and strategies for coping and thriving. This is a really useful, practical resource that is packed full of advice, support, sources of information, networking advice and much more. It will inspire a wide range of practitioners in diverse settings and places a high value on continuing professional development through multiple channels.

Featherstone ( Bloomsbury Publishing) ISBN: 978-1-4729-8101-1 Price: £18.99

Good Autism Practice for Teachers:

Embracing Neurodiversity and Supporting Inclusion

K. Watson

Karen Watson is an Additional Support Needs educator, inclusion champion and teacher, with over ten years experience in this field. She also hosts a podcast: ‘Scottish ASN Teacher’ and presents on Teacher Hug Radio. In the introduction, she establishes that the book is aimed at a wide audience, based on developmental stages rather than primary/ secondary lines and that the strategies are designed to be applicable to all settings and stages. She also encourages the reader to treat the book as an ongoing resource, engaging actively with the content on a regular basis. This is a well-structured text, with useful images / visuals to support deeper understanding and with many examples

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of best practice. Each chapter includes key points, reflective questions and information on further reading and associated references. The chapter on ‘Change the Language’, is typical of the book’s format, in the ways in which, for example, Watson carefully explains the power of language and the need for all adults to be vigilant in challenging inappropriate language choices and respecting the needs of the autistic community. This is a very accessible book and I can see that it will become well-used and often referred to, as Watson hopes.

Critical Publishing Ltd ISBN: 978-1-914171-47-5 Price: £18.99

senmagazine.co.uk

Book reviews

by Mary Mountstephen

Collaborative Approaches to Learning For Pupils With PDA: Strategies for Education Professionals

R. Fiddler and P. Christie

The authors of this publication bring together experience in complex autism, emotional wellbeing, diagnosis and assessment and in training and consultancy across the UK. The focus of the book is on a group of children who may fit the profile described as pathological demand avoidance , which is now, ‘widely understood to be a profile within the autistic spectrum’. It is intended for educational practitioners working with children across a wide range of ages and settings, who need a more collaborative approach to learning and teaching, due to very high levels of anxiety. These children often find it hard

to tolerate the demands and expectations of other people and are controlling of other people and aspects of their environment. The book provides the reader with a comprehensive guide to the key features of PDA, linked to recent research and developments and the implications for education professionals. The authors explain that it is the responsibility of the adult to come up with ways to help pupils become less anxious , more tolerant and able to do more of what is expected. This is achieved through personalisation and flexibility that can be consistently applied and adhered to. This is an informative and clearly written book that supports those working and living with children who present with these challenges. Jessica Kingsley Publishers ISBN: 978-1-78592-017-2 Price: £14.99

Sensory Processing Challenges:

Effective Clinical Work With Kids and Teens

L. Biel MA, OTR/L

Lindsey Biel is a paediatric occupational therapist in private practice and the co-author of Raising a Sensory Smart Child and co-creator of a sensory processing DVD. In the introduction, she outlines her approach as focussing on optimising her clients’ strengths in order to overcome their challenges. She explains the pervasive effect that sensory processing difficulties can exert in a child’s daily life and links these to tools and strategies that are personalised for individual children. The book is organised into two main sections, with the first focusing on recognizing sensory processing challenges and the second on using the best research-led clinical strategies and interventions.

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The book also includes access to free online resources, details of sensory-specific catalogues and a guide to further reading. There is a useful sensory screening tool for parents,and another for schools that can be downloaded from sensoryprocessingchallenges.com. Biel explains how it is useful for both parents to fill out the form, in order to identify possible discrepancies between their child’s behaviour with different adults and she then provides a guide to making sense of the results. This book provides a wealth of useful and practical information about how sensory processing issues can affect aspects of functioning and how to manage this effectively.

W.W. Norton & Company ISBN: 978-0-393-70834-9 Price: £24.00

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Design solutions

SEN subscription

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SEN Magazine The esSENtial read

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Email subscribe@senmagazine.co.uk Tel 01200 409800 * UK only. Call or email for international rates.

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CPD, training and events Your indispensable guide to SEN courses, workshops, conferences and exhibitions

CPD, training and events

Interested in Measuring Outcomes of SEN

The Community Therapist Network runs Therapy Outcome Measures (TOMs) Training workshop on a regular basis. To receive further details, email: info@communitytherapy.org.uk To book on the next available online workshop, please visit communitytherapy.org.uk

ICEP Europe

Online CPD Courses

Supporting teachers online since 2001. Their fully online and part time professional development courses cover a range of areas of special education. icepe.eu/cpd

ICEP Europe

This Autism course equips teachers, parents and other practitioners with evidencebased strategies to meet the needs of children and young people with autism, from preschool to further education. icepe.eu/cpd/Understanding_ Autism

ICEP Europe

This ADHD course you will learn how to implement research-validated approaches to ensure that children and young people with ADHD reach their full potential in education and beyond.

National Autistic Society

Autism inclusion Award Online course

An award aimed at mainstream providers in education, general health, community activities and the criminal justice system. autism.org.uk/what-we-do/bestpractice/accreditation

‘ReboundTherapy.org’ The official UK body and international consultancy for Rebound Therapy. Responsible for the development and delivery of the genuine ‘Eddy Anderson model’ accredited and approved training courses. Founded 1972.

0330 122 5684 reboundtherapy.org

JULY 2022 4 July 2022 to 26 August 2022 ICEP Europe

Summer CPD Term Designed for teachers and other professionals who wish to up-skill, each course will give you the tools and understanding to get the most out of your students. icepe.eu/cpd

icepe.eu/cpd/ADHD

ICEP Europe

The Teaching Hope & Optimism course allows you to boost your own hope and optimism while learning how to enhance the psychological fitness and resilience of others. icepe.eu/cpd/Teaching_Hope__ Optimism

senmagazine.co.uk

7 July 2021

21 July 2022

Disabled Living

Centre for Child Mental Health

Kidz to Adultz Wales & West

International Convention Centre Wales (ICC) Newport, Wales

Back Live! 09:30 - 16:30 An event dedicated to children and young adults with disabilities and additional needs, their parents, carers and the professionals who support them. Book your free ticket: kidzexhibitions.co.uk/kidzwales/

9 July 2022 Centre for Child Mental Health Dr Margot Sunderland presents:

Helping children and teenagers talk about their lives using the arts and the danger of unstoried emotions (Live stream event)

Saturday 10:00 - 16:00 | Cost £99

020 7354 2913

info@childmentalhealthcentre.org

Addressing traumabased shame in children who hate themselves (Live stream event) Thursday 17:00 - 18:30 | Cost £20

020 7354 2913 info@childmentalhealthcentre.org childmentalhealthcentre.org/ online-events/live-events

AUGUST 2022 9-10 August 2022 National Autistic Society

Autism and SPELL in higher education An introduction to autism and the SPELL framework for higher education professionals. autism.org.uk/training

SEPTEMBER 2022

childmentalhealthcentre.org/ online-events/live-events

8 September 2022

12-15 July 2022

Centre for Child Mental Health

Edge Services

Level 4 ROSPA Accredited Children Handling and Risk Assessment Key Trainers Certificate Brighton

Please check all details with the event organiser before you make arrangements to attend.

This course will provide you with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to train others in the moving and handling of children/young adults and how to conduct manual handling risk assessments. edgeservices.co.uk

“VoiceSING Trauma”: An introduction to the theory and practice of expression and regulation through the voice (Live stream event) Thursday 17:00 - 18:30 | Cost £20

020 7354 2913 info@childmentalhealthcentre.org childmentalhealthcentre.org/ online-events/live-events

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CPD, training and events

Empowering your achievement with

over 200 hours of SEND CPD content Our past webinar library now has over 200 hours of on demand CPD content. You’ll have the choice of wide range of webinars covering topics including: • Dyslexia • Dyscalculia • ADHD

• Literacy • Numeracy • Mental health

and much more from only £17.50 per webinar.

Membership Why not become a member and enjoy unlimited access to our past webinars as well as upcoming live webinars. From only £12.50 a month or £99 annually.

www.sendgroup.co.uk

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senmagazine.co.uk

CPD, training and events 8 September 2022

20 September 2022

22 September 2022

28 September 2022

Disabled Living

National Autistic Society

Centre for Child Mental Health

National Autistic Society

EarlyBird Upgrade licensed user training

How adverse childhood experiences make children prone to radicalisation and how political grooming works. What can be done by schools to address radicalisation

EarlyBird Plus Upgrade licensed user training

This training is for licensed EarlyBird user that want to upgrade their license to include EarlyBird Plus.

(Live stream event)

5-6 October 2022

Kidz to Adultz Scotland

Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh

autism.org.uk/training

20-21 September 2022 National Autistic Society

Understanding stress and anxiety in autism

13-15 September 2022 National Autistic Society

EarlyBird Plus licensed user training This licensed user training is for professionals who support parents and carers of autistic children aged four to nine. autism.org.uk/training

This training is for licensed EarlyBird Plus user that want to upgrade their license to include EarlyBird.

This course explores how you can help autistic children and adults to reduce stress and anxiety, how to understand their behaviour, and how to support them during difficult times.

Thursday 17:00 - 18:30 | Cost £20

020 7354 2913 info@childmentalhealthcentre.org childmentalhealthcentre.org/ online-events/live-events

27-28 September 2022

autism.org.uk/training

National Autistic Society

Please check all details with the event organiser before you make arrangements to attend.

Teen Life licensed user training Become a Teen Life licensed user and help support parents and carers of young autistic people aged 10 to 16. autism.org.uk/training

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autism.org.uk/training

OCTOBER 2022

Terrapin

EDUtech Europe RAI Amsterdam

EDUtech is coming to Europe. Leading minds in education from across Europe will be presenting stories, showcasing innovation and inspiring educators across the region. Plus, the very best EdTech solution providers will be demonstrating the latest technology innovations that are changing the way education is delivered. terrapinn.com/exhibition/ edutech-europe/

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CPD, training and events

6 October 2022

7-8 October 2022

Centre for Child Mental Health

Mark Allen Group

Social media, technology and the impact on children and young people (Live stream event)

Thursday 17:00 - 18:30 | Cost £20

020 7354 2913

info@childmentalhealthcentre.org

childmentalhealthcentre.org/ online-events/live-events

6 October 2022 National Autistic Society

Understanding autism in the workplace This course aims to introduce autism through discussing the main areas of difference and providing an increased awareness of how autistic people may experience the workplace. autism.org.uk/training

7 October 2022 NSM Training & Consultancy

The National Education Show Cardiff

The organisers are committed to provide education staff with the knowledge, resources and expert guidance to inspire, support, empower and develop great learners. As well showcase the latest products and services with over 140 exhibitors, making it an event not to be missed. Visit our website here for further information. Nationaleducationshow.com

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Tes SEND Show 2022 Islington, London

The UK’s leading SEND show returns in October and gives you the tools, resources and support to empower young learners with SEN. Register your interest in the show now and ensure you’re the first to know when our packed programme of content is released! tessendshow.co.uk/registerinterest

11-13 October 2022 National Autistic Society

EarlyBird licensed user training

This licensed user training is for professionals to support parents and carers of autistic children under five years old through our EarlyBird programme. autism.org.uk/training

18-21 October 2022 Edge Services

Level 4 ROSPA Accredited Children Handling and Risk Assessment Key Trainers Certificate

NOVEMBER 2022 17 November 2021 Disabled Living

Kidz to Adultz North NEW VENUE! Exhibition Centre Liverpool

Level 4 Advanced ROSPA Customised Award Handling and Risk Assessment Key Trainers Certificate (Refresher/Update) Birmingham This course will further advance your professional development training others in the moving and handling of children/young adults and provide you with a valuable opportunity to trade experience with others.

8-11 November 2022

edgeservices.co.uk

Level 4 ROSPA Customised Award Children Handling and Risk Assessment Key Trainers Certificate Birmingham

15–16 November 2022

24-25 November 2022 National Autistic Society

Understanding and supporting autistic people An introductory course based on the SPELL framework that builds your knowledge of autism and how to support autistic children and adults. autism.org.uk/training

Glasgow

This course will provide you with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to train others in the moving and handling of children/young adults and how to conduct manual handling risk assessments.

Please check all details with the event organiser before you make arrangements to attend.

edgeservices.co.uk

senmagazine.co.uk

SEN resources directory

SEN resources directory Information, advice and support for all things SEN. Full directory now available on the SEN Magazine website - senmagazine.co.uk/sen-resources ADHD

Learning disability

Rebound therapy

ADHD Foundation

BILD

ReboundTherapy.org

Training and awareness raising around ADHD. adhdfoundation.org.uk

Charity offering support and information on learning disabilities. bild.org.uk

The UK governing body and international consultancy for Rebound Therapy. reboundtherapy.org

Law

Autism National Autistic Society

Douglas Silas Solicitors

Help and information for those affected by ASD. autism.org.uk

Douglas Silas Solicitors are the legal experts specialising exclusively in SEN, helping parents successfully throughout the SEN process. SpecialEducationalNeeds.co.uk

Cerebral palsy Action CP Charity raising awareness of issues facing children and young people with cerebral palsies. actioncp.org

Literacy National Literacy Trust Literacy charity for adults and children. literacytrust.org.uk

Mental health

Down’s syndrome Down’s Syndrome Association Information, support and training on Down’s syndrome. downs-syndrome.org.uk

Special education needs nasen Organisation for the education, training and advancement of those with SEN. nasen.org.uk

Visual impairment The Partially Sighted Society Bold-lined exercise books and resources for schools and individuals for visual impairment and visual processing difficulties. partsight.org.uk

MIND

RNIB

Advice and support for people experiencing a mental health problem. mind.org.uk

Support and advice for those affected by visual impairment. rnib.org.uk

Dyslexia British Dyslexia Association Information and support for people affected by dyslexia. bdadyslexia.org.uk

Dyspraxia Dyspraxia Foundation UK Dyspraxia advice and support. dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk

Epilepsy Epilepsy Action Advice and information on epilepsy. epilepsy.org.uk senmagazine.co.uk

The esSENtial read

Looking for specialist help? Equipment? Resources? Visit the new SEN Magazine Resource Directory online. senmagazine.co.uk/sen-resources If there’s something you’d like us to include in the directory, please let us know! Send an email to feedback@senmagazine.co.uk, mentioning “Resource Directory” in the subject line.

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About SEN Magazine

July • A ug 2022

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therap y

The SE ND Re view: a miss ed opp ortunit y Literac y: catc hing u p Foreig n lang uages The Ca re Scan dal

Nutriti on • W riting fo Cerebr r SEN • al Palsy Dyslexi • Autis c MPs m • Day • Litera s Out • cy fun Point of • Foreig View • n Lang Book Re uages views • and m ore

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SEN Magazine - SEN119 - July-August 2022

Articles inside

Point of view