SEN Magazine - SEN73 - Nov/Dec 2014

November • December 2014 Issue 73

The SEN challenge Can schools meet the demands of the new SEN system?

Calming the storm How to help those affected by attachment issues

Autism: rhetoric and reality

What is the real picture of early diagnosis and support for autism?

SEN law • dyslexia and dyspraxia • alternative therapy • spina bifida • epilepsy safeguarding • PMLD • creative arts • professional support for teachers • CPD recruitment • SEN Code of Practice • sign language • SEN news and much more

This issue in full 06

SEN news

12

What's new?

20

Point of view

22

SEN legal Q&A

26

Professional support for teachers

30

Attachment disorder

Elsewhere, our legal Q&A tackles key questions about local offers (p.22), the comprehensive statements councils now have to publish of SEN provision in their area.

34

Safeguarding

38

Health and safety

41

Spina bifida

43

Sign language

With early diagnosis and support lying at the heart of the Government’s SEN programme, Alexandra Stanyer looks at the real-life experience of parents with young children who have autism (p.68).

47

PMLD

50

Creative arts

53

Epilepsy

58

Alternative therapy

60

Dyslexia/dyspraxia

Also in this issue, Laura Morrissey looks at attachment problems (p.30) – what they are, how we can identify them, and how we should support the families and professionals whose lives can be turned upside down by them.

64

SEN Code of Practice

68

Autism

81

About SEN Magazine

82

Book reviews

84

Kidz North preview

87

Recruitment

88

CPD, events and training

96

SEN resources directory

98

SEN Subscriptions

Nov • Dec 2014 • Issue 73

Welcome Regular readers of SEN Magazine will have seen our ongoing coverage of the Government’s important and controversial SEN reforms.

Last time out, we looked at parents’ rights under the new SEN system and we let the politicians have their say, with Children’s Minister Edward Timpson and his Labour Shadow Steve McCabe both writing exclusively for SEN Magazine.

In this issue, we continue our analysis of the changing face of SEN provision by examining how it is impacting on schools and teachers. SENCO and former special school headteacher Anne Raynor assesses the challenge facing schools (p.66); will they be able to cope with the demands of the new SEN framework? Alison Ryan of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers looks at the changing role of teachers in delivering SEN support (p.26), and nasen CEO Jane Friswell reveals how some schools are already setting the standard with an innovative partnership approach to learning (p.64).

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

WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

You will also find articles on safeguarding (p.34), health and safety (p.38), spina bifida (p.41), sign language (p.43), PMLD (p.47), creative arts (p.50), epilepsy (p.53) alternative therapy (p.58) dyslexia/dyspraxia (p.60), autism (p.68) and much more.

Peter Sutcliffe Editor editor@senmagazine.co.uk

SUBSCRIPTION ADMINISTRATOR Amanda Harrison office@senmagazine.co.uk 01200 409 801 DESIGN Rob Parry www.flunkyfly-design.com design@senmagazine.co.uk Next issue deadline: Advertising and news deadline: 3 December 2014 Disclaimer The opinions expressed in SEN Magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher cannot be held liable for incorrect information, omissions or the opinions of third parties.

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

CONTRIBUTORS Mic Carolan Rebecca Churchill Rachel Collinson Dai Durbridge Rosie Edmondson Jane Friswell Denise Inwood Bernadina Laverty Naomi Marston Laura Morrissey Mary Mountstephen Anne Raynor Catherine Reay Alison Ryan Douglas Silas Nicole Schnackenberg Alexandra Stanyer Emma Tingley Malcolm Wright Gill Yaz

SEN Magazine ISSN: 1755-4845 SENISSUE73

In this issue

Sen law

26

22

40

Spina bifida

All change for teachers

50

What do all the recent education and SEN reforms mean for teachers?

30

53

Calming the storm Playing it safe

58 60

Giving child protection some muscle

64

Accidents don’t discriminate The challenge of spina bifida

66

Seeing the positives

Cracking the Code

The SEN challenge Can schools cope with the demands of the new SEN system?

The story so far…

68

How signed storytelling is opening up learning for deaf children and their peers

47

Making a connection

Good practice in implementing the SEN Code of Practice

How to support pupils with spina bifida in the classroom

43

Seizing the initiative

Meeting the challenge of living with dyspraxia and dyslexia

Putting health and safety on the SEN agenda

40

Art for all

Using yoga to help children manage their autism

Whose responsibility is it to keep our children safe from harm?

38

Autism: rhetoric and reality What is the real picture of early diagnosis and support for autism?

Time to care

84

Parents discuss their struggle to get support for children with severe learning difficulties

Kidz North preview Looking forward to the North’s show dedicated to young people with disabilities and SEN

Regulars 6 12

SEN news

82

What's new?

87 Recruitment

The latest products and ideas from the world of SEN

20 22

88

Point of view Have your say!

SEN legal Q&A What are “local offers” and why are they important?

43

How can we prevent the underachievement of children with epilepsy?

The new safeguarding arrangements for schools explained

36

Sign language

Using multi-sensory art to engage students with PMLD

How to help those affected by attachment issues

34

Nov • Dec 2014 • Issue 73

Book reviews

CPD, training and events

Your essential guide to SEN courses, seminars and events

96

SEN resources directory

30 Attachment disorder 38 Health and safety

53 Epilepsy

66 SEN Code of Practice

In the next issue of SEN:

CReSTeD/dyslexia • autism • post-16 options • assistive technology outdoor activities • CPD • Down syndrome • hearing impairment • legal Q&A SEN overseas • free schools and much more...

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SEN NEWS

School makes behaviour problems worse Early years see growth in emotional problems for children with SEN School environments must not “disable children further” Much more could be done to help children with physical and learning disabilities cope with the challenges they face on entering school, new research suggests.

A study from the Institute of Education (IOE), University of London, has found that the behavioural problems of many disabled children worsen between the ages of three and seven.

They encounter increasing difficulties in terms of hyperactivity, emotional problems and getting on with other children.

However, disabled children might have fewer behavioural issues in their early years if more schools introduced stringent anti-bullying measures and other support strategies, the researchers conclude.

The authors of the study, which was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, also recommend that more support is provided for mothers and fathers of children with SEN.

The long-term benefits of such interventions could be very substantial, the researchers believe, as behavioural difficulties are likely to compound disabled children’s problems and reduce their chances of having a happy and successful adult life.

Patterns of behaviour The study’s authors – from the IOE, London School of Economics and Political Science, and the National Children’s Bureau – base their conclusions on an analysis involving 6,371 English children born in 2000 and 2001 who are being followed by the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS).

The researchers compared non-disabled children with children who had a range of conditions, including infants with a developmental delay at age nine months and those with SEN at seven years.

They were able to analyse assessments of MCS children’s behaviour at ages three, five and seven as parents had been asked about conduct problems, hyperactivity, emotional difficulties and whether their sons and daughters got on with children of the same age.

The study found that disabled children consistently presented more conduct problems than their non-disabled peers between the ages of three and seven, although the conduct of both groups of children followed the same development pattern, improving between three and five and then slightly worsening at about age six.

At age three, children with SEN were also more likely than nondisabled infants to exhibit the other three negative behaviours SENISSUE73

Children with SEN can struggle to engage with the social world.

that were assessed – difficulties with peers, emotional problems and hyperactivity. These particular behavioural difficulties became more pronounced among children with SEN between the ages of three and seven.

“Our findings suggest that some early school environments may exacerbate behavioural problems for disabled children in ways that cannot solely be solved by learning support – because the underlying issue is behavioural rather than cognitive,” the report says.

Growing pains The researchers also stress that many disabled children find it increasingly difficult to engage with the social world as they pass from being toddlers to the mid-primary school age. They also struggle with structured social contexts such as school. “We need to gain a better understanding of the effects that schools have if we are to develop environments that do not, in effect, disable children further”, the report says.

The relatively high level of emotional problems for disabled MCS children is a particular concern. Most children experience increased emotional problems as they get older, since as they become more advanced cognitively there is more room for negative thoughts to fester and grow. However, the marked increase in emotional problems for girls with SEN, in particular, in terms of future risks such as depression and self-harm, have serious implications for these children as they grow up.

“These research findings emphasise the urgency with which we need to act,” says Philippa Stobbs, Assistant Director of the Council for Disabled Children. “They make it imperative that we focus on improving the learning environment for our youngest and most vulnerable children.”

The study, Convergence or divergence? A longitudinal analysis of behaviour problems among disabled and non-disabled children aged 3 to 7 in England, can be found on the IOE’s website: www.ioe.ac.uk WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

SEN NEWS

NHS must reassess its support for young people with ADHD NHS trusts and clinical commissioning groups are being urged to review their spending on child and adolescent mental health in order to improve the lives of young people who have been newly diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Dr Tony Lloyd, CEO of the ADHD Foundation, wants the health service to reduce the risk and cost of these young people developing related mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, which can lead to self-harm and even suicide.

In 2013, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) reported that the number of prescriptions for drugs used to treat ADHD had doubled in England in the past six years. As a result, it warned medical professionals to monitor use of methylphenidate medication. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines state that treatment should be multi-modal and include psycho-social skills-based training and cognitive behavioural therapy as a first line of treatment before medication is considered.

Although NICE recommends that medication should only be prescribed for ADHD for those with the most severe form of the condition, The ADHD Foundation says that evidence acquired via freedom of information requests suggests that access to multi-modal support and training for those living with ADHD is very limited in many parts of the UK. The Foundation says that an escalation in the number of children with mental health problems and an increase in children being diagnosed with neurodisabilities such as ADHD is stretching NHS resources to the limit. A growing number of young people are having to wait for up to two years for an ADHD or autistic spectrum diagnosis and even when they have been diagnosed, they are struggling to access post-diagnostic support.

“This huge shortfall in support and training means that the outcomes for children with ADHD and ASD are extremely alarming, with almost half suffering from long-term mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression”, says Dr Lloyd.

Data published recently shows an increase of 41 per cent in the number of children presenting at accident and emergency departments after self harming. Other research suggests that as many as one in five of those with ADHD will attempt suicide at some point in their lives.

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Campaigners stress AAC users' right to speak A new campaign is aiming to help people understand the needs of individuals who may have difficulties as a result of impaired or no speech and who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).

Launched by NHS Education for Scotland (NES), the campaign – Now hear me: It’s my right to speak – is targeting professionals in areas such as health, social care, social work and education.

Organisers also hope to reach out to the wider community, including workers in shops, banks, public transport and leisure services.

It is estimated that there are around 26,500 people in Scotland who require AAC for a variety of reasons. Their communication may be impaired due to life-long conditions such as cerebral palsy or autism, or their difficulties may be the result of an acquired condition, such as motor neurone disease, head injury, stroke or dementia.

AAC methods range from the simple, such as picture communication books and gestures, to more sophisticated computer-based equipment running specialist software such as text-to-speech programmes.

Rachael Monk, a 31-year-old from Dumfries and Galloway, uses AAC because of her cerebral palsy. Rachel feels that her communication aid has made a huge difference to her quality of life. “It allows me to convey my thoughts, feelings and opinions”, she says. “I can voice concerns, make choices, tell jokes, and chat with friends, like anybody should be able to do.”

Gaining the support of the wider community is also important, according to Helen McFarlane, a Programme Director at the NES, who believes that while many AAC users can express themselves, they need people to be more patient. “Everyone communicates in different ways and it doesn’t matter if you don’t understand someone the first time – just let them know. Be confident enough to approach them and remember to address them directly, not just their carer”, she says.

To support the campaign, a new website has been created to provide information, advice and e-learning materials.

The campaign will also include online advertising and direct communication to a wide range of Scottish public services such as health boards and local authorities.

For more information, visit: www.nowhearme.co.uk SENISSUE73

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SEN NEWS

Ofsted to make “radical” changes to school inspections The system for inspecting education institutions is to get a major overhaul.

Failure of leadership costs pupils an hour of learning a day Low-level disruptive behaviour in classrooms is impeding children’s learning and damaging their life chances, according to Ofsted. A recent report by the education watchdog finds that pupils are potentially losing up to an hour of learning each day in English schools because of disruption in the classroom; this is the equivalent of 38 days of teaching lost per year.

The findings draw on evidence from nearly 3,000 inspections of maintained schools and academies conducted this year, together with findings from two specially commissioned YouGov surveys of parents and teachers and 28 unannounced inspections targeted at schools where there were concerns about poor behaviour.

Two-thirds of teachers questioned for the survey complained that school leaders are failing to assert their authority when dealing with poor discipline and pupils flouting the school rules.

Typical examples of the sort of behaviour identified in the survey of teachers include pupils making silly comments to get attention, swinging on chairs, passing notes around, quietly humming and using mobile phones.

Secondary school teachers identified a greater impact on learning from low-level disruption than those in primary schools.

Over two-thirds of those surveyed said that it was a major problem, having a medium or high impact on learning. Parents agreed, with over 20 per cent of those surveyed saying that their child’s learning was adversely affected by the behaviour of others.

The report also confirms that the inconsistent application of school behaviour policies in some schools is a source of annoyance to teachers, pupils and parents. Only a quarter of secondary teachers agreed that the behaviour policy in their school was applied consistently. Of parents who took part in the survey, just under two-thirds said that the headteacher should make sure all staff applied the behaviour policy as a way of improving the learning culture.

Ofsted has launched a consultation on the new inspection proposals, which its Chief Inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw says will “bring about a radically different inspection regime designed to maintain and accelerate improved educational standards in England.”

Praising the improvements made by schools in the past two years, Sir Michael said that teachers and school leaders have responded well to Ofsted’s more challenging inspection frameworks, in particular the introduction of the “Requires Improvement” judgement and Ofsted’s insistence that schools meet the minimum standard of a “Good” judgement.

Sir Michael believes that there is now a strong case for more proportionate inspections which focus on a professional dialogue between headteachers and inspectors, to ensure that schools maintain their standards. “The time has come”, he says, “to introduce frequent but shorter inspections for good schools and further education and skills providers.” These inspections will have a much clearer focus on ensuring that good standards have been maintained.

In particular, under the new proposals, providers rated as “Good” will not have to undergo full inspections as long as leadership teams can demonstrate that they have identified key areas of concern and have the capability to address them.

“These short inspections will encourage professional dialogue and the sharing of good practice from across the country”, according to Sir Michael. Ofsted also hopes that the new arrangements will enable them to identify any signs of a decline in standards early on, and take action to remedy it straight away.

Where inspectors have significant concerns, a full inspection will be carried out.

Ofsted will retain the power to undertake a full inspection at any time where there are significant concerns about standards.

The consultation runs until 5 December 2014, with the reforms taking effect from 1 September 2015. For more information, go to: www.ofsted.gov.uk

News deadline for next issue: 3/12/14 Email: editor@senmagazine.co.uk

The report, Below the radar: low-level disruption in the country’s classrooms, is available on the Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk SENISSUE73

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SEN NEWS

Paediatric continence services failing children

Young people with learning disabilities discuss politics in Westminster.

Learning disabled denied right to vote Many people with a learning disability are excluded from the democratic process, despite their desire to vote, says a new report by the charity Mencap. The survey claims that people with a learning disability’s passion for politics is thwarted by a system that excludes them, with one in five people with a learning disability being turned away at polling stations.

Around 70 per cent of people with a learning disability said that they want to vote in the future. This suggests a relatively high level of political engagement when compared with figures from the Office for National Statistics which show that 55 per cent of the general public are not very, or not at all, interested in politics.

The charity says those with a learning disability face many barriers when it comes to voting. In the recent local elections, 64 per cent of people with a learning disability surveyed did not vote. Roughly 17 per cent said they were turned away at the polling station because they had a learning disability, while 60 per cent said that registering to vote was too hard. In addition, 56 per cent of respondents said they didn’t want to vote for any of the political parties on offer.

Vijay, a 27-year-old living in Hendon, feels excluded from politics because of the complex language that politicians use: “I wasn't sure who to vote for as all of the parties are against each another and use big words with lots of jargon”, he says. Vijay suggests that political parties should ensure information and policies are available in easy-to-read formats so that everyone can understand what the politicians are talking about.

Mencap is currently running a campaign, Hear my voice, which aims to ensure the next Government addresses the discrimination faced by people with a learning disability and their families.

To read about the experiences of two parents of children with severe learning difficulties, and for additional information on the Hear my voice campaign, go to page 47 of this issue of SEN Magazine.

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Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are not driving significant improvements in paediatric continence care, according to a survey performed by the Paediatric Continence Forum (PCF).

A recent freedom of information (FoI) request revealed that CCGs in England are failing to provide proper integrated paediatric continence services for the one in 12 children and young people with continence problems. Only 32 per cent of responding CCGs commission all the four main continence services – covering bedwetting, daytime wetting, toilet training and constipation/ soiling – with just over 22 per cent commissioning services that are fully “joined-up”.

This picture shows only a modest improvement of roughly ten per cent since CCGs took over responsibility from primary care trusts (PCTs) in April 2013.

Just over a third of CCGs who responded to the 2014 FoI request said that they had plans to commission new paediatric continence services, or to review their existing provision. This suggests that a large number of CCGs are relying on services such as school nurses and health visitors to handle childhood continence problems, rather than ensuring that children have access to properly trained continence professionals.

PCF Chair Dr Penny Dobson, one of the report’s authors, is concerned that children are suffering at home and school, and experiencing bullying, because of continence difficulties.

“They are treatable conditions, which, if addressed early, save children from unnecessary emotional distress and save NHS resources by reducing expenditure on complications that may require expensive hospitalisation”, she says.

The PCF has published a Guide, called the Paediatric Continence Commissioning Guide, which provides advice to commissioners and healthcare professionals on how to commission integrated, community-based paediatric continence services. It has been accredited by NICE and has been endorsed by the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, and the Community Practitioners’ and Health Visitors’ Association. The Guide was launched alongside the NICE Nocturnal Enuresis Quality Standard, which highlights key quality improvement areas for the management of bedwetting in children.

The Paediatric Continence Commissioning Guide is available on the PCF website: www.paediatriccontinenceforum.org

For the latest news, articles, SEN resources, CPD and events listings, visit: www.senmagazine.co.uk SENISSUE73

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SEN NEWS

What next after phonics check?

Teachers need better training to support children’s progress with reading, claim education experts in response to the latest phonics results.

Despite a recent Government announcement stating that 100,000 more six-year-old children are “on track to becoming excellent readers” because of its phonics screening check, specialists believe more focus is needed on training and what happens next.

“Ideally, I would want to see evidence that children are also better able to read for meaning and that the gains made on the check translate into better long-term gains in literacy skills”, says Professor Maggie Snowling, who co-authored a recent article – Validity and sensitivity of the phonics screening check: implications for practice – published in the Journal of Reading.

Professor Snowling argues that although the check fulfils its aims, resources might be better focused on training teachers in their on-going monitoring of phonics. Her research investigates whether the phonics check is a valid measure of phonics skill and sensitive in identifying children at risk of reading difficulties, based on teacher assessments of phonics skills for 292 sixyear-old children.

The Oxford University academic concludes that a one-off check is only valuable if it is combined with greater understanding of the reading process amongst teachers, and with the employment of a range of strategies enabling them to teach with flexibility according to a child’s needs.

Dyslexia Action, which has been working with the Department for Education (DfE) on developing guidance for schools, “agrees wholeheartedly” with Professor Snowling that any assessment should lead to a course of action, with parental consultation.

In association with the British Dyslexia Association and Springboard for Children, the charity has devised a literacy intervention support programme, called the Sound Check Project, which brings together specialist skills and expertise to provide training to children, staff and parents to improve the literacy skills of those pupils who failed their school phonics test. Sound Check is a DfE funded initiative.

More information about the Project can be found on the charity’s website: www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk SENISSUE73

Reading crisis threatens Britain’s pupils By 2025, one and a half million children will reach the age of 11 unable to read well, unless urgent action is taken to tackle the reading crisis facing Britain’s pupils, according to new research.

To combat this, leading charities, teachers, parents and businesses have come together to form a coalition called “Read On. Get On”. A report by the coalition shows that England is one of the most unequal countries when it comes to children’s reading levels, second only to Romania in the EU. The gap between the strongest and weakest readers is equivalent to seven years of schooling. The report calls for a concerted effort from all corners of society.

The most comprehensive study of pre-school and primary school-aged children in a generation found disadvantaged children are the worst affected, with four in ten not reading well by the age of 11 – almost double the rate of their better off peers. The report, which uses current data and that from the past decade, also found they are not reading enough outside school, or with their fathers.

Research commissioned for the report also suggests that GDP in 2025 could be £32 billion higher if action had been taken to ensure all children were reading well by the age of 11. It also found a wide “book gap” in the UK, with almost a quarter of 11-year-olds in the poorest families having fewer than ten books in their home. While books remain popular, the most commonly read material by children is now text messages, with websites and e-books also growing in popularity.

“It is tragic and unfair that children from the poorest families and the most deprived communities are least likely to read well at the age of 11 in the UK – one of the wealthiest countries in the world”, says Dame Julia Cleverdon, Chair of the Read On. Get On coalition.

For more information on the report and campaign, visit: www.readongeton.org.uk

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SEN NEWS

Films document life with spina bifida

Deaf awareness the canine way

The reality of living with spina bifida and hydrocephalus is being highlighted in a new online campaign by the charity Shine.

National charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is offering free educational fundraising packs to schools and groups across the UK, to educate children about deafness and encourage schools to raise funds for the Charity.

The initiative, #shinereflections, includes three short films, distributed via social media. The films demonstrate that spina bifida and hydrocephalus, which together affect one in a thousand pregnancies a year in the UK, challenge people throughout their whole lives. “People living with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus across the UK face constant barriers because the complex disabilities are misunderstood”, says Shine CEO Jackie Bland.

The films also seek to illustrate the capacity of those living with the conditions to overcome adversity.

People affected by spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus are also invited to make their own short films, of around two minutes duration, which can then be shared via social media.

The campaign has been put together with funding from Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity.

Each free school pack contains fun, interactive and educational activities. These include teaching children to spell their name in British Sign Language, deaf awareness tips, lip-reading games, and instructions on how to sign a whole song.

The pack also includes recipes to bake pup-cakes, a competition to design a hearing dog coat and puppy stickers for young children. There are fundraising ideas for sponsored silent activities to encourage groups to get involved and raise money to train more hearing dog puppies.

For more information, visit: www.hearingdogs.org.uk/letshearit

ICT use divides schools Some schools are improving learning by embracing the use of ICT in education, while others are falling behind in the their use of technology, according to Naace, the professional association for education technology in schools.

Chatterbox Challenge 2015 Children’s communication charity I CAN has launched its annual early years sing-a-long event, the Chatterbox Challenge. Now in its fourteenth year, the fundraiser in nurseries and early years setting across the UK for children under five is open for registrations.

Chatterbox Challenge 2015: Garden Adventures with Ben and Holly, supported by Entertainment One’s children’s TV show Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom, aims to help children develop communication skills by learning songs based on their surroundings both inside and outside and completing activities to help strengthen their development. Children perform the themed songs at a sponsored performance in front of parents and carers. All fundraising goes towards the charity’s work with children in the UK who struggle to communicate.

Chatterbox Challenge week is 9 to 15 February 2015, but groups can take part at any time of the year. For more information and a free fundraising pack, visit: www.chatterboxchallenge.org.uk WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

The association looked at evidence gathered through submissions by schools to the 3rd Millennium Learning Award, and reports

by Naace members who are supporting schools in their use of technology. Its findings, echoed by the latest research on ICT in schools from the British Educational Suppliers Association, suggests that in those schools where the school leaders fully appreciate the possibilities of ICT and the internet, pupils are significantly more engaged with their learning. These schools develop a whole-school culture that ignites pupils' desire for learning. Pupils take increasing responsibility for their learning, helping each other learn and to stay safe, when using the Internet and their own mobile phones and tablets for learning.

At the other end of the spectrum, Naace says there are schools where the technology infrastructure is so poor that the teachers avoid using it as they cannot trust it to be reliable.

"The difference in educational offering between schools due to whether they do or do not use all the opportunities available to them from technology is very socially divisive”, says Naace Chief Executive Mark Chambers. “We fear that many pupils are not getting the education they need to prepare them for life.”

Mr Chambers is calling for a much stronger national debate on how to move education to the next level.

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SEN CODE OF PRACTICE

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ACCESSIBLE VEHICLES

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SEN RESOURCES

SEN LAW

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WHAT’S NEW?

What’s new?

The Gemini bath from Abacus

Adopters sought for Birmingham

Part of specialist manufacturer Abacus Healthcare’s popular Platform Series range, the Gemini bath is specifically designed to meet the challenges of assisted bathing in specialist schools.

Birmingham urgently needs more adopters. Some of the children in care have disabilities or health problems but like all children, they need nurturing “forever” homes to ensure the very best for their futures.

It provides an integrated variable height bathing, drying and changing platform, which enhances the experience for bathers and reduces the risks of injury or back strain for carers. The Gemini has a 150kg SWL and is compatible with a wide range of hoists and postural support accessories.

Birmingham is looking for people like you, with specialist knowledge and skills, who might be considering adopting a child or children.

The Council provides all necessary support and is keen to hear from you if you think you could give one or more children the stability, love and care which they deserve.

Call: 0121 303 7575 or visit: www.adoptbirmingham.co.uk

See the Gemini on Abacus’s stand (C19) at Kidz Up North (20 November, EventCity, Manchester).

Tel: 0800 542 5819 Email: sales@abacushealthcare.co.uk www.abacushealthcare.co.uk

Online accessible toilets map

Free daily BSL sign language signs

Clos-o-Mat, the toileting solutions provider, has added a fully searchable map on its website covering all the 500+ Changing Places accessible toilets (hygiene rooms open to the public) across the UK.

You can now learn a British Sign Language sign for free each day with daily signs from: www.british-sign.co.uk

More spacious than typical accessible toilets, Changing Places include a height adjustable adult-sized changing bench and a hoist.

They are a great resource to use individually, or as a class, and can be printed out for use in your classroom.

The map is fully searchable by town or postcode and type of venue. It also includes useful details such as how the room is accessed, opening hours and where in the venue the Changing Places facility is located.

More details are available at: www.british-sign.co.uk

The signs are posted online to Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

www.clos-o-mat.com/changingplaces

Provision Tracker The statutory framework for inclusion places clear responsibilities on schools and local authorities to monitor, evaluate and plan the development of educational provision for pupils with diverse needs, increase access for disadvantaged groups, secure the entitlement of all pupils and raise achievement and standards.

Provision Tracker is a simple provision mapping management tool that speeds up this process. It is designed from the ground up to enable schools to focus on ensuring that resources and support are allocated effectively and efficiently to groups and individuals, as well as accurately tracking impact. Provision Tracker has been designed by teachers.

Call: 0844 245 11 89 or visit: www.provisiontracker.com

Innovative Ford WAV from Brotherwood Brotherwood have announced a new wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV), based on the Ford Tourneo Connect, which brings unique features to the WAV sector.

Offering refinement within a compact package – with up to 59 inches of internal headroom, a low, level floor and wide entry point – the Brotherwood Carete rides smoothly over the roughest roads providing excellent ride quality for up to five people.

This will be the first WAV to offer Brotherwood’s patented STORQ (Self Tensioning Operational Restraint Quattro) wheelchair restraint system. The Carete is available in both manual and automatic versions.

To book a free home demonstration, call: 01935 872603 or visit: brotherwood.com

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WHAT’S NEW?

New epileptic seizure alarm Medpage, who have manufactured sensors to detect epileptic seizures since 1995, have announced the introduction of the Medpage ULTRA alarm. The ULTRA can detect complex seizures, including cluster and tremor types.

Complex software algorithms analyse sleeping movements detected from a patented sensor positioned on the person’s mattress. Normal sleeping movements are identified and ignored. Cessation of movement, unusual movement and regular convulsive movements result in the generation of an alarm condition. Alarms are notified to carers via radio pagers or nurse call trigger.

What you need to know about the SEN Code of Practice Following the successful September release of his eBook, A Guide To The SEN Code of Practice (What You Need To Know), specialist SEN solicitor Douglas Silas is now providing comprehensive training on the subject.

Aimed at parents and professionals, Turning Theory Into Practice also reveals how to avoid or resolve disputes.

The ULTRA is suitable for all age groups including babies.

Douglas says: “The new SEN framework is complex and we all need to properly understand it and work with it. But it is not sufficient to just know theory; you need to know how to turn it into practice.”

For more information, visit: www.medpage-ltd.com

www.SpecialEducationalNeeds.co.uk

New epilepsy training resources for schools

OT and sensory provision

Epilepsy Action has developed new online resources on how to support pupils with epilepsy at school.

The resources include interactive modules and short films for all school staff, and a more detailed course for teachers and SENCOs. Topics cover epilepsy awareness, best practice for managing seizures, and learning and behaviour. All resources were developed with education and healthcare professionals, and are informed by the new DfE Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions guidance.

This is the only free, up-to-date course designed to help you understand epilepsy and its impact on children and young people.

Rachel O’Sullivan joined the Hesley Group earlier this year as Lead Occupational Therapist with an initial remit to include a review of occupational therapy within the Group.

Rachel and colleagues have identified opportunities to further develop practice and ensure that children and young people in Hesley schools and colleges continue to receive the best possible services including, specifically, provision which identifies and addresses their unique sensory needs.

From subtle “tweaking”, to greater levels of change, altering people’s environments to best match their unique sensory profile can make significant, positive differences to their quality of life. www.hesleygroup.co.uk

epilepsy.org.uk/schools

Autism provision at Henshaws College Henshaws College in Harrogate provides specialist further education for students with College a diverse range of needs.

Henshaws is building on its existing services for students with autism by opening new residential and teaching facilities on campus in September 2015.

One in three students at Henshaws College has a diagnosis of autism. The College’s highly trained education, care and therapy teams are experienced in supporting young people to develop their independence, employability and communication skills. These new facilities will allow Henshaws to develop further its excellence in this area of provision by creating a safe, specialist environment for learners with autism. www.henshaws.ac.uk WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Wear it for Autism Wear it for Autism 2014 took place on 6 October, with more than 200 people selling-out the venue at the Millennium Hotel Knightsbridge.

Founded by Anna Kennedy OBE, of autism charity Anna Kennedy Online, Wear it for Autism saw people with autism and there families take to the catwalk in outfits and dresses donated by leading clothing brands, including Damsel in a Dress, and jewellery by Miglio. They were also pampered by professional make-up artists and styled by celebrity stylist Lewis-Duncan Weedon.

For further details, winners and photographs of Wear it for Autism, visit: www.annakennedyonline.com SENISSUE73

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WHAT’S NEW?

Integrex the interactive specialists

Safeguarding children with autism

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.

A free book and conference from The National Autistic Society (NAS), this guide highlights the duty professionals have to understand and respond to the safeguarding needs of children with autism. Written for professionals with limited experience of either child protection or working with children with autism, it identifies the key principles of safeguarding and clearly outlines the steps that need to be taken when there are concerns.

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

Kidz Up North Kidz Up North will take place on Thursday 20 November (9.30am to 4.30pm) at EventCity, Urmston (next to the Trafford Centre) M17 8AS. It’s a free exhibition for children and young adults with disabilities and special needs, their parents, carers and the professionals who support them.

This book is free to order for a limited time.

The NAS also organise a free conference on safeguarding children with autism on 15 January in London. www.autism.org.uk/safeguarding www.autism.org.uk/conferences/safeguarding2015

Autism training for sport and physical activity professionals From January 2015, The National Autistic Society will be delivering training for sport and physical activity coaches, in order to improve their confidence and skills when delivering to people with autism.

There will be over 135 exhibitors, plus advice on funding, seating, beds, mobility, accessible vehicles, bathing, transition, education, communication, legal matters, sensory issues, sports, leisure and more.

The training also aims to increase levels of participation of people with autism in sport and boost their self-esteem and wellbeing through their participation in sport and physical activity.

The show is fully accessible and there is free parking. For visitors free entry tickets, contact Disabled Living - Tel: 0161 607 8200, email: info@disabledliving.co.uk or visit: www.kidzexhibitions.co.uk

Training will be available online as well as through face to face delivery. To make an early booking, to find out more or to register your interest, visit: www.autism.org.uk/active or email: active@nas.org.uk

Headteachers of tomorrow need support today

Enabling learning for children with autism

New research by school leaders’ union NAHT shows that two-thirds of teachers who aspire to be heads would welcome a range of focused support to help them achieve school headship.

NAHT Edge, a new service from NAHT, aims to help today’s assistant heads, heads of year, SENCOs and others make the leap from the classroom to school leadership.

Helping Young Children with Autism to Learn, by Liz Hannah, is an updated practical guide for teachers and school staff in mainstream nurseries and schools.

Providing practical strategies and approaches to developing literacy and reading skills, teaching an understanding of numbers and supporting behaviour and social interaction, this publication is a comprehensive resource for education professionals working with children with autism.

“Our members are the next generation of school leaders”, says Louis Coiffait, CEO of NAHT Edge. “We’ll provide them with tailored information to allow them to develop and flourish on top of the security of full trade union protection”.

“I supported a child in primary school and this book became my bible. It is very informative and I used lots of ideas to support an autistic child of four years old”, says one teaching staff member.

nahtedge.org.uk

www.autism.org.uk/shop

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WHAT’S NEW?

Easy to handle cutlery for kids

Sensor FloorTM special offer price

NRS Healthcare's Kura Care Cutlery is made especially for children.

It’s small and easy to grip, with contoured handles in bright primary colours. The handles have indents on which to place fingers, to give more control.

Sensor FloorTM is an interactive projection floor system that has been designed and manufactured in-house

by Sensory Technology.

With just the smallest of movements, a user can produce an action that is revealed on the projected flooring.

Their soft grip plates and bowls are also perfectly designed for children. These melamine dishes have soft-to-the-touch bumpers on either side, making them easy to grip. A fun cartoon at the bottom in either a fairytale or adventure design helps encourage children to finish their meal to reveal the picture.

0845 606 0911 www.nrs-uk.co.uk

LVS Oxford opens its doors LVS Oxford, the new school for children aged 11 to 19 years with autism and Asperger’s, based in Begbroke, Oxfordshire, opened in September and already learners are settled in nicely.

Some of these young people have been out of school for over two years and staff at LVS Oxford are reporting that, after only three weeks of transition time, all of them are in class and engaging in their lessons.

For more information and to register your interest in LVS Oxford, call: 01865 595170 or visit the Facebook page: “LVS Oxford”.

Double "Outstanding" award for RNIB Sunshine House RNIB Sunshine House School and Residence in Northwood, Middlesex has achieved a double “Outstanding” grading following recent Ofsted inspections of its education and care.

Ofsted commented that “teaching is outstanding” and praised their short breaks saying, “This is an empowering and enabling service. It has a tremendously positive impact on the lives of children and their families.”

RNIB Sunshine House offers specialist education and care for blind and partially sighted children with significant learning difficulties and disabilities, aged two to 14 years. It also offers support and services for families.

For more information, visit: rnib.org.uk/sunshinehouse WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

On orders received by 31 December 2014, Sensory Technology are offering the system inclusive of computer, software, projector, flooring, 180+ games and installation anywhere in the UK at a special offer price of £5495 + VAT. For more information, to place an order or to book a free demo, visit: www.sensorfloor.co.uk or tel: 01157 270 777.

2015 calendar with Makaton signs and symbols from Shabang!

“What a Wonderful World”, a full colour calendar with beautiful photographic images of children and young people with additional needs, is available now.

Each page depicts a fun and lively scene against the background of a geographical feature, including a mountain, lake, volcano and cavern, plus corresponding Makaton signs and symbols. So it is ideal for learning new vocabulary.

The profits from the celendar will be donated to two Yorkshire based children’s hospices. At only £9.99 plus P&P, this product promotes inclusion and should enhance any classroom wall. www.shabang.org.uk

New flashcard resource A fresh set of bright, current and relevant photographic flashcards at affordable prices is now available for parents, therapists and schools, and they are ideal for ABA, VB and speech and language programmes.

Special Resources’ Card Box series kicks off with the Picture Card Box of 300 assorted images – from animals and food, to toys and transport – in a sturdy index style box. There are also three individual boxes – Animals, Food and Home and Garden – with 120 cards in each.

All cards are 8.5 cm by 12.5 cm and laminated on both sides. info@specialresources.co.uk www.specialresources.co.uk SENISSUE73

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WHAT’S NEW?

Adopters wanted in Stockport area Stockport Council’s outstanding-rated adoption service is looking for adopters within a 30 mile radius of Stockport (and sometimes beyond). Permanent new families are sought for older children (particularly boys), groups of two, three and four siblings with a variety of age ranges (with an increasing number of young infants aged over two), children with a range of learning and physical disabilities and/or development needs, and dual heritage and minority ethnic children.

The Council holds monthly information events where you can find out more about the adoption process.

Tel: 0161 947 4646, email: familyplacement@stockport. gov.uk or visit: www.stockport.gov.uk/adoption

Children/young adult handling and risk assessment – key trainer’s certificate Delegates on this invaluable four-day “Train the Trainer” course will gain the skills to train others in safer children/young adult handling and be able to conduct risk assessments for your organisation.

Upon successful completion, delegates will receive a CPD accredited certificate, valid for two years from EDGE Services.

This course, endorsed by The College of Occupational Therapists, is available on an in-house basis across the UK; alternatively, EDGE is running a public training course in Birmingham from 27 to 30 January 2015 on which you can purchase individual places.

For more information, visit: www.edgeservices.co.uk or call: 01904 677853.

Anniversary celebrations for Prior’s Court Prior’s Court School, an independent special school for young people with autism, celebrated its fifteenth anniversary with a Friends and Families day recently.

Since it opened, the school has worked with over 160 young people from more than 60 local authorities across the UK and created a reputation for the progress achieved by the young people who are severely affected by their autism.

Guests, including Founding Patron Dame Stephanie Shirley and past and present parents, students and staff, joined together to celebrate the achievements of the young people and share memories of the past fifteen years. www.priorscourt.org.uk

Association of Deaf Education Professionals launched The Association of Deaf Education Professionals and Trainees (adept) is a brand new organisation, working to improve the services in educational settings for deaf people of all ages.

It has been formed by a merger of the National Association for Tertiary Education for Deaf People and the Association of Communication Support Workers, organisations that have worked closely together in recent years.

adept aims to enable deaf learners access to quality support provision in their chosen courses and in their preferred communication mode, with appropriately qualified staff and fair assessment procedures.

Membership costs £25 per year. www.adeptuk.co.uk

Newspaper for people with learning disabilities out now

The Autism Show launches in Birmingham

National disability charity, United Response, has produced the eleventh edition of its awarding winning Easy News – the first newspaper designed specifically for people with learning disabilities.

From 2015, The Autism Show will also take place in Birmingham, to complement the Show’s London and Manchester events.

Featuring simple language and visual cues, this edition gives readers a news round-up featuring the bedroom tax, child abuse in Rotherham, Tian Tian the giant panda, a tribute to Robin Williams and much more.

To download a copy and sign up for future editions, visit: www.unitedresponse.org.uk/press/campaigns/easy-news SENISSUE73

Organisers hope that the autism community across the Midlands, who have previously been unable to travel north or south, will now be able to visit the dedicated autism event.

The Autism Show Birmingham will take place on 19 and 20 June 2015 at the NEC. For more information about The Autism Show or to book a stand, contact the organisers on: 020 8882 0629 or visit: www.autismshow.co.uk WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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POINT OF VIEW

Point of view: SEN supplier

Do MPs take SEN seriously?

Recent reforms mask an apparent apathy towards SEN in Parliament, writes Rachel Collinson When Parliament passed the new SEN and disability reforms as part of the Children and Families Act early this year, they were hailed as “the most fundamental reform to the system for SEN and disability for 30 years” and a “landmark moment” by Children’s Minister Edward Timpson.

And yet since then, there has been very little help, support or explanation on the new changes from the Government.

Coupled with the attendance figures at recent Parliamentary debates on the new SEN reforms, this paints a different picture about MPs concerns of special needs education in this country.

In a debate on the new policy on the 16 July, there was minimal turnout from both sides of the House, with footage showing those few who were in attendance looking entirely disinterested, texting on their phones, and some even appearing to be asleep.

The following day, a discussion on educational provisions for autism saw just 11 MPs in the chamber.

When MPs are absent from the chambers, or look so disinterested and apathetic, it’s hard not to question whether they care about the plight of up to 20 per cent of our children who need extra help in schools. If this is such a fundamental reform, why aren’t more MPs showing they care and taking it seriously?

We all understand that MPs have very busy schedules and lots of important priorities, but this doesn’t give a very good impression to the millions of parents who have children with some SENISSUE73

form of SEN, or to the teachers who help guide these children through school.

Despite taking over four years to shepherd the final SEN legislation through, it now feels that parents and teachers have been somewhat abandoned by MPs, as the last minute rush to push legislation through has dispersed into relative silence on what the new policies mean in reality.

From all the anecdotal evidence I’ve heard, there have been countless

A discussion on educational provisions for autism saw just 11 MPs in the chamber complaints by teaching unions, educational practitioners, local authorities and parents over a lack of information on the reforms and the mad dash to ensure requirements were in place by the start of the school year.

The final approved reforms weren’t published until the week after schools broke up for the summer holidays, so many parents had no idea about what the new changes would be until they returned in September, by which time, everything should have already been in place.

Teachers have been left scrambling to find out as much information as they can, amid reports that there simply

aren’t enough qualified professionals to the meet the needs of the new reforms.

Not only are there not enough trained educational psychologists, for example, but there’s also confusion over which institution should be responsible for delivering the new provisions. And while MPs remain disinterested in the subject, it’s the children with SEN who will suffer.

Every child should have the right to a quality education, and whilst these new reforms may prove to be of huge benefit to them in the future, right now they are proving controversial and causing problems in their adoption.

It appears that MPs rushed through this legislation at the end of July so they could wash their hands of it over the summer. This has meant there has not really been a grace period for the new reforms, and no gradual introduction of the changes, which has undoubtedly caused teething problems, at the very least.

Parents are questioning the new status and provisions for their children, and teachers are still waiting for new guides to be written and published which will help explain all the changes and new procedures.

Meanwhile, it seems that MPs have returned to business as usual.

Further information

Rachel Collinson is Marketing Manager at LDA, which supplies SEN resources for schools and homes: www.ldalearning.com

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POINT OF VIEW

Point of view: adult with dyspraxia

What use diagnosis?

A little knowledge goes a long way towards helping those with SEN as they progress through life, says “Abdul” I am a 36-year-old from a middleeastern Muslim background. I was never diagnosed with anything useful as a child, even though I now know I have dyspraxia. Conditions such as mine were hardly talked about in my community when I was a boy.

Aged nine, I was told I was a clumsy boy, but nothing happened. I had problems with coordination. I attended a private school where, even though I am from an educated middle-class family, there were not many people from the same background as me. I did not have the chance to interact with people, making me socially naive.

During secondary school, I experienced bullying; during my A Levels, I struggled socially and I felt out of place.

At university, I was not ready socially, emotionally or practically. I experienced difficulties memorising large amounts of information and I had problems due to my learning style. When I studied at postgraduate level, I also experienced problems. I tried to see an educational psychologist but my GP told me that I did not need one, probably because of my high IQ. At the age of 23, I attended speech therapy and was told that I had dyspraxia. Some people thought I may have Asperger's syndrome and, in the search for a diagnosis, I had what turned out to be a ten-minute chat with a coldhearted psychologist. He said I had “Aspergers traits” and that they “were not a problem”. The diagnosis was not clear and I had no post-diagnostic support. I now know that “Asperger’s traits” means that I have a borderline case of Asperger's syndrome.

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I thought my diagnoses would help me in my search to obtain a well-paid graduate job but there are barriers; I am not allowed to get support unless the diagnosis is substantial. My diagnosis was not neat and simple. My mother has said that I have never had problems with social reciprocity, but I have had problems as a result of my clumsiness. I learnt about adult dyspraxia in 2008 and I realised my problems were dyspraxic because of my slow reading and problems with short-term memory, multitasking, working memory, organisation and perceptual organisations. However, my numeracy skills are fantastic and I have high verbal IQ.

A lot of people do not know that they have a condition Seeking understanding I had to obtain the diagnosis privately, not knowing what to expect and how it would benefit me. My diagnosis at the age of 33 explained my difficulties to an extent and there were some intervention techniques suggested, but I did not feel I was treated like an individual. I have been told that my diagnosis of Asperger’s traits might not be diagnosed as anything by some psychologists. Indeed, the psychologist who diagnosed me with dyspraxia said it was “not massively severe” but that it is problematic.

A lot of people do not know that they have a condition; information is primarily targeted at children and symptoms can be explained away by a related condition. How does a person obtain a diagnosis, especially as an adult, and what is the purpose of a diagnosis?

People need to be treated like individuals. They need maximum support to achieve their potential but they also need information. I have suffered lowself esteem, anxiety and depression because of my undiagnosed dyspraxia.

I have a degree and postgraduate and professional qualifications, but I have only had temporary and casual jobs. What might I have achieved if more information on my condition had been available to me? Neuro-diverse conditions affect people of all ages and from all cultures, classes, races, ethnicities and religions.

There needs to be more research regarding dyspraxia and more about it in the media. It is said that a dyspraxic undiagnosed before the age of fifteen is five times more likely to experience mental health problems than the diagnosed dyspraxic. Surely, through better understanding and better information, we could alleviate or avoid much of this pain and suffering.

What's your point of view?

Email: editor@senmagazine.co.uk

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SEN LAW

The local offer Continuing his series for SEN Magazine, specialist SEN solicitor Douglas Silas answers questions about the “local offer” What is the local offer?

The new SEN Code of Practice, in operation from 1 September this year, states that the “local offer” is the term used to describe the way that a local authority (LA) must set out information about provision that it expects to be available regarding education, health and social care for children/young people in its area who have SEN or a disability. It must also include provision outside the LA’s area that it expects is likely to be used by children and young people with SEN for whom it is responsible. This includes those without statements or the new education, health and care (EHC) plans.

Why is this important?

For a long time, parents and carers of those with SEN found it very difficult to get information about what provision and services were available in their vicinity. The local offer is important because it is the first time that there has been a legal requirement on LAs to provide a comprehensive resource of provision about SEN in one place to address this.

What does it include?

There are regulations which specify the requirements that all LAs must meet in developing, publishing and reviewing a local offer, including: • the information to be included • how a local offer is published • who is to be consulted about it • how children, young people and their parents are involved in its preparation and review.

There is also a requirement on LAs to publish views about it, together with its response about any action that it intends to take in relation to those views.

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Local offers should make it easier for families to find out about SEN provision in their area.

Young people with SEN and their parents must now be involved in planning the content of the local offer Will families be listened to?

Young people with SEN and their parents must now be involved in planning the content of the local offer.

This includes things like deciding how to publish and review it. For example, LAs can engage young people and parents by setting up a range of forums to get their views directly, and cooperate with partner bodies and agencies (such as schools and health services) so that they can get views indirectly as well.

LAs must publish a summary of comments received at least annually.

This includes comments about the quality of existing provision and any gaps in provision, the accessibility of

information and how the local offer has been developed or reviewed. The LA must also publish their responses to these comments and include details of the action that they intend to take. The LA must keep their educational, training and social care provision under review.

This includes the “sufficiency” of that provision with a view to improving it. For example, if considering any reorganisation of SEN provision, the LA (or other relevant decision makers) must make it clear why the proposed alternative arrangements are likely to lead to improvements in the standard, quality and range of provision.

What does a local offer look like?

There are five principles to how a local offer should look; it must be: 1. collaborative (LAs must involve children, young people and their parents in developing and reviewing it and they must cooperate with those providing services) WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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2. accessible (it should be easy to understand, jargon free and structured and the information must be well signposted and publicised) 3. comprehensive (it must include eligibility criteria for services and be clear about where people need to go for information, advice and support) 4. up to date 5. transparent (it should clearly say how decisions are made and who is accountable).

It should also detail how people can make complaints about provision and appeal decisions.

What support is included in the local offer?

Although there is more detail in regulations, the SEN Code of Practice states that a local offer must include information about: • special educational, health and social care provision for children and young people with SEN and disabilities (including online and blended learning) • arrangements for identifying and assessing children with SEN • how parents and young people can request an assessment for an EHC plan • other educational provision (such as post-16 education, training, apprenticeships, traineeships or supported internships) • helping young people prepare for adulthood • travel arrangements for early years providers, schools and post-16 institutions • support for those moving between phases of education • sources of advice, information and support • childcare • leisure activities • support available to young people in higher education • arrangements for resolving disagreements, mediation, complaining and appealing WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

• the LA’s accessibility strategy • any “approved” independent educational institutions.

What does this all mean in practice?

The local offer is supposed to be comprehensive and cover everything from early years right through to post16 provision. It also covers educational provision that can be provided in non-maintained special schools, independent schools and specialist colleges mainly catering for children with SEN, which can be named in a statement or EHC plan. As well as education, though, it should also cover health and social care, and include information about things such as short breaks and respite care. The aim overall is to provide support to children and young people into adulthood. Ideally, the local offer will become a one-stopshop for those who need it to get access to the information they require.

At the moment, the quality of a number of authorities’ local offers leaves a lot to be desired enabling those without access to the internet to get that information. LAs must additionally have arrangements for making any information and advice accessible for different groups and people with different types of SEN. If it does not provide the information itself, the local offer must detail how to get information and advice. Both LAs and clinical commissioning groups must publicise the availability of information, advice and opportunities for people to participate in strategic decision-making.

Will local offers make a difference?

While the idea of a local offer is a positive step, at the moment the quality of a number of LAs’ local offers leaves a lot to be desired. For example, I have found LAs without proper information available yet and websites with broken hyperlinks and a lack of comprehensive information. Of course, something as big as this always has teething problems at the start. So, parents and young people may still have to research information for themselves.

Unfortunately, the provision identified in the local offer itself is not actually legally enforceable on an individual basis. Like before, it is still going to be important to try to sometimes get special educational provision identified in a statement or EHC plan.

How do I find my LAs local offer?

The SEN Code of Practice states that LAs must make their local offer accessible on a website but must also publish their arrangements for

Further information Douglas runs the website:

www.SpecialEducationalNeeds.co.uk

and is also the author of A Guide To The SEN Code of Practice (What You Need To Know), which is available for all eBook readers: www.AGuideToTheSEN CodeOfPractice.co.uk The advice provided here is of a general nature and Douglas Silas Solicitors cannot be held responsible for any loss caused by reliance placed upon it.

Unfortunately, Douglas cannot respond to questions sent to him directly but if you have a question you would like answered in a future issue of SEN Magazine, please email: editor@senmagazine.co.uk

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PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT FOR TEACHERS

All change for teachers School staff are going to need a lot of support to meet the challenge of SEN and other education reforms, writes Alison Ryan

A

utumn is a time of new beginnings, with the start of the school or college year. This year, those new beginnings included the launch of significant reforms in SEN - reforms which encompass high hopes and expectations. Teachers, support staff and leaders share these high hopes but, tasked with implementing the reforms, they are also facing huge challenges.

The principles within the reforms are the culmination of concerns raised by pupils, their families and education professionals for a long time. These are concerns around the usefulness of statements, the lack of pupil and family voice within the process, the inequities

What is considered SEN has become increasingly narrow and medicalised

in responsibility between education, health and social care sectors, and the cliff edge for young people with SEN at 18 years in terms of available support. These reforms, if implemented as hoped, will answer many of these concerns and better meet the needs of children and young people with SEN. However, as always, context is all and it is vital that existing and future

challenges are recognised; to do otherwise is, ostrich-like, to stick one’s head in the sand.

Narrowing SEN and funding cuts What is considered SEN has become increasingly narrow and medicalised, a direction of travel set from the inception of these reforms and aided by a highly political review by Ofsted of SEN in 2010. Ofsted’s broad statements of SEN over-identification created a fertile climate for the cutting of resources going into SEN. The Department for Education’s (DfE’s) reliance on this assertion surfaced again recently in its publication of falling SEN figures, with

Budget cuts and widespread system change make this a testing time for teachers.

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PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT FOR TEACHERS

little reference to important factors such as reduced services and the impact of SEN funding changes.

The last few years have seen massive cuts to services at local authority level, both in terms of staff and available services. The second Pathfinders report, published in mid-August, reflected families reporting a decrease in existing services, and their increasing anxiety regarding the uncertain future of the services they use and need. These families also reported less access to clubs and activities, undercutting the inclusive drive of the reforms.

External services such as child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and educational psychologists are amongst those who have fallen victim to the cuts and are struggling to meet the needs of children and young people, particularly within short timescales. These services are crucial to the support of the wellbeing and education of children and young people.

Cuts have not just affected the support services that schools need access to, but also schools themselves.

Over the past year, there have been a large number of redundancies in SEN teaching and support staff roles. These are casualties, somewhat, of the new place plus funding system. This system, which requires schools to find funds from their additional support funding (ASF) of up to ÂŁ6,000 per annum per pupil identified with SEN, has led to a reduction in services and in SEN posts.

This doesn’t bode well for the ability of these schools and colleges to meet the spirit and letter of the SEN reforms.

Challenges ahead While schools are losing SEN expertise, and facing reduced access to external support, school-based initial teacher education is increasing. The School Direct training route already faces the risk of reducing the level of professional education that students will receive around the theoretical underpinnings of teaching, including deep understanding of child development and of SEN. Within a context where SEN expertise WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

The pressures on schools to implement such a wide range of changes are substantial within schools has been cut and/ or will be substantially occupied with implementing the SEN reform changes, this will limit the level of SEN preparedness of some of the students who take this route. Yet these students will be a key part of the profession who need to take these SEN reforms forward.

Teacher expertise around pedagogy, child development and SEN has been undervalued and undermined by government policy which emphasises subject expertise over knowledge about teaching and learning. Removing the requirement for teachers in many state-funded schools to have qualified teacher status further weakens the capacity of the workforce to identify SEN and to plan suitable provision for pupils with those needs.

Education staff are also now facing a new National Curriculum. Further on the horizon are changes to the assessment and qualifications systems, including use of the Progress 8 measure in a couple of years. The curriculum and the qualifications system are putting evermore hurdles in the way of staff adapting their teaching and support to the diverse needs of their pupils and students. There is some wonderful practice, led by strong and confident leaders who have vision untainted by the fear of Ofsted, around curriculum and assessment for learning which focuses on the needs of pupils.

However, the pressures on schools to implement such a wide range of changes are substantial.

A key principle of these reforms is the support for transition to adulthood for young people with SEN. Schools will need to support transition planning for students with SEN from Year 9 at the latest, ensuring the availability

of sufficient information for them to make informed choices, including guidance on the full range of 16 to 18 education or training options, and further education and apprenticeships.

Yet, the current state of career guidance is not a happy one.

Since September 2012, schools have not had access to a publicly funded careers guidance service and have had no dedicated government funding to commission the independent and impartial careers guidance for which they have a statutory duty. In a recent ATL survey (summer 2014), 40 per cent of respondents said pupils were not currently served well by the amount of careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) they receive. Amongst the aspects of CEIAG identified in the survey as particularly weak were its suitability and effectiveness for a diverse range of people. If improved transition to adulthood for students with SEN is to be achieved, then this weakness in the careers guidance that schools and colleges offer will need to be addressed.

What schools and colleges will have to do Schools and colleges will need to embark on their key role of educating children and young people within this changed policy context. It is vital that staff and governors are prepared, that they are familiar with the new SEN Code of Practice and that they are aware of their respective responsibilities. This is especially important for classroom teachers as they bear increased responsibility, particularly around the processes relating to the new category of SEN Support, with support from the SENCO and others. The DfE has provided guidance documentation, although there was little available before the summer holidays.

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Plus (SA+) and these will need to be put on SEN support, a graduated approach built around steps of assessment, planning, implementation and review.

Schools will need to record their pupils who are on SEN support, converting existing SA and SA+ pupils to SEN support by the spring 2015 census.

Schools will need to build on their current practice to ensure that pupils with SEN and their parents or carers are engaged as fully as possible.

Many schools, particularly those with vulnerable pupils and families, already prioritise this through roles such as the parent support worker and through regular communications with parents.

The new SEN Code requires schools to collaborate and communicate with pupils and parents when drawing up policies and procedures, to report to parents on school SEN policy and implementation and to notify them of any decisions being made. This support may include working with parents around the use of their personal budget, should that be an option that parents have taken.

Sharing of information to inform decision-making is at the heart of the reforms. Schools will need to provide annual progress reports to parents and provide information to feed into the local offer being co-ordinated by the local authority. They’ll also need to publish an SEN information report, on their approaches to identifying and supporting pupils with SEN, on the school website to be updated at least annually.

Staff in education will need a huge amount of support in terms of time, information and CPD Schools will need to review their support for transition to adulthood for pupils with SEN and disabilities, including the provision of transition planning from Year 9. This will include their careers guidance offer and ensuring that pupils have access to the right education, information and guidance, whether internally or externally.

Schools also need to review their arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions, following new statutory guidance.

Going forward The level of work and change that schools face to achieve the principles on which these reforms are built is substantial. This will be exacerbated by any failure to acknowledge the extent of the challenge and the need for approaches that go far beyond any one setting. Staff in schools and colleges will continue to work hard to ensure that every pupil has access to a first-rate education that meets their needs, and they need to be heard when they raise their concerns and share their experiences of the difficulties experienced. We need a political context that doesn’t see a conflict

between celebrating successes and highlighting problems and concerns.

Staff in education, and indeed in the health and social care sectors, will need a huge amount of support in terms of time, information and CPD to ensure that they have the appropriate levels of expertise and resources to meet the demands being made of them. And there are no cheap options. To fail to invest more fully now will be costly in terms of the pupils with unmet needs which prove a barrier to their and others’ progress with implications for the rest of their lives, of the parents who struggle to get the support their children need, of professionals who suffer issues of frustrated professionalism, stress and challenging behaviour, and of a profession whose expertise is undermined and which loses members through burnout.

The education unions continue to play a key part in providing support through professional development, publications and guidance. Also, vitally, unions provide a voice for members’ concerns, questioning government policy on their behalf and on behalf of the pupils they serve, using member and research evidence to highlight problems and to propose solutions.

The SEN reforms promise much and we all hope that these aspirations will be realised. However, we must start with realistic expectations which recognise the full context from which we are setting forth, and which provide some idea of the strategies needed to improve the chances of real and positive change towards inclusion and the meeting of SEN needs.

Further information Alison Ryan is Senior Policy Adviser at the union the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL): www.atl.org.uk Classroom teachers now have a greater responsibility for SEN support.

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ASSISTIVE BATHING

PROVISION TRACKER

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ATTACHMENT DISORDER

Calming the storm Laura Morrissey looks at what attachment issues are, how to spot them and how to help those caught up in their fall out

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lthough the term “attachment issues” is undoubtedly becoming more widely used these days, many people still do not really understand it. For me, experiencing attachment is like living in the eye of the storm. The individual affected and the parents/carers all exist in the maelstrom. It is chaotic, angry and it seems to suck the oxygen out of your lungs. People become drawn into the chaos and are buffeted around by what can really feel like a force of nature. The outside world diminishes.

This article will discuss what attachment means, how attachment problems present and what to look out for. It will look at the obstacles that attachment issues can create to learning and the impact they can have on peers, teachers and parents. It will SENISSUE73

also provide useful strategies and tips for coping with attachment issues.

What is attachment disorder?

Attachment is, in essence, one of the most basic parts of human development; it is naturally provided on tap by parents, except when it isn’t.

Attachment is formed when a baby cries and is comforted, or when hungry and is fed. It means that they feel safe, secure and loved. It provides a robust blueprint for a lifetime of relationships with others. With this in their life, they thrive. Bowlby (Attachment, 1969) describes attachment as being a "lasting psychological connectedness between human beings.” The lack of a secure attachment figure threatens the child's existence; it induces fear and anxiety that permeates its being.

These children seek control but desperately need boundaries Nothing is more important because its very existence is being threatened.

The theory of attachment dates back to the work of Bowlby (1969) and Ainsworth et al. (Patterns of Attachment: A Psychological Study of the Strange Situation, 1979). The main types of attachment were identified as being: secure, ambivalent-secure and avoidant/insecure. Main and Solomon added a further category of disorganised-insecure attachment (in Brazelton and Yogman, Affective Development in Infancy, 1986).

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Attachment issues can occur for many reasons, such as parents having attachment disorders themselves, mental health issues, alcohol or drug dependency, or illness leading to separation of parent and child. In the decades since these pieces of research, society has changed a great deal. Many families, for example, now have two working parents, meaning that children are in some form of day care from a young age. At school, clubs before and after the school day have become common. Many children also have divorced parents and “blended families” are common. These factors will be impacting on the secure attachment of some children brought up in this environment.

Insecure attachment can lead to truancy, always getting into trouble, problems with learning, increased aggression, depression, lack of friendships and the inability to form relationships. It can result in exclusion from school and the breakdown of the family unit. If left unchecked, it could even result in individuals failing to be part of society as a whole.

What to look out for A young person with attachment issues is often wrongly diagnosed as having SEN, particularly autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

SEN may well be a factor, but not always. Attachment issues present as the children being hyper-vigilant, being quick to anger and confrontational, hating change and fearing loss.

These children seek control but desperately need boundaries. They can be overly clingy or overly aloof. They can be extremely hard to calm down or reason with. They display elements of many SEN conditions but may not fit any one diagnosis completely.

A child’s perspective “Change makes me feel angry, I like to stick to the original plan, it makes me feel safe. I feel like mum is going to leave me when I am naughty, so she might as well go now. I am testing her to WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

see if she will send me away. I will say or do anything when I am angry, I feel like the Hulk is pounding on my head.”

A parent’s perspective “I adopted to love a child. I love my child but no matter what I say or do, he cannot believe me. Intrinsically, he feels unloveable at his core. The caregiver will always leave; he is vulnerable and scared. This fear is all consuming.

The rampant fear and rage become a maelstrom of destructiveness. He hates me, loves me, wants to hurt me physically – wound me bodily. The anxiety he feels lands on my chest like a tiger and inhibits my thinking.

The oxygen gets sucked out of the room, I walk on eggshells, constantly negotiating, preventing him going off the deep end. He is never still, never relaxed and never tires. Ten years of adoption on, and the damage of early poor attachment lives in our home.”

“Our child so desperately wants friends, but he reads the signals all wrong. He bowls in to a group, tries to seize control, upsets everyone to the point that he is left standing on the field on his own. My heart breaks for him.”

“She doesn’t fit in anywhere. She does not get invited to parties, to sleepovers. School is a nightmare for her. She is bullied by peers and picked on by the teachers, who do not understand that all she wants is to be liked. I am ignored by other parents, summoned into school to be dressed down about my child’s misdemeanours; it is very shaming, humiliating.”

Barriers to learning Attachment issues are a massive barrier to learning. The behaviours around attachment can be so severe that they lead to the children being unable to be calm or focused and unable to learn.

They are so consumed by emotion that they cannot physically concentrate on school work. The more angry they become, the more behind they fall. The more they struggle academically and

The more they feel like outsiders, the angrier and more volatile they become socially, the more their self-esteem is damaged and the worse become the acting out behaviours.

Attachment and SEN are intertwined.

Parents of a child with additional needs may struggle to attach, especially if that child is behaviourally challenging.

It is difficult to cope with anger and aggression from your offspring. A child may be labelled as having SEN but if their needs were met in terms of attachment, they could well exhibit above average learning ability.

Attachment problems do not always lead to SEN but if improperly dealt with, the associated behaviours will often lead down this road.

Impact on education Children with attachment problems do not cope well in mainstream education, where they are often seen as being challenging, needy and too time consuming. These children tend to get separated out into behavioural units, excluded or expelled. They are labelled as being “naughty” and, sometimes, threatening to the other students. Attachment problems can mean that the young person is crying out for security and for attention from teachers. Mainstream schools, though, are rarely equipped to help these young people; they are too large to provide a secure base for these struggling youths.

These children end up being classified as having SEN due to their confrontational, aggressive behaviour.

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that child. An education can all too easily be lost.

Impact on peers Peers quickly identify a weak link in the attachment-damaged child. The child is easy to “wind up” and makes a ready victim for taunting, never learning to walk away. These children are too eager to make friends and to take control to make themselves feel safe, but these actions grate on their peers, leading to their isolation. The more they feel like outsiders, the angrier and more volatile they become and the more they get it wrong.

Impact on parents and carers Parents, and particularly the primary care giver, tend to bear the brunt of the child’s anger. They are the most important people for the insecurely attached young person, but they are also the ones who create the anxiety and fear. It is a push-me/pull-you relationship. Hate and love are both aimed at the carer. The behaviours can be verbally aggressive, violent and punishing. Each day involves treading on egg shells, trying to avoid conflict.

The issues created at school follow the child home. Problems with teachers and peers translate into anger with “mum”. The explanation is not freely given up, though, as shame often stops the child sharing the day's traumas with their carers.

Problems with teachers and peers translate into anger with “mum” Parents are also constantly called into school about their charge, and never for good comments. They are told tales of behaviour that is unacceptable, but which the carer cannot actually influence. They are, essentially, responsible yet powerless. Friends or fellow parents approach them with serious faces, making statements such as, “ I just thought you should know…” or “I say this as a friend but… ” They dump the information, the shame and run.

The result is that everyone is in a cycle of anxiety. Continued trauma is exhausting and has a physical affect on the care givers and the teachers in the eye of the storm.

How to cope?

There are no easy answers. Dealing with attachment issues can be very complicated but it is important to provide a secure base. Resilience and love are essential, and keeping your sense of humour is so important. A practical and positive approach can also make a big difference, for example: • seize the good and hang on to it • educate yourself about attachment and complex SEN

•

pick the brains of anyone who works well with the individual and never be too proud to ask • use respite and support in any way that it manifests itself • ask the young person what they need • learn from your mistakes and move forward, as everybody gets it wrong sometimes • see the trauma not the behaviour.

If you suspect that your child has attachment issues, seek support. If the child is experiencing problems educationally, then push for the input of an educational psychologist, if possible. Review the situation at school. The school must be able to support the child’s emotional as well as their educational issues, probably in smaller class sizes. Teachers may also need specific training in attachment issues. Families who are struggling should seek counselling. Parenting programmes can also be very useful.

Calming the storm When I was first told about attachment, a community psychiatric nurse handed me a report that condemned most affected children to a life that lead to reform school. I did then and still do reject this. There is hope, although the road is long and arduous. When you first see an attachment affected young person form and maintain friendships, look forward to going to school, say “I love my mum” or become able to calm down instead of being angry, then all the trauma (for that is what it is) feels worthwhile.

Further information

Laura Morrissey is a qualified counsellor specialising in attachment, adoption and fostering issues. She is currently writing a book about attachment issues: lauramorrisseycounselling.co.uk Providing a secure base is vital for children with attachment issues.

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SAFEGUARDING

Playing it safe Following recent changes to Government guidance, Dai Durbridge steers us through the new safeguarding landscape for schools

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afeguarding in schools is critically important. Ofsted continues to focus upon it and the consequences of failing to appropriately safeguard your pupils can be very serious for the schools and individuals involved.

Keeping Children Safe in Education was released by the Department for Education (DfE) on 3 April 2014 and replaces Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education, which was in force from 2007. The changes are significant. In line with the Government’s drive to reduce education guidance generally and shorten guidance documents, Keeping Children Safe comes in at less than half the size of its predecessor. This is good in some respects but, for the sake of brevity, the new document does cut out a little too much useful guidance. The gaps left have to be filled by safeguarding leads within schools.

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The gaps left in the new guidance have to be filled by safeguarding leads within schools families and female genital mutilation, but the areas that will impact most upon those working in special schools and with pupils with SEN are the checks required for volunteers and agency staff, the new focus on child sexual exploitation risks and an important change to how you must manage allegations made against staff.

Checks on volunteers The safeguarding checks you carry out on your volunteers now depend on whether that particular volunteer is classed as supervised or unsupervised. This is because the Government drew something of an illogical distinction between the two: unsupervised volunteers are deemed

to be undertaking regulated activity, whereas supervised volunteers are not. The difference is important, as the checks you are required to carry out differ. This is the position for each type of volunteer: New supervised volunteers You should obtain an enhanced DBS check (previously known as CRB checks) but cannot obtain a barred list check.

Existing supervised volunteers There is no requirement to request an enhanced DBS check but you can request one as you think necessary in the circumstances. You cannot obtain a barred list check.

New unsupervised volunteer You must obtain an enhanced DBS with barred list check.

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the volunteer should have already been checked) unless you have cause for concern.

In practical terms, this can create problems in managing your volunteers to ensure they are supervised as required by the guidance and the law.

Such problems are exacerbated by the guidance set out in Annex D of Keeping Children Safe offering little by way of clear direction.

Different schools use volunteers in different ways and special schools are no different. Understanding the rules on volunteers is important for ensuring your pupils are protected and your school cannot be criticised.

Some schools are making this easier by implementing a policy that all volunteers will, at some point, be in an unsupervised role. This means all volunteers require a DBS with barred list check, allowing schools to obtain all relevant vetting information and making the management of volunteers more straightforward.

Working with agency staff At one point or another, all schools will work with agency staff or specialist staff from third party organisations. The new guidance puts the responsibility on your school to ensure that those individuals are suitable. The guidance tells you to do two simple things: obtain written notification from the agency (or other third-party organisation) that the organisation has carried out the necessary checks on the individual and then check that the person who shows up at your school is the person against whom the checks have been made.

As a headline statement, this one paragraph of guidance serves the purposes, but schools might want to go a little deeper. The relationship between your school and the agency/ third party organisation is one of client and service provider. As the client, you are able to negotiate the terms of the agreement to ensure you are satisfied that the right checks are made and only appropriate people are offered to your WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

school. You can do this by agreeing two simple steps. Firstly, agree that, upon request, the agency or organisation will provide you with evidence that the checks have been carried out. This goes one step further than asking for written confirmation by allowing you to see the checks themselves. This could be used as a sensor check once a year or so and would not need to become the standard every time.

Secondly, agree with the agency or organisation that where convictions or soft information exists on a DBS certificate, you have the right to see that information and make your own decision about whether that individual is suitable for your school.

These two simple steps put you in control of which people work at your school.

Child sexual exploitation and SEN Child sexual exploitation generally refers to situations where children are exploited sexually in return for gifts, drugs, alcohol or even basics such as food and accommodation. Guidance from the DfE was issued in 2012 regarding child sexual exploitation.

Some situations are clearly exploitative, whereas others have the appearance of consensual relationships. Such is the concern around this particular form of abuse that a few paragraphs of Keeping Children Safe (see page 10) are devoted to it.

Given the nature of this abuse, vulnerable children are more at risk, including children with SEN and pupils at special schools. Given its increasing prominence and the significant damage that can result to victims, it is important for schools to train staff on spotting the signs of child sexual exploitation and update their policies as necessary.

Managing allegations There is a small but important change to be aware of here. In previous guidance, schools have been directed to reach one of five possible outcomes when reaching conclusions of investigations

These two simple steps put you in control of which people work at your school into allegations of abuse. The “unfounded” option has now been removed, leaving four outcomes: substantiated, malicious, false and unsubstantiated.

Safeguarding practices and the guidance that underpin them are likely to continue to evolve at the pace we have seen over the last few years. For now, it is important that the new guidance is implemented at your school.

Managing the school’s position with volunteers is a key area. Do you want to continue to use supervised and unsupervised volunteers or will you follow the lead of other schools and class all your volunteers as unsupervised? If you take the latter approach, your policy must reflect it.

Apart from that, keeping all staff up to date on safeguarding requirements remains of paramount importance; policies are worth little if staff do not know about them. Remember that Keeping Children Safe puts the onus on you to keep yourself up to date, so make the most of information from your local safeguarding children board, specialist conferences, seminars and publications to keep your knowledge and practical experience at the level they need to be.

Further information Dai Durbridge is a safeguarding expert and Partner at education law firm Browne Jacobson:

http://www.education-advisors.com/

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SAFEGUARDING

Giving child protection some muscle Protecting our children is everyone’s responsibility and we shouldn’t shirk it, writes Mic Carolan

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our floors up in a Liverpool tenement, the mother we had come to see collected glasses and a bottle of Scotch and left us, greeting her customer at the door in a peach diaphanous negligee which left little to the imagination. We continued the conversation with her sister regarding our concerns for her frequently absent from school nephew.

I was relieved that I had requested the company of a woman teacher on that visit.

Child protection needs to be aggressive and sometimes “in your face”. Frequently, I’m sad to say, it also needs to be cynically suspicious.

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High heels and low words I once caused chaos in a case review in Toxteth by using a choice sexual expletive to tell a social worker, who happened to be black, exactly what I thought of him. Later, his boss told me she had wanted to tell him that for months but was nervous of the subsequent fallout. I have also worked with some exceptional social workers but I have never assumed it was entirely their job to protect the young people with whom I engaged daily as a headteacher.

As a very young and inexperienced second year teacher, I once discovered that one of our pupils was sleeping

My actions were probably illegal and almost certainly could have ended my career rough – a recent arrival from the West Indies (put on a plane alone by his father). His mother’s discipline included beatings with strips of wire. Finding that there were no emergency beds available, I took him home. My actions were probably illegal and almost certainly could have ended my career.

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Many years later, I was his best man at a Kirby wedding to a pregnant white Irish Catholic girl. The priest pointed out to me that insanity was grounds for an annulment. I was not sure whether he meant me or the groom.

One of the most insightful pieces of child protection work I have ever witnessed was conducted by a nursery nurse who had noticed that one of her group was sticking Elastoplasts on the bottom of one of the dolls. The decision to initiate, listen and report led to swift action to protect a child who had been sexually assaulted within the family.

Probably one of the most effective investigators I have seen at work was a petite woman with a tough childhood background. She was highly intelligent and a trained counsellor and teacher, who frequently placed her tall stilettos in doors where others feared to tread. Her relationship with the local police Child Protection Squad was outstanding, vigorous, long running and based upon mutual respect.

Seeing it like it is The sooner we highlight the responsibility of everyone to protect our children, and hold up good examples of practice alongside all the tick boxes from Ofsted, the better. It can be challenging, sometimes risky and one often feels threatened. But how can schools not be curious when children steal food, when they wear several pairs of knickers, when they seem to fall all too often, or when they discuss yet another uncle/lodger/adult friend?

It can be very embarrassing to tell a mother that her pre adolescent child has viewed her porn videos and told everyone in his class, or has simulated sex based on what he has witnessed. I have listened to youngsters complain that their brother’s sex life on the lower bunk is keeping them awake at night. I remember a father whom I had reported making a loud fuss at a sports day that I had been responsible for his being locked up. I suggested very quietly in his ear, with some expletives, that if he did not leave I would, loudly, inform WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

the other parents of the causes of his incarceration.

The communication process with young people with learning, language or social interactional difficulties is in itself a barrier to effective child protection and there is a whole area of expertise to be explored therein. It is, in my view, one of the reasons why the vulnerable, the intellectually challenged, those with social, emotional or behavioural disorders and the very poorest and most in need of cherishing in our society are disproportionally targeted as victims.

Time to get real Society might have to take some very dramatic decisions. For example, some social workers might need to be paired with experienced and trained ex-forces officers when making their visits. Some teachers might need to be disciplined over ignoring strong indicators that some of their pupils are experiencing abuse – mental or physical.

There is still a lingering view that the social context is not a matter for the classroom. In our school we stored clothes, shoes, bedding, furniture, and ran a free breakfast kitchen over 30 years ago. One of my biggest frustrations at case conferences was the artificial division of financial pots. If you know that inadequate housing is an issue, move the family. But if they have rent arrears, it can’t be done. If there are no beds, supply them, and discuss the financial issues afterwards. It is to be hoped that the positive process of joint education, health and care plans, introduced in the Government’s recent SEN reforms, leads to a new form of analysis and synthesised approach.

We should be rewarding effective teachers, social workers, police officers and charity representatives and asking them to contribute to training in all schools. Why is there not an element within the Ofsted report which indicates effective parent partnerships, sound liaison with social workers, effective counselling services and community respect? We spend an eternity on

There is still a lingering view that the social context is not a matter for the classroom

the risk assessment for a day out or a residential visit but not for a day at home.

Having been firmly told by a local authority officer that we should not be doing social work, it is clear that much of the thinking is still compartmentalised; we do number whilst they do safety.

This is an insane and indefensible view of the education process, while charities such as Mary’s Meals clearly show in so called third world communities that food and education are intrinsically linked. We need to demonstrate that we do get it; the child does not arrive in strands, one for emotional safety, another for food and yet another for learning to read.

Further information Dr Mic Carolan has spent the last 46 years in education as a teacher, head, inspector and independent consultant.

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HEALTH AND SAFETY

Accidents don’t discriminate Health and safety must be high on the SEN agenda, write Bernadina Laverty and Catherine Reay

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ccidents can happen to any child at any point in their lives. Indeed some children can be labelled as accident prone. Children with SEN or disabilities can be particularly vulnerable As practitioners, we must ensure we keep children safe from harm.

Supervision, listening to children and effective communication are crucial in ascertaining children’s perceptions of risk and danger.

From an early age, children need to be encouraged to take risks in order to learn about danger. As children investigate, explore and challenge themselves, sometimes they do not realise their own limits and sustain an accident or injury. Therefore, ensuring SENISSUE73

children can play and learn in a safe environment with safe and suitable equipment, appropriate to their level of development and understanding, is the challenge for all practitioners.

Meeting the safety challenge It is vital to prioritise safeguarding and to put the child at the centre of support. It is always worth considering how children’s inquisitive behaviour can place them in dangerous situations.

Do you identify behaviour triggers or reflect on unpredictable situations during team meetings or supervision?

Think about how support is tailored to each individual child, especially when completing education, health and care (EHC) plans.

From an early age, children need to be encouraged to take risks in order to learn about danger Safeguarding unique and unpredictable individuals The Government's statutory guidance, Working Together to Safeguard Children 2013, helps to outline individuals’ responsibility in promoting the safety and welfare of all children.

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may put children at risk, and we must be proactive in taking action.

Communicating with children effectively is crucial. To do this, we need to know their personalities and be sensitive to their specific needs.

One conclusion from serious case reviews concerning disabled children highlighted that “the onus appeared to be on the child’s capacity to communicate well enough, rather than the professionals’ responsibility to find ways of communicating with the

child” (New learning from serious case reviews: a two year report for 20092011, DfE, 2013).

Think about the communication methods your setting uses; is everyone listening to the voice of the child?

Safeguarding and welfare requirements The revised Early Years Foundation Stage 2014 still reinforces the need for practitioners to understand and comply with their statutory duties,

Case study: the price of failure In a recent case, a charity in the North West was given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay prosecution costs by magistrates following a case taken by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). This followed an investigation into an accident where a nine-year-old boy with autism lost a finger when his left hand became trapped in the hinged side of a school door.

The accident took place at the charity’s new special needs school. During construction of the new building, the need to fit finger guards to the doors had been identified but they were not in place when the school was opened and occupied for use. After the hearing, HSE Inspector David Norton said: “A nine-year-old boy has suffered an injury that will affect him for the rest of his life because of the failings of the charity which runs the school. “[The school] knew there was a risk of children’s fingers becoming trapped in doors as the pupils who attend the school have learning and physical disabilities, making them particularly vulnerable.

“It would have been relatively easy to walk around the school to check all of the doors had been fitted with finger guards before pupils moved into the new building, but the charity failed to do this.”

Key issues This case highlights a number of important points about managing health and safety: Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 states: “It shall be the duty of every employer to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his employment who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety.”

In this case, the charity failed to meet its duty “so far as is reasonably practicable” as the need to fit the finger guards had been identified, the risk of injury was well known, the consequences were severe and the chance of injury was high. The fitting of guards to the doors was a reasonable action to take proportionate to the risk involved.

It is also essential that employers have a system in place to action any works highlighted by risk assessments and to monitor the progress of the work through to completion.

As HSE Inspector David Norton said, “It’s vital that organisations do more than just identify risks and actually make sure measures are in place to tackle any dangers.” Ask yourself where the hazards are in your setting and take action before it’s too late.

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For a child, doors and equipment with finger trap hazards can have life changing consequences saying that “Providers must comply with requirements of health and safety legislation (including fire safety and hygiene requirements)”.

The requirements for the Childcare Register also highlight the need for providers to “take all necessary measures to minimise any risks to the health or safety of the children and staff in their care” (Ofsted, 2014).

Check how your setting is registered and ensure everyone is familiar with the associated requirements, both in theory and in practice.

“Ouch, that hurts” Most of us will have caught our fingers in a door, drawer or piece of equipment, sustaining little more than a bruised nail or a sore finger. For a child, doors and equipment with finger trap hazards can have life changing consequences as the case study (left) highlights.

Further information

Bernadina Laverty and Catherine Reay are co-authors of the book Health and Safety in Early Years and Childcare, which is published by the NCB: www.ncb.org.uk

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The challenge of spina bifida Gill Yaz and Naomi Marston outline how spina bifida can affect pupils in the classroom and what we can all do to help

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pina bifida literally means split spine. This is a condition that affects the development of the spine, and often the brain. However with more babies having operations to repair the lesions of the spine, and greater knowledge when it comes to living with spina bifida, children are less likely to be restricted by their disability today.

Many people are familiar with the more visible signs associated with spina bifida, such as restricted mobility. But for children in school, the less obvious issues, such as bladder and bowel function and cognition, may require the most attention in order for the child to achieve and develop confidence.

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The causes of spina bifida Spina bifida is a disabling condition which develops in the early days of pregnancy. The structure that will become the spinal cord and brain fails to develop correctly and a gap is left in the backbone, allowing the developing spinal cord to protrude through the bone and skin where it becomes damaged by the fluid in the womb. As the brain and spinal cord are continuous, the protrusion also distorts the back of the brain, notably the cerebellum, which is associated with certain areas of learning and behaviour.

Damage to the spinal cord at a certain point along the back can lead to lack of communication between

It is very important that children and their families are encouraged to view wheelchair use as a positive parts of the body served by nerves below the lesion and the brain. This means the brain will be unaware of sensations in these parts of the body and be unable to control functions such as muscle movement and bladder and bowel function.

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Having several people present to “witness” that staff act appropriately should be discouraged

The effects of spina bifida on cognitive functioning can be hard to spot.

Children with spina bifida experience differing effects depending on where the spine lesion is; the lower on the spine, the fewer muscle groups are likely to be affected. Children with a lesion in the middle of the spine are likely to require a wheelchair full-time, whereas children with lower lesions, in their sacrum, may walk and run without restriction.

Walking may become harder for these children as they become heavier and, at some point in their school career, they may find a wheelchair allows them to take part in activities such as sport or outings with friends in comfort and with dignity.

The acceptance of wheelchairs It is very important that children and their families are encouraged to view wheelchair use as a positive, so when the time comes for a child or young person to use their wheelchair more it is not perceived as a failure. Children using wheelchairs part-time can experience a lack of understanding from peers and adults alike, with other children accusing them of faking disability and adults discouraging wheelchair use, with the view that it will create a reliance on the wheelchair and further reduce mobility. However, whilst it will be important that the child continues to exercise their legs, this approach can foster unhelpful feelings of guilt and anxiety about something that may be necessary to maintain WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

independence in future years. It is important to encourage children with the condition to be as independent as possible throughout the school day.

Bladder issues Bladder and bowel function is often affected in spina bifida and most children, particularly those in Key Stages 1 and 2, will benefit from appropriate and sensitive support from school staff.

Bladder problems, such as a small, tight bladder that doesn’t store much urine, can be hazardous to a child’s kidney health (this was the major cause of death in children with spina bifida in the 1960s). The child may have no sensation of the bladder filling and emptying, and have no conscious control over urination because of the poor communication from bladder to brain.

Traditional toilet training for the bladder probably will not work. For most children with spina bifida, a regime of bladder emptying with thin, disposable catheters is essential not only for good bladder function, but also to prevent serious ill health and premature death. As loss of sensation to the bladder is common, the child may require prompting from school staff, even if they are otherwise independent in the procedure itself.

Most children will begin school having their catheterisation done for them by a parent and will begin to work towards independence during primary

school years. The time this begins and the rate it progresses at will vary from child to child, depending on factors such as cognitive ability and hand dexterity, and physical aspects such as posture.

It can be difficult for girls to become independent in clean intermittent catheterisation (CIC) and assistants should be prepared for the intimate nature of this care before plans and rotas are drawn up. It is essential that carers are confident and comfortable in giving support, or it may create anxiety in the child. Plans should be made to support the child well in advance of them starting school, with training given by a suitably qualified nurse to enough members of staff to provide cover for school days, staff absence and school trips, including residentials.

There may be anxiety about providing intimate care, but working closely with the family is crucial to ensure that, as far as possible, the same routine is adopted at school as at home. Remember CIC is a part of the child’s everyday routine. Dignity and privacy are essential; having several people present to “witness” that staff act appropriately reduces a child’s sense of privacy and ownership of their body and should be discouraged.

Some bladder surgery that aims to enlarge the bladder capacity and promote continence and independence may be completed during school years. It is often major surgery with a long recovery period. It is not always possible to time the surgery to fit in with school holidays, so students may be absent for several weeks. Where possible, work should be sent home to reduce the impact of this. The timing of >> SENISSUE73

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surgery, or whether to proceed at all, is a decision for the family alone.

Bowel issues Bowel management is another very important issue for children with spina bifida. Constipation, poor control, and incontinence are often experienced, leading to low self-esteem and possible behaviour problems. Plans regarding support with toileting, keeping clean and changing clothes should be put in place early to ensure dignity and privacy of the pupil are maintained.

Children with spina bifida may not recognise that they have been incontinent of faeces and may have to be discretely prompted to go to the bathroom. Bowel programmes at home may vary in their effectiveness and even when established, successful programmes may lose their effectiveness without apparent reason.

Children on laxatives of the macrogol type (Movicol, Laxido) may experience soiling throughout the day and constipation may lead to explosive diarrhoea. Such occurrences need to be discussed with the family if the situation results in the student losing too much lesson time, as there are often better methods of management.

The family can discuss this with their healthcare professionals; school staff should work closely to support regimes used at home.

Cognitive difficulties The cognitive effects associated with open spina bifida may be subtle and become apparent slowly as school years progress. Children with closed forms of spina bifida, such as spina bifida occulta or lipomyeloma, are unlikely to demonstrate any significant cognition difficulties in school, certainly no more than their typically developing peers.

However, other students with spina bifida may experience difficulties with memory, attention, planning and organisation. The more demands we make on the brain, the more we discover about our student’s strengths and weaknesses in the school environment.

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Students with spina bifida may experience difficulties with memory, attention, planning and organisation Difficulties in directing and switching attention may be minimised by drawing the student’s attention directly – for example using their name before giving an instruction – or allowing a short break between activities. This encourages the brain to stop being preoccupied with finishing the task before starting the next one.

Initiating, such as drawing from the imagination, may be much harder for a student than copying. Learning rulebased material, like word recognition, is a relative strength for students with spina bifida, but they may struggle as tasks begin to demand that they make inferences or problem solve.

As in hydrocephalus, students with spina bifida may need work presented in a clear, uncluttered way; giving information in bite-size chunks allows time for the information to be processed before moving to the next part.

experience heightened anxiety due to the condition. Requesting extra time in exams may reduce this anxiety and help the student settle to the task.

Owing to a possible difficulty with autobiographical memory, they may need help to identify their strengths, such as when selecting subject options or career choices.

Often students with the condition find filtering out unwanted information difficult; they can become easily distracted by a ticking clock in the background, for example. Finding a place with few visual and auditory stimuli in which to present new or challenging work can improve their ability to engage.

Looking forward School years can be a challenge for children with spina bifida and many of the challenges they face are subtle and easily missed. Responsive, sensitive support can go a long way in sending these young people on into further and higher education, if they so wish. With greater knowledge of the condition and how it may affect some individuals, we are able to support these young people into adulthood, ready to take their place in society as confident young adults.

Issues at school Handwriting can be difficult once the individual is required to begin writing to record content, rather than copying, as the additional demands of thought and memory divide the student’s attention. School can help by allowing the individual to type instead of write, reducing the motor demand of the task, and by offering voice recording, so they can transcribe their own content.

Planning, organising, and decisionmaking may prove challenging for students and they may benefit from increasing levels of support to plan and structure large assignments. They may have a poor sense of time, so support to meet deadlines will help enormously.

Exams are stressful for most, but many individuals with spina bifida will

Further information Gill Yaz is Health Development Manager and Naomi Marston Regional Development Manager at Shine, a charity supporting those with spina bifida and hydrocephalus: www.shinecharity.org.uk

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The story so far…

Malcolm Wright reveals how signed storytelling is opening up learning for deaf children and their hearing peers

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hen we think of communication, we think primarily of language. And when we think of language, we think of words – spoken words, written words, words on a page and, increasingly, words on a screen – all strung together to make sense of our world.

But what if you can’t hear those words? What if you can’t say those words? What if you can’t decipher the alarming jumble of letters and numbers that skips before your eyes? How can a child become literate without the vocabulary of everyday life?

Those were some of the questions which troubled me when looking, in the early 2000s, at the exam results of deaf children in the UK. They were achieving barely half the level of A to C grades at GCSE in comparison to they're hearing peers.

Somehow the system was failing them. It was, as the National Deaf Children’s Society rightly observed, a “national scandal”. There was no lack of care, will or dedication in the effort to educate our deaf children. But what was glaringly obvious was the lack of educational resources - resources in a language which many of those children might more easily understand.

It’s called sign language.

A new kind of language Working in television access services, I had heard the arguments about the importance of sign language – in the UK it is British Sign Language (BSL). Most importantly, sign language is decoded by a different part of the brain to verbal communication. So for those who struggle with words – deaf children, WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Sign language performers Keith Wann and Peter Cook rehearse a story in the studio.

children with autism and children with dyslexia, for example – this visual language can provide an alternative route. It is not necessarily a route which will always lead to success, but it’s a route worth exploring.

Sign language plays to a great strength of the human being. We have a rich ability to use face, hands and body to communicate meaning and feelings without using words. It is an invaluable tool to enhance communication.

For those who grow up with BSL, this is their first language, the one which they prefer to use for both cultural and communication reasons. There are 70,000 native deaf BSL users in the UK and hundreds of thousands of hearing people who use the language, including family, friends and professionals.

Using sign language brings confidence to those who lack communication skills. It’s a natural outlet for expression. It helps build bonds in the family and the schoolroom. And while sign languages around the world

Sign language plays to a great strength of the human being differ, there is a large core of iconic signs which we instinctively understand.

So better access to sign language resources for children at an early age might help their education. But which resources? One obvious answer to that question was storybooks.

The struggle for recognition Today, we have the skills and knowledge to use sign language and teach it to our children. But this might not have been.

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Sign language was to be discouraged.

Those using sign language to teach in the classroom lost their jobs. Society lost their skills.

The 1944 Education Act reinforced the nineteenth century view that sign language had no place in the classroom or the curriculum. Not until the more relaxed 1990s did some schools decide that this was not the smartest of policies.

In 2000, the broadcasting watchdog Ofcom, under parliamentary direction, brought in regulations creating sign language access to some television programmes. But it was not until 18 March 2003 that BSL was officially recognised by the British Government as a language in its own right. And it is only five years ago, in 2009, that our country became signatory to the UN Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which declared that sign languages had the same status as spoken languages.

So, the sign language revolution is in its infancy and we have much to learn about how it can help those with SEN.

Story time Back to the storybook – the great fun teacher of communication and the rock on which we build our linguistic development. Would stories accessible in BSL (or any other sign language) make a real difference to children’s lives?

Back in 2008, when I started producing signed stories for the web (and then for TV and mobile devices), we did some field testing. A colleague spent time with a five-year-old boy with limited speech because of cerebral palsy and his family, who were interested in the potential of sign language to aid communication. He watched a story silently, intently, but with no discernible reaction. The experiment didn’t look promising. But then he watched the story again. And then, taking a sign he had seen for “drink”, he signed to his sister that he was thirsty. His bemused and taken-a-back mum said it was the first time in his life that he had initiated communication.

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Children have had to wait too long for the sign language bus to come along

A hearing father and deaf son share a story together.

More research showed us that some NHS language therapists were starting to use BSL. Research in the USA signalled that autistic children could benefit from using sign language and that parents also benefited from this communication bond. Many of these children had very strong visual skills; they could learn easily and found signing compelling.

And bit by bit teachers of dyslexic children told us that signed stories helped children visualise words, that fingerspelling the alphabet could help with writing problems and that sign language made learning fun.

Signs of progress Irish children’s storybook writer Avril Webster, whose son has complex special educational needs, says she realised that using picture books with sign language helped him to communicate and better understand the world around him. It was mostly the feedback from parents which convinced us that signed stories could make a real difference.

When we produced American Sign Language storybooks, the response was more than gratifying. As one mum said of her boy, “Seeing him wiggle his fingers and move his hands and arms in an effort to communicate is so amazing… he tries harder with sign language than speech!” Across the USA, teachers of deaf children have introduced signed stories into the

classroom as a new, fertile resource.

The revolution is spreading.

Sign language is not a panacea for all SEN. Parents and professionals will be able to judge its efficacy child by child and case by case. It is a unique form of communication, though, and one which set alongside other communication techniques could make a child’s life better and happier.

Children have had to wait too long for the sign language bus to come along. But it has arrived now, and should do for deaf children and those with other SEN what Louis Braille did for blind children back in the nineteenth century. Happily, his invention was never banned from the classroom.

And just as one much-needed bus comes along, so another has arrived at the same time, bringing with it the next wave of the digital revolution which is transforming children’s lives. In the USA and increasingly in UK schools and homes, children are using the tablet as a teaching aid.

Visual hands-on technology – which brings with it control, choice and experimentation – is an ideal partner for sign language. Now there is real hope that words and pictures, sign language and narration on a screen can together change the world.

Further information

Malcolm Wright is Managing Director of ITV SignPost, which produces British Sign Language translated television programmes and sign language story apps: www.signedstories.com

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SITUATION VACANT

Managing Director; Education Quality Salary: circa £160,000+ plus benefits (dependent upon experience) We are currently working exclusively for a leading specialist education provider who is looking to appoint a Managing Director of Education Quality.

To be successful you will need to have a track record of: • Delivering lasting and innovative results within schools (ideally multi-site) • Leading school improvement strategy

We are looking for an influential Managing Director who

• Managing multi-disciplinary teams

will drive change, help define direction and influence key

• Budget control within schools

stakeholders. You will be responsible for the strategic management of the quality and improvement of education

There will be regular national travel required as the

across the schools, ensuring that the curriculum and teaching

headquarters are in London and the schools are nationwide.

provide the best possible experience for their students.

This is an exciting opportunity to oversee the development of a growing number of schools and have a direct impact on

You will need to be a professional, performance-focused

the quality of education by effecting change.

leader who understands the complexities and challenges of a range of different provision for children with complex needs.

If this is of interest, please email Alexia Petrou:

This will suit someone that has been working at senior

apetrou@lawabsolute.com

leadership level within a related educational context, has a clear vision of success and is motivated by significant challenges. Above all, you will need to have a passion to help every child achieve their best.

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The closing date for this role is the 21 November 2014 – this may be brought forward subject to levels of applications.

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Time to care Two parents discuss their struggles to secure the right support for their children with severe learning disabilities James’s story By his dad Paul James is 13 and has a severe learning disability. He has seizures in the night which means that sleep is rare in our house and emotions are fraught. My health has been affected; I have sudden attacks of Meniere’s disease brought on by stress and my wife and I have no family in the area to support us.

Eventually, we came to a crisis point where we thought we couldn’t go on anymore. Caring for my son became too much. We were at breaking point.

When I found my local short breaks service everything changed. Now we get a full night’s sleep once a month and just that little bit of help saved my family from falling apart. There’s no doubt about it, if we didn’t have the overnight respite, we wouldn’t have James with us now.

Caring for my son became too much. We were at breaking point Fighting our corner In 2012, I heard the service was going to close. I couldn’t believe it – it was our lifeline. I got together with other parents to launch a campaign to save it. We just couldn’t face the thought of losing it.

We fought the closure and in January 2013, we won. NHS Surrey decided to continue funding the centre. Our hard work paid off.

But that wasn’t the end of it. This year, we find ourselves in exactly the same position – fighting plans to close our service once again.

Raising a child with a learning disability like James can be extremely challenging and I’ve learned that you have to fight for the services you believe in, the ones that really truly change lives.

Without breaks, we’d no longer be able to care for our son, and the thought of that is devastating. >>

Hear my voice Mencap’s Hear my voice campaign provides a platform for people with a learning disability and their families to make their voices heard on the issues that matter to them ahead of the 2015 General Election.

The campaign has given rise to a manifesto which presents these issues and highlights what people with a learning disability and their families want to see the next government act on. These include childcare, short breaks and healthcare.

You can share your story, and ask your local MP and candidates if they are listening, at: www.hear-my-voice.org.uk

James (centre) with his dad Paul and family.

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Oisin’s story By his mum Natalie When we planned to have a baby, we expected a crawling, walking, talking child like everyone else. Then we were told that this wasn't going to happen – that our baby had a rare chromosomal disorder. The diagnosis hit us hard.

The huge challenges that lay ahead for Oisin and our family were frightening. I’ll be honest – it was devastating. Some people say it’s like grieving.

My pregnancy was brilliant. My scans and screens were all normal.

Then the day Oisin was born they noticed he had some different features.

His jaw was very far back, he had clenched hands and one of his feet was bent right back.

The initial diagnosis was terrifying for us. They told us it was Edward’s syndrome and that we should say goodbye to our son and call the priest.

After hearing that, we didn’t care what the final diagnosis was, as long as we got to keep our baby – as long as it wasn’t fatal.

Our son Oisin is four now. He has a learning disability and a syndrome so rare that it has no name. I had to let go of my plans for my son; we had to make new plans.

The diagnosis hit us hard. The huge challenges that lay ahead for Oisin and our family were frightening

Who cares?

Oisin is a very special boy with special needs and we want him to have the same opportunities as every other child. We found out quickly that there is no childcare for children like Oisin in Belfast. Crèches and child minders are reluctant to look after him. There is also a lack of staff, facilities and knowledge.

People were quick to offer us grants but it wasn’t money we needed. For us, finding a specialist nursery has been a godsend. I really don’t know how we would have managed without it.

The type of childcare Oisin gets there just isn’t available for children like him elsewhere. He has physio, speech and language workers and the play environment is so wonderful. He can play like all the other children now.

Without this support, I wouldn’t be able to work and we wouldn’t be able to cope with the stigma we unfortunately face as a family.

It was so difficult at the beginning but we are such a happy family now.

We go on family trips, we do everything any other family might do and I don’t feel sorry for us at all. We are lucky and Oisin is just happy as Larry, so we are too.

I’ll always remember my mother-inlaw saying to me: “You know, it’s hard today but tomorrow you’re going to get on with this and this kid will give you more than you could ever imagine.”

She was right.

Further information

James and Oisin’s stories were supplied by Mencap, the national charity which supports people with a learning disability: www.mencap.org.uk

Oisin and family.

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PMLD Advertisement feature

Treloar College celebrates exam success Students at Treloar College in Alton are celebrating their impressive exam results. Both success rates and retention levels were nearly 100 per cent and a high number of students have progressed to university or other higher education courses.

Students at Treloar College study a wide range of subjects and at many varied levels. Pathways include interactive and sensory, creative and enterprise and a wide variety of both vocational and academic subjects. Vocational courses include art, photography, business and administration, supporting teaching and learning and sports leaders.

In addition to being able to study at Treloar College itself, there is a unique relationship with Alton College, one of the best further education colleges in the country. Popular courses at Alton College include media, IT, sport and health and social care. This arrangement allows students with complex physical disabilities to attend mainstream college while being supported by Treloar’s staff and receiving the specialist care and accommodation they require. They travel the very short distance between the two campuses in specially adapted vehicles and have the benefit of a social life amongst both their Alton College and Treloar’s peer groups.

A parent of a new starter at Treloar’s said: “I was very pleased to see how quickly he has settled in and how happy he seems to be. He is clearly enjoying his course and is

justifiably proud of his achievements in such a short period of time. His overview of how Treloar’s and Alton College work together to enable him to achieve his goals by the time he moves on was very re-assuring”.

For more information about the college visit: www.trelaor.org.uk or contact: admissions@treloar.org.uk.

The versatility of our offer means that we are able to be very flexible with the courses available and can often tailor-make a program to suit a specific requirement.

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CREATIVE ARTS

Art for all Rebecca Churchill describes how a multi-sensory art project helped school staff engage with some of the most difficult to reach children

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hen I first started working as an artist at my current SEN school in Wiltshire, the delivery of the art curriculum was very similar to art workshops I had delivered in mainstream primary schools. There were, though, two classes I couldn’t reach. These students had a diagnosis of profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) and at the time seemed to be unreachable without the use of specific interventions.

The more I found out about the lives of these students, and their carers, the more determined I became that art and creativity should touch their lives. And the more I researched the benefits of art and creativity to health and wellbeing for everyone, the more I realised how powerful a tool art could be.

Seven years after the project started, there are now five classes in the school where the children are either diagnosed with PMLD or autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). The school and the local authority predict that the numbers of these students will increase in future years.

theatre – bringing theatre out of the building and into schools and making it an experience students could be part of rather than just sitting and watching.

I felt that if theatre could do this, so could art in the form of pop-up galleries or installations. The hallowed words “do not touch” would be totally turned around and the installations would be fully immersive. The students would enter an environment that they would be encouraged to touch, see, hear, taste and smell.

After we recreated various installations based on themes such as bonfire night, a beach cafe and an airport terminal, I realised we were heading in the right direction. Indeed, a very revealing experience had taken place during the bonfire installation when a student had experienced a real personal break through – she had previously always been PEG fed but started accepting food orally. I knew the project had to be looked at professionally.

The more I found out about these students’ lives, the more determined I became that art should touch their lives

The project was evaluated on the Art in Health MA module at University West of England and marked as excellent.

A professional approach The next step was to ensure the project was firmly rooted in the arts.

The project needed its own gallery space that was completely accessible.

I started fundraising and I designed and had built a geodesic dome that could be carried easily, stored and put up in our small school hall. The dome

Reaching out I am in the lucky position of being employed by the school on a permanent, albeit part-time, basis. This is somewhat unusual, as most artists in schools are employed for specific projects. I have therefore had the time to explore what the students want and also explore ideas from the staff.

To start with, I looked at how the teachers delivered the profound curriculum and what other artists were doing to reach this audience. The best inspiration I could find was rooted in SENISSUE73

Homes installation.

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CREATIVE ARTS

Such projects offer teachers the opportunity to see their students’ potential in a new light SEN course for teachers, the project was validated and celebrated by professionals working with children and adults with SEN for its forward thinking approach.

Animals installation.

was a new and exciting space for the students to experience, explore and use their imagination within.

It was also important that any literature associated with the project be of gallery standard. I approached Emma Kerr, Arts Education Officer at The Roche Court Educational Trust in Salisbury. The Trust has a new art centre, a sculpture park and a gallery, exhibiting artists of international repute.

Emma was very supportive and she was quick to see the advantages of this type of outreach work for the organisation, and the benefits of reaching out to people who would not ordinarily be able to visit the art gallery. I now work with the Trust to ensure the pupils and staff at the school can experience and be introduced to modern and contemporary art. The school sets themes for the installations, based on the curriculum, such as animals or colour, and together we explore the artists and artwork that is relevant for the theme at the arts centre.

Teachers have also had the opportunity to find out more about modern and contemporary art through teacher resources, supported visits and training by the Trust. Indeed, our last installation was considered by most of those involved to be the most successful yet, because 14 members of staff were involved.

The project has proved to be so successful that on a visit to the Tate’s WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Imagination and creativity Perhaps most importantly, this kind of project can offer high quality art experiences to young people whose lives are often so medicalised due to their complex needs. Such projects also offer teachers the opportunity to step back and observe and to see their students’ potential in a new light.

Teachers can capture and recognise important milestones for children – moments of achievement and progress that may not be possible in a classroom setting. By using a matrix of “experience-explore-imagine”, teachers and other staff have a starting point to engage with the installations and record students’ responses, interactions and play.

I believe that our project has provided a model of how to form partnerships

Fantasy installation.

between teachers, artists and artist educators, enabling them all to share their knowledge and experience. This is a powerful and unique approach which can be really empowering for all concerned. I have been impressed by how well staff have responded to our project, and by the incredible ideas they have contributed.

The future of the project will rely on the kindness and support of individual donors and funding bodies, and their continuing belief that everyone has the right to enjoy art and creative experiences.

Further information

Rebecca Churchill has been a practising artist for twenty years and is the artist in residence at Larkrise SEN School in Trowbridge, Wiltshire: To find out more about the MultiSensory Art Project, visit: http://rochecourteducationaltrust. co.uk/projects-2/the-multisensory-installation/ All images courtesy of The MultiSensory Project and © The Roche Court Educational Trust and Larkrise School.

Colour installation.

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Residentials with a creative twist Trying to find creative activities that provide a stimulating experience for your pupils can prove to be a struggle away from the accessible environment of an SEN school.

But Zinc Arts has a creative solution that puts the spark of accessibility back into learning outside the classroom.

As the UK’s first specialist residential arts centre with an accessible environment, Zinc Arts provides SEN schools with the perfect creative residential experience, offering you premium facilities alongside accessible arts workshops.

As a disability-led arts and education charity, we are passionate about delivering inclusive arts activities for people of all abilities, excelling at workshops tailored to the individual access needs of pupils with SEN. We use high-quality arts activities as a tool to engage pupils, sparking their imagination and inspiring original thinking, boosting personal development and vital skills in communication, team-building, social interaction and self-esteem.

Choose from a wide range of creative activities, including: • visual arts • drama • storytelling • animation • cooking and more…

• sensory music • film making

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Every workshop is delivered by professionally trained facilitators who are skilled at working with SEN groups.

Our aim is to give both you and your pupils a fun, engaging residential experience, full of creative activities that will see pupils surprise even themselves with their achievements, encouraging them to realise their potential through every activity they participate in.

“Zinc Arts proved to be exactly what the students needed to appreciate the benefits of a residential.” Julia Garling, PMLD Manager, Tuke School We believe in setting a higher standard for our guests, with accessibility at the heart of our residential centre. Our accommodation features adjoining bedrooms, en-suite wetrooms, an accessible bathroom, ceiling hoists, Changing Places facilities and a sensory room. Get more from your school trip by making it a creative one at Zinc Arts.

To discuss workshops and visit the Centre, contact Zinc Arts on: 01277 365626 or: info@zincarts.org.uk. www.zincarts.org.uk

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Seizing the initiative Emma Tingley looks at how we can prevent the routine underachievement of children with epilepsy

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hange is all around us – in society, in the workplace and certainly in schools.

Often there is a catalyst, something that sparks a huge cultural shift in the way we think and work.

Sometimes though, it is a more gradual process and one that needs to be nurtured over time.

The 112,000 children and young people with epilepsy in the UK undoubtedly experience more than their fair share of change. This may be the sudden change in the way the brain copes with the electrical firing of neurons that leads to seizures, the frequent fluctuating nature of the condition, the changes in medication that their bodies must now be accustomed to or the changing responses they experience from those around them. Now, though, WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

it is us who need to change. It is time to shake off our perceptions of epilepsy – the ones that make us think that it is OK to exclude a child from a school trip (for their own safety of course) and the ones that prevent us from seeing our response to epilepsy only as one in which we need to keep a child safe when they have a seizure. It may sound harsh but all too often, our traditional view of epilepsy as a “medical” condition has held us back from really getting to grips with the wider implications of this neurological condition.

Problems with learning When we think of epilepsy first and foremost as a disorder that arises in the brain, it is not at all surprising that it is more than likely to have an impact on a child’s ability to learn,

95 per cent of children with epilepsy also had difficulties in at least one area of learning or behaviour process information, control behaviour and perform in the classroom. So it should not come as a surprise that a recent population-based study by UK charity Young Epilepsy revealed that 95 per cent of children with epilepsy also had difficulties in at least one area of learning or behaviour (Reilly et al., 2014). However, the study also revealed >> SENISSUE73

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that 60 per cent of these children met the diagnostic criteria for at least one behavioural or motor disorder, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), developmental coordination disorder (DCD), depression or anxiety.

Only a third of the children who met the criteria had, though, previously received a diagnosis. We know that the same level of difficulties are not seen in children with other chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes (Davies et al., 2003), so the results suggest that children with epilepsy are indeed a very high-risk group for SEN. It is clear that children with epilepsy are failing unnecessarily. Their needs frequently remain undiagnosed and, more alarmingly, unmet. So how can we ensure that these children no longer slip through the net? New statutory guidance brought about by The Children and Families Act 2014 sets out clear guidelines that aim to improve the experience at school for children with chronic conditions such as epilepsy. Section 100 of the Act places a duty on the overseeing bodies of schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils at school with medical conditions. The guidance is

very clear about what this entails and is a welcome step forward in helping schools to understand that “medical” and “educational” go hand in hand. It also emphasises that the focus should be “on the needs of each individual child and how their medical condition impacts on their school life”.

What do schools have to do?

In order to comply with the new statutory guidance, schools must take account of some key issues: 1. All schools must have a policy for supporting pupils with medical conditions that is regularly reviewed and is readily accessible to parents and school staff. The guidance provides clear details on what this must entail and includes the roles and responsibilities that must be taken. It should also include details on how medications are managed and the communication processes that are essential between school and home.

2. All pupils with a medical condition must have an individual healthcare plan (IHCP).

The plan must be developed

Schools need to understand the impact of epilepsy on a pupil’s educational achievement.

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Best practice must include a baseline cognitive and behavioural assessment for every child with epilepsy

with the child’s best interests in mind and ensure that the school assesses and manages risks to the child’s education, health and social wellbeing and minimises disruption. IHCPs must be reviewed at least annually or earlier if evidence is presented that the child’s needs have changed.

3. Schools must ensure that staff are properly trained to support the needs of pupils with medical conditions. This must include an understanding of how medical conditions impact on a child’s ability to learn as well as how to increase their confidence and promote self-care.

Unfortunately, the guidance doesn’t go far enough. Given that the majority of children with epilepsy are experiencing difficulties with at least one aspect of their learning or behaviour, best practice must surely include a baseline cognitive and behavioural assessment for every child with a diagnosis of epilepsy. This must be part and parcel of a better understanding of the issues amongst education staff, obtained through high quality training, if we are to see improved identification of educational issues for these children. By challenging the traditional view of epilepsy solely as a medical condition, the difficulties experienced by children with epilepsy will be more widely accepted. This can only lead to improved outcomes for those children and a reduction in the associated problems they face.

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Glen’s story At primary school, it was not only Glen who was affected by his epilepsy and frequent seizures, his twin brother would often be called out of class to care for Glen if he had a tonic-clonic seizure during school time. Eventually, Glen’s mother took action and started working at the school on a voluntary basis to help manage him. Lack of access to emergency medication training for staff was a barrier that contributed to limitations placed on Glen and his ability to go on school trips. Glen’s mother describes the primary school he attended as “old-school”. She feels there was a reluctance to have him at the school and make adjustments for a child with a disability.

Glen has a rare epilepsy syndrome.

One of the factors that has acted as a facilitator for his education has been his mother’s ability and drive to become an expert on his condition in order to ensure that he gets the medical care he requires.

She frequently has to explain his condition to doctors who have not come across it before and she carries a leaflet with her which gives an explanation. Glen is now attending a special unit at a secondary school and he has access to the support he needs

Staff must be properly trained to support the needs of pupils with epilepsy.

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The school has treated Molly as a “health and safety hazard”

for the learning problems associated with his epilepsy. His mother credits the SENCO at his school as being key to involving and including Glen in every aspect of school life and there are now no limitations on school trips and activities. At one time or another, Glen has been on most of the available types of medication, some of which produced unacceptable reactions. On one drug he was, according to his mother, “like a zombie”. She says he “looked like the living dead. He went grey and he couldn’t talk. He didn’t have any fits on it but he wasn’t doing anything on it really for whole days”.

Glen’s ability to access his education has been dependent not only on seizure control; it has also been influenced by the medication that has been used to control his epilepsy.

Molly’s story Molly’s parents report that she was very excited about starting primary school at age five but her first year has not gone well and her parents feel her self-esteem has suffered considerably.

Despite an initial willingness to work with the family, the school has, according to her parents, shown a lack of awareness concerning how epilepsy should be managed in the classroom. It is her parents’ belief that the school has treated Molly as a “health and safety hazard”, meaning that she could not sit on the benches with her peers at lunchtime in case she had a seizure.

The school initially proposed that she should sit facing a wall as they mistakenly believed that seeing the activity in the classroom would trigger a seizure. This was despite her parents trying very hard to explain the type of

seizures Molly has and that they were only occurring at night.

Molly has a diagnosis of West Syndrome and has associated difficulties. She has hyper-mobility and specific problems with learning.

Her father is determined to get an assessment from an educational psychologist for his daughter. He feels that the early days of her education are crucial for building skills for the future and that an understanding of Molly’s learning needs is important if she is going to achieve her potential.

Molly’s parents have fought for extra help for Molly in the classroom and although she was given some one-to-one support, this was being used for lunchtime supervision rather than supporting her learning. They say she is struggling to follow what is happening in class and this is resulting in her becoming disengaged and her behaviour is starting to be problematic.

Difficulties in the classroom were being relayed to her mother by the teacher in front of Molly on a daily basis. Her parents feel she has been labelled as a “difficult child” and they are hoping that a move to a different school with smaller classes and more support available will help Molly to be included.

References: The identification of educational problems in childhood epilepsy: The Children with Epilepsy in Sussex Schools (CHESS) Study.

Young Epilepsy, 2014.

Davies, S., Heyman, I., Goodman R. A., Population survey of mental health problems in children with epilepsy. Dev Med Child Neurol, 2003 May;45(5):292-5.

Further information

Emma Tingley is National Services Programme Manager for Young Epilepsy. The case studies in this article are taken from the charity’s publication What Helps? What Hinders? Inclusion in Education for Children with Epilepsy: www.youngepilepsy.org.uk

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EPILEPSY Advertisement feature

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ALTERNATIVE THERAPY

Making a connection Yoga can play an important role in helping children to manage their autism, writes Nicole Schnackenberg

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ndividuals with autism generally experience communication difficulties, alongside repetitive and restrictive behaviours and sensory (hypo/hyper) reactivity. Those of us who parent and work with children with autism, however, know this is only part of the story.

Children with autism often experience high levels of anxiety, with some presenting with anxiety disorders or high levels of anxiety traits. The presence of such anxiety has been associated with, and even proposed to be caused by, sensory hyper-reactivity, with current estimates indicating that more than 80 per cent of children with autism exhibit sensory difficulties. In general, children with autism have a heightened or reduced sensory response in one or more of the five senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch) and are often sensitive to the body’s position, posture, movement and balance in relation to the surrounding environment.

Families report that sensory difficulties

Self-regulation can be greatly enhanced by yoga.

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significantly restrict full participation in daily activities and create social isolation both for their child and for the family as a whole.

In addition to these sensory difficulties, children with autism are reported to have a greater prevalence of sleep problems. They are also more likely to suffer from gastrointestinal symptoms, including abnormal stool patterns and frequent abdominal pain. Problem eating behaviours are also reported in many children with autism, including selective eating, the consumption of non-food items, insistence on specific mealtime routines and meal-related distress such as tantrums.

Looking for alternatives In an effort to alleviate some of these distressing symptoms, up to a third of parents of a child with autism have sought out complementary or alternative therapies, with one internet survey finding that, on average, parents reported using seven different

Up to a third of parents of a child with autism have sought out complementary or alternative therapies treatments. One complementary and alternative treatment option available is yoga.

Yoga is an ancient practice, originating in India, which involves physical, mental and spiritual disciplines. It comprises three elements: gentle stretching (asana), exercises for breath control (pranayama) and meditation. According to Doctor Bessel van der Kolk, a psychiatrist known for his research into stress, yoga teaches us that “there are things we can do to change our brainstem arousal system, our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems and to quieten the brain�.

Numerous studies have explored the effectiveness of yoga in typically developing children. In one twelveweek study with 97 children, a positive impact was found on problematic responses to stress, including intrusive thoughts and emotional arousal. In another study, school children practising yoga for just ten days improved spatial memory scores and their ability to concentrate. Yoga practice would also appear to positively influence emotional states, with the children in one study experiencing higher levels of wellbeing and selfesteem after a series of yoga sessions.

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One little girl now uses breathing exercises on public transport as a way of alleviating her anxiety

yoga can improve executive functions in children, possibly due to the mental techniques involved.

Yoga and autism Given the growing body of research indicating yoga’s benefits for typically developing children, it is not difficult to imagine how yoga may also be beneficial for children with autism, although there is much less research on this specific area. Researchers have suggested that deep pressure from the strengthening poses may provide relief from the constant over-stimulation of the nervous system known to be an element of autism, promoting greater sensory integration. Yoga poses may also provide a present-moment focal point for these children, who often feel overwhelmed by bodily sensations.

Yoga has also been shown to reduce the symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), many traits of which are shared by children with autism. Stress and anxiety, high levels of which are often experienced by these children, have also been shown to be alleviated by regular yoga practice. In one smallscale study of six children with autism, an 82-week yoga intervention (five hour-long sessions per week) was demonstrated to promote significant changes in communication, language, play and joint attention, in addition to a reduction in anxiety.

Yoga has also been found to have positive benefits for sleeping and eating difficulties, including gastrointestinal symptoms, although these studies have been conducted with typically developed adults and are yet to be conducted with children.

Yoga in practice In my own therapeutic work, I have been astounded by the benefits of yoga for children with autism and their families. Yoga is frequently used, for example, as a tool for self-regulation; I have received many reports of children spontaneously practising yoga, particularly the chanting and breathing exercises, when they find themselves WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Yoga can help promote calmness and wellbeing.

becoming anxious and overwhelmed.

One little girl, for example, now uses breathing exercises on public transport as a way of alleviating her anxiety.

Parents also report improved sleep, increased verbalisations and more focused concentration in their children.

In addition, parents note many personal benefits, not least an increased sense of connection to their child. Parents report children using yoga to communicate, perhaps by chanting a family member’s name or initiating physical touch by assuming an asana in close proximity to their parent’s body. Many families also find that it is finally something they can all do together, with one mother explaining that the whole family now practised yoga for ten minutes before school and that it had completely transformed their mornings; everyone was calmer, went off to work and school happier and experienced less anxiety throughout their day.

Sensory benefits are among those most often cited by parents. The theory and treatment of sensory integration was developed by Anna Jean Ayres in 1972, and proposes that if a child is engaged in tailored sensory-motor activities, their nervous system is better able to modulate, organise and integrate sensory information and more likely to use sensory information in adaptive ways. Such ideas have been taken up by occupational therapists working in special education, who speak of the importance of a “sensory diet” for

children with autism. Parents often express a desire for yoga to become part of their child’s sensory diet, with many citing greater body awareness as a benefit of yoga sessions.

Such benefits hark back to the early work of Frances Tustin, a child psychotherapist specialising in autism, who wrote about children who “are beset with terrors of un-containment, and dreads of spilling out or forever falling and losing their continuity with existence”. Yoga can enhance a sense of embodiment, which can be defined as the sense of being a distinct person with an experience of the body “from the inside”. Regular yoga practice promotes the sense of being a person with a body over which one has some level of connection and control and can promote the sense of containment that so many children with autism lack.

So many complex and costly approaches exist for the alleviation of distressing symptoms related to autism. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if something as simple as yoga could promote embodiment, connection, sensory integration and anxietyreduction in these children? It is my firm belief that it does.

Further information

Nicole Schnackenberg is a qualified teacher and psychotherapist, currently working as a school counsellor. She is also a certified yoga therapist offering sessions with Special Yoga Ltd: www.specialyoga.org.uk

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Seeing the positives Rosie Edmondson discusses how she manages the challenge of living with dyspraxia and dyslexia

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ver since I was a child, difference has always surrounded me. I’ve always been very tall and if you add to that a mix of clumsiness and lack of coordination, it made me stand out like a sore thumb.

I was always the one who was last at sports day, the person nobody wanted on their team. I could trip up over thin air and I always seemed to have half my artwork down my top rather than on the paper. It made me feel very selfconscious and insecure and I used to stoop to hide my tallness. All this made me a victim for bullies.

My mum had a huge fight to get me proper help with my dyspraxia, even though I was diagnosed when I was four. The teachers at my primary school told her she was an overprotective parent and that I was “too clever” to be struggling.

As I grew older, I found that my learning style was different to those

around me. It would take me a lot longer to process information, to copy things down and keep up with everyone else. Even when I was at University I had a really rough time as they didn't have any real understanding of my difficulties. My time keeping was all over the place and my personal organisation left a lot to be desired. It was like I was in chaos and my head seemed full of spaghetti; I was very close to giving up on everything. My confidence was shattered and my selfesteem was at rock bottom. My anxiety levels were very high and I was very down and depressed; I truly believed, even though I had graduated with a high 2:2 degree, that I was stupid.

Taking a stand It was then that I decided that I didn’t want others to feel or go through what I had. I started doing work for the charities Dyslexia Action and The Dyspraxia Foundation to raise

I truly believed, even though I had graduated with a high 2:2 degree, that I was stupid awareness and to get these often hidden conditions talked about. I started interacting on social networks with other organisations and people who had been through similar problems.

I also helped Mollie King from girl band The Saturdays win an inspirational dyslexia award two years in a row, and helped raise over £550 as part of a campaign for her birthday. In June, I was lucky enough to be able to present Mollie with her award.

On a personal level, I went on to get a Masters Degree, as I wanted to prove people wrong and show them what I was capable of. It was then I realised that I also had dyslexic tendencies, so anther piece of my jigsaw fell into place.

Managing day to day

Rosie (left) with Mollie King of pop group The Saturdays.

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It is important to remember that a lot of people have traits and difficulties associated with conditions other than the one they are diagnosed with.

Dyspraxia and dyslexia, in particular, often go hand in hand. For me, though, my dyspraxia is more dominant; it can cause big problems with handwriting, organising myself and spacial awareness – a real issue when it comes to crossing busy roads, bumping into people and directing myself. Over sensitivity to heat and noise, especially in busy places, is also a problem and I have to take particular time and care using cutlery and making sure I don’t spill drinks.

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Rosie with friends at a recent dyslexia meeting.

To help manage these difficulties, I try to take my time and don’t rush into situations. Asking for a second opinion can also really help.

When it comes to my dyslexic difficulties, I have to make sure that my ideas make sense and that I am getting what I mean in my head down onto paper. Obviously, there are also additional spelling difficulties.

What I find really helps with these issues is the use of assistive technology, which can help me to get ideas down and show me where I’ve made mistakes. It can also be great for spelling and I can even change the colour of the screen to minimise potential visual discomfort. I’ve found the use of technology to be a big help in overcoming my difficulties and using computers has been a source of strength for me.

Another useful strategy is always to focus on what I’m good at and keep a sense of perspective about the things I tend to struggle with, especially after some of the past situations I’ve found myself in. Everyone has things which they find more difficult in life, whether there is a label attached or not; you just have to accept it and not let it stop you.

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step into the shoes of someone with the conditions to see what it is like to live a lot of the time in chaos while at the same time having random exuberant bursts of creativity and thinking outside the box.

Society tends to expect everyone to know the coping mechanisms they need to manage their difficulties and sometimes it can take a lot of courage just to say to someone that you struggle with organisation or memory, as people may think your difficulties are simply a result of carelessness on your part.

One of the main reasons that dyslexia and other hidden conditions such as dyspraxia are poorly understood is because they are seen as just someone struggling with spelling, hating reading aloud or being clumsy.

What works for me?

One of the strategies I find very useful is writing everything down on post-it-note lists, such as train times, what I have to do in a day, what I have to buy when shopping and anything key that may be going on. However, if you lose the pieces of paper with the lists on, it can cause serious problems, so I always try and have important information stored on my phone as well.

It also helps me if I take some time to get things ready for the next day on the night before. This may sound simple but it is important, given the number of times I've left things until the last minute and found myself running around like a headless chicken.

Perhaps the most important strategy I have, though, is to laugh about the problems I come up against and to always see the funny side of things. It always helps to know that you're not on your own.

Organisation and memory come into so much of every day life – including things that most people take for granted such as in cooking or making sure you leave the house with everything. Then there is the panic of being late and nearly missing a train seconds before the doors close, or having your mum play chase the bus because you are

I’ve found the use of technology to be a big help in overcoming my difficulties trying to remember where you've left your bus pass, purse or phone, whilst your boyfriend is texting you to stop procrastinating. When you add severe anxiety into the mix, chaos is often the end result. Indeed, a lot of dyslexic and dyspraxic people experience chaos on a regular basis, even before they set foot outside their front door. Having understanding people around you is a godsend and I know my mum has helped me out of so many pickles over the years.

Looking forward Last year, I started writing a blog as a way to discuss various issues surrounding neuro-diversity. To date, it has received over 20,000 views and I hope it has reached out to those who need it the most.

In the future I hope to carry on working with the charities I’m involved with to help raise awareness and understanding of hidden conditions.

It is so important that children, in particular, get the right help and support and, crucially, that their conditions are understood by others. I hope that by sharing my story people can see that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that they shouldn’t let anything hold them back in life. After all, having a different way of thinking can be a very good way to see the world.

Further information

Rosie Edmondson's blog on life with dyspraxia and dyslexia, Thinking Outside the Cardboard Box, is available at: http://thinkoutsideofthecardboardbox. blogspot.co.uk

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SEN CODE OF PRACTICE

Cracking the Code Jane Friswell reveals how some schools are leading the way in implementing the new SEN Code of Practice’s partnership approach

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he statutory SEN Code of Practice, recently arrived in schools, encourages greater collaboration between all involved parties in the support offered to children with SEN. Teachers, parents, carers, psychologists, councils and their local health partners are charged with working together to deliver appropriate support.

Out of all these relationships, though, bridging the gap between home and school has been identified as the key focus of the new Code, aiming to give parents a greater understanding of the services that they can reasonably expect to be provided for their child, as well as ensuring that that they will be fully involved in decisions about their child’s support.

Teamwork Camberwell Park, a primary special school in North Manchester, made an early start on its journey towards compliance with the new Code; its multi agency approach has already resulted in notable outcomes for many students, including Blake, a Year 6 student who has profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) and complex health needs. His team consists of a carer, school staff and physiotherapist, who all work closely together to support Blake’s needs in school and at home.

In Blake’s case, if he is doing something in school that his parent/carer doesn’t know about, then it confuses him, which makes a continual open dialogue between all individuals key to providing him with proper care.

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A nurturing approach can help students feel more comfortable at school.

foster parents of Jaden, a pupil in Year 6, were trained by the school to be part of this collaborative professional team. Ron and Angela explain that “as foster carers, we perhaps have a different attitude towards school compared to normal parents; we are talking the problem over and trying to change it. We go on lots of courses to

If a school needs help with a child with autism, they will often come in and observe our lessons make our ability to work with children better.” They both clearly recognise the importance of being treated as part of the care team, rather than being outside of it at home.

Lisa Williamson, National Development Manager at the National Teaching and Advisory Service,

stresses that their job as mediators is “to give Ron and Angela a voice, allowing them to talk about what their wishes are, regarding entry to a specific secondary school, for example, and taking into account what they know about the child. We then present this to the school.”

Camberwell Park also goes a step further by working with the mainstream schools in the area.

Assistant Headteacher Johanne Henstock describes how the school's outreach service involves teachers in mainstream schools in meeting the needs of pupils with SEN: “If a school in the area needs support, they would contact us for a referral form which would be looked at as a team. If, for example, the school needs help working with a child with autism, they will often come in and observe our lessons. We then go to the school and observe the child and suggest further strategies.” This collaborative approach not only supports mainstream schools, it also means Camberwell Park get to WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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experience good practice first hand from the mainstream schools.

Empowering teachers and learners Managing behaviour and the challenges this can present to many is something that is also addressed well at Frederick Bird Primary School, a national teaching school in Coventry.

Natalie Franklin-Hackett, SENCO and Assistant Headteacher for inclusion, decided to employ an educational psychologist and a clinical psychologist directly, and the impact this has had on staff and pupils has been remarkable.

The psychologists explain how they work to promote good behaviour with symbols on a board: “We aim to empower the teacher to help them implement some of the strategies to improve behaviour themselves. They are then given time to try new strategies before then meeting with us to review how they have worked.”

At Guiseley secondary school in Leeds, Deputy Headteacher in charge of the curriculum Paul Clayton explains how their nurture provision over the past two years has been very beneficial for their students who weren’t achieving what they could. “Nurture is not about taking the kids out and leaving them out, it's about taking them out to develop them in terms of their social skills, in terms of improving their behaviour and probably most importantly for us, in terms of their academic progress.”

Garry Freeman, SENCO and Inclusion Manager, adds: “It's about helping children to feel comfortable and happy at school. If we can secure their wellbeing at school, so they feel happy coming here, the results will follow.”

The identification of children for the nurture group starts by talking to their feeder primary schools before the students even get to Guiseley.

Kelsey, a Year 8 student with behaviour difficulties at Guiseley, is an example of how the nurture group students are offered a collaborative approach to their support. Freeman outlines the importance of home/ WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

school communication in promoting her positive behaviour: “Kelsey constantly wanted attention from teachers and other staff, so we worked to have daily contact with her carers by email and telephone three times a week. By bringing all parties together, we were able to gather different knowledge about Kelsey so we could work as a partnership to support her in the best possible way.”

Guiseley takes the nurture club one step further by offering the students a skills based, bespoke version of the National Curriculum. Most of the learning is topic based, bringing out the historical skills and geographical skills. As part of this, a lot of literacy and numeracy development is included.

Freeman concludes: “For us, it's all about positives, always fostering that sense of achievement so we don't focus on what they can't do; we focus on what they can do. It's also a lot to do with how we break down the work into tasks, so they can just take one small step at a time, feel success with that, move on to the next task, experience further success, move on to the next one and so on. So it’s a very structured approach. We found this works tremendously well for selfconfidence and self-esteem.”

Making a difference From a parental point of view, this increased level of involvement is certainly welcomed. Jeanette, parent of a son with SEN at Lakes College and West Lakes Academy, stresses the importance of school and parents working together: “Going to college

It's about helping children to feel comfortable and happy at school

was a big step for him and I was concerned over whether he would settle. However, support from both school and college meant everything went into place and I always felt very involved in the process, spending time at the college throughout the year at various taster days. The school met with us to explain the process so the transition process was dealt with both at home and school.” Jeanette’s son is now settled and doing well at college.

All these outstanding providers have a set of key principles in common: they have whole school commitment to a shared vision and values base which provides a whole setting ethos that respects individuals’ differences, maintains high expectations for all and promotes good communication between teachers, parents and pupils.

The provision and continual investment in providing knowledgeable and sensitive staff who understand the processes of learning, and the impact that SEN can have on these, leads to creative and innovative adaptations to classroom practice enabling children and young people with SEN to learn inclusively and meaningfully, alongside their peers. By building bridges between home and school through an inclusive and unified approach, the end result is that both children and their families feel supported throughout every stage of education.

Further information

Jane Friswell is CEO of nasen, which promotes the education, training and advancement of those with SEN: www.nasen.org.uk Students take part in group work at Guiseley School.

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The SEN challenge Anne Raynor asks if schools will be able to cope with the demands of the new SEN system

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ere is a simple question for all school staff: at the start of this term, was the new SEN Code of Practice and framework mentioned in your whole staff briefing? Amongst the celebration (or otherwise) of the school’s results, the introduction of new staff, the focus on standards and the arrangements for lunch, was the most significant development in provision for children and young people with SEN included amongst the early term priorities?

Unfortunately, most colleagues I have spoken to have replied “no”.

In which case, perhaps a supplementary question should be: “why not?”

The passing of the new SEN legislation was described by Edward Timpson, the Children’s Minister, as a “landmark” moment designed to make sure that every child, whatever their starting point, received outstanding provision “to be the best they could be”. With around one in five children having SEN at some point during their

school years, the impact of the Code from the start of this term must surely have merited a mention at least, you would have thought.

The need for change Perhaps the surprise comes from the fact that Mr Timpson was basically right. One of the pleasing things about talking about the new framework is that it cannot easily be placed alongside the constant and bewildering set of educational reforms that have left school professionals reeling. The new SEN framework was needed.

The premise, the rationale, and even the substance of the reforms are all worthwhile, and have been broadly welcomed by those of us who work with young people with SEN. Most professionals I have talked to agree that the previous system was outdated and not fit for purpose. It involved too many different agencies and organisations, who often left parents (probably unwittingly) with a sense that the professionals thought that they knew

Perhaps the surprise comes from the fact that Mr Timpson was basically right better than parents what was best for their children. And, of course, there were often significant delays.

So, the answer to my second (“why not”) question is, I hope, not to do with a sense that nothing has really changed, nor a sense that it doesn’t really matter, but simply due to a lack of certainty about what the new Code will look like in practice, and what exactly it will mean for schools, children and families. Many people have questioned the wisdom of issuing the final Code of Practice in July, the week after schools closed for the summer, even though it was due to come into force on the first day of the new term. In addition, the 31 pathfinder authorities, who have been testing how the SEN reforms will work in practice, are not due to report until March 2015.

Supporting who?

SEN provision should be about matching support to individual need.

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There is also much uncertainty about how SEN provision will be provided.

For all of the inadequacies of the School Action (SA) and School Action Plus (SA+) systems in the past, there was a degree of understanding about their implications for provision, the curriculum, staffing and finance.

However, it is worrying to report that for those pupils with the newly defined generic need for SEN support (approximately 1.7 million), the impact on curriculum design, the deployment WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

SEN CODE OF PRACTICE

The feeling amongst SENCOs is that local authorities are not prepared for the changes

Many SENCOs fear that fewer pupils will be identified as having SEN under the new system.

of TAs, communication with parents, reporting systems, and accountability to compliance and regulatory agencies (such as Ofsted) is still uncertain.

And with this uncertainty, there are concerns that a tightening of the criteria for special needs will mean that some children will fall through the gaps. How significant is it that in announcing the parliamentary approval of the legislation, Edward Timpson took an early opportunity to attack what he presumably saw as a general practice of “poor behaviour being wrongly categorised as SEN to stop lower level needs being used by schools to justify poor attainment to parents"?

Not that this should be about numbers; it is about getting the right children identified and the necessary support in place. Many SENCOs I have talked to are concerned that this can only mean that fewer children will qualify for additional support and teachers and parents will be left to pick up the pieces and meet the needs of those with unacknowledged special needs.

Few of us feel properly briefed. I recently attended a SENCO cluster where experienced SENCOs were feeling the pressure of having to meet the requirements of Ofsted – for example, ensuring that all groups of children (including those on SA and SA+) are making the same progress as their peers. Several of them were from schools that had been placed in WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

an Ofsted category as a direct result of this not happening and they are feeling immense pressure. Undoubtedly, too many children were being identified as having SEN – just because you are working below your chronological age or you struggle at times to behave in a mainstream classroom does not mean that you have SEN.

What about the parents?

If we professionals – who are paid to work out what the realities and practicalities of the new Code should be – are struggling, then how are parents and carers experiencing the promise that “the system will have to shape itself around the family”? Are the new local offers putting an end to the “wall of silence… about what support is available locally”? In my experience, the feeling amongst SENCOs is that local authorities are not prepared for the changes, except perhaps those that have been pathfinder authorities; briefings are being held but they are not detailed in terms of what “local offers” will look like. Parents too are still asking what the changes are to be. The guidance for them came out in August 2014 and is a huge 278 page document that many parents will find inaccessible.

Of course, very few if any would argue against empowering children and families by putting them at the centre of their provision. After all, whilst

professionals can advise and support, surely parents know their children best, and what support they need as a family.

Perhaps the real questions schools should be asking themselves is: how far have you got with regard to focusing on provision for pupils with SEND, when it comes to: • reflecting the new SEN Code and framework, and the new National Curriculum Inclusion Statement in your organisation and documentation • reviewing provision for pupils previously on SA and SA+ by putting in place SEN support for them, and for the newly identified or newly enrolled pupils with SEN • working with parents and other agencies to share an understanding of the changes • ensuring that children with SEN are taking part in the activities of the school together with children who do not have SEN, as far as is possible • ensuring that young people with SEN make similar progress to their peers?

As the new legislation correctly identifies, there is perhaps nothing more important in SEN than ensuring that everyone is working together in the best interests of the child.

Further information Anne Raynor is the former Head of a special school, currently working as a SENCO in a mainstream comprehensive. She is also Head of Special Needs for All About Educational: http://allabouteducational.co.uk

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Autism: rhetoric and reality Early diagnosis and support is the Government’s new SEN mantra but what, asks Alexandra Stanyer, is the real picture for children with autism and their families?

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s a w a re n e s s and understanding of autism has increased over the last two decades, there has also been an increase in the number of children being recognised and diagnosed on the autism spectrum at an early age. It is widely accepted that the early years (before the age of five years) is a crucial time for the development of all children’s social, emotional and communication development. There is also recognition that early intervention for children with autism and their families is vital to improve their longerterm outcomes.

However, parents, from across the UK, have variable experiences in seeking and obtaining a diagnosis of autism for their child and in the follow-on support offered following an early diagnosis.

Throughout 2012, UK autism research charity Autistica conducted a consultation with parents and individuals with autism to collect information in four key areas, one of which included their experiences of the UK health system. Their One in a Hundred report (2013) found that families not only often faced challenges getting a diagnosis of autism but also receiving adequate information and services following a diagnosis. More than half of parents reported not receiving enough information on autism when their child was diagnosed. The report quotes one parent as saying: “The paediatrician said he would grow out of it, there was nothing wrong with him”.

Recent figures from the National Autistic Society (NAS) showed that a third of families wait more than

Some parents report that the signs of autism in their child were missed.

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Ease of obtaining an autism diagnosis can vary even within one county three years for a diagnosis. In a 2013 online survey by autism charity Anna Kennedy Online, over half of the 2000 respondents said they had to wait over five years to get a diagnosis. As the parent from the One in a Hundred report concluded: “The priority should be diagnosis, better diagnosis, so we can influence better outcomes for the generations to come.”

A local lottery The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published new clinical guidance in September 2011 for the diagnosis of autism in children and young people. This states that a key priority for implementation is a clear local pathway in each area for recognition, referral and diagnostic assessment of possible autism.

Each area should, it says, have in place a multidisciplinary autism team with a single point of referral.

NICE recommends that diagnostic assessment should happen within three months of the referral to this team.

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AUTISM

He was unsupported until the age of five years and by then he was lost diagnosis of autism, depending on the area they live in. Ease of obtaining a diagnosis can vary even within one county, for example, where different child development teams appear to have differing approaches and waiting times for assessment and diagnosis of autism in the early years.

Making it happen Parents who do get an early diagnosis for their child often find that they do not receive adequate information or early support and intervention. In Autistica’s survey, 80 per cent of parents would have liked to receive an intervention within the first month after their child’s diagnosis.

Many parents I have worked with over the last 13 years have told me that they have faced a “wait and see” attitude from professionals.

This may be particularly true when a child’s difficulties appear to be “mild” or when they clearly have ageappropriate skills in certain areas of development, even when they have a diagnosis of autism and acknowledged challenges with social interaction and communication development.

There is an emphasis on the importance of early identification and early intervention in the new SEN Code of Practice. Clause 5.49 of the Code states that: “Where, despite the setting having taken relevant and purposeful action to identify, assess and meet the special educational needs of the child, the child has not made expected progress, the setting should consider requesting an Education, Health and Care needs assessment.”

Although this sounds reasonable in theory, in practice, this can lead to a

Sarah and Adam’s story

“Our son, Callum, was given a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) when he was almost five years old. At the time, the autistic spectrum was an unknown to us and we certainly hadn’t ever heard of the term early intervention. Little did we know what experts we would become, how many times we would have to ignore the advice to ‘wait and see’ and how emotionally draining the merry-go-round of meetings with professionals and ‘experts’ could be.

“Looking back, there were signs from an early age that he was on the spectrum but no one record existed of his characteristics. Poor collaboration between health workers and those in education failed to provide a bigger picture. He was a passive baby, a solitary toddler prone to frequent outbursts, highly sensitive to noise and always the last to meet expected milestones, but because of his prematurity, we were told to expect some delay and difficulties.

At the time of his second birthday, the two year check had been scrapped but, having pursued a health visitor to meet with me because I was feeling uncertain about his progress, he was briefly played with and weighed; again I was told he was just a bit slow and he’d soon come on. At preschool it was the same. He was happy to play alone and not join in; he preferred the company of the nursery staff to that of his peers and had repetitive play routines.

That he was still in nappies after his third birthday was mentioned to me on numerous occasions and the sense that his lack of development was due to weak parenting increased. He was our first child and we knew no different and somehow accepted this.”

Taking action “When an astute reception teacher asked if we had ever felt there was anything different about him, we realised our gut feeling had been right. However, no further advice was offered. We were in the position where potentially Callum had developmental and social problems but no-one suggested what we should do next or who we might go to for help. Instead, it was recommended that we wait and see how he developed over the coming year, as he may be too young and an early diagnosis might, therefore, not be accurate.

“To wait and see was not an option for us; it was clear Callum needed help and if this meant seeking a diagnosis before he was five then so be it.

He had no friends and his behaviour at home was deteriorating. Family life was disintegrating and, as his parents, we were afraid and our family was becoming increasingly isolated.

“We contacted the NAS who explained who might need to see our son and what evidence would be needed to secure help in school; so began the process to get him a diagnosis. We sought a consultation with a county educational psychologist, who agreed to formally assess him. His early years professionals agreed he needed more help than they could offer. This was a daunting, lonely and hard journey of meeting various medical professionals and talking to strangers at length about our child.

“Once we were ‘in the system’ we were well served by our county council and all the earlier reticence from previous professionals to label him fell away, as his needs were recognised and addressed. He was diagnosed 12 months later and a statement of SEN followed within six months. This happened only because of our constant pursuit of reports and advice and by fighting for what Callum was entitled to. Getting to this point had been a long process and fraught with frustration.

“We can’t help but think that if Callum’s needs had been recognised sooner, had his nursery and pre-school been more aware of autism and better trained to pick-up on his behaviours, then interventions could have been used during those vital early years. Whilst he coped, he did just that: he coped.

His progress was minimal. He was unsupported until the age of five years and by then he was lost. During his early years he was an onlooker which made him unhappy, frustrated and unsettled. He built up a fortress of coping mechanisms, but all this did was plant seeds of doubt and low self-esteem in an otherwise happy child. He was not stupid, slow or lazy; he just had autism.”

>> WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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delay in children accessing specialist services and expertise to address their needs, as settings may be left to try to support a child with little or no specialist advice and support in place.

In my experience, children at the more able end of the autism spectrum are particularly vulnerable to this “wait and see” attitude, even though they are often the ones who reap the most rapid benefits of targeted intervention from teachers and therapists when they are put in place. Many early years settings are left to manage children’s needs without this expertise in place to support them.

The new Code includes strong statements about the need for early specialist help, such as: “It is particularly important in the early years that there is no delay in making any necessary special educational provision. Delay at this stage can give rise to learning difficulty and subsequently loss of self-esteem, frustration in learning and to behaviour difficulties. Early action to address identified needs is critical to the future progress and improved outcomes that are essential in helping the child to prepare for adult life.”

The rhetoric in recent national guidelines, in terms of both the importance of early diagnosis and the crucial need for early intervention,

Education professionals need to be aware that students with SEN are more likely to be isolated, excluded and bullied is laudable, but many parents and practitioners still face the reality of delays in obtaining a diagnosis in the first place and, even when a diagnosis is given, the difficulty of obtaining high-quality specialised intervention and support.

The parents of a pre-school aged child obtained an early diagnosis but were then left wondering how to get the help and support they knew their child needed. They said: "In some ways we were lucky that our son Sam received a diagnosis of autism aged two and a half without much of a struggle. However, the way the diagnosis was initially communicated to us was very confusing and upsetting and the follow-up support patchy and inadequate. The benefit of being alerted so early was that we undertook our own research into what could be done and stumbled across the benefits of early intervention, which we believe

has massively improved the way Sam interacts with the world and controls his emotions.”

There are some excellent examples of good practice in the early years.

In some areas, parents access support via the national Early Support Programme and specialist training on one of the NAS’s Earlybird training courses for parents. However, just as in early diagnosis, good practice in early years autism education is far from consistent across the country.

The Autism Education Trust has published a national set of standards and competencies for early years autism, as well as developing threetiered training materials which are currently being piloted by four hubs across the country. However, there is an urgent need for continued training of the early years workforce who are so often at the forefront of both identifying and addressing a child’s needs at the earliest stage.

We are beginning to understand and acknowledge the importance of early diagnosis followed by timely specialised and targeted interventions for young children with autism.

However, if a “wait and see” attitude persists – both with early diagnosis and early support – parents, children and practitioners will be left without the support that could make such a huge positive difference to a child’s early years and future outcomes in school and adult life.

Further information

Alexandra Stanyer is the founder and Principal of the Puzzle Centre, a UK charity supporting families with autism by means of early intervention, training and outreach programmes: www.puzzlecentre.org.uk

Effective, child-centred provision should quickly follow on from an autism diagnosis.

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The names of children and parents cited in this article have been changed.

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AUTISM Advertisement feature

Occupational therapy and sensory provision in Hesley Group Schools Rachel O’Sullivan joined the Hesley Group in early 2014, as Lead Occupational Therapist with an initial remit to include a review of occupational therapy within the Group. She and colleagues have identified opportunities to further develop practice and ensure that children and young people in Hesley schools and colleges continue to receive the best possible services including, specifically, provision which identifies and addresses their unique sensory needs.

Horder et al. (2013) suggest that sensory integration difficulties may affect up to ninety per cent of people with autism. Sensory integration is described as the process through which a person receives, processes and regulates information from their external, and internal, worlds – through sensory systems such as skin and eyes. Through pregnancy and then childhood systems of nerve cells develop and mature which carry messages to and from the brain, which itself develops to process and guide the responses of the person to these messages. It is considered that brain and nervous system development may be different in autism, thus changing the ability of a person to integrate sensory and other information and function effectively in relation to their world.

Understanding sensory issues Difficulties with sensory integration can contribute significantly to the challenges people with autism face every day in terms of “life activities”. These (or “occupation”) are defined, Rachel says, as the “job of living” – meaning everything a person does.

This may include playing, going to school, eating or writing, all of which require sensory system involvement. Occupational therapists and colleagues can work with people to identify with them areas with which they have difficulty, either through shortterm ill health or longer-term disability. A problem-solving approach can enable more positive and successful engagement in life.

Practical, everyday activities offer opportunities for people to gain mastery over their challenges.

Functioning affected by sensory issues is measured, initially through use of the Model of Human Occupation Screening Tool (Parkinson et al. 2006), which helps Rachel and colleagues assess, address and further the occupation needs and wishes of each person in an individualised and person-centred way, and can assist with progress and outcome measurement. More specific sensory assessments such as the Short Sensory Profile (Dunn, 1999) help the team identify and employ the optimal interventions to best enhance each person’s occupational benefit and satisfaction.

For young people living at Hesley’s schools and colleges, the occupational therapy team aim to enhance further the use of these and everyday environments in the wider community.

Parks, swimming pools, climbing walls and other settings offer

great options for engaging people in the right sensory world for their needs.

Matching support to individual need Rachel describes Danielle, a young woman with autism, whose daily routine seems very much guided by her senses. She struggles to tolerate visual stimuli, but is calmed through watching water falling. She is often distressed by certain textiles on her skin, but seems to feel safe wearing her coat hood up. She loves burnt toast and crunchy apples, which appear to satisfy her need for feedback through smell and her oral sensory systems. Knowing what Danielle prefers and how she best functions enables staff to support her to develop further, try new activities and have an increasingly meaningful life.

From subtle “tweaking”, to greater levels of change, altering people’s environments to best match their very unique sensory profile can make significant, positive differences to their quality of life – which is the ultimate aim for Rachel and her team.

References: Dunn, W. (1999) Short Sensory Profile. Harcourt Assessment, San Antonio, USA. Horder, J., Wilson, C.E., Mendez, M.A. and Murphy, D.G. (2014). Autistic Traits and Abnormal Sensory Experiences in Adults. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44(6), 1461-1469 Parkinson, S., Forsyth, K., Kielhofner, G. (2006) Model of Human Occupation Screening Tool. Version 2.0. University of Illinois, Chicago, USA. C

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

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AUTISM

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AUTISM Advertisement feature

Wear your silly socks for Autism Anglia Each year we ask our supporters to wear their brightest, craziest socks for the day to raise awareness of autism. By organising your own day of silliness you can join in the fun and help us to raise vital funds for people affected by autism.

Why not ask your school, place of work or friends and family to hold their own Silly Sock Day? We shall be celebrating on 27 March 2015 as it is close to World Autism Awareness Day (2 April) and is a great way for everybody to get involved.

Last Silly Sock Day raised over ÂŁ7,000 for Autism Anglia and we hope that 2015 will be even bigger. To request your free fundraising pack containing fun resources and information about autism, fundraising ideas, stickers and a poster, please call: 01206 577678 or email: sillysockday@autism-anglia.org.uk

Autism FE college opens in Barnet A new further education college opened its doors for the first time recently. Ambitious College is the first independent specialist college in London to be located on the same site as a general further education college (Barnet and Southgate College). It will provide a service for learners with complex autism aged 16 to 25 who are often ruled out of education after leaving school. Â Recent research by Ambitious about Autism showed that fewer than one in four young people with autism access education beyond school, a figure that is mirrored by the fact that over 85 per cent of adults with autism are not in paid full-time employment.

Ambitious College is run by Ambitious about Autism, the national charity for children and young people with autism.

The charity has a 16-year record of providing autism services including TreeHouse School, which has been rated by Ofsted as outstanding. www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk

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BOOK REVIEWS

Book reviews

by Mary Mountstephen

The Elephant in the ADHD Room: Beating Boredom as the Secret to Managing ADHD Letitia Sweitzer Jessica Kingsley Publishers £17.99 ISBN: 978-1-84905-965-7

Sweitzer coaches adults and young people with ADHD and has also worked with children with hearing, speech and language, and learning disabilities.

In this book she introduces strategies for professionals working in a range of settings.

She focuses on a practical and common sense approach to helping students find ways to discover how they can take responsibility for cultivating interests and becoming more aware of using their imagination.

In Part 1 of the book, the author recognises that students with ADHD are often bored, restless, dissatisfied and frustrated. What she tries to do in this section is to define boredom as a lack of something active, interactive and meaningful to do and, importantly, the freedom to do it.

She includes some case studies relating to students of different ages and focuses on students finding what she calls “elements of interest”.

In Part 2, she stresses that ADHD is a condition that represents a difference “in the way that left-handedness is different”. She then provides age related activities, starting with infants and toddlers and concluding with adults.

Throughout, she stresses the importance of developing a mindset of the child finding ways to interest themselves and she includes quick tips to aid parents and teachers.

This book will be of interest to those coaching ADHD students or those responsible for supporting staff working with them.

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How The Brain Learns to Read (Second Edition) David A. Sousa Corwin Press £25.99 ISBN: 978-1-4833-3394-6

Dr Sousa’s books have been published in many languages and he has been awarded honorary degrees for his commitment to research in educational neuroscience and learning.

In this new edition, he has revised and updated much of the content to increase its relevance to the current audience.

The book is divided into eight chapters, and opens with an overview of how children learn spoken language. It then moves on to discuss the different phases of learning to read and the different methods of teaching for decoding, encoding and comprehension.

Sousa claims that “about one in three” students have reading problems, with inadequate reading instruction, social and cultural conditions and physical causes being cited as influential factors.

Sousa’s outline for interventions draws on research relating to the development of phonemic awareness and brain plasticity, with examples of how intervention programmes have been shown to influence brain activity.

He then outlines different methods for teachers to use in the classroom.

The author has made the content accessible through the use of charts, tables and colour.

While this book considers these issues from a US perspective primarily, much of the content is relevant to any teacher working with struggling readers. It is particularly relevant in terms of helping teachers to understand how to address the needs of older students struggling both with reading per se and in the context of coping across the curriculum.

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BOOK REVIEWS

Andrew Solomon

Bounce Forward: The Extraordinary Resilience of Leadership

Vintage Books £11.99 ISBN: 978-0-099-46099-2

Elle Allison-Napolitano (Foreword by Michael Fullan)

Far From The Tree

Corwin Press £20.99 ISBN: 978-1-4522-7184-2 Given that this book runs to more

This book is about the

than 900 pages, you may want to

qualities of effective leaders

save it for a holiday or similar period

and how they handle adversity

as it will draw you in so completely

and challenges and remain

that it is hard to stop reading.

positive. The author uses

Andrew Solomon has produced

a variety of approaches to

an amazing book in which he

engage the reader, including

interviews more than 300 families

interviews and research,

about raising “difficult” children.

and also draws on her own

The book has won several national

experience of developing

awards and it is easy to see why,

professional development

as it is written in a compelling way with an extraordinary

for school leaders.

breadth of content.

The book draws the reader into the lives of families

The book is divided into four main parts and opens by informing

coming to terms with a range of challenges, such as autism,

the reader that resilience is a trait that can be learned

schizophrenia, deafness, transgender issues and rape.

and developed.

The author blends together research, case studies and

In Part 1, she outlines the nature of leadership resilience

personal reflections and each section looks at the issues

and an inventory guides the reader into greater understanding

from different, but very relevant perspectives.

of their own resilience score. While not all readers will be

The main theme of this book is that your own child may

leaders in their organisation, there is much value in going

be radically different to you and this can be potentially

through these exercises as a professional working at any level

isolating and traumatic. What he does is to draw the reader’s

in an institution. I found it fascinating to reflect on leaders I

attention to the courageous ways in which “ordinary people”

have known and on my own leadership style.

manage to overcome life-changing circumstances and the

In Parts 2 and 3, the author looks at strategies to inspire

“terrifying joy of unbearable responsibility”. He describes

teams and simple suggestions to improve the dialogue

many examples where parents have battled for years to

between staff. She refers to the concept of “renewal” and

have their child’s needs recognised and to have their child

its importance in bolstering resilience.

recognised for what they are as a person.

In the final part of this book, the author explores the

The book has extensive notes for each chapter

concept of the resilient organisation. She closes with a

and is, at the same time, both an academic and

list of films, music, literature and poetry, which she has

reader-friendly resource.

selected on the basis of the messages they convey about

Highly recommended

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resilience. It is a great end to a very interesting book.

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KIDZ UP NORTH

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ADOPTION

MENTAL HEALTH

Joel Age: 4½ years old

We are looking for an adoptive family for Joel Joel is a delightful little boy with big brown eyes and a very expressive face. His foster carer describes him as: “happy and bubbly; he gives you so much”. Joel makes lots of eye contact and thrives on giving and receiving hugs and kisses.

Joel can be very determined and will do his best to get what he wants, when he wants it. This is an advantage when Joel is learning something new. However, Joel requires (and responds well to) clear, firm, consistent boundaries.

Joel enjoys playing with water. He loves to be outside and enjoys to sit in a car, a scooter or a sandpit.

Indoors, Joel is happy to play with small cars and he also loves counting things. He is confident in counting both forwards and backwards. He also loves to sing.

Joel is in a good routine. He happily goes to bed around 7pm after a bath and a story or a chat about his day. He will settle himself to sleep and generally sleeps through the night. Joel also eats well and particularly enjoys fruit.

In September 2013, Joel was diagnosed as being just over the threshold of the autistic spectrum. His social and language skills are delayed and he has a statement of SEN. In the last six months, Joel has made tremendous progress. The use of Makaton and PECS symbols has really helped in improving his speech and he is far less reliant on signs and symbols. He has enjoyed his nursery education,

made friends there and made much progress. A special education resource has been identified for Joel’s primary education.

Joel has eczema. This is well controlled using emollients in his bath and creams for his skin. Joel knows when he needs cream applying and will ask for it and help to apply it.

Joel had a change of foster placement in June 2014 and has developed a good relationship with his new carers. He spends most time with the female carer but thrives on the attention he gets from the male carer. Joel is physically affectionate with both of them.

Joel’s foster carer says: “everything you do with him, he is interested and enthusiastic. He is just a real pleasure to be with”.

For further information, please call: Allison Pearson Adoption Social Worker Telephone: 0161 947 4646 Or email: allison.pearson@stockport.gov.uk

YoungMinds Parents Helpline under threat Sarah Brennan, Chief Executive of YoungMinds, has issued an open letter to the mental health charity’s supporters asking them to help save its Parents Helpline.

The Helpline, which has supported hundreds of thousands of desperate and confused parents for the last 21 years, is under threat of closure if the charity can’t secure funding. Every year, the helpline supports over 10,000 parents and carers who are worried about the mental health of their child, through free telephone and email support and specialist web pages.

Providing help and support to each caller costs around £25, so the charity is asking for any donations, however big or small, which it says will mean a great deal to all of the distressed families who contact the Helpline.

The words of one parent illustrate how important the kind of support the Helpline provides can be: “Our 12-year-old daughter started to self-harm and quickly disappeared into a darkness of depression. We were confused and lost, and didn’t know where to get help. We tried the normal route – such as GP, CAMHS – but still she slipped deeper away from us. YoungMinds Parents Helpline gave us the support and lifeline we needed so desperately. We are now four years on, and though not out of the woods yet, our 16-year-old is now back in school and starting her life again.”

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Sarah Brennan says that “supporting parents and carers is absolutely crucial in improving the mental health of children and young people. A recent evaluation of the work of the Parents Helpline has shown us this is an amazing service that literally saves lives, and feedback from parents has really brought it home to us how vitally important and precious this service is.”

For more information, contact Sharon Coleman, the Helpline Appeal Lead on: sharon.coleman@youngminds.org.uk or visit: www.youngminds.org.uk WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

RECRUITMENT

What a performance!

Denise Inwood explains how to get the most out of school staff and ensure there are no surprises with performance-related pay

F

ollowing the introduction of performance-related pay (PRP) awards in schools in September, it is now more important than ever for schools to implement robust, fair and transparent review processes, featuring clear criteria and an agreed evidence base. “No surprise” pay reviews are achievable if the policy is approved by all and expectations are shared; a culture of professional engagement and open dialogue is essential.

With an estimated 79 per cent of a school’s total budget spent on staffing (according to the Government’s Review of efficiency in the schools system

Agree robust objectives that reflect the level of challenge appropriate for that individual’s position published in June 2013), it makes sense to ensure its greatest financial outlay presents the greatest value for money.

Contrary to the views portrayed in the media, I believe that PRP speaks positively about the status of teaching, ensuring the focus on decisions about pay and promotion are based on objective evidence and a consideration

Top tips for PRP reviews • Be transparent – set clear performance targets and, where appropriate, link them to national Teachers’ Standards.

• Agree and publish protocols and timetables that are shared and explicit.

• Involve staff in discussions about the protocols and procedures to ensure they remain fit for purpose.

• Agree robust objectives that reflect the level of challenge appropriate for that individual’s position.

• Agree in advance the evidence to be gathered by the reviewer - for example, lesson observations and that it is measured and specific.

• Familiarise all staff with the protocols and procedures that will be applied if appropriate progress is not made, for example, intervention strategies that are agreed and understood by all.

• Ensure that the training and development programme

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effectively meets the needs of individuals and groups of staff and that impact measures are established in advance of support being provided.

Be consistent and fair – ensure that reviewees and reviewers conform to the same protocols, timetables and expectations and that time is made available on an agreed “needs basis” for ongoing dialogue and discussions regarding progress.

Make professional development and coaching available to all; if staff are to meet their objectives, they will need support, training and coaching.

Train new reviewers appropriately once school protocols and procedures are in place and ensure that reviewees understand the aforementioned points.

Use systems that ensure consistency from everyone, to ensure that the process and workforce measurements are reliable across all staff.

Schools need to retain and reward their best teachers.

of the impact that a teacher is having on very specific aspects of school improvement. PRP linked to specifically negotiated and agreed targets, with clear success criteria and evidence, gives teachers a very strong steer on their priorities for that year. It also clarifies the evidence base they need to achieve it. Ultimately, it will help schools make better use of public money, ensure that students get the best return on their school’s investment in staff and, crucially, improve outcomes.

The future is bright. Those schools that master the performance-related pay process effectively will be in a strong position to create and develop a very positive and committed workforce, with each member understanding and being rewarded for the important role they play in enabling the organisation as a whole to improve outcomes and results.

Further information

A former Assistant Headteacher, Denise Inwood is Managing Director of BlueSky, which runs an online performance management system for schools: http://blueskyeducation.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.

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CPD, TRAINING AND EVENTS Rebound Therapy Staff Training Courses 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.

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

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. autism@abdn.ac.uk www.abdn.ac.uk

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Sounds of Intent training days

In-house training packages for schools

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-toface 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 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.rnib.org.uk

RNIB Certificate in Contracted (grade 2) English Braille

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 Strategies for Successful Special Needs Support is an introductory online course accredited by The College of Teachers at Certificate of Educational Studies level.

The course is for teachers and others working with children with special needs and includes full tutor support. www.collegeofteachers.ac.uk

Leadership for Teachers and Trainers

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.

Online This course will help develop your strategic leadership skills and is aimed at teachers and leadership teams in schools including senior and middle managers within a school or training organisation.

www.rnib.org.uk

www.collegeofteachers.ac.uk

Level 4 CPD Certificate in Dyslexia in the Classroom Online Dyslexia Action's continuing professional development online course has been developed specifically for classroom teachers and teaching assistants working in the primary and secondary education fields.

Many units are also suitable for those working in further education. This CPD course is primarily intended for UK based applicants. However, UK teachers working overseas in an English speaking international school may also apply. 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

Free one hour webinars on education and autism The National Autistic Society and Axcis Education Recruitment have produced webinars to help teachers and educators learn the tools and strategies they need to support children with autism. www.autism.org.uk/webinars

Study SEN with Middlesex University Study MA Inclusive Education online and part-time at Middlesex University. Learn best practice in SEN - see the impact on your own work and advance your teaching career. www.mdx.ac.uk

Study Specific Learning Difficulties with Middlesex University Study MA Inclusive Education online and part-time at Middlesex University. Learn best practice teaching children with Specific Learning Difficulties - see the impact on your own work and advance your teaching career. www.mdx.ac.uk

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CPD, TRAINING AND EVENTS Study Gifted and Talented with Middlesex University Study MA Inclusive Education online and part-time at Middlesex University. Learn best practice working with Gifted and Talented children - see the impact on your own work and advance your teaching career. www.mdx.ac.uk

Study Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties with Middlesex University Study MA Inclusive Education online and part-time at Middlesex University. Learn best teaching children with social and behavioural difficulties – see the impact on your own work and advance your teaching career. www.mdx.ac.uk

Study Bilingual Learners with Middlesex University Study MA Inclusive Education online and part-time at Middlesex University. Learn best practice teaching bilingual learners – see the impact on your own work and advance your teaching career. www.mdx.ac.uk

Henshaws College Family Open Days Regular Open Days for families and students to explore the campus, meet staff and students and learn how Henshaws could support you to achieve your goals. Open days are on: 26 November, 4 February, 11 March, 15 April and 17 June. Booking is essential. admissions@henshaws.ac.uk

01423 886451 http://henshaws.org.uk

Various Dates

Using Soundbeam to Support the Curriculum and Communication Various venues

This course will look at the many ways in which the Soundbeam can be used to support special needs pupils in a classroom environment

Various dates

Supporting people on the Autism Spectrum in Producing Written Work Various venues It is not uncommon for people with autism to experience difficulties in completing written tasks. This course is suitable for anyone who works with children, young people or adults, in an educational setting.

Concept Training Ltd.

01524-832828

www.concept-training.co.uk

Various dates

Autism Spectrum, An Introduction, Level 2 Various venues Accredited at level 2 by the Open College Network. This course is for anyone working with or caring for either adults or children with autism.

Concept Training Ltd.

01524-832828

www.concept-training.co.uk

Various dates

Learning Outside the Classroom

Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication Handicapped Children

3 DAY TRAINING COURSE 26-28 January 2015 £391 17-19 June 2015 £391

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Course Led by Prof. Gary Mesibov former Dir. Div. TEACCH This training is most appropriate for: Educators, therapists, administrators, paraprofessionals and families Includes am/pm refreshments, light lunch.

Autism Independent UK (SFTAH) 199-203 Blandford Ave. Kettering, Northants. NN16 9AT. Tel./Fax: 01536 523274 autism@autismuk.com Book on-line: www.autismuk.com

01524-832828

www.concept-training.co.uk

Various dates

Practical and Effective Ways of Using MultiSensory Equipment Various venues A practical "hands on" course to learn everything you need to know to get the most out of a multi-sensory environment. Learn what the multi-sensory concept is, how to use it and who can benefit.

Concept Training Ltd.

01524-832828

www.concept-training.co.uk

Various dates (as required)

People First Education SEN INSET training

Concept Training Ltd.

01524-832828

01427 667556

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T.E.A.C.C.H.

Various venues This course covers outdoor teaching ideas across all areas of the curriculum for children and young people with a range of disabilities and learning difficulties.

Concept Training Ltd.

Effective, personalised, in-house training delivered by experienced, qualified and approachable trainers.

www.concept-training.co.uk

Autism

www.peoplefirsteducation.co.uk

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CPD AND EVENTS November 2014 Various November

People First Education: Getting it Right for Learners with Dyslexia Day 18 November: Premier Inn, Kingsway, North Gateshead NE11 0BE 19 November: Premier Meetings, Brighouse, West Yorkshire HD6 4HA 20 November: Premier Meetings, Rugby, Warwickshire CV23 0WE 24 November: Premier Meetings, Parkhouse Road, Carlisle CA3 0HR 25 November: Premier Meetings, Tower Street, Hull HU9 1TQ Effective inclusion of learners with dyslexia: A day course to enhance the literacy skills of learners with dyslexia. £145 + VAT

01427 667556 www.peoplefirsteducation.co.uk

4 November

Pathological demand avoidance conference Cardiff Information on PDA is extremely limited; this conference provides a rare opportunity to learn about the disorder and hear experts in the field discussing the latest strategies. www.autism.org.uk/conferences/ PDA2014

6 November

Turning Theory Into Practice London For local authorities (both education and care), awardwinning solicitor Douglas Silas explains the new SEN law and outlines how to resolve disputes. www.specialeducationalneeds.co.uk

10 - 12 November

Occupational Therapy for Children with Developmental Perceptual Dysfunctions Derby

Trainer: Sidney Chu PhD, MSc, PDip (Biomech).

An introduction to the perceptual model of practice, the assessment and procedures involved plus treatment approaches and intervention techniques for children with DPD. Cost £330 Dhft.ncore@nhs.net

11 November

Preparing Visually Impaired Students for Exams Worcester Focusing on A-level and GCSE level study, this event will explore a range of ways to support VI students to prepare for their exams. Subjects will include: exam arrangements, controlled assessments, coursework modification, research skills, specialist Braille codes, the role of the TA and transition to university. £30.00 www.newcollegeworcester.co.uk

12 November

Value for Money: Measuring, Monitoring and Evaluating Progress London Hilton Euston Another opportunity for independent and school based teachers to explore an effective system of measuring and evaluating their SpLD learners’ response to intervention and demonstrate effectiveness to their stakeholders. This course is suitable for teachers in primary, secondary and sixth form arenas.

(Booking ref: Lon12/11/14) www.patoss-dyslexia.org/ ProfessionalServices/EventsCPD/

13 November

The Children’s Trust Open Day for Professionals

info@childmentalhealthcentre.org

Tadworth, Surrey The free events will offer an overview of the Trust’s residential brain injury rehabilitation, community-based support, transitional services for technology-dependent children, and education for learners with profound and multiple learning difficulties.

www.childmentalhealthcentre.org

www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk/opendays

London Training day 10.00 - 17.30 Cost: £150 The Centre for Child Mental Health

020 7354 2913

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Workshop on “Sensory Strategies for Attention” and “Promoting Positive Handwriting” Northampton Attend one or both half day sessions in Northampton and learn how to help your students get ready for learning and develop good handwriting habits.

Thrive OT Services, Ltd www.thriveots.com

www.ncore.org.uk

8 November

Enabling Children and Teenagers to Speak About Feelings Through Art and Clay

13 November

15 November 2014

From Loving in Pain to Loving in Peace.

Interventions for Attachment Disorders Conference 10.00 - 5.15pm Cost: £174 The Centre for Child Mental Health

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

15 November

Diagnostic Assessment: Confidence in your Tests, Statistics and Interpretation London Hilton Euston An opportunity for assessors/ specialist teachers to gain confidence in the more subtle and complex areas of diagnostic assessment, refresh their knowledge of statistical concepts in psychometric testing, and enhance their skills in the analysis of data and interpretation of standard score profiles.

(Booking ref: Lon15/11/14) www.patoss-dyslexia.org/ ProfessionalServices/EventsCPD/

17 November

People First Education: Making Visual Strategies and Social Stories Premier Inn, Albert Dock, Liverpool, L3 4AD Visual and auditory social and behavioural strategies for learners with ASDs, ADHD and related conditions. £145 + VAT

01427 667556 www.peoplefirsteducation.co.uk

18 November

Turning Theory Into Practice For healthcare organisations/ professionals, award-winning solicitor Douglas Silas explains the new SEN law and outlines how to resolve disputes. www.specialeducationalneeds.co.uk

19 November

NAS Training – Sensory Considerations London Understanding sensory differences and strategies to support these. www.autism.org.uk/training

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. www.disabledliving.co.uk

20 November

ISC SEN Conference

info@childmentalhealthcentre.org

BMA House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9JP The ninth in this prestigious series of conferences aimed at SENCOs, directors of learning, learning support teachers and heads and SMT members who wish to understand or improve the SEN provision in their schools. Topics to be covered include SEND reform, access arrangements, dyspraxia, co-morbidity, phonics and emotional health issues.

www.childmentalhealthcentre.org

www.iaps.org.uk/courses/detail/687

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

WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

CPD AND EVENTS 22 November

Calm, Creativity and Competence: Learn Relaxation, Calming Techniques and Guided Visualisation London Training day 10.00 - 17.30 Cost: £150 The Centre for Child Mental Health

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

25 November

Parenting The FASD Child Workshops Southampton These are practical, informal half-day workshops led by Julia Brown.

Cost is £42 per person or £78 per couple. admin@fasdtrust.co.uk

25 November

Autism a hands on approach: 11th Annual National Conference Stockport This conference, organised and attended by parents and professionals, is now one of the largest conferences of this type in the North West. This year, the conference has again attracted some of the biggest names in the world of autism: Prof Rita Jordan, Prof David Skuse, Dr Jacqui Ashton-Smith, Phoebe Caldwell and Charlotte Moore (author/parent).

Contact Tanya Farley:

07966 399 709 autism.ahandsonapproach@gmail.com

25 November

Autism and communication conference Reading This conference will discuss the types of communication difficulties that people on the autism spectrum can experience, and the tools and strategies to help support verbal and nonverbal communication. www.autism.org.uk/conferences/communication2014

WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

26 November

Diagnostic Assessment: Renewing your Assessment Practising Certificate Thistle Hotel Birmingham 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. This is no easy task and this CPD event will provide invaluable support for professionals trying to meet these goals.

(Booking ref: BHM/26/11/14) www.patoss-dyslexia.org/ ProfessionalServices/EventsCPD/

26 November

NAS Training – 10.2 Social Stories One-day workshop Manchester Learn how to write and implement social stories. www.autism.org.uk/training

27 November

Introduction to Supporting Students with a Visual Impairment Worcester

A practical introduction to supporting students with a visual impairment in mainstream classes, including understanding of the impact of visual impairment on learning, options for materials adaptation, effective strategies for working with students and teachers, low vision aid or introduction to Braille. £30.00 www.newcollegeworcester.co.uk

27 November

Autism 2014 – Good Practice and Practical Strategies Glasgow A one-day conference Contact Medica CPD for further information:

0141 638 4098 Carolyn@medicacpd.com

SCERTS

Day1-2 Introduction & Day 3 Formal Assessment/Advanced to the SCERTS

Using the SCERTS curriculum & practice principles to design programming for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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2 DAY TRAINING COURSE 29-30th January 2015 £260 ———————

Course Led by

Emily Rubin MS, CCC-SLP Director This training is most appropriate for: Educators, therapists, administrators, paraprofessionals, & families Includes am/pm refreshments, light lunch.

Autism Independent UK (SFTAH) 199-203 Blandford Ave. Kettering, Northants. NN16 9AT. Tel./Fax: 01536 523274 autism@autismuk.com Book on-line: www.autismuk.com

www.medicacpd.com

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CPD AND EVENTS 28 November

Sensory Processing and Autism

3 December

Turning Theory Into Practice

Glasgow A half-day training course Contact Medica CPD for further information:

For educational psychologists/ therapists, award-winning solicitor Douglas Silas explains the new SEN law and outlines how to resolve disputes.

0141 638 4098

www.specialeducationalneeds.co.uk

Carolyn@medicacpd.com www.medicacpd.com

December 2014 2 December

NAS Training – Understanding people with autism London Learn about autism and how people with autism experience the world. www.autism.org.uk/training

2 December

Open Local Study Days: FASD: Implications for Professional Practice Exeter Multi-disciplinary days looking at FASD, what is it, how it impacts on a person/society, the support needs of the affected individual and their family and implications for practice across various professional fields. events@fasdtrust.co.uk

2 December

Raising pupil attainment – optimising the Pupil Premium and further steps for policy and practice Central 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. www.westminsterforumprojects.co.uk

3 December

Autism and sensory processing in everyday life conference Leeds This event will help to develop a greater understanding of sensory processing and how difficulties with sensory processing can impact on a person with autism. www.autism.org.uk/conferences/sensory2014

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Various 2015 dates

Patoss 2015 Programme Various courses will be available, designed to support the new Code of Practice and CPD targets, including: • SENCOs, Examination Officers and Access Arrangements • SENCOs, SpLD Reports: Recommendations into Action • SENCOs and Managing the Code of Practice • Dyspraxia for Primary and Secondary Teachers • Specific days for tutors in FE and HE www.patoss-dyslexia.org

January 2015 from January 2015

NAS Training - Active for autism Various locations plus in-house option

New training and consultancy for teachers and sports coaches.

Developing understanding and practical strategies. www.autism.org.uk/active

13 January

Visually Impaired Students – Outreach Open Day

15 January

Safeguarding children with autism conference

At this free event, the delegates will look at some of the key issues facing frontline staff, such as why it can be hard to distinguish between signs of abuse and behaviours that children with autism often display, and why it can be hard to detect the signs of abuse in children with autism. www.autism.org.uk/conferences/safeguarding2015

20 January

Special Educational Needs – Early Intervention and a Person Centred Life Course Central London Gain a comprehensive understanding of changes to special educational needs support, and hear from experts in the field at Policy Knowledge’s event.

0845 647 7000

info@policy-knowledge.com www.govknow.com

20 January

Special Educational Needs – Early Intervention and a Person Centred Life Course Central London Gain a comprehensive understanding of changes to special educational needs support, and hear from experts in the field at this Policy Knowledge event.

0845 647 7000

info@policy-knowledge.com www.govknow.com

22 and 23 January

Worcester A taste of how New College Worcester teaches visually impaired students, the opportunity to meet subject teachers and get practical support and advice on specific curriculum areas of your choice.

Suitable for professionals new to supporting visually impaired students.

Free of charge

PECS Level 1 Training Workshop

www.newcollegeworcester.co.uk

www.pecs.com

February 2015 16 - 20 February

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 trainers from Division TEACCH, University of North Carolina and experienced practitioners and TEACCH trainers from Prior's Court Certified at Advanced Consultant Level and Certified at Practitioner Level.

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

01635 247202

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

24 - 26 February

GESS Dubai – Bursting with Education Ideas

Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE GESS Dubai is the Middle East’s leading educational show, offering access to the latest education technologies and solutions. The free to enter, three-day programme is designed for all educational professionals, presenting insight from international experts through diverse live demonstrations.

www.gessdubai.com

25 February

NAS Training – Understanding and Supporting children with PDA

Cardiff Learn about pathological demand avoidance (PDA) and its relationships to the autism spectrum.

Cardiff PECS is an approach that teaches functional communication skills using pictures. This workshop will give you all the practical details you need to start implementing PECS immediately, including: demonstrations, videos and opportunities to practice.

www.autism.org.uk/training

01273 609 555

Harrogate This annual two-day conference is a unique opportunity for professionals to discuss best practice and share learning.

Expert speakers will present an overview of the changing environment and the latest developments in the field of autism.

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.

March 2015 3 and 4 March

The National Autistic Society’s Professional conference

www.autism.org.uk/conferences/professional2015

WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

CPD AND EVENTS April 2015

9 and 10 March

PECS Level 2 Training Sheffield Learn practical ideas for advanced lessons in expanding language and communication within functional activities, plus tools for identifying communication opportunities across the day. Successfully problem solve PECS implementation and take it to the next level.

01273 609 555 www.pecs.com

11 March

Teaching Critical Communication Skills: Help! I can’t wait to ask for a break and more Birmingham This training discusses how to teach critical communication skills that lead to greater independence. Topics include: following visual directions/ timetables, answering “yes” and “no”, learning to wait, transitioning between activities, and to how ask for help or a break.

01273 609555 www.pecs.com

18 March

A Teachers’ Guide to Organising and Managing the Classroom Manchester A practical workshop which will help you maximise teaching time for learners with autism and complex communication difficulties. Develop effective learning environments, which emphasise functional communication and learn how to use reinforcers effectively in the classroom.

15 - 17 April

GESS Mexico – Bursting with Education Ideas World Trade Center, Mexico City GESS Mexico is the latest launch from the GESS portfolio of world class education exhibitions and conferences. GESS is free of charge to attend, giving you the opportunity to experience innovative exhibits and demonstrations from industry experts on the very latest education technologies and solutions. www.gessmexico.com

October 2015 19 - 23 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 trainers from Division TEACCH, University of North Carolina and experienced practitioners and TEACCH trainers from Prior's Court Certified at Advanced Consultant Level and Certified at Practitioner Level.

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

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

01273 609 555 www.pecs.com

19 March

SoSAFE! Social and Sexual Safety Manchester SoSAFE! is a set of visual and conceptual tools designed to promote social safety for people with MSID and/ or autism spectrum disorder.

SoSAFE! provides visual tools to enhance the social-sexual and social-safety training of these individuals.

01273 609 555 www.pecs.com

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

Dyspraxia Foundation UK

Support and advice on bullying:

Dyspraxia advice and support:

www.bullying.co.uk

www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.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

Dyspraxia

Scope UK Help, advice and support for children and adults affected by cerebral palsy:

www.scope.org.uk

Epilepsy Epilepsy Action

Advice and information on epilepsy:

www.epilepsy.org.uk

Young Epilepsy

Support for children and young people with epilepsy plus training for professionals:

www.youngepilepsy.org.uk

FASD

Down syndrome Asperger Foundation UK (ASF) Support for people with Asperger’s syndrome:

Down’s Syndrome Association (DSA) 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)

Forum for sharing experience/advice for those affected by ASD:

www.autism-awareness.org.uk

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

Bullying

www.nofas-uk.org

General SEN British Institute for Learning Disabilities Charity for learning disabilities:

www.bild.org.uk

www.cerebra.org.uk

www.autism.org.uk

www.researchautism.net

Support for those affected by foetal alcohol spectrum disorder:

Charity for children with brain related conditions:

Help and information for those affected

by ASD:

Charity focused on researching interventions in autism:

The National Organisation for Foetal Alcohol Syndrome UK

Cerebra UK

National Autistic Society (NAS)

Research Autism

The FASD Trust

www.fasdtrust.co.uk

British Dyslexia Association (BDA) Child Brain Injury Trust Information and support for people affected by dyslexia:

www.bdadyslexia.org.uk

Crick Software

Supporting children, young people, families and professionals when a child has acquired a brain injury:

www.childbraininjurytrust.org.uk

Clicker 6 is one of the most widely-used reading and writing tools in the UK for children with dyslexia:

Department for Education (DfE)

www.cricksoft.com/clicker

www.education.gov.uk

Dyslexia Action

Mencap

UK bullying prevention charity:

Charity providing services to those affected by dyslexia:

www.mencap.org.uk

www.beatbullying.org

www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk

Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA)

Charity dedicated to reforming attitudes and policy towards bullying:

The UK Government’s education department:

www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk

Beat Bullying

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Learning disabilities charity:

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SEN RESOURCES DIRECTORY

General SEN National Association for Special Educational Needs (NASEN) Organisation for the education, training, advancement of those with SEN:

www.nasen.org.uk

neral SEN National Parent Partnership Network Network of local partnerships providing information, advice and support for parents and carers of those with SEN:

www.parentpartnership.org.uk

Literacy National Literacy Trust (NLT)

Literacy charity for adults and children:

www.literacytrust.org.uk

Crick Software

Clicker 6 is the child-friendly talking word processor that helps pupils of all abilities to significantly develop their literacy skills:

Information and support for PMLD:

www.pmldnetwork.org

Action on Hearing Loss

Rebound therapy

Hearing impairment charity:

The National Rebound Therapy Consultancy

UK governing body for rebound therapy:

www.reboundtherapy.org

SEN law

www.deafnessresearch.org.uk

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

www.ndcs.org.uk

Law

Douglas Silas Solicitors

Specialising exclusively in SEN cases:

www.SpecialEducationalNeeds.co.uk

Independent Parental Special Education Advice

Legal advice and support for parents:

www.ipsea.org.uk

Spina bifida Shine

Learning outside the classroom

Support for people with little or no clear speech:

The Communication Trust

PMLD Network

Charity promoting medical research into hearing impairment:

Communication Matters

schooling The Home Education Network UK (THENUK)

PMLD

Deafness Research UK

www.afasicengland.org.uk

www.communicationmatters.org.uk

www.thenuk.com/

www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk

Afasic Help and advice on SLCN:

www.cricksoft.com/clicker ome

National organisation for home educators:

Hearing impairment

SLCN

Information and support relating to spina bifida and hydrocephalus:

Raising awareness of SLCN:

www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk

Tourette’s syndrome Tourette's Action Information and advice on Tourette’s:

www.tourettes-action.org.uk

Visual impairment National Blind Children’s Society Support and services for parents and carers of blind children:

www.nbcs.org.uk

New College Worcester National residential school and college for young people who are blind or partially sighted, also offering training and support for professionals:

www.newcollegeworcester.co.uk

Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) Support and advice to those affected by visual impairment:

www.rnib.org.uk

Awarding body for the LOtC quality badge:

ACE Centre

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

Advice on communication aids:

www.lotc.org.uk

www.ace-centre.org.uk

www.senmagazine.co.uk

Council for Learning Outside the classroom (CLOtC)

WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

www.shinecharity.org.uk

SLCN

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