SEN Magazine - SEN70 - May/June 2014

May • June 2014 Issue 70

Give us a break!

Why short breaks are essential for kids and their carers

Sensory delights

Promoting learning with sensory-rich play

The new SEN system What will it mean for you?

ICT • nurture groups • numeracy • psychometric assessment • autism • cycling occupational therapy • dyslexia • SLCN • fostering • sport • forest schools SEN news, CPD, training, events and much more...

May • June 2014 • Issue 70 This issue in full

Welcome The Children and Families Act received Royal Assent in March, enshrining in law the biggest changes to the SEN system for more than a generation.

With it, we are to have a new SEN Code of Practice. Although the final version is yet to be published, the Government is advising professionals to use its draft Code for planning purposes. It would seem reasonable to assume, therefore, that the Code of Practice will bear more than a passing resemblance to the working document discussed in depth in recent issues of SEN Magazine.

With the Act and the Code set to take effect from September, Children’s Minister Edward Timpson has penned a series of open letters to parents, teachers and other professionals, seeking to explain the changes and how they will affect children and young people with SEN, their families and those who work with them. In SEN news (p.6) we provide a full transcript of the Minister’s letter to teachers.

Also in this issue, Debbie Wheeler explains what the SEN reforms may mean for parents (p.24) and Stephanie Anderson looks at what those with high incidence, low severity needs, such as dyslexia, can expect under the new system (p.61).

Elsewhere, you will find articles on nurture groups (p.28), making ICT accessible to all (p.30), numeracy (p.34), psychometric assessments (p.40), the motivational power of sport (p.45), inclusive cycling (p.50) and the benefits of respite and holidays (p.55). In addition, we have features on occupational therapy (p.58), speech, language and communication needs (p.66), the Shine a Light Awards (p.70), the joys of sensory play (p.72), forest schools (p.77), how SEN professionals can use their skills to become foster carers (p.78) and supporting those with autism at school (p.84).

For the latest from SEN, join us on Twitter and Facebook, or visit: www.senmagazine.co.uk

06

SEN news

14

What’s new?

22

Point of view

24

Children and Families Act

28

Nurture groups

30 ICT 34 Numeracy 40

Psychometric assessment

45 Sport 50

Inclusive cycling

55 Holidays/respite 58

Occupational therapy

61 Dyslexia 66 SLCN 70

Shine a Light Awards

72 Play 77

Forest schools

78

Fostering and adoption

84 Autism 101 About SEN Magazine 102 Book reviews 104 CPD and training 112 SEN resources directory 114 SEN subscriptions

CONTRIBUTORS Stephanie Anderson

Peter Sutcliffe Editor editor@senmagazine.co.uk

Pearl Barnes Ian Callen Anita Chopra Robin Christopherson Dave Cooper

Contacts DIRECTOR Jeremy Nicholls EDITOR Peter Sutcliffe editor@senmagazine.co.uk 01200 409 810 ADVERTISING SALES Denise Williamson Sales Manager denise@senmagazine.co.uk 01200 409 808 MARKETING & ADMINISTRATION Anita Crossley anita@senmagazine.co.uk 01200 409 802

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SUBSCRIPTION ADMINISTRATOR Amanda Harrison amanda@senmagazine.co.uk 01200 409 801 DESIGN Rob Parry www.flunkyfly-design.com design@senmagazine.co.uk Next issue deadline: Advertising and news deadline: 4 June 2014

Sarah Davys-Jones Sue Gascoyne Emily Haddock Pam Kaur Malhi Kevin Kibble Jim McGurn Mary Mountstephen Andy Mulholland Monika Robinson Sam Ruddock

Disclaimer

Dominic Stevenson

The opinions expressed in SEN Magazine are not necessarily those

Rik Waddon

of the publisher. The publisher cannot be held liable for incorrect

Debbie Wheeler

information, omissions or the opinions of third parties.

SEN Magazine Ltd. Chapel House, 5 Shawbridge Street, Clitheroe, BB7 1LY T: 01200 409800 F: 01200 409809 W: www.senmagazine.co.uk E: info@senmagazine.co.uk

Fran Williamson

SEN Magazine ISSN: 1755-4845 SENISSUE70

In this issue

Sport

24

45

61

Dyslexia

The Children and Families Act

70

What will the new SEN system mean for you?

28

Nurturing support

34

Adapting ICT for all

72

Simple ideas to make computers accessible to every student

77

The importance of teaching nothing

78

All in the mind

Be the best you can be

Bikes not barriers The pros and cons of having your own fleet of adapted cycles

55

Give us a break!

The benefits of holidays and short breaks for children and their parents

58

Getting emotional How OTs can support attuned relationships with looked-after kids and their carers

61

SEN reforms and dyslexia Will dyslexics be left behind under the new SEN reforms?

66

Plainly speaking When do common speech difficulties signify a speech sound disorder?

Sensory delights

Playing inside the copse Fostering transferable skills Could the skills you already have make you the ideal foster carer?

84

Schooled in autism How should schools approach the support of pupils with autism?

93

Three Paralympic stars explain how they use sport to inspire pupils with SEN

50

Shine a Light Awards

Finding inspiration and inclusion in the great outdoors

Using psychometric assessment to help those with specific learning difficulties

45

66

How sensory-rich play can promote learning and wellbeing

Why an understanding of “zero” is central to behaviour management

40

SLCN

A celebration of innovation and best practice in SLCN

How nurture groups can help with behavioural issues

30

May • June 2014 • Issue 70

The Autism Show A look ahead to London and Manchester’s autism extravaganzas

Regulars 6 14

22

SEN news What's new?

The latest products and ideas from the world of SEN

Point of view Have your say!

102 Book reviews 104 CPD, training and events

Your essential guide to SEN courses, seminars and events

112 SEN resources directory

24 Children and Families Act 55 Respite/holidays

72 Play

In the next issue of SEN:

84 Autism

manual handling • school refusal visual impairment • PSHE literacy/phonics • cerebral palsy bullying • communication aids learning disability week looked-after children • SEN law and much more...

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SEN NEWS

Gearing up for the new SEN system Children and Families Bill becomes law Minister issues open letters to explain SEN changes The Children and Families Bill received Royal Assent and passed into law in March and its provisions will start to take effect from September 2014.

Widely heralded as the biggest shake-up of the SEN system in 30 years, the new legislation introduces a number of major changes to the way schools, local authorities and central government support children and young people with SEN. It includes new rights for parents and young people with SEN. A new SEN Code of practice, expected to be finalised in the spring, will also be introduced from September.

Under the new Act, education, care and health services will be charged with working together to produce combined education, health and care plans (EHCPs) covering people with SEN from birth to 25 years. Local authorities will have to publish their “local offer” detailing the provision for SEN they expect to be available in their area. Parents will the option to have a greater say in how money is spent on their child’s SEN support and young people are to have the right to be consulted about their support.

The Children’s Minister Edward Timpson has penned four open letters – targeted at parents, teachers and specific professional groups – explaining what the new legislation entails and how it will affect them.

The following is a transcript of Mr Timpson’s open letter to teachers:

New arrangements for supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities Last month the measures outlined in the Children and Families Bill were made law and it became the Children and Families Act 2014. The act includes changes to the support and services children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities will receive. These changes will come into force on 1 September 2014 and they affect all teachers. I therefore wanted to write to you with information about what this means for you and your pupils.

All children and young people are entitled to an education that enables them to achieve their best and leave school or college prepared for adult life, whether that’s in higher education, training or employment.

The new code of practice The way in which schools work with pupils, including those with special educational needs, has moved on considerably since the last code of practice was issued in 2001. The new 0 to 25 Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Code of Practice draws on the experience of parents, schools, colleges, councils and health care providers. It sets out a more individualised and better graduated response to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

The new SEN Code of Practice stresses the importance of high-quality, differentiated teaching.

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From School Action and School Action Plus to SEN support The new code makes it clear that additional intervention and support cannot compensate for a lack of good teaching. As such it reflects that high quality teaching, appropriately differentiated for individual pupils, is the first step in responding to possible special educational needs. For pupils that need special educational provision the code sets out the principle of a graduated response.

This acknowledges that some children will benefit from specific support from the school or external experts (such as an Educational WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

SEN NEWS

Psychologist or a Speech and Language Therapist). The categories of School Action and School Action Plus will no longer apply and will be replaced with a new system called special educational needs (SEN) support. The new approach is designed to ensure support is focused on individual need and personal outcomes rather than classifications.

to an EHC plan within the next three and a half years. This is likely to be around transition points in a child’s education, such as when they move from primary to secondary school, and you should be involved.

Early identification and a single assessment Schools will be expected to have clear systems for identification, assessment, monitoring and securing appropriate support for children with special educational needs. The code also requires schools to involve parents in a more structured and systematic way to shape the support their child receives and to be more transparent about what the school can provide. In particular the code places an emphasis on working with parents to agree and review the outcomes the support is intended to achieve rather than counting the hours or resources given to a child at school.

In practice most schools already use assessments and data effectively to review progress and shape teaching. For many schools the changes will primarily be about ensuring this process is informed by a good knowledge of special educational needs, and the relevant interventions, and involving parents in a more constructive and transparent way.

Reviews Schools should review the support currently given to pupils on School Action or School Action Plus in light of the changes during the next school year. We would expect most reviews under the new approach to take place, in consultation with parents, by the spring term 2015. If new pupils are identified with special educational needs between now and 1 September you should continue to operate as you currently do. From 1 September onwards you must use the new system. The school census in January 2015 will not distinguish between School Action and School Action Plus, schools will simply be asked to record pupils as receiving SEN support.

From statements to education, health and care plans For those with the most complex needs we are introducing a single birth-to-25 education, health and care (EHC) plan which will replace statements of special educational needs and Learning Difficulty Assessments. The EHC plan will place much more emphasis on personal goals and will clearly describe the support a child will receive across different services, including at school, to achieve these ambitions. The creation and delivery of these plans will be led by the local authority but schools must get involved in developing, delivering and reviewing these plans working closely with parents.

If any of your pupils already have a statement or Learning Difficulty Assessment they will be transferred by the council WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Funding Some teachers have raised concerns about the funding available to schools to implement Edward Timpson MP. the changes. The recent funding reforms introduced a common approach for calculating special educational needs funding for schools across the country. The total amount of funding has not decreased in any local authority and overall there is at least as much money going into schools.

Next steps We’ll be issuing the final code of practice as soon as we can this spring. In the meantime the draft code can be used as a planning tool. School SEN coordinators and headteachers should already be working with their colleagues, the council and local health and care providers to develop the “local offer” and create the systems and partnerships needed to deliver the changes.

We’re also working with nasen to set up an online resource for teachers on the reforms which will include useful resources to help you. We expect this to be launched next month.

Involving parents It’s likely you are already speaking to parents about these changes but if not may I ask you to consider placing some information in your school newsletter. You could point parents to the open letter I have written to them or the Council for Disabled Children’s parents’ guide.

Edward Timpson Minister for Children and Families The Minister’s three additional open letters – to local authorities and health partners, to colleges and to parents – can be accessed at: http://ow.ly/vGyD6 In this issue of SEN Magazine (p.24), Debbie Wheeler from Devon Parent Partnership Service looks at how the Act may affect parents, while Stephanie Anderson of Dyslexia Action (p.61) examines what it may mean for dyslexics.

The July/August issue of SEN Magazine will also include an indepth look at the new SEN framework and the main changes to the system.

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SEN NEWS

Fresh approach to adult autism The Government has announced its first update of the adult autism strategy since the ground-breaking Autism Act of 2009.

Think Autism includes new initiatives designed to ensure that adults with autism get more of the services and support they need. These include a new awareness initiative to help build understanding among the professionals working with people with autism and among the general public, and to make communities more autism friendly.

An innovation fund has also been announced to support the development and replication of new services that best meet the needs of adults with autism and their families.

The National Autistic Society (NAS) says that awareness of adults with autism will get a major boost under the Think Autism initiatives. NAS Chief Executive Mark Lever believes that Think Autism aims to ensure that the ambitions of the Autism Act are realised. “If all of us involved rise to the challenge, Think Autism offers the chance of a step change in the quality of services and support for adults with autism”, he says.

Mr Lever praised the strategy for tackling “core issues that affect the quality of the lives of adults with autism: understanding and awareness, and the development and delivery of better services.”

However, the NAS cautions that the new initiatives will only make a difference if local authorities and health services establish the best possible plans for local services.

Think Autism has also been welcomed by Ambitious About Autism, whose Chief Executive, Jolanta Lasota, says “The refreshed Autism Strategy helpfully focuses on inclusion for adults with autism – in employment, in communities and in society.”

The charity warns that employment prospects for adults on the spectrum will only improve if the rates of exclusion from education that young people with autism face are addressed.

At present, only one in four young people with autism access any kind of education beyond school.

Ms Lasota says it is essential that the new innovation funds look at ways to improve participation in education and training for young people with autism; “…without better access to education, and improved understanding among employers, we will continue to see people with autism struggling to find jobs”, she says.

News deadline for next issue: 4/6/14 Email: editor@senmagazine.co.uk

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New clinical definition for epilepsy An expert task force in the USA has created a new definition for epilepsy that refines the scope of patients diagnosed with this condition. The study published in Epilepsia, the journal of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), provides a greater level of detail to diagnose epilepsy by including individuals with two unprovoked seizures, and those with one unprovoked seizure and other factors that increase risk of seizure recurrence.

A 2005 report by the ILAE task force defined an epileptic seizure as “a transient occurrence of signs and/or symptoms due to abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain” and epilepsy as “a disorder of the brain characterized by an enduring predisposition to generate epileptic seizures, and by the neurobiologic, cognitive, psychological, and social consequences of this condition. The definition of epilepsy requires the occurrence of at least one epileptic seizure.”

However, Dr Robert Fisher from Stanford University School of Medicine, lead author of the new task force believes that the 2005 definition does not allow a patient to outgrow epilepsy, nor does it take into account some clinicians’ views that epilepsy is present after a first unprovoked seizure when there is a high risk for another. “The task force recommendation resolves these issues with the new, more practical, definition of epilepsy that is aimed at clinicians”, says Dr Fisher.

The task force suggests that epilepsy is a disease of the brain defined as at least two unprovoked (or reflex) seizures occurring more than 24 hours apart, or one unprovoked (or reflex) seizure and a probability of further seizures similar to the general recurrence risk (at least 60 per cent) after two unprovoked seizures, occurring over the next ten years, or diagnosis of an epilepsy syndrome.

“The burden of determining recurrence risk does not fall on the clinician. If information is not available on recurrence risk after a first seizure, then the definition defaults to the old definition,” says Dr Fisher. According to the article, epilepsy is “resolved” in individuals who are past the applicable age of an age-dependent epilepsy syndrome, or those that have been free of seizures for the last ten years and off anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) for five years or more.

WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

SEN NEWS

Autism art competition The annual CREATE! Art for Autism competition is now

Disabled students will suffer under DSA cuts Changes to the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) announced in April by David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science, will damage disabled students warns the British Assistive Technology Association (BATA).

open for entries.

The national art competition, now in its fourth year, aims

DSAs currently cover the purchase of computers, laptops and specialist equipment and software, as well as the provision of support workers and assistance with travel costs. From September 2015, standard specification computers or the warranties and insurance associated with them will be excluded.

Grants will only cover a more expensive or higher powered machine if a student needs one because of their disability or complex specific learning difficulties.

to inspire young people with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) whilst celebrating their creativity and educating the wider public about autism.

“This campaign seeks to challenge the conventional barriers as to what is traditionally considered to be ‘art’, and instead raises the profile of the

Michael Gregory with his 2013 3D category winning work: Bullet Chess Pieces.

creative talents of those who through their autism are able to remain authentic in their thinking and vibrant in their subsequent responses”, says Darren Jackson of Beechwood College, which sponsors CREATE! The competition is open to eleven- to 25-year-olds throughout

While noting that provision will continue to be made through DSAs for the most severely disabled students, BATA is concerned about the many tens of thousands of people who fall outside that category but still need assistance because of disability or impairment.

The Association's Chair, Mark McCusker, says the Government’s new approach will shift the burden of provision from the directly funded DSAs to higher education institutions – without the promise of extra money for them – meaning that students with disabilities will be at risk of finding it increasing difficult to study successfully for degrees, with some not feeling they can even try and others finding they do less well than they should.

the UK across five categories: 2D art, 3D art, digital photography, digital animation and poetry.

Last year’s competition attracted more than 800 submissions, and 2014 has already seen a rise in entries during its early stages.

Jane Asher – President of the National Autistic Society, actress and author – is a long-standing supporter of the competition.

“It is truly inspirational to see how much creativity oozes out of the autistic young people; enabling them to express themselves through art makes this competition such a worthwhile project”, she says.

Under the current arrangements, equipment and software supplied are part of a package of IT and assistive technology that includes an individual expert assessment and course-long support, training and advice. Mr McCusker fears that without that student-specific approach and professional backup, equipment may be underutilised and learning adversely affected whatever the level of disability or impairment. Far from strengthening student choice and individualised learning, he says that these changes will mean some disabled students having to make do with general, standard approaches to their specific needs.

Alun Cairns MP has also been involved with CREATE! Art for Autism since its early days. “People with an Autistic Spectrum Condition deserve the highest quality care possible and I feel very strongly that more needs to be done to raise awareness for this cause.”

follow us on www.twitter.com/senmagazine

The competition closes on 11 June 2014. Judges from the world of the arts, the media, and academia will choose finalists for each category and the winners and creators of commended pieces of artwork will be announced at an awards ceremony on 18 July.

Entry forms and information are available from:

join us on www.facebook.com/senmagazine

www.createartforautism.com WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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SEN NEWS

Neuroscience “used and abused” by early-years policy-makers Claims that children’s brains are irreversibly “sculpted” by parental care are based on questionable evidence, yet have heavily influenced early-years governmental policy-making, says a study led by University of Kent sociologists.

The researchers warn that the success that advocates of brainbased parenting have had in influencing government policy could undermine parent-child relationships. The study identified that although there is a lack of scientific foundation to many of the claims of brain-based parenting, the idea that the period from birth to three years is neurologically critical is now repeated in policy documents and has been integrated into professional training for early-years workers.

Technology helps disadvantaged kids into reading Devices such as smartphones and tablet computers can provide a new and important route into reading for three- to five-yearolds from disadvantaged backgrounds, according to research

by The National Literacy Trust and Pearson.

The findings show that poorer children benefit more from using books and touch-screens for sharing stories, than books alone.

If they look at stories using books and touch screen, they are less likely to perform below the expected standard for their age than if they use books only. More advantaged children tend to perform at or above the expected standard for their age regardless of what they use to look at stories.

The research suggest that technology is playing a large role in the lives of under fives, with three-quarters of three- to five-yearolds having access to a touch screen at home. Of these, twice as many children of lower than higher socioeconomic status look at stories daily, despite children from poorer backgrounds having less access to touch screens at home than those from more privileged backgrounds.

Using technology to read stories can apparently lead to greater enjoyment of reading as well. Researchers found that children are more likely to enjoy reading if they use both books and a touch screen to look at stories, compared to books only.

The National Literacy Trust and Pearson are calling on parents and early years practitioners to recognise the advantages of technology to engage young children in reading stories and have published tips and advice to support reading with threeto-five-year-olds on a touch screen and in print.

Practitioners can find information on using technology to support children’s reading at: www.literacytrust.org.uk and parents can find hints and tips on how to help their children at: www.wordsforlife.org.uk SENISSUE70

Dr Jan Macvarish, a Research Fellow at Kent’s Centre for Parenting Studies, analysed the policy literature for the study.

“What we found was that although the claims purporting to be based on neuroscience are very questionable, they are continually repeated in policy documents and are now integrated into the professional training of health visitors and other early years workers”, says Dr Macvarish. “Brain claims entered a policy environment which was already convinced that parents are to blame for numerous social problems, from poverty to mental illness.”

However, Dr Macvarish claims that the idea that these entrenched problems will be solved by parents being more attentive to their children’s brains is “risible”. Although aimed at strengthening the parent-child relationships, these kinds of policies risk undermining parents’ self-confidence by suggesting that “science rather than the parent knows best.”

The study highlights that mothers, in particular, are told that if they are stressed while pregnant or suffer postnatal depression, they will harm their baby’s brain. “This dubious information is highly unlikely to alleviate stress or depression but rather more likely to increase parental anxiety”, says Dr Macvarish.

The study, The Uses and Abuses of Biology: Neuroscience, Parenting and Family Policy in Britain, was co-authored by Dr Macvarish and Dr Ellie Lee of Kent’s School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research and Dr Pam Lowe of Aston University.

For the latest news, articles, SEN resources, CPD and events listings, visit:

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SEN NEWS

New responsibilities for schools to support pupils with medical conditions Schools will have new responsibilities to support pupils with medical conditions under regulations taking effect from September 2014. Under The Children and Families Act, schools will be required to develop policies for supporting these pupils, including the training of any member of school staff providing such support. New Government guidelines also state that these policies should be reviewed regularly, are readily accessible to parents and school staff and are explicit about acceptable practice.

To comply with the Act, no member of the school staff should give prescription medicines or undertake health care procedures without appropriate training from a healthcare professional.

Guidance from the Department for Education (DfE) states that a first-aid certificate does not constitute appropriate training.

Communication guide promotes inclusive sport The English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) has unveiled a

The school nurse or another suitably qualified healthcare professional will be required to confirm that staff are proficient to undertake healthcare procedures and administer medicines before providing support to a specific child.

new guide to inclusive communications. Written in partnership with Big Voice Communications, it supports providers to reach

Judith Manners of Opus Pharmacy Services claims the Act will

a wider audience, including more disabled people. It aims to

have far-reaching implications for schools. “Parents of children

address the main communication barriers that many people

with medical conditions are often concerned that their child’s

experience in sport and physical activity, which also stop disabled

health will deteriorate whilst at school”, she says.

people from accessing some opportunities. As well as providing better practice guidance on planning, terminology and language,

Pupils with long-term and complex medical conditions may

it explains the purpose of accessible formats and shows how

require on-going support, medicines and care while at school

providers can get the best from their communications.

to help them manage their condition. Schools will be required

In 2012, EFDS research on barriers to participation showed that

appropriate staff training to comply with the new regulations,

communication can enhance experiences or restrict disabled

to support all pupils with a medical condition, and ensure in school, on field trips and during class outings.

people from being active. This applies to all aspects of marketing and delivery, at all levels.

Although the proportion of disabled people who are playing sport once a week has seen a slight increase in recent years,

Deaf Awareness Week

disabled people are still half as likely to be taking part in sport as

Deaf Awareness Week, running from 19 to 25 May 2014, aims

non-disabled people (18.5 per cent compared to 39.2 per cent).

to improve understanding of the different types of deafness by highlighting the many different methods of communication used

The way in which disabled people access communications may

by deaf people and those with a hearing impairment.

be different to non-disabled people and those with different impairments have different needs or experience different barriers

Up to one person in every six in the UK is thought to suffer from

to accessing information.

some sort of hearing loss and the theme of this year’s campaign is “Equality In Communication For All”.

The guide is available in various formats, including as an accessible PDF. For more information and to access the guide,

For more information, visit:

go to: www.efds.co.uk

www.deafcouncil.org.uk

WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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SEN LAW

Do you know someone with Norrie disease?

A London-based family is looking for people with Norrie disease and their families in the UK and Europe.

Their five-year-old son has the disease, and they are keen to link up to create a network to share contacts, tips and general support.

Wendy and her son Josh.

Norrie disease is an inherited disorder that results in vision impairment at birth or soon after. Some people go on to develop progressive hearing loss and some also have cognitive impairment. It is a rare condition and the exact numbers affected are not known.

Other names are used for Norrie disease, including NorrieWarburg, Anderson-Warburg and Whitnall-Norman Syndrome.

The family are keen to support and learn more about research into the disease, and so want to understand it's prevalence amongst families in the UK and Europe.

If you know of any individuals with Norrie, and their families, contact Wendy Horrobin. Email: wendickinson@hotmail.com or tel: 07799 140604.

WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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WHAT’S NEW?

What’s new?

Next generation Aquanova baths from Abacus Healthcare

For 25 years, Abacus Healthcare has worked closely with healthcare professionals and disabled individuals in a variety of educational care settings.

Continuing its tradition for product innovation, Abacus has launched new versions of its popular Aquanova baths – so care, comfort and safety are enhanced.

The Gemini, Pisces and Aries incorporate the latest components and technologies, so their operation is smoother and quieter, leading to a more pleasurable bathing experience. The Gemini and Pisces include an integrated platform and the Aries is available in two sizes, the larger being ideally suited to multiple occupancy situations.

Autism Anglia Conference Autism Anglia is inviting all those with an interest in autism to their Annual Conference on 19 June 2014 at the Weston Homes Community Stadium in Colchester, Essex.

The day will be headlined by Dean Beadle giving his personal insight into living with autism and Dr Fiona Scott, who will explore contemporary research trends. There will also be seminars, workshops and presentations.

The conference will cover a variety of topics that will benefit parents and carers, individuals with autism, health and education professionals and anyone with an interest in autism.

For more information or to book your place, call: 01206 577678 or visit: www.autism-anglia.org.uk/informationdays

Tel: 0800 542 5819, email: sales@abacushealthcare.co.uk or visit: www.abacushealthcare.co.uk

Expansion plans for Longdon Hall School Due to an overwhelming demand for placements from local authorities across the Midlands, Longdon Hall School in Staffordshire has announced that, from September 2014, the school’s capacity will increase from 53 to 76 pupils.

The development will see a £650,000 refurbishment of the Coach House in the school grounds. This will enable Longdon Hall to deliver a wide range of learning opportunities to all pupils, further enhancing its curriculum provision. The development will include new facilities for science, food technology, art, physical education, sports, music and recording and tutor rooms.

New autism social network Connect is the UK’s first free social network for people with autism and their families.

There is a Service Directory, which allows members to rate and review services, while the Question and Answer page encourages people to share information and advice.

Professionals can engage with users and offer guidance.

The site is carefully monitored to ensure a safe space for all members. Through features such as profile building, status updates and private messaging, Connect offers members of the autism community a chance to interact, unite and ultimately realise that they are not alone in their experiences.

To sign up, visit: http://connect.autismwestmidlands.org.uk

For more information, visit the School’s blog: www.longdonhallschool.co.uk

Thinking of adoption but don’t know where to start?

If you would like to find out more about adoption, you could visit one of Families That Last’s regular Exploring Adoption events. You can drop in throughout the day to meet the team, have a chat and see profiles of the children they are currently family finding for.

The Exploring Adoption events are held across the North West, North Wales and West Yorkshire every month.

Families that Last build and support families to change the lives of children through adoption.

To find out about upcoming events, visit: www.familiesthatlast.org.uk SENISSUE70

B Squared release iPad app B Squared have released their longawaited Connecting Steps iPad app. It connects directly to the server and allows teachers to assess, comment and review progress on the iPad. The app is available to customers using Connecting Steps V4 on the hosted service (where the company look after your data for you). The app can be downloaded from the Apple app store. For those interested in trialling the software, there is a demo available.

For more information, contact B Squared on: 0845 4660 141 or email: info@bsquared.co.uk www.bsquared.co.uk WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

WHAT’S NEW?

ParalympicsGB Sports Fest

The new SEN Framework

If you’re a disabled person and want to try lots of different Paralympic sports and meet medal winning athletes, you might want to attend the BPA’s ParalympicsGB Sports Fest, taking place in Manchester’s Sport City on 19 May 2014.

The Children and Families Act 2014 became law in March, although it may not come into force until September.

Sports Fest was created to encourage and develop the interest in participation in disability sport, following the London 2012 Paralympic Games. All 26 summer and winter Paralympic sports are invited to attend, where they host “come and try sessions” and bring along medal winning athletes for you to meet, get autographs from, ask questions and be inspired by.

Register your attendance at: www.sportsfest.uk.com

Choice Care Group launches new service Care specialist Choice Care Group is inviting referrals to its newest residential service, in Tadley, Hampshire.

Red Roofs will open in May 2014 to support eight adults with autism, learning disabilities and complex behavioural needs within a main house and separate annexes, suited to service users who enjoy socialising with others but find living with them difficult.

Choice provides residential and supported living services for adults aged 16+ with learning disabilities, mental health disorders and complex emotional and behavioural needs across England.

For more information, or to make a referral, visit: www.choicecaregroup.com

Hannah’s launches new combined service The Dame Hannah Rogers Trust has launched a new innovative service at its stunning 90 acre site in Devon.

REACH is the only service of its kind offering comprehensive assessment, diagnosis, intervention, consultancy, advice and support for individuals with a range of disabilities and support needs.

The approachable clinical team includes clinical psychologists, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and medical and nursing staff. Their expertise covers paediatric and adult neuro-disability, acquired brain injury, autistic spectrum conditions, ADHD, challenging behaviour, complex physical and multiple learning disabilities, mental health, alternative and augmentative communication and cerebral palsy.

01626 325800 reach@discoverhannahs.org www.discoverhannahs.org WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Douglas Silas Solicitors, the nationally acclaimed experts specialising exclusively in SEN, are already guiding parents and professionals on what they need to know by providing SEN updates (via their website) and through offering training sessions.

Douglas says: "Although we will probably only get full guidance in a revised SEN Code of Practice in the next few months, it is still essential that everyone concerned with children with SEN prepares for forthcoming changes as soon as possible.”

For more information, visit: www.SpecialEducationalNeeds.co.uk

Ready for the new SEN Code of Practice?

Being a SENCO is a demanding job and the new SEN Code of Practice is going to add to the strain, but Provision Map software aims to help you.

Described by its creators as “SIMS for SENCOs”, Provision Map software gives you provision mapping, learning plans, Pupil Premium reporting and up-to-date information at your fingertips, to help reduce your workload and make Ofsted happy.

To take a free trial of Provision Map, visit: www.provisionmap.co.uk or call: 0845 094 6427.

Innovative playscapes for children of all abilities Creating exciting and challenging play opportunities for settings whose children have varied abilities and special needs can be daunting.

Playtime by Fawns has worked with numerous settings to create such playscapes, combining innovative product design and over twenty-five years of design experience to design and build bespoke outdoor areas that offer all-year-round play for children of all abilities. Latest innovations include specially designed activity panels for children with severe learning difficulties, and the creation of a climbing mound and tunnel complete with extra wide slide that allows carers to slide down with children. www.fawns.co.uk SENISSUE70

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WHAT’S NEW?

Go Provence supported holidays Go Provence is a provider of supported holidays for adults and children with learning disabilities. The holidays take place in sunny Provence, South of France, and clients can be supported on flights to and from the UK. Go Provence offer quality care, carefully planned activities and competitive prices, with separate carer/parent accommodation enabling full-time carers to have an independent holiday whilst the person cared for has a supported holiday.

Staff are British, DBS checked and first aid trained to Red Cross standard, and have ten years’ experiences working with people with learning disabilities and five years with supported holidays. ian@goprovence.co.uk www.goprovence.co.uk

Using technology to support learners with autism Thanks to funding from Jisc, Henshaws College is working with Thornbeck College on an exciting project to produce two innovative solutions for autistic learners. The Day Planner and the Sequence Slider will support learners on the autistic spectrum to sequence daily routines and work tasks, helping them to enjoy a better College experience.

The tools will adapt common technologies to provide a userfriendly solution that responds to individual student need and is accessible through multiple assistive technologies. Support staff and parents can access the Planner remotely to update routines, giving students a method to deal with change and unfamiliar activities. www.henshaws.ac.uk www.accesstechnology.org.uk

Responsible money management for those with ASD Anna Kennedy Online (AKO) has partnered with goHenry to help young people with autism gain confidence and independence with managing their money.

The solution combines a goHenry cash card with parental controls and web and mobile apps that focus on earning, saving and spending responsibly. Parents can easily manage all their child’s pocket money and allowances automatically, all in one place.

Families can receive £10 free pocket money – and goHenry will donate £10 to AKO on the family’s behalf – if they sign up at: www.gohenry.co.uk/ako using the promo code: AKGH14.

All kids love to play Inclusive Play creates play equipment to capture the imagination of every child, focusing solely on inclusion.

Music and Interactive are the latest product lines to join the Inclusive range; research conducted demonstrates the importance of this type of play.

The most popular items, Music Box and Story Ball, are fun and playful with subtle educational features that support language, literacy and more. Both items are great for fidgety children who need physical engagement to encourage concentration or participation, and they can create a wonderful tune or a fun story narrated by Rik Mayall (among others).

For more information, visit www.inclusiveplay.com

Integrex the interactive specialists Hesley Group hosts free autism and TCI events in West Midlands Taking place on 20 May and aimed at parents and carers, Practical Guidance on the Challenges of Autism will be chaired by Professor Barry Carpenter. Parents Cathy and Martin Billett will share their journey as parents, alongside renowned author John Clements and TCI Consultant Angela Stanton-Greenwood.

Specifically aimed at professionals, A Practical Introduction to Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) takes place on 21 May. TCI consultants John Gibson, Nick Pidgeon and Angela Stanton-Greenwood will talk about the therapeutic approach for children and adults with complex needs.

For more information and online bookings, visit: www.hesleygroup.co.uk/events/warwickshire SENISSUE70

At the forefront of special needs technology, Integrex design and manufacture versatile, interactive systems that offer all ages and abilities the opportunity to enjoy a rewarding learning or working environment. Products include fully mobile, height-adjustable interactive touch screens and tables with cutting edge multitouch ability.

Integrex’s innovative, immersive sensory rooms provide stunning audio-visual interactivity through a series of original, programmable software applications. A dedicated, experienced team provides bespoke software and hardware, full support and training for all SEN environments. Contact Integrex to arrange a demonstration of their innovative, interactive systems.

Tel: 01283 551551 or visit: www.integrex.co.uk WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

WHAT’S NEW?

Programmable alarm reminders

SEND events from Osiris

For people who need help remembering daily things such as appointments and taking medication on time, or perhaps need instructions for daily living, MemRabel 2 uses a media storage card to retrieve pictures, real videos and/or recorded audio files for playback at programmed alarm times, preceded by a selectable message alert tone.

Osiris Educational has announced its first annual SEND Conference – a practical, informative and very timely event.

Alarm reminders can be programmed to repeat daily, weekly or by calendar date and time, via the included remote control. There is a choice of four clock time displays to suit people of varying cognitive ability.

This summer will also see a number of new SEN courses from Osiris, including: Autism – Educating pupils who think differently, How to Engage all SEN Readers, Outdoor Learning for SEN, Managing Attachment Disorder, and The Perfect SENCO.

For further details, go to: www.easylinkuk.com/page28.html or telephone Medpage Limited on: 01536 264 869.

Arriving in Birmingham on 26 June and London on 1 July, this conference is for anyone affected by the biggest shakeup to SEN provision in 30 years, and provides a unique opportunity to hear from Osiris’s assembly of experts.

For more information, call: 01790 753987 or email: care@osiriseducational.co.uk

New NAS autism and mental health conference

The Autism Show ticket office is now open

A National Autistic Society conference, on Friday 17 June in Manchester, aims to give you the tools and strategies you need to identify and provide targeted support for children with autism who have mental health difficulties.

The NAS’s dedicated education stream will address how to support and help with mental health difficulties for young people in school environments, to avoid issues reaching a crisis point.

The Autism Show, the national event for autism, is for the growing community of parents, carers and professionals who live and work with autism on a daily basis.

Suitable for education professionals from mainstream schools, special schools and local authorities, the conference will present the latest research and best practice in diagnosing and supporting mental health issues in children with autism.

www.autism.org.uk/conferences/mentalhealth2014

Visit the event in London or Manchester to hear leading professionals discuss the latest news and research, discover hundreds of specialist products and services, access free one-to-one specialist advice clinics, explore the Sensory and Calm Rooms, be inspired by performances in Autism's Got Talent and listen to adults on the spectrum speak about what it means to live with the condition.

Book now and save 20 per cent off your ticket price at: www.autismshow.co.uk

Young Achiever Award for The Bridge@Barton School

Outstanding communication practice honoured at Shine a Light Awards

Specialist parenting magazine Achieve has awarded its Young Achiever Award of Excellence 2014 to The Bridge@ Barton School.

The winners of the 2013/2014 Shine a Light Awards, an awards scheme that celebrates innovative work and excellent practice in supporting children and young people’s communication development, have been revealed by Pearson Assessment and The Communication Trust. Winners included inspirational young man, Shane Dangar (aged 20) who received the Communication Champion Award and Peacehaven Community School in East Sussex who received the Secondary School of the Year Award for the second time.

Run by Options Group, The Bridge@ is an innovative new residential and day education service for young people with high-functioning autism and Asperger’s syndrome in North Lincolnshire.

The curriculum at The Bridge@ is flexible – with GCSEs at the core – and varied according to students’ needs, skills and interests. Communication, social and life skills development, self-management tools and training are all provided, giving students supported access to and engagement with the wider world.

For more information, call: 08442 487187 or visit: www.optionsgroup.co.uk WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

The awards honour individuals, teams and settings that have excelled in their support of children and young people with SLCN. Read about this year’s winners on page 70 and at: www.shinealightawards.co.uk SENISSUE70

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WHAT’S NEW?

Quick and easy switch access with iSwitch The new iSwitch from Pretorian Technologies provides switch access to iDevices including all switch accessible apps, switch control options in iOS7, music, still and video photography. iSwitch is quick and simple to pair via Bluetooth connection and has a small, 75mm diameter, footprint and low profile. The built-in switch has light touch activation and there is the option to use two additional wired switches.

With 24 pre-programmed mouse/keyboard commands and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, iSwitch gives the most comprehensive iDevice switch accessibility of any product.

Be at the heart of childhood memories Adoption is one of the most rewarding things you can do – opening your heart and home to a young person forever.

There are hundreds of children in Rhondda Cynon Taf who didn’t get the best start in life and are now looked-after. Some have SEN, or are overcoming a disability. They all have their own personality and life story and the prospect of what they can achieve and who they can become with a new family is exciting.

Go to the Rhondda Cynon Taf Council adoption special on pages 82 to 83 to find out more.

www.pretorainuk.com

LVS Oxford to open in September Set for launch in September 2014, LVS Oxford, is a new centre in Oxfordshire for young people aged 11 to 19 years who have a diagnosis on the autism spectrum.

Based on the model of the successful school LVS Hassocks, West Sussex, LVS Oxford will operate using the same methods and approach providing day and weekly residential care. The school aims to provide a unique, positive education for young people on the autism spectrum.

The school will be hosting open days on 20 and 21 June, and 4 and 5 July 2014.

For more information, call: 01865 595170. www.lvs-oxford.org.uk

Ten per cent discount and free delivery on SLCN products Sensory Technology offer stimulating sensory products, sensory toys and educational equipment that improve the quality of life and the learning experience for people with speech, language and communication needs, with some of their best-selling products being Talking Pegs, Sound Shuffle, Talking Points and Video Messenger.

Also, due to Sensory Technology celebrating ten years of successful business, they are rewarding their customers with a ten per cent discount along with free delivery on all online purchases when the spend value is a minimum of £100 (ex VAT).

To view and buy sensory products online, visit: www.senteqdirect.co.uk

Specialist support at St John’s Next generation bikes and trikes Quest 88 have introduced their next generation of children's tricycles and bicycles. The X2 bicycle range with dynamic stabilisers offers great stability with the option of letting children develop their balance reactions and saving reflexes. The X3 is Quest 88’s new addition to its existing tricycle fleet and offers parental rear steer as an option.

St John’s is an SEN specialist school for sensory and physical impairments and a centre of excellence for children and young people with sensory and communication needs. The school accepts pupils aged three to 19 with a broad range of abilities.

Many pupils have cochlear implants and are encouraged to use spoken and written language, supported by intensive speech and language therapy, and teaching by specialist teachers of the hearing impaired.

Available in three colour schemes, these cycles are a great choice for children aged four to 12 years. Two sizes are available in each range and they can be adapted with support accessories to accommodate different abilities.

As well as delayed communication and speech, some pupils have a variety of additional and complex needs, including visual impairments, specific language impairments, autistic spectrum disorders and developmental co-ordination difficulties including dyspraxia.

www.quest88.com

www.stjohns.org.uk

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WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

WHAT'S NEW

Easy read Budget summary The national disability charity, United Response, has produced an easy read summary of the 2014 Budget.

The publication, which explains all the key announcements of the Budget using simple words and images, is aimed at making the budget accessible to the 1.5 million people with learning disabilities in the UK. The new welfare cap is among the announcements covered in the document and is particularly relevant to people with learning disabilities, but without accessible information many may find the cap difficult to understand, and may be unaware of it.

For a pdf of this publication, email: lu.large@unitedresponse.org.uk

New integration of Ofsted “Outstanding” school and home The Birches Children’s Home in conjunction with Pontville School, based in Lancashire, offers Ofsted “Outstanding” education and care for up to five young people with complex learning difficulties, language and communication difficulties, including high functioning autism.

The therapeutically managed facility meets the nurturing, social, emotional and moral needs of young people (aged eight to 17) who are unable to live in a family context.

IEP / PROVISION MAPS Advertisement feature

Are you ready for the new SEN Code of Practice?

Big changes to SEN policy and practice are on the way, so September will be a busy and worrying month for most SENCOs. One of the key recommendations in the new Code of Practice is the documenting of SEN provision and the use of provision mapping: “The provision made for pupils with SEN should be accurately recorded and kept up to date. Ofsted will expect to see evidence of the support that is in place for pupils and the impact of that support on their progress as part of any school inspection.”

“Schools should ensure that they have accurate information to evidence the SEN support that has been provided over the pupil’s time in the school, as well as its impact.”

“Provision maps are a powerful way of showing all the provision that the school makes which is additional to and different from that which is offered through the school’s differentiated curriculum. The use of provision maps helps SENCOs to maintain an overview of the collective programmes of individual children and young people and provides a basis for monitoring the levels of intervention and assessing their impact on progress.”

The home/school integrated approach provides a consistent, safe and caring environment where children and young people can prosper, develop social skills, self-confidence and independence.

For more information, visit: www.witherslackgroup.co.uk

Kilmarnock school wins SEN cycling challenge The Crosshouse Communication Centre, Kilmarnock has won the SEN stage of The Big Pedal, the biggest national inter-school cycling and scooting to school competition, run by Sustrans.

As part of charity’s drive to get school kids on their bikes and scooters, 23 SEN schools took part in a one-off SEN Challenge Day in March with the Crosshouse Centre coming out on top.

As a busy SENCO, juggling 101 jobs at once is a demanding task. But we can help: www.provisionmap.co.uk is ready for the new Code of Practice, will help you stay on top of your workload and make sure you have up-to-date information at your fingertips.

Not only does it quickly create provision maps, but there are a whole host of other useful features such as learning plans, meeting logs and Pupil Premium reporting – we are “SIMS” for SENCOs. Take a free trial at: www.provisionmap.co.uk – we can help you make Ofsted happy.

Sustrans currently work with twenty eight specialist SEN schools across the country and help to encourage independence for pupils by offering guidance on practical travel skills and adapted equipment for cycling. www.sustrans.org.uk WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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ACORN CARE

How a new school re-engages “the unreachable and unteachable” The five gold star secrets behind Longdon Hall’s success Longdon Hall School Headteacher Matt Storey accepts that local authorities consider placing with him only the hardest to place children in the Midlands. “They send me the youngsters described as unreachable and unteachable,” he says “and we’re always delighted to prove them wrong.”

News of the extraordinary turnarounds in pupil outcomes at Longdon is spreading so fast that the co-educational school has grown from five pupils in 2011 to 55 pupils today.

Development of eleven more specialist classrooms in the school’s old coach house has been brought forward eighteen months to cope with increasing demand and help ease the School’s waiting list.

“He has made outstanding progress both academically and socially since starting at Longdon Hall School. It is really positive and heartening to see a young person make so much progress in a short space of time. He is a happier young man since settling at Longdon; he speaks positively of school and education and Longdon has really had an overall positive impact on him” Social Worker

The atmosphere at Longdon hits you as soon as you walk through the double oak entrance doors. It’s cheerful, positive, friendly and calm – in spite of the challenges facing staff and pupils on a daily basis.

These are some of the UK’s most vulnerable, difficult and challenging boys and girls – excluded from mainstream schools through their behaviour, social and emotional difficulties. Longdon also opens its doors to pupils with autism, ADHD, Asperger’s syndrome, OCD, ODD, attachment disorder, SPLD and mental health challenges.

Matt Storey would love to persuade the DfE that they could roll out some of the Longdon initiatives to other schools for more SENISSUE70

“I believe that we have fantastic positive relationships with our placing authorities, which is crucial” SEBD children to benefit. “What we’re achieving here is amazing, but it’s not rocket science”, he says.

So how is Longdon Hall School so successful when other similar schools are forced to exclude pupils on a permanent basis?

Innovative curriculum and timetable

“Our first task with a new student is to ensure they re-engage with learning. For one of our students this was his ninth education setting by the time he was in Year 8,” says Matt, “so we have to do something different.

“Our timetable is structured, with four lessons in the morning and two – out of the classroom or vocation based – in the afternoon.

“The nature of our students means that specialist areas that work really well are often outside the classroom, in areas including sport, vehicle maintenance, on our forest trail, horticulture, individual music lessons with guitar, drums, food technology, fishing or mountain biking. The opportunities here are endless.

“She appears to have settled well and engaged well with the curriculum. It’s pleasing she has made academic and personal/social skills progress. Good progress appears to have been made across the curriculum. Artwork being entered into a national competition is a great achievement” Local Authority Placement Officer “This year, our KS4 curriculum has exploded into something that is really spectacular. We’re now offering 20 subjects with courses all with accredited educational value and outcomes.”

Longdon Hall School now runs a full options scheme at KS3, to help avoid the risk of Year 9 pupils “marking time” before KS4. Three afternoons a week, pupils can study a full range of more vocational courses – again all accredited. It keeps pupils focussed and interested.

WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

ACORN CARE Advertisement feature

“His grades this year are very pleasing. He has taken a real interest in the work set and has enjoyed all subjects. This is testament to the engaging teaching methods and the calming, relaxing environment at Longdon Hall” Local Authority Placement Officer

Therapeutic approach “The therapeutic approach is part of the School’s core vision. It’s producing great results with a multi-disciplinary team comprising a movement therapist, a speech and language therapist and our consultant educational psychologist.

“We run group therapy with up to eight students – specialist therapy such as an all girls’ group focussing on, for example, body shape and image.

“We also run paired therapy sessions in which two pupils who don’t get on in school are put together to work on their relationship. It’s managed really well and has a huge impact in school and on the people who’ve been involved.

“There are one-to-one sessions for our more complex pupils who need the extra level of support and we have just become one of the first schools in introduce family therapy, in which we bring parents or carers in.

“It’s important for us to support our pupils here and we’re helping to ensure that we can help translate that to the home setting. “

Focussed progress

“The classic question for an SEBD school is how should we gauge progress? Before we start with data and academic achievement, we have to look at attitudes towards education and we often turn students 180 degrees in terms of their attitude towards learning.

“It is harder for us to map progress as an SEN school; we have to look at progress individually, but our children are making progress in core curriculum areas. Looking at government standards, our pupils arrive here below – significantly below at

“We ensure that by the time a student gets home, the parents and carers know how their day has been” times – but many of them make outstanding progress, and the majority of our students exceed beyond expectations.

“We have to make each student’s targets relevant and individual.

We push them hard. It’s no holiday camp here, I can assure you!”

Growth

Longdon Hall’s growth since it opened its doors has been driven by demand. What Matt is most proud of is that the spectacular growth has happened alongside attendance levels that have been maintained and pupil achievements and progress which have been recognised by Ofsted.

“It feels like a proper school community now”, says Matt. “We have enough pupils for a football match, sports day and a really popular Longdon’s Got Talent competition”.

Such is the demand for places, the development of the Old Coach House has been brought forward 18 months. In true Longdon style, the opportunity has been embraced by staff and pupils with a new school blog with students charting progress. When completed it will provide eleven more specialist classrooms and space for another 20 young people.

Relationships

“I believe that we have fantastic positive relationships with our placing authorities, which is crucial,” says Matt. “We also have some excellent relationships with parents and carers, and we foster that through daily contact with them by phone and/or email. We ensure that by the time a student gets home, the parents and carers know how their day has been.

“It is important for us to challenge the negatives, but equally we must endorse all the positives and the parents and carers really appreciate that.

"All the good work each week is celebrated at Friday’s morning assembly and for students who have achieved enough reward credits, Friday afternoon sees the school minibuses heading off for a huge choice of activities from swimming, go-karting, assault courses, laser quest, ice skating and more.”

For more information, visit the School’s blog: www.longdonhallschool.co.uk

WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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POINT OF VIEW

Point of view: SEN lawyer

End “unofficial exclusions” Informal exclusions are illegal and must be stopped, says Anita Chopra

I

t is unlawful and potentially discriminatory to exclude a pupil as a result of his/her SEN and/ or disability. Disruptive behaviour that leads to exclusions and pupils not receiving suitable education may be due to the lack of adequate support and/or provision to meet a pupil’s SEN. Furthermore there is a duty to provide education, and to ensure that the provisions in a statement of SEN are put into place.

The Government’s guidance on exclusions highlights that "informal” or “unofficial” exclusions, such as sending pupils home to cool off, are unlawful, regardless of whether they occur with the agreement of parents or carers. This is a common black hole which pupils with SEN have, historically, fallen into, with cases still being reported of such pupils being left without education or support for significant periods of time.

Pupils with SEN are particularly vulnerable to the effect of an exclusion from school. Exclusions should be imposed as a last resort; it is unlawful to exclude a pupil simply because s/he has additional needs or a disability that the school considers it is unable to meet.

The guidance suggests ways to prevent and/or reduce the numbers of pupils with SEN who are excluded.

These include identifying whether there are any causal factors, and early intervention to address the causes of disruptive behaviour. This should include an assessment of whether appropriate provision is in place to support any SEN that a pupil may have.

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teachers to multi-agency assessments for pupils who demonstrate persistent disruptive behaviour. Where a pupil has a statement of SEN, schools should consider requesting an early annual review or interim/emergency review.

Lawful exclusions may occur for disciplinary reasons and any exclusion must be formally recorded and must be a decision made after a thorough investigation into the allegation. In terms of provision of education, the guidance adds that “Where a pupil has

Pupils with SEN are particularly vulnerable to the effect of an exclusion from school a statement of SEN, the local authority must ensure that an appropriate full-time placement is identified in consultation with the parents, who retain their rights to express a preference for a school that they wish their child to attend, or make representations for a placement in any other school.”

Pupils might not be provided with adequate support and provision where they have SEN which have either not been assessed or the provision has not been met by the school and/or local authority. If the pupil’s needs cannot be reasonably met by a mainstream school from within its resources, or if the pupil has failed to progress despite the help provided by the school, these are

indications that a statutory assessment should be carried out to assess whether the pupil has any, or any unidentified, SEN that might require a statement.

In relation to permanent and fixedterm exclusions, parents can dispute the decision of a governing body not to reinstate a permanently excluded pupil by an appeal to an independent review panel. The guidance specifies that parents are entitled to require the attendance of an SEN expert at these hearings.

Exclusions that may involve disability discrimination, pursuant to the Equality Act 2010, entitle parents to make a claim to the First Tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability) in relation to any form of exclusion. The Tribunal does have the power to reinstate a pupil if it finds in his/her favour.

Overall there is a need for raising awareness within schools and with parents that unofficial and/or informal exclusions are unlawful. In addition, more efforts must be made at an early stage to investigate and assess any SEN that impact on a pupil’s behaviour. This early intervention would go a long way in providing pupils with support and provision without considerable delay as it is this delay that may cause significant harm, particularly if it unlawfully leaves a vulnerable child without education.

Further information Anita Chopra is a Director at Match Solicitors: www.matchsolicitors.com

WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

POINT OF VIEW

Point of view: parent

Changing hearts and minds Pam Kaur Malhi calls for greater acceptance of autism in the Asian community

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y daughter Aaisha is the unconditional love of my life. Now 18 years old, she’s funny, loving and always joking around. She sounds like your average 18-year-old, only she isn’t. Aaisha has autism; she doesn’t understand the world we live in and probably never will.

To travel with autism is surely one of the most heart breaking journeys a parent can face. It is an invisible condition and to many, Aaisha looks just like everyone else. They don’t see her meltdowns or mood swings like we, her family, do. They don’t experience the pain we feel.

It’s hard to explain how my heart breaks during one of Aaisha’s meltdowns – hard to make others understand just what autism can do to a parent. My daughter will never experience the things that most people her age will, but should she be neglected or rejected by society because she has autism?

Should she be excluded because she doesn’t understand everything you tell her or because she can’t respond to everything you want or ask her to do?

Autism is something that is hardly ever talked about in the Asian community.

When it is, it is often misunderstood, and some people see autism as a mental health issue, which we know is not the case. Coming from the Asian community – a culture I’m extremely proud of – I feel I need to make a difference to my community and to raise awareness and understanding of autism. I need my community to understand our journey and to show greater acceptance of autism.

WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

My daughter is a very special gift that should be shared with the world. Autism is a huge part of our family and although, if I’m honest, I’m not a huge fan of autism, I have embraced and accepted that it will forever be in our lives. Children with autism do make progress and they do go on to do some amazing things in their lives. And, of course, we should never forget that children with autism go on to become adults with autism; this is a life-long condition.

Autism is a huge part of our family; I have embraced and accepted that it will forever be in our lives Every child with autism has the right to have the same opportunities as everyone else. Every child with autism has the right to be understand. Every child with autism deserves a chance.

It’s never easy with an autistic child; in fact, sometimes it’s very hard and will push you to the very edge. With love and patience, though, progress can and is made; my daughter is living proof of that. This journey has almost broken me many times but not once did I think of giving up on her. She will make progress; she will do things they said she can’t and I will fight for her and guide her as we take this journey together.

I have now made it my mission to help my community to understand autism and to have greater acceptance of these amazing children, so they too can feel a part of the community they belong to and have the same opportunities as everyone else. Autism is nothing to be ashamed of and it should never be seen as a burden. I consider myself extremely blessed to be the mother of such a special girl. No matter how bad it gets or how much this condition may push you, the love you have for your child will always override it. I wouldn’t change anything about my daughter because then she wouldn’t be the special girl she is. What I will try to change is the awareness and acceptance of autism amongst many in the Asian community.

Further information

Pam Kaur Malhi blogs about her family’s experiences of autism at: www.hope-love-autism.com

What's your point of view?

Email: editor@senmagazine.co.uk

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CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ACT

The Children and Families Act With major changes to the SEN system taking effect from September, Debbie Wheeler looks at what they might mean for you

W

hether you are a school SENCO, a professional who works with children who have SEN or a parent of a child with additional needs, the new Children and Families Act is likely to have an impact on your role, responsibilities and working practice when it comes into force on 1 September 2014.

The Children and Families Act aims to improve services for vulnerable children and young people and covers many areas including: • adoption systems • virtual school heads for looked after children • the family justice system • childcare • the role of the Office of the Children’s Commissioner • shared parental leave and flexible working • special educational needs (SEN).

The Act extends the SEN system from birth to 25 years, giving children, young people and their parents greater control and choice in decisions and ensuring that needs are properly met. Those of us with an interest in the SEN area of the Act will be particularly keen to know more about the new SEN Code of Practice and the Act’s focus on replacing statements of SEN with education, health and care plans (EHCPs). In practice, the threshold for the drawing up of an EHCP will be similar to the educational threshold currently in place for statements. As such, SENCOs are likely to play a key role in completing the new paperwork SENISSUE70

for those of school age and overseeing the educational element of any plan generated, but other professionals will also be involved. EHCPs will have statutory status nationwide from September 2014 and each local authority is devising its own assessment procedures, paperwork and IT systems to support the new process.

Whilst an EHCP may look different to a statement, it will still be a legal document that identifies a child’s SEN needs and focusses on the support required to meet agreed outcomes.

However, the key difference between current statements and EHCPs is that, as well as the educational elements covered in statements, EHCPs will also outline the child’s health and social care needs, outcomes and support. Initially, it was only the education provision of an EHCP that would have had statutory status but campaigning by, and consultation with,

Schools and other professionals may well find that many parents are not aware of these impending changes several national organisations has led to changes in this stance so that the duty to provide for health and care needs has now been strengthened.

Schools and other professionals may well find that many parents are not aware of these impending changes or that they have some anxieties about the implications of them. They may have been through statutory assessment with one of their children before and may not understand why the process is different for their next child and they will, no doubt, have many questions to

Children should have a greater say in their SEN support under the new legislation.

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ask. Below are answers to some of the most common concerns that parents are raising.

“I have heard that statements are disappearing and, with them, my son’s support” If your child currently has a statement and still needs the support it identifies, this will not disappear but will at some point be replaced by an EHCP. “My daughter already has a statement. Do I have to go through another assessment process now?”

There is to be a two to three year period from September 2014 during which existing statements will be transferred to EHCPs. It is likely that your child’s statement will be replaced by an EHCP as part of the annual review process at some point during this time. The content of your child’s existing statement will be honoured in this process, so long as it is still relevant to your child’s needs. This should not involve a new assessment, unless you and the professionals working with your child feel it is necessary to reassess her needs.

“EHCPs will come with personal budgets. What is the difference between these and direct payments?”

Under the new law, if you have a statutory EHCP then you may be able to request to see a personal budget for your child. This is a snapshot of how the money available for your child is planned to be spent. This would include money the school has to spend on your child as well as any additional money that has been allocated to your child, such as short breaks money and benefits you may receive for him/her. It may also include community provision that is “free” to you but that may be funded by somebody else.

You may already have control of some areas of this personal budget, such as your child’s Disability Living Allowance that is paid direct to you. However, there may be some other areas of the personal WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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budget that you could request to take as a “direct payment”. This means that you would have more control over this money and how it is spent, although this would still need to fit in with the needs identified in your child’s plan and direct payments will not be allocated to fund a school place.

If you disagree with your child’s EHCP, there will be a right to appeal to the SEND tribunal

“How do I get to contribute to the EHC assessment process?”

The new law recognises the importance of the parent’s and the child’s contribution to the process. This has been built into the assessment system, meaning that you and your child will be asked to contribute. The Government also recognises the need for information, advice and support for parents and young people to be available on request and for this to be related to the needs of all children with SEN and disabilities, including those with an EHCP. Organisations such as your local Parent Partnership Service will be well-placed to support you to be fully involved and, in order to increase capacity further, the Government has announced funding for independent supporters to enhance existing services and help parents to navigate the new SEN process in England.

The new SEN Code of Practice

“What happens if I disagree with what is in the EHC plan?”

The new statutory education, health and care (EHC) process follows the same route as the current statutory assessment process in that you will first get a proposed EHCP for you to comment on, before the final EHCP is produced. If you still disagree with your child’s final EHCP, there will be a right to appeal to the SEND tribunal, as is currently the case.

At present, the SEND Tribunal only deals with disagreements about educational provision but there are some discussions about a possible single point of redress to include health and care as well; the Government has recently proposed a pilot scheme to look at this. Mediation will also be possible in relation to all parts of the plan.

The Government is issuing a revised SEN Code of Practice, which will also come into force in September 2014. The final version of this Code had yet to be published at the time of writing but the draft sets out the Government’s expected statutory guidance for organisations who work with and support children and young people with SEN. As well as making it clear that there should be close cooperation between education, health and social care services, the new Code of Practice is likely to place significantly more emphasis on the importance of the views of children, young people and their parents in any decision-making.

Participation Under the new Code, local authorities must have regard to the views of children, young people and parents, and understand the significance of them being given the opportunity to fully participate in decisions about their SEN journey.

In practice, this means that parents and young people have a statutory right to contribute to the decision-making process regarding assessments, provision, support, planning and reviews. At school level, parents should be invited to termly detailed meetings to talk about their child’s SEN support, any concerns they may have and their aspirations for the future.

There is one key element of the proposed Code of Practice, concerning the participation of young people over the age of 16, which might provide a challenge for some families and which

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might require sensitive handling by the professionals involved. The Code states that, once a young person reaches 16 years, the local authority and other agencies should normally engage directly with the young person (rather than the parent). The Code recognises the unique knowledge that a young person with SEN has about themselves but it is also mindful of the fact that parents may have a different view about, for example, the next educational placement for their young person. In such cases, positive dialogue between all parties will be essential if effective outcomes are to be agreed. Where conflict remains, and the young person is over compulsory school age, it is the view of the young person (perhaps supported by an advocate) that will prevail, and this could be very difficult for parents to absorb and accept.

In addition, and in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, younger children will also now have the right to express their views and exercise choice and it is expected that due weight will be given to such opinions.

Personalisation The new Code of Practice also makes it clear that the SEN system should be “family centred” – so, not only should children, young people and parents be

given the opportunity to participate at all stages, but any planning “should start with the individual”. In this way, the focus is not on the child or young person’s SEN label but is more personalised towards him/her as an individual, including his/her wishes and aspirations, the outcomes s/he wants to achieve and the support needed to secure these outcomes.

In addition, the Code is clear that effective planning will also highlight a child or young person’s strengths and capacities, allow him/her to state what s/he has achieved so far, express what interests him/her, ensure that assessments minimise demands on families and ensure that any support agreed is then tailored to the individual’s needs. The Code suggests that a one-page profile could be drawn up about the child/young person so that all those (including the family) who are involved with him/her have an accessible summary about his/her needs, aspirations and agreed outcomes. Professionals who already have a detailed knowledge of the child in school, such as SENCOs, could be well-placed to work with a family to set out such a profile.

It is hoped that using this more personalised approach should ensure that parents, children and young people are genuinely involved in all aspects of the SEN process.

Under the new Code, local authorities must have regard to the views of children, young people and parents Information, advice and support services The Code of Practice is unequivocal in its direction to local authorities to provide accurate information, advice and support to both parents and young people. This must be free, impartial and confidential and it must cover health and social care, as well as SEN. Young people should be offered the same quality and level of support as parents, but it is recognised that this will require different skills and, possibly, a separate service.

Each local authority will decide how to provide its information, advice and support service (IASS), with many likely to build upon the local current Parent Partnership Service model, and each must publish details of how the service can be accessed within its local offer.

The Code of Practice also advises that IASSs will be most useful if they are available to parents and young people through a single point of access, so that they know exactly where to go if they need advice or support.

Further information

Debbie Wheeler is from Devon Parent Partnership Service, part of a national network of local services providing information, support and training for parents and carers of children and young people with SEN: www.parentpartnershipdevon.org.uk

The individual’s strengths and capacities should inform SEN planning.

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NURTURE GROUPS

Nurturing support Nurture groups are a successful and cost-effective way of tackling behavioural issues, writes Kevin Kibble

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urture groups, a specialist form of provision for pupils with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD), provide children and young people with an educational bridge to permanent reintegration into mainstream classrooms. First established in the Inner London Education Authority in 1970 by Marjorie Boxall, nurture groups (NGs) were created to replace "missing or distorted" early nurturing experiences by immersing children in accepting and warm environments that help develop positive relationships with NG staff and their peers.

Placements in an NG can be either shortor medium-term, with the average pupil returning fully to their mainstream classes in between two and four terms.

Since 1990, there has been a resurgence of interest in NGs, compounded by the rising tide of SEBD among children, the endorsement of the approach by the Department for Education in its 1997 Green Paper Excellence for All Children, as well as the publication of

the first book on nurture groups in 2000

by Marion Bennathan and Marjorie Boxall. Currently there are over 1500 nurture groups in the UK.

Principles and practices Nurture groups are developed around six principles of nurture: • learning is understood developmentally • the classroom offers a safe base • the importance of nurture for the development of self-esteem • language as a vital means of communication • all behaviour is communication • the importance of transition in the lives of children and young people.

The nurture group classroom is a hybrid of home and school environments, with soft furnishings, kitchen and dining facilities – a space the students have to share with two NG staff and six to twelve other children/young adults. Not only does sharing the NG environment with other students help pupils practice social skills that are

Nurture groups aim to encourage a positive attachment to school.

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Integrating students back into mainstream classes is a fundamental priority of nurture groups fundamental to their reintegration into mainstream classes, it also prevents any inappropriate attachment between themselves and nurture group staff; the goal of NGs is not to usurp the parent/child relationship, but to create a positive attachment to the school.

The two adults are always present in the room and their positive interactions serve as a model for cooperation. The NG staff engage intensely with each student within a daily routine that is explicit, uniform and predictable; activities undertaken include emotional literacy sessions, newssharing, group activities, curriculum tasks and nurture breakfasts. The social and developmental targets for each student in the nurture group are devised on the Boxall Profile, which is a detailed psychometric assessment of their social, emotional and behavioural functioning (as well as academic progress).

Integrating students back into mainstream classes is a fundamental priority of nurture groups. The pupil's connection to the school outside of the NG is maintained by keeping all pupils on the roll in their main class, and regularly returning pupils to their mainstream classroom to participate in curriculum time. A whole-school policy is thus fundamental to the success of NGs, and mainstream teachers are regularly invited to join in with activities in the nurture group, as well WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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as participating in shared planning and target setting with NG staff to offer consistent expectations and routines across both settings.

Part of the whole-school success of NGs is the regular involvement of parents, who are given ample opportunities to provide feedback; staff in turn provide ideas and equipment for home activities, as well as supporting parents to develop appropriate interaction strategies and management for the home. Dr Roosje Rautenbach from the University of Exeter conducted research in 2010 regarding parents' impressions on changed outcomes as a result of their child joining a nurture group. These changes included significant improvements in social, emotional and behavioural skills, improvement in attitudes, attendance, academic learning and extra-curricular engagement, as well as significant changes at home and in parenting approaches.

Making groups work There are many theoretical models that underpin the effectiveness of nurture groups, first and foremost being John Bowlby’s attachment theory, which argues that children acquire age-appropriate behaviour through interactions with significant others. These relationships allow the child to locate themselves as distinct individuals in relation to other people – a fundamental psychological base required for learning. If a child’s early experiences are characterised by missing or distorted nurturing, this can lead to stunted social, emotional and cognitive development. By providing another opportunity to internalise models of effective relationships and form attachments to supportive and caring adults, NGs develop vulnerable children’s social and emotional functioning in order to reintegrate them into mainstream schooling in the long-term.

Another helpful theoretical model is Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which argues that pupils are unable to WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

access higher level needs such as selfesteem or self-actualisation without first achieving a sense of security and safety; NGs thus provide the necessary foundations required for higher level needs. Finally, Lev Vygotsky’s socialcultural theory of learning argues that effective learning strategies are dependent on the internalisation of functions experienced through social interaction. Individual learning thus takes place when a competent helper guides the pupil via direct cues, allowing the pupil to use his/her existing knowledge to acquire new knowledge.

Research and assessment An extensive meta-review of nurture group research conducted in 2014 by the Nurture Group Network highlighted the successful outcomes of nurture groups in primary schools, including: • children who attended an NG had a significant chance of improving their learning skills, including language and literacy skills • NGs resulted in long-term improvements in pupils’ behaviour and social skills • NGs resulted in a positive change to SEBD in the classroom and an improved behavioural ethos at school • the younger the pupil was when s/he accessed the nurture group, the more significant the gains in social functioning and academic performance • NGs result in a positive attachment to school • the best results have been achieved when the nurture group has been in existence for at least two years.

Ofsted’s 2011 report on nurture groups confirmed most of these findings, concluding that NGs significantly modified pupils’ behaviour, improved SEBD, gave parents support, accelerated academic progress, enabled pupils to reintegrate with their mainstream class, modified the practice of mainstream staff, influenced

Children who attended a nurture group had a significant chance of improving their learning skills the rest of the school practice and improved pupils’ attendance.

A viable option Evaluations from local authorities and individual schools have also demonstrated that nurture groups are an economically sustainable support programme for children with SEBD. Though nurture group provision is estimated at approximately £5,500 per annum, this cost decreases to £1,883 per child in an established, classic nurture group that has up to 30 children throughout the year. This cost is relatively small in comparison to other support programme costs per annum which, according to 2009 figures by Enfield’s Local Authority, include complex needs placements (£13,000), out-of-borough day schools (£17,000), out-of-borough independent schools (£40,000) and full-time LSA support (£14,000).

Nurture groups can have a significant and long-term impact for those with SEBD. By receiving the necessary foundations required for higher level needs, children attending NGs are more likely to have a significant chance of improving their learning, behaviour and social skills, which in turn improves the school ethos and home life.

Further information

Kevin Kibble is chief executive of the Nurture Group Network: www.nurturegroups.org

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ICT

Adapting ICT for all Robin Christopherson outlines some simple things we can all do to help make computers accessible to every student

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ecent changes to the SEN framework for mainstream schools are unequivocal.

Schools are not only urged to “use their best endeavours” for children with SEN, they are also made responsible for identifying and making appropriate special educational provision for children whether or not they have a statement.

It is a sad fact that many students only receive a proper diagnosis of conditions like dyslexia when they enter higher education. Many universities now offer extensive screening services and pick up problems which were not identified or even detected earlier in an individual’s educational career.

It’s a bitter-sweet experience for a young man or woman to discover that the difficulties that s/he has been struggling with for years when reading and recording information could have been solved quite easily with the right

piece of hardware or software. What’s more, there is state funding available to help them.

Small changes matter Of course, if schools are vigilant enough, the problem of failing to recognise pupils’ conditions should rarely, if ever, occur. But what can schools do to avoid these issues and the attendant psychological and social problems that often accompany unrecognised special needs? The charity AbilityNet recently sampled a number of schools to find out how many students had as yet undisclosed problems with vision, hearing, reading, spelling and mouse control. The results were dramatic and revealed that only the minority of pupils (roughly 25 per cent) required no adjustments to be made of any kind.

The vast majority of students who required some sort of adjustment,

There could be large numbers of children in every classroom who would benefit from minor adjustments to their ICT setup however – some 40 per cent of those sampled – needed only minor modifications: the kind of changes that are simple to make but transformative in their outcomes in terms of both comfort and productivity. In other words, there could be large numbers of children in every classroom who would benefit from minor adjustments to their ICT setup.

So what adaptations qualify as minor when it comes to ICT and what can be achieved easily without specialist knowledge or expensive equipment?

Fit the users, whatever their needs

Users may need a combination of approaches to make computers accessible to them.

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For pupils who present with physical or vision impairments, dyslexia or cognitive difficulties, or perhaps a combination of several issues, there may not be a single discrete solution providing the answer for their particular computing situation. A combination of approaches may be called for. At the same time, students’ needs can also change over time due to both their condition and the demands of their course of study.

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A child with cerebral palsy may also struggle to hit small targets with a mouse because of lack of control over fine motor movements, and may benefit equally from icon or button enlargement.

Children with dyslexia will often find symbols easier to deal with than words, so encouraging them to use the icon-based instructions on the toolbar, rather than the drop down menu-based options, will be a much more effective means of working.

Personalised solutions are essential for each pupil.

we’re no longer restricted to a static desktop PC or laptop, or the standard keyboard, mouse and screen. Students often carry a variety of their own devices, including tablets of various sizes and smartphones with different operating systems.

All these different devices can be personalised or adjusted in some way, customising them to suit individual preferences and needs. This includes the way the device itself works as well as the content being used and the programmes used to manipulate it, such as web browsers or word processors.

And what can be convenience features for the able-bodied can convert a previously unusable piece of equipment (be it a desktop, laptop, tablet or smart phone) into something enabling and empowering for those with impairments, often without spending a penny, provided we know how to adapt them to suit the user’s needs.

Adapt your approach Don’t be too prescriptive about a pupil’s requirements. One size doesn’t fit all and some adaptations can be useful in a number of different settings. A pupil with a vision impairment may need to increase text size as well as the dimensions of various icons, such as the corner “close window” button.

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Colour schemes Simply changing the colour scheme of the screen can make a huge difference for children with a vision impairment or dyslexia. Experiment with different colour combinations of background and text to find the one that suits the student the best.

Make it bigger If enlarging text or icons via the browser or operating system isn’t enough, then the next step is to magnify either the whole screen or the part containing the information/image in question. Recent versions of the main operating systems on most devices include magnification software, “zoom” or magnification gestures which enable users to get a closer look at screen content.

Change the text style Some pupils can find certain text styles or fonts difficult to read, particularly serif typefaces such as Times New Roman or cluttered scripts such as Helvetica Narrow. However, browser fonts can usually be changed to a sans serif style, which is almost always easier to read. You could also think about using fonts like Courier, which has equally spaced letters so the length of the word reflects the number of characters it contains. This can lessen the confusion significantly for many readers.

Hunt the mouse “Hunt the mouse” is not a game a vision-impaired child enjoys. Avoid wasting time by improving the visibility of the mouse pointer on screen; you

Changing the colour scheme of the screen can make a huge difference for children with vision impairment or dyslexia can enlarge it, add pointer trails or use the mouse locator feature. If you can’t make it big enough, you can download additional large or high contrast mouse pointers for your PC or laptop.

Make the device speak back When a child has trouble reading text on the screen – either due to visual impairment or literacy difficulties – text to speech software can be helpful. Try using the speech functions that are built in to many operating systems, or experiment with one of the thirdparty screen readers or text-to-speech software applications available. A range of free devices can be downloaded online and a wide range of commercial software and hardware options is also available.

Combating motor impairments For a child with severe motor impairments, switches can be used to provide an alternative means of input to the ICT device, while still allowing access to all the usual functions.

If a child finds the fine hand movements demanded by mouse use difficult, you can dispense with the mouse altogether. In fact, not only can your computer be operated entirely from the keyboard, doing so can often be speedier and easier. You can navigate a web page, fill in forms and use drop down menus without a mouse and there are a lot of keyboard shortcuts to execute tasks that would ordinarily take far longer to complete.

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Customise your mouse For those who want to use a mouse but struggle with some of its features, there are a number of ways it can be customised to make it more user friendly. If the cause of difficulty is the speed at which the pointer travels on the screen, this can easily be slowed down, as can the speed at which you are required to double click. Button functions can also be switched around to suit left-handed users and others who work better with an alternative layout.

For a variety of reasons, many students experience difficulties using the standard computer keyboard. Some find that they have held down a key for too long and get a string of unwanted characters; others accidentally press the wrong keys on a regular basis. This is because the standard keyboard’s default settings are very sensitive. Again, these settings can easily be adapted to suit individual needs if a child has motor difficulties that interfere with his/her capacity to use a standard keyboard.

Customise your keyboard Some children with motor difficulties use a keyboard with one hand, with a typing wand grasped in a fist, or a mouth stick. This can cause problems with programs and commands that require the user to press two or

three keys at one time; basic tasks such as saving a document can be difficult, uncomfortable or even impossible. Help is at hand though: most computers have a useful feature called “StickyKeys” which allows the user to press one key at a time instead of having to press more than one key simultaneously.

For other children, using a keyboard at all can be very difficult and they can find a mouse or mouse equivalent much easier to handle. In these cases, using an on-screen keyboard may be the best way to input information. As on many mobile phones, an on-screen keyboard looks just like a picture of a keyboard on the screen; letters can be selected from the keyboard using a mouse, a single switch or a joystick that is plugged into the serial, parallel or game port of the computer.

Help with spelling For students with literacy difficulties, there are some helpful techniques to aid accuracy. Using autocorrect and autotext in a wordprocessor and other programs will automatically correct any misspellings, though it can be important to check that these “corrections” are actually producing the intended words.

Users can even add their own shortcuts to the word bank so that the computer

There are a lot of keyboard shortcuts to execute tasks that would ordinarily take far longer to complete remembers what they mean if they type a short-cut to a word or phrase. This can be invaluable when repeating the same word or expression frequently.

Getting the most from your budget Clearly not all difficulties accessing and using ICT effectively can be overcome with free adjustments; there is a huge range of adaptations on the market which can help, including more sophisticated versions of the free techniques mentioned above. Textto-speech packages, word prediction software, mouse alternatives, and keyguards are just some of the products you may want to explore. However, you can avoid confusion and unnecessary expense by seeking expert and impartial advice before committing to a purchase. Before you finalise the use of your valuable ICT budget, examine the options carefully and think about exactly what you are trying to achieve, and how the proposed solution will help you to do this. After all, there may be a far more cost-effective method of achieving your objectives.

Further information

Today’s computer interfaces can take many forms.

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Robin Christopherson is Head of Digital Inclusion at national technology and disability charity AbilityNet. The charity’s guide, My Computer, My Way, provides helpful hints and guidelines to enable teachers and parents to customise students’ ICT independently: www.abilitynet.org.uk/mcmw

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ICT

Advertisement feature

Read&Write Gold exam reading software Enabling student independence and saving school funds With recent changes to JCQ access arrangements, Read&Write Gold is now being used as a computer reader by secondary schools in England, making examinations accessible to students with literacy difficulties.

This has benefited schools by: • enabling student independence • saving staff time • reducing stress levels

• saving school funds • improving student grades.

Kate Blackmore, SENDCo at The Priory School in Hitchin explains how Read&Write Gold has improved student independence: “In 2013 we started using Read&Write Gold as a reader in exam situations. As a result of this, we have seen an increased number of students using their access provision of extra time and readers, now that they no longer have to rely on human support.

Students often comment that they are pleased to be independent and don’t have to draw attention to themselves, especially in exam conditions. These students now have this software provision as part of their 'normal working' conditions to ensure they are confident with using Read&Write Gold. Read&Write Gold is invaluable to students and has transformed the learning experience of many of our students.”

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Carole Pounder, Assistant Head Teacher at Heaton Manor School, feels that Read&Write Gold is a very worthy investment because of its mass application: “We were looking for a resource for students with moderate learning difficulties and dyslexia, who were finding it hard to access lessons and achieve their full potential in exams. Initially we purchased Read&Write Gold as it is authorised to be used in English reading exams as a computer reader. However, following the Read&Write Gold training we received, it became even more valuable as a resource to support students with a wide range of SEN needs.

Read&Write Gold has helped students who were struggling to pass their GCSE English before (as although they qualified for a human reader, they couldn't have the English reading paper read to them). It’s the best money I have spent and is a truly inclusive piece of software.”

For more information on using Read&Write Gold as a computer reader in exams, email: exams@texthelp.com, tel: 028 9442 8105 or visit: www.texthelp.com/uk/exams

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NUMERACY

The importance of teaching nothing Without an understanding of “zero”, “nought” and “no”, children’s behaviour simply doesn’t add up, says Dave Cooper

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he Dorset Special School’s Maths Project is a group of maths coordinators from special state and independent schools who meet for three days every spring term to talk maths and complete a project. We are a forum for developing ideas, sharing good practice and supportive therapy.

The mixture of schools caters for children with a very wide range of SEN. In the last year, the Project explored the idea that an understanding of the concepts of nought, one and two is crucial in a child’s behavioural development. The claim was based on an idea suggested in the book Alex’s Adventures in Numberland, where Alex

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Bellos reports his friend Pierre Pica’s encounter with the Munduruku tribe of the Brazilian Amazon.

Most of us see numbers in a linear way. So, for example, if we were given the numbers one to five, we would set them out as follows: 1 2 3 4 5 giving equal weight to each number.

A member of the Munduruku tribe might see them as: 1 2

345.

Robert Siegler and Julie Booth from the Carnegie Mellon University found, in 2004, that children up to the age of seven years old tend to view numbers

A child who never hears “no” is as likely to have severe behavioural issues as the one who constantly hears it in the same way as the Munduruku and after that age in a linear mode. The majority of children in our respective schools almost certainly see numbers logarithmically; all of the team know children who cannot count consistently with one-to-one correspondence

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beyond two. We also know children who can apparently count beyond 100, but when asked to collect cups for three friends are stumped. Consequently we need to think about our expectations for mathematical development in the light of Bellos’ insight. This also has profound implications for understanding behaviour: a child’s thought process may well be as follows: one is me; if I see another one, I may well be hurt and I need to worry. Two of them and my problems have doubled. I am in serious trouble; more than two makes little odds to me as I will be hurt. Consequently the child is in constant fight or flight mode when another person enters their world, which may lead to them being anxious, defensive and violent.

Bellos states that there are tribes who only use the concepts one, two and many. It is not asserted in his book but an understanding of zero is something that these tribes must also have to function successfully. Our group spent a long time discussing the importance of nought, zero, nothing and nothingness, and we agreed that a clear understanding of this concept is crucial to wellbeing. We were also persuaded that the earliest ideas come from the word “no” and although we do want school to be a positive place, we need to acknowledge that this term can (and should) be used as a prerequisite to understanding a wealth of human conditions. A child who never hears “no” is as likely to have severe behavioural issues as the one who constantly hears it.

The case for “no” Without understanding “no” we cannot comprehend negatives; consequently, “no hitting” becomes hit and “no spitting”, spit. For many of the children we work with, we know this is how they perceive negative statements, so we keep our language positive; therefore, “no hitting” becomes “hands down, stand back” and “no spitting” becomes “mouth closed”. This is a sound and useful approach. We also know that for many of our children, “no” is a WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

trigger word and will lead to aggressive behaviour. However, I believe that a total avoidance of the word “no” is denying children an essential learning tool in developing the crucial concept of nothing or zero and all that it implies.

For the child who is triggered by “no”, the word is seen purely as a denial of wants and needs: “no you can’t do that”, “no you can’t have that” or “no, don’t even think about it”. Introducing the word “no” in a nonthreatening mathematical way can take the sting out of it, and make it more palatable when used sparingly as an instrument of behaviour management.

For example, when walking past an empty room you could comment that “there are no people in the room”.

Nothing has been added Saying “no” to a child can mean that the status quo is being maintained; in mathematical terms, x+0=x. “No” in this context is not a simple denial; no thing has been added or taken away and the child is no better or worse off by not having the desired object. We can see that the concept of maintaining the status quo is attractive to children with attachment issues and autism. A clear understanding will alleviate some anxieties, particularly if we can prove to them that things can stay the same. For example, you are in school now and later you go home; nothing has changed.

Nothing will come of nothing We have also thought about the child who comes home from school and in response to the parent’s inquiry, “what did you do at school today”, replies: “nothing.” The nothing often reflects the fact that the child has been away from the house for six hours and so much happened that s/he could not possibly know where to start taking about it.

The idea is central to Shakespeare’s King Lear, where the mad old King has demanded flattery from his daughters to gain their share of his already divided estate. After hearing her sister’s sycophancy, Cordelia responds to the King asking her what she can say to

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Introducing the word “no” in a non-threatening mathematical way can take the sting out of it warrant a share greater than her sisters with the word “nothing”. What she is saying is that she loves the King so much that she cannot say, but Lear only hears the word “nothing” and the whole tragedy unfolds as a result. In terms of behaviour, this idea of nothing is important as a shortcut and as a means of not thinking about what needs to be said or done.

Silence is golden Any parent who has taken a child Christmas shopping will recognise that asking the child to say nothing about Granny’s present will guarantee that Granny will know about the slippers at the next meeting. Teaching a child when, and when not, to divulge a secret is essential for a child’s safety, and abusers rely on children not knowing that there are times to say nothing and times to speak out. A clear understanding of the implications of saying nothing will help a child towards our desired conclusion: “I am being harmed; if I say nothing, nothing will change. Therefore I will tell someone.”

In the criminal courts, the power of this particular nothing was sufficient to have the law changed so that the right to silence was removed; a refusal to speak is now seen as a lack of cooperation and inferences can be made from the silence. Silence, or saying nothing, is an incredibly powerful tool and “sending a peer to Coventry”, where a person is singled out not to be spoken to, is a particularly vicious form of bullying.

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Stop Nothing also means “stop”; it is as far as you can go; it is the line in the sand.

Thinking again of King Lear, when his beloved daughter dies, in one of the great speeches Lear cries: “No, no, no life!

Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life, and thou no breath at all? Thou'lt come no more”.

The “no” here is so powerful and strong. As a teaching tool, we often use a-a = 0. Here, zero is seen as an absence – I had something but it has been taken away and I have nothing.

A child who lacks this concept will be unable to comprehend theft or grief.

In behaviour terms, it could be the

Abusers rely on children not knowing that there are times to say nothing and times to speak out child who takes whatever s/he wants from whoever s/he wants, or it could be the child who has no control over his/her own personal belongings.

Without an understanding of loss, losing makes no sense. Developing empathy will be challenging, most probably impossible, if a child lacks this very basic mathematical concept.

If we are thinking of offering this child a behaviour programme based on withdrawal of rewards, this will at best be problematic.

How can we develop an idea of 0 or nothing?

Our feeling is that zero is a difficult concept to teach and comes after an understanding of one, two, lots and possibly even larger numbers.

However, the implications for behaviour necessitate that we teach it alongside the numbers to ten. Here are some ideas we have come up with for developing the concept, though they are by no means exhaustive: • a-a = 0 translates into: we give a child something and then take it away again • use happy and sad bags, with a happy face on one bag which is full of rewards and a sad face on a bag with nothing in it • place objects in some containers and leave other containers empty. Children can hear the ones without anything in them • play hiding games • use full and empty sweet packets • in a dark room, staff members can use UV light and white gloves to show and hide different numbers of fingers • when a child has finished a drink, staff should use the term “nothing left”, rather than “finished” SENISSUE70

• have a surprise reward box which occasionally has nothing in it • present children with a plate of nothing at snack or lunch time • play a game where everything goes. For example, the one who picks up the last coin loses • make “nothing” part of the child’s commentary. For example, when passing an empty room, encourage the child to say “there is nothing in that room”.

Conclusion We have established a link between early mathematical understanding and behaviour. However, it is not simply a question of “sort out the maths and everything else will follow.” I believe that the teaching of zero and all that it implies is vital in developing a sense of wellbeing and an ability to cope with the world. At the very least, the word “no” is useful in developing this concept.

References:

Bellos, A., Alex’s Adventures in Numberland (Bloomsbury, 2011).

Siegler, R. and Booth, J., Numerical Magnitude Representations Influence Arithmetic Learning, Child Development (August, 2008).

Further information

Dave Cooper is a Senior Leader in Education working for Poole Teaching School Partnership, out of Montacute Special School, which caters for children with severe learning disabilities and additional issues: www.montacute.poole.sch.uk

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NUMERACY Advertisement feature

Tackling dyscalculia and learning difficulties in maths Children can fail in maths for a number of reasons.

However, until diagnosing and testing for dyscalculia develops and becomes as accepted as that for dyslexia, we may never know whether a child who is struggling in lessons is actually dyscalculic. As teachers though, what we can do is establish what a child can and cannot do and see where they’re not meeting the required targets.

Things to look out for are:

In young children: • struggling to learn to count • struggling to learn the symbols for the digits and associate those numbers with real objects • struggling to recognise the patterns in numbers • struggling to know and apply the processes of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division • struggling to understand the language of maths (such as “more than” or “less than” or “times”) • difficulty understanding and applying concepts (such as place value, and hundreds, tens and units) • difficulty memorising number bonds.

Age 9+, continues to struggle with the above, plus: • always counts on fingers • hasn’t managed to learn 2, 5 or 10 times tables • struggles to grasp the difference between the “teen” (fourteen) and the “ty” (forty) numbers • confuses, transposes and reverses numbers, when reading or writing (for example, 51 for 15).

In addition, older children and adults may have difficulty: • • • • •

learning/using the times tables working out simple money and change estimating numbers – tens, hundreds, thousands understanding fractions understanding concepts of place value, carrying and borrowing • telling the time and concepts related to time • describing the method used (even though they may have answered correctly).

Regardless though, of whether a specific learning difficulty, such as dyscalculia, has been diagnosed (and testing may be beneficial if you can see five or more of the above signs), the real challenge is in identifying the underlying issues that are stopping each individual understanding key concepts. In addition to any learning difficulty (including dyslexia and autism), children may just learn in a different way or have some or all of the following problems which will affect their ability to progress: • organising, ordering and sequencing difficulties • reading difficulties • visual perceptual difficulties • inappropriate teaching methods • concentration problems • working memory deficit • lack of confidence.

The good news is, though, that although the causes of the problem can be complex and varied (and may not be fully identified), the solution is simple – teaching in a highly structured, multi-sensory way, which builds on each concept step-by-step and consolidates understanding. In addition it needs to: • be cumulative, using small manageable steps • keep revisiting and reminding • build links and aid memory (using colour, shape, music, games, rhyming and stories) • allow children to explore and discover for themselves • give opportunities for self-testing, discussion, and teaching others what they’ve learnt • be fun and engaging.

Beat Dyscalculia from Addacus Ltd is the highlystructured, multi-sensory maths equivalent to Beat Dyslexia, created by members of the same team of special needs teachers. It can be used to teach numeracy to children of all ages and abilities, but is specifically designed as an intervention programme for children in Key Stage 1 and 2 who are struggling with the core curriculum, or young people in Key Stage 3 who are working below the expected levels. It is particularly effective for those with dyscalculia, dyslexia and autism, and comes in three staged packs, with a variety of bundle and training options.

www.beatdyscalculia.com | 01943 871902 | info@beatdyscalculia.com

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It can also be used with eye-gaze. Splash! comes with lots of easy-to-use resources covering maths from KS 1 to 4 and KS 3/4 Science. There are also mathematical tools that enable pupils to use rulers, protractors, compasses, graph making tools, scaling and rescaling tools, number squares and number lines. These support the numeracy curriculum and enable pupils to set out their own work independently.

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All in the mind Pearl Barnes looks at how psychometric assessment can be used to help those with specific learning difficulties

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ssessment and learning are so closely intertwined that teachers are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of gathering assessment information in order to know how best to engage their pupils and progress their learning. Psychometric assessment, however, goes a step further, as it offers another dimension to assessment – adding formative information as it teases out the root cause of any presenting barriers to learning. Once identified, more specific and targeted strategies can be provided, through differentiation across the learning environment and of teachers’ teaching styles. But how does psychometric assessment differ from other assessments and tests?

Moreover, how do the assessment results inform teachers in how to plan their lessons differently? All teachers benefit from a greater understanding of the barriers presented to their pupils with identified specific learning difficulties.

What are psychometric assessments?

A test is defined as a predetermined set of questions or tasks for which there is a predetermined set of responses.

Tests allow tasks to be presented in exactly the same way to all pupils, enabling comparison in performance between peer-groups and a standard approach to delivery. Assessment, on the other hand, is an interpretation of the results. It is a process of problemsolving providing a 360 degree analysis of the individual, based upon the interaction of the individual with the environment. Assessment aims to determine the functional analysis, SENISSUE70

or driving force, behind a presenting behaviour or weakness in order to gain a deeper insight into how an individual approaches a task or activity. For example, an individual performing a standardised spelling test will respond to a set of specific words. The test results provide a figure (attainment) as to how many words were scored correctly; the assessment would analyse the performance to identify any particular pattern of error, such as homophones confusion. In essence, the assessment provides much more information as to where the specific difficulties are, and therefore the intervention to provide. Without the assessment information, the teacher would not know which spelling rules and strategies to provide, in order to move the pupil forward in their learning.

Psychometric assessment is simply assessment which involves anything to do with the mind, including characteristics, behaviour, learning and cognition. Psychometric assessments are now routinely used in many walks of life: employers use them to determine the suitability of candidates for a job; others may access online IQ tests to assess their own ability. However, a diagnostic assessment of a specific learning difficulty can only be made by a specialist assessor who has experience and specialist qualifications in assessment. Different diagnoses involve different specialists across health and education; for instance, although a diagnosis of dyslexia is made by an educationalist such as a specialist teacher or educational psychologist (EP), a diagnosis of dyspraxia requires a specialist clinical assessment by an occupational therapist, ideally in partnership with the EP’s assessment.

Psychometric assessments are now routinely used in many walks of life A diagnosis, however, is not merely a label; it is the profile of strengths and weaknesses and the identification of specific barriers which provide the framework for planning intervention and support. The diagnosis is the detail behind the label.

With comorbidity now viewed as the rule, it could be argued that every pupil presenting with difficulties in learning should be able to access a multidisciplinary assessment, but this is impractical. However, specialist teachers and educational psychologists are best placed to act as gateways to further assessment, where needed.

It is important that teachers and parents are aware of what is best practice when considering a referral for an assessment. An assessment should take consideration of the background and history, including the developmental history, of the individual; this can be obtained through interviews and/or questionnaires. Up-to-date standardised tests must always be used, as, generally speaking, most standardised tests are re-standardised every ten years. The assessor should be appropriately qualified to use the tests, and the test must be appropriate for the age of the pupil. The assessor should analyse the environment of the assessment process and observe the responses carefully; is there a delay in response? Do they have word-finding difficulties? Are they easily distracted WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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How specific skills impact upon specific areas of learning Skill

Impacts:

Strategies to help:

Fast processing speed

–– –– –– –– –– ––

may appear impulsive rushes when reading mis-reads information may become frustrated at the pace of the lesson makes careless errors may require a regular change of focus or activity

–– –– –– –– ––

teach strategies to slow down use highlighters when reading teach editing skills encourage pupil to make notes keep activities short, with opportunities for repetition

Slow processing speed

–– –– –– –– –– ––

may appear inattentive slow to respond may miss information slow reading speed and comprehension may appear forgetful may find it difficult to interpret complex instructions or problems impacts rate of reading

–– –– –– ––

say name to gain attention allow time to respond use writing frames to scaffold ideas teach planning, to get ideas down on paper before they are forgotten

ability to focus on several pieces of information simultaneously may have a lot of questions and ideas

–– ––

restrict questioning allow opportunity to discuss through dialogic teaching

may miss information presented aurally may appear to only hear part of the information may lose their place in a multi-stepped activity may appear distractible or forgetful may present as difficulty in interpreting language may experience associated word-retrieval difficulties may struggle to remember subject-specific vocabulary reading and writing difficulties due to multi-tasking

–– –– –– –– –– –– ––

provide handouts of information teach highlighting information change pace and focus of activity break information down into simple units give one instruction at a time provide visual aids teach subject-specific vocabulary

–– Strong auditory working memory

–– ––

Weak auditory working memory

–– –– –– –– –– –– –– ––

Strong visual working memory

–– ––

able to focus on visual information over auditory may appear inattentive if no visual stimulus is present

––

provide visual reinforcement and imagery for new learning of concepts and vocabulary

Weak visual working memory

––

––

provide opportunities for discussion to develop understanding draw attention to visually similar words teach spelling rules explicitly

––

impacts upon spelling and reading efficiency and accuracy may have difficulty remembering abstract symbols may prefer to learn through discussion

–– ––

ability to interpret textual information ability to use a range of vocabulary

––

––

Strong verbal reasoning ability

–– ––

–– Weak verbal reasoning ability

–– –– –– ––

Strong nonverbal (perceptual) reasoning ability

–– –– –– –– –– ––

Weak nonverbal reasoning ability

–– –– –– –– –– ––

grammatical weaknesses including mixing tenses, plurals, syntactical structures, punctuation, may impact ability to infer and deduce subtle meaning may mis-interpret subject-specific vocabulary may present as a specific language difficulty

––

ability to see patterns, rules and make connections between abstract concepts good organisational ability usually strong mathematically may struggle to see the bigger picture or may over generalise may prefer a rules-based approach may have difficulty in activities which lack organisation, structure and routine

–– ––

difficulty in making connections or, seeing the pattern difficulties in making connections to prior learning may impact organisation generally or within written work poor time concepts may impact maths development difficulty generalising a rule

––

–– –– –– –– ––

–– ––

–– –– –– –– ––

allow opportunity for discussion to develop ideas develop ideas through questioning teach tenses, spelling rules and grammar explicitly teach strategies for editing use of drama to embed concept break down long, complex sentences provide word banks and sentence starters highlight subject-specific vocabulary contextualise information develop ability to generalise by changing the context keep environment structured but factor in change introduce open-ended activities in a semi-structured way

routinely provide context and connection to prior learning provide models and frames, use PEE (point, evidence, explain) provide a time check ensure the pupil writes down his/her method -use sequential planners and writing frames

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by external noises or bright lights? Do they skip lines when reading?

What do assessments involve?

Most educational psychometric assessments involve an analysis of the following skills: • verbal reasoning: the ability to understand and analyse information and solve problems using language-based reasoning. Verbal ability is influenced by the environment within which a child has developed, but also his/her ability to develop use and understanding of language, which may indicate a language disorder • perceptual or nonverbal reasoning: the ability to analyse information and solve problems using visual or hands-on information; a measure of ability to identify patterns, sequences, relationships and rules and to reason with visual concepts.

• speed of information processing: the rate at which an individual processes information by preparing a response to a stimuli • working memory: auditory – the ability to remember, process and use multiple pieces of aural information visual the ability to retain and use, or process, an ordered sequence of multiple pieces of visual information for a short period of time • short-term memory: auditory/visual: the ability to remember an ordered sequence of verbal or visual material for a short period of time • reading: speed comprehension SENISSUE70

Psychometric assessments aim to reveal how individuals approach a task or activity.

accuracy efficiency phonological awareness and ability to decode phonemes • writing: speed legibility spelling numerical operations.

Once the assessments are completed, the challenge is to analyse the information, and unravel the impact of one skill upon another and subsequently upon performance in the classroom.

There are innumerable permutations and combinations of the individual strengths and weaknesses which need to be considered. However, a basic understanding for every teacher of how some specific difficulties impact learning in the classroom is essential. Some skills are more amenable to remediation by specialist intervention. Other skills, however, require a tailored environment and differentiated approach, as the difficulty is more pervasive.

The pervasiveness of difficulties is not a precise science, and the skill of the assessor is in determining the impact of each presenting strength and weakness upon performance.

Exam concessions Many schools now employ specialist teachers to assess pupils for exam concessions, particularly relating to whether a reader, scribe or extra

time are necessary. However, the focus of the assessment should be, as outlined, to design an intervention package of support, not to be a ticket to exam concessions. If, a candidate’s weakness is so significant that it can only be helped by tailoring the environment, as opposed to improving the skill, then access arrangements in the form of exam concessions should be considered.

To summarise, a psychometric assessment provides a starting point for understanding any potential barriers to the acquisition of skills and knowledge.

It provides a holistic profile for teachers to begin to moderate their teaching practices to meet the individual needs of the child. The diagnosis, or label, is useful when considering the impact upon performance, and the development of strategies to address them.

Further information Pearl Barnes, a past President of nasen, is Head of Learning Support and Specialist Teacher, Sherborne School: www.sherborne.org

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ABACUS HEALTHCARE

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KIDZ SOUTH

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SPORT

Be the best you can be Three successful Paralympic athletes tell SEN Magazine how they use sport to inspire pupils with special needs

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port has a remarkable power to engage pupils of all abilities, backgrounds and ages, and to help them build confidence, social and life skills. Sky Sports Living for Sport, an initiative delivered in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust, manages a team of Athlete Mentors who visit secondary schools nationwide with the aim of encouraging the next generation to improve their lives. The team includes five-time World Championship gold medallist swimmer Fran Williamson, Paralympic cycling sensation Rik Waddon, and up-and-coming Paraathletics star Sam Ruddock, all of whom suffer from cerebral palsy.

Through their work with the initiative, these athletes are determined to use their own experiences of the condition and the power of sport to inspire pupils to be the best they can be, and prove that people with cerebral palsy and other SEN need not be restricted by their condition.

Here, these three outstanding athletes share their stories with SEN Magazine.

Fran Williamson: swimmer “I was born with cerebral palsy, but wasn’t too emotionally affected by my condition until I was eight or nine years old. I knew I was different but that didn’t stop me. I think this was because until the age of eight I lived in Africa, where there was very little focus on my differences and I was encouraged to get on with things – something I did quite happily.

“Coming back to the UK, there was more focus on my impairment and I was treated differently by my peers.

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If you can increase your confidence levels, that’s half of the battle won

Fran Williamson

My parents reacted by nurturing my independence. They encouraged me to try everything and if I fell over, they would teach me how to get myself up.

“I believe that the hardest part of my impairment is other people’s preconceptions of me. It’s the thing I’ve struggled with most in life. I often get patronised or laughed at because of the way I sound or move, which is an extremely tough challenge to overcome. However, I just remind myself of what I’ve achieved in life.

“Through my role as an Athlete Mentor, I get to share my story on a daily basis. Doing this means that, not only am I helping to inspire people, but I am increasing awareness of disability on a wider scale.

“When I was young, I didn’t really have any role models. If I had had the opportunity to work with a mentor when

growing up, I think it would have made the world of difference to me.

“Sometimes it can be hard to see beyond your own circumstances and personal limitations. I hope that through my work with students with SEN, I am able to open their eyes to a wider world of possibilities.

“The British Athletes Commission’s ‘six keys to success’ (see box below) are tools that I use on a daily basis, not just in sport. ‘Mental toughness’ and ‘breaking barriers’ really come into their own when facing challenges caused by my cerebral palsy. This is reflected in my work with students with SEN. Often I meet students who don’t have the confidence to plan for the future or develop their people skills. If you can increase your confidence levels, that’s half of the battle won.

British Athletes Commission’s six keys to success: • • • • • •

mental toughness hunger to achieve people skills sports knowledge breaking barriers planning for success.

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“Finding sport genuinely increased my confidence in whatever I did. The better I got at swimming, the more I wanted to try and improve everything else. I often wonder whether it is just a major coincidence that the year I became 50m backstroke World Champion was the year I decided to go to university. Prior to this, my education record was pretty much nonexistent. Yet, I flourished at university, gaining a first class degree followed by a Master’s degree.

“Obviously, not everyone can become a world champion, but I wholeheartedly advocate sporting activity as a way of gaining confidence and dealing with disability.”

Fran’s sporting achievements • 3x silver medals and 2x bronze medals from Paralympic Games ( 2004, 2008).

• 5x gold medals, 4x silver medals and 2x bronze medals from World Championships (2002, 2006, 2010).

• 4x bronze medals at European Championships (2001 to 2011).

Rik Waddon: cyclist “I developed cerebral palsy after being knocked off my bike by a car, aged five.

To begin with, I had no movement in my arms or legs and no speech; I could only use my eyes and was totally unable to communicate. Slowly, my movement and speaking ability returned, but I had developed a stutter.

“My parents had the option to send me to a school for disabled children, but they chose to send me back to the school I was already at. I think that had a huge impact on the speed and depth of my recovery and rehabilitation. I had to get on with things and received no special treatment.

“At secondary school, there was a marked change in people’s attitudes to SENISSUE70

Rik Waddon

me, suddenly I was aware that I was very different to everyone else – it made me a target to be picked on. As a result, I never really got into lessons; instead, I would stare out the window.

You don’t have to be an athlete to see how the skills learned through sport can translate into everyday life “When I was 14, I watched a video of the Tour de France and felt hugely motivated. For the first time, I wanted to succeed. I got a bike and started training in secret; only my parents knew that I was getting into cycling – it was something that I could do for myself, something I was good at.

“Although I noticed a weakness in my body, I didn’t consider that I had a disability, so I began competing against able bodied riders and beating them.

The 2000 Paralympics made me realise I had a quantifiable disability; I was then invited to compete for British Cycling as a paracyclist. I have since competed at two Paralympic Games and have my sights set on Rio in 2016.

“I hope that my successes can inspire the next generation of students to strive to excel. I refuse to accept the barriers posed by my disability and I think that’s a key message for students with cerebral palsy or SEN to acknowledge.

“When I visit schools as an Athlete Mentor, I really encourage pupils to engage with sport and its values. You don’t have to be an athlete to see how the skills learned through sport can translate into everyday life. When students succeed in a totally new activity, it drives them on and encourages them to look differently at the rest of their school work, just as cycling helped me discover my desire to succeed. This in turn develops pupils’ confidence; they become bolder, push themselves harder and young people with a disability begin to look beyond the limitations of their condition. School sport is of vital importance for cross-curricular development and also for helping students to reach their potential.”

Rik’s sporting achievements • 2x silver medals from Paralympic Games ( 2008, 2012).

• First place team sprint and world record at Paralympic World Cup (2005) and World Championships (2007).

• First place in many time trials, including National Paracycling Time Trial Championships (2010) and UCI World Road Cup Time Trial (2010).

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SPORT

Sam Ruddock: sprinter “I was born three months early, which caused my cerebral palsy – originally diagnosed as mild spastic quadriplegia.

I was re-diagnosed with spastic diplegia when I was seven or eight.

“I don't remember a lot from my early years, but I can recall painful physiotherapy, having special shin splints and being incredibly clumsy.

I was determined to do everything myself; my mum tells the story of how I wanted to cross the road by myself, so I pulled my hand out of hers and within a few steps I was on my face, crying. It was important that she let that happen to me, so I could learn for myself.

“I played sport at school but when it came to playground football, I couldn't kick a ball and run at the same time.

Instead, I found comfort in sports like basketball and rugby that focussed on parts of my body that weren't affected by my condition.

“It's been an eye-opening few years for me since I started competing for Great Britain. I always behaved as if my cerebral palsy wasn't there; I knew it hindered me but it wasn't going to change, so I made do with what I had.

“Sprinting has forced me to ‘undo’ the ways my legs have naturally learnt to move, within the limitations of my disability. I have to deal with

Nobody really has a disability; their ability just varies in relation to others the challenge of cerebral palsy by challenging it back, so that I can improve as an athlete.

“Now, I'm able to go into schools and colleges, meet young people with disabilities and tell them I was just like them. Paralympians and Special Olympians need to be more than just ambassadors for their sport. They need to show young people that what we've achieved as people, not just as athletes, can be possible for them too.

“The ‘six keys to success’ are great tools for helping young people to achieve their personal goals. ‘Breaking barriers’ is the strongest key in my opinion. It helps young people to realise that their most important expectations should be of themselves; this provides great motivation to set and break their personal barriers and hopefully achieve great things.

“The Paralympics showed many people for the first time what a person with a disability can achieve. Everyone

deserves to have that feeling of personal satisfaction. Nobody really has a disability; their ability just varies in relation to others. The majority of sports can be broken down into simple games, so people of any ability can play them. It's a tough challenge to provide an inclusive sport programme in school but if the work is done, with the right attitude, I can guarantee you'll see some surprising developments in the self-esteem and academic progress of your cohort.”

Sam’s sporting achievements • Selected for the IPC Athletics World Championships (2013).

• Personal best of 28.75 in the T35 200m heats at the Paralympic Games (2012).

• Senior international debut for Great Britain at London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Sport can be many things to many young people: a hobby, a release from the stress of daily life, a confidence boost, a way of making friends or something to excel at. The core principles of sport, the ‘six keys to success’, can translate across the curriculum and outside of the classroom too. For students with SEN, these skills can be a gateway to defying the limitations of their disability, making school sport invaluable.

Further information

Fran Williamson, Rik Waddon and Sam Ruddock are Athlete Mentors for the free secondary schools initiative Sky Sports Living for Sport, delivered in partnership with national charity the Youth Sport Trust: https://livingforsport.skysports.com Sam Ruddock

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Treloar’s rated “Outstanding” by Ofsted Treloar School is delighted to have maintained their outstanding grade for residential provision following a visit from Ofsted in November.

The reports says the residential provision is outstanding because: • students’ emotional, social, physical and emotional needs are met to the highest standards. Students make significant progress during their time in the residential provision. This is a fully inclusive environment where all students, including those with communications difficulties, are able to make their views, wishes and feelings known. Students describe their care as “brilliant” and “amazing” • student safety is at the heart of the school and there are robust and highly effective safeguarding arrangements.

All staff are fully trained in child protection. Students are safe within a physical environment where there are excellent arrangements for the management of risk associated with all activities they undertake • exceptional collaborative working across the school and attention to detail ensures all aspects of care are highly personalised to meet the individual needs of each student. Students make exceptional progress in their physical, personal and social development • senior staff provide exceptional leadership and evaluates its performance to constantly drive for improvement in pursuit of excellence

• the quality of catering arrangements is exceptional. Students, including those with complex health needs, benefit from a varied diet and healthy menu • students are prepared for transition to adult life in an individual and detailed manner. Students benefit significantly from careful preparation at a rate suitable to their vulnerabilities and level of understanding. There are excellent outcomes such as students going on to mainstream college • a parent said her child is “almost unrecognisable, has a lot more independence, has pride and is happy.”

“Disability is not a barrier to achievement” Ofsted November 2013 Visit: www.treloar.org.uk to view the report in full.

We welcome those working with disabled young people to visit during one of our professional visitors’ events, the next being on 10 June 2014. Please see our website for details and to register your interest in attending.

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SEN schools choose sunken trampolines Trampolining has, for a number of years now, been a fantastic addition to the sporting arena. We in the UK boast a number of high profile athletes competing and succeeding on the international competition stage. Using an above ground trampoline in a sports hall has, to date, been the norm but with the emergence of the sunken trampoline, this is changing.

Sue Bramble, Olympic trampolining coach and trainer says: "we installed four sunken trampolines into our new training facility in Bridgwater and the change in accessibility and ease of use has made a huge difference. It has made the all-round experience far more enjoyable".

The sunken trampoline has become increasingly popular in special needs schools, partly because the trampoline is a piece of apparatus that virtually all people, regardless of their abilities, can access, benefit from and enjoy. Be it a purely recreational piece of equipment or a specific Rebound Therapy trampoline, a sunken trampoline adds great value to the enjoyment and wellbeing of all its users, no matter what age.

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Joel from Sunken Trampolines says: “We are now finding many special needs schools are opting for a sunken trampoline for the added safety and ease of access for the children.”

Sunkentrampolines.co.uk build all their sunken trampolines to specific detail and precise standards so as to ensure maximum safety and enjoyment.

For further information on how a sunken trampoline can benefit your organisation, contact either Joel or Angus at Sunken Trampolines. Examples of their work and contact details can be found on their website: www.sunkentrampolines.co.uk More information about Rebound Therapy and staff training courses can be found on their website: www.ReboundTherapy.org

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CYCLING

Bikes not barriers What are the pros and cons of having your own fleet of adapted cycles?

Jim McGurn offers some practical advice

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he last thing I need to do is tell professionals why access to cycling is particularly important for students with disabilities. You know that already.

So why doesn’t every single special school and college offer adapted bikes as an integrated part of their daily activities? Well, it’s for a host of very understandable reasons.

Let me, however, say something provocative: there are very few special education establishments which have good reasons for not offering extensive access to cycling. But the will needs to be there. I say this after 15 years of visiting over 300 special schools, as the father of a cycling son with Down syndrome and autism, and as a former governor of a special school.

I respect the reasons I hear for not progressing cycling but I hope to convince you that it’s worth the effort.

I set our here the main reasons I hear for not going all the way with disability cycling, and offer a constructive (and hopefully realistic) response to each one.

“It’s expensive, and I don’t have the budget” Yes, new cycles can typically cost between £450 and £4500, so you could be looking at an outgoing north of £10,000 for a fleet. Before you do anything, though, consider the possibility that your local authority already operates a fleet of disability cycles in the local park or sports centre. This is increasingly common.

You don’t necessarily need to have your own cycles. You will get advice from the disability activity officer within your local council; at the very least, it’s worth sharing thoughts with the relevant public sector professionals.

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Jim McGurn and son Joe enjoy a cycle ride together.

If having cycles on site is the only way to go, the fundraising may be easier than you think. It helps if you have one or two supporters (perhaps local students on placements) willing to organise a fund-raising campaign

Having a fleet of great bikes is pointless unless they will be extensively used using the local media. There are very few causes with such strong local appeal, encompassing disability, cycling and empowerment. Often, one single local business will sponsor or match-fund. Talk to your local Lions or Rotary Club. Above all, show the anticipated usage figures. Having a

fleet of great bikes is pointless unless they will be extensively used.

Consider sharing the cost with nearby schools, with the cycles kept and maintained at the school best equipped for the purpose. You may also want to look at suppliers who can offer refurbished cycles, or combinations of refurbished and new.

"It’s too specialised and all my students’ needs are different and changing" Concern about buying the right bikes is a valid one. There are several suppliers who can offer a reasonable range, and others with only one principal product.

Your cycles will come in for some heavy use and certain highly specialised cycles, which are ideal for private use, may not fare well. The most robust cycles come from Northern Europe. There are cheaper cycles from the Far East, some of which are very well designed WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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and even unique, but they do tend to need more maintenance. If you have a friendly bike shop or mobile mechanic contracted to check your bikes over every two months or so, then buying cheaper bikes is worth considering.

You will want to meet as many of your students’ current and future needs as possible with the fewest number of cycles. One way to achieve this is to buy cycles that can be adjusted quickly and easily and where features such as footplates and torso support can be interchanged with a minimum of fuss.

You also need to recognise the pros and cons of fixed wheel and freewheel options; some cycles offer both with the flick of a lever. Bear in mind, too, that there is a huge range of cycles for companion riding, where adult and student share the same machine, with varying degrees of participation. For some students this is the only option.

The range is vast, and inspired manufacturers are regularly coming up with useful new configurations. There are at least 20 different design types, and most of these have "sub-species".

Any of them can be appropriate for your students. Take tricycles, for example: you can have two wheels at the front, or at the back; upright or semi-recumbent; in-line tandem trikes or side-by-sides; fixed wheel or freewheel (or both on the same machine); pedalled, handcranked

Recumbent bikes offer added stability.

or both; multi-geared or single-speed, derailleur geared or hub-geared. There are some which convert to quadricycles and others which fold. There are some with carer-handles and others with swivel seats for easy access. There are reasons for each of these, meaning that

You will gain more from taking a coherent approach, rather than buying the odd bike here and there you will gain more benefit from taking a coherent and well-planned approach, rather than buying the odd bike here and there, or accepting donated bikes on an ad hoc basis.

It’s a daunting list, which is why the supplier needs to understand your students and their aspirations, guiding you through the options.

Trikes come in all shapes and sizes.

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"Are refurbished bikes a good idea?"

Refurbished cycles can save you a lot of money. Schools and colleges may opt for a mixture of new, nearly new and refurbished cycles, depending on budget and need. Sometimes, refurbished cycles can be great for

plugging the gaps. Used cycles can come from many sources, such as families who no longer need their cycle and want to give it back, or from families whose child has passed away.

Refurbished means many things.

Sometimes, virtually all the main parts will have to be replaced, including work on the powder coat and the frame. Other used cycles may be in perfectly good condition, needing just a check over and a service before they go out. Obviously, one problem with refurbished is that the supply is unpredictable. This can make it difficult if you need time to fundraise for specific cycles.

“I’m unsure about the health and safety aspects” All reputable companies will provide training and operating manuals related to the bikes they are supplying.

However, you will require a specific document to cover the overall operation of cycles specifically related to your own circumstances. There are a number of factors you will need to consider to help you adapt to your particular situation.

One core requirement is to have a nominated member of staff who takes the lead in disability cycling, including training new staff and managing the servicing regime.

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it in place, with related health and safety measures, you are much more able to bring in a core of volunteers on a regular basis – perhaps parents or community action students. If you can find just one strong volunteer with a love of cycling, then everything may click into place.

“We have no room to use or store them” I’ve never come across a school lacking any potential for cycling.

Some encourage cycling on the yard during breaks. This can be more easily contemplated if the bikes are fixed wheel, meaning it is hard to get up speed. If the yard is on a slope, more supervision is needed. Other schools simply have cycling sessions as part of the curriculum, or take individual students out for one-to-one sessions.

It is also becoming more common for schools to have surfaced tracks built around their field. This becomes an all-purpose facility, not just for cycling.

Consult with your cycle supplier first, though; you need to specify the right surface for your track, or the right kind of wheel size and tyres to match the track you have or can afford. Also, some side-by-side cycles need an optimum width.

It is worth looking at. There are schools that have built tracks and acquired bikes which become a shared facility for other schools, used on a booking basis. Other schools take their cycles in a van to a local off road cyclepath, with students travelling in the school minibus.

Storage is a different matter.

Some schools simply buy a secure container. Others store outside, their cycles chained to anchor bolts in the wall of the building, with rain covers over them. Others park them outside during the day, wheeling them into the building overnight. Generally speaking, the more expensive the cycle, the less vulnerable it will be to rust; our family's personal cycle, a steer-from-the-rear tandem trike from Holland, is showing virtually no rust after seven years of all-weather riding. Cheaper cycles are usually made of cheaper metal, which is not necessarily a reason for avoiding them. All cycles should be stored in the dry if possible. Helping with basic care and maintenance can be part of your students’ experience.

Shout about it!

Use your local media. Tell everyone what you are going to do. Tell them when you are doing it and tell them

One core requirement is to have a nominated member of staff who takes the lead in disability cycling

what you have achieved. Great pictures of students and staff having fun on unusual bikes is manna for journalists.

Once you have chosen your principal supplier, part of the deal could be that they bring a selection of the cycles to a photocall at your school. This is not just good for your school’s local profile, it helps recruit volunteers. At that stage, too, try to involve the local bike shop who will be responsible for servicing the bikes. They’ll appreciate the publicity, too.

Be ambitious! Get an appointment with the editor of your local newspaper or magazine. Ask them to put their publication’s weight behind a fundraising campaign, with regular success stories published, as readers follow their own fundraising ideas.

Specialised cycles give great joy, motivation to exercise, and exciting new mobility for your students. I hope you’ll want to make them part of your daily school activities.

Further information

Jim McGurn is Chief Executive of Get Cycling, a community interest company specialising in disability cycling events and retail: www.getcycling.org.uk

Most, if not all, schools could offer cycling to pupils.

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CYCLING

Advertisement feature

Quest for all-ability cycling Quest 88 has over 25 years of experience in the design, manufacture and sourcing of activity based therapy products for children and adults. Quest 88 began manufacturing tricycles for children with cerebral palsy in 1991. Since then, they have developed and introduced additional products and accessories to enable more and more people to cycle.

Quest 88 believes that design, quality and performance are just as important for the disabled cyclist as they are for anyone else. Good design and good aesthetics enhance inclusion and are an important part of both integration with peers and removing negative stereotypes.

Quest 88’s ambition, through design and by building awareness, is to see people of all ages and abilities fully participating, alongside peers in the fun and freedom of cycling.

For more information, visit: www.quest88.com WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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RESPITE/HOLIDAYS

Give us a break!

Holidays and short breaks offer huge benefits for children with SEN and their parents, says Ian Callen

Mary’s children Emily and Andrew (front centre and right) at a Toulon rock concert.

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hat are the benefits of holidays to us – a chance to recharge our batteries, to gain a new perspective on life or a break from the old routine? For most of us, they are all these things.

For families with a child or family member with SEN, though, a short break can mean even more than this.

For many of these families, time off can be very difficult to come by. Often, people with learning disabilities needs specialist care, which is expensive, and which can place a huge daily burden on family members. Mencap’s 2012 report, Short Breaks Support is Failing Family Carers, highlighted the insufficient level of support that people who care for family members with severe or profound learning disabilities receive.

The authors spoke to families about how short breaks, or the lack of them, affect them.

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“I came home feeling that my batteries had been well and truly recharged” One mother described how a lack of respite affected her: “Without short breaks, I am consumed by disability, lose friends, lose my identity, become isolated and unable to provide the care my children need”, she said.

A father revealed the difference that a short break made to his own and his wife’s life: “It allowed us just to do the simple things – shopping together, visiting people or just sitting down and watching a film on TV without being interrupted. The lie-ins we have we really look forward to, as this gives us chance to recharge our batteries and just spend a few hours together as a couple.”

Down time Surely, of all those who need a holiday the most, families that are constantly caring for loved ones should be near the top of the list. How difficult, though, are such holidays to come by for families of those with SEN? Clearly, this depends on the amount of support the person being cared for requires; mobility and cognitive capacity are clearly factors that can determine the cost and choice of holidays. Once that has been assessed, the family is reliant on information available on supported holiday providers.

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until now”, says Mary. “They have been away a couple of times for two or three nights, but I have always had to be around in case I was needed, so I couldn't go away.”

But what about short break care?

How often does Mary receive this?

“Both Emily and Andrew get Direct Payments from Social Services. That means that they have money to pay for buddies/carers that I employ. This covers days when they are not at college, and is particularly useful in the holidays. They do not, however, get overnight respite”, she says.

When Mary finally went on holiday on her own for the first time in 20 years in 2012, she clearly felt the benefit: “I loved being able to get up and go to bed when I wanted to”, she says.

“Being able to relax and read a book was wonderful. Usually, when Emily and Andrew are around, I have to be constantly aware of where they are and what they are doing to make sure they are safe. They can also be very demanding of my attention and so to do what I wanted to do – or not do if the fancy took me – was a joy. I came home feeling that my batteries had been well

Respite time can be an opportunity to give undivided attention to other members of the family and truly recharged and I was better able to face the next few months.”

The experience has also done a lot to prepare Emily and Andrew for later life. “One of the reasons I wanted them to come on this holiday was for them to realise that life continues without me having to be there”, says Mary.

“Neither of them like to spend time away from me and they can be anxious – especially Andrew. I am looking towards the future and them being able to go into independent living, and so they both need to experience more time away from me; this they could do on a holiday. Emily has definitely seen the positives of a holiday. That is the main benefit Andrew and Emily had, as well as realising that an organised holiday didn't mean getting up early every day, being out and about doing something

Tracy Date and Mia kayaking in the Gorges du Verdon.

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all the time – they could still have a restful holiday.”

So, for the family, a break from each other can mean many things: it can introduce children with SEN to a taste of independence and a glimpse of what life could be like without parents or guardians. It can also be a chance for the carer to have some free time to rest and recuperate.

Looking out for the whole family Parents and carers can also find that respite time is an opportunity to give undivided attention to other members of the family, such as their other children. Mrs White, who has a son with Angelmann’s syndrome, had a week’s holiday in the Canary Islands with her husband and daughter. In the meantime, her son enjoyed a supported holiday near the Mediterranean. “It was the first time we had ever been apart from Scott, so it really felt strange. But it did mean we were able to spend some quality time with Alana, which was great for us all”, says Mrs White.

“Scott is epileptic and cannot speak, but is always smiling and loves music and dancing. He had an amazing time on the holiday and was able to make new friendships, while strengthening his bonds with his support workers.”

The idea of “strengthening bonds with support workers” is very important for the person being cared for. This can help to reduce the complete dependence of someone with SEN on one support body, such as the family, which can occur because of a lack of short breaks. Once links are made to support structures outside the family unit, through short breaks and supported holiday organisations, the dependence, that can sometimes feel like a burden, especially for people who are isolated, can be shared and lightened.

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Enjoying the freedom and camaraderie of a supported holiday.

support needs in Cornwall and Devon.

“All the children had been referred to us from the local health authority as having significant support needs, including behaviours that challenge, autism and mental health issues”, she says. “This is the first time any of the children would have experienced the same type of holiday as their siblings, independent of family members. This holiday, provided through a specialist holiday company, enabled them to build a timetable for the holiday around the children, taking account of their individual disabilities and support requirements.

“During the course of the holiday, it became apparent that the children were growing in confidence, trying new activities, like kayaking, and interacting with the other children in a way that we had not experienced previously.

We noticed that the children were developing skills in sharing, team work, patience, negotiating time and support and empathy if others were struggling.

“For all of the children there has been a marked difference in confidence and the ability to deal with situations that would otherwise have been difficult since their return from France. This has been shared by family members, schools and other professionals.

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“Some of the children had previously been excluded or were struggling with school. Since the holiday, all the children have consistently remained in school, even if things became difficult. One child has been through transition and now has an individual young adult package of support that his family commissions for him, based on their acknowledgement of his growing independence.

“One of the children has been much more accepting of a number of new people in his support team, although he had previously been quite anxious about meeting new people.”

The mother of one of these children believes that all concerned have really benefitted from her son’s holiday and the short break she received as a result: “He’s only eight, so still has a way to go, but I am definitely noticing a change in social behaviour (on good days) so that I can just about manage a small trip to the supermarket to get something he wants, or learning that when a ride finishes he has to get off, or learning to say sorry after an outburst without any prompting.

“The break gave me time to get things done that are very hard to do with Alex around, or for me to spend some time with friends, as this is impossible when I have Alex as he just wants my attention and doesn't like me talking to anyone else; this includes talking on the phone. It also meant I was able to spend time with Katie doing fun things or attending school things or watching her with her horses, and being able to give her the attention she deserves, or also just spending some time with Paul and actually being able to talk to each other”.

Feel the benefit The advantages of short breaks and holidays for children and young people with SEN are clear. They can introduce some to independence away from the family unit. They provide a time for the young person with SEN to grow accustomed to spending time with others outside of the family unit and learn new social skills. The benefits for

“The children were growing in confidence, trying new activities… and interacting with the other children” the family are also many and various: they are an opportunity for parents to have some time with others or to be alone and give themselves time to develop their own identity. They can give families hope that the person they care for is working towards a more independent life or getting used to being with others more regularly. They also provide the opportunity for families to feel refreshed and recharged.

The author Paulo Coelho poetically describes the benefits of travel in his book The Pilgrimage. He discusses the “rebirth” we feel as we experience new things and new situations, and how we become more accessible to those around us. “Since all things are new, you see only the beauty in them, and you feel happy to be alive”, he says.

We all need more of this philosophy in our lives, and perhaps parents and carers of those with SEN need it more than most.

Further information Ian Callen is Director of Go Provence Supported Holidays, based in the South of France, which provides supported holidays for people with learning disabilities: www.goprovence.co.uk

Mencap’s report, Short Breaks Support is Failing Family Carers, can be found on the charity’s website: www.mencap.org.uk

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OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

Getting emotional OTs have a fundamental role to play in supporting the development of attuned relationships with looked-after children and their carers, says Sarah Davys-Jones

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ccupational therapists (OTs) often view their role as supporting functional independence within the developmental capacity and diagnosis of the child or adult that they find themselves working with; relationships would not traditionally be the focus. However, when I found myself working with looked-after children, play, daily living skills, activity and occupation were not the whole story. These capacities are traditional areas of concern; they are vital but they don’t develop in isolation. They grow and mature in the safe and trusting relationships of family, teachers and peers. One could question whether it is right for an OT to delve into the territory of relationships with those around the child, but what is more functional in life than the capacity to develop and maintain relationships for play, learning, occupation and wellbeing?

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around them. Children’s occupation is simply play, and we all know the importance of healthy play for overall health and wellbeing. In order to play and engage in activity, though, we need successful interactions and attuned relationships.

Sensory approach My treatment toolbox was influenced by sensory integration (SI) theory, which covers areas of sensory modulation, coordination, praxis, play and occupation. The focus of SI is to enhance the child’s sensory processing to develop daily life skills, emphasising function rather than relationships.

Although my SI knowledge base was essential in offering the children early sensory and movement experiences, to build their internal sense of self, somehow I felt I was coming up short when faced with children with a range of social, emotional and regulatory difficulties, impacting their capacity to develop and maintain relationships with the peers and adults around them.

Many of the children and adolescents referred to me often wanted to play

Their capacity to regulate needed the vehicle of sound trusting relationships to be effective developmentally younger games such as hide and seek, and this really tested my approach; were they crashing, swinging and burrowing in order to support their sensory awareness and regulatory difficulties or were they simply doing these things to avoid the intimacy of a relationship with me as the therapist?

The "sensory diet" approach in their classrooms and homes for their sensory seeking and regulatory challenges only went so far, as developmentally the children and teenagers were not at the level of self-awareness and selfregulation; therefore, they were not always aware of the identity of their emotional feelings or of their arousal levels changing. Their capacity to WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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regulate needed the vehicle of sound trusting relationships to be effective in order for the children to experience coregulation with emotional identification and awareness, and then develop self-regulation.

Making use of sensory enriched environments and play was also tricky due to their trauma history and sometimes their sensory perception was distorted, possibly triggering a negative memory and response.

In these cases, my usual toolkit seemed a little sparse. I needed to explore other approaches to support the children with their relationship development, while respecting their individual sensory profiles.

Coming to grips with relationships Eventually, I discovered relationship models based in theories of attachment, such as the secure base model (Schofield and Beek), the PACE attitude (playfulness, acceptance, curiosity and empathy) (Golding and Hughes, 2012) and the DIR (developmental individual relationship) floortime model (Greenspan and Weider, 2003) to compliment my role as an OT. Embracing relationship models brought a change to my practice.

I began to co-treat some children with a psychodynamic practitioner in everyday environments, coaching through the caregivers, offering play and meaningful occupation therapeutically. And so began my journey of understanding how the OT has an important role to play in supporting children and caregivers to develop attuned relationships. We began to notice that when there was a shift in the adult’s understanding and experience of their child and their play presentations, when employing play and occupation therapeutically there often followed a shift in the child’s capacity to climb the developmental ladder, from unengaged disregulation, to warm playful interactions and engagement and becoming functional in everyday life.

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When OTs integrate bio-psychosocial frameworks to view the individual profile of the child and the adult, we support a holistic tool for assessment and intervention to inform the team around the child. OTs assess and understand the foundational capacities for all development: sensory processing, motor development and praxis, language development and visual spatial skills, facilitating gesture, affect and communication, thinking and doing, underpinning success in relationships. Intervention, therefore, must be tailored to the unique profile of the child and the adult. Relationship based OT and psychodynamic practise promotes attuned relationships as the vehicle for emotional development and attuned affect supports motivation and engagement through play and occupation in order to give meaning to the child’s experiences.

If the foundational capacities for development are not in sync, then attunement is more difficult to achieve – impacting the child’s motivation and behaviour in daily life and therefore how we experience the child.

Using psychodynamic frames of reference, as an OT, I was also encouraged to consider the emotional experience and wellbeing of the caregiver, including myself – what we bring to the relationship and our capacity to be attuned. Our own early life experiences of being parented, our experiences of subsequent and present relationships in the here and now, integrated with our unique profile and regulatory capacity, all impact how we respond, engage and interact, with the child, through the positive and challenging times.

I was encouraged to consider the emotional experience and wellbeing of the caregiver, including myself regulate the caregiver to notice and experience attunement as part of the relationship process, is essential.

Knowing, as a therapist, what we bring to the professional relationship is vital, and best supported through regular supervision.

Attunement offers looked-after children a new and positive way of experiencing relationships with the adults around them and offers them some resilience to trust in a relationship, to be able to explore their life experiences and eventually make some meaning of them, while having their emotions regulated through attunement – ultimately developing self-worth.

Understanding the foundational capacities for attuned relationships, within an OT frame of reference, while integrating SI and relationship-based models, has expanded my tool bag and supports the team to understand the child, carer and themselves. OT has a fundamental role in supporting attunement and successful relationships, effective outcomes and placements for the children in our care.

Seeing both sides As an OT supporting caregivers to understand and appreciate the importance of what they bring to the relationship with the child in their care can be challenging. Simply put: “it takes two to tango”. Understanding our role, as the therapist to the child and carer, how we support and co-

Further information

Sarah Davys-Jones is Occupational Therapist, Sensory Integration Specialist and DIR/ FCD Floortime Professional with Zebra Therapy: www.zebratherapy.com

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OAKA BOOKS

Advertisement feature

Get the focus and the fun right and your students will fly This is the view of new publisher Oaka Books, who have launched a range of topic revision packs aimed at engaging even the most reluctant pupils.

“Revision for SEN children can be daunting, particularly if they are expected to learn from dull black and white textbooks containing their entire syllabus,” explains Oaka Books creator Bambi Gardiner. “Our packs are colourful, exciting and fun for KS2 and KS3 pupils. They create an engaging and encouraging learning experience for both visual learners and pupils with SEN.” With the help of the Learning Support team at Hurstpierpoint College and subject specialists, Bambi created the Oaka Revision System after discovering ways to encourage her dyslexic daughter to engage in learning.

“The core focus of Oaka topic packs is dividing work up into small chunks to retain focus, playing games, making learning and revising fun and then encouraging pupils to write about the topic in their own words. It’s a multisensory approach”, explains Bambi.

words, active learning is encouraged and the pupils feel so much more engaged and willing to revise.

Oaka Books now has ten history topic packs (KS2/3) as well as new KS3 packs for physics, chemistry and geography, as well as a geography board game.

More topic packs are on the way.

“My daughter was failing at school and we had to do something to turn around not only her grades but, more importantly, her self-belief. When she achieved her first A grade in a history exam all the hard work was more than worth it”, says Bambi.

Oaka revision packs retail at £5.99 for a parent pack and £49 for a class pack for ten students. For more information and to purchase online, visit: www.oakabooks.co.uk

Each guide focuses on a certain topic allowing pupils to tackle revision in small, unchallenging doses. The revision booklets display information in numbered, coloured boxes, each with a simple title and illustration to accompany the text. With games to motivate pupils to have fun whilst they learn, and revision notebooks where they can write what they have learnt in their own SENISSUE70

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SEN reforms and dyslexia Will dyslexics be left behind under the new SEN system? Stephanie Anderson looks at what many in the dyslexia sector make of the Government's ambitions for SEN support

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he SEN reforms, being introduced through the Children and Families Bill this year, will result in the most significant shake-up of the SEN system for 30 years. School staff will have to brace themselves for inevitable changes, including the replacement of statements of SEN with education, health and care plans (EHCPs). But will they all be ready and what will it mean for those children and young people with SEN who won't be eligible for an EHCP?

The Children and Families Bill The changes that the Children and Families Bill 2014 will introduce include: • a more integrated system across the age range from birth to 25 years, including joint commissioning between health, education and social services • SEN and disability services will be planned and delivered at local level, with authorities having to publish details of their "local offer" • schools will have greater power to buy-in specialist services • young people and their families will have greater opportunity to be involved in the planning and monitoring of services • changing categories of special needs in school.

SEN Code of Practice

Teachers may lack the confidence to assess and make the necessary adjustments for children with dyslexia Department for Education (DfE) on duties, policies and procedures relating to Part 3 of the Children and Families Bill and associated regulations. The Code includes practical advice on how to carry out statutory duties to identify, assess and make provision for children and young people with SEN. The Code directs local authorities to work in partnership with health professionals, educational settings (including early years), and other agencies to promote aspiration for children and young people with SEN and to promote positive engagement with these children and their parents.

It advises early years providers, schools and colleges to fully engage parents and/or young people with SEN when drawing up policies that affect them, and to take steps to ensure that parents and/ or young people

are actively supported in contributing to assessments, and in planning and reviewing EHCPs. Schools should also ensure that, where practical, pupils with SEN are represented on class and school forums. Colleges should ensure that students with SEN are similarly represented.

What about children who won't get an EHCP? Many of those who work with dyslexia welcome the draft Code’s aim to give parents greater control and choice in decisions about meeting their child’s needs. However, concerns exist in relation to the provision for children and young people with high incidence, >>

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low severity needs, such as dyslexia, who will not qualify for an EHCP. It is therefore hoped that further improvements will still be made in the final edition of the Code with regard to: • ensuring that the best graduated response will be given by teachers in response to a child’s needs • teacher training and professional development in specific learning difficulties (SpLDs) and in delivering a graduated response • the accountability for services provided in the local offer.

These concerns partly exist because the needs of children, including an estimated ten per cent of the population with dyslexia, will need to be assessed and met by the classroom teacher, who may not have had training in SpLDs, and may therefore lack the confidence to assess and make the necessary adjustments for children with dyslexia.

Many of those in the dyslexia sector believe it is crucial that the Code of Practice contains sufficient guidance to ensure children and young people with dyslexia are identified early and receive the most appropriate support and intervention when and where they need it.

Less attention may be given to the needs of pupils with mild to moderate learning difficulties Mixed messages Somewhat conflicting messages have been reported in the press over the perceived desire of the DfE to reduce the numbers of pupils being described as having special needs. Following a 2010 Ofsted report, schools are being asked to look more closely at the quality of their teaching in situations where students are failing to progress, and not to assume automatically that these pupils have special needs. Ministers responsible for SEN are emphasising that numbers with SEN may go down if system-wide improvements are made.

Consultations on the SEN Code of Practice have had some success in influencing the final make-up of the document, and in persuading ministers that this should be subject to parliamentary scrutiny. However, the new system is still at risk because its focus is mostly on those with more severe needs who will attract an EHCP. Less attention may therefore be given to the needs of those pupils with mild to moderate learning difficulties who have previously benefitted from the former School Action and School Action Plus system through a closely monitored, individualised approach. There is also the question of whether classroom teachers will have the necessary skills and confidence to respond to the range of needs in the classroom and to signpost children with dyslexia to SENCOs for appropriate support.

Early identification

Many fear that pupils with dyslexia could lose support at school.

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Some dyslexic pupils may go unrecognised because their attainment levels match the national average for their peers. Some dyslexic pupils with the potential to be high achievers may slip through the net due to a lack of

understanding and awareness from professionals, whilst others may demonstrate masked traits, such as poor memory, clumsiness and poor organisational skills, that may be a sign of an underlying specific learning difficulty. The key to an effective graduated approach is early identification and appropriate action.

The introduction of the phonics screening check for Year 1 pupils will go a long way in helping to identify those children who are not progressing well in early reading, including many who may be dyslexic. This is not sufficient on its own, however. Teachers will need to follow up screening results with further targeted intervention or assessment.

The Code emphasises the importance of undertaking a detailed individual assessment of each child at the earliest opportunity. When considering SEN support in schools, there is a strong emphasis in the Code on the role that the class teacher must play in identifying those pupils with dyslexia.

Supporting SENCOs According to Schools Minister Lord Nash, there will be an obligation on schools to make sure that teachers’ ability to meet SEN is included in the school’s approach to professional development and in its performance management arrangements for all teaching and support staff. Schools will also be required to review teachers’ understanding of strategies to identify and support vulnerable pupils, and their knowledge of the SEN most frequently encountered. This would clearly cover issues such as dyslexia.

Lord Nash has said that “Continual professional development and training is essential for the whole workforce but it is particularly important for the role of the SENCO", adding that he is "committed to ensuring that the Code of Practice goes further than before to adequately reflect that.”

The Code states that governing bodies must ensure that: • the school has a designated SEN coordinator (SENCO) who WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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is a qualified teacher working at the school • newly qualified SENCOs achieve the National Award in SEN Coordination within three years of appointment.

Local offers Local offers will set out, in one place, information about provision the local authority expects to be available for children and young people in their area who have SEN, including those who do not have EHCPs. The Code clearly states that where no progress has been made by a pupil, the school should consider buying-in specialist support detailed in its local authority’s local offer. As part of the graduated response to SEN, the Code is also clear that parents should be involved in the review process.

The Government has said it is now supporting those local authorities that are falling behind in developing their local offers and is commissioning Ofsted to undertake a review into the best practice for local authority services provision, which will include an evaluation of whether a regulator needs to be appointed to hold their local offers to account.

Responding to the need for specialist support With DfE funding, Dyslexia Action is producing guidance for schools and local authorities to support them in understanding and fulfilling their duties within the SEN reforms for children and young people with dyslexia, specific learning difficulties and literacy difficulties. The guidance includes: • what the Code of Practice says about the graduated approach and how schools should respond • how to achieve a graduated approach for children with dyslexia through effective practice • guidance on how teachers can improve their skills and competencies even further by gaining specialist accreditation.

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The Government is supporting those local authorities that are falling behind in developing their local offers Already prepared to assist schools in this process is the Dyslexia-SpLD Professional Development Framework (DST, 2011) on-line CPD tool for teachers and school staff, which supports schools in teaching pupils with literacy

The Rose review definition of dyslexia • "Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling • Characteristic features of dyslexia are difficulties in phonological awareness, verbal memory and verbal processing speed • Dyslexia occurs across the range of intellectual abilities • It is best thought of as a continuum, not a distinct category, and there are no clear cut-off points • Co-occurring difficulties may be seen in aspects of language, motor co-ordination, mental calculation, concentration and personal organisation, but these are not, by themselves, markers of dyslexia • A good indication of the severity and persistence of dyslexic difficulties can be gained by examining how the individual responds or has responded to well founded intervention."

difficulties, specific learning difficulties and dyslexia. It is a self-assessment tool for teachers that provides the user with a fully personalised report based on a "gap-analysis" of their confidence in key areas related to dyslexia and SpLDs. It therefore defines the levels of additional knowledge, skills and professional attributes that are required to fulfil relevant job roles in the school and educational workforce to support literacy acquisition and dyslexic-SpLD learners effectively.

The dyslexia journey The field of dyslexia has come a long way since the landmark publication of the 2009 Rose review on Identifying and Teaching Pupils with Literacy Difficulties and Dyslexia. Perhaps most importantly, the term "dyslexia" was clearly defined in the Rose review and has been ratified by the DfE (see left).

At a recent briefing for parliamentarians (19 March 2014) on the SEN reforms, Richard Benyon MP said "It is vital that we as parliamentarians understand how parents, carers and young people can get a clearer picture of what services are available for children in need of specialist help.”

Many of us who work in the dyslexia sector would echo Mr Benyon's words and share his hope that the SEN reforms will indeed prove to be beneficial for all.

Further information Stephanie Anderson is Policy, Research and Communications Officer at Dyslexia Action: www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk

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NUMERACY / LITERACY

DYSLEXIA Advertisement feature

Nurturing learning at Abingdon Abingdon House School is an independent co-educational day school for children aged five to 13 with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, speech and language disorders and Asperger's syndrome.

Abingdon House nurtures its learners, building confidence and self-esteem. The National Curriculum is taught, with emphasis on literacy and mathematics. The learning style is multi-sensory, facilitated by a team of teachers and therapists.

Each pupil has an individual education plan and is encouraged to build upon their skills. Good behaviour is supported through school routine, positive behaviour support and clear and consistent behavioural expectations and responses.

The recent ISI Inspection Report graded pupils' achievement and personal development as "excellent".

For more information and to arrange an initial visit, please phone: 0845 230 0426 or email: ahs@abingdonhouseschool.co.uk. www.abingdonhouseschool.co.uk Abingdon House School, Broadley Terrace London NW1 6LG

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Plainly speaking Many children struggle with aspects of speech but when do these common childhood difficulties signify a speech sound disorder? Monika Robinson explains all

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ost children will make mistakes as they learn to say new words.

Recognising when these mistakes are the sign of a specific difficulty – or speech disorder – can be hard. This is made harder when the speech disorder co-occurs with some other communication disorder such as delayed language development, difficulty following conversations or remembering out of context.

Confusingly, speech and language therapists (SLTs) will also use different cover terms when referring to “phonology disorders” and these will vary from clinician to clinician.

Phonology is not the same as phonics.

Phonics deals with the relationship between sounds and the letters that represent those sounds. Phonology deals with the sounds in the words and not the letters.

Diagnostic categories for speech disorder diagnosis are shown below: • speech – the physical sound waves produced • phonology – the system of meaning signalled by contrasting phonemes for a particular language • phone – a single sound (used when describing articulation of individual sounds rather than a sound in the context of a word) • phoneme – the smallest unit of contrast in a language • delay – developing in the same way as typically developing children, but at a slower rate • disorder – (1) a difficulty, (2) developing in a manner which is not found in the speech of typically developing children • articulation – the physical production of sounds.

Teachers should provide pupils with lots of opportunities to talk and listen to speech.

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Phonology deals with the sounds in the words and not the letters

There is still much debate about the nature of speech disorders in children; however, generally they will be categorised into typical and atypical examples for describing speech processing and production.

Articulation disorder A child with an articulation disorder will have difficulties articulating particular sounds. Often his/her sounds can be substituted, changed, left off or added to; these problems can make what s/he says difficult to understand. The types of errors are: • omissions – where sounds are completely missed out. For example: “I ree a boo” (I read a book) • substitutions – where an incorrect sound (often an easier one) will be used as a replacement. For example, “I saw a wabbit” (I saw a rabbit) • distortions – where a child will try to make the correct sound but has trouble producing it clearly. For example, an “s” sound may whistle, or air will appear to come out of the side of the mouth (a lateral lisp) or the tongue may push between the front teeth (a frontal lisp). These errors would not be expected to continue past around the age of five.

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The table below shows an example of the approximate ages at which children usually develop (in their native language) the ability to produce specific speech sounds correctly:

Speech sounds

Ages at which sounds normally develop

In a phonological disorder, a child will have difficulty learning the sound system of the language

below shows the ages at which these processes are usually eliminated.

Causes For many children, the cause of their speech sound disorder will go unknown.

While, in some cases, speech disorders do co-occur with other problems, they are often stand-alone conditions.

p, m, h, w

12 months to 3 years

b

18 months to 3 ½ years

t, d

2 to 3 ½ years

k, g

2 to 4 years

n, ng

2 ½ to 5 years

f, y

3 ½ to 5 ½ years

l

2 ½ to 6 years (7 years for boys)

r

2 ½ to 8 years

s, z

3 to 9 years

pre-vocalic voicing

pig = big

3 years

sh

4 to 6 years (7 years for boys)

word-final de-voicing

pig = pick

3 years

comb = coe

3 years, 3 months

ch, j

3 ½ to 6 years (7 years for boys)

final consonant deletion fronting

car = tar

3 years, 6 months

v

4 to 5 ½ years

ship = sip

3 years, 6 months

unvoiced th (as in, “thumb”)

mine = mime

3 years, 9 months

4 ½ to 8 years

voiced th (as in “that”)

5 to 7 years

s-blends: sp, st, sk

3 to 6 years

s-blends: sm, sn

3 ½ to 7 years

l-blends

4 to 6 years

r-blends

4 ½ to 6 years

Assessment “car” and “tar” will be pronounced the same, with no recognition of them having different meanings. Some children with phonological disorders will hear the distinction in the speech of others but not in their own. The table

Phonological process

consonant harmony

Only when a child’s speech is significantly different from normal speech in their development context should the child be sent for a speech >>

Example

Gone by approximately

kittycat = tittytat weak syllable deletion

elephant = efant

4 years

potato = tato television = tevision banana = nana cluster reduction

spoon = poon

4 years

train = chain gliding of liquids

run = one

5 years

leg = weg leg = yeg stopping /f/

fish = tish

3 years

Phonological disorder

stopping /s/

soap = dope

3 years

Phonological disorders (also called “phonological delay” or “phonological impairment”) are a group of language disorders that are apparent in speech error patterns.

In a phonological disorder, a child will have difficulty learning the sound system of the language. S/he will not be able to recognise that sound contrasts also affect meaning and, therefore, may use one sound for several words; for example, the sound of the letters “k” and “t” can become confused so that

stopping /v/

very = berry

3 years, 6 months

stopping /z/

zoo = doo

3 years, 6 months

stopping “sh”

shop = dop

4 years, 6 months

stopping “j”

jump = dump

4 years, 6 months

stopping “ch”

chair = tare

4 years, 6 months

stopping voiceless “th”

thing = ting

5 years

stopping voiced “th”

them = dem

5 years

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(These patterns are repeatedly found in children who go on to develop normal speech.

Children who retain these early patterns are therefore described as having phonological delay, as their system is developing along typical lines, but at a slower rate). Reference: Bowen, C. (1998). Developmental phonological disorders. A practical guide for families and teachers. Melbourne: ACER Press.

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and language evaluation. Initial screening may be conducted by someone that is not an SLT with the use of computer software. However, in standard practice, an SLT is the professional that will evaluate and diagnose a child as having a speech sound disorder. The SLT will use a formal articulation test to show up errors being produced.

Intervention Early intervention is important for any child with a speech disorder. The earlier a child can receive treatment, the more effective it is. Preschool and earlier is a critical age for language development. Even as an infant, the skills needed for normal speech and language development can be tested.

With early diagnosis, treatment with an SLT usually begins at the ages of two

and four. If there is a concern about a child’s speech at any time, this should be discussed with the child’s parents and be referred to the child’s doctor.

The doctor will likely refer the child for evaluation and treatment.

How can teachers help?

Speech and language therapy has many approaches and there is little definitive research as to which approach works the best.

Because all speech disorders carry the risk of isolating children from their social and educational settings, it is extremely important that teachers provide help and support. There are many things they can do to support learning.

Children learn speech and language by listening to others, and practicing as they speak. In the classroom, teachers can help by setting up lots

Even as an infant, the skills needed for normal speech and language development can be tested of opportunities to listen to speech and to talk. Lessons where the children are frequently pointing out places, important people and objects will help.

It is important to know the specific impairment and how it affects a pupil’s speech abilities. The more teachers know about communication disorders as a whole, the more they will be able to support the child.

Small adjustments in the classroom can really make a difference. For example, sitting the pupil close to the teacher will help with questions and instructions. A system that lets the child with a speech disorder ask for assistance without causing disruption can be helpful.

Talking to both parents and the child’s SLT is also important. Parents can tell teachers a great deal about their child’s interests, difficulties and skill areas. Regular conversation will keep the teacher informed about how the child is progressing outside the school, and parents generally welcome teachers’ insights into their child’s progress in the classroom.

Further information

Monika Robinson is a teacher and volunteer with Afasic. The charity supports parents and represents children and young people with speech, language and communication needs: www.afasic.org.uk It is important that pupils with speech disorders do not become isolated in class.

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Shining a light on communication Chris Hall reviews the Awards celebrating all that is good in communication practice

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he Shine a Light Awards, honouring excellence in supporting children and young people’s communication, took place at a recent ceremony in London.

Run by Pearson Assessment and The Communication Trust, the Awards recognise individuals, teams, communication friendly settings and communities that have excelled in supporting communication, particularly for those with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).

The winners reflect a range of best practice and innovative work taking place across the country. As Anne Fox, Director of The Communication Trust, said at the ceremony, “Shine a Light focuses attention on what can be achieved through expertise, sheer determination and bravery. The Awards highlight what can be achieved when children and young people with

communication difficulties are offered the support they deserve.”

Lessons in best practice This year, judges awarded joint winners in the Commissioning Award and the SLCN Innovation Award categories.

Reading Borough Council’s Children’s Commissioning Team won the Commissioning Award for the second year in a row and was awarded the Pearson Outstanding Achievement Award for their work in commissioning speech and language services for children up to five years old.

The other winner of the Commissioning Award was The Kirkby Collaborative of Schools and Five Boroughs Partnership NHS Foundation Trust for their A Chance to Talk work.

A Chance to Talk is a whole-school commissioning model for supporting speech and language development that ensures language rich school

Michael Bleakhouse (right) of Outstanding Achievement winner Reading BC with judges Kamini Gadhok of RCSLT (left), SEN Editor Peter Sutcliffe and Awards host Anne Diamond.

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Commissioning for the future

The team at Reading Borough Council reduced the number of children being identified as at risk of speech and language delay by nearly 50 per cent in the academic year 2012/13.

Its strategy encompasses joint working between speech and language therapists (SLTs), health services, children’s centres and early year’s childcare settings to improve the identification of communication delays in children.

The introduction of Young Commissioners helped the service broaden its reach via the internet to increase parental understanding of SLCN and via offering dedicated sessions to young parent groups.

The team developed a Communication Pack for parents and professionals, distributing it to children’s centres and early year’s settings across the Borough. This helps people to implement strategies themselves without the need for specialist support, making services more sustainable for the authority in the current economic climate.

environments, targeted support for children with delayed language and specialist interventions for children with SLCN by SLTs. It has been developed

by I CAN, The Communication Trust and the Every Child a Chance Trust.

Nearly 80 per cent of children with SLCN involved in the project in Kirkby

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met the majority of their individual targets, the number of referrals to SLTs reduced and children made on average 50 per cent more progress in reading at Key Stage 1, exceeding progress expected nationally.

The Life and Deaf Association and Artburst Ltd were the joint recipients

A true Communication Champion

Shane Dangar, aged 20, received the Communication Champion Award for his selfless volunteering – raising awareness of communication difficulties with youth services, housing associations, job centres and other groups.

Shane was involved in the Raising Your Game project, led

by Mencap in partnership with I CAN and Nacro. It supports young people, aged between 14 and 24, with a learning disability or communication difficulty, who have been in trouble with the police or are at risk of getting into trouble.

Despite his difficulties with language and social interaction as a result of his Asperger’s syndrome and ADHD, Shane has inspired people to understand what it is like to struggle to communicate by using his humour and honesty.

A poetry-wrapped camper van stopped at schools and supermarkets to teach the public how to sign

2014 Shine a Light Award winners Commissioning Award Reading Borough Council, Children’s Commissioning Team Kirkby Collaborative of Schools, Knowsley

Early Years Setting of the Year Award of the SLCN Innovation Award for their creative work engaging children and young people.

The Life and Deaf Association’s campaign centred on a poetry-wrapped camper van being driven across the country stopping at schools and supermarkets to teach the public how to sign “good morning”. Artburst’s educational workshops and Speak Out programme were given the prize for their work improving the oracy and literacy skills of young people in Hackney.

Wentworth Nursery School, Hackney

Primary School of the Year Millfields Community School, Hackney

Secondary School/College of the Year Award Peacehaven Community School, East Sussex

Working Together Award Every Sheffield Child Articulate and Literate

SLCN Innovation Award The Life and Deaf Association Artburst Ltd

All this year’s Shine a Light winners and highly commended finalists deserve recognition for their exceptional work, and for ensuring that the Awards continue to inspire others in their vital work supporting children and young people with communication difficulties.

Youth Justice Award Barton Moss Secure Care Centre, Salford

Pearson Award into Continued Best Practice in Youth Justice Wrexham Youth Justice Service and Flintshire Youth Justice Service

Communication Champion Shane Dangar, Yeovill

Young Person of the Year Aidan Baker, Nottingham

Further information Chris Hall is Managing Director of Pearson Assessment, which develops and distributes educational assessments and psychological testing materials: www.pearsonclinical.co.uk

For information about the Awards and to read winners’ case studies, visit: www.shinealightawards.co.uk Communication Champion Shane Dangar.

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Pearson Award for Inspiring Others Clarice Barber, Denbigh

Children’s Workforce Award Time to Talk campaign from Warwickshire County Council and NHS Speech and Language Therapy Team Service

Pearson Assessment Outstanding Achievement Award Reading Borough Council, Children’s Commissioning Team

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Sensory delights Sue Gascoyne looks at how sensory-rich play can promote wellbeing and encourage learning in children with SEN

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oung children are naturally sensory beings with everything they experience conveyed through their senses. It goes without saying, therefore, that sensory play can not only be fun and engaging but also a brilliant learning tool. Often trivialised as “messy play”, sensory-rich experiences are vital for developing connections in the brain, which is why sensory play should not be restricted to very young children or “golden time” at school, but valued in its own right for the sensory education which it provides.

Typically when a child experiences something, an electrical signal passes from one neuron to another, relaying information about what s/he sees, touches, tastes, smells, hears and feels. This sensory information travels through the central nervous system to the brain to be analysed, creating new SENISSUE70

pathways as it does so. The more times these connections are made, the more established the pathways become and the more swiftly they function, which is important for speedy recall as well as increasing interconnectivity between different parts of the brain.

Although all learning about the world ultimately stems from our senses, this is not a one-way process

Sensory perception The process of how sensory information is used to make sense of the surrounding environment and decide on possible courses of action is known as sensory processing. This can be explored using the example of a metal chain found in a collection of everyday items. Initially, the chain provides a stimulus, which itself provides a sensation, characterised as pleasure, pain, taste, touch, smell or heat. Interpretation takes place in the parts of the brain responsible for processing that particular sensation;

so in the case of the metal chain, the sensation might be, for example, cold, noisy or heavy. When a child has encountered the same or a similar sensation enough times to have labelled the stimulus as “a chain”, his/ her sensory memory kicks in so that the final comprehension stage involves linking the feeling of touching the chain with its function – perhaps walking a dog or locking up a bike.

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sensations, concepts and associations will be stored in the brain to aid future comprehension. With constant sensory bombardment, the brain needs sophisticated processes for categorising and storing information to ensure easy data retrieval. As babies and young children encounter more experiences, these add to, enhance and check the validity of existing understanding, reshaping this if needed in line with new discoveries. So in the case of a chain, understanding may evolve from all metal objects are flexible to some chains are metal.

Sensory perception is a prerequisite to action and behaviour and it is amazing to think that actions emerge almost instantaneously, constantly monitoring, coordinating and reappraising changing inputs, without us being conscious of them. Although all learning about the world ultimately stems from our senses, this is not a one-way process, as information from our sense organs is also influenced by our sensory memories of earlier experiences. It is through the senses that children discover the meaning of words like hard, soft and heavy, and fine-tune quantitative and qualitative thinking, such as long as opposed to longer in the case of the chain. This is also how children categorise information, test assumptions and develop thinking and learning.

Without ever being aware of it, our brain pulls together sensory feedback from numerous sources to give us a full and accurate picture. Where the senses do not act together as they should – known as sensory integration (Ayres, 1972) – children can struggle to thrive in the multi-sensory world, making even the simplest tasks difficult to master. Many children with SEN, particularly autism, are sensitive to sensory stimulation, experiencing either hyper(over) sensitivity or hypo(under) sensitivity to stimuli.

In fact, the importance of sensory learning is evident from Temple Grandin’s revelation that it was the sensory processing difficulties which WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

she experienced, rather than autism, that provided her biggest barrier to participation in everyday life. In some children, this hyper-sensitivity makes them painfully sensitive to touch and a need for personal space; in others, the trigger may be noise, smells or taste. Many potential sources of pain, discomfort, fear and distraction may not be obvious or, conversely, these children may need excessive stimulation to enjoy any benefits.

As parents and practitioners, we can use our knowledge of a child’s sensory needs and aversions to offer him/her a wealth of different and repeated experiences which optimise the environment and prepare him/her for learning. For some children, accessing a “diet” of sensory-rich play and learning opportunities throughout the day can help them achieve a “just right state” (Wilbarger and Wilbarger, 1991). So what might a sensory-rich learning environment look like? A sensory “main meal” would be provided by a sensory room or ball pool, but sensory stimulation also needs to take place in everyday environments, involving little or no specialist provision. Sensory “snacks” are opportunities for children to play with sensory-rich resources in situ, making them perfect for use in mainstream schools and the home.

The sensory room: a sensory “main meal” The value and appeal of lights and sounds offered by multi-sensory rooms is clear but they can sometimes lack tactile interest. If you’re fortunate enough to access a purpose-built room, you may wish to enhance the sensory domain and soften its clinical appearance with the addition of rugs, bean bags and cushions.

The outdoors environment: a “sensory meal or snack” Most children love playing outdoors, scrabbling around in the dirt making mud pies and creating endless sludge.

Cast your mind back to your childhood and you will probably have memories

Sensory stimulation also needs to take place in everyday environments, involving little or no specialist provision like these. As well as being fun, handson play outdoors supports children’s physical and emotional development.

In fact “exposure to greenery” aids concentration and coping with the stresses of life (American Journal of Public Health, September 2004). With this in mind, Redcliffe Children’s Centre in Bristol took six threeto four-year-olds with wide ranging SEN on weekly visits to a local wood. Over nine months, the challenge, space, freedom from loud noises and changing environment increased children’s confidence, communication, cognitive development and attitude to risk (Hill, EECERA, 2010). Staff too experienced a learning journey, gaining a better understanding of children’s capabilities.

Treasure baskets: a “sensory snack” Play with a treasure basket, a collection of natural and household objects, is both sensory-rich and portable, making it a perfect “sensory snack”. With an assortment of 50 to 80 “treasures”, none of which are actually toys, children are able to learn a variety of concepts as well as kick-starting imagination and creativity. Take the case of an 11-yearold with SEN, for example, who started tapping objects in his basket, which sparked a song with his five-year-old sibling to create a joyous and rare moment of equality. A 22-month-old recovering from meningitis was also captivated by a treasure basket for the good part of an hour. One at a time he explored the objects, picking up, looking at and seemingly comparing >> SENISSUE70

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them. He banged a tea infuser against a metal pot, enjoying the sound it made and was fascinated looking at his reflection, pressing it against his face (presumably to feel its coldness), and discovering textures and weights.

A group of teenagers in a residential school freely played with a treasure basket, dispelling any concerns that the objects would be broken or used as missiles. One used a loofah for selfregulation, stroking his arms, while another spotted a red tin, shaped like a post-box, and began looking for small items to go in it. He took on the role of postman, delivering the hidden objects to his peers, then found a small wooden crocodile and incorporated this into his play. Staff looked on with surprise, watching play unfold for this teenage boy who had previously been deemed incapable of imaginative play. It seems that play with open-ended resources can remove glass ceilings about what children with SEN can achieve, raising our expectations of what is possible.

At a busy exhibition, some everyday objects captured the interest of an autistic boy. He used a heavy metal chain, two metal pots and some scoops for what was clearly domestic role-play.

Stirring the chain in the pot, tossing and pouring it out, he was happily engaged in imaginative play, typical of any child of his age. When I discussed this with his mother, it transpired that she regularly offered him open-ended objects like these to play with, and that explorative and imaginative play were commonplace.

Another source of interest for many children is objects of awe and wonder like silk cocoons. These not only fascinate but are great for bringing stories to life and providing much needed sensory stimulation.

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Play with open-ended resources can remove glass ceilings about what children with SEN can achieve

or bean-filled fabric. Obviously, care needs to be taken if objects are likely to be used as missiles but, as with the teenagers in the residential school, this is not a foregone conclusion. The clever addition of complementary resources, such as spoons for collections of eggs and balls, significantly increases the potential for satisfying and sustained exploration and play, as well as developing a host of physical skills.

Without prompting, one autistic girl began trying to balance a ball on a spoon. After repeated attempts, and lots of delighted dropping, she mastered the ability to walk slowly and steadily with the ball carefully balanced. The sheer joy on her face at her achievement was wonderful to share, and an important reminder of the importance of providing children with opportunities to challenge themselves and achieve their own objectives.

These play snapshots reveal the ability of objects to ignite explorative play and imagination, but with the addition of sand or water, the potential for objects to become anything or spark scientific exploration are endless. One young girl with a visual impairment happily filled, poured, transported and explored a mixture of sand, dried pasta and glitter using mini pots and spoons. Using an ice cream scoop, she carefully filled a mini terracotta pot with sand and watched as it emptied through the hole in the bottom, leaving just the pasta in the pot. For children who cannot tolerate touching sand or gloop, the use of an intermediary object like the spoon acts as a bridge to play, ultimately enabling them to access the

resource direct. For one two-and-ahalf-year-old who never played with sand, the addition of household utensils engaged him in animated play for over an hour.

Since all learning starts with our senses, sensory-rich play opportunities should be a natural ingredient in any enabling environment, whether it’s an SEN environment or not. With careful support from a sensitive adult, a sensory education can help give children the best start in life, as well as being lots of fun.

References:

American Journal of Public Health, September (2004) cited in Gascoyne, S, (2012).

Ayres, J. (1972) Sensory Integration and the Child: Understanding Hidden Sensory Challenges. Los Angeles, CA: Western Psychological Services.

Gascoyne, S. (2012) Treasure Baskets and Beyond – Realizing the Potential of Sensory-rich Play.

Berkshire: Open University Press.

Hill, J, EECERA, (2010) What influence can regular, unstructured, wild, outdoor experiences have on children with additional needs? in Proceedings of the 2010 EECERA Conference. Birmingham: EECERA.

Wilbarger, P. and Wilbarger, J. (1991) Sensory Defensiveness in Children Aged 2-12: An Intervention Guide for Parents and Other Caregivers.

Denver, CO: Avanti Educational Programmes.

Further information

Sue Gascoyne is an early years researcher, educational consultant and trainer. She launched the children’s play resource company Play to Z Ltd in 2006 and is the author of Sensory Play and Treasure Baskets and Beyond – Realising the benefits of sensory rich play: www.playtoz.co.uk

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PLAY

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PLAY Advertisement feature

Accessible play for state-of-the-art school An inclusive play area designed by Sutcliffe Play is being enjoyed by children at a new purpose built SEN school in Knowsley.

Bluebell Park is a state-ofthe-art school providing primary, secondary and post16 facilities for 185 students with SEN. The play area created by Sutcliffe Play features elements including wheelchair swings and a wide mound tunnel. A focal point is the exciting Playzone unit which is designed for wheelchair access all the way round and features an inclusive slide and an inclined drag ramp. The design also includes a trampoline and a wheelchair roundabout with rainbow flooring to add colour to the environment.

“We wanted to give the youngsters of Bluebell Park an opportunity for play that’s not available to them anywhere else,” says Sue Cowley, Business Manager for Bluebell Park.

“This requirement has been met without a doubt. You can see the joy on their faces as they play; it’s a real pleasure to see.” www.sutcliffeplay.co.uk

Advertisement feature

Physical skills for learning with Jumping Bean Bag BEANY and the Jumping Bean Bag (JBB) introduces children, from as young as two years, to warm-up rhymes, gross motor skills, fun fit and physical exercises and warm-down games.

The programme has evolved over 20 years and now includes a DVD, four BEANY story books, seven Bean Bag Challenge cards, BEANY’s Diary, ten 10-minute bite-sized pre-planned exercise sessions, stickers, badges, score cards, and colouring-in and achievement posters. It is suitable for children with various different needs.

The range of resources means JBB can now be used at home, to involve parents in the child’s development, in school or for small-group work, with or without training; it is an affordable and effective intervention with measurable outcomes – both entertaining and educational.

Jumping Bean Bag has been devised using evidence-based studies* which demonstrate the benefits of teaching children physical skills as a preparation for learning; how developing co-ordination helps to raise levels of achievement and creates happy learners; and how teaching children to balance, jump, catch and throw, bend, stretch and roll with coordination, in the SENISSUE70

comfort of their own home, is fun for everyone – both learners and teachers alike.

Don’t just take our word for it: www.jumpingbeanbag.co.uk has reviews and recommendations from families, early years professionals and SENCOs. A mum and doctor in London wrote: “My partner bought a Jumping Bean Bag pack at the Ideal Home Show for his six-year-old niece, who has a rare form of muscular dystrophy, and she absolutely loved it. She kept asking to have the DVD on again and again. She’s Italian and the language barrier wasn’t a problem. Thank you all”.

For more information, please contact Mandy and David Gwynne-Jones: info@jumpingbeanbag.co.uk 07976 084899 www.jumpingbeanbag.co.uk Prices are from £14.95 for the DVD, guide book, BEANY, stickers and badge. BEANY is £4.95. * Griffith Institute for Educational Research in Australia: http://app.griffith.edu.au/news/2012/11/15/swimming-kids-are-smarter/

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FOREST SCHOOLS

Playing inside the copse Andy Mulholland finds inspiration and inclusion in his school's local woods

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ur school is lucky enough to have a small copse, about 70m by 10m, that is within the fenced school grounds and so is both easy to get to and provides a controllable environment that staff feel confident in and pupils secure in. Feeling relaxed is a good basis for some wonderful play and learning experiences for all concerned.

I have been leading forest school sessions for three years, taking a small group of KS1 and KS2 children with SEN out into the copse one morning a week for half a term. Using the wood gives the children a chance to let off steam, and space to avoid flash points or stresses.

During forest school sessions our children have, amongst many other things, designed and built the school entry to the local scarecrow festival trail, hung on a branch like a sloth, created a stick and pan orchestra and "cooked" sausage sticks and gloopy soup. They have also re-enacted The Three Little Pigs, which was a big hit.

Having had the story read outside, the children took turns to be the wolf, and build straw, stick and brick houses.

They began to remember more and more lines from the story and speak

or sign them a little more clearly. All pupils achieved well, with no pressure to "perform".

Nature has designed the wood inclusively and all children find their own challenge, even if it’s simply being outside experiencing different weather conditions and getting muddy, wet or cold. The setting also allows for time alone or group work. It can provide artistic inspiration or present pupils with practical problems to solve.

Space for all The wood can be a great leveller as well; two children may be many levels apart on scales or assessments but out in the wood they can share a Harry Potter game, find a common interest and communicate with a stick wand. The simple enjoyment of hanging from a tree branch provides physical stimulation that can be difficult to engender in the more structured environment of the PE hall.

Mixed ability outdoor activities also do much to stimulate social interaction. For example, when digging for dinosaur bones in the wood, all children have something to say or sign about dinosaurs; they can connect with each other, sharing their likes and

Nature has designed the wood inclusively and all children find their own challenge dislikes, and get to know one another a little better.

Our classes have also enjoyed hiding in the woods pretending to be crashed aircrew during World War Two. The children were charged with working in small teams, thinking about and play-acting how to survive. They were also challenged to come up with descriptive language and time in the wood contributed to class literacy lessons through stories and poems.

Time spent in the woods can allow for deeper learning. Often a quietness descends on the wood as the children enter a state of heightened focus and immersion in activities. Such sessions act as training for the brain, encouraging better concentration when children return to their class.

Of course there are risks with activities such as this – and they must be carefully assessed – but the experiences and happy memories they provide can be priceless, especially for difficult-to-reach children. So, next time you are thinking about designing an outdoor play space, don’t forget to plant a tree and dig a hole too!

Further information

Time outdoors can provide a creative spark for all children.

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Andy Mulholland is an SEN Teaching Assistant and Forest School Practitioner at Headlands Primary School, York: www.yorkla.org/headlands

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Fostering transferable skills Dominic Stevenson explains how the skills you already have could help you into a career in fostering

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s the number of children in care with statements of SEN continues to rise, there is an increasing demand for foster carers who have the skills and experience to support a child or young person with SEN. People with experience of working or living with those with SEN can also offer homes to a wider range of children, as they bring valuable skills and expertise from outside to their fostering role.

The demand for foster carers who can commit to supporting young adults is also growing, as recent reforms mean that young people can stay with their foster families until they reach the age of 21.

Types of fostering Each child in care is, of course, an individual, and many will have complex needs. They can all benefit from a foster carer with the right skills to help them develop and thrive, both in care and when they leave – whether they return to their birth or wider family, are adopted, move on to another foster carer or live as an independent adult.

There are many different types of fostering, all of which come with their own challenges and rewards. It is important for prospective foster carers to research the specific need for carers in their area to determine whether the types of fostering required locally are suitable for their family.

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His work as an educational psychologist has given him important skills to bring to fostering vary greatly, depending on the type of fostering involved. Short-break fostering could be for just a single night, while long-term fostering can mean supporting a young person from childhood to when they are ready to leave. Foster carers may also specialise in looking after children of a certain age or gender, and children with specific specialist needs.

Making your skills count Richard Field, a foster carer and educational psychologist from London, has been fostering for two and a half years. He applied to be a foster carer so that he could provide more rounded care to children: “I became a foster carer because I have always enjoyed working with children. Fostering has given me the opportunity to follow through interventions and support children in a more holistic way. It has been an opportunity to work within the system, but from a different perspective”, he says.

Richard believes that his work as an educational psychologist has given him important transferable skills to bring to fostering: “I’m used to working with a

Foster carer and EP Richard Field.

Foster Care Fortnight 12 to 25 May 2014

The annual foster carer recruitment and awareness campaign, run by the Fostering Network, takes place in May. This Foster Care Fortnight, all people who have a background in living or working with children and young people are being called upon to come forward and to consider a career in fostering. If you believe that your experience and skills mean you have what it takes to become a foster carer, visit: couldyoufoster.org.uk and then contact your local fostering service.

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“At times, fostering is pretty much like bringing my work home”

Thorough checks are carried out to ensure that applicants are suitable as foster carers.

as well as the importance of building resilience, has been important in helping me handle children’s transitions.

“At times, fostering is pretty much like bringing my work home. I enjoy the fact that I also get to see the positive outcomes of my work with children as an educational psychologist outside of the school setting.”

Managing two roles range of professionals across systems and working closely with school staff, which is a huge bonus as you can see both sides of the story. My career as an educational psychologist has also given me experience of implementing behaviour systems and using positive reinforcement to support children, which I have found to be extremely useful as a foster carer.

“Because I don’t have a fostering specialism, it means I can have children of all ages placed with me. My experience of using different strategies to improve academic outcomes, develop social skills and improve emotional wellbeing has been vital in working with a wide range of children.

My knowledge of psychological theory – most notably attachment theory –

Where practical, and as long as the fostered child’s needs can be met, foster carers should be able to do other work in addition to fostering, as Richard does – managing his first career with his fostering career. “It can be tricky juggling the two as ultimately I am responsible for the children in my care”, he says. “This means that I sometimes have to prioritise my foster children >>

Types of foster care Emergency

Emergency foster carers need to be prepared to take a child into their home at short notice, at any time of the day or night. Children will usually need to stay for only a few days, while longer-term plans are being considered.

Short-term

Short-term fostering can mean anything from overnight stays to a period of several months. Short-term foster carers provide a temporary place to stay until the child can return home to his/her own family or a longer-term fostering or adoption arrangement can be made.

Long-term

Long-term fostering allows children to stay in a family where they can feel secure, while maintaining contact with their birth family. There is a particular need for this type of foster care for teenagers and sibling groups.

Short-break

Short-break fostering covers a variety of part-time care, including offering a break to the family of a child with disabilities or for a foster family. A child could come and stay for anything from a few hours each week to a couple of weekends each month.

Specialist schemes

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There is a wide range of specialist schemes which focus on working with children with particular needs. These include parent and baby placements, therapeutic foster care and fostering young people on remand.

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Becoming a foster carer

The following is a typical process that people go through on the road to becoming a foster carer. To ensure that only the right people are approved to foster, it is a thorough process that can take up to eight months.

Gather information about fostering and find your local fostering services

Get in touch with a fostering service to request an information pack

Attend an information session and meet current foster carers

Make your formal application

Start the assessment

Complete pre-approval training (all prospective foster carers must do this)

Background checks are then made on all applicants

When all information has been gathered, a report is made to a fostering panel who recommend whether or not the applicant is suitable to foster

The fostering service then makes the final decision about approval

The fostering service matches a child with a new family. This could be the next day or after a few weeks

over spending extra time completing my work.

“The allowances I get for fostering have meant that I have been able to cut my hours down from full-time to two days a week, and this enables me to get my work done during school days.

It also allows me to attend training, meetings and support groups and still do the school runs. I am also fortunate enough to be able to work from home, which I often do, particularly during school holidays.”

In the UK there are more than 52,500 foster families. With 12 per cent of this workforce retiring or leaving every year, and record numbers of children in care, the Fostering Network estimates that fostering services across the UK need to recruit at least a further 8,600 foster families during 2014 alone.

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With one of the main challenges in recruitment being the need for foster carers who specialise in fostering children with complex needs, those with a background in this area are key to making sure that our most vulnerable children have a home where they can develop, with people who are ambitious for them.

For Richard, his role as a foster carer clearly means a lot: “Fostering is by far the most rewarding thing I have done. I think that someone who has the ability to work with children through education is likely to be passionate about making a difference for children in the long-term.

“I get a huge amount of satisfaction from being able to see the rewards and progress made when children are encouraged, motivated and supported.

I feel that to provide children with aspirations around education and learning is invaluable for their future success, their self-esteem and career prospects. Alongside this, I also get to provide a safe and loving home, the value of which is evident in the laughter and jokes that frequently light up my house, and in seeing the small moments of progress which mean so much to these children.”

Further information Dominic Stevenson is Senior Media Officer at the charity the Fostering Network: www.fostering.net

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FOSTERING AND ADOPTION

Understanding health conditions The British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) has published a new set of books for children. The four books are aimed at seven- to 11-year-olds and are short guides about particular health issues common in looked-after children. They provide information about what it means to be affected by one of these conditions.

The series looks at ADHD, behavioural difficulties, foetal alcohol syndrome and dyslexia. Each book is written as a story with colourful illustrations and there is also a question and answer section at the back which covers a range of queries and concerns, and provides practical information and advice in a straightforward and child-friendly style. This is designed to help carers and children explore the issues further together.

The books are: My brother has ADHD A story about a boy with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

By Susan Yarney, illustrated by Rachel Fuller Why can’t I be good?

A story about a girl with behaviour problems

By Hedi Argent, illustrated by Rachel Fuller

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Oli and the pink bicycle A story about a girl born with foetal alcohol syndrome

By Catherine Jackson, illustrated by Rachel Fuller Sam’s trouble with words A story about a boy with dyslexia

By Lorna Miles, illustrated by Rachel Fuller Although written with adopted and fostered children in mind, the guides will be of help to any child affected by the issues.

The guides are priced at £6.95 each or £24 for the set of four.

For more information and to purchase the books, tel: 020 7421 2604 (Publications Sales), fax: 020 7421 2601, email: pubs.sales@baaf.org.uk or visit: www.baaf.org.uk

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Schooled in autism How should schools approach the support of those with autism? Emily Haddock looks at what works at her school

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am lucky enough to work in a school that was specifically designed with autistic children and young people in mind. I have seen many of these children make remarkable progress, even when their previous placements have failed. In this article, I will outline some of the main elements that I believe go together to create an effective approach to education and care for those with autism.

Home/school relationship It is important for schools to work closely with families and social workers as soon as a referral is received, to ensure that children have positive experiences throughout their time at school. It is good practice to invite the parents and young person to visit the SENISSUE70

school as often as they like. In some cases, it will also be a good idea to visit the family in their home. Schools should identify which class the young person will be in, who his/her teacher will be and who the lead teaching assistant will be, and ensure that it is these people that the family has contact with. It is important to remember that parents know their child best; schools can utilise their expertise and knowledge of issues such as the child’s likes, dislikes and triggers. Parents can also tell you which behaviour management strategies they find successful at home.

All young people with autism need an individualised plan to integrate them into school life. While some young people may immediately slot into the school’s routines, for others this can

Parents know their child best and schools can utilise this expertise and knowledge be a very slow process. It is crucial to gauge the pace of transition which is appropriate for the individual student.

An 18-year-old young man recently joined our school after multiple failed placements; initially, he only attended school for 30 minutes a day and this was gradually increased in five minute increments. His mum was astounded to see him attending school beyond 2.30pm, as this had never happened WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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before, and he now completes a full school day.

Schools should share the young person’s successes with his/her home on a continual basis. The school should make parents aware of which strategies have been successful with their child, and be prepared to consider strategies that the family has found to be successful. Communication should be daily, either via a home/school diary, personal contact or email. At the end of the week, schools can send home photographs or home/school diaries so that parents can look at these with the young person and discuss what has been happening and how the week has gone.

Regular parents groups can also be very effective, enabling parents to meets for a coffee and a chat about their experiences, struggles and successes.

Informal training sessions can also be incorporated into these meetings, utilising the input of professionals such as speech and language therapists and occupational therapists, and behaviour management strategies. Parents often find such sessions extremely rewarding and they can go a long way towards helping parents to understand that they are not alone.

Achievement While many people would support the view that individuals cannot be happy without developing themselves, too often this is not applied to people with SEN. It is important that all young people have access to a variety of courses which support their individual learning needs. This could take the form of a life skills program – which teaches young people the skills that are going to support their independence – GCSE or BTEC course in areas of specific interest to them or which are going to give them opportunities to further develop their knowledge in specific areas.

Young people with autism should receive constant encouragement to achieve. On a regular basis, perhaps every half term, they should be set WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

subject targets, behaviour targets and specific targets relating to the difficulties that stem from their autism. Progress against these targets should be tracked to ensure that the young people are continually moving forward and making progress, not just academically, but in every area in which they could progress.

Success should always be celebrated, and parents and others involved with the child should be included. For example, at the end of each term, parents, social workers and local authority workers could be invited to an achievement celebration at which each young person is presented with a certificate for something they have achieved that terms. Schools can also maintain a record of achievement file which can be sent home to parents at the end of the year and used when children transition to their next placement.

Timetabling Careful planning is needed to timetable the young person’s day so that therapy and academic study complement each other, rather than get in each other’s way. Different times of day can also be used for different types of activities.

Mornings, for example, could see a focus on academic subjects, such as literacy and numeracy, while the afternoon might include more informal activities, such as swimming, art, PE and community visits. Community visits are important as many children with autism can be excluded from activities which others take for granted. It is important that these children get the same learning and social opportunities as their peers.

Behaviour management It is important to see all behaviours as an attempt to communicate. A total communication approach is key. It is our responsibility as educators to try to understand what it is that the young person in question is trying to communicate to us, through whatever behaviour s/he may be exhibiting. If a child is behaving in a challenging

Young people with autism should receive constant encouragement to achieve

manner, we should aim to understand why this is, rather than confronting and reprimanding the child for the behaviour itself. We need to enter the child’s world and communicate with him/her using whatever communication medium s/he has chosen. We shouldn’t try to make the child, or the child’s behaviour, fit neatly into a box just because we can’t identify a communication method that works for him/her; it is our job to learn the child’s method of communication, rather than simply trying to teach him/ her ours.

As always, when working with children and young people with autism, we must remember that each person is an individual, and there is no single approach that will work for everyone.

Further information

Emily Haddock is Deputy Head at Birtenshaw School, a day and residential, non-maintained special school in Bolton: www.birtenshaw.org.uk

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THE AUTISM SHOW Advertisement feature

The Autism Show returns in June

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ast year, The Autism Show, the national event for autism, attracted a record audience of over 7,000 parents, carers and professionals who live and work with autism on a daily basis.

The event will be back in June, packed with a brand new speaker programme, exciting interactive features and specialist providers of products and services. This year, the event is headline sponsored by Hesley Group in London and Witherslack Group in Manchester and is designed to appeal to visitors dealing with every stage of the condition.

A specially selected group of leading professionals and high profile parents will be discussing the latest news and research on the condition in The Autism Matters Theatre in partnership with Research Autism. Speakers will also be examining some of the key issues which affect the lives of individuals with autism and those who care for, support and teach them. For the first time, signers will be available in this theatre for those who are deaf or have hearing difficulties.

The Hub theatres, sponsored by Hesley Group, have doubled in size for 2014. Here, visitors will be given speaker headsets to ensure that not even a word is missed in these informative theatres. In Theatre 1, Ask Autism, the exciting new training service from The National Autistic Society, will be hosting an insightful series of presentations from adults on the autism spectrum. Visitors will be able to gain a direct insight into what it means to be autistic and, in so doing, perhaps better understand past events and what to expect in the future.

Meanwhile Theatre 2 in the Hub offers a huge number of tried, tested and practical approaches on subjects, such as managing challenging behaviour, transitions, community care assessments, sensory and social communication difficulties and sleeping problems, to name just a few.

For visitors who are looking for advice from autism specialists, help is at hand in the free and confidential one to one clinics.

Advisers, clinicians, therapists and solicitors will be available to cover topics such as diagnosis, bullying, sleeping difficulties, challenging behaviour, legal advice on special educational needs, employment, welfare rights, sensory integration and occupational therapy, wills and trusts, support packages for young adults and legal entitlements post-16.

There are also many exciting interactive features at the show to add colour and inspiration to your visit. These range from the My Autism Gallery, displaying work from artists on the spectrum, to the new Sensory and Calm Rooms created by Mike Ayres Design and OM Interactive, and to the stunning performances taking place every lunchtime in Autism's Got Talent in association with Anna Kennedy Online.

Amongst all this content you will find the largest collection of autism specific products and services in the UK. Explore the exhibition to find leading suppliers of learning tools, visual aids, sensory equipment, furniture, advice and support services, residential care and specialist schools.

Book now and save 20 per cent off your ticket price by visiting: www.autismshow.co.uk The Autism Show London, 13 to 14 June, ExCeL London.

The Autism Show Manchester, 27 to 28 June, EventCity.

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AUTISM Advertisement feature

Seashell provides outstanding education and care services for children and young people with complex communication and learning needs, including autism and multi-sensory impairment. Our specialist on-site assessment and leisure facilities enhance and extend the curriculum; individual programmes are designed by a multi-disciplinary team and deliver by qualified and experienced staff.

Royal School Manchester Royal School Manchester is a 60-place, non-maintained day and residential special school for children and young people with low incidence disability.

The school specialises in supporting students with severe and complex learning needs including autism, hearing impairment, visual impairment, multi-sensory impairment and sensory processing difficulties.

Royal College Manchester Royal College Manchester is an independent specialist day and residential college with capacity for 60 students aged 19 to 25 with complex low-incidence special education needs, involving a combination of cognitive, physical, sensory and behavioural disabilities.

Short Breaks Seashell offers a range of short breaks packages for children and young people aged between three and 25 years of age. Designed for those with severe and complex learning difficulties, they are tailored to meet the needs of the individual and their family. Short breaks can range from a few hours during the day or evening, to overnight, weekend or week long stays and they are delivered with the same skills, expertise and care given to those in our full time care.

CADS (Children’s Able and Disabled Sports) Our award-winning Children's Able and Disabled Sports programme (CADS) is a series of unique sport, health and leisure activities that are suitable for both able and disabled children and young adults. All the activities can be accessed by any child and young person, no matter what their ability or disability, and one to one support can be provided for those with more complex needs.

ICT Information communication technology supports individual needs and abilities and provides access to the wider curriculum. Each student has access to bespoke, state of the art technology in order to maximise his/her learning, develop effective communication skills and facilitate independence.

Stanley Road Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire, SK8 6RQ t: 0161 610 0100 e: info@seashelltrust.org.uk

www.seashelltrust.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1092655

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AUTISM Advertisement feature

Engagement, communication and meaningful lives As long-term converts to the significant benefits of Intensive Interaction, as an approach to supporting people with complex needs, including those with a learning disability and autism, Hesley Group continue to celebrate the many successes in which this approach has played an important part, in terms of those children, young people and adults who have moved through or continue to live and progress positively in their services.

It was reinforced by Professor Barry Carpenter, to those who attended the group’s Professionals’ event in London on April 2, 2014, just how important it is to seek to actively engage with children with complex needs, as a pre-requisite to providing them with the best possible educational opportunities.

Anna Backhouse, the Operations Manager for Adult Services at Hesley Group, as a highly experienced speech and language therapist, has worked across a range of sectors. She has consistently found the quality of relationships a person with complex needs experiences is key to the best possible quality of life. Central to supporting the development of relationship skills and in the long term, social integration and independence, is the facilitation of the development of social understanding.

In explaining something of the Hesley approach; and its links with Intensive Interaction, Anna describes the key twoway process of early parent-child interaction, with turn-taking, mutual anticipation and imitation; with the infant as an active participant, seeking out eye contact and, for example, turning away when they have “had enough”. Anna explains that infants with disabilities are much less active in this process and their responses can be hard for parents to interpret. This can disrupt the interaction because the two-way, inherent rewards are not forthcoming. This process of engagement and interaction is directly relevant to striving to best support children and adults with the range of needs which can lead to their referral to services such as Hesley’s.

The ethos behind the process of engagement and interaction is of joining with the person in what they are doing, to be led by their interests and thus to explicitly value them each as an individual. As one example of the process: for some people, a fundamental step can be to enable them to “shift” from what is described in developmental terms as pre-intentional, to intentional communication and thus learn that seeking interaction with others is rewarding. This, of course, is not simple and can take a long time. The rewards, however, for such commitment from staff – for the person and staff themselves can be huge. Through fostering strong, positive engagement and communication people are regularly enabled to do more – and more positive – activity, which itself produces further reward and supports further development.

It is important not to make assumptions about what people can or cannot achieve and not to create false ceilings to potential progress. There is much evidence of course, that early support and intervention in autism is very important, including in terms of later communication ability. Hesley emphasise, including through occupational therapists working alongside staff and those they support, the links between engagement with the person, meaningful relationships, positive communication and meaningful activity – and the self-reinforcing nature of this cycle.

As Anna Backhouse says, “Success can look very different for different people”. She gives the examples of a young man who now shops at a big and busy supermarket independently; a young woman who sat through, enjoyed and engaged in a pantomime for the first time last year; and another person who now cheerfully hides his shoes or hides himself under a duvet, to avoid going out for a walk. Anna, her colleagues and those they support and enable celebrate it all.

For more information, visit: www.hesleygroup.co.uk

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AUTISM Advertisement feature

Autistic children can play and benefit therapeutically It’s not the case that children on the autistic spectrum can’t play, but rather that their play gets stuck at the earlier stages.

For example, H had few communication skills.

However, after a few weeks of play therapy, he was actively pointing things out to his mum and teachers and was verbalising his needs. Another child D, was reluctant to allow the play therapist to join his play. After several attempts to introduce a new character into his play, he eventually accepted it. This subsequently opened up the whole playroom to him. www.playtherapy.org.uk Those caring or working with autistic children now have a choice of therapists, quality assured through the Register of Play and Creative Arts Therapists. This is approved by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) under the AVR scheme recently approved by Parliament. The PSA is the UK’s “regulator of health regulators”.

01825 761143 www.playtherapyregister.org.uk

Winners of Autism Professionals Awards 2014 announced The winners of the second annual Autism Professionals Awards were announced at a special ceremony at the Royal Hall in Harrogate recently.

The National Autistic Society (NAS) event was hosted by best-selling author Kathy Lette and comedian and blogger John Williams. They handed out awards in nine categories which recognise services and professionals that lead the way in innovative autism practice and make a real difference to the lives of people with autism in the UK.

The winners are: • Award for Inspirational Education Provision: Newcastle College's Autism Support Team • Award for Outstanding Adult Service: NAS Autism and Ageing Project • Award for Clinical Excellence, sponsored by NUA Healthcare: Midlands Psychology • Award for Innovative Family Support: Midlands Psychology • Best New Technological Innovation, sponsored by Network Autism: Kingwood, with the Helen Hamlyn Centre • Award for Most Creative Community Project: Scottish Autism, The Tree and the Abbey production • The Axcis Award for Achievement by an Individual Education Professional: Bozena Marczyk • Lifetime Achievement Award: Rita Jordan • Autism Accreditation Excellence Award: Lincolnshire Pathfinder Social Communication Team.

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Lincolnshire’s Pathfinder Team with John Williams and Kathy Lette (front left and right) and Robert Pritchett, NAS (right).

The winners were selected by an independent judging panel, consisting of leading autism experts from a variety of professional backgrounds across the UK. Carol Povey, Director of The National Autistic Society's Centre for Autism, said: “The winners should be commended for standing out from a truly exceptional shortlist.

“The finalists highlight some of the groundbreaking work going on across the UK to improve the lives of people affected by autism. It is important that we share their achievements so that other individuals and organisations can follow in their footsteps and ensure we live in a world where people with autism can reach their full potential.

“With the right support people with autism can live the life they choose.”

For more information, visit: www.autismprofessionalsawards.org.uk

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In the next issue of SEN Magazine: • PSHE • visual impairment • literacy/phonics • cerebral palsy • bullying • communication aids • learning disability week • looked-after children • manual handling • school refusal • SEN law • autism • dyslexia Plus news, reviews, CPD and events listings and much more Follow us on

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BOOK REVIEWS

Book reviews

by Mary Mountstephen

Building Happiness, Resilience and Motivation in Adolescents: A Positive Psychology Curriculum for Well-Being Ruth MacConville and Tina Rae Jessica Kingsley Publishers £29.99 ISBN: 978-1-84905-261-0 Ruth MacConville is Head of SEN Services in Ealing, London and Tina Rae is an academic and professional tutor at the University of East London. Together they have produced a structured and positive psychology programme designed to support young people aged 11 to 18. This is based on the work of Martin Seligman and uses his 24 character strengths as the basis for 24 chapters, dealing with aspects such as kindness, teamwork and fairness.

Each chapter includes four activities covering a wide range of approaches. I enjoyed the chapter on kindness, where the activities ranged from students recording ways in which they know they are kind to themselves, to identifying a kind act that they completed for each day of the week.

Many of the activities would lend themselves well to group or class settings, or to being integrated into specialist programmes for some students.

The authors stress the importance of students recognising their own strengths as a vital part of building resilience.

They also introduce the concept of mindfulness in the context of alleviating anxiety and improving concentration, empathy and perceptual acuity.

This book is packed full of interesting activities and it shows how, by filling our physical environment with positive words, images and actions, we can develop the habit of looking for what is good in life.

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Physical Activity and Mental Health Editors: Angela Clow and Sarah Edmunds Human Kinetics £48.99 ISBN: 978-1-4504-3433-1

This book reviews the connections between physical activity, mental health and wellbeing, and combines theory with practical tips on exercise programmes. The authors, both based at the University of Westminster, provide an excellent overview of the subject which is particularly relevant to many professionals.

The book covers topics such as the science of wellbeing, nature versus nurture, self-esteem and links between physical activity and anxiety.

Chapters open with an outline and editor’s introduction and include evidence linked to practice. They cover core concepts and definitions and conclude with extensive references. The format is attractive, with many charts, tables and checklists.

This book is interesting because of the way it links physical and mental wellbeing. It provides practitioners with an overview of current evidence and is relevant in terms of media interest in obesity and also excessive exercise.

I particularly enjoyed reading about the ways in which physical activity can positively affect a range of mental health conditions and how brain pathways are sensitive to the effects of physical activity. The book also highlights other aspects of physical activity such as potentially increased social interaction, opportunities to develop resilience and decreases in stress.

The book concludes with recommendations for research, policy and practice which stress the importance of doing any physical activity, as opposed to none, in terms of quality of life and mental health.

WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

BOOK REVIEWS

Islands of Genius: The Bountiful Mind of the Autistic, Acquired and Sudden Savant D. A. Treffort Foreword by Daniel Tammet JKP Publishers £25.00 SBN: 978-1-84905-873-5

I Can’t Do That!

(Second Edition)

Michael Chisick Illustrated by Sarah Peacock Sage Publishers: A Lucky Duck Book £24.99 ISBN: 978-0-85702-044-4

Treffort is a Clinical Professor

This book, with photocopiable

of Psychiatry who acted as

resources, is intended for those

a consultant on the film

working with children with a

Rain Man, in which Dustin

range of social communication

Hoffman played the part

difficulties.

of an autistic savant. In

It uses social stories and

this book he explains

includes additional features

savant syndrome.

which help the reader to

Divided into five parts, the book provides the reader with an accessible guide to the concepts underpinning, and the actual experience of, the savant’s understanding of reality.

A savant is defined as “an individual with exceptional ability in one or more fields that coexist with some form of disability”.

Treffort uses his own experience and short case histories to illustrate his arguments and to clarify why he is so intrigued by this striking condition, which was first described in 1887. It is interesting to note his discovery that IQ levels in savant syndrome can range from below 40 to as high as 140, although many persons with this syndrome have IQ scores below 70, and males outnumber females by as many as six to one.

write their own. The author is a teacher who works as a member of the Kirklees Autism Outreach Service and in the preface he explains that each story had a real child and a real situation as its origin. Ling advises the reader to tailor the stories to the needs of the individual child, to write them alongside the child and to involve parents. He also, significantly, encourages the reader to write stories to celebrate good things as well as to provide instruction for potentially awkward circumstances.

The 30 new stories cover social rules and conventions and the author explains the importance of social stories and how they can be integrated into settings. He explains that these have not been categorised by age, as this depends on the individual child’s maturity and coping skills.

This is a fascinating book which includes a chapter

The book is divided into eight sections which cover

on Temple Grandin, who is the author of several books

everyday situations such as home routines, eating habits,

and well-known internationally for her work based on

feelings and school routines. Each topic is covered on one

her experience as an ambassador for raising awareness

page, with simple drawings and statements. There is also

about autism.

a template for writing stories.

This book provides valuable insight, information and support in the field of understanding the human mind.

WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

This is a useful book which has clearly proved popular, given that this is its second edition.

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CPD AND EVENTS

CPD and events Rebound Therapy Staff Training Courses

Strategies for Successful Special Needs Support

The National Rebound Therapy Consultancy with founder Eddy Anderson. The official UK body of reference and provider of nationally accredited, certificated staff training courses in Rebound Therapy.

Online

01342 870543 www.reboundtherapy.orgch and Language Sciences MSc

Working with the Autism Spectrum (Theory into Practice) Edinburgh

This undergraduate SCQF level 8 (equivalent to SHE level 2 or SVQ level 4) course is a collaboration between The National Autistic Society and Edinburgh Napier University. Comprising of six, one-day units, the course is very much practice-based.

The assessment will enable candidates to reflect upon their own practice and integrate the knowledge gained to further improve the care and support they carry out. The course will be relevant to anyone working with or caring for individuals with an autism spectrum disorder, including parents, health professionals, support staff, social services and staff from education. www.autism.org.uk/training

Certificate in Understanding Autism in Schools A three-day programme leading to a Certificate in Understanding Autism (accredited at 40 credits level 4 or 5 by Canterbury Christ Church University). The course is usually taken one day per school term. Courses are purchased by local authorities who then make places available to staff working in education. www.autism.org.uk/training

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Strategies for Successful Special Needs Support is an introductory online course accredited by The College of Teachers at Certificate of Educational Studies level. The course is for teachers and others working with children with special needs and includes full tutor support. www.collegeofteachers.ac.uk

Leadership for Teachers and Trainers Online

This course will help develop your strategic leadership skills and is aimed at teachers and leadership teams in schools including senior and middle managers within a school or training organisation. www.collegeofteachers.ac.uk

Level 4 CPD Certificate in Dyslexia in the Classroom Online

Dyslexia Action's continuing professional development online course has been developed specifically for classroom teachers and teaching assistants working in the primary and secondary education fields. Many units are also suitable for those working in further education. This CPD course is primarily intended for UK based applicants. However, UK teachers working overseas in an English speaking international school may also apply.

Autism Seminars for Families: sensory needs insert now available A resource pack to enable you to deliver autism seminars in your local area. A cost effective way to help you support families. www.autism.org.uk/familyseminarpack

Network Autism: free online discussion group on SEN reforms Take part in the new policy group dedicated to SEN reforms, read the latest research and collaborate with others. www.networkautism.org.uk

Free one hour webinars on education and autism The National Autistic Society and Axcis Education Recruitment have produced webinars to help teachers and educators learn the tools and strategies they need to support children with autism. www.autism.org.uk/webinars

Managing the Role of the SENCO (Days 3 and 4, 26/02/14).

Overcoming Barriers to Learning Mathematics (Days 3 and 4, 5/03/14).

Teaching Children with Specific Learning Difficulties (Days 3 and 4, 10/03/14). www.learning-works.org.uk/cpdcourses

Understanding Behaviour As Communication And How To Respond Positively Various venues

This course is suitable for those working with children or adults who have challenging behaviour, learning difficulties including autistic spectrum condition and no or limited language.

Concept Training Ltd

01524-832828 www.concept-training.co.uk

Various dates

Supporting people on the Autism Spectrum in Producing Written Work Various venues

This course is suitable for anyone who works with children, young people or adults, who are on the autism spectrum, in an educational setting.

Henshaws College Professional Days

Concept Training Ltd

Harrogate

www.concept-training.co.uk

Regular free professional development events at Henshaws College for professionals working with young people with disabilities, including sessions on a range of therapies and techniques for inclusive learning. To find out more about upcoming events contact:Â

01423 886451 admissions@henshaws.ac.uk http://henshaws.ac.uk

dyslexiaaction.org.uk

Learning Works CPD Courses

Various dates

Various dates

Autism Spectrum, An Introduction, Level 2 Various venues

01524-832828

Various dates

Autism – Educating pupils who think differently Ensure you meet the needs of the pupils on the autism spectrum, clarify the changes in the SEN Code of Practice, meet Ofsted demands and monitor and assess for success. osiriseducational.co.uk

Various dates

How to Engage all SEN Readers

01524-832828

Make reading more appealing for those who have difficulties, with practical strategies and solutions to help overcome the barriers. Impress Ofsted with a classroom full of engaged, autonomous readers.

www.concept-training.co.uk

osiriseducational.co.uk

Accredited at level 2 by the Open College Network. This course is for anyone working with or caring for either adults or children with Autism.

Concept Training Ltd

WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

CPD AND EVENTS Various dates

Outdoor Learning for SEN Make the most of your outdoor setting to engage SEN pupils and enhance their progress.

Find out how to create exciting outdoor spaces to maximise multi-sensory education. osiriseducational.co.uk

Various dates

Intensive Interaction – with Phoebe Caldwell Various venues

This course is for anyone who works with adults or children with severe disability, multiple disabilities, challenging behaviour, autism and people with whom it is difficult to make contact.

Concept Training Ltd

01524-832828

www.concept-training.co.uk

Various dates

Positive Ways of Changing Behaviour Various venues

Don’t just manage challenging or difficult behaviour, use pro-active approaches to support children and service users to make positive behavioural changes. Gain an understanding of behaviour and its function and learn to recognise early warning signs of negative behaviour and make positive early interventions Concept Training Ltd

01524-832828 www.concept-training.co.uk

Various dates

Managing Attachment Disorder Uncover a complete structure for working with pupils with attachment disorders – from teaching techniques to differentiate learning, to setting clear targets to monitor and track pupil progress. osiriseducational.co.uk

WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Various dates

The Perfect SENCO Prepare for the latest SEN law and policy changes, and achieve outstanding progress for all SEN pupils. Uncover how to demonstrate the impact to Ofsted. osiriseducational.co.uk

Various dates (as required)

People First Education SEN INSET training

Various dates (as required)

People First Education SEN Consultations and Observations In-house observations of learners; supported by teacher consultations followed by whole staff lunchtime/twilight feedback session and detailed, personalised written reports including recommendations and interventions.

Contact for information and availability.

Effective, personalised, in-house training delivered by experienced, qualified and approachable trainers.

Contact for information and availability.

01427 667556

01427 667556

Effective inclusion of learners with ADHD: A day course to enable successful inclusion of learners with ADHD.

www.peoplefirsteducation.co.uk

We take every care when compiling the information on these pages. However, details may change, and we recommend that you contact the event organisers for up-todate information before you make arrangements to attend.

www.peoplefirsteducation.co.uk

Various May and June

People First Education: ADHD Day

8 May: Premier Inn, Yeadon, West Yorkshire 15 May: Oaklands Hall, Grimsby 20 June: Lansdowne Hotel, Norwich £145 + VAT. Contact for information and availability.

01427 667556

www.peoplefirsteducation.co.uk

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CPD AND EVENTS Various May to July

People First Education: Visual Interventions and Social Stories Day Visual and auditory social and behavioural strategies for learners with ASDs, ADHD and related conditions.

16 May: Lansdowne Hotel, Norwich 10 June: Premier Inn, Yeadon, West

10 May

NAPLIC Conference: SLI – Outcomes and impact

Aston University, Birmingham

Keynotes speakers will include Marie Gascoigne, Mary Hartshorne, Anne Hayward and Yvonne Wren. There will be practitioner presentations and an exhibition.

Member’s early booking rate is held at 2010 price of £95. naplic.conference@gmail.com

Yorkshire 24 June: Albert Dock, Liverpool 27 June: Durham University 28 June: Oaklands Hall, Grimsby 9 July: Premier Inn, Rugby 11 July: Trafford Centre, Manchester £145 + VAT. Contact for information and availability.

01427 667556 www.peoplefirsteducation.co.uk

Various May to July

People First Education: Dyslexia Day 7 May: Premier Inn, Sheffield 12 May: Haymarket, Bristol 13 May: Rougemont, Exeter 18 June: Hoilday Inn: Croydon 9 June: Premier Inn, Brighouse 12 June: Big Sleep, Cheltenham 19 June: Latton Bush, Harlow 2 July: Swallow Hotel, Gateshead 3 July: NCSL, Nottingham

Effective inclusion of learners with dyslexia: A day course to enhance the literacy skills of learners with dyslexia. £145 + VAT. Contact for information and availability.

www.naplic.org.uk

10 May

Trauma, Treatment and Understanding London

Conference with international guest speaker Dr Bessel Van Der Kolk 10.00 5.00pm Cost: £168 The Centre for Child Mental Health

020 7354 2913

info@childmentalhealthcentre.org www.childmentalhealthcentre.org

13-14 May

Youth Employment Convention 2014 London

The Convention will showcase interventions that are evidenced to be working and providing the opportunities our young people need in order to succeed. It will involve young people, employers, providers of support services, commissioners, policy makers and stakeholders – culminating in a call to action intended to put youth employment and skills at the heart of the manifestos of all the major political parties. www.cesi.org.uk/events

01427 667556 www.peoplefirsteducation.co.uk

May 2014

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities implementing the Children and Families Bill London

Guest of Honour: Stephen Kingdom, Deputy Director, Special Educational Needs and Disability, Department for Education. www.westminsterforumprojects.co.uk SENISSUE70

Learning Works 17th Annual SEND Residential Conference Alexandra House, Swindon

Brand new and exciting structure for 2014. For SENCOs, LS coordinators and teachers working in independent and international schools.

For full details and booking online: www.learning-works.org.uk/eventstraining

19 and 20 May

Count me in!

Royal Society of Medicine, London

This two-day event will explore the mapping, planning and development of networks to enable researchers and practitioners to exchange knowledge about children and young people’s occupations.

It follows the launch of the Children and young people’s occupations, health and wellbeing: a research manifesto for developing the evidence base, by the College of Occupational Therapists, Specialist Section: Children Young People and Families. Topics will include: play and leisure, school occupations, sleep, magic camps and the impact of brain injury on occupations.

Cost: £300 for both days, £200 for one day

www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk/ countmein

21 and 22 May

nasen live 15 May

The Children’s Trust Open Day for Professionals Tadworth, Surrey

8 May

16 and 17 May

If you work with children and their families, find out how The Children’s Trust’s expertise and services have developed, see its facilities and speak to its multidisciplinary team. The free events will offer an overview of the Trust’s residential brain injury rehabilitation, community-based support, transitional services for technology-dependent children, and education for learners with profound and multiple learning difficulties. www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk/opendays

Bolton

SEN exhibition and conference with SEN supplier and resources stands, extensive seminar programme and in-depth workshop sessions. www.nasenlive.org.uk

22 May

Standards and accountability in 16-19 education and training London

With Tessa Griffiths, Head of School Accountability and Inspections Unit, Department for Education, Karen Murray, Senior Manager, Providers, Standards and Intervention, Education Funding Agency and a senior speaker confirmed from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The event will be chaired by Kelvin Hopkins MP, Member, All-Party Parliamentary Group for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning and Baroness Sharp of Guildford, Vice-Chair, AllParty Parliamentary Group for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning. www.westminsterforumprojects.co.uk

June 2014 3 June

Working with Children and Families from Diverse Communities with Speech, Language and Communication Needs Chandler House, Bloomsbury, London

To understand the requirements to adapt speech and language practice to meet the needs of different paediatric clients groups distinguished by culture or language. This will also be applied to working within a multi-cultural society. Tutors: Dr Merle Mahon, Senior Lecturer, Developmental Science, Div of Psychology and Language Sciences, UCL. Sunita Shah, Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist, and a Bilingual Specialist. £130

020 7679 4204 pals-cpd@ucl.ac.uk www.ucl.ac.uk/psychlangsci/students/ professional/class/

WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

CPD AND EVENTS

9-13 June

10 June

Lima, Peru

Next steps for child development policy

The largest symposium and exhibition on education, innovation and ICT in Latin America and the Caribbean, this annual event brings together decision makers, stakeholders and suppliers to meet and do business.

Alongside the exhibition a world-class conference and educational programme helps teachers, educators and academics of all levels develop their skills and gain insight from international experts.

Westminster Education Forum Keynote Seminar on supporting parents, integrating reviews of health and learning progress, and improving children’s school-readiness. With Jim Addison, Assistant Director, Early Years Curriculum and Teaching, Department for Education and Flora Goldhill, Director, Children, Families and Maternity and Health Inequalities, Department of Health. Chaired by Rt Hon Frank Field MP and Lord Northbourne.

Virtual Educa Peru 2014

http://virtualeduca.org/

London

www.westminsterforumprojects.co.uk

11 June

Value for Money: Measuring, Monitoring and Evaluating Progress London

An opportunity to explore an effective system of measuring and evaluating SpLD learner’s response to intervention and demonstrate effectiveness to their stakeholders. www.patoss-dyslexia.org

11-13 June

NAS training: TEACCH 3-day course with Professor Gary Mesibov Glasgow Caledonian University

This course includes the principles of TEACCH, learning styles of individuals with autism, and creating environments that promote independence and preparing children for a better quality of life as adults. www.autism.org.uk/training

11-13 June

Inspiring Leadership ICC in Birmingham

The conference is being organised by CfBT Education Trust, led by chief executive

SEN MONTHLY NEWSLETTER Sign up at: www.senmagazine.co.uk

Steve Munby, the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) and the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL). http://leadership2014.blackberryproductions.co.uk

WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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CPD AND EVENTS 12 June

Kidz South Reading

The event is one of the largest UK exhibitions totally dedicated to children and young adults with disabilities and special needs, their families, carers and the professionals who work with them. The exhibition will provide information on equipment, seating, beds, mobility, bathing, communication, accessible vehicles, services, sensory, transition, wellbeing, sports, leisure and more. Third sector and statutory organisations will also be on hand providing a diverse range of information and advice relating to alternative funding streams, specialist schools, colleges, benefits, direct payments and personalised budgets, legal matters and more. www.disabledliving.co.uk/Kidz/South

13 and 14 June

The Autism Show ExCeL London The Autism Show, the national event for autism sponsored by Hesley Group and in association with The National Autistic Society, is for the growing community of parents, carers and professionals who live and work with autism on a daily basis. Visit the event to hear from leading professionals, researchers and high profile parents; discover 100s of specialist products and services; access free one-to-one specialist advice clinics; learn tried and tested strategies and approaches; interact with sensory features; be inspired by performances in Autism's Got Talent; and listen to adults on the spectrum speak about what it means to live with the condition. Accredited by the CPD Certification Service. Adult day ticket £11 in advance/£16 on the door, concession day ticket £10 in advance/£15 on the door, group day ticket (ten or more) £9 in advance, children under 16 free of charge when accompanied by an adult. A booking fee of £1.50 applies. www.autismshow.co.uk

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14 June

18 and 19 June

The Art of Therapeutic Conversation with Children, Teenagers and ParentChild Relationships

Interactive Metronome® (IM) Certification and Paediatric Best Practice Courses

London

Freeby, Leicestershire

Conference with awardwinning author Dr Margot Sunderland.

IM is a therapeutic assessment and training tool that improves attention, concentration, motor planning and sequencing.

This results in stronger motor control and co-ordination, enhanced balance and gait and improved language and cognition. ADHD, dyspraxia, Tourette’s, ABI, autism and more.

10 5pm Cost: £174 The Centre for Child Mental Health

020 7354 2913

info@childmentalhealthcentre.org www.childmentalhealthcentre.org

14 and 15 June

Interactive Metronome® (IM) Certification and Paediatric Best Practice courses Manchester

IM is a therapeutic assessment and training tool that improves attention, concentration, motor planning and sequencing. This results in stronger motor control and co-ordination, enhanced balance and gait and improved language and cognition. ADHD, dyspraxia, Tourette’s, ABI, autism and more. www.centrevents.co.uk/book-online. aspx www.newbraintechnologies.co.uk

www.centrevents.co.uk/book-online. aspx www.newbraintechnologies.co.uk

19 June

Towards a Positive Future London

Towards a Positive Future is an annual conference for parents and the professionals who support them. It will cover the changes in health, education and social care law which affect families with children with SEN and practical strategies to enable families “Towards a Positive Future”. www.wordswell.co.uk

26 June 2014

Learning Works 6th National Dyscalculia and Maths Learning Difficulties Conference The Cumberland Hotel, London

This unique conference brings together the worlds of research, maths teaching and SEN expertise. You will hear three keynote speakers with an exclusive talk from Jo Boaler, Professor of Mathematics, Stanford University and author of bestselling Elephant in the Classroom, and be able to choose three workshops from 11 themes that will give you access to cutting edge research and opportunities to engage with leading practitioners and trainers. For all teachers of numeracy and maths, SENCOs and learning support teachers, LA inclusion and numeracy support teams and educational psychologists.

For full details and booking online: www.learning-works.org.uk/eventstraining

27 and 28 June

The Autism Show EventCity Manchester

An opportunity to gain confidence in diagnostic assessment, refresh knowledge of statistical concepts in psychometric testing, and enhance skills in the analysis of data and interpretation of standard score profiles.

The Autism Show, the national event for autism sponsored

by Hesley Group and in association with The National Autistic Society, is for the growing community of parents, carers and professionals who live and work with autism on a daily basis. Visit the event to hear from leading professionals, researchers and high profile parents; discover 100s of specialist products and services; access free one-to-one specialist advice clinics; learn tried and tested strategies and approaches; interact with sensory features; be inspired by performances in Autism's Got Talent; and listen to adults on the spectrum speak about what it means to live with the condition.

Accredited by the CPD Certification Service. Adult day ticket £11 in advance/£16 on the door, concession day ticket £10 in advance/£15 on the door, group day ticket (ten or more) £9 in advance, children under 16 free of charge when accompanied by an adult. A booking fee of £1.50 applies.

www.patoss-dyslexia.org

www.autismshow.co.uk

17 June

NAS conference: Autism and mental health Manchester

Learn tools and strategies to support young people in school environments with mental health difficulties, to avoid issues reaching a crisis point; includes combating bullying in schools. www.autism.org.uk/conferences/mentalhealth2014

18 June

Diagnostic Assessment: Confidence in your Tests, Statistics and Interpretation Manchester

26 June

The Early Years Education & Health Show ExCeL, London

The event will include the following showcase seminars: Managing SEN, Disability and Inclusion in the Early Years, Effective methods for the early identification of young children on the autism spectrum, Effective Recruitment and Training in SEN Improving staff confidence and skills to identify additional needs, and Effective Working with Children with Additional Sensory Needs (Visual and Hearing). www.earlyyearshealthandeducationshow.co.uk

WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

CPD AND EVENTS

Aspergers Syndrome, ASD Social Stories 10.2

2 DAY TRAINING COURSE 19-20 June 2014 £292 Course Led by

Carol Gray Dir. The Gray Centre for Social Learning and Understanding This training is most appropriate for: Educators, therapists, administrators, paraprofessionals and families Includes am/pm refreshments, light lunch.

Autism Independent UK (SFTAH) 199-203 Blandford Ave. Kettering, Northants. NN16 9AT. Tel./Fax: 01536 523274 autism@autismuk.com Book on-line: www.autismuk.com

Autism

T.E.A.C.C.H. Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication Handicapped Children

3 DAY TRAINING COURSE 16-18 June 2014 £389 ———————

Course Led by Prof. Gary Mesibov former Dir. Div. TEACCH This training is most appropriate for: Educators, therapists, administrators, paraprofessionals and families Includes am/pm refreshments, light lunch.

Autism Independent UK (SFTAH) 199-203 Blandford Ave. Kettering, Northants. NN16 9AT. Tel./Fax: 01536 523274 autism@autismuk.com Book on-line: www.autismuk.com

WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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CPD AND EVENTS July 2014 July (date TBC)

Interactive Metronome® (IM) Certification and Paediatric Best Practice Courses Exeter

IM is a therapeutic assessment and training tool that improves attention, concentration, motor planning and sequencing.

This results in stronger motor control and co-ordination, enhanced balance and gait and improved language and cognition. ADHD, dyspraxia, Tourette’s, ABI, autism and more. www.centrevents.co.uk/book-online. aspx www.newbraintechnologies.co.uk

2 and 3 July

NAS training: Socialeyes facilitator training Bristol

The two day Facilitator Course will help you learn how to use the Socialeyes resource pack.

Socialeyes is an innovative approach to learning social skills and developing social understanding. www.autism.org.uk/training

3 and 4 July

engage in their future National Conference Wyboston Lakes, Cambridge

An exceptional programme of speakers and workshops will be delivered around the theme of “Internet: World Class Education”. There will also be plenty of opportunity to network with colleagues. www.engageintheirfuture.org

1 July

NAS training: Understanding behaviour Manchester

Focuses on exploring behaviour in relation to autism through looking at potential challenging behaviours, considering the underlying reasons, and looking at how to design and implement appropriate interventions. www.autism.org.uk/training

1-3 July

Learning Language and Loving It™ Certification Workshop The Hanen Centre Chandler House, Bloomsbury, London

Involving educators in promoting the social, language and literacy skills of young children (birth to five years), suitable for speech-language pathologists/therapists and early childhood education consultants/trainers. Tutor: Emma Mottram BSc, HPC £680

020 7679 4204 pals-cpd@ucl.ac.uk www.ucl.ac.uk/psychlangsci/students/ professional/class/ SENISSUE70

8 July

NAS training: Sensory considerations Cardiff

An introduction to sensory differences in people on the autism spectrum, focusing on potential differences in sensory processing, and understanding of how to use individualised support strategies.

12 and 13 July

Interactive Metronome® (IM) Certification and Adult Best Practice Courses London

IM is a therapeutic assessment and training tool that improves attention, concentration, motor planning and sequencing.

This results in stronger motor control and co-ordination, enhanced balance and gait and improved language and cognition. ADHD, dyspraxia, Tourette’s, ABI, autism and more. www.centrevents.co.uk/book-online. aspx www.newbraintechnologies.co.uk

Introduction to ADHD with Amanda Kirby London

Prior’s Court Conference Prior’s Court will host speakers from the world of autism research and best practice for its fifth conference. The topics will be relevant to parents and families of young people with autism as well as those who work with them.

Prior’s Court Training and Development Centre, Newbury, Berkshire

01635 247202

training@priorscourt.org.uk www.priorscourt.org.uk

October 2014

August 2014 Various October 6 August

Diagnostic Assessment: Renewing your Assessment Practising Certificate Manchester

An assessment report might have to be acceptable to a wide variety of other audiences and be rigorous enough to stand up to potential legal challenge. This is no easy task and this CPD event will provide invaluable support for professionals trying to meet these goals. www.patoss-dyslexia.org

September 2014

www.autism.org.uk/training

9 July

12 September

10 September

Specialist Assessment: Access Arrangements Update JCQ Regulations 2014/2015

The opportunity to increase knowledge and develop a better understanding of the specific difficulties of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and its management.

London

www.patoss-dyslexia.org

www.patoss-dyslexia.org

An opportunity for assessors and teachers/tutors working with SpLD learners to update their knowledge of the JCQ Access Arrangements for 2014/ 2015.

11 September

Kidz Scotland

Learning Works CPD courses 6 and 7 October: Managing the Role of the SENCO Mod 2 (days 1 and 2) 13 and 14 October: Overcoming Barriers to Learning in Mathematics Mod 1 (days 1 and 2) 15 and 16 October: Teaching Children with Specific Learning Difficulties Mod 2 (days 1 and 2)

For full details and booking online: www.learning-works.org.uk/cpd-coures

October (date TBC)

Interactive Metronome® (IM) Certification and Paediatric Best Practice Courses London

IM is a therapeutic assessment and training tool that improves attention, concentration, motor planning and sequencing.

This results in stronger motor control and co-ordination, enhanced balance and gait and improved language and cognition. ADHD, dyspraxia, Tourette’s, ABI, autism and more. www.centrevents.co.uk/book-online. aspx www.newbraintechnologies.co.uk

Edinburgh

The largest free UK exhibitions dedicated to children with disabilities and special needs, their parents and carers and the professionals who work with them. Source and test the latest products and services on the market.

We take every care when compiling the information on these pages. However, details may change, and we recommend that you contact the event organisers for up-todate information before you make arrangements to attend.

www.disabledliving.co.uk

WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

CPD AND EVENTS 9 October

Children and youth with disorders of consciousness: Linking practice with research Tadworth, Surrey This conference is a unique opportunity for both researchers and practitioners to share their work relating to disorders of consciousness (minimally conscious/vegetative state) resulting from acquired brain injury in children and young people. This is The Children’s Trust’s second conference on children with disorders of consciousness – the first in 2012 attracted more than 90 professionals from heath, education and social care, from all over the UK and Europe. www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk

10 and 11 October

TES Special Educational Needs show Business Design Centre

The largest SEN event in the UK, where you'll find thousands of resources and services from hundreds of educational suppliers offering the widest range of ICT, software and classroom resources to support children in their learning. Discover new resources, save money with exhibitor discounts and special offers, and get inspired with up-to-date CPD certified training seminars. www.tessenshow.co.uk

November 2014 13 November

The Children’s Trust Open Day for Professionals Tadworth, Surrey

If you work with children and their families, find out how The Children’s Trust’s expertise and services have developed, see its facilities and speak to its multidisciplinary team. The free events will offer an overview of the Trust’s residential brain injury rehabilitation, community-based support, transitional services for technology-dependent children, and education for learners with profound and multiple learning difficulties. www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk/opendays

20 November

Kidz Up North EventCity, Manchester

One of the largest, free UK exhibitions dedicated to children with special needs, their families and those who work with them. Over 170 exhibitors are expected offering advice and information on funding, mobility, seating, beds, communication, access, education, toys, transport and more.

SCERTS

Day1-2 Introduction & Day 3 Formal Assessment/Advanced to the SCERTS

Using the SCERTS curriculum & practice principles to design programming for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

———————

1 or 3 DAY TRAINING COURSE 23-25th June 2014 £350 Day 3 only. 25th June £145 ———————

Course Led by

Emily Rubin MS, CCC-SLP Director This training is most appropriate for: Educators, therapists, administrators, paraprofessionals, & families Includes am/pm refreshments, light lunch.

Autism Independent UK (SFTAH) 199-203 Blandford Ave. Kettering, Northants. NN16 9AT. Tel./Fax: 01536 523274 autism@autismuk.com Book on-line: www.autismuk.com

www.disabledliving.co.uk

20-24 October

TEACCH five-day course Inspirational and intensive course combining active learning sessions with direct, supervised experience working with students with autism in a structured setting. Led by TEACCH trainers from Division TEACCH and trainers from Prior’s Court with extensive training and experience with the TEACCH approach following more than seven years working with Division TEACCH. Three-day course also available. £1195 professionals/parents Prior’s Court Training & Development Centre, Newbury, Berkshire

01635 247202

training@priorscourt.org.uk

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www.priorscourt.org.uk

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SEN RESOURCES DIRECTORY

SEN resources directory Information, advice and support for all things SEN...

ADHD ADDers.org

Information and support forum for those affected by ADD/ADHD:

www.adders.org

Bullying Bullying UK Support and advice on bullying:

www.bullying.co.uk

Childline National Attention Deficit Disorder Advice and support for those suffering from bullying: Information and Support Service www.childline.org.uk (ADDISS) Resources and information for ADHD:

Cerebral palsy

www.addiss.co.uk

Autism/ASD

Help, advice and support for children and adults affected by cerebral palsy:

Asperger Foundation UK (ASF)

Down’s Syndrome Association (DSA)

Support for people with Asperger’s syndrome:

Information, support and training for those affected by Down syndrome:

www.aspergerfoundation.org.uk

www.downs-syndrome.org.uk

Autism Awareness

The Down’s Syndrome Research Foundation UK (DSRF) Charity focussing on medical research into Down syndrome:

www.dsrf-uk.org

Autistica

Charity raising funds for medical research into autism:

Dyslexia

www.autistica.org.uk

Help and information for those affected

by ASD:

www.researchautism.net

Bullying Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA)

Charity dedicated to reforming attitudes and policy towards bullying:

www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk

Young Epilepsy Support for children and young people with epilepsy plus training for professionals.

www.youngepilepsy.org.uk

British Institute for Learning Disabilities Charity for learning disabilities:

www.bild.org.uk

Cerebra UK Charity for children with brain related conditions:

www.cerebra.org.uk

Child Brain Injury Trust Supporting children, young people, families and professionals when a child has acquired a brain injury.

www.childbraininjurytrust.org.uk

Department for Education (DfE) The UK Government’s education department:

Mencap Learning disabilities charity:

www.autism.org.uk

Charity focused on researching interventions in autism:

www.epilepsy.org.uk

www.education.gov.uk

National Autistic Society (NAS)

Research Autism

Advice and information on epilepsy:

General SEN

Down syndrome

www.autism-awareness.org.uk

Epilepsy Action

Scope UK www.scope.org.uk

Forum for sharing experience/advice for those affected by ASD:

Epilepsy

British Dyslexia Association (BDA) Information and support for people affected by dyslexia:

www.bdadyslexia.org.uk

Dyslexia Action

www.mencap.org.uk

National Association for Special Educational Needs (NASEN) Organisation for the education, training, advancement of those with SEN:

Charity providing services to those affected by dyslexia:

www.nasen.org.uk

www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk

National Parent Partnership Network

Dyspraxia

UK bullying prevention charity:

Dyspraxia advice and support

Network of local partnerships providing information, advice and support for parents and carers of those with SEN:

www.beatbullying.org

www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk

www.parentpartnership.org.uk

Beat Bullying

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Dyspraxia Foundation UK

WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

SEN RESOURCES DIRECTORY

General SEN

Home schooling

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Tourette’s syndrome

The Home Education Network UK (THENUK)

Tourette's Action

National organisation for home educators:

www.tourettes-action.org.uk

Information and advice on Tourette’s:

www.thenuk.com/

Hearing impairment

PMLD

Visual impairment National Blind Children’s Society

Action on Hearing Loss

PMLD Network

Hearing impairment charity:

Information and support for PMLD:

Support and services for parents and

www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk

www.pmldnetwork.org

carers of blind children:

Deafness Research UK

Rebound therapy

hearing impairment:

The National Rebound Therapy Consultancy

www.deafnessresearch.org.uk

UK governing body for rebound therapy.

Charity promoting medical research into

www.reboundtherapy.org

National Deaf Children’s Society Charity to help deaf children and young people:

www.ndcs.org.uk

SEN law Independent Parental Special Education Advice

www.nbcs.org.uk

Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) Support and advice to those affected by visual impairment:

www.rnib.org.uk

Legal advice and support for parents:

Law

www.ipsea.org.uk

Spina bifida Shine Information and support relating to spina bifida and hydrocephalus:

www.shinecharity.org.uk

Learning outside the classroom

SLCN

Council for Learning Outside the classroom (CLOtC)

Advice on communication aids:

Awarding body for the LOtC quality

www.ace-centre.org.uk

badge:

www.lotc.org.uk

Literacy

ACE Centre

For the latest news, articles, resources, cpd and events listings, visit: www.senmagazine.co.uk

Afasic Help and advice on SLCN:

www.afasicengland.org.uk

Communication Matters Support for people with little or no clear speech:

www.communicationmatters.org.uk

National Literacy Trust (NLT) Literacy charity for adults and children:

www.literacytrust.org.uk WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

The Communication Trust Raising awareness of SLCN:

www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk SENISSUE70

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