SEN Magazine - SEN71 - Jly/Aug 2014 by SEN Magazine

July • August 2014 Issue 71

Staying cyber-safe Online protection for kids with SEN

Where next for phonics? The progress, practice and problems of synthetic phonics

The trouble with sex Sex education for people with autism

The new SEN framework • school refusal • literacy • dyslexia • cerebral palsy visual impairment • learning disabilities • communication aids • manual handling autism • looked-after children • SEN news, CPD, training, events and much more...

July • August 2014 • Issue 71 This issue in full

Welcome People with autism lost one of their greatest champions in June, with the death of Lorna Wing at the age of 85.

Reynolds examines the delicate issue of sex education for young people with severe autism (p.28) and Debbie Hepplewhite reveals the current state of synthetic phonics teaching in schools (p.42).

Dr Wing was a towering figure in autism research, and instrumental in shaping the way the world understands autism and Asperger’s syndrome. One of the founders of the National Autistic Society (NAS), she worked tirelessly to help those with autism and to promote understanding of the condition.

In addition, you will find advice on how to navigate the new SEN system which comes into force from September (p.20), a practical guide to supporting pupils with visual impairment in the classroom (p.72) and ten top tips to help you when choosing a school for your autistic child (p.79).

SEN news

What’s new?

Point of view

The new SEN framework

24 Cyber-bullying 28 PSHE 32

School refusal

35 Literacy 38 Dyslexia 42 Phonics

The NAS has opened a book of remembrance for Dr Wing (see p.11). It includes a short Twitter message by autistic author @sarah_ hendrickx which, for me, speaks volumes about the human impact of Lorna Wing’s extraordinary life; it says, simply: “Without her, some of us would not know who we are”. In this issue of SEN Magazine, Martha Evans outlines the issues children with SEN face online and provides useful tips to help keep them safe from cyber-bullying (p.24). Kate

Also in this issue, we have articles on school refusal (p.32), literacy (p.35), dyslexia (p.38), cerebral palsy (p.51), learning disabilities (p.58), communication aids (p.60), manual handling (p.64), looked-after children (p.68) and much more. For the latest from SEN, join us on Twitter and Facebook, or visit: www.senmagazine.co.uk

Cerebral palsy

About SEN Magazine

Learning disability

Communication aids

Manual handling

Looked-after children

Visual impairment

79 Autism 92

Book reviews

94 Recruitment 96

CPD and training

104 SEN resources directory 106 SEN subscriptions

CONTRIBUTORS Imelda Brennan

Peter Sutcliffe Editor editor@senmagazine.co.uk

Ruth Brooks Kate Duggan Martha Evans Craig Goodall

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DESIGN Rob Parry www.flunkyfly-design.com design@senmagazine.co.uk

Gwyneth McCormack

Next issue deadline: Advertising and news deadline: 6 August 2014

Kate Reynolds

Disclaimer

Tim Loder David Maytham Nicole McCartney Mary Mountstephen Jonathan Newport Amanda Richardson Claire Ryan

The opinions expressed in SEN Magazine are not necessarily those

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

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information, omissions or the opinions of third parties.

Jan Tregelles

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

SEN Magazine ISSN: 1755-4845 SENISSUE71

In this issue

Cerebral palsy

Learning disabilities

The SEN framework

The new SEN system explained

Staying cyber-safe Examining the issues children with SEN face online

Communication aids

Looking out for the looked-after Why looked-after children are particularly vulnerable to social, emotional and behavioural difficulties

Shaping my life A visually impaired young woman shares her plans for an independent future

Sexuality and autism The what, how and when of sex education for young people with severe autism

July • August 2014 • Issue 71

Creating a vision friendly classroom A useful guide to helping pupils with visual impairment at school

Refusal or phobia? Unearthing the roots of school refusal

Talking matters

Using simple word games to improve literacy in the classroom

Fighting the good fight A family’s struggle to secure an education for their dyslexic daughter

Where next for phonics? The progress, practice and problems of synthetic phonics teaching in schools

A better deal for children with cerebral palsy How can we provide families living with cerebral palsy with the support they need?

Learning about learning disabilities What we all need to know about supporting children with learning disabilities

Aiding the transition How the right communication aid can help students as they move beyond school

Choosing a school for a child with autism Ten top tips to help you find the right secondary school for your child with autism

Risk management How to keep everybody safe when manual handling children

Regulars 6 12 18

SEN news What's new? The latest products and ideas from the world of SEN

Point of view Have your say!

Book reviews

94 Recruitment 96

CPD, training and events

Your essential guide to SEN courses, seminars and events

104 SEN resources directory

24 Bullying 32 School refusal

42 Phonics

79 Autism

In the next issue of SEN:

Asperger’s syndrome • adoption SEN publishers • autism • dyslexia choosing a school for a child with SEN dyspraxia • SEBD • school visits CPD, recruitment and much more...

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SEN NEWS

£32 billion a year: the price of autism Autism costs UK more than big three killer conditions Research funding is fraction of care bill Autism research published in a leading international medical journal shows that autism costs the UK more than heart disease, cancer and stroke combined. A new study led by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) estimates that autism costs the country at least £32 billion per year in treatment, lost earnings, care and support for children and adults with autism. More than 600,000 people in the UK have autism, a condition associated with deficits in communication skills and restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour. A quarter of people with autism are unable to talk, and 85 per cent do not work full time. The new research, published on 9 June in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Pediatrics, has prompted health economists, families and charities to call again for increased investment in research for autism.

Counting the cost Professor Martin Knapp from LSE said that between 40 and 60 per cent of people with autism spectrum disorders also have intellectual disabilities, costing around £1.5 million over a lifetime, adding to the economic and social impact. “What these figures show is a clear need for more effective interventions to treat autism, ideally in early life, making the best use of scarce resources,” Professor Knapp said. “New

Independent living can be a big challenge for people with autism.

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government policies are also needed to address the enormous impact on families,” he added. Christine Swabey, CEO of UK autism research charity Autistica, said: “We care about the human stories behind these numbers. Autism is life long and can make independent living and employment hugely challenging. This is part of why it has a greater economic impact than other conditions.” “There is an unacceptable imbalance between the high cost of autism and the amount we spend each year on researching how to fundamentally change the outlook for people”, Ms Swabey said. “We know that progress is possible. The right research would provide early interventions, better mental health, and more independence. But right now we spend just £180 on research for every £1million we spend on care.” The economic impacts of autism include expenditure on hospital services, home health care, special education facilities and respite care, as well as lost earnings for both people with autism and their parents.

Changing lives Autism researcher Professor Declan Murphy, from the Institute of Psychiatry, said: “The cost figures show that autism affects all of us in society, every day, regardless of whether or not we have a family member or friend with autism. So we all need to play a part in making things better. More research funding would mean that we could conduct studies to transform lives.” In a recent survey by Autistica, 90 per cent of parents and 89 per cent of adults with autism said that there was a need for greater scientific understanding of autism. One father said: “We should be making science work harder to make life more bearable.” A woman, who was diagnosed with autism aged 50, said: “I look for interventions, but there do not seem to be interventions for people my age.” The JAMA Pediatrics paper was a joint UK/ US study looking at the costs of autism spectrum disorders in both countries. It was co-authored by LSE Visiting Researcher Ariane Buescher, and David Mandell and Zuleyha Cidav from Philadelphia in the US. WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

SEN NEWS

Signs of the times Users of British Sign Language (BSL) are being faced with unprecedented change in their language, with some loss of regional variations in signs, and a gap between the older and younger generations emerging. BSL is a rich, naturally evolving language, where the signs used can vary according to where you live and where you went to school. In English, a bread roll, for example, could be called a “bap”, “barm” or “cob”, partly depending on where the speaker grew up. The vocabulary of BSL can also differ depending on your region. However, in the first major study of how BSL is evolving, published in the journal PLoS ONE, researchers have found that although local dialects still exist, these variations are in decline. The researchers, based at the ESRC funded Deafness Cognition and Language Research Centre (DCAL) at University College London, filmed almost 250 deaf people using BSL from eight cities across the UK to document how the language is used and how it is changing today. They found that a shift is taking place in the signs used by different generations, as younger people abandon the traditional regional signs that are still in use by older signers. They examined regional variants for three different groups of concepts: those for numbers, colours and countries. These groups of signs showed a high level of variation. For example, the colour purple has 22 different signs. However, the study showed that the use of traditional variants is changing, with signs for countries changing at the fastest rate. “Our research has confirmed that BSL variation is changing”, says lead researcher Dr Kearsy Cormier. “Some regional signs appear to be in decline, as younger people are using them less. Some sign variants are more widely used than others, while some are rarely used at all.”

Changing use One reason that this variation may be in decline is because of the different way deaf children have learned BSL over the generations. “In the past, different varieties of BSL developed separately in the schools for deaf children that used to exist across the country. Schools were the basis of communities of deaf people, just like villages used to be the basis of communities of hearing people”, says Dr Cormier. The recent closure of deaf schools may have contributed to the reduction in BSL variation, as deaf children are now more dispersed and are more typically mainstreamed alongside children WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Young signers are using less regional variation than in previous decades.

who are not deaf. So they have a very different experience of signing in school compared to deaf children 50 years ago. Television, telecommunications and the internet may also be playing their part, just as they have done with the English language. As the use of sign language in television programmes and on the internet has increased, deaf people have been exposed to signs in wider use, possibly leading to a loss of local dialects. It may also have to do with the fact that technological advances are allowing deaf people to move around the country and the world more, meaning that they are exposed to signs from different regions in the UK, and from different sign languages around the world. The study found for example that although there are a number of BSL signs for the USA, most young signers were adopting the American Sign Language sign for the USA. Some members of the deaf community are concerned about the loss of their traditional signs. “Quite a lot of deaf people are proud of their regional variations, and would see it as a shame if they were lost”, says Dr Cormier. “However, the data we have collected will be recorded for long-term preservation so these signs are not forgotten”. SENISSUE71

SEN NEWS

Parent carers are improving health services Parents of disabled children are helping to change health services for the better in their local area, at a time of massive change in the NHS. A new report from Contact a Family suggests that involving parent carers in the design and delivery of health services saves money and improves the quality of the service. “Parents have helped find practical solutions to common problems about the health services their children need and use”, says Sheila Davies, Health Manager at Contact a Family. “We know from calls to our helpline and from our research that these are problems that many families with disabled children face.” The report suggests that this collaborative working is producing improvements to local health services and saving money. The charity is urging providers to see the value of this way of working and to take these examples and replicate them in their areas. Children with autism often find visiting hospital extremely stressful, which can lead to them refusing medical treatment. Parent carers in Manchester worked with the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital to introduce procedures to make visits less stressful, for example fast tracking children to reduce waiting and having a quiet room to wait in. Feedback from parents showed that they are now more satisfied with the hospital and savings are being made as they don’t have to rebook appointments. In Kirklees, parents worked with commissioners to improve how children with learning disabilities and mental health issues are being supported though child and adult mental health services (CAMHS). The report – Sharing good practice: parent participation in health settings – is available from: www.cafamily.org.uk

Parliamentary Inquiry into childcare for disabled children An independent Parliamentary Inquiry is due to report at the end of July on the problems faced by disabled children and their families in accessing childcare. Two thirds of parents report paying more for childcare for disabled children than for non-disabled children. Parents with disabled children can pay two to three times as much as the standard hourly childcare rate – up to £20 per hour – compared to a national average of £4.25 for a child aged two to four years old. Only 28 per cent of local authorities in England say they have enough childcare for disabled children. Just 40 per cent of parents of disabled children believe that childcare providers in their area can cater for their child’s condition. SENISSUE71

Can robots boost learning of pupils with intellectual disabilities? The extent to which robotics can enhance teaching and learning for people with intellectual disabilities is being investigated by researchers. An EU-funded project, led by Nottingham Trent University, aims to better understand the potential for roboticsbased education in motivating and engaging those with a wide range of disabilities. It follows a pilot project last year, reported in SEN Magazine, which showed how using a humanoid robot as an educational tool significantly boosted engagement of pupils with learning disabilities compared with a standard classroom setting. The team will programme existing robotic platforms – including the autonomous NAO humanoid robot (pictuerd) – to interact with pupils of all ages across Europe over various educational tasks. As well as academic subjects such as maths and science, tasks will aim to challenge pupils with objectives set around communication improvement, sequencing, understanding cause and effect, and other social and digital competencies. Interactions will be analysed to measure levels of engagement, goal achievement and the amount of assistance required by teaching staff. It is hoped that the two and half year project will provide evidence of the effectiveness of robotics-based teaching and learning for people with intellectual disabilities such as cerebral palsy and autism. “The future of education for pupils with intellectual disabilities is robotics,” says David Brown, Professor in Interactive Systems for Social Inclusion at Nottingham Trent University. While educating these young people presents different challenges, due to their cognitive impairments and communication difficulties, Professor Brown believes that the use of robotics in special education should be explored as these technologies are starting to become more widespread, affordable and highly engaging. “We want to find out which are the most effective platforms, and for which pupils, and make recommendations to teachers and schools which could form part of a curriculum of robotics”, he says. Findings from the study will be shared with special education schools, teachers and parents, policy makers and people with disabilities. WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

SEN NEWS

Disabled sports initiatives are not working Initiatives to engage disabled people in sport and physical activity are not connecting with the everyday values of those they are aimed at, says a new report by the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS). The Federation believes that the findings of its research could challenge providers’ thinking on the opportunities currently offered to disabled people to be active. The Motivate Me report builds on the EFDS Lifestyle Report of September 2013, which looked at how and where sport and exercise fits into the lives of disabled people. The new report uses qualitative research to provide a more detailed understanding of the motivations of disabled people to be active.

“Dyslexia is an opportunity”, Princess tells pupils HRH Princess Beatrice spoke about her struggle with dyslexia, and told pupils with the condition they have “magical” brains that just process differently, when she visited two South London schools recently. The Queen’s granddaughter (pictured above left) paid a visit to ARK Globe Academy in Elephant and Castle and Bolingbroke Academy near Clapham Junction to see how pupils are supported by the Drive for Literacy programme, a partnership between ARK Schools and the Driver Youth Trust, to develop their reading and writing skills. “Dyslexia is not a pigeonhole to say you can’t do anything”, she told a group of dyslexic pupils; “It is an opportunity and a possibility to learn differently…Don’t feel like you should be held back by it.” The Princess was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of seven and she described it as “a bit of a struggle” to begin with. “It was a challenge as I began my school career – spelling and reading was something I couldn’t really get my head around. I created what I describe as a ‘toolkit’ for myself of skills you learn and pick up over the years, which I still have to use today. A lot of my best friends were dyslexic so we used to study together, working at our own pace”, she said. The Princess revealed that she didn’t like reading until the Harry Potter books came out when she was eleven: “The second the story came out, I couldn’t put it down. Now I read so much quicker, so much better and I studied history at university which involved a lot of reading.” Praising the work of the schools visited, Princess Beatrice discussed how important a dyslexia friendly environment had been to her own education. “The most important thing was having great teachers who took the time to make sure we were all really well supported. I did a lot of extra classes, a lot of practice, and a lot of asking questions”, she said. WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Fourteen disabled men and women, with various impairments, were involved in the study. Findings suggest that the majority of current sport and physical activity initiatives aimed at disabled people are failing to engage audiences effectively. This is because the opportunities and their promotion tend to focus on the audience’s disability or impairment and miss the emotional connection required to attract disabled people. The extent to which a disabled person identifies with being disabled varies greatly from one person to the next. For most of the disabled people involved in the report, their impairment does not drive their inspiration to be active. “The study highlights that a great majority of disabled people are more likely to respond to opportunities to get active when they tap into the things that matter to them most”, says EFDS Chief Executive Barry Horne. “These include the way they connect to their everyday values including, building friendships, maintaining health, becoming more independent and progressing in life.” Activity which helps to develop a positive self-image and simply having fun are two of the things that most people seek when wanting to improve their sense of wellbeing and feel more fulfilled in life, says the report. This research shows that more often than not disabled people are looking for opportunities, which are as likely to appeal to their non-disabled friends and family. Furthermore, disabled people want opportunities which enable them to be active wherever and in whatever sport or activity they choose. The Motivate Me report is available from: www.efds.co.uk

News deadline for next issue: 6/8/14 Email: editor@senmagazine.co.uk

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SEN NEWS

Fears grow over integrated care More than half of health and social care managers expressed doubt that greater integration of health and social care will take the pressure off the NHS, in the latest Institute of Healthcare Management (IHM) survey. The findings follow recent concerns expressed about the financial credibility of the Better Care Fund, a flagship scheme aimed at encouraging closer working between health and social care.

Trial supports structured approach to teaching writing Researchers at the University of York have found that a structured approach to teaching writing about a memorable experience can make a significant improvement to children’s writing skills. The York Trials Unit, part of York’s Department of Health Sciences, in collaboration with Durham University, provided an independent evaluation of the Calderdale Excellence Partnership’s Improved Writing Quality Programme. The programme uses memorable experiences, such as trips to local landmarks or visits from World War II veterans, as a focus for writing lessons. It also uses an approach called self-regulated strategy development which provides a clear structure to help pupils plan, monitor and evaluate their writing. The findings, presented in a report published by the Educational Endowment Fund, show that the structured approach improved Year 6 and Year 7 children’s writing skills by nine months compared with children whose teachers did not use the method. Carole Torgerson, Professor of Education at Durham University, said: “These results are welcomed as they build on previous studies undertaken in North America and show that the writing interventions, suitably adapted, can be beneficial to UK pupils’ writing of text.” The Improved Writing Quality Programme particularly focused on helping struggling writers in Years 6 and 7. The researchers found that the self-regulated strategy development approach had a strong positive effect on the writing outcomes of low attaining pupils at the transition from primary to secondary school. They conclude that these findings, in combination with existing evidence from the United States and elsewhere, suggest that the approach has substantial promise as a literacy catch-up. The evaluation was based on a randomised controlled trial of 23 schools and 842 pupils.

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Concern about integrated care was just one of the topics highlighted in the latest snapshot which captures the mood of healthcare managers and explores some of the current changes and trends in healthcare. The survey shows an appetite among managers for greater collaboration between the public and private sectors, with over two-thirds of managers (66.3 per cent) feeling that patient care could be improved by increasing communication between the public and private sectors. Managers also revealed uncertainty about their organisation’s future ability to deliver safe and compassionate care. While almost three-quarters (73.9 per cent) currently have confidence in their organisation’s ability to deliver safe and compassionate care, this drops to nearly half (54.5 per cent) when asked if their organisation would change in the next five years to meet this commitment. Financial constraints and the pace of change were named as the key factors, with concerns that “more cuts equals less quality and staffing with the ultimate impact on patient care.” Over two-thirds of managers (66.2 per cent) said that had not seen evidence that increasing financial pressures had started to inspire greater innovation in health and social care. Concern that patient care is suffering was another theme to emerge from the survey. “We have lost the human being in a human-focused service” was one manager’s observation, which was echoed by many others. Overall, a high degree of frustration among managers about their inability to influence and “own” the agenda to improve patient care was revealed. However, managers were keen to make suggestions on how to improve the patient experience. These included listening to staff, patients and carers, better use of technology, and maintaining a higher ratio of staff-topatient care. Many of the managers who took part in the survey called for fewer targets and less of a box ticking approach and for more “real leaders with a compassionate, empathetic approach to care”.

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SEN NEWS

Ofsted Chief responds to “deeply disturbing” Birmingham schools The head of Ofsted has said that his inspectors are poised to visit any school across the country to follow up concerns about an unbalanced curriculum or governors abusing their position. HM Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, confirmed that Ofsted has already conducted inspections in several faith and non-faith schools in other areas to probe issues similar to those uncovered in a number of schools in Birmingham. Sir Michael has asked his team of regional directors to respond swiftly to any further concerns that are brought to their attention – using Ofsted’s existing powers to mount unannounced inspections where necessary. The move followed the publication in June of the advice note sent by Sir Michael to the Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, alongside Ofsted’s inspection reports into 21 state-funded, non-faith schools in Birmingham. The advice note set out evidence of some governors exerting inappropriate influence on the day-to-day running of their schools. In the most serious cases, HM inspectors reported that a number of headteachers – including those with a record of raising standards – had been marginalised or forced out of their jobs. Sir Michael also said that in some of the Birmingham schools inspected, leaders had not adequately addressed the safeguarding issues specific to their community – particularly the potential risks associated with extremism and radicalisation. Inspectors also found that in a number of schools, the curriculum had become too narrow, reflecting the personal views of a small number of governors and leaving children vulnerable to “emotional dislocation” from the wider community. “What inspectors found in a number of schools in Birmingham is deeply disturbing”, said Sir Michael. “We should all be concerned if a school – of any kind – is failing to encourage children to develop tolerant attitudes towards other faiths and cultures or allowing governors to exert inappropriate influence on the curriculum or other aspects of school life.

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Tributes flood in for autism pioneer Lorna Wing (1928 - 2014) Dr Lorna Wing, one of the founders of The National Autistic Society (NAS), died on 6 June 2014 at the age of 85. Dr Wing developed the concept of autism as a spectrum condition in the 1970s, and later coined the term Asperger’s syndrome. Her work revolutionised the way autism was regarded and her influence was felt across the globe. As a researcher and clinician, as well as mother to a child with autism, she always advocated for better understanding and services for people with autism and their families. NAS President Jane Asher said: "It is entirely due to Lorna Wing that I ever became involved in autism. I shall miss her terribly, and the world of autism has lost one of its greatest and most important figures." Judith Gould, joint founder and Director of the NAS Lorna Wing Centre and a great friend of Dr Wing said: "She was exceptionally generous with her time and support for anyone who asked for her advice. She gave freely with her ideas and expected nothing in return. Her contribution to the lives of everyone who knew her is immeasurable. I will miss her greatly." President of the International Society for Autism Research Francesca Happé said: "Everyone who studies autism and many who live or work with those with autism, know how much we owe Lorna... Her wisdom, warmth and intellectual generosity touched so many lives, and the autism research community owes her so much." A founding parent of the NAS, Michael Baron, said: "Lorna was a unique parent. With Helen [Allison] they were the two rocks on which the NAS was built." The NAS has started a book of remembrance for Dr Wing, which can be accessed on the charity’s website: www.autism.org.uk SENISSUE71

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 further enhanced.

The Gemini, Pisces and Aries incorporate the latest technology so that operation is smoother and quieter, providing a more pleasurable bathing experience. Both the Gemini and Pisces include an integrated platform and the new Aries is available in two sizes, the larger of which is ideally suited to multiple occupancy situations. Tel: 0800 542 5819. Email: sales@abacushealthcare.co.uk www.abacushealthcare.co.uk

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

Opening Up The World to blind children 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

Blind Children UK has launched the Opening Up The World campaign to highlight the challenges faced by children with vision impairments and their families. The campaign also marks a change of name for the charity, which was formally known as National Blind Children’s Society. Blind Children UK helps children and their families tackle the challenges of sight loss so that they can enjoy their childhood and realise their potential in adulthood. It also works with hundreds of professionals in the education, health and social care sectors. To find out more, call: 0800 781 1444 or email: services@blindchildrenuk.org

Specialist vision aids Birmingham needs 70 foster carers Some of the children/ young people in care in Birmingham have disabilities and need foster homes to ensure their wellbeing and security. Birmingham Council is looking for people like you with the specialist knowledge and skills to help provide these children with the stability and care they deserve.

Edward Marcus Ltd is the UK's premier specialist supplier of magnifiers, low vision aids and daily living products, trading since 1945. New product ranges now available include the Coil Duo illuminated magnifier range with improved LED light and nine interchangeable powered lenses, and the Eschenbach MaxTV clip on 2x magnifier, which is lightweight and has a working distance of up to three metres.

The Council provides all necessary support and wants to hear from you if you think you may have any space in your life to help. Fostering is a truly rewarding task to undertake.

For Further information, email: sales@edwardmarcus.co.uk or tel: 01226 764082. To view new product ranges, purchase online and download the catalogues, visit: www.edwardmarcus.co.uk

Call: 0121 303 7575 or visit: www.fosteringbirmingham.com

A ten per cent discount is available on all orders when you quote: SEN0614.

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WHAT’S NEW?

Henshaws College supports students to access sports facilities Henshaws College in Harrogate has invested in new specialist equipment to support students to participate in sports activities with their peers. Using a gantry hoist, students with complex physical difficulties are assisted to stand and walk to access health and fitness facilities, improving participation and social inclusion. Chelsea, an essential wheelchair user in her final year at Henshaws College, has enjoyed using the new hoists in her sports sessions: “Getting me walking again is just my dream. You can’t imagine how it feels to be on my feet. It’s quite emotional for me – the sensation is absolutely amazing.” www.henshaws.ac.uk

Hereward College aids transition to independence with robotic technology Hereward College are realising the potential of a robotic arm for people with impaired upper limb functions to independently accomplish everyday tasks. The only one being used in the UK, the arm is being trialled by exHereward student Jon McGeown, who recently had the momentous experience of raising a glass to toast his grandfather’s birthday. As ACCESS Centre Manager Paul Doyle says, “It’s not just about a piece of equipment that has an assistive function, but about integrating its use into society”. For more information about assistive technologies at Hereward College, call: 024 7642 6100 or email: paul.doyle@hereward.ac.uk

Meaningful activity at Hesley’s schools and colleges From enhancing links with local communities, a new sensory garden (which is also an outdoor classroom) and a kitchen garden with a strong theme of self-sufficiency, to enhanced visual aids promoting the independence of young people with complex needs, Hesley Group imbues new initiatives with established values of being person-centred, outcome-focused, qualitydriven and safe; there is also a strong focus on respect for everybody who has contact with its services. Gardening is an excellent example encompassing these themes, with great opportunities for learning, progressive risk management, skills development and the engagement of young people in enjoyable, meaningful activity. For more information, visit: www.hesleygroup.co.uk WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Turning Theory into Practice Douglas Silas Solicitors, the nationally acclaimed experts specialising exclusively in SEN, will be busy during Autumn 2014 helping parents navigate the new SEN framework. However, Douglas is making time to provide vital training about this and how to resolve disputes. Entitled "Turning Theory into Practice", there are five separate days aimed at parents, schools/colleges, LAs, healthcare professionals and EPs/therapists. He is also providing on-site training. Douglas says: "Many people are unsure about what they should do to avoid or win appeals/complaints; let others tell you about the theory, but let me tell you how to turn it in into practice!” For more information, visit: www.SpecialEducationalNeeds.co.uk

Integrex the interactive specialists 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

Autism's Got Talent triumphs again It was another successful and emotional night at the recent Autism’s Got Talent show in London. Anna Kennedy OBE, who organises the show with Anna Kennedy OBE, with Carrie and Pineapple Performing David Grant. photo credit So Shoot Arts, believes the event Me Photography/Karen McGuire provides a real platform for the performers, as well as spreading a lot of hope, fun, laughter and positivity. “All the acts involved are extremely talented, and they are in an environment where they can express themselves, make new friends and meet people from around the UK”, she says Anna Kennedy is now scouring the UK for acts for Autism's Got Talent 2015. For further information, email: lisa.robins@thevines.org.uk SENISSUE71

WHAT’S NEW?

SEN support for parent groups Are you involved in a local support group for parents and would you like to find out more about special educational needs (SEN) law? Education Lawyers is a highly experienced and skilled team who provide legal advice and practical solutions in relation to SEN cases. For over 20 years, its lawyers have been providing legal help to families throughout England and Wales. To arrange for someone from the team to come and talk at your parent group meeting about SEN law, email: education@langleywellington.co.uk or telephone: 01452 555166. For more information, visit: www.educationlawyers.co.uk

A summer of sport with Makaton There are some great sporting resources from The Makaton Charity to help you make the most of this summer’s action packed sporting events. Summer Games and International Sports Events is full of Makaton symbols and signs to help you make the most of summer sports: everything from your school Sports Day to the Commonwealth Games. There are also Makaton resources to help you plan your World Cup viewing (Watching my Favourite Sports) and practise your football skills (Football Games).

20 per cent off a reading intervention that gets results Project X CODE is proven to work, making it perfect for Pupil Premium: after one term, pupils gained an average of 8.7 months on their phonics age, and 6.7 months on their sentence reading age. It also includes comprehensive lesson plans, easy-to-use assessment and specialist training from Edge Hill University to help you deliver effective intervention sessions. For a limited time, a complete set of Project X CODE resources is available for £796 (usual price £995). To save 20 per cent before 31 July, order the Super Easy Buy Pack online quoting promo code K51342 at the checkout. Visit: www.oxfordprimary.co.uk

See the noise with SoundEar Soundforschools.co.uk – from communication specialists PC Werth – presents SoundEar sound monitoring systems for learning spaces. SoundEar is an easy and engaging way to control classroom noise. Loved by kids for its dynamic colours, professionals appreciate its ease of use and the way it rapidly becomes self-managing. Whilst SoundEar helps learners with SEN through reduced background noise and sources of distraction, it also supports wider classroom initiatives to improve learning environments. Having set the acceptable volume, SoundEar provides a consistent visual cue to the class about total noise levels – not just speech and disruptions.

For more information, visit: www.makaton.org/downloads

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

Free “how to” guides for supporting a visually impaired student

Catch up in phonics fast with Rapid Phonics

New College Worcester, a national school and college for students who are visually impaired, has launched a series of video guides on “how to” support visually impaired students in mainstream lessons. Subjects include, how to create a tactile diagram, how to light a Bunsen burner, how to plot a graph, how to use a light probe and how to use drawing film.

At the core of Rapid Phonics are fast-paced sessions and quick and easy assessments that reinforce the basics of phonics in a way that children really enjoy.

The College also provides free Outreach Open Days throughout the year covering a range of subjects including maths, PE, music, IT, geography, science and many more.

Rapid Phonics is based on the Sound Discovery pedagogy written by renowned educational psychologist Dr Marlynne Grant. It has been tested for over eight years and has been proven to treble the progress of children with reading and spelling difficulties.

For dates, details or to the watch the videos, go to: www.newcollegeworcester.co.uk

Rapid Phonics also comes with eBooks. To order a sample pack, go to: www.pearsonprimary.co.uk/rapid2014SEN

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WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

WHAT’S NEW?

Open days for LVS Oxford

RNIB College Loughborough

LVS Oxford, the new school for children aged 11 to 19 years with autism and Asperger’s, will be hosting two open days in July ahead of its grand opening this September. The open days will be 4 and 5 July at the new school campus in Begbroke, Oxfordshire.

RNIB College Loughborough supports students with a wide range of disabilities to achieve their goals. It is a small, friendly College where each member of staff wants to empower each student to achieve their full potential.

Parents, children and potential staff will be able to meet staff from the school, including Director of Special Educational Needs Sarah Sherwood. For more information and to register your interest, call: 01865 595170 or visit the Facebook page “LVS Oxford”.

Have a Go at RNC Have a Go weekend @ The Royal National College for the Blind (RNC) will take place on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 October 2014. If you are thinking about going to college next year or the year after, you can join College staff for a weekend of fun to help you decide which course might be right for you. It is free to all young people with a visual impairment aged 13 to 16, including en suite accommodation, activities, food, refreshments and 24-hour support. For more information or to book a place, contact the RNC Enquiries Team on: 01432 376 621 or: info@rnc.ac.uk

Fourth consecutive Ofsted “outstanding” for RNIB Pears Centre The children's home at RNIB Pears Centre for Specialist Learning in Coventry has retained its “outstanding” rating following an Ofsted inspection earlier this year. The care service has been graded “outstanding” since November 2011 and is inspected by Ofsted every six months. The Centre’s school, separately inspected by Ofsted, was also graded “outstanding” in 2013. Ofsted judged the overall effectiveness of the children’s home to be outstanding and the report praised the way that "young people have fun and achieve outstanding personal outcomes”. www.rnib.org.uk/pearscentre WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Join for your further education and you will learn within College enterprises, giving you the opportunity to develop skills in a realistic setting. The College will look at what you want to get out of your time and provide a programme that will move you closer to your goal every day. For more information, visit: www.rnibcollege.ac.uk

New SEN Press iPad apps with one free story 30 best-selling SEN Press life skills stories are now available as iPad apps, including all the titles in the following series: Work Experience, Everyday Challenges, Teen Issues, Making Sense of Money, Relationships. Tap the text on the screen to start and stop the story audio track. Record your students as they read. Record your own sound “hotspots” on the page (great for adding questions, descriptive captions, or discussion starters). Get one story free, plus significant discounts for multiple licences and site licences. Download the SEN Press app from the App store. More information from SEN Press: 01727 825761, info@senpress.co.uk www.senpress.co.uk

Meet the Minibeast Team – outdoor chalkboards With “Betty Butterfly”, “Colin Caterpillar”, “Lilly Ladybird”, “Billy Bee” and “Spike Spider”, this new product, available from Sensory Technology, inspires children to write and communicate independently. Many children with conditions such as autism shy away from using speech and require extra encouragement to communicate with others. With the help of the new outdoor, all-weather, fun chalkboards children can interact on a level more acceptable to them. This product and many more can be purchased online with a ten per cent discount and free delivery (T and C's apply). To purchase, visit the Sensory Technology Online shop: www.senteqdirect.co.uk SENISSUE71

WHAT’S NEW?

Sheiling School Thornbury

Election planner

The Sheiling School Thornbury is an independent school for pupils aged six to 19 with SEN, offering both residential and day placements in a therapeutic educational environment inspired by Rudolf Steiner’s educational principles. The school’s adapted Waldorf Curriculum gives equal attention to the physical, emotional, intellectual, and cultural needs of each pupil.

With one year to go until the General Election, disability charity United Response has produced an Election Planner which has ten simple chronological steps designed to help anyone who works with people with learning disabilities to encourage them to get involved and to vote.

Ofsted said: “A highlight of the curriculum is the outdoor curriculum. This curriculum is especially beneficial to those pupils who are very hard to reach, and who have complex emotional and social difficulties. The activities involve pupils fully in the world outside using a practical approach to literacy and numeracy.”

This is part of United Response’s Every Vote Counts campaign which is designed to make politics accessible to all. You can download the planner and find out more at: www.unitedresponse.org.uk/press/ campaigns/every-vote-counts

Web: www.sheilingschool.org.uk Tel: 01454 412 194.

Breakthrough eye treatment helps dyslexics A treatment for dyslexia that has helped more than 22,000 Australians is now available in the UK. It has been developed by Alison Lawson, whose research as an orthoptist revealed that where one eye is not functioning properly, all the features of dyslexia are apparent in varying degrees. In a one-off treatment programme, Mrs Dawson’s LASD machine, used for ten one-hour sessions, enables the malfunctioning eye to become as effective as the good eye. The clear binocular vision enables clear processing of information to the brain, improved memory retention, better reading, writing and coordination, and removes stress associated with coping strategies. For more information, visit: www.dyslexia-treatment.co.uk

The Together Trust supporting young people and families Opened in 2012, North Westbased Bridge College is a specialist education college for students aged between 16 and 25 with disabilities, complex needs and autism. Bridge’s aim is to create an inclusive learning environment where young people can make the move into adulthood with improved skills, independence and communication. Run by young people’s care and education charity the Together Trust, Bridge has state-of-the-art facilities and expert teams to support students in achieving their goals and aspirations and develop essential life experiences. For further information, visit: www.togethertrust.org.uk SENISSUE71

Dyspraxia and learning difficulties Campus Itard 2014 Centro Studi Itard is inviting dyslexic students to its Dyspraxia and learning difficulties Campus Itard from 24 to 30 August in Nocera, Umbra, Italy (www.fonteangelica.it). Set in a beautiful landscape, the centre provides residential and supporting living services for dyspraxic students from 13 to 17 years old, promoting constant coordination based on motor skills, memory, perception and language, conducted by specialists trained and certified in the Crispiani Method. Visitors will be looked after by the team of psychologists and speech and language therapists, and can enjoy socialising and sharing experiences with students from around the world in the English language. For more information, contact Dr Eleonora Palmieri: 338-7051712, palmieri.eleonora@alice.it www.centrostudiitard.it

Highfield House children’s home to open The Witherslack Group has a proud history of changing the lives of young people and helping them to realise their full potential. The Group has announced the upcoming opening of their latest children’s home. Highfield House, based in Cumbria, will provide a consistent, safe and caring environment where children and young people can prosper, develop friendships, social skills, self-confidence and independence. To find out more about Highfield House and what it has to offer, or to book a visit to see the new home, visit: www.witherslackgroup.co.uk WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

WHAT'S NEW?

SEN LAW

Young and dyslexic Help the children with dyslexia in your school to be proud of being dyslexic, instead of feeling embarrassed, misunderstood and stupid. The Young Dyslexics campaign aims to promote dyslexia awareness in schools by encouraging young people with dyslexia to educate themselves, their peers and educators about what dyslexia is, how it makes them feel, what they have difficulty with, what support they need and most importantly, what they are good at. The campaign seeks to change attitudes, whilst raising the self-esteem and confidence of young dyslexic people. To get your school involved, visit: www.youngdyslexics.co.uk

Train named after Hannahs First Great Western has named a high speed train in honour of Hannahs, the charity that is dedicated to empowering children, young people and adults with a range of disabilities. Hannahs Chief Executive Bronwen Hewitt unveiled the plaque and officially named the train at a ceremony hosted by Mark Hopwood, Managing Director of First Great Western. David Crome, General Manager West, First Great Western, said the company was “delighted to be able to recognise the outstanding work of Hannahs which has such a profound effect on transforming the lives of so many disadvantaged people.” www.discoverhannahs.org

A sibling’s uplifting introduction to Down syndrome Nine-year-old big sister Mia Goleniowska, from Cornwall, has published a groundbreaking book to help other children who become siblings to a child with Down syndrome. Mia’s mum, Hayley, who writes the award-winning blog Downs Side Up, discovered notes and poems around the house written by Mia to her little sister. She collected them, soon realising that they were the basis for the kind of book she wished she’d had as a new parent to a child with Down syndrome. I Love You Natty is available from Amazon at £5.99 or to order via Waterstones. ISBN 978-0-9929251-0-9. WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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POINT OF VIEW

Point of view: charity campaigner

Same old story Human rights abuses will persist as long as the lessons of Winterbourne View are ignored, says Keith Smith

he NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre recently published additional information taken from the Learning Disabilities Census carried out in September 2013, which gives us more of a picture of the experiences of the 3,250 people with learning disabilities or autism who were inpatients in specialist units at that time. The report makes it clear that nearly three years after the abuse at Winterbourne View, things remain largely unchanged. In fact, it is becoming increasingly difficult to change the system as has been promised. The Census gives new information about the use of restraint and antipsychotic medication, the likelihood of discharge and the cost of the system. Much of this would be the subject of a public outcry about human rights abuses were it happening to anyone other than people with learning disabilities or autism. Over two thirds of the individuals had been given major tranquilliser class drugs on a regular basis. This raises deep concerns about whether this approach is being used to control behaviour rather than to address any underlying mental health issues. Over half of the individuals had been subjected to at least one incident of self-harm, physical assault, hands on restraint, seclusion or an accident in the previous three months. In fact, selfharm, hands on restraint and the use of seclusion is reported as increasing over the period 2010 to 2013.

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An opportunity missed In Transforming Care: a national response to Winterbourne View Hospital (2012), there was a clear Government commitment to develop discharge plans for all individuals inappropriately placed in specialist units by June 2013, with individuals moving to community based care by June 2014. The census identified that nearly half of the individuals had no discharge plan, including 28 per cent of the informal patients. It could be argued that individuals who were not being held

We have to recognise that the current system is broken and irreparable under the Mental Health Act should be a priority to be discharged to provision in their local communities. The Census report also provides the details of the money invested, with weekly costs between £1500 and £4999. 11 per cent had weekly costs of over £4,500, which translates to an annual bill of £86 million pounds each year. The sums of money involved should be able to provide local person-centred community services tailored to each individual. However, this will never happen whilst we only tinker with the current system. We have to recognise that the current system is broken and irreparable. Despite

all of the well-meaning platitudes and our commitments to ensure that there will never be another Winterbourne View, the Census information provides the evidence that little is changing. On 6 May, Minister for Care and Support Norman Lamb addressed the Learning Disabilities Professional Senate and shared his frustration at the slow pace of change in delivering the Transforming Care agenda. He said that he was shocked that it was “business as usual” for many commissioners and service providers and that there was a “serious and ongoing failure of the system to change.” The challenge is to develop flexible local services that can deliver the right support, at the right time, in the right place and by the right people to meet the needs of people with learning disabilities and their families. This does not include being placed in a specialist unit many miles from home and being subjected to anti-psychotic medication, hands on restraint and seclusion. The system serves no-one well. It has been allowed to go on for years and it is people with learning disabilities or autism, and their families, who have paid the greatest price.

Further information

Keith Smith is Development Manager at the British Institute of Learning Disabilities: www.bild.org.uk

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POINT OF VIEW

Point of view: academy principal No limits, no boundaries Effective education must focus on understanding the child’s ever-changing needs, says Nicole McCartney

he belief that all children can succeed is a crucial starting point for educators, both in visioning strategic aims and in designing operational structures. Low expectations are toxic for all involved – most importantly the child – and children prove over and over again that they will meet whatever expectations you set of them. Setting those expectations as high as possible works to their benefit more than any intervention could hope to. Teaching and support staff must believe that there are no barriers, only different ways of learning and teaching. Furthermore, all must understand that it is the job of those doing the educating to find the ways in which each child learns, and to adjust, plan, bend, change and work to ensure that each child has his/her own tools for learning. The time that we take in transitioning a child into secondary school is vital. We must realise that for all children this is a new life – a new journey. How we tailor this experience for each child is crucial to future successes. Reducing anxieties promotes the ability, and willingness to learn, which makes personalisation an absolute priority.

Support that works The new Code of Practise supports a holistic approach to every child, and a focus on excellent communication between home, school and external agencies is crucial to ensuring that all are working to meet the child's needs appropriately. Nevertheless, all too often these conversations focus more on strategy than they do on impact. A WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

coherent programme of support must be ever-changing and grow organically as the child works through his/her educational experience. In order to avoid a disjointed, ad-hoc dispersal of resources, the question that must always be asked is, “How has this support helped the child to progress?” A laundry list of “supportive measures” is not a measure of success. A happy child who enjoys progressing academically is what we must all strive for. In secondary school, this practise must begin in Year 6.

certain that any relationships formed during a summer programme are continuous and accessible throughout the child's educational career is crucial. A focus on reading, writing, communication and maths should be woven through a social programme, with an emphasis on the child's learning strategy. Transition is too often seen as a time for the child to learn about his/ her secondary school. We must rather ensure that it becomes the time that secondary school staff learn what they must do to ensure success for each individual child.

The question that must always be asked is, “How has this support helped the child to progress?” Plan ahead The benefits of summer school in the transition year are weighty. Ensuring a holistic approach with all stakeholders – parents, primary staff, health professionals and key secondary staff – with excellent lines of communication will help to tailor a personalised programme of support for each child. Orienteering around the new building, a photo album showing key staff, a colour coded timetable with site map and an annotated list of school clubs and activities are all incredibly effective in settling children into their new environment. Furthermore, making

Further information Nicole McCartney is Executive Principal of Ormiston Venture Academy:

www.ormistonventureacademy.co.uk

What's your point of view?

Email: editor@senmagazine.co.uk

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SEN LAW

The new SEN framework Imelda Brennan provides an introduction for parents to the new SEN system coming into force from September

n March 2011, the Government published a Green Paper entitled A New Approach to Special Educational Needs and Disability with a stated aim to join up education, health and care provision from birth to 25 years for children and young people with SEN and disabilities. From 1 September 2014, the new system will come into effect when Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014 comes into force. In addition to the Act there will also be new Regulations and a new SEN Code of Practice. A consultation process has been undertaken with regard to the new draft Regulations and Code of Practice. Over 700 responses were received in respect of the latter, highlighting substantial concerns about its content. At the time of writing, a revised draft Code of Practice has been published which now extends to 242 pages and a further

(but brief and restricted) consultation process closed on 6 May 2014. The Regulations and Code of Practice are not expected to be published in final form until as late as summer 2014.

What are the main features of the new system? • Local authorities will now need to publish a local offer which should set out, in one place, information about provision they expect to be available across education, health and social care for children and young people from birth up to the age of 25 years in their area who have SEN or are disabled. • With the aim of “establishing effective partnerships across Education, Health and Care”, the relevant organisations must

The Government says its new system will provide more coordinated care for those with SEN.

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The current statutory assessment process will be replaced by an education health and care needs assessment make joint commissioning arrangements about the education, health and care provision to be secured for children and young people with SEN or disabilities in their area. This includes making arrangements for considering and agreeing what provision is reasonably required, the provision which is to be secured and by whom, and procedures for resolving disputes between the organisations. • The current statutory assessment process will be replaced by an education health and care (EHC) needs assessment with a view to providing a joined-up “tell us once” approach. • Statements of SEN will be replaced by education, health and care plans (EHC plans). • The timetable for a local authority to undertake an EHC needs assessment and issue a final EHC plan will be reduced to 20 weeks. The current timetable is 26 weeks. WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

SEN LAW

• An EHC plan can be maintained for a young person up to the age of 25 if s/he remains in education or training and it remains necessary. Unlike statements, EHC plans can therefore be maintained for young people transferring into further education and will provide a significantly improved level of protection for this group of young people, although will not extend to those in higher education. • When an EHC plan is made or reviewed, parents and young people can request and obtain a personal budget. This is an amount of money identified by the LA to deliver specific provision set out in an EHC plan and can include funding for special educational, health and social care provision. Where a local authority agrees, this could involve direct payments being made to the parent or young person to purchase identified provision themselves. • Young people over compulsory school age (that is, at the end of the academic year in when they turn 16) are given an increased profile and notably the right of appeal to the SEND Tribunal will transfer to them and will no longer rest with their parents.

The new SEN process The majority of children with SEN will continue to have their needs met in mainstream schools and colleges from the resources ordinarily available in mainstream settings. Where it is decided that a school pupil does have SEN, the decision should be recorded in the school records and the pupil’s parents must be formally informed. Arrangements for appropriate support should then be made and reviewed in line with an agreed date. Where a pupil continues to make less than expected progress, the school should consider WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

involving specialists including those from outside, such as an educational psychologist. The draft Code states that where, despite the school having taken relevant and purposeful action, the child or young person has not made expected progress, consideration should be given to requesting an EHC needs assessment.

When an EHC plan is made or reviewed, parents and young people can request and obtain a personal budget

The EHC needs assessment The legal threshold for a formal assessment of a child or young person’s needs remains fundamentally the same. The Act requires a local authority to undertake an EHC needs assessment if it is of the opinion that the child or young person has or may have SEN and it may be necessary for special educational provision to be made in accordance with an EHC plan. Therefore in practice, if a child or young person’s needs cannot be appropriately met within the resources ordinarily available in a mainstream school or post-16 placement, they should be the subject of an EHC needs assessment.

has decided not to require councils to use a single national template for EHC plans, although the revised draft Code of Practice does go further than the original draft and requires EHC plans to include the following sections, separately labelled with the letters shown: • Section A – views, interests and aspirations of the child and their parents or the young person • Section B – the child/young person’s SEN • Section C – the child/young person’s health needs which are related to their SEN • Section D – the child or young person’s social care needs which are related to their SEN • Section E – the outcomes sought for the child/young person • Section F – the special educational provision required • Section G – any health provision reasonably required by the learning difficulties or disabilities which result in the child/young person having SEN • Section H1 – any social care provision which must be made for a child or young person under 18 resulting from the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 • Section H2 – any other social care provision reasonably required by the learning difficulties or disabilities which result in the child or young person having SEN

Issuing an education, health and care plan The legal threshold for the issue of an EHC plan is the same as is currently the case for a statement. An EHC plan must be issued if, in the light of the EHC needs assessment, it is necessary for special educational provision to be made for a child or young person in accordance with such a plan. The Code sets out various considerations for a local authority to take into account when reaching such a decision but ultimately, if the child or young person’s needs cannot be met within the resources ordinarily available in a mainstream setting, an EHC plan should be issued. The content of an EHC plan This has been the subject of much discussion and comment. Current statements must be set out in six clearly defined parts. The Government

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• Section I – the name and/or type of placement to be attended by the child/young person • Section J – where there is a personal budget, the details of how it will support outcomes, the provision it will be used for and the arrangements for any direct payments • Section K – the advice and information gathered during the EHC needs assessment.

What if my child already has a statement or learning difficulty assessment? Given the preservation of the current legal thresholds, any child or young person who is the subject of a statement (school) or a learning difficulty assessment (LDA) (further education) should qualify for an EHC plan (unless his/her SEN have changed and they no longer require that level of provision). The Regulations dealing with the transfer of statements and LDAs to EHC plans have yet to be published in final form but the Government has stated in formal guidance that “no child or young person should lose their Statement or Learning Difficulty Assessment and not have it replaced with an EHC plan simply because the system is changing”. Currently, the Government aims for all LDAs to be transferred by September 2016 and all statements to be transferred by April 2018.

The new framework in action There are clear and significant advantages to the new system, including the added protection for young people up to the age of 25, a more joined-up “tell us once” approach and potentially greater flexibility in the delivery of provision. However, parents and young people need to be aware that despite their names, an EHC needs assessment and EHC plan are only triggered by a child or young person’s SEN. To a considerable extent, the care SENISSUE71

Local authorities which have been trialling the new system are still experiencing significant challenges element of an EHC plan reflects the duties of LAs under existing legislation. The health provision specified in an EHC plan must be delivered but the provision included in the EHC plan in the first place, if any, will be a matter for the relevant clinical commissioning group and cannot be the subject of a statutory appeal. The Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal will continue to only consider the SEN and special education provision and educational placement required for children and young people. There will be the opportunity to request mediation and to pursue complaints (as is already the case) regarding the provision for health and care needs, but there will be no new right of appeal to the Tribunal. In many ways, the new EHC plan is a very similar document to the existing statement. The importance of ensuring that any provision which “trains or educates” a child or young person is recognised and specified in Section F of an EHC plan as special educational provision (rather than health or care provision) remains paramount if children and young people’s needs are to be protected and adequately met. Speech and language therapy and occupational therapy are often required to address a child’s educational needs and as such should be included as special educational provision and not as health provision. The revised draft Code of Practice makes specific mention of the fact that addressing speech and language impairment should normally be recorded as special educational provision unless there are exceptional reasons for not doing so.

Concerns on the part of those representing parents include the removal of the current school based levels of support (School Action and School Action Plus), the potentially unrealistic expectations parents may have about the new health and care elements of EHC plans, the increased potential for confusion as to whether provision is being specified as special educational provision or not and the vulnerability of young people with recognised SEN and disabilities over compulsory school age who will now have a right of appeal to the SEND Tribunal rather than their parents. Whilst the revised draft Code goes someway to addressing this and recognises the ongoing importance of input and support from parents, confusion remains. The Government’s own recent surveys show that those local authorities which have been trialling the new system are still experiencing significant challenges establishing joint commissioning structures across education, health and care services, putting in place a transparent process for offering personal budgets and planning how to transfer statements and LDAs to EHC plans. How the system works in practice for children, young people, parents, education settings, councils and all other interested parties from 1 September 2014 onwards remains to seen.

Further information

Imelda Brennan is a Specialist Education Solicitor and Partner at Langley Wellington LLP Solicitors which has an Education Department dealing with all aspects of education law: www.langleywellington.co.uk

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BULLYING

Staying cyber-safe Martha Evans discusses the issues children with SEN face when it comes to getting online

xisting quantitative research suggests that people with disabilities are amongst the groups which are least likely to use the internet; a huge 20 per cent less likely than their peers. In March 2014, the Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA) embarked on the first ever consultation to discover what children and young people with SEN and/or disabilities really think about cyber-bullying and using the internet. What emerged was that these children and young people are not using the internet as much as those who don’t have any SEN, due in part to cyber-bullying and experiences of discriminatory behaviour. This article discusses our survey’s findings and their implications.

What is cyber-bullying? It is important that, when thinking about cyber-bullying, we have a full understanding of the definition of bullying. The ABA defines bullying as: “the repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. It can happen face-to-face or through cyberspace.” Cyber-bullying is bullying via electronic means. This could be via a smart phone, computer, laptop, tablet or online gaming platform. It can take place on a range of online or mobile services, such as text, email, social networking sites, video-hosting sites, messenger, photo sharing services, chat, webcams, visual learning environments and online games.

disabilities did use the internet, many had first-hand experience of an often discriminatory and hostile environment, with some participants having personally experienced cyberbullying. In many instances, this was an extension of the face-to-face bullying they already experienced at school, and meant that rather than escaping the issue at home, it became a twentyfour hour problem which infiltrated even these “safe” environments. In addition, many young people said they were often not believed when they told someone about instances of cyberbullying, or had experienced a lack of support and appropriate responses from adults, who often suggested “avoiding the internet” as the best strategy for combating the problem. One in five children at school in the UK has SEN. These children are already more likely than their peers to be excluded from school, and to be out of education, employment or training when they reach the age of 18. With the internet now such an integral part of all children’s learning and communication, and a vital tool in the workplace, it is concerning that these young people

In many instances, cyber-bullying was an extension of the faceto-face bullying they experienced at school are in some instances being actively discouraged from using the internet, or choosing to deliberately avoid the internet for fear of potential cyberbullying, putting them at yet another disadvantage to their peers. One of the most talked about experiences was using the often anonymous nature of the internet to hide a disability online, deliberately concealing this aspect of their identity. A lack of education or total absence of support to learn about internet safety was also described.

What is different about cyber-bullying? There are some features of cyberbullying that are different to other forms of bullying.

What are young people with SEN’s experiences of cyberbullying? Of the young people we spoke to, where young people with SEN and SENISSUE71

Schools should have clear anti-bullying policies to keep pupils safe online.

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24/7 bullying Young people are always connected, which means that the target of the bullying can be reached 24/7, even when they are at home. Young people we spoke to talked of the bullying extending into all areas of their personal lives, through the portability of technology. This meant that bullying becomes inescapable, as these comments from students illustrate: “You used to be able to go in to school, get your head down, and have different friends outside of school... You could separate it... Now you can’t.” “It takes what’s happening in school to a whole other level.” “Bullying is far more wide spread now it is online – it’s not just your time in school. It affects your social life. Your social life is online. How many people like your status or your picture. Social pressures are just made worse.” Online popularity Young people spoke in detail about cyber-bullying and social media. For young people who access social media, so much of their social lives are online. This can increase existing social pressures on young people and enhance exclusion and isolation, taking several different forms, for example: • people purposefully not liking a young person’s status update or photo they have posted, so they seem unpopular • exclusion from group chats • not being invited to group events.

Anti-Bullying Week

This year’s national Anti-Bullying Week runs from 17 to 21 November 2014, with the theme “Let’s stop bullying for all”. For more information and Anti-Bullying Week official merchandise and resources, visit: www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk

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Anonymity A young person being bullied may not always know who is bullying them, which can be very distressing. The bullying content can be shared with a large audience very quickly, and can reappear again and again, which can make it harder to get closure. On the positive side, evidence of cyber-bullying can be collected and retained – be it a text or a screenshot from a social networking profile. It can be enormously empowering to a child, when they want to talk about a bullying incident, to have something they can show when they tell a friend, a parent or carer, a teacher or school staff member, an internet service provider or even the police. Global identity Bullying and harassment online often involves a large audience with a number of players. It’s rarely limited to interaction between two individuals. “A lot of people, like I’ve seen them on Facebook, and they’ll take a photo of someone without them knowing it, and there’ll be hundreds of comments on it, just like taking the mick out of them.”

A young person being bullied may not always know who is bullying them, which can be very distressing

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How can schools tackle cyber-bullying? Tackling cyber-bullying can be split into methods of prevention, reporting and response. • Prevention: • e-safety education, such as “think before you post”, is an important message that all schools should be delivering. It is important to encourage empathy in children and young people, asking them to put themselves in the shoes of the person receiving messages, and the need to respect friends’ and peers’ thoughts and feelings online • the whole-school community needs a shared understanding of what is meant by “cyberbullying”, its potential impact,

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how it differs from other forms of bullying and why it is unacceptable young people and their parents should also be made aware of pupils’ responsibilities in their use of ICT schools must have a clear anti-bullying policy which includes how they will respond to issues of cyber-bullying of young people with SEN. Existing policies and practices should be updated to reflect cyberbullying issues, and ensure that policies are “owned” and understood throughout the school community information about cyber-bullying must be made more visible in schools, and this information must be in accessible formats, so it can be accessed and understood by all children and young people the positive use of technology should be promoted. Safe and effective practice is key to preventing the misuse of technology. Schools should ensure that learning strategies and targets, as well as staff development programmes, support the innovative and engaging use of technologies all children and young people should be taught how to use the internet and new technologies safely and responsibly. This is a key step to preventing cyberbullying and helping young >> SENISSUE71

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people develop into responsible digital citizens who can look after themselves and their peers, and get the most out of technology • evaluating the impact of prevention activities. Regular reviews are vital to make sure that anti-bullying policies are working and are up to date. Consider conducting an annual survey of pupils’ experiences of bullying, including cyberbullying, and a parent satisfaction survey. Publicise progress and activities to the whole-school community – keep cyber-bullying a live issue and celebrate your successes. Reporting: • make reporting cyber-bullying easier and publicise existing reporting routes so pupils, parents and staff are clear on how and who to report to • provide real life examples when teaching, so that children can use these to spot when they or others are being bullied, or to understand when their own actions could be construed as bullying • bullying and cyber-bullying should be built into everyday school conversations, so during personal tutor sessions, for example, staff should talk to young people about bullying and cyber-bullying so that the door is open for young people to talk about any issues they have. Responding: • support the person being bullied. Reassure the pupil that s/he has done the right thing by reporting the incident, refer to any existing pastoral support/ procedures and inform parents. The young people we spoke with wanted staff members to work with them to agree a course of action and support, so the young person felt in control SENISSUE71

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of this process and could see the link between reporting and action being taken advise on next steps, such as saving the evidence. In our focus groups, young people requested further support to review how they currently use the internet and explore ways of improving their online safety – for example, being shown how to block people or improve privacy settings take action to contain the incident when content has been circulated. Steps may include asking the person responsible to take the content down, reporting the content online yourself, considering disciplinary powers to confiscate devices that are being used to cyber-bully and contacting the police if the law has been broken investigate incidents and keep a record of them. If necessary, take steps to identify the person displaying the bullying behaviour work with the young person displaying the bullying behaviour. The young people who took part in this research felt that it was also important to support the young person who had bullied them, as those doing the bullying may have been bullied themselves, or may not understand how their behaviour and actions have affected others.

Regular reviews are vital to make sure that anti-bullying policies are working and are up to date It is clear from our findings that more in-depth research is needed into these issues, but ultimately, the solution lies in better education – not only in the classroom, via formats which ensure the information is accessible for all children and young people – but also through better training for teachers and support for parents.

Further information

Martha Evans is Senior Programme Lead - SEND and Inclusion at the Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA), a coalition of organisations and individuals hosted by the National Children's Bureau. ABA are working with Contact a Family, Mencap, Achievement for All 3As and the Council for Disabled Children on a Department for Education funded programme of training and resources aimed at reducing the incidence and impact of bullying of children and young people with SEN and disabilities. Resources for this programme, including ABA’s report on Cyberbullying and SEND, can be found at: www.anti-bullyingalliance.org. uk/send-programme

Pupils should feel able to discuss bullying with school staff.

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ASSISTIVE BATHING

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ASSESSMENT SOFTWARE

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION

Sexuality and autism Kate Reynolds reveals the what, how and when of sex education for young people with severe autism

exuality is a slippery and broad concept, encompassing sexual p re f e re n c e s , sexual activities, sexual power and presentation of the sexual self. Mainstream sex education often focuses on the more obvious facets of sexuality, those being pregnancy, contraception and sexually transmissible infections, with more or less emphasis on empowering young people and power in relationships. Autistic spectrum disorders form a continuum of conditions from those with higher cognitive functioning and social abilities to those with more severe forms of autism, in which cognitive, verbal and social abilities are affected profoundly.

Why is sex education important? Historically, people with more severe autism have been subject to one of two opposing perceptions. According to the first view, they may be treated like small children, even when they are adult. This approach tends to label more severely autistic people as being vulnerable, unable to take decisions in everyday life and needing constant supervision by someone whose role it is to make decisions for them. In terms

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of sexuality, these people may become liable to sexual abuse and the target of opportunistic paedophiles. Certainly, more severely autistic people attract those who might prey on them sexually. However, research shows that those who are equipped with sexual knowledge are less likely to be targeted by paedophiles, partly because they can identify inappropriate sexual behaviour and object to it and partly because they can describe in detail what has happened if sexual abuse does take place (Hollomotz, 2011). In addition, the greater the circles of social contacts a child has, the more likely it is that any inappropriate sexual behaviour will be identified. Ironically, the greater the perception of vulnerability linked to protection, the more vulnerable that person is in actuality. According to the second view, those with more severe forms of autism sometimes may be perceived as dangerous sexual predators whose behaviours needs to be managed and supervised. Evidence suggests that a significant number become embroiled with the police because they are not aware of what constitutes appropriate sexual behaviours (Hollomotz, 2011). Unlike typically developing children, those with autism do not learn “by

Those with more severe forms of autism sometimes may be perceived as dangerous sexual predators osmosis” from their peers. Usually, social communication does not take place to any great extent in the school playground and many children with autism do not attend clubs or have friends outside school. Teaching aspects of sexuality has to be formal and explicit to be effective for these pupils. If we consider that education prepares our children for social citizenship and independence in the world, sexuality should be a primary focus of teaching efforts.

Working with parents Emphasis in teaching such pupils should be given to working closely with parents, which is reflected in UK Government policy. Ways of working with parents could include discussions about sex education at annual reviews of children’s statement of SEN or developing a series of ongoing sessions for groups of parents about sexuality with personal, social and health education (PSHE) coordinators or SENCOs. From parents’ perspectives, sex education at home may only begin when problems emerge, the most common being masturbating in public. So much depends on parents’ attitudes and belief systems; some severely autistic children WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION

may gain a reasonable grounding in sexuality, while many more have a very limited grasp of sexuality (Reynolds, 2013). The fact that sex education is not a compulsory subject in the National Curriculum (aside from aspects covered in biology) can leave some children with insufficient knowledge. Some parents may insist that their children receive no sex education until they show signs of being sexually interested, such as frottage (rubbing sexually against another person). Often, this is based on an assumption that educating these children about sexuality will actually sexualise their behaviours and thoughts. However, evidence shows this simply is not the case and that waiting for a child to develop sexual interest may run the risk that they already behave sexually inappropriately, which, if it becomes entrenched, can be difficult to change (Stokes and Kaur, 2005). From Key Stage 1 onwards in schools, the foundations of sex education can be laid, bearing in mind that many profoundly autistic children rely on repetition to appreciate the most basic of concepts before these can be built on. Policies in school need to be robust; flexibility can be unhelpful. For example, many schools adopt policies which advocate no masturbation on the school premises. Others use a “flexible” approach and allow parents to request that their children are allowed to masturbate in toilets because they perceive this to be a “private” space. However, pupils with severe autism may perceive that any toilets are available for masturbation, including public toilets where they may be approached for sexual purposes and can become the subject of intervention by the police for inappropriate behaviour in a public place. Some autistic people may become sexually aroused simply by the sight of porcelain because of the association between toilets and masturbation, so they may try to masturbate into urinals in public toilets or porcelain kitchen sinks, for example. WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Policies in school need to be robust; flexibility can be unhelpful

complex for those with more severe forms of autism, but this underlines the need for adapting the curriculum for individuals when teaching such pupils.

Essential concepts for understanding What to teach The following is a list of important learning areas in order of priority (see diagram below, Hierarchy of sexual health learning needs): • Sense of self and selfdetermination – for example, saying “yes” and “no” and this being acted upon • Respect for and understanding of others – for example, understanding emotions and developing a level of empathy • Friendships and social contacts, including power in relationships, being assertive, public and private behaviours and using public toilets safely • Physiological knowledge • Intimate or sexual relationships.

Sexual health learning needs

• Intimate or sexual relationships • Physiological knowledge • Friendships and social contacts • Respect for others including emotions • Sense of self and selfdetermination

Hierarchy of sexual health learning needs (based on Reynolds, 2013).

Although some teachers and many parents are primarily concerned with sexual intercourse – and the possible consequences of pregnancy and sexually transmissible infections – this cannot be properly understood without the person appreciating the foundations of sex education. Some of the learning areas identified above may seem too

The most fundamental concept to work through with severely autistic children is that of “sense of self” (Hatton and Tector, 2010). In typically developing children, this notion of being apart from their parents or primary carers and having a level of self-determination grows naturally in the first years of life. This may be missing in severely autistic children and may require one-to-one exercises to develop (Reynolds, 2013). Sense of self is essential for understanding of the concept of both giving and asking for consent in any relationships. The second notion that is useful for children to understand is that of slow, gradual change. This can be achieved using plants, school/home pets or other life that can demonstrate development over time. This is an incredibly important concept to convey because many autistic children fear waking one morning with all the changes of puberty having happened overnight. Thirdly, the concept of “wet” and “dry”, which may not seem related to sex education, is important. Understanding the difference between wet and dry underpins efforts to help young women manage menstruation and know when to change sanitary pads, for example. For young men, the concept is vital for explaining wet dreams and for both genders giving understanding to climax after masturbation. Linking with parents can ensure that the same message is being given at home, where children bathe regularly and the concept can be reinforced. One of the overriding issues which can be addressed early in any sex education program is that of public and private behaviours. This is an area that can be usefully discussed with parents to ensure that boundaries are clear in >> SENISSUE71

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the home as well as in school. Children can be taught that geographical areas of the home are private, such as their parents’ bedroom. General rules around knocking, waiting to be asked in, then entering private rooms can be instilled in the home, as in school. The NSPCC’s Underwear Rule is a tangible and helpful concept for teaching about private zones of the body in that it specifies that parts of the body hidden by underwear are private. My only reservation is that children need to learn the “correct” terminology for sexual parts of the body, so they can accurately report what has happened if non-consensual sex or child sexual abuse occurs. Friendships and social contacts are important for pupils from the earliest opportunity so they can experience general issues such as verbal disputes and how to make up afterwards, being assertive and saying “yes” and “no” in friendships. One helpful action schools can take is to encourage parents to bring their children to social events at the school and enjoy parties and other social gatherings. Many parents shy away from social events with autistic children due to painful experiences of their children’s emotional outbursts, so they may need support from the school. Other parents may not see the point of their children socialising, believing that autistic people “enjoy” solo lives, although evidence from autistics defies this perception (Higashida, 2013). Certainly, fostering and maintaining friendships is difficult for autistic people and often relies on outside help to enable such social contacts to develop.

How to teach sexuality Individualised programs of sex education are necessary as well as some small group work in the class. The rules which apply to all teaching and autism are as appropriate for sexuality, these being: • repetition, such as story books on related subjects • visual teaching, such as picture cards or puppets SENISSUE71

Many autistic children fear waking one morning with all the changes of puberty having happened overnight • use of physical 3D models, which pupils can handle and observe. This may be useful to explain ejaculation, how to insert tampons or insertion of a penis during sexual intercourse, for example. • role play in class settings • watching and reviewing appropriate DVDs – this may be particularly engaged in at home on a one-to-one basis with a parent. Working closely with parents, these methods and information can be reinforced at home. It is helpful for schools to identify suitable resources for parents, possibly allowing parents to borrow resources on a library basis.

accurately if sexual abuse takes place and to discourage a perpetrator by being aware of appropriate sexual behaviour.

References: Hatton, S. and Tector, A. (2010) Sexuality and Relationship Education for Young People with Autistic Spectrum Disorder: Curriculum Change and Staff Support, British Journal of Special Education 37, 2, 69-76. Higashida, N. and Mitchell, D. (2013) The Reason I Jump: the Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism, Sceptre Publishing. Hollomotz, A. (2011) Learning Difficulties and Sexual Vulnerability: A Social Approach, Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Reynolds, K.E. (2013) Sexuality and Severe Autism: A Practical Guide for Parents, Caregivers and Health Educators, Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Stokes, M. and Kaur, A. (2005) High Functioning autism and sexuality: A Parental Perspective, Autism 9, 3, 266-289. Walker-Hirsch, L. and Champagne, M.P. (1991) The Circles Concept: Social Competence in Special Education, Education Leadership 49, 1, 65.

Conclusions Sexuality is inherent to all humans, regardless of cognitive, physical or learning difficulties or disabilities. Effective teaching of issues around sexuality involves close collaboration between schools and parents to ensure messages are clear and repeated in the main arenas in which children live. Far from sheltering children at the severe end of the autism spectrum from explicit sexual information to protect them, research clearly shows that this simply renders them more vulnerable. Knowledge is, indeed, power in the context of sexuality. Understanding of appropriate sexual behaviours, correct anatomical language and exposure to social contacts and friendships better enable these children. Arguably, even more than typically developing children, severely autistic children need to be armed with skills to know and report

Further information

Kate Reynolds is a registered general nurse, counsellor and trainer of health professionals with 18 years’ NHS experience. She is studying a Masters in Disability Studies at University of Bristol. She is the mother of an autistic child and the author of Party Planning for Children and Teens on the Autism Spectrum (2012), Sexuality and Severe Autism (2013), Sexuality and Safety with Tom and Ellie (forthcoming series of six story books, 2014). Kate blogs at: www.autismagonyaunt.com

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KIDZ SCOTLAND

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SCHOOL REFUSAL

Refusal or phobia? If we want to help school refusers to flourish, we have to unearth the roots of their refusal, says Ruth Brooks

or thirty-five years, I had what I considered to be the best job in the world: a home tutor for various education authorities. I was one of a team of about 15 tutors, each of us working on an individual basis in the homes of children who were not currently attending school. Many children were excluded for disruptive or violent behaviour such as bullying. Others had learning difficulties and were waiting for an alternative school placement after falling further and further behind in their mainstream school. A few were seriously, even terminally, ill; these were the heart-breaking cases that tested our emotional resilience to the limit. For me, the most intriguing and ultimately rewarding youngsters were the so-called “school refusers”. When I first started working for LEAs in the 1970s, I rarely heard children referred to in this way. Instead, they were termed “school phobic”. All children who SENISSUE71

displayed an aversion to school were lumped together under this umbrella heading, with total disregard for all the factors underlying their behaviour, be they emotional, educational or social. It took me several years of working individually in their homes to understand that school refusal and school phobia can be entirely different entities. The following examples may be illuminating.

Alice’s story Alice* is fourteen, and does not appear to have any significant learning difficulties, though she struggles with English and some maths concepts. Her general knowledge is weak and she shows little curiosity about the outside world, though she loves TV animal documentaries. Alice lives with her single mother in a council flat. There appears to be no contact with her father. Her older sister, Julie, lives close by with her partner and a new

Her family provides all the daily social contact she wants. In her mind, why should she bother with school? baby. Julie pops in for an hour or two’s chat every day. Alice has a passion: breeding mice. The spare room is filled with at least 20 cages. Alice spends hours feeding, cleaning, and categorising her mice. She makes elaborate charts, documenting mating records, gestation periods, birth dates and the number of offspring. I am very impressed by her ability, totally self-taught, to record data using the scientific method. She wants to be a vet’s assistant. Alice dropped out of school a year ago. When I ask her why, she WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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approach is the only sure way to do this. First, I need to persuade Harry out of the house, perhaps to the local shop. Harry is indeed a school refuser, in that he refuses to go to school, but the underlying cause is very different from Emily’s example. Harry’s phobia is paramount, and so an alternative educational and behavioural strategy is required.

Emily’s story

Children who avoid school can show a big interest in some subjects.

shrugs and says that she doesn’t like her classmates, she has nothing in common with them, and that the lessons are boring. I can see that she is happy at home. She has all that she needs there; studying her mice and keeping their charts up to date kept her brain active, and her family provides all the daily social contact she wants. In her mind, why should she bother with school? My approach for now is to play along with this and to use my allotted tuition hours to make good her educational deficits and to expand her sphere of general knowledge through history, geography, and general science. As she grows more confident, I’ll widen her social sphere with visits to the library, museum, zoo and an animal shelter.

Harry’s story Harry, by contrast, is terrified of school. He won’t leave the house at all. Age nine, he has been badly bullied at his primary school. A quiet, thoughtful boy, Harry’s great love is space and the planets. He builds model spaceships and spends hours drawing space cities. Harry hates games and the rough and tumble of the playground. He says that he’ll never go back to school again. My brief from the Education Department is to get him back into school as soon as possible, yet I know that a softly, softly WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Now consider Emily, aged 13. Emily has myalgic encephalopathy (ME). Some days, when I arrive, she is not yet up. On the occasions when she does get out of bed, it’s a real challenge to motivate her. She stares sullenly at the science worksheets the teacher has sent home. Maths is difficult; English – usually such a rich source of material, with stories, play-acting, and wordgames – leaves her cold. She sits there, taciturn, barely concentrating. Yet when her friends call round, she’s animated and chatty. One morning, I arrive to see two of them arranging her hair and applying lurid nail varnish. When they go, she sighs, and once more becomes enveloped in a sad, listless gloom. I ask her whether she wouldn’t be happier at school, with her friends, but she just shakes her head. Her mother tells me that she isn’t well enough as her energy levels fluctuate too much. Emily’s mother, Mrs Jones, is a widow. Her husband died of a heart attack when Emily was seven. To compound the tragedy, her elder daughter, then 13, died a few months later from a rare blood disorder. Mrs Jones copes alone, supplementing her widow’s pension with several cleaning jobs. The house is always as neat as a show home, but sterile, without books or the friendly clutter of hobbies and interests. It strikes me that Emily is deeply depressed. Her ME, though indisputable in its physical symptoms, could be a manifestation of this depression. The death of both father and sister has affected her severely. I wonder if she has had any therapy. When I gingerly

However well Scott did, it never seemed to measure up to his dad’s high expectations approach her mother to ask, the subject appears to be off-limits. Mrs Jones copes with life in a brisk let’s-get-onwith-it fashion, which doesn’t seem to include sharing feelings of grief with her daughter. Yet I see her fussing over Emily, preparing her special diet, and buying her new clothes. She seems glad to have Emily at home. I have the feeling that her daughter’s presence fills a gap in her life, and that Emily is subconsciously aware of this. So is Emily’s a case of school refusal, or school phobia, or both? Emily’s reasons for not going to school are complex, influenced by the ME – which is very real, but may be psychosomatically induced – and by her subconscious desire to be “there”, literally and metaphorically, for Mrs Jones in order to give her mother some purpose. The fact that Emily loves hearing the latest gossip from her friends at school shows that she is still interested in school life. There is no sign of a phobia, and yet there is a subtle and mainly unacknowledged school refusal.

The root of the problem My experience with children like Alice, Harry and Emily has shown me that to devise a suitable educational programme for school refusers (to use the umbrella term) we need to examine all the possible causes. What motivates the behaviour? Is it consistent or does it vary according to what’s happening either at school or at home? Is there a specific teacher, or another child or lesson, that is particularly challenging or upsetting? Has there been parental separation or a new baby in the family? Or is there something more sinister >> SENISSUE71

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and hidden, like abuse – physical, sexual or even emotional? One young teenager I taught was being grilled daily about his marks by a very highachieving father. However well Scott did, it never seemed to measure up to his dad’s high expectations. In the end, Scott dropped out of school. It took months of patient, one-to-one tuition to restore his confidence and selfesteem. At the same time, I liaised with the school, making his teachers aware of the pressure Scott had been under. The school arranged for Scott to have counselling. This inevitably involved his father, who was at last able to see how his anxiety about results (stemming from his own deep-rooted insecurities) had caused his son’s school refusal. Luckily, the situation is sometimes much more clear-cut, as when a child has general learning difficulties. One child, Christopher, aged ten, had been exasperating his teachers by lashing out at his classmates and disrupting the lesson, before eventually refusing to go to school. When I started teaching him at home, it was soon clear that his antisocial behaviour was a symptom of his frustration at lagging behind his peer group academically, and being called “thick” by classmates. It was a matter of restoring his confidence by easy, enjoyable educational exercises until the school got him statemented. He was then referred to a special school where he thrived.

Different lives So what happened to Alice, Harry and Emily? Alice started volunteering at a Cat’s Rehoming Shelter. She loved working with the full-time staff and other volunteers, and became less isolated. Aged 16, she plucked up the courage to go into school part-time, to do maths, science and English GCSEs, and achieved her ambition of working with animals as a vet’s assistant. It took a year of very patient, stepby-step progress before Harry would even go near the school gates, so severe was his phobia. We started with the local shop, and then the park, and SENISSUE71

It took a year of very patient, step-by-step progress before Harry would even go near the school gates then the library in town, until finally we ventured into school after the other children had gone home, to say hello to his teacher and to borrow some books – on space, of course. Another few months on, Harry was attending for just a few hours a week, in a different class. Then something wonderful happened; Harry made firm friends with a solemn, spectacled lad who had his own science laboratory down in the garden shed. Crucially, understanding teachers kept an eye out at playtime to make sure the bullying incidents didn’t recur. As far as I know, Harry and his friend are now designing space cities or zapping sub-atomic particles at CERN. Emily was less fortunate. For a while, her ME seemed to improve and she returned to school for a few hours a week, after which it was decided that my services were no longer needed. Alas, she soon relapsed, with frequent absences. However, because these were intermittent, and she was now officially at school, home tuition did not continue. I can only hope that Emily and her mother managed to access some kind of bereavement counselling, as I am convinced that this early trauma, together with their co-dependent relationship, was at the root of Emily’s problems. I have great admiration for teachers in school. They work under enormous pressure, not least from targets, league tables, Ofsted inspections, reports and discipline problems. With classes of 30 children or more, it is understandable if they fail to spot a particular problem which might indicate that a child is struggling academically or emotionally. This is where the LEA provision of home tutors – sometimes known as

link, or interim tutors to emphasise the connection between home and school – is so vital. By going into a child’s home and working with him or her individually for up to ten hours a week, I have been in the unique position of being able not only to give educational support, thereby restoring self-esteem, but also to observe the child within the family setting, in the very soil that nurtures him or her. Often it becomes clear that the family dynamic is a crucial contributing factor. For phobic youngsters especially, this one-to-one attention – which I think of as “tender loving care” time – is a chance for the child to re-invent him/ herself, until with luck s/he gains the confidence to attend a special unit for phobic children, and one day, hopefully, to return to school.

Further information

Ruth Brooks worked for 35 years as a home tutor for LEAs, working with vulnerable children who were unable to attend school. In her book, Nine Lives, she tells the story of eight children presenting very different challenges, including school refusal. * All names have been changed, along with pupils’ ages, genders and family descriptions. Only the presenting problem and the family dynamics involved remain the same. The photos used do not depict people mentioned in the text.

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LITERACY

Talking matters David Maytham introduces some easy-to-use word games to improve literacy and transform the classroom environment

eachers in the twenty-first century classroom are under great pressure to achieve outstanding results for all pupils. We are working in an increasingly data-driven education system and, regardless of the way in which this data is gathered, this level of data collection looks set to persist or even increase in the future. This leads us to an educational climate of non-negotiables, of high levels of accountability and full inclusivity, where children with SEN are expected to make excellent progress and achieve within the mainstream environment in the same way that children without SEN do. While this vision is theoretically commendable, the key question to ask is how we are to deliver this on the ground. How do we engage, motivate, excite and challenge children who don’t believe in themselves or who are already feeling stigmatised? I believe that using a handful of simple, easy to implement ideas, inspiring and revolving around high-quality classroom talk, can revolutionise both writing perception

and attainment, not only for children with SEN, but for all children.

Getting the idea Picture this scenario: you are seven years old and your teacher asks you to write a story. You sit there, panic rising in your chest like a volcano. The children around you all seem like they are immediately starting to write – they all know what to do instinctively – but you have no idea how or where to start. Too embarrassed to admit your helplessness, you automatically pick up your pen and stare at the paper in abject terror. Eventually, you scrawl a few words. It makes little sense and you know that. It is devoid of structure and you know that too. Ultimately, its only result is to confirm what you already knew: you are rubbish at writing. Sadly, this scenario is extremely common in our schools, especially amongst children with SEN. The reason these children fail is simple; you cannot teach children to write until you have first taught them to generate ideas. Idea generation must

Simple word games can really spark children’s creativity.

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You cannot teach children to write until you have first taught them to generate ideas come first, because, without those initial ideas, how can anyone expect to be able to write and achieve? Playing regular sixty second idea generation games across the curriculum on a daily basis can revolutionise both engagement and progress, and develop children’s ability to think creatively for themselves. How do young children begin to write, for example, a description of a forest, when they are sitting in a classroom? They don’t necessarily have the automatic ability to access their verbal imagination in this sort of pressurised activity. So what do we, as teachers, do when we know that children will struggle with an activity? We scaffold. And how do we scaffold idea generation? Well, it helps to give a visual or kinaesthetic prompt at first, even if it is as simple as displaying an image on the whiteboard. Children can simply play word association with the image to come up with a list of exciting, interesting verbs, nouns, adjectives and adverbs with which to begin to construct their description. However, these sorts of activities are confidence building and, with practice, children begin to realise that they don’t need these prompts. By the time we reach that all-important SATs season, giving the children sixty seconds to play word association >> SENISSUE71

LITERACY

with a single word will generate up to forty fantastic pieces of vocabulary to slot into their work. This is a nonpressurising approach, particularly for children with SEN, because they are not asked to share how many words they have come up with, they are not immediately plunging into the realms of sentence construction or whole-text construction – instead, they can simply write a few words, which takes away that fear of a blank page and gives them the initial building blocks of their text.

Say what you see A powerful example of this I used recently was when I displayed an image of a toy city made from building blocks to a Year One class and gave them sixty seconds to write down anything they could see in the image on their individual whiteboards. Crucially, the class teaching assistant and I played the game as well on the flip chart, allowing the weakest children the opportunity to borrow our ideas if they got stuck. In effect, the adults in the classroom were positioning themselves as writers alongside the children. You will notice that I didn’t ask them for “exciting vocabulary” at this stage. I merely asked them to “say what you see”. This is a very non-threatening request, which doesn’t plunge the children into that immediate fear that

they won’t “get it right” or that they can’t be creative enough – simple noun spotting is enough for now. From this point, I progressed to asking the children to imagine they are standing in the city. Based on the things they have spotted there, what do they think they would be able to hear? What would they be able to smell? They can do this verbally, initially, or they can share their ideas with a talk partner or the whole class once they are finished. Children not only love the pace and excitement of these games, but with frequent practice it is not uncommon for all children in Year Two to be able to generate fifteen or more words in a minute, and by Year Four this number often increases beyond twenty-five for the majority of the class. Once children are practiced at this sort of game, it’s fun to take out the initial noun-spotting task and start with an imagination activity. For example, ask the children to think of as many ways as possible to cross a river. They can be as wild and wacky as they like and I’ve loved some of the fantastic things my children have come up with in the past – a Year One girl who suggested “gliding across on a swan”, for example, or the “blue-sky thinker” in Year Three who wanted to “pull the plug”. They enjoy it, it sparks their creativity and, crucially, it gives them a way in to the task. Suddenly, they have the bare bones of an effective plan – and all in sixty seconds. It is important, though, that the games should be fully integrated into the lesson and should act as a stimulus for it, rather than just being a series of unrelated activities.

The children can be as wild and wacky as they like struggling to spell a word or changing their vocabulary to fit in with their spelling capability completely shatters their train of thought and leads to an imagination hiatus, from which it can be difficult to recover. Removing that anxiety leads not only to higher quality structure, vocabulary and creativity, but also to greater familiarity with the spellings of more complex words, which, in turn, may lead students on to be able to spell them correctly. The games and activities I have suggested here all give the children the opportunity to talk about their writing. This is not a by-product or an optional extra. Indeed, for me, it is the most crucial thing of all. As adults, if we have a challenging task to complete, nine times out of ten our first instinct is to talk it through. In so doing, we are recognising the importance of talk in the thought process. Allowing children the opportunity to air their ideas in a safe environment where all suggestions are valued gives them confidence and room to develop their imaginations. I firmly believe that talk is thought. And by using talk as a teaching tool, allowing children to generate interesting and innovative ideas and removing the fear of failure, we can create classrooms full of fun, creativity and, ultimately, learning.

A sense of adventure

Many children enjoy the opportunity to use their creativity.

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Another simple way to reduce the fear many students with SEN feel when confronted with a writing task is to remove their concerns over spelling. Ask them to be as adventurous with vocabulary as they are able and simply to pop a dotted line under any word which they are aware they may have misspelled. Often, the break in the thought process caused by children

Further information

David Maytham is a literacy expert at education training and consultancy company TT Education: www.tteducation.co.uk

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DYSLEXIA

Fighting the good fight Tim Loder describes his family’s struggle to secure an education for his daughter in which her dyslexia is no barrier

n the 6 December 2013, after a school assembly about Nelson Mandela and how he had made a change in South Africa, my 11-year-old dyslexic daughter Olivia came in to the kitchen and asked me and my wife who the head of education in England was. “Michael Gove” we replied. “Oh, OK”, she said and took herself off into the lounge. About an hour later, she returned with a two-page hand-written letter to Mr Gove. In it, she told him about her struggles with dyslexia, the bullying she endured at state school and how she wanted better help for dyslexic children, better trained teachers and more specialist dyslexic schools. Olivia is a bright girl who has always had a great vocabulary but she was bullied right from Year One because she was different and quirky. In fact, she was bullied so badly that her hair started to fall out and she developed alopecia and, on top of that, she was becoming increasingly stressed by the fact that she couldn’t grasp phonics,

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was unable to read and felt stupid amongst her peers. It was our first experience of how state schools can do so much but, for our circumstances, not enough. The school dealt with the bullying to a degree but it was down to my wife and me to confront the parents of her bullies. In the end, we moved house and Olivia moved school, this time to a small state school with one form entry, a class of 27. It was here within about six weeks that her dynamic form teacher told us that she might be dyslexic. Now this was something my wife had also suspected for a while. Reading and doing homework were huge sources of stress and frustration for Olivia. Even with picture books she was unable to grasp the meaning, either from the words or the pictures. She just didn’t get it. Later that year and at the age of six and a half, Olivia was seen by an educational psychologist and diagnosed as dyslexic. This was the start of our journey as parents to better understand dyslexia

How can these teachers help Olivia with so little training or understanding of dyslexia? so that we could do all we could to help Olivia at home and at school.

Outside the mainstream Whilst her school was understanding, little provision was made for her new diagnosis and she not only continued to fall behind in maths and reading but her self-esteem and confidence were also becoming extremely low. She was bullied and picked on at this school too, again because she was quirky and different and chatty and because her peers didn’t always get her. Again the school was relatively understanding but the teachers there had no great experience of dyslexia. It was here too that a teacher dropped the bombshell that I will never forget:

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Olivia with dyslexic author/actor Henry Winkler and her BDA Young Ambassador Certificate. Photo courtesy of First news.

“We only get a few days training in dyslexia”. I was shocked. How can these teachers help Olivia with so little training or understanding of dyslexia? In year four we had an opportunity of financial help to see if we could get Olivia into a specialist independent dyslexic school (Moon Hall School) near to our home. After a couple of trial days and an assessment, my wife and I found ourselves sitting in the Head’s office to be told she could attend and that they had a place for her. Looking back, the emotion of that day still gets to me. She would now be in a place with specially trained teachers and likeminded children with similar difficulties. Here she wouldn’t feel stupid, worthless and rubbish at school. Here, finally she would flourish. At age nine Olivia had the reading level of a six-year-old. By the end of that first term it had risen to that of a ten-year-old and by the time she left last July it was at the level of a 14-year-old. What’s more, her selfesteem and confidence had grown and she felt happy, comfortable and safe amongst her peers. The trouble was that senior school was looming and although we wanted her to go into Year Seven at her current school, this was not an option for us financially. We even considered selling our home but it was Olivia who talked us out of this. In the end, we had to enrol her in our local state comprehensive, hoping that her time at special school had given her the WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

grounding needed to help her survive. We knew in our heart of hearts that this was not the number one choice but we agreed we would give it one year and, if it was not working, we would try something else. Within three weeks all the great work that her previous school had done began to unravel. She felt stupid in class and couldn’t understand what was being taught and started to shut down again, feigning illness so that she didn’t have to go to school. The SENCO again was helpful and encouraging but he had a school of 1500 pupils to cover. If you accept the estimate that ten per cent of the population has dyslexia, then that means he had 150 young people to support with dyslexia alone. Clearly, in a school this size one SENCO isn’t enough. With Olivia having meltdowns each night, we agreed to take her out of school.

New skills My wife, having been inspired to learn about dyslexia so that she could help Olivia, embarked on two years of dyslexia teacher training and qualified as a Level 3 and 5 specialist teacher in dyslexia last summer. This meant that we could home school Olivia – something akin to a parent teaching a 17-year-old to drive, which is not easy by any means. Before last October’s half term, my wife approached the Principal of the specialist school, in our eyes the only place Olivia would be settled and be able to learn and achieve. Thanks to my wife’s new qualifications, the Principal was able to offer her a full-time teaching assistant’s post, something that would help us find the school fees so, after the half term, both mother and daughter started school there. As I write this today, Olivia is flourishing at the school and her mum is in a job for which she has a great passion. Serendipity, I would say. In January of this year Michael Gove wrote back to Olivia, sympathetic towards her struggles and suffering at state school. Part of his reply said,

With Olivia having meltdowns each night, we agreed to take her out of school “Your experiences show very clearly why it is so vital that dyslexic students receive the support they need”. As a result of the publicity surrounding Olivia’s letter, she was invited to become a Young Ambassador for the British Dyslexia Association and she is committed to campaigning for better help for dyslexic children in state school. She is also pushing for an individual child’s state education budget allocation to be able to be transferred to a specialist dyslexic school to help parents pay for the fees. At least this gives them the opportunity for more dyslexics to get the help they so desperately need and that the state system just cannot give them. This could in turn increase the possibility for more specialist dyslexic schools to be set up in the UK. These are ambitious goals for an 11-year-old dyslexic child but when you’ve been through what Olivia has been though, you learn that you have to stand up and be counted. As Olivia said at the end of her letter on behalf of all dyslexic children: “So Mr Michael Gove, take people like me in to serious consideration.”

Further information

Parent Tim Loder’s story has been supplied by education publishers Crown House Publishing Limited: www.crownhouse.co.uk

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DYSLEXIA Advertisement feature

Crispiani Method

Dyslexia – dyspraxia: from functional assessment to rehabilitative treatment

The Pedagogical and Psychological Victor Centre, partner of Centro Studi Itard, directed by Dr Eleonora Palmieri, Dr Ivan Di Pierro and Dr Antonio Grifoni, provides treatments and therapies for dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia and developmental speech disorders, with a particular expertise in dyspraxia and special education. The dyslexic syndrome is a disorder of executive functions with involvement of space-temporal organisation and lateral dominance. Our method – endorsed by The University Macerata (Italy), directed by Prof. Piero Crispiani – is the Crispiani Method for the diagnosis, functional assessment, prevention, treatment, school warnings and monitoring of individuals with dyslexia. The method conceives of dyslexia in terms of praxic-motor theory (TPM), which connects dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia to a wide form of the disorder of executive functions, with particular interest in the space-time, the lateral dominance, dyspraxia, and general dysfunction on sequential/procedural human actions. Many authors sustain the relationship between dyslexia and coordinated motor skills such as, Orton, Kocher, Mucchielli and Bourcier; Cacciaguerra, Stambak, Rey and Roudinesco; and Prelat and Fawcett and Nicholson, Naglieri, Bogdanivicz, Bonistalli, Proietti, Basse, Crispiani, Simonetta, Massenz and others. The condition consists of a dyslexic integrated disorder (dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia), a qualitative condition (disorder, not deficit) which is partially pervasive (affects motor

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skills, perceptual coordination, space-time comprehension, sequences of thought, memory and verbal language). Dyslexia consists of a sequential dyspraxia and it always involves a form of incomplete lateral dominance (left-handedness is not the primary upset dominance, dominance and interference with speculate orientation, atypical forms). In this sense, the subject of our rehabilitative treatment is the intensive activation of automatic sequences in term of fluidity, promoting constant coordination based on motor skills, memory, perception and language, conducted by specialists, trained and certified in the procedure called ecological dynamics. The rehabilitation process consists of: • VES system – for the diagnosis and evaluation function • 12 shares (self-analysis, motor skills, perception, memory, language, motor-graph, barrages (left-right), doublewriting, mathematical skills, thinking, comprehension of the text) • warnings for the family • warnings for the school. For more information, contact Dr Eleonora Palmieri: 338-7051712, palmieri.eleonora@alice.it www.centrostudiitard.it

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PHONICS

Where next for phonics? Debbie Hepplewhite looks at the progress, practice and problems of synthetic phonics teaching in schools

hree different, but interrelated, reports on synthetic phonics were published in May 2014. All three reports are interesting and informative but, in some ways, they leave us with more questions than answers. They certainly raise serious questions regarding early literacy provision for children generally and for widely recognised vulnerable groups: • do teachers embrace in full the systematic synthetic phonics teaching principles described in government guidance and in the core phonics programmes that they purport to follow? • what does the widespread objection to the 40-word Year 1 phonics screening check actually reflect? • what approach and programmes really serve children best, particularly those who are slower to learn or with special needs?

The picture of phonics provision in schools in England is far from clear • type 1: supporters of synthetic phonics and of the check (34 per cent of the sample) • type 2: supporters of synthetic phonics but not of the check (36 per cent) • type 3: supporters of mixed methods (30 per cent).

How phonics influences reading, writing and spelling The Effects of a Systematic Synthetic Phonics Programme on Reading, Writing and Spelling, a paper by Dr M. Grant (May 2014), describes two longitudinal studies in great detail. Dr Grant comments at the outset on some of the findings described in the NFER report. She writes: In spite of the Government initiatives to raise literacy standards through synthetic phonics, the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), on behalf of the

Phonics screening check The report by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), Phonics screening check evaluation, Research report (May 2014), was commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) to set out the latest findings from an evaluation of the statutory Year 1 phonics screening check. This report draws on teachers’ own views and endeavours to ascertain teachers’ phonics and early literacy provision with data collected from case-studies in 19 primary schools and midpoint surveys of 583 literacy coordinators and 625 Year 1 teachers. As part of the report, the researchers identify three types of schools: SENISSUE71

Catch-up synthetic phonics teaching can make a big difference to a child’s reading.

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DfE, reported the following evaluation findings in 2013 and in 2014 about the teaching of phonics and the attitudes towards phonics in schools. There is “wide misunderstanding of the term ‘systematic synthetic phonics’”. About 90% of literacy coordinators “feel that a variety of different methods should be used to teach children to decode words”. “Many schools believe that a phonics approach to teaching reading should be used alongside other methods”. “Teachers in general have not yet fully adopted” DfE recommended phonics practices. Whereas the NFER report identifies only type 3 schools (30 per cent of the sample) as “Supporters of mixed methods”, it is possible that in reality many, if not most, of the other 70 per cent of schools in England are also providing systematic phonics instruction with a “mixed methods” experience for children. Despite the attempt to discover teachers’ views and identify their teaching principles and practices, the NFER report fails to provide clarity by its authors’ own admission. So, what looks clear from the NFER report is that the picture of phonics provision in schools in England is, in fact, far from clear. This explains why Dr Grant suggests in her paper that: despite government initiatives for schools in England, the situation has still not been achieved in which all children are receiving the best start in their literacy. Nor are all struggling learners receiving the most effective teaching for intervention. The implications are that literacy standards may not be raised as expected and that some vulnerable children may continue to struggle to learn to read. Dr Grant can draw such a conclusion because international research on reading instruction warns against reading strategies associated with “mixed methods” or “other strategies” when these amount to teaching children to lift unknown words from the page by guessing from various cues such as picture clues, context clues and initial WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

letter clues. Such multi-cueing reading strategies are particularly dangerous for vulnerable groups of children, which is precisely why the Government’s “core criteria” and the guidance in Letters and Sounds (DfES, 2007) specifically state that these strategies should not be taught as they detract from phonics teaching and phonics application for beginner readers. It is also why the Government has urged “fidelity” to systematic synthetic phonics programmes and match-funded them, alongside training based on the systematic synthetic phonics teaching principles. In addition, the Government has strongly promoted the need for cumulative, decodable reading books to enable children to apply their alphabetic code knowledge and blending skill so that they can experience success and build up their reading fluency, thus precluding the need to habitually guess the unknown words.

Implications for practice Published in the Journal of Research in Reading (UKLA, May 2014), Validity and sensitivity of the phonics screening check: implications for practice, by Duff, Mengoni, Bailey and Snowling, investigates “whether the check is a valid measure of phonic skill and is sensitive in identifying children at risk of reading difficulties”. In this study, teacher assessments of phonics skills were obtained for 292 six-yearold children along with additional psychometric data for 160 of these children. The results showed that “The check was strongly correlated with other literacy skills and was sensitive in identifying at-risk readers. So too were teacher judgements of phonics”. The authors concluded that, although the check fulfils its aims, “resources might be better focused on training and supporting teachers in their ongoing monitoring of phonics”. In this third report, there seems to be a broad assumption that: ...research findings are reflected in the current practice of most schools in England, following the Independent

The Government has urged “fidelity” to systematic synthetic phonics programmes and match-funded them Review of the Teaching of Early Reading (Rose, 2006). Amongst the review’s key recommendations was that phonics should be taught as the primary approach to learning to read and write and that such teaching should be embedded within a broad language and literacy curriculum. We know from the NFER report that this presumes too much. Rose promoted the Simple View of Reading, considered to be a useful conceptual framework, as it distinguishes the need to teach the mechanics of lifting the words off the page (word decoding) from the language comprehension required to understand the words that have been decoded, as two main processes to becoming a reader in the full sense. Some teachers when they refer to “other strategies” might conceivably be referring to their provision of the wider language and literacy curriculum (providing wide experience of books, enriching vocabulary and developing language comprehension through various means), rather than applying the multi-cueing reading strategies which amount to teaching wordguessing when children read books. We do not discover the realities in the classroom, however, from these reports. We do not gain a clear picture of teachers’ knowledge of, or commitment to, the research findings and government guidance. Teachers nationally share no commonality in their professional understanding or their views about phonics teaching, early reading instruction and the Year 1 phonics screening check.

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Whilst this third report perhaps assumes that teachers are generally following the guidance described in the Rose Report and subsequent guidance in the Government’s core criteria and in Letters and Sounds, the authors state that: “a number of UK studies have shown that teachers well versed in phonic strategies and monitoring procedures can provide reliable estimates of children’s reading abilities as measured by objective tests”. They also note that: Despite the focus of government policy on the implementation of systematic phonics in recent years, the proportion of pupils leaving primary schools with the expected level in English had stalled at around 80% (Department for Education, 2010). In response to this, in 2012, the UK coalition government introduced a statutory check on early reading progress – the phonics screening check. It is looking highly likely, however, that the teachers from 2007 onwards were not necessarily delivering a systematic synthetic phonics experience to children as a consequence of government acceptance of Rose’s recommendations and the subsequent publication of Letters and Sounds. In other words, did the 80 per cent of pupils leaving primary schools at the “expected level in English” in 2010 continue to reflect, in reality, a mixed methods experience – that is, multicueing reading strategies with some phonics thrown into the mix to various degrees? This sets the scene for the Government’s quest to further promote the profile of systematic synthetic phonics teaching with the introduction of the phonics match-funded initiative and the Year 1 phonics screening check.

Phonics in action At this point, we should refocus on the second report. Dr Grant describes the practice pre-dating the Government’s emphasis on systematic synthetic phonics as she was a pioneer in the systematic synthetic phonics teaching principles long before SENISSUE71

It is extraordinary that our teaching and research professions should protest so vociferously about the phonics screening check official recommendations. This report provides us with information about two longitudinal studies to compare with general national figures drawn to our attention in report three. Dr Grant reports these results from systematic synthetic phonics practice: The 1997 - 2004 research followed children who received first-time and catch-up synthetic phonics teaching through to Key Stage 1 English SATs and Key Stage 2 English SATs. The KS2 SATs results in 2004 showed that there were no severe literacy difficulties. Hence virtually all the children in this large cohort (94%) transferred to secondary school having met nationally expected standards for English. Dr Grant provides the actual results for 2004 from systematic synthetic phonics practice: Level 4+ (94 per cent) and Level 5 (65 per cent). This is a far cry from the national 80 per cent Level 4 results reported for 2010, six years later. In contrast to the possible ambiguity about teachers’ practices in report one and report three, Dr Grant leaves no doubt about the teaching approach. The children in the two studies started from a low baseline on school entry. Dr Grant identified groupings of children by DfE classification, and identified two further vulnerable groups. There was no especially gifted or advantaged intake of children achieving such solid results in the two studies, and Dr Grant concludes confidently that “These studies with Reception and Year 1 children demonstrate that teaching with a government-approved systematic synthetic phonics programme can

be a brilliant opportunity to drive up reading standards”. The well-publicised controversial issue raised in report three is the objection to the Year 1 phonics screening check. It is mystifying that a group of academics fails to note the confusion of teachers’ professional understanding and practice raised in the NFER report on the one hand and yet, in effect, adds its voice to the detractors of the phonics screening check on the other. In report three it states: Educators have questioned its necessity, voicing concerns about whether the check will add any valuable information to what teachers already know about their pupils’ progress (e.g., National Union of Teachers, 2012). There have also been objections to the statutory nature of the check, with concerns about the resource implications of mandatory testing and the negative consequences when such tests become ‘high-stakes’ (e.g., Association of Teachers and Lecturers, 2011; Brooks, 2010). Indeed, a survey of nearly 3000 teachers – conducted after the administration of the check but before its results – reported that 87% of respondents did not agree with the statutory implementation of the check and thought it should be discontinued (ATL/NAHT/NUT, 2012). The authors of report three go on to state that they “also consider whether, given our findings, it [the check] is necessary”. It is extraordinary that our teaching and research professions should protest so vociferously about the Year 1 phonics screening check despite its simplicity and suitability for checking phonics knowledge and decoding nationally and despite the findings that it is “strongly correlated with other literacy skills and...sensitive in identifying at-risk readers”. Further, there appears to be a failure to acknowledge its importance for every aspect of information and accountability considering the history of notoriously weak literacy and the plethora of flawed teaching methods in English-speaking WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

PHONICS

countries. It is obvious that already the very existence of the phonics check has made teachers across the country far more mindful of teaching effectiveness. Results have risen notably across three years if you include the 2011 pilot check of 32 per cent of children reaching or exceeding the benchmark, rising to national figures of 58 per cent in 2012, then 69 per cent in 2013. The NFER report also found that “most children” who met the standard went on to achieve level 2 in reading and writing at the end of Year 1.

What do teachers think? Conversations via online forums have also shown that teachers have differing attitudes about the phonics check, with no agreement across the profession that multi-cueing can be potentially damaging for children. And yet, only a small proportion of the match-funding was spent on phonics training. In the NFER report it states that 96 per cent of literacy coordinators considered that teachers were “adequately (‘very well’ or ‘well’) prepared to provide effective phonics teaching”. Do the diverse views and phonics results reflect this assertion? There are schools in various contexts, for example, including schools in disadvantaged circumstances, reporting results of more than 90 per cent of children achieving the threshold mark in the phonics check – seriously

Only a small proportion of government matchfunding was spent on phonics training raising questions about the practice in some leafy suburb local authorities with much lower results – often attributed to the “better readers” having “outgrown” the check. This is a bizarre explanation. It is extraordinary that people think that better readers should not need to read accurately words like “drap”, “jorb” and “splot”. Finally, whilst there is large-scale uptake of Letters and Sounds by the majority of teachers across the country, this publication is more aptly described as a detailed framework (it has no teaching or learning resources) despite being entitled a “high-quality programme”. Teachers themselves must equip and translate Letters and Sounds into a programme for sustained phonics provision for around three years. This is a tall ask of busy teachers, and an expectation that does not guarantee provision, quality control or results for every child. Should the foundational literacy our children receive in schools be left to chance – the chance of the practices, programme content and beliefs of the teachers? If you asked parents which

school they would prefer their children to attend, would it be a school where children achieve 94 per cent Level 4+ and 65 per cent Level 5 in Year 6? Would it be schools achieving more than 90 per cent in the Year 1 phonics screening check regardless of intake? Would parents appreciate teachers with the professional curiosity to discover how their teaching effectiveness compares to others, and the determination to hone their practices year on year and welcome the opportunity afforded by the Year 1 phonics screening check to inform them objectively on a national scale?

References: Walker M., Bartlett S., Betts, H., Sainsbury M., Worth, J., – National Foundation for Educational Research (2014): Phonics screening check evaluation, online at https://www. gov.uk/government/publications/ phonics-screening-check-evaluation [accessed 19/05/14], Department for Education. Grant, M. (2014) Longitudinal Study from Reception to Year 2 (20102013) and Summary of an earlier Longitudinal Study from Reception to Year 6 (1997-2004), online at http:// www.rrf.org.uk/pdf/Grant%20FollowUp%20Studies%20-%20May%20 2014.pdf [accessed 19/05/14]. Duff, F.J., Mengoni, S.E., Bailey, A.M., Snowling, M.J. (2014), Validity and sensitivity of the phonics screening check: implications for practice, in Carroll J. (ed.), Journal of Research in Reading, online at http://onlinelibrary. wiley.com/doi/10.1111/14679817.12029/full [accessed 19/05/14], UKLA.

Further information

Debbie Hepplewhite MBE FRSA is a phonics consultant and teachertrainer. She is phonics consultant of Oxford Reading Tree’s Floppy’s Phonics Sounds and Letters, and author of Phonics International: www.phonicsinternational.com Some education professionals have been slow to embrace the Year 1 phonics check.

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PHONICS Advertisement feature

Ensuring all pupils learn to read - the priorities We all want young people to learn to read, but sometimes staff who teach struggling pupils get little guidance and feel isolated. Therefore, it is essential that all teaching staff, including headteachers, take part in phonics training, so that everyone understands how to help. Teachers and assistants need an effective programme to follow. However, when pupils fall behind, it does not mean that phonics has failed and something different is needed. Some pupils simply need more teaching, while others may have been confused by being asked to use a range of different strategies to read. If a primary school already uses a good mainstream phonics programme, it is best to provide younger pupils with extra teaching in the same programme. Older pupils may need teaching in a different fast-paced programme based on the same principles, so that they catch up quickly. There should be someone in authority to monitor the teaching of reading and make sure staff get what they need â&#x20AC;&#x201C; effective training, a programme for progression, supportive resources, preparation time, daily ring-fenced time for lessons and a quiet, comfortable place to teach. Sometimes pupils fall behind because they are asked to read words they cannot read with the phonics they have been taught. They may have been encouraged to guess. Pupils who find phonics difficult get the message that phonics does not work and so they often guess. As a result, they

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cannot read forgotten or unfamiliar words independently. If schools invest in books that are structured according to how easy they are to decode, this can be avoided and pupilsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; confidence improves dramatically. So the priorities are: 1. Provide high quality systematic synthetic phonics training for all staff. 2. Use an effective programme. 3. Appoint a senior member of staff to be responsible for ensuring all pupils learn to read. 4. Invest in books pupils can decode. Teach to Read provides training for teaching beginners or pupils of any age who cannot read well enough to access the curriculum. Training can be generic with advice about suitable programmes and resources, or illustrated by a programme. Extra training can be provided for staff who work with small groups of pupils, to help them plan lessons. Elizabeth Nonweiler Teach to Read www.teachtoread.com elizabeth@teachtoread.com

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CEREBRAL PALSY

A better deal for children with cerebral palsy Amanda Richardson looks at how we can provide families living with cerebral palsy with the support they so desperately need

rospects for children with cerebral palsy have improved vastly in recent years, but it is increasingly clear that more work still needs to be done to ensure that children with the condition are able to receive the specialist intensive intervention that will help them to achieve their full potential in life. Some progress has been made. In recent weeks, the Department for Education has published guidance requiring health bodies to discuss with parents of children with complex developmental and/or sensory needs the intervention options available to them, including any voluntary organisations that are likely to be able to

provide advice or assistance. The new guidance also requires health bodies to draw such children to the attention of the appropriate local authority, who must then consider whether the issue is sufficiently complex and long-term that an education, health and care plan assessment is appropriate. Prior to this development, parents of children with conditions like cerebral palsy have typically received limited support and guidance between birth and the time their child began their early years education, resulting in them often feeling lost as to what approach they should take to ensure appropriate treatment for their child. This meant that many children missed out on educational and health interventions

Early intervention can make a crucial difference to a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s motor abilities.

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Many children missed out on educational and health interventions at an age when they would have had the greatest impact at an age when they would have had the greatest impact.

What is cerebral palsy? Cerebral palsy is a motor disorder caused by damage to the immature or developing brain that occurs before, during or immediately after the birth of the child. With a UK incidence rate of around one in 400 births, or 1,800 children per year, cerebral palsy is a condition that can affect those from all social backgrounds and ethnic groups. It affects body movement, muscle control, muscle coordination, muscle tone, reflex, posture and balance. It can also impact fine motor skills, gross motor skills and oral motor function. It can also cause interference with the way in which sensory information is received, integrated, selected and transmitted through the central nervous system. A child with cerebral palsy can therefore experience cognitive, communication, visual, auditory and medical issues in addition to specific physical impairments. >> SENISSUE71

CEREBRAL PALSY

Although cerebral palsy cannot be cured, early intervention, followed by intensive and integrated education and therapy can significantly mitigate its impact. With appropriate intervention, high levels of neuro-plasticity during childhood can be harnessed, allowing undamaged parts of the brain to take over some of the functions of the damaged part.

Infants and young children with cerebral palsy can be helped to develop improved posture, muscle tone and movement patterns

Why early intervention?

Helping a child develop movement skills.

Many children and families only access intensive therapeutic intervention after (and sometimes relatively long after) a

Sonny’s story Seven-year-old Sonny Pikett (right) was born ten weeks prematurely with asymmetrical cerebral palsy. This affects all Sonny’s limbs and means he has speech and vision problems. Unlike many children with cerebral palsy who wait years to be diagnosed, Sonny’s parents were told during his first few weeks of life that, as a result of brain damage, he would have cerebral palsy. When Sonny was discharged from hospital, his parents, Louise and Adrian, felt very isolated. They were uncertain about what the future might hold, having been given a number of worst-case scenarios. Fortunately, Sonny was given weekly physiotherapy from only three weeks old, which his parents believe had a very positive impact on his development. As he grew older, Sonny also received occupational therapy, which focused on support with sitting and feeding. He also started speech and language therapy from 17 months old. Whilst his parents were happy with the support Sonny was receiving, they felt that more intensive support would help him. So, from the age of three, Sonny started at a specialist centre for cerebral palsy. When he arrived there, Sonny was unable to walk or talk, he was unable to sit unaided and he had poor head control. His fists were permanently clenched and he had no finger control. He also had overly sensitive hearing, had unfocussed vision and was incredibly sensitive to touch. Overall, he was a frustrated little boy who could not access the world around him. Four years later, Sonny is like a different child. He can now walk with a frame, can sit independently for long periods of time and can crawl to access the things he wants or needs. He also has much greater hand and finger control. His hearing, vision and concentration have all improved. He is showing an increased interest in books, new places and the world around him and has even tried skiing and horse riding. He is also trying to form words. Overall he is a much more confident child who loves going to school and being with his friends.

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diagnosis of cerebral palsy has been obtained. In such cases, much of the opportunity for life-changing early intervention is missed, needlessly reducing the impact that can be made on a child’s motor function and life potential. Through early intervention, infants and young children with cerebral palsy can be helped to develop improved posture, muscle tone and movement patterns. Their motor learning at this early stage will form the bedrock of the independence they can achieve in later life. Early intervention strategies are also important in involving other family members, particularly a child’s parents, in the learning process. In addition to providing a vital source of counselling and support to families, these programmes help to strengthen the parent-child attachment that can often be compromised as a result of the child’s motor disorder. Early intervention is also a highyielding social investment. In 2007, HM Treasury recognised the links between early intervention for children with disabilities and positive outcomes for those children and their families in terms of physical and emotional health and wellbeing, lower levels of stress, improved social development and a reduced need for more complex and costly interventions in later life. Children who receive early intervention are typically substantially more independent than they would otherwise be, significantly reducing the costs of their future education and care which would otherwise fall on the state, the voluntary sector and on individual families. WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

CEREBRAL PALSY

Early assessment and input Despite the importance of early intervention, access to such services, particularly immediately after discharge from neo-natal intensive care units (NICUs), is extremely variable across the UK. For many children and families, the reality is that diagnosis and treatment will only occur if a delay in development is noted in the growing child. Voluntary organisations are increasingly seeking to address this issue by performing assessments and providing therapeutic input much earlier in a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life. PACE, a charity working with children with cerebral palsy in and around Buckinghamshire, is in the process of setting up a programme of post-NICU clinics, which will work with children at high risk of cerebral palsy (particularly those born prematurely or with birth complications) to assess and provide early therapeutic input. These clinics will provide an integrated assessment and therapy service to which young children with a high risk of motor disorder can be referred immediately after their discharge from the NICU, as well as individual and group therapy sessions, counselling services and referrals to other suitable pathways. Such interventions are intended to complement, rather than compete with, existing provision within local health services. At the moment, the provision of post-NICU intervention within the voluntary sector is very limited, but

Only a minority of children with cerebral palsy in the UK have access to intensive and joined up services there is a clear opportunity to replicate such services across the country if beneficial outcomes can be clearly demonstrated and more targeted funding made available.

Ongoing intensive intervention The other reality for children with cerebral palsy is that further progress in movement and sensory skills (and therefore independence, communication, self-esteem and access to learning) can be maximised through ongoing intensive intervention throughout the childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growing years. Specialist centres throughout the UK adopt many different intervention strategies including conductive education, Bobath, sensory integration and augmentative communication strategies. Programmes are typically delivered by a range of specialist practitioners, including specially trained teachers, conductors (practitioners in conductive education), occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech and language therapists. There is no single accepted approach, but what is abundantly clear is that the best outcomes for children are achieved by centres that provide a specialist intensive approach that incorporates both learning and therapeutic input. What is equally clear is that only a minority of children in the UK have access to such intensive and joined up services through a relatively small number of specialist centres.

The way forward

Paul Maynard MP on a school visit.

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Although the case for intensive, joined up intervention is compelling, there are still barriers preventing it from being a reality for all children with

cerebral palsy. Action Cerebral Palsy is working with Paul Maynard, MP for Blackpool North and Cleveleys and the only MP with cerebral palsy, and with the Whitehouse Consultancy to seek changes in public policy towards children with cerebral palsy. This will include a parliamentary inquiry which will take place during the remainder of this year and which will report in December 2014. The inquiry will explore the changes needed to broaden the provision of early intervention across the UK, to provide adequate funding for ongoing specialist and intensive input and to ensure proper training for all practitioners working with children with cerebral palsy. Following on from the inquiry, the aim is to push for the development of a national cerebral palsy strategy, along with the formation of a multi-agency taskforce to deliver it nationally. If these things can be made a reality, it is to be hoped that every child with cerebral palsy in the UK will have consistent and early access to high-quality services, enabling them to achieve their full potential in their future lives. That This will bring clear and evident benefits across our society, with less reliance on state and voluntary sector support and more positive outcomes for children, their families and their communities.

Further information

Amanda Richardson is Chair of Action Cerebral Palsy, the national consortium of specialist charities working with children with cerebral palsy and their families: www.actioncp.org

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CEREBRAL PALSY Advertisement feature

Treloar’s commitment to parent partnerships Treloar School is delighted to have achieved the Leading Parent Partnership Award (LPPA), a nationally recognised quality award for schools committed to investing in parents for the achievement of pupils. Comments from the assessors included: • “Treloar has developed a range of successful strategies to build parents’ confidence which enable them to join and work with the school in challenging and stretching the young people.” • “The school provides total, holistic, ‘wrap around’ care for the whole family. Parents emphasised the excellent home school communication and the easy access they have to staff. They all stressed that their children really enjoy coming to school. In addition, parents noted that the school recognises the impact that a place at Treloar’s, especially a residential place, has on the whole family, particularly the siblings, and the school supports them during this period of adjustment.” • “The ‘Belong School’ is a key strength at Treloar’s, providing practical support and learning for parents.” They also noted comments from parents they met including: • “I am much more confident about the future.” • “My child is much happier, more relaxed.” • “It is a great relief that the GP, dentist, and opticians are accessed on the school site.”

Melissa Farnham, Head of School, said: “Our journey through the Leading Parent Partnership Award has allowed us to reflect on the good practice we already had in place and really drill down to the needs of the families. With such a wide range of students and dynamic group of families who need high levels of support, both into the school as well transitioning out of the school, the LPPA has been a great platform to enhance our practice and drive forward with the parent voice. Parents, staff and students have really ‘bought into’ the award and this has ensured we have made great progress in becoming a forward thinking hub for the parents and families of the young people we work with.” Treloar School and College in Alton, Hampshire, educates and cares for students with physical, often complex, disabilities. It aims to help students between five and 25 years of age progress to reach their full potential. Treloar’s, Holybourne, Alton, Hampshire GU34 4GL www.treloar.org.uk

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Targeted Training at The Movement Centre Targeted Training is a specialised physiotherapy which is available only at The Movement Centre, Oswestry and enables children with cerebral palsy to improve their trunk control. It is based on the principle that paediatric neuromuscular development starts at the head and works downwards. Specialist equipment designed to simplify the learning of trunk control is made to measure for each child’s particular needs and firmly supports the body in an upright position. Over a nine month course of therapy the child is facilitated to make functional gains (such as achieving head control, improving sitting balance and promoting increased upper limb function). Targeted Training can be carried out both at home and at school and allows the families to play an active role in their child’s functional progression. Daily sessions of 30 minutes in the standing frame will allow the child to work specifically on the area of their trunk where control first becomes an issue. Review appointments every eight weeks at The Movement Centre assess for improvement, and if identified will progress the treatment to allow the child to work on the next level of control. Goals are set in conjunction SENISSUE71

with families and child’s physiotherapist, and progress is measured using a range of internationally recognised, validated outcome measures. The learning of head control promotes communication and participation allowing the child to explore educational opportunities. Improved trunk control will assist with sitting balance and upper limb function giving the child the chance to sit and play with their peers. Children whose primary control difficulties have limited their standing and walking may achieve these skills through Targeted Training.

The Movement Centre is a registered charity based in Shropshire and has a successful record of providing Targeted Training for 18 years both nationally and internationally. For more information on Targeted Training therapy and how it might benefit children you work with please telephone: 01691 404248 email: info@the-movement-centre.co.uk or visit: www.the-movement-centre.co.uk Please also contact us if you are interested in a staff training day.

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CEREBRAL PALSY

New insurance products from Scope Insurance for disabled people and their families is often expensive and confusing. However, the charity Scope is offering insurance designed to meet the needs of disabled people. Scope’s insurance: • is competitively priced with no premium for the extra cover it provides to disabled people and their families • provides cover for disability equipment inside and outside the home • includes additional services provided at no extra cost, such as legal cover, home emergency and counselling needed as a result of an insured loss • is provided in partnership with an insurance company recognised as having exceptional customer service given by people who understand what people need • is suitable for both families with and without disabled family members. Disabled people will benefit even more by taking out insurance through Scope as the charity will benefit financially from sales of the policies. This means it can provide even more support and information for disabled people and their families. www.scope.org.uk WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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CEREBRAL PALSY Advertisement feature

Opening up Becky’s world Eleven-year-old Becky is making a picture on the computer for her best friend Holly. She deftly selects the Clicker Paint icon and draws some circles. Next, she finds a drawing of a dog and sits it in front of the circles. She finishes by writing a message “To Holly” and looks up with a cheeky grin. The whole process has taken minutes. Nothing remarkable about that, you may think, but Becky hasn’t touched the computer keyboard or mouse once. She has completed the picture using just her eye movements, which are tracked by two special cameras and relayed to the screen. Using the same technology, she can hold a conversation using speech output software, send an email or text, access the internet, take photographs, do schoolwork and even operate controls such as the TV and DVD remote. This revolutionary technology is called eye tracking or eye gaze. It’s an example of how the multi-disciplinary team at Chailey Heritage School, a special school in Sussex, continues to use pioneering technologies to maximise the potential of its young people. They developed a track system to allow powered wheelchair users to move around the site independently, plus tailor-made switches and other equipment to help young people use computers to control their environment. Eye tracking may not be suitable for everyone but Becky has proved an ideal candidate who is eager to learn. She was born with cerebral palsy, affecting her speech and all four limbs and most of her food intake is via a gastrostomy tube.

Using technology creatively Becky’s non-verbal communication skills have always been good but have received an enormous boost since she started using the Tobii eye-controlled device. This high-tech voice output communication aid (VOCA) is essential as it also gives Becky a voice. The computer-simulated voice enables Becky to work more independently, joining in class discussions. This is particularly important when Becky goes to her local primary school each week. Teacher Iveta explains that Becky quickly mastered eye gaze skills. “She uses it confidently and independently to communicate with people, express her needs and complete tasks during lessons. We were so proud, recently, when Becky won a coding contest organised by an educational software company using her Tobii PCEye.” “Becky completed their tutorials to teach herself coding pretty much unaided, such was her motivation. Becky is very much into High School Musical at the moment, so for the competition, she designed a program to make some characters dance on a stage. She had absolutely no help from me. In fact, she told me to go away”, says her mum Fiona. Becky is cognitively very able and her new skills at communicating and steering her powered wheelchair have SENISSUE71

made her sufficiently independent to attend a mainstream school for three days a week, arranged by Chailey Heritage School as a dual placement so that she can benefit from social inclusion and mainstream education opportunities. Training is provided by Chailey for the mainstream staff in the use of the VOCA and Becky’s feeding regime and both schools liaise weekly about Becky’s progress to ensure continuity, particularly regarding literacy and numeracy. “Dual placement allows Becky to get all her therapies as well as being part of her local community”, says her dad Steve. “It allows her to focus on areas where she struggles, whilst being in a ‘normal’ school environment where she can achieve the same as her able-bodied peers.” Steve believes the combination of teaching and therapies is the right approach for Becky. “Chailey can adapt to Becky’s needs and support her within school – be that Chailey or her dual placement school,” he says. As Headteacher Simon Yates says, “The right access technology can make all the difference to a disabled child’s life, in their learning, communicating with friends and family, and having fun, just like any young person should”. “Although we receive funding for the fees, we rely entirely on the generosity of donors and supporters to provide the very special equipment such as eye gaze technology”, explains SallyAnne Murray, the Charity’s Fundraising Director.

Chailey Heritage School is part of Chailey Heritage Foundation Registered Charity No 1075837 - Registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee No 3769775 Haywards Heath Road, North Chailey, Nr. Lewes, East Sussex, BN8 4EF Tel: 01825 724444 web: www.chf.org.uk email: office@chf.org.uk

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In the next issue of SEN Magazine: • Asperger’s syndrome • adoption • SEN publishers • dyslexia • dyspraxia • social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD) • choosing the right school for a child with SEN

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LEARNING DISABILITIES

Learning about learning disabilities We all have a lot to learn about how to support children with learning disabilities, says Jan Tregelles

hildren and young people with a learning disability often don’t get the same opportunities as other children and young people. They can face exclusion at all stages of their childhood – from early years support through to accessing education services, play and youth opportunities, and transition to adulthood. We know that children with a learning disability can face a number of barriers that prevent them from having a childhood like anybody else. When a child is diagnosed with a learning disability, it can be a real turning point in their life and also in the lives of their loved ones. The barriers these children and their families face are significant. Children with a learning disability are often bullied by other children. They

“The kids at school told me I was thick. The teachers told me I wouldn’t be able to do anything with my life”

without a learning disability, we all have the same hopes and dreams, but we don’t always have the opportunities to fulfil them. Someone with a learning disability may need to overcome many challenges in order to experience the same events as everyone else. In some cases, these experiences may even be denied to them.

may also find it hard to take part in certain activities without them being adapted to meet their needs. What’s more, parents are often excluded from decisions and planning services, which in nonsensical when considering that they are the experts in understanding what their child needs. Throughout our lives, from when we’re very small to when we’re grown up, we all imagine the same special firsts – such as your first day at school or your first day in a new job. With or

Ciara’s story

A child’s diagnosis of learning disabilities can have a big impact on the family.

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I was talking to my colleague Ciara recently about her experiences growing up with a learning disability. She vividly remembers when she was diagnosed at ten years old: “I can still remember the day I was told I had a learning disability. I was angry and upset. The kids at school told me I was thick. The teachers told me I wouldn’t be able to do anything with my life. I just wanted to give up.” She was bullied by the other school children and was told, in no uncertain terms, that she wouldn’t amount to anything by a number of education and health professionals. It is harrowing to think that children can experience so much injustice and discrimination purely on the basis that they have a learning disability. It is true that a lot has changed since Ciara was at school, but there is no denying that the 286,000 children with a learning disability in the UK still don’t get an equal start in life. And what a wasted opportunity this is. If you met Ciara today, you would never think that she had experienced a difficult start in life. She is bright and brilliant, confident and eloquent. WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

LEARNING DISABILITIES

Eight out of ten children with a learning disability have been bullied by their peers

Hear My Voice Every day, more than 1.4 million people with a learning disability and their families face issues like poor healthcare, hate crime and social isolation. But these issues are rarely, if ever, debated at election time and most politicians don't understand how these things impact on people’s lives. Ahead of the General Election in May 2015, Mencap is inviting people with a learning disability – and the family members, carers and support workers connected to them – to make their voices heard on the issues that matter to them. For more information, visit: www.mencap.org.uk/ hearmyvoice

She is an incredible campaigner who raises awareness of the issues faced by people with a learning disability on both a national and an international stage. She is also married, has her own home and has a job that she enjoys and that helps to make a difference to other people’s lives.

A positive future Most children and young people grow up imagining the kind of future they will have – a picture that is not inhibited by what they won’t be able to do. They might want to be a doctor when they grow up, or get married, or live in a nice house. But these hopes are more challenging for a child with a learning disability. They face many barriers when aspiring to have what, for most children, is seen as a normal life. Growing up, the bullying and discrimination Ciara faced every day because of her learning disability stopped her from thinking she could have the life she dreamed about. However, once Ciara eventually got the right educational support, she began to flourish. She was spurred on by her parents and loved ones, who refused to let her give up. This meant WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Ciara Evans.

so much to Ciara as she saw the battle her family was going through every day. “It must have been very hard on our parents, having the responsibility to make the best decision they could for Ciara but having to see her so upset as a result of that decision”, says Huw, Ciara’s brother. Instead of it being a negative label, Ciara was able to turn her learning disability into a vehicle to access the support she needed to reach her goals. This must become the case for all children with a learning disability – with no exceptions. As Ciara puts it: “Here I am. I’m married, living in my own home, and working in a job I love. These are things I could only dream about when I was little. Sadly, these things are still a dream for many other people with a learning disability. This has to stop.” At the heart of all the problems that children with a learning disability face is the assumption that they will not “be” anything. Eight out of ten children with a learning disability have been bullied by their peers because they are “different”. As a result, they can become excluded and miss out on the interactions that allow other children to develop emotional and social skills – skills which can stand them in good stead long into adulthood.

develop academically, emotionally and socially. Yet sadly this is not always the case. As Ciara’s case shows, though, when children and young people are supported to learn in a way that is best for them it can lead to something quite brilliant. Children with a learning disability need to be empowered to believe that they can reach for the stars, just like every other child. And just like every other child, they need the appropriate help along the way. I think Ciara sums it up perfectly: “I know that having the right support from people around me, from my family and friends, makes all the difference. With that support, I can choose the things in life that I need and want to achieve. I don’t want any child with a learning disability to go through what I went through. I want them to believe they can do anything they want and go on to reach their full potential. I want families to know that their children can have a great and happy life, like I now have.”

Further information

Jan Tregelles is Chief Executive of Mencap, the UK charity for people with a learning disability: www.mencap.org.uk

The right support Every child and young person with a learning disability should receive the support they need in school to SENISSUE71

COMMUNICATION AIDS

Aiding the transition Kate Duggan looks at how the right communication aid can help students as they move beyond school

ugmentative and alternative communication (AAC) can help individuals, including those with learning difficulties and/or autism spectrum conditions, to communicate more effectively. Aids can range from picture boards, to high-tech computer equipment, depending on the person’s individual needs. As well as helping effective communication, these tools provide users with a voice, something that’s critical to a person’s day-today life, but is particularly crucial for young people’s development as they mature and transition from school into adult services.

The use of communication aids In 2013, a study by Communication Matters found that more than 250,000 individuals in the UK require AAC, with 25,000 of those needing powered aided communication through voice output communication aids (VOCAs). These aids can help to provide a means of expression for many people who would otherwise be unable to communicate effectively with others. Use of a VOCA can enable individuals to build and maintain relationships with others, such as teachers, staff, friends and family members. It also allows them to make their message understood when they are communicating with less familiar people who may not understand their communication signals, such as vocalisations and facial expressions. With increased communication skills, users are able to experience a higher level of participation in activities both at college and in other environments, helping to build confidence and self-esteem. SENISSUE71

Advanced assessment There is a wide range of communication aids available and assessment for a VOCA must be highly individualised to ensure that each person gets a device tailored for his/her specific needs. When determining the appropriate aid, a student’s communication skills are assessed in terms of what s/he understands and is able to express. Where there is a discrepancy between the level of understanding and the ability to express oneself, AAC, such as VOCAs, may be appropriate in order to increase the effectiveness of the student’s expressive skills. Following an assessment by a speech and language therapist or other professional to identify the most appropriate software or language programmes, individuals trial a range of devices to find the best solution. Determining which device is most suitable depends on a number of factors. A student’s range of movement is an important consideration as it will determine how they can access a VOCA. For example, a student may

With increased communication skills, users are able to experience a higher level of participation in activities be able to activate the touch screen with his/her hand, while a peer may need a head or elbow activated switch to allow scanning through and selection of parts of the screen. Sensory impairments should also be considered when assessing an individual for a communication aid. For students with a visual impairment, the size and type of pictures shown must be factored in, while if they have a hearing impairment, the voice used may need to be adapted.

Easing transition For those students moving on to further education, being able to demonstrate that they have the necessary

Careful assessments are needed to ensure each child gets the right communication aid.

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COMMUNICATION AIDS

Specialist training will help staff support students to use their VOCAs.

communication capabilities enables them to progress quickly. For example, a student with enhanced expression may have the opportunity to move from a specialist school, with key support methods, to a more mainstream institution. Not only is this positive for the individual’s confidence when faced with future unfamiliar situations, but it also helps the student to integrate into a wider community and prepare for adulthood. Beyond education, students may have the opportunity to access supported employment opportunities; however, this is only possible if they are able to interact with others sufficiently to complete the tasks required for the role. For example, young people who have had access to VOCAs are arguably better equipped to complete work placements, increasing their opportunities after college. According to the Mental Capacity Act (2005), a key element of assessing whether someone can make a decision in his/her life is whether s/he can communicate that decision. When young people move on from college, they face a transition into adult services, where they frequently encounter unfamiliar places and people. At a time of key decision making, increased participation and the ability to communicate choices means that students are better equipped to actively participate in this process. As well as being able to express their preferences in unfamiliar environments, they will have more confidence among new friends and staff, and have a greater level of control over key life moments. WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Sometimes, there is a danger that individuals with learning disabilities have lots of decisions made for them, resulting in them being passive participators. Having the ability to express their preferences and opinions empowers young people to be able to speak for themselves, increasing their autonomy. This can involve simple every day choices, or more significant decisions, such as where to live or how best to budget their money.

Training To make a successful move from school into adult services, it is essential that those in the students’ environments are able to support them in communicating with their VOCA. Students need support to be able to transfer the skills they have learnt in the classroom into other environments, and ongoing help to programme new words onto their VOCA or troubleshoot if it breaks down. Training days, via specialist equipment or education providers, can offer support to parents and carers, helping them to gain skills in using technology and encourage interaction for individuals with learning disabilities and autism. Increasingly, mainstream technology, such as tablet computers, can be used as communication aids and are accessible for parents and carers to learn how to use. They can be used as a tool to support reflective learning and the development of creative skills, such as film making or music. A wide variety of apps is available to support communication.

There is a danger that individuals with learning disabilities have lots of decisions made for them social care services, meaning that not all individuals get the device required. Although mainstream devices, such as tablets, are much more affordable than traditional communication aids, they do not necessarily meet everyone’s needs if they have specific access issues. For example, students who need eye gaze to access a screen require much more specialist software and hardware, which can be expensive.

What next? Although developments in mainstream technology may only benefit some users, these advances have significantly increased the accessibility of VOCAs. In-depth assessment is required to identify the best solution which offers individuals maximum opportunities for communication. Appropriate specialist training for parents and carers can support young people to use their communication aids across a range of environments and become more independent as they enter adult services. With increased funding, these devices have the potential to innovate the learning and development process offering users a greater opportunity to speak for themselves, make choices and achieve their goals as independently as possible.

Funding opportunities Despite the clear benefits of VOCAs, securing funding for the devices can be difficult. While some students are fortunate enough to have devices purchased for them when they are in education, many individuals in adult services are not as fortunate. There are charities that can support with fundraising for devices and operate on a means tested basis. However, funding often falls between health and

Further information

Kate Duggan is Clinical Services Manager at Bridge College, a specialist college for students aged 16 to 25 years with disabilities, complex needs and autism: www.togethertrust.org.uk/ education/bridge-college

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COMMUNICATION AIDS

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COMMUNICATION AIDS

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MANUAL HANDLING

Risk management Juliet Goodban shares advice and best practice on how to keep everybody safe when manual handling children

orking with children and young people with SEN is recognised as placing staff, parents and carers in a continuous “at risk” situation. The very nature of the work involved means that one is often bending, twisting and stooping to low levels and handling an unpredictable load (a child). Although the weight of the load in some circumstances may be small, the environment, task needed or capability of the assistant or carer may not be ergonomically favourable or ideal. Moving from the floor, placing into and out of therapeutic equipment such as wheelchairs and standing frames are typical examples. Collaboration between staff carrying out the day-to-day handling of a child is essential to ensure the safest possible means of handling. There is a fine line between therapeutic handling as part of a physiotherapy programme and handling procedures to be carried out on a daily basis by unqualified staff.

Assessing the issues

and practice, or are constrained by clothing or space. Load Factors specific to the child must be considered. Environment This should be as hazard-free as possible. Preparation of the environment and time taken in planning the manoeuvre can resolve many challenges and issues. When working with children, the physiotherapists may have to consider the impact of emotional and psychological factors on the child and parents/carers, and the impact of these on handling. The impact of complex equipment and care routines may also be important factors when completing a risk assessment. Once all of these elements have been assessed and the risks identified and recorded, employing control measures will reduce those identified risks to the lowest possible level.

There is an element of risk even when using a hoist Realistically, if the risk cannot be reduced to an acceptable level, staff must comprehensively document the problem and notify the management immediately. A balanced decision is then needed by all involved to set up an interim plan, for example, lifting into a standing frame might be replaced with plinth work temporarily, until a solution is found. The frequency of re-assessment will depend on the changing nature of the child’s condition. This may be daily in an acute situation but as infrequently as termly or annually (maximum time frame) where a child has a relatively unchanging impairment. However, each handling situation is unique as there may be subtle changes occurring in both the child and the handlers. Always consider the relationship of the particular needs of a child and the

Using the TILE risk assessment – acknowledging the Task, the Individual as a handler, the Load (in this case a child with SEN) and the Environment – helps to recognise avoidable risks and thus reduce accidents. Task There is an element of risk even when using a hoist, slide sheet or other aid. Familiarity and complacency can also increase risk. Individual Accidents may occur when individual staff members are mismatched, have their own health needs, lack training SENISSUE71

Manual handling plans must be specific to the child’s needs.

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impact these may have on the child’s ability to move and to be moved by a carer.

Interact with the child When undertaking manual handling, it is essential that we communicate effectively with the child being moved. Consideration must be given to: • how well we explain the reason for moving • giving the child time to anticipate our actions, accommodate and adjust to the change in position • how we use our own bodies during the manoeuvre – posture, touch and speed of movement • how we use our voices – the speed of speech, the words used, the volume and tone of our voices • how the child communicates – some children use total body movements to communicate, which may make handling more difficult • how the child moves – some children’s movements are very unpredictable and they may be startled by sudden noises, causing problems during hoisting or transferring • communication as a two way process – the child may use various methods to communicate needs, such as non-verbal cues, eye movement, touch and hand movements • how the child feels – s/he may be anxious, fearful or in pain and this will affect how s/he reacts to movement or to being moved.

The school’s responsibility It is the responsibility of the headteacher to ensure that safe systems of work are in place for moving and handling pupils. Headteachers are also responsible for facilitating the risk assessments and moving and handling plans in conjunction with the team around the child. Equipment such as hoists, slings, variable height changing tables, sliding sheets and boards should be provided, WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

according to need, by the education authority. It is the responsibility of the school staff to ensure that all equipment is in good working order, is regularly serviced, and has the LOLER inspection date visible. School staff also have a responsibility to ensure that hoists are charged and used in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions. Manual handling aids are not a health need for the child but intended to protect education staff from possible injury, and their provision is the responsibility of the employer. Teams may face situations when responsibilities for equipment provision and funding are not always this clear. For example provision of a chair that moves a young person into a standing position may eliminate the need for a standing frame, reduce transfers and moving and handling risks but may present staff with a funding dilemma. Joint agency working and collaboration

Child specific issues

There are a number of key questions and issues specific to the individual child that must be considered, such as: • the child’s weight and size – even repetitive light weight handling has a cumulative effect and can increase the risk of injury • is the child difficult to hold? • does the child have unpredictable behaviour, movements or spasms? • does the child understand what is about to happen? • is the child able to assist in any way? • does the child have any attachments, such as IV drips, drainage tubes, gastrostomy or tracheostomy? • the nature and influence of the child’s diagnosis or disability – such as pain, muscle power, active control, contractures, deformity and muscle tone • what does the child need and want to do?

The frequency of reassessment will depend on the changing nature of the child’s condition is needed to resolve such issues. Where it is difficult to get this point across, the health and safety officer for the education authority may be able to give advice; failing this, the manual handling advisor may be able to clarify the situation. Training of education staff involved in manual handling should be provided by the education authority. Adaptations of the school environment may be necessary and advice may be sought from the team around the child. Complex building problems will need the attention of the education surveyor. Ideally these problems should be identified and addressed on preliminary visits to the school, before placement, through transition planning often through the teacher advisory services.

The school environment Crowded, busy corridors and lack of classroom space increase the risk of injury both to the child and staff, and may make it difficult to store equipment needed for mobility and manual handling. Time constraints of the school timetable often cause staff to rush procedures and result in a lack of planning of manoeuvres, which may increase risks taken and result in injury to both staff and children. Staff should be aware of the time needed to carry out moving and handling tasks and suitable allowances should be made in the timetable. Space for a wheelchair, walker, special furniture and adjustable height table may all help the child access the curriculum more effectively and reduce the problems of manual handling.

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Physiotherapists, in conjunction with occupational therapists, can advise on placing rails to enable the pupil to be more independent in managing transfers and toileting. The child may need an alternative form of mobility to access the school campus, and physiotherapists can advise on the suitability and provision of equipment. Transferring to this alternative form of mobility would need risk assessment and problem solving if the child cannot do this independently.

The physiotherapist’s responsibilities In practice, physiotherapists are often asked for advice on how to move and handle pupils. Advice on specific, individual handling problems can be given by physiotherapists regarding children on their caseload. A risk assessment and individual manual handling plan must be completed for all children requiring assistance. The risk assessment is best done in

Understanding the effects of the child’s condition on handling The child’s condition and how it affects him/her can have a big effect on handling requirements. Specific needs may include: • sensory processing issues • sensory deficit (such as, visual impairment or hearing impairment) • perceptual problems (for example, body awareness or spatial awareness) • communication difficulties • accommodation, adaptation and adjustment problems • altered muscle tone (increased, decreased or fluctuating – influenced by movement or changes in head position) • associated problems such as epilepsy • challenging behaviour • the child’s own wishes.

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Where unsafe practices are observed, physiotherapists have a duty to address the problem collaboration between health and education staff, with education staff taking a lead. Therapeutic handling as part of a physiotherapy programme requires additional skills and training, over and above those needed for handling, that is carried out routinely throughout the day and should be carried out only by therapists or staff specifically trained by the therapists and following a delegated task. If a physiotherapy programme is recommended to be undertaken within the school day by school staff, this should be recorded; this could be called “physical management strategies”, to prevent confusion of a “programme” being viewed in isolation from the rest of the child’s education and to encourage a more holistic approach to meeting the child or young person’s needs. Where unsafe practices are observed, physiotherapists have a duty to address the problem by informing the headteacher, so that staff are aware of the need to change practice and abide by manual handling guidance. It is important to emphasise that the child or young person’s focused goals must be incorporated into the individual education plan (IEP) and updated when the IEP is reviewed. This should encourage physical management needs to be viewed as an integral part of the wider support package within school.

Support plans Statements of special educational needs are due to be replaced with the introduction of education, health

and care plans (EHCPs), starting from September 2014. The manual handling needs, both current and future, of a pupil should be defined in the Physiotherapy Advice of the statement or EHCP to allow adequate planning of provision. This is detailed in the Association of Paediatric Chartered Physiotherapist’s 2009 Guidance for Physiotherapists: Giving Advice for Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs. The advice is intended to inform the school on: • how the child or young person’s physical difficulties and needs will affect him/her in the educational setting • how the school might provide for these needs, including provision of equipment • what adaptations are necessary for inclusion • the opportunities within the educational setting that can enhance physical development and wellbeing.

Further information

Juliet Goodban is Paediatric Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Lead based at Kidderminster Health Centre. She is a member of the Association of Paediatric Chartered Physiotherapists (APCP) and current Chair of the APCP’s Paediatric Physiotherapist In Management Support special interest group: http://apcp.csp.org.uk

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LOOKED-AFTER CHILDREN

Looking out for the looked-after Craig Goodall examines why looked-after children are particularly vulnerable to social, emotional and behavioural difficulties, and what we can do to help

any children in care can experience social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD) because of their life experiences. In recent years, I have seen an increasing number of looked-after children being referred to the alternative educational provision (AEP) for those with SEBD that I work at in Belfast. Care settings can make a big difference to outcomes and those young people placed in longterm foster homes tend to do better, and are excluded from school less, than those placed in a series of short-term fostering arrangements or care homes. AEP and special school environments can be particularly effective at helping these children to develop self-esteem, form attachments, show empathy and demonstrate resilience in the face of many at-risk factors. Some eight per cent of looked-after children have been suspended from school, with one per cent having been permanently excluded (DHSSPSNI,

2012). In this article, I will examine the link between being looked-after and SEBD, why many of these children are being referred to alternative educational provision as a default option, and what we can do to help support these young people. Of paramount importance here is that the “E” in SEBD is often cast in the shadow of the “B”. This is fundamental, as developing the emotional wellbeing and self-regulation of looked-after children has the potential to reduce incidents of challenging behaviour or, indeed, school refusal and potential educational failure. For looked-after children, the social, emotional and behavioural difficulties displayed are often a direct result of being in care. These young people are particularly vulnerable to SEBD because of their life experiences and they require support in developing confidence to trust and form strong attachments with others. Significantly, according to the DHSSPSNI (2012) the number of looked-after children in Northern Ireland has increased by over 21 per cent from 2006 to 2012 (1480 to 1878).

Creating stability

Children in care need to form bonds with the adults around them.

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There are two distinct groups of children in care: children who are placed longterm with foster carers, with extended families or within high-quality, small residential care homes, and those who are frequently moved from one foster carer to another or who are placed in several short-term residential children’s homes. Children in the latter group “are

It is difficult for professionals to positively impact on young people who are continually living out of a suitcase often the ones who are excluded from school, truant or become homeless” (OFSTED, 2000). The reality for many looked-after children is that their care and educational placements are often transient, leaving them in a constant state of flux. Unsurprisingly, this impacts on the amount of emotional energy these young people wish to invest in building trust and forming significant attachments with adults. This, in turn, can cause those charged with trying to support them to struggle with their own motivation to commit their own energy over and over again. Some young people who require the most support have yo-yoed in and out of the AEP where I teach. One month they are with us; the next they have moved house or care home resulting in them crossing the borders between different educational boards and health trust areas. With constantly shifting peer groups and school environments it can be very difficult for the young people to integrate and reintegrate. This is exhausting for the young person. To use the game snakes and ladders as an analogy, these young people arrive and move forward one WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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square at a time; maybe they begin to invest energy, commit, build trusting reciprocal relationships with others. They start to achieve and “climb the ladder”. Then, due to outside influences and an unlucky “roll of the dice” they find themselves spiralling down the snake back to square one. Do they play the game again? Often, they do not. This constant change is deleterious to the young people’s progress academically and, more importantly, emotionally and socially. These young people are in need of serious emotional investment from those caring for them, but it is very difficult for professionals to positively impact on young people who are continually living out of a suitcase. The care setting itself therefore impacts upon educational achievement, with greater stability being afforded by long-term placements or long-term foster care. This is advantageous to the young person who can settle better into school and build more concrete relationships, and also serves to alleviate issues with attachment. Managing potential attachment problems, and developing social skills, communication skills, emotional wellbeing and self-worth should be important goals for professionals working with looked-after children. Once these have been developed, trust and belief in others can follow.

Building relationships Young people need to feel able to invest in relationships with the adults and peers in their lives. They need to do this without fearing that a significant adult will suddenly be replaced by someone new when they most need them. For example, the move to transition teams at around the age of 16 can be a problem, as young people will often have to get used to new social workers. This transition point often coincides with major changes in the young person’s educational life. This may be one factor impacting on the educational attainment of some looked-after children. The statistics on educational attainment are revealing. In WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

2011/12, 58 per cent of looked-after children attained at least one GCSE/ GNVQ at grades A* to G; this compared with 100 per cent of the general school population. Additionally, 25 per cent of looked-after children have a statement of SEN – many for SEBD – compared to just four per cent of the general school population (DHSSPSNI, 2012). Many looked-after children will have many different professionals involved in their lives who are “paid to care”. Indeed, I have known many young people who have commented on the fact that those around them are being paid to be there. However, caring must be demonstrated and felt beyond this, and simple caring strategies can be very effective here: for example, a compliment, remembering special dates (such as birthdays), recognition that you are pleased they have attended one day out of five and that you missed them in school, or acknowledging that you have noticed that the child is upset and offering your ear. It is also important to enable the young people to be involved in decisions that affect them. Isn’t it better to use the time spent working with young people to have a positive impact, rather than highlighting the negatives? Isn’t it better to help develop emotionally healthy young people who can recognise, understand and cope with the emotions they and others feel and to encourage them to develop self-esteem, empathy and resilience? Positive school environments, whether they are in mainstream, special schools or AEP, will “help each individual feel personal worth, dignity and importance” (Freiberg, 1999). Surely this should be the cornerstone of education, irrespective of the school setting. The m a i n s t re a m school environment, with much larger pupil numbers and less flexibility than AEP, may mean that dedicating adequate time for the development of meaningful relationships with these young people can, understandably, be difficult. Looked-after children may be stigmatised and bullied because

Children simply give up trying to develop peer relationships because of previous social rejection of their home situation. Being placed in alternative education may in itself be stigmatising (Berridge et al., 2008). Some looked-after children can become embarrassed, develop an unhealthy sense of worthlessness and become at-risk of loneliness by shutting out others. This is a defence mechanism for some – a way of combating experiences of rejection. For many, it is best, in their eyes, not to take the risk of being hurt again by investing emotionally in yet another person. Issues of bullying and loneliness at school can be commonplace for these children and some simply give up trying to develop peer relationships because of previous social rejection. In summary, when a young person is in care, developing self-esteem and confidence is key. This is possible through building a positive, meaningful and reciprocal relationship with a significant adult. Often, teachers will be the least transient source of support these children have in their ever-changing lives. The support and care that these professionals provide is crucial to looked-after children’s emotional, social and educational future.

Further information

Craig Goodall is the ASD tutor and science teacher at Loughshore Education Centre, Belfast. He is currently self-funding a Doctorate of Education (EdD) at Queen’s University Belfast: www.qub.ac.uk

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LOOKED-AFTER CHILDREN Advertisement feature

Families that Last are encouraging prospective parents to consider adoption as a way to build their family Everyone deserves to be part of a “forever family”. Families that Last is the family-finding service of After Adoption, finding permanent and loving homes for the many children waiting in the care system. Some of these children have complex medical or behavioural needs and need a family that is prepared to offer them love and commitment. Families that Last can help you become that family. Adopters come from all walks of life and all sections of society. Provided you are over 21 years old, you may be married, a single carer or in a same-sex relationship. You may even have your own children already. Families that Last are interested in your ability to look after children, and if you are considering adoption as a way to build your family, we promise to be with you every step of the way. Robert is looking for his forever family. He’s a bright and lively five-year-old child and he loves to play in the garden. He especially likes bouncing on the trampoline and he’s recently learnt to ride his bike without stabilisers. Robert also enjoys looking around museums and going for days out. Robert is making really good progress at school and he receives one-to-one support. His school is applying for a statement of SEN in relation to his behaviour and concentration

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and his foster carer is really encouraging him to practice his alphabet and numbers. Mae and Callie are delightful five- and fouryear-old sisters who are very social and friendly. They like being outdoors, either on their bikes or on long walks with their foster carers. They say they know more about nature than any of their classmates. Both girls are doing really well at school and are eager to learn new things. Robert, Mae and Callie are just some of the many children we’re finding families for. A loving and secure family can give children the best start in life. At Families that Last, we build and support families throughout their lives. To adopt with Families that Last, contact us on: 0300 456 2656 or visit our website at: www.familiesthatlast.org.uk to meet more of the children who need a “forever family”.

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VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

Shaping my life Crafting a career as a visually impaired young woman, Shani Stone looks forward to an independent future beyond college

have a rather creative family, so you could say I was destined to be an artist. My parents have supported and nurtured my talents and have never once let my visual impairment hold me back. My father is quite artistic and my mother loves interior design, so texture has played a large part in my upbringing. I have Lebers amaurosis, strabismus and nystagmus. The first is a congenital condition which appears at birth or in the first few months of life and can cause severe vision loss or blindness, as in my case. Strabismus and nystagmus are both noticeable to people looking at me; the strabismus means my eyes don’t naturally look in the same direction and nystagmus is affectionately known as “wobbly eyes”, both of which can make it difficult for people with some sight to focus accurately. Because of these conditions, working with ceramics has been essential to allow my artistic abilities to flow and develop. I also have fibromyalgia, which causes chronic pain and fatigue. I now use hydrotherapy, massage and the Alexander Technique to help manage this, however, when I was at secondary school the effects of the condition were

You can give up and let the conditions take over your life, or you can take what you can get from life huge and I performed my Art GCSE at home using the kitchen table as my workspace, aided by hot water bottles and medication.

Testing times Studying full-time at college has tested my condition. My back and my brain are in constant arguments with each other: my back tells me to stay in bed and rest, whilst my brain says “go to lectures”. Although demanding at times, my timetable does include sessions in the hydrotherapy pool, which help enormously. I manage a lot better now than I used to, having the support of the teachers to walk about so I don’t stiffen up, and also through the provision of adjustable chairs. Having specialised in Ceramics at AS Level, and having studied units from the Business Studies course at college, I am planning to start my

Shani Stone.

own business when I leave college in July this year. I have been saving up money to buy my own kiln and my father has been busy building me a workshop where I can create and sell my products. I automatically create pieces in the human form. However, I am aware that many people like to buy things other than figurines, so I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and have been working on abstract sculptures to entice as many people as possible to buy my work. The last few years have helped me realise that you can give up and let the conditions take over your entire life, or you can take what you can get from life and make of it what you will. I will be heading back to Portland, Dorset this summer with a new purpose; I have gained so much independence through being at a residential college and will be moving into a flat with a friend. She is sighted, but I will be doing most of the cooking and “mothering” whilst she makes sure that I am okay.

Further information

Shani at work in the studio.

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Shani Stone is a student at The Royal National College for the Blind. This article has been coauthored by Anika Backhouse, PR, Publications and Outreach Officer at The College: www.rnc.ac.uk

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Creating a vision friendly classroom Gwyneth McCormack provides a useful guide to helping pupils with visual impairment at school

ision provides a major route to processing information about the world. It is the linking sense. It enables an object to be seen quickly as part of an ongoing process or larger whole and allows understanding of the form, size, shape, pattern, colour and location of an object. Sighted children develop knowledge and experience about their world through incidental learning by understanding an object’s form in its entirety and in relation to the environment that it is presented in. For children with visual impairment, their view of the world is fragmented and for some it may be nonexistent, affecting their experience, understanding, learning and development. Their limited exposure to visual experiences provided by their environment means they need more rich experiences of the concrete stage of development presented in a holistic sensory way, to enable their progression to understanding at an abstract level and to minimise the impact on their learning and development.

Maintain a consistent classroom layout and keep changes to a minimum However, the impact on learning and development for each child is individual and will depend on the level of visual loss and any other additional needs. One of the main keys to the successful inclusion of the child is in supporting the whole school staff to understand the depth of the child’s need and what it really means not to be able to see. Staff training and awareness raising of the impact of the child’s visual impairment in accessing the curriculum, getting around the environment and enjoying a positive social experience in school are therefore hugely important. Below are some tips for ensuring the classroom environment is vision friendly for the child with visual impairment as well as for other children in the class.

Adapted resources can really help the child with visual impairment.

•

Classroom management

Tactile books can promote inclusion.

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• Remove obstacles and furniture that may cause an obstruction and which restrict the space to move around in • Maintain a consistent classroom layout and keep changes to a minimum • Make sure all light bulbs are in place and working properly • Control lighting to minimise glare, for example, lower window blinds

• •

on bright sunny days and switch lights on during duller days Present displays on matt backgrounds, avoiding shiny surfaces Present displays on well contrasting matt backgrounds, keep layout simple and print size at a minimum of 14 point, in a simple typeface such as Arial or Comic Sans Add Braille labels if this is the child’s method of access to print Position displays at a height which children can read easily.

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• Speak to the children by name when they are taking part in class discussion or when they are answering questions • When demonstrating an activity or showing the class an object, always pass it to the child with visual impairment for closer observation. Avoid asking the child “Can you see it?” as s/he will nearly always answer “Yes,” even if s/he can’t see it.

Access to near vision tasks An abacus for hands-on maths.

• The child with visual impairment should sit close to the action, at a distance that enables the best view to access whiteboard, smart board, demonstration and carpet activity. The child may need to sit in different places for different activities (liaise with the child’s teacher of visual impairments to establish the best place, or discuss with the child) • Position desks and chairs so that, where possible, there are opportunities for children who wear glasses to sit facing the front • Stand away from the window when teaching or speaking to the children to prevent a silhouette being created and facial expression becoming more difficult to distinguish.

Using the board • Keep visual clutter to a minimum. Print in large clear writing, using a black pen to write with. Avoid using colour at all times. Keep layouts simple and logical to follow • Verbalise as text is written on the board, or as images are added to explain and describe what they are • Point to text on the board as it is spoken about or referred to WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

• Use A4 paper for worksheets and present text printed in black, in Arial or Comic Sans at a minimum of 14pt or at the child’s specified print size (provided by the qualified teacher of visual impairments) • Provide accessible curriculum materials for the child with visual impairment • Present worksheets with a clear, logical layout with visual clutter removed • Present well contrasting graphics of good clarity, at a size to enable the detail to be distinguished easily • Present diagrams, graphs and pictures that are clearly labelled in black print. Avoid labels presented in coloured text, overlaying the graphic with text, or labels presented in text boxes overlaying the graphic • Provide the children with black pens or pencils (2B) that provide good contrast, to ensure work can be read back • Avoid children with visual impairment sharing worksheets and textbooks • Use a black pen to mark the children’s work • Print comments alongside or at the end of their work so that it is easy for them to read • Ensure children with visual impairment use writing materials that maximise their access, such as black pen, black lined

Avoid children with visual impairment sharing worksheets and textbooks paper, laptop with screen magnification, Braille computer or Perkins Braille writer • Check that children can read back longer pieces of work, especially at the beginning and towards the end of the school day when they may be more fatigued.

Understanding the task • Seeing and understanding the layout of the whole page can take time for a child with visual impairment. It may be necessary to assist the child to visually access the task first and to provide a verbal overview of the learning materials • Reinforce learning, allowing time to explore any pictures and objects and time to revisit if necessary. Accessing information can quickly create visual fatigue, particularly over prolonged periods of close work, meaning access is sometimes slower. This is related to access and not cognitive ability.

Further information

Gwyneth McCormack has over 20 years’ experience as a qualified teacher of visual impairments in home, early years, school and college settings. She runs Positive Eye educational training and consultancy for professionals who work with children with visual impairment: www.positiveeye.co.uk

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VISUAL IMPAIRMENT Advertisement feature

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CustomEyes fiction books for children with sight loss Do you need help supporting or teaching a child or young person with vision impairment? They could enjoy fiction books and text books in the exact font, colour and size to suit their needs for only the recommended retail price of the book. CustomEyes is a service from leading sight loss charity Blind Children UK. With over 3000 titles available including the Oxford Reading Tree, CustomEyes has reached agreements with major publishers to give children with sight loss access to thousands more books this year. One parent explains, “The books from CustomEyes have been invaluable; my son wouldn’t have got his GCSEs without them.” Give CustomEyes a call on: 0118 983 8275 or email: Custom.Eyes@blindchildrenuk.org to find out how we can help. SENISSUE71

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AUTISM

How to choose a school for a child with autism Parent Claire Ryan provides ten top tips to help you find the right secondary school for your child with autism

s a mum of three children with autism and additional diagnoses aged eight, 15 and 18, I know what a worrying time it can be when your child starts secondary school. I wanted to share some top tips for secondary transfer based on our experiences. They may not be suitable for all families but I hope they give you a few ideas. 1. Start by talking to your child about what his/her “ideal” school would be like Make a list of “non-negotiables” based on what your child likes/dislikes about the current school. These are the things

A comprehensive plan can really protect your child, especially if s/he does not have a statement the new school must offer. This might include things like subjects on offer, class size and details about transport to/from school. One way this could be adapted is by making it visual, using pictures and sorting it into “like” and “don’t like” categories. This can be a

good way of giving your child some control and involvement in the process. 2. Make a list of all suitable schools in your area and visit as many as possible If there are no schools within your area which can meet your child’s needs, look further afield. Many children whose SEN cannot be met within their local area are educated in another local authority. 3. When you have a shortlist of schools, discuss them with your child, if appropriate If possible, talk to other parents of children with SEN who go to the >>

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AUTISM

schools. Make a list of questions with your child and ask for meetings with the SENCO, so you can ask your questions and discuss your child’s SEN. If your child is visiting the school with you, it might be appropriate to ask if you can do so after school hours so there are fewer people around. 4. Once you have chosen a school, discuss the transition plan with the school and your child It may help your child to have a basic map of the school which details where toilets and classrooms are. If it will help your child, ask for a list of school staff, their roles, names and, if possible, their photos. Request a detailed timetable for your child to have before starting school, a list of the school rules and any other information your child might need to ease anxiety around the transition. It may be appropriate to have photos of the classrooms and other areas of the school. 5. Get the maximum support possible put in place at the start of a school placement A comprehensive plan can really protect your child, especially if s/he does not have a statement of SEN. The support plan can always be adapted or reduced when, or if, it is not required or helpful. It may help to ask the SENCO and class teacher for regular meetings to plan targets, discuss what works and what doesn’t. Keeping a good, realistic relationship with the school can only help your child. If you find the school are not willing or able to support your child in the way you know your child needs, you may have to consider that it may not be the right school. 6. Make a “personal passport” for your child We made a few cards (business card size) personalised with photos and each one had a short description of something our children liked and disliked, and what help they wanted. For example, one of my daughter’s cards was about eye contact. It said: "I SENISSUE71

don’t always like to make eye contact but please don’t think I’m rude or not listening to you." Another said: "Sometimes I get overloaded with noise and movement. I need somewhere quiet to go and time on my own when I feel like this." We made these cards with our children, so they were correct and appropriate, and they only shared them with people they felt comfortable with. It could be done in list format, or another way more appropriate to your child, but I’ve found that keeping each point brief meant more people took the information on board. 7. Challenge the local authority if it disagrees with you about your child’s school I have found this happens more when asking for specialist placements, especially independent ones. The law states that your child has a right to an appropriate education. If your child has had his/her needs assessed by medical and educational professionals who have identified needs that cannot be met in any other school, or the school which your local authority has named, then you have the right to appeal through the Tribunal service. It is always best to try and work with the local authority and ask for a meeting to discuss your child’s placement, but as it can be a lengthy process, I have found it helpful to get the appeal started as soon as possible to avoid a delay. 8. Don’t be put off at the thought of disagreeing with schools and local authorities The idea of going to tribunal can be scary, and it can often feel like a David versus Goliath battle, but the Tribunal is set up to support parents appealing decisions about their children’s education that they do not agree with. There is a lot of support parents can get without having to pay legal fees. Our family is currently fighting our fifth tribunal and although it’s a stressful and, at times, emotional process, it is there for us to use. We have found it to be a fair and structured process and it

There is a lot of support parents can get without having to pay legal fees has been the only way we have been able to get what our children need. 9. Make sure you have lots of evidence to back-up what your child needs Try and get as many professional assessments as you can either via the NHS, or privately if you prefer, as the local authority will need this. It is essential to document everything: all phone-calls, meetings, emails, notes and reports. If you haven’t got all of these, you can request a full unedited copy of your child’s school file from the school. You can also contact your local authority and ask how to request a copy of your child’s file from them. 10. Stay positive Remember that the most important thing is that your child is an individual and has the right to succeed, contribute and be happy. It is a stressful time for children and parents. I can only talk from our experience and we have found that the benefits of getting the right school far outweigh the stress of getting there. Good luck and stay strong!

Further information

Claire Ryan is a Parent Patron of Ambitious about Autism, the national charity for children and young people with autism. A version of this article first appeared on the Talk about Autism blog: http://blog.talkaboutautism.org.uk

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Specialist, high-quality therapeutic education for children with learning difficulties The Sheiling School, Thornbury, situated in a peaceful estate, offers exceptional opportunities for pupils to achieve positive outcomes in an environment designed to meet their educational, emotional and spiritual needs. Building on more than 60 years’ experience, the school offers a unique therapeutic educational approach benefitting our pupils, especially those with diagnoses of autism and other forms of ASD, Asperger’s, PDA, as well as emotional difficulties, behaviour/communication issues and attachment disorders. “Thomas was left with profound learning difficulties after suffering brain damage at birth. By the age of eight, his disruptive, aggressive and unpredictable behaviour had led to expulsion from two local authority special needs schools, and home had become a battlefield. For the safety of our other child, we had to make the heart breaking decision to place Thomas in temporary foster care by the age of nine. “After struggling to find a school that could meet Thomas’s needs, we were delighted when, at the age of ten, he was offered a residential placement at the Sheiling School, Thornbury. Thomas is now almost 15 and unrecognisable from the child he used to be. He has benefitted enormously from WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Sheiling School’s individualised therapeutic approach. He is a well-behaved, charming, caring, chatty and sociable, and enjoys music, dancing swimming and weaving. He interacts and focuses well in class and has learnt to read and write. We look forward to seeing Thomas on weekends and holidays. “We are so grateful to Sheiling for helping us achieve a close and happy family connection and enabling Thomas to blossom and reach his full potential.” Christina. Thomas’s mum

More information

We welcome families and professionals to come and view our facilities. You will be able to tour the site and speak to staff. Please check details on our website: www.sheilingschool.org.uk Residential and day education placements available. For a tour and further information: Tel: 01454 412 194 – mail@sheilingschool.org.uk Park Road, Thornbury, Bristol BS35 1HP.

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AUTISM Advertisement feature

Community links...sensory provision... transition boards...meaningful activity... gardening...self-sufficiency Richard Webster, Head of Education at Fullerton House School and Independent Specialist College near Doncaster, is always full of enthusiasm. Today is no different as he expounds on a number of recent developments across Hesley Schools and Colleges, which he believes further enhance the specialist education and care offered by these services for children and young people with learning disabilities and autism and associated complex needs and behaviours which challenge. Richard has always been very keen on strong community links. A new sensory garden in the grounds of Fullerton House School has been a joint project between young people and staff from the School, together with offender learners from a local open prison, who have undertaken some of the harder landscaping. This project has received funds from a successful application for an ASDAN grant for projects which have to benefit the local community. An Eco Schools cluster and local children’s home will be amongst services that will have access to the garden, which occupational therapists from Hesley Group have helped develop – in line with the sensory needs of the young people who will use it – with a focus on developing the space as an outdoor classroom. Inside the School, adjacent to the garden, a sensory corridor with two adjoining sensory rooms is a further extension of the project. At Wilsic Hall, 6 miles from Fullerton, a kitchen garden is in development in the grounds of the College. The longer-term aim is for small animal husbandry, and certainly for the further enhancement of the food supply to both the College and School. Existing willow coppicing activity from Hesley Group’s field study centre has supplied hurdles for fencing and willow for baskets and plant climbing frames, demonstrating integration of activity from a number of Hesley sites and an attention across services to ecological awareness and self-sufficiency.

Promoting independence Back at Fullerton House School, transition boards are a new initiative, to help promote the independence of young people as they move from one room or subject area to another. The School operates a more “secondary” than “primary” curriculum approach, with such movement as part of each person’s individualised learning programme. On the outside of the doors to rooms there are A4 boards, with the name, corresponding symbol and photograph of the room and a Velcro strip. Inside each room there are “transition pockets”. If a young person’s next lesson/session WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

is, for example, woodwork, they take this symbol out of the pocket as a visual reference, then go to the woodwork room and put the symbol on the strip outside. At the end of the lesson, they take the symbol off the strip and put it into the spare pocket which is at the bottom of the wall transition pocket. Each young person has a means, individualised to them, whereby they carry their (again individualised) timetable, so they know their sessions for a length of time ahead, which matches their needs. This may be for the “now and next” (session), or perhaps the whole day. Symbol key rings, PECS books and other visual means are examples of ways which help people follow their timetable. With the current educational year ending at the end of July, Hesley are currently looking forward to celebrating, on September 1, the very positive first anniversary – with many lessons learned and new ideas prompted – of the independent specialist colleges at both Wilsic Hall and Fullerton House. As well as this celebration, Richard Webster and colleagues are very much looking forward to the new challenges and opportunities that the year beyond this will bring.

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

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AUTISM

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AUTISM Advertisement feature

Underley Garden: unique and as individual as your child Set in idyllic surroundings on the edge of the Lake District, news of Underley Garden’s success stories are spreading far wider than its catchment area across the North of England. This unique school and children’s home is winning recognition from parents, pupils and local authorities, and the latest Ofsted inspection (Jan 2014) declares it outstanding in all aspects of its care. The atmosphere at Underley Garden is happy, positive and friendly. Staff enthusiasm is obvious and infectious, and the drive for continual improvement is routine.

It welcomes young people from many different, sometimes failing, circumstances. Some students were previously homed in mental health institutions. With Underley Garden’s reputation for careful, intensive and sensitive transition planning, they’re bringing extraordinary, and always childcentred, solutions. Principal Robert Sankey.

“I have made some good friends, who come round for tea after school. That didn’t happen at any of my other schools. I’m really happy at School here.” Year 9 day pupil

“I can see his confidence and he’s happy. I have every trust in those people who care for him, teach him and look after his wellbeing. He has a better quality of life and, actually, I feel a little bit liberated!” Mum: Year 12 residential pupil

“Every vulnerable child is a special individual with the right to the highest possible quality of life. Often our young people are coming from very low starting points in their lives and we strive to give them every opportunity to shine. Failing these children is not an option.” Principal Robert Sankey

“He has made great progress, I am really pleased to see his house and he played the drums and guitar for me. It is really good to see him happy and able to function on a level he has never been able to do. This is the best he has ever done in ten years. Keep the brilliant work up.” Social Worker: residential pupil with complex needs – Year 11

Offering day and residential places, Underley Garden provides a thriving, nurturing and stimulating environment where young people across the whole autistic spectrum can embrace their learning difficulties with innovative techniques. They make progress in the classroom, and their confidence and self-esteem improves, sometimes beyond everyone’s expectations.

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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 lowincidence special education needs, involving a combination of cognitive, physical, sensory and behavioural disabilities.

Care at Seashell Trust Seashell Trust offers families, children and young people individual and personalised packages of support, including after school clubs and short breaks.

Communication We place a high importance on the development of communication skills for all our children and young people and this work is supported by the speech and language therapists and our assistive technologists. All staff are trained to support students in the use of a range of communication systems including: BSL, picture and symbol communication systems, Objects of Reference, iPads and voice output devices.

Sensory Impairment Seashell Trust specialises in meeting the needs of children and young people with sensory impairments and complex needs; in addition to our team of Intervenors support and advice is provided by teachers of the deaf, qualified teachers of the visually impaired and qualified MSI / deafblind teachers.

Personal, social and health education The PSHE curriculum covers a range of topics including: • an awareness of mental and physical well-being • appropriate social interaction, social rules and relationships • expectations, social behaviour and responsibilities • awareness of equality and diversity • creating high expectations and aspirations • developing community links • accessing community facilities • using public transport. 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

Schoolgirl raises money for Autism Wessex Touched by autism, Jemima Urquhart-Barham, from Ringwood, decided to design a fundraising challenge and raise money for Autism Wessex. Nine-year-old Jemima has a cousin with autism and wanted to raise funds for the regional charity that offers specialist services to anyone affected by autism and associated difficulties. She designed a treasure map and sold squares to staff and pupils at her school. Jemima (pictured) said: “I enjoy fundraising and plan to do more for Autism Wessex in the future. I have lots of ideas and have organised a small fundraising committee in school.” Paul Reade of Autism Wessex said: “The charity relies heavily on fundraisers like Jemima so we can continue the excellent work we do with people affected by autism. We would like to thank Jemima for designing this fundraising challenge for Autism Wessex and would like to keep in touch with her and hear her ideas for future fundraising.” www.autismwessex.org.uk

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Aukids magazine – positive parenting for children on the autism spectrum AuKids is a quarterly parenting magazine for carers of young children on the autism spectrum. Its upbeat ideas are wrapped in a colourful package designed to inspire and entertain. The magazine is the result of a parentprofessional partnership between Debby Elley, whose twins have autism, and specialist speech and language therapist Tori Houghton, who runs a dedicated support agency for young people on the spectrum. Debby says: “Parents love its practical content and humour which draws on their own experiences. Professionals love AuKids because they get a parent perspective on autism. Autism is talked about in the context of home life, not as a clinical diagnosis”. Reader Sophie Page adds: “I find Aukids magazine reassuring and inspiring. I particularly like the upbeat visuals and tone, in combination with views from lots of interesting experts.” Subscribers get access to a free online archive. To subscribe for just £15 annually, visit: www.aukids.co.uk

Autism and online safety: new toolkit for secondary schools Childnet has launched the STAR Toolkit, a new online safety resource that offers practical advice and teaching activities to help secondary schools explore internet safety with young people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Developed in partnership with Leicester City Council’s Building Schools for the Future Programme, the Toolkit aims to increase the online safety knowledge of educators and empower them to support their learners to use the internet safely and positively. Will Gardner, CEO of Childnet, said: “The Childnet STAR toolkit is designed to give schools the building blocks they need to develop a tailored approach to online safety for their pupils with ASD. By working with Leicester City Council and three fantastic schools in Leicester we have been able to develop a practical online toolkit that addresses the online risks faced by young people living with autism spectrum disorder, such as cyberbullying, contact by strangers and exposure to inappropriate content. Importantly, this resource is available to all UK schools free online.” The impact of autism on online behaviours Technology and the internet offer fantastic opportunities for young people when learning, communicating and playing. However, there are also many risks that young people with an ASD may be more vulnerable to. Carrie Grant, celebrity vocal coach and TV presenter, is supporting Childnet’s project. She said: “As a parent of two children with autism spectrum conditions, I know the WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

huge potential that technology offers for communication and learning, but also the challenges that young people with ASD can face when trying to navigate the internet safely. My daughters love to use the internet, but I do sometimes worry that they could be too trusting with people online. With the launch of the Childnet STAR Toolkit comes the reassurance that educators now have a resource that will help young people to develop online safety strategies for school and for home, something which is essential in today’s digital world.” www.childnet.com/resources/star-toolkit

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BOOK REVIEWS

Book reviews by Mary Mountstephen

Sleep Well on the Autistic Spectrum Kenneth J. Aitken Jessica Kingsley Publishers £15.99 ISBN: 9781849053334

This book is timely, as sleep issues are increasingly concerning parents and teachers. Aitken is a clinical psychologist who has written several books about autism in which he has addressed dietary interventions, genetic factors and sleep difficulties. In this book, he describes both mainstream and complementary options for the treatment of, for example, night terrors, teeth grinding, bedwetting and sleepwalking. The book is divided into four parts and is a very comprehensive guide for the reader. Aitken writes in a clear, accessible style and clearly much research has gone into this publication. There are four main sections and a number of appendices, which provide further sources of information such as an overview of assessment tools and advice on how to prepare for medical procedures. A useful feature of this book is the author’s simple rating system to grade different approaches in terms of cost, difficulty of doing it, chances of it working and possible problems. This “In a Nutshell” summary guides the reader in evaluating what is worth pursuing in terms of dealing with sleep disorders and sleep “remedies”. The author covers a wide range of sleep problems and he is careful to stress that many of the approaches he has covered will help only for specific instances. He also highlights the importance of maintaining good records detailing what has been done and what the outcomes were. This is a very useful and informative book.

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Banish Your Self-Esteem Thief: A Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Workbook on Building Positive Self-Esteem for Young People Kate Collins-Donnelly Jessica Kingsley Publishers £14.99 ISBN: 97818149054621 The author of this lively book has worked for many years as a UK-based therapist and consultant. She has written a number of books for those working with young people, including her Starving the Gremlin series. This is essentially a workbook, which can be used by young people over the age of ten, either on their own or with a parent or practitioner. Many of the activities also lend themselves to group work, although the publisher does not permit photocopying. The workbook uses many self-evaluation tools and comments in cartoon presentation. It encourages the reader to work through the activities to develop knowledge about building positive self-esteem based on “real-life” contributions such as stories, drawings and poems which have been drawn from the author’s professional work. The age range for this book is suggested as ten to 18 and it is aimed at both boys and girls. It does, however, come with the warning that it is not a substitute for treatment by a mental health professional, if needed, although the workbook could be used as part of an intervention. This book is an excellent source of ideas and resources for those working in this field. It is, though, a shame that it cannot be used as a photocopiable resource to enable wider use and also to enable those using it to revisit activities periodically.

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BOOK REVIEWS

Teacher’s Guide to ADHD Robert Reid and Joseph Johnson Guilford Press £18.99 ISBN: 9781609189792

This book provides a practical overview of ADHD for teachers by covering the basics and then providing information on behaviour management, selfregulation strategies and social problems. The authors write from an American perspective in terms of legal frameworks, but much of the content is relevant to teachers here. The book opens with an exploration of some commonly held beliefs about ADHD and provides a useful summary of these before moving on to explain some of the characteristics of ADHD. There is a useful guide to theories and causes which leads into discussing assessment issues. School-based treatments for ADHD as well as holistic interventions are also covered. The authors include important information for and about parental perceptions of ADHD and are sensitive in their approach to involving parents in school. The book provides information about medication as an option and also considers behaviour management and classroom strategies. The school-based strategies are particularly helpful and they include peer tutoring, which is explained in detail. It includes a training schedule so that all staff know how to structure this approach, which is appropriate for the general school population. Social and organisational skills are also referred to, with explicit advice for teachers and sample planners. In an interesting “think aloud” section, the survival skills students with ADHD need to develop are looked at from the student’s perspective. I would recommend this book to teachers, students and those working with children with suspected or diagnosed ADHD.

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The Fall: A Father’s Memoir in 424 Steps Diogo Mainardi Harvill Secker (Random House) £14.99 ISBN : 9781846557804

This is an extraordinary book, which has been translated from the Portuguese by Margaret Jull Costa. It has been written by a Brazilian writer, journalist and TV commentator whose son, Tito, was born with cerebral palsy following a “disastrous” birth in Venice. The early part of the book details the many errors the hospital made which culminated in Tito being born 45 minutes after his heart rate had started to fall. Tito still can’t walk, pick things up or talk normally. The title refers to the greatest number of steps he has taken without falling down. The book is beautifully produced with many colour photographs of Tito and his family, as well as photographs of works of art, images and cartoons. The author has written 424 short, wide-ranging passages, one for each step that Tito has taken. These detail Tito’s early experiences and follow his father’s long legal battle for compensation against the hospital. They also describe the ways in which Mainardi comes to terms with the concept of cerebral palsy and his own difficulties with this, as well as his deeply held fears about Tito’s future. Mainardi writes with a raw passion and honesty as he describes his experiences through the lens of Western culture and civilization. He draws on references as disparate as Claude Monet, Neil Young and Rembrandt to explain his and his family’s journey and this makes for thought provoking reading.

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RECRUITMENT

Where many fear to tread The teacher’s role in SEN should extend well beyond the classroom, says Jonathan Newport

t is widely accepted that the education and development of children is the responsibility of both the teacher and family of a pupil. Yet these two crucial influences on a child are too often considered as separate entities when, in fact, they should be a unified force. In the SEN world, the collaboration between staff and parents is particularly important in providing the best support for the young person in question. So how can professionals make this leap and play a greater role in working with families? SEN teaching is full of amazing professionals who devote their time to helping children manage the often difficult progression into adulthood. Not only are they pivotal in the educational development of a pupil, but they also help build the vital life skills these young people need in the wider world. However, while they are heavily involved in the growth of a pupil, the education of families is perhaps just as important.

Some teachers are worried about damaging the parent/teacher relationship by becoming over-involved Parents often need guidance when teaching their children life skills, and SEN experts can have a big impact in helping families beyond the classroom. Channel 4’s recent TV series, Mr Drew, shows how effective teachers working closely with families can be. In this documentary, inspirational Headteacher Stephen Drew, from Educating Essex, worked with the families of 11 boys whose behaviour was causing challenges for their education and home life. By working with parents and providing education for the families as well, the parents and teachers demonstrated greater success than previously achieved.

Working together

Teachers can help families understand their child’s needs.

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Whatever your views on tackling this issue, there’s clearly an argument for a closer connection between teachers and families, so why is this not yet commonplace in the profession? The problem is that teachers are often reluctant to pass on the experience and knowledge they possess to parents due to a fear of over stepping the mark. Many question if this is in their remit and some are understandably worried about damaging the parent/teacher relationship by becoming over-involved. This is, perhaps, further exacerbated by the common perception that children with SEN are unable to achieve the same results as other pupils, when in fact many can.

While many schools use key workers to assist families and encourage better communication between parents and teachers, these individuals also need the confidence to give family members advice. At the moment, many professionals feel insecure about approaching parents with advice on how to improve the home environment because they are, by and large, doing it solo and not as part of a whole school approach. Schools have to recognise that a collective approach is needed to assist the education and development of children with SEN. Such a whole school buy-in would give SEN professionals the confidence to pass on their insights to parents. Schools must go on the journey with families, passing on valuable advice and guidance as they go. This could include initiatives such as workshops or events, where parents can learn how to manage specific behavioural challenges and support their child’s education. Such initiatives could provide teachers with an appropriate platform for greater engagement with families and empower professionals to extend their role beyond the classroom. Whatever the approach taken, it is clear that SEN teachers and staff need to work closely with parents to support them in the growth of their child. Only then can we truly give all our pupils the best start in life.

Further information

Jonathan Newport is Learning and Development Director at Capita Education Resourcing: www.capitaeducation.co.uk

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CPD, events and training Keep up to date with the latest developments in special educational needs, with SEN Magazine's essential guide to the best courses, workshops, conferences and exhibitions

We take every care when compiling the information on the following pages. However, details may change, and we recommend that you contact the event organisers before you make arrangements to attend. SENISSUE71

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CPD AND EVENTS

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CPD AND EVENTS Rebound Therapy Staff Training Courses

Sounds of Intent training days

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.

In-house training packages for schools

01342 870543 www.reboundtherapy.org

Speech and Language Sciences MSc University College London

A clinical training programme as well as a challenging academic degree, the core subject is speech and language pathology and therapy. Students consider approaches to the investigation and management of clients with communication and swallowing problems. www.ucl.ac.uk

Severe, Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties MEd/ Postgraduate Diploma/ Postgraduate Certificate University of Birmingham

This part-time, campus-based, blended learning programme has been developed for a range of professionals/ practitioners who work with children and adults with learning difficulties in educational settings across the severe and profound range (SLD/ PMLD) such as teachers and lecturers, nurses, therapists, psychologists and support staff. www.birmingham.ac.uk

Training days will allow schools to begin using the Sounds of Intent framework of musical development, which was designed particularly (though not exclusively) for children and young people with learning difficulties, including autism and sensory and motor impairments. The training package/day(s) can be tailored to suit the needs of individual schools, primarily to fit in with how music is delivered. www.soundabout.org.uk

Partners in Learning course for teachers and support staff Partners in Learning is a modular BTEC course developed between RNIB and the Open University, using a blended learning approach of face-to-face training with online study and discussion activities. The course is designed to increase your understanding of visual impairment and its impact on learning. It encourages you to identify key factors in effective inclusion and to reflect on how to promote these in the educational context in which you work. www.rnib.org.uk

Understanding visual impairment in children and young people

autism@abdn.ac.uk

This is an online course, designed to support the training needs of professionals and parents in order to improve the quality of learning opportunities available to children and young people with visual impairment. The course looks at how visual impairment affects children and young people, issues of growing up and learning with a visual impairment and what provision is available to support them. This course is available on a regular basis and leads to an RNIB certificate.

www.abdn.ac.uk

www.rnib.org.uk

Autism and Learning - PG Certificate/Diploma/MEd University of Aberdeen

The programme aims to give practitioners an in depth understanding of the condition and the working of the autistic mind. It will equip participants with a range of practical approaches and interventions that will enable children and young people on the spectrum to access learning, participate actively, experience success, gain independence, and fulfil their potential.

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RNIB Certificate in Contracted (grade 2) English Braille

Leadership for Teachers and Trainers

This is a distance learning course aimed at any sighted learner who supports individuals using Braille, such as parents, teachers, teaching assistants and support workers. It provides tuition in how to read and write contracted English Braille.

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.

Online

www.collegeofteachers.ac.uk

www.rnib.org.uk

MA in Education (Early Years) Centre for Research in Early Childhood

Accredited by Birmingham City University and recognised for their practice based approach, the modules are intended for practitioner researchers looking for a framework and academic recognition of their current research and work. Popular modules include: Learning Outdoors in Early Childhood, Early Years Music, Leadership and Management and others www.crec.co.uk

NAS Training and Consultancy The NAS can offer in-house and open access training to suit your timetable and learning outcomes. 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

Strategies for Successful Special Needs Support Online

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. dyslexiaaction.org.uk

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

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.

Free one hour webinars on education and autism

www.collegeofteachers.ac.uk

www.autism.org.uk/webinars

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.

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CPD AND EVENTS Henshaws College Professional Days Harrogate

Regular free professional development events at Henshaws College for professionals working with young people with disabilities. admissions@henshaws.ac.uk http://henshaws.org.uk/what-we-offer/ college

Henshaws College Family Open Days Harrogate

Henshaws College in Harrogate provides specialist further education for students aged 16 to 25 with a range of learning disabilities, physical and sensory impairments. Individual learning programmes enable every student to reach their maximum level of independence and support the transition into adult life. There are regular open days for students and families; booking is essential

Reviewing Your School: An Introduction to Inspection Skills Various venues or in your school/ local authority/cluster

This four-day training course programme explores school evaluation, enabling senior leaders in special and mainstream schools to fully understand the observation process and resulting judgements. Contact Tribal:

0117 3115484 learning@tribalgroup.com

Reviewing Provision for Pupils with Special Educational Needs Various venues or in your school/ local authority/cluster

Developing a Meaningful Education for Pupils with PMLD

Various Behaviour Management Courses

Various venues or in your school/ local authority/cluster This one-day course is aimed at special school teachers and senior leaders who wish to enhance their provision. This course is run by Dr Penny Lacey, a leading expert in PMLD. Contact Tribal:

local authority/cluster

0117 3115484

Contact Tribal:

learning@tribalgroup.com

0117 3115484

Various venues or in your school/

Tribal have collaborated with renowned behaviour expert Fintan Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Regan to create a suite of courses which focus on ADHD, dealing with challenging behaviour and social, mental and emotional health.

learning@tribalgroup.com

Various dates

Autism Spectrum, An Introduction, Level 2 Various venues

This one-day course is for mainstream schools and units, and is designed to analyse the new Code of Practice and support and improve SEN provision.

Accredited at level 2 by the

Contact Tribal:

Concept Training Ltd

01423 886451

0117 3115484

01524-832828

admissions@henshaws.ac.uk

learning@tribalgroup.com

www.concept-training.co.uk

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Open College Network. This course is for anyone working with or caring for either adults or children with Autism.

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CPD AND EVENTS Various dates

Understanding Behaviour As Communication And How To Respond Positively Various venues

Various dates (as required)

People First Education SEN INSET training Effective, personalised,

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.

in-house training delivered

01524-832828

01427 667556

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. Concept Training Ltd

01524-832828 www.concept-training.co.uk

Various dates

by experienced, qualified and approachable trainers. Contact for information and availability. Online booking available. www.peoplefirsteducation.co.uk

Various dates (as required)

People First Education SEN Consultations and Observations In-house observations of

and interventions.

£145 + VAT.

Contact for information and

01427 667556

availability. Online booking

www.peoplefirsteducation.co.uk

whole staff lunchtime/twilight feedback session and detailed, personalised written reports

Various venues

www.peoplefirsteducation.co.uk

01524-832828 www.concept-training.co.uk

Positive Ways of Changing Behaviour

3 and 4 July Various July - September

People First Education: Dyslexia Day 3 July: National College for School Leadership, Nottingham 8 July: Danum Hotel, Doncaster 9 September: Premier Inn, Carlisle Bradford Airport 25 September: Lansdowne Hotel Norwich

Various venues Don’t just manage challenging or difficult behaviour, use proactive 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

30 September: Premier Meetings

01524-832828

01427 667556

www.concept-training.co.uk

www.peoplefirsteducation.co.uk

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July 2014

01427 667556

17 September: Premier Inn Leeds/

Various dates

11 July: Premier Inn, Trafford Centre West, Manchester 4 July: Durham University Business School 9 July: Premier Inn, Central Park Rugby 11: September: Premier Inn Cardiff City Centre 16 September: Premier Inn, The Haymarket Bristol 18 September: Premier Inn Brighouse West Yorkshire 2 October: Premier Inn (Team Valley), Gateshead 7 October: London Docklands, ExCel London 8 October: Latton Bush Centre, Harlow, Essex

including recommendations

consultations followed by

Intensive Interaction – with Phoebe Caldwell

Concept Training Ltd

People First Education: Visual Interventions and Social Stories Day

Visual and auditory social and behavioural strategies for learners with ASDs, ADHD and related conditions. Contact for information and availability. Online booking available.

learners, supported by teacher

available.

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.

Various July - October

Port Solent, Portsmouth

Effective inclusion of learners with dyslexia: A day course to enhance the literacy skills of learners with dyslexia. Contact for information and availability. Online booking available. £145 + VAT.

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

5 July

Life Story Work with Troubled Children and Teenagers London

8 July

Secondary school accountability: Key Stage 4 performance tables, governance, and oversight Central London

With Michael Cladingbowl HMI, National Director, Schools, Ofsted; Annabel Burns, Deputy Director, Accountability and Flexible Resourcing Division, Department for Education and Professor Simon Burgess, Professor of Economics and Director, Centre for Market and Public Organisation, University of Bristol. Chaired by: Rt Hon David Blunkett MP, former Secretary of State for Education and Rt Hon the Baroness Shephard of Northwold, former Secretary of State for Education and Employment. www.westminsterforumprojects.co.uk

9 July

Introduction to ADHD with Amanda Kirby Hilton Hotel, London Euston

The opportunity for teachers and other professionals to increase their knowledge and develop a better understanding of the specific difficulties of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and its management. www.patoss-dyslexia.org

12 July

Free Dyslexia Event for Parents Malcolm Arnold Academy, Northampton

Dyslexia awareness workshops for parents consultation event. Talk to a team of dyslexia specialists and tell them what you need. Browse SEN resources suppliers. info@northantsdyslexia.co.uk www.northantsdyslexia.co.uk

Conference with leading Life Story Work expert Richard Rose. 10.00 - 4.30pm Cost: £174 The Centre for Child Mental Health

020 7354 2913 info@childmentalhealthcentre.org www.childmentalhealthcentre.org

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CPD AND EVENTS

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CPD AND EVENTS August 2014 6 August

Diagnostic Assessment: Renewing your Assessment Practising Certificate Palace Hotel, Manchester A good diagnostic assessment report is an immensely valuable document. At its heart it must support an individual to understand their strengths and weaknesses in order to go forward to achieve their goals. An assessment report might also have to be acceptable to a wide variety of other audiences and be rigorous enough to stand up to potential legal challenge. www.patoss-dyslexia.org

September 2014 10 September

Specialist Assessment: Access Arrangements Update JCQ Regulations 2014/2015 - Half Day Holiday Inn, Regents Park, London

An opportunity for assessors and teachers/ tutors working with SpLD learners to update their knowledge of the JCQ Access Arrangements for 2014/ 2015. www.patoss-dyslexia.org

11 September

Kidz Scotland 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. www.disabledliving.co.uk

13 September

I’m Deeply Unhappy…But Don’t Help Me! Reaching Out To Highly Defended Children (Age 5-18) London Conference 10.00 - 5.15pm Cost: £174 The Centre for Child Mental Health

020 7354 2913

info@childmentalhealthcentre.org www.childmentalhealthcentre.org

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17 September

Specialist Assessment: Access Arrangements Update JCQ Regulations 2014/2015 - Half Day Thistle Birmingham City

An opportunity for assessors and teachers/tutors working with SpLD learners to update their knowledge of the JCQ Access Arrangements for 2014/ 2015. www.patoss-dyslexia.org

24 September

People First Education: Promoting Positive Behaviour Day Best Western Oaklands Hall, Laceby, Grimsby

For learners with ADHD/ASD and related conditions Contact for information and availability. Online booking available. £175 + VAT.

01427 667556 www.peoplefirsteducation.co.uk

27 September

Diagnostic Assessment at Secondary Level: Testing & Reporting Hilton Hotel, London Euston

An opportunity for specialist teachers working in secondary education or further education to refresh and update their knowledge and practice of the more complex issues of diagnostic assessment at this level. www.patoss-dyslexia.org

October 2014 Various October

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)

Full details and booking available online: www.learning-works.org.uk/cpddiplomas

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

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. £1195 professionals/parents Prior’s Court Training and Development Centre, Newbury, Berkshire

01635 247202 training@priorscourt.org.uk www.priorscourt.org.uk

9 October

Parents in Partnership Stockport (PiPS) Annual Information Day

Stockport County Football Club

There will be seminars and workshops on current topics and issues for families, as well as a chance to meet professionals and service providers. Further information will be issued via the website. 9.30am to 4.30pm. www.pipstockport.org

10 and 11 October

TES Special Educational Needs Show

Business Design Centre, London

The UK’s largest special educational needs show is back this autumn with more advice, inspiration and information for school leaders, teachers, support staff, parents and carers. Register for free and get your early bird CPD seminar tickets before 31 July. www.tessenshow.co.uk

18 October

How Troubled Childhoods Affect Brains, Body, Health and the Next Generation: What we can do about it

London Conference 10.00 - 5.00pm Cost: £174 The Centre for Child Mental Health

020 7354 2913

info@childmentalhealthcentre.org www.childmentalhealthcentre.org

November 2014 1 November

A Day with Professor Leslie Greenberg Healing Through Attachment and Emotion Conference 10.00 - 5.00pm Cost: £174 The Centre for Child Mental Health

020 7354 2913 info@childmentalhealthcentre.org www.childmentalhealthcentre.org

8 November

Festival of Dyslexic Culture London Metropolitan University

This festival will include academics, actors, animators, architects, artists, comedians, chefs, dancers, dreamers, engineers, entrepreneurs, games designers, improvisers, information technology geeks, inventors, film makers, lateral thinkers, leaders, musicians, photographers, poets, politicians, problem solvers, song writers, athletes, story tellers, writers, visionaries and all other manner of creative hybrids and activities. Get in touch with the organisers if you would like to showcase your creativity! The Festival is also recruiting volunteers to support the event during the day. www.festival-of-dyslexic-culture.org.uk

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CPD AND EVENTS 15 November

From Loving in Pain to Loving in Peace. Interventions for Attachment Disorders Conference 10.00 - 5.00pm Cost: £174 The Centre for Child Mental Health

020 7354 2913 info@childmentalhealthcentre.org www.childmentalhealthcentre.org

18 November

2nd National Conference for Teachers of English Moor Hall, Cookham

For Teachers of English and literacy, literacy coordinators, heads of departments, SENCOs, learning support staff and literacy tutors. Full details and online booking coming soon: www.learning-works.org.uk

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.

January 2015 28 January 2015

4th National Conference for Able, Gifted and Talented Moor Hall, Cookham

For class and subject teachers, coordinators for able or gifted and talented pupils, learning support teachers, directors of studies and senior managers. Full details and online booking coming soon: www.learning-works.org.uk

February 2015 16 - 20 February 2015

October 2015 19 - 23 October 2015

April 2016 4 - 8 April 2016

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. Price of course to be confirmed

Prior’s Court Training & Development Centre, Newbury, Berkshire

01635 247202

www.priorscourt.org.uk

training@priorscourt.org.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-to-date information before you make arrangements to attend.

Prior’s Court Training and Development Centre, Newbury, Berkshire

01635 247202

training@priorscourt.org.uk www.priorscourt.org.uk

March 2015

www.disabledliving.co.uk

18 - 20 March 2015

December 2014 2 December

The 12th International London Eating Disorders Conference 2015 Institute of Education, London

With Dr John Dunford, National Pupil Premium Champion, Department for Education and Christopher Wood HMI, Review Lead and Author, Unseen Children: access and achievement - 20 years on, Ofsted.

The programme for the London Eating Disorders Conference is being compiled by Professor Bryan Lask and Dr Rachel Bryant-Waugh, both leading authorities in the field of eating disorders. The keynote speaker will be Professor Michael Strober from University of California, USA, who is internationally renowned for his work on the assessment and treatment of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

www.westminsterforumprojects.co.uk

www.mahealthcareevents.co.uk

Raising pupil attainment - optimising the Pupil Premium and further steps for policy and practice Central London

WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.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

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SEN RESOURCES DIRECTORY

General SEN

Home schooling The Home Education Network UK (THENUK) National organisation for home educators:

www.thenuk.com/

Hearing impairment

PMLD

SLCN The Communication Trust Raising awareness of SLCN:

www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk

Tourette’s syndrome Tourette's Action

Action on Hearing Loss

PMLD Network

Information and advice on Tourette’s:

Hearing impairment charity:

Information and support for PMLD:

www.tourettes-action.org.uk

www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk

Deafness Research UK Charity promoting medical research into hearing impairment:

www.deafnessresearch.org.uk

www.pmldnetwork.org

Rebound therapy The National Rebound Therapy Consultancy UK governing body for rebound therapy.

www.reboundtherapy.org

National Deaf Children’s Society Charity to help deaf children and young people:

www.ndcs.org.uk

Law

SEN law

Support and advice to those affected by visual impairment:

Shine Information and support relating to spina bifida and hydrocephalus:

www.shinecharity.org.uk

Awarding body for the LOtC quality

www.lotc.org.uk

Literacy

www.nbcs.org.uk

www.SpecialEducationalNeeds.co.uk

Spina bifida

badge:

carers of blind children:

Douglas Silas Solicitors

www.ipsea.org.uk

Council for Learning Outside the classroom (CLOtC)

National Blind Children’s Society Support and services for parents and

Specialising exclusively in SEN cases

Legal advice and support for parents:

Learning outside the classroom

Visual impairment

Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)

Independent Parental Special Education Advice

SLCN

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www.rnib.org.uk

For the latest news, articles, resources, cpd and events listings, visit: www.senmagazine.co.uk

ACE Centre Advice on communication aids:

www.ace-centre.org.uk

Afasic Help and advice on SLCN:

www.afasicengland.org.uk

National Literacy Trust (NLT)

Communication Matters

Literacy charity for adults and children:

Support for people with little or no clear speech:

www.literacytrust.org.uk

www.communicationmatters.org.uk

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eazine for special SthuebUK'sslecadrinib g mag

to (6 issues) educational needs ÂŁ48.50 a012ye00ar 409800) tions please call (UK only. For international subscrip

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