SEN Magazine - SEN81 - Mar/Apr 2016 by SEN Magazine

March • April 2016 Issue 81

Changing up

Top tips for successful SEN transitions

The fight for respite How parent power is keeping short breaks on the agenda

ADHD reimagined

Is it time too reassess our view of ADHD? Down’s syndrome • performing arts • dyslexia • accessible vehicles multi-sensory play • Tourette’s • learning outside the classroom autism • resolving SEN disputes • CPD • recruitment and more…

This issue in full 06

SEN news

What's new?

Point of view

SEN legal Q&A

Short breaks

Tourette's syndrome

for young people on the autistic spectrum; and Autistica look at how autism research is changing lives for the better.

Performing arts

Down's syndrome

Accessible vehicles

Elsewhere, David Bellwood reveals how relaxed performances (p.28) are transforming the theatre experience for both audiences and venues. Tony Lloyd agues for a major re-think in our approach to ADHD (p.50) and Professor John Stein explains how we can help young people with dyslexia (p.55) by tackling their visual sequencing and auditory processing difficulties.

Creative arts

Transition

Sensory play

ADHD

Dyslexia

Learning outside the classroom

Book reviews

Autism

The Autism Show

About SEN Magazine

Recruitment

CPD, events and training

SEN resources directory

SEN subscriptions

Mar • Apr 2016 • Issue 81

Welcome

Change can be tough on us all. The move to a new school, or from education into adult life, can represent some of the most traumatic experiences young people will have faced in their lives. For those with SEN, though, the challenges are often even more daunting, the potential problems that much more profound.

In this issue of SEN Magazine, Henry Inman explores key issues faced by young people with SEN as they transition to adult life (p.40), while Liz Smith provides twelve top tips to help make a success of the transition between schools (p.44). Also in this issue, we ask leading autism charities what areas they will be prioritising during April’s Autism Awareness Month (p.74): The National Autistic Society discuss the drive to move from simple “awareness” towards real understanding of autism; Ambitious about Autism focus on the need to create better employment opportunities

You will also find features on Tourette’s (p.26), Down’s syndrome (p.32), accessible vehicles (p.34), art (p.38), multi-sensory play (p.46), learning outside the classroom (p.63) and much more. For the latest from SEN, join us on Facebook and Twitter or visit: www.senmagazine.co.uk

CONTRIBUTORS Peter Sutcliffe Editor editor@senmagazine.co.uk

Seonaid Anderson Amanda Batten David Bellwood Katherine Bentley Emily Gilbert Beccie Hawes Henry Inman

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

SUBSCRIPTION ADMINISTRATOR Amanda Harrison office@senmagazine.co.uk 01200 409 801

Heather Jones Tony Lloyd Stuart Mills Mary Mountstephen

DESIGN Rob Parry www.flunkyflydesign.co.uk design@senmagazine.co.uk

Michelle Parsons

Next issue deadline: Advertising and news deadline: 6 April 2016

Julian Stanley

Disclaimer

Douglas Silas Liz Smith John Stein Victoria Wilcher

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

SEN Magazine ISSN: 1755-4845

SENISSUE81

In this issue

Transition

Dyslexia

The fight for respite

Helping dyslexics by tackling their visual sequencing and auditory processing difficulties

Secondary Tourette’s

Helping children with Tourette’s to handle the transition to secondary school

Come as you are

Autism Awareness Month What are the priorities for autism campaigners?

Regulars

Seeing the world differently How vision impairments can affect children with Down’s syndrome

Getting away from it all Engaging kids in learning outside of the classroom

Are relaxed performances heralding a new era of theatre?

6 12

Access all areas Time for art

18 20

Changing up

Playing with the senses

CPD, training and events Your essential guide to SEN courses, seminars and events

ADHD reimagined Is it time too reassess the view of ADHD as a behavioural disorder?

Follow SEN Magazine on

Book reviews How can schools address the growing demand for SEN teaching staff?

Exploring the benefits of multi-sensory play

SEN legal Q&A

84 Recruitment

Twelve top tips for successful SEN transitions

Point of view

What can you do if you have a dispute regarding SEN?

Looking to the future The issues facing young people with SEN as they transition to adult life

What's new?

Have your say!

How a famous artist’s work inspired pupils to get creative

SEN news The latest products and ideas from the world of SEN

A useful guide to selecting the right accessible vehicle

Autism

Dyslexia: sight and sound

How parent power is keeping short breaks on the agenda

Mar • Apr 2016 • Issue 81

Visit us at:

SEN resources directory

www.senmagazine.co.uk

Join SEN Magazine on

22 Short breaks/respite 26 Tourette’s syndrome

50 ADHD 63 Learning outside the classroom

In the next issue of SEN:

SLCN • play • ICT in the classroom • numeracy • Foster Care Fortnight peer mentoring • sport • all-ability cycling • autism • dyslexia and much more…

SEN NEWS

£80 million SEN funding boost Package to help councils implement SEN reforms Extra cash to support parents The Government has announced new funding to help improve opportunities for children with SEN. Children and Families Minister Edward Timpson says the £80 million package will help transform the life chances of children across the country and ensure every child can “dream big” and fulfil their potential. The announcement will increase funding for councils and SEN support charities. The Government has also pledged continuing transition funding in 2017/18 to back up the implementation of its 2014 SEN reforms. In recognition of the additional duties placed on councils as a result of the transition from statements of SEN to the new education, health and care (EHC) plans, local authorities are to receive £35.8 million in implementation funding in 2016 to 2017. This is an increase of £4 million on last year. A further £27.3 million will go to the Family Fund Trust in 2016 to 2017 to support low income families with disabled children. The trust provides small scale grants, enabling families to make specific purchases and take short respite breaks. The Council for Disabled Children is also to get £15 million to fund its independent supporters programme in 2016 to 2017. The programme helps to support families and young people to navigate the SEN system. A further £2.3 million has been allocated for Parent Carer Forums in 2016 to 2017, which bring parents together to provide support and advice for families. The Government has also pledged to fund this work for an additional year in 2017 to 2018, to facilitate the transition to the new SEN system by April 2018.

Changing the system Since the Government introduced its programme to reform the SEN system in 2014, it has received widespread criticism from SEN charities and many of those charged with implementing the changes, particularly over the speed with which change has been introduced and the ability of those on the ground to meet their obligations under the new system. While the main stated aims of the SEN reforms have been welcomed by many, commentators have questioned how effectively they can be introduced, especially against a backdrop of austerity and budget cuts. Local authorities have struggled to implement the reforms, leading to claims of patchy provision, confusion for families and unsatisfactory services in some areas. The Government’s new funding announcement has been broadly welcomed by many of the leading charities and organisations involved in SEN. SENISSUE81

“This is a necessary and positive step to help ensure changes to the SEN system are implemented at the level of quality we, and families expect”, says Amanda Batten, CEO of Contact a Family. “In particular, we welcome continued funding for Parent Carer Forums… as this will help make sure parent carers continue to be involved in strategic decision making locally, and nationally through the National Network of Parent Carer Forums.” The Chief Executive of nasen, Dr Adam Boddison, believes that “Despite the challenges of this reform, the continued financial investment from government demonstrates their commitment to children and young people with SEND.” The allocation of more than £40 million towards supporting families reinforced the SEN Code of Practice’s emphasis on placing children and their parents at the heart of the decision making process. “There is also a recognition of the further work that needs to be done within local authorities, with more than £35m allocated to implementation funding”, says DR Boddison. Sarah Lambert, Head of Policy at the National Autistic Society, says that the “announcement is welcome, particularly the £35.8m that's being committed to improve local implementation of the SEN reforms.” She believes that the new SEN system has the potential to transform the prospects of children on the autism spectrum but she cautions that “poor local implementation in some areas has meant that many parents are still facing long and stressful battles trying to get the right support for their child.” She is calling on the Government to monitor how councils are coping with the changes to ensure all children get the support they need. WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

SEN NEWS

Finding autism in a fold of the brain French scientists believe they have identified a cerebral marker specific to autism that can be detected by an MRI scan and is present from the age of two years. The researchers hope their discovery will help bring about earlier diagnosis of autism. The abnormality exists in a shallow fold in Broca's area, a region of the brain involved in language and communication, functions that are impaired in autistic people. Published in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neurosciences and Neuroimaging, the research was a collaboration between CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université and AP-HM, and utilised the medical imaging processing skills of the Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone at the Université. The project had access to a homogeneous cohort of patients diagnosed at a very young age and all assessed using the same protocol at the Centre de Ressources Autisme PACA. The autistic spectrum covers a range of neuro-developmental disorders which mainly affect social relationships and communication. These disorders are associated with abnormal development of the brain. Recent neuroimaging findings have suggested the existence of abnormal cortical folding (the formation of convolutions on the surface of the brain). However, standard neuro-anatomical measurement techniques had failed until now to demonstrate any markers specific to each of these disorders, and notably typical autism. The French team focused on a new geometric marker called the “sulcal pit”, the deepest point of each sulcus in the cerebral cortex, from which points all the folds on the brain's surface develop. They are therefore put in place at a very early developmental stage, probably under genetic influences. Based on MRI findings, the scientists observed the sulcal pits of 102 boys aged two to ten years, who were placed in three groups – those with autistic disorder, those with pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (a form of autism), and typically developing children. By comparing these three groups, they discovered that in Broca's area, the maximum depth of a sulcus was less among autistic children when compared with the other two groups. This highly localised atrophy was correlated with the social communication performance of children in the autistic group: the deeper the sulcal pits, the more impaired were their skills in terms of language production. The team believe that this abnormality, specific to autistic children, may therefore constitute a biomarker for the condtion that could enable earlier diagnosis and management of autism from the age of two years.

News deadline for next issue: 6/4/16 Email: editor@senmagazine.co.uk

Disabled people want more active lifestyle Nine out of ten people believe more should be done to provide disabled people with equal access to fitness and leisure facilities, according to a new poll. More than 80 per cent of disabled people say they would like to be more active and take part in more physical activity, although nearly 70 per cent of people with disabilities say they face barriers when it comes to being active or participating in fitness activities. The survey was commissioned by the organisers of Parallel London, a new inclusive mass-participation run that will take place on Sunday 4 September at The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London. The format will include multiple running or walking distances, ranging from 100m to 10km to suit different levels of ability. Patron of Parallel London Nick Ashley Cooper, the 12th Earl of Shaftsbury, says “It’s really alarming that so many disabled people who want to lead more active lives still face barriers accessing facilities.” Backed by the Mayor of London, Parallel London is a not-for profit event that aims to encourage disabled people to be more active and more independent. It also wants to shine a light on inclusivity in everyday life and help to change public perceptions towards disability. “If prejudices can positively shift in the right direction and day-to-day barriers in life be removed, there is little doubt that disabled people can be more independent, equal and enabled to positively engage in our society”, says the event’s founder Andrew Douglass. Entry to Parallel London is now open to all via a public ballot. Organisers are encouraging anyone with a disability or impairment to enter and those without a disability are also welcome to participate. For more information, visit: ParallelLondon.com

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SEN NEWS

Autistic boys and girls have different types of friendship Autistic girls are more socially motivated and have more intimate friendships than autistic boys, but are not as good as girls without autism at recognising conflict in those friendships. This is the finding of research by Felicity Sedgewick, Vivian Hill and Professor Liz Pellicano from the Centre for Research in Autism and Education at University College London. The responses of 46 young people aged between 12 and 16 years and of similar intellectual ability – 13 autistic girls, 13 nonautistic girls, ten autistic boys and ten non-autistic boys – on a number of psychological measures were analysed. The results showed that autistic and non-autistic girls had similar scores for social motivation and friendship quality, although autistic girls reported significantly less conflict in their best friendships. Autistic boys were less socially motivated, with qualitatively different friendships that were less secure, helpful or close than non-autistic boys. Interviews with the participants backed up these findings with one exception: autistic girls reported higher levels of relational aggression. Autism tends to be seen as being much more common in boys and more boys than girls are diagnosed as being on the spectrum. However, this may be because diagnostic tools and criteria have been developed with boys and so are more biased towards identifying a “male presentation” of autism. Felicity Sedgwick believes that looking at the possible differences between autistic girls and boys, to understand differences in the presentation of autistic features, will help to identify autism in girls. “Social relationships are likely to be a key area where these gender differences occur, as we know that there are marked differences between typical boys and girls”, she says. “One of the most striking findings of our study was that the friendships of autistic girls were more like those of non-autistic girls than they were like the friendships of autistic boys.” The study’s findings suggest that the problems dealing with social relationships are more subtle in autistic girls than they are in autistic boys, which might contribute to the difficulties detecting autism in girls. Dealing with conflict with friends and significant others could be an important area to target when supporting girls and young women on the autistic spectrum. The research was presented to the annual conference of the British Psychological Society’s Division of Educational and Child Psychology in January.

For the latest news, articles, SEN resources, CPD and events listings, visit: www.senmagazine.co.uk SENISSUE81

Alternative provision must improve Schools need to do more to ensure the quality of education and the safety of pupils in alternative provision, says a new Ofsted report. Alternative provision refers to education a pupil receives away from their school, arranged by local authorities or by the schools themselves. It includes pupil referral units (PRUs), but many pupils on the roll of a PRU also attend additional forms of alternative provision off site. The new report, commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE), was carried out over a three year period and follows up the results of an initial survey in 2011, which found significant weaknesses in the way schools used alternative provision. Inspectors visited 165 schools and 448 of the alternative providers they used. They found that more schools are refusing to use alternative provision if they do not think it is of a good enough standard. Some schools have developed in-house alternatives when good quality provision is not available locally. The survey also revealed that more schools are working together to find and commission good quality alternative provision. While the survey found that providers are usually safe, with reasonable accommodation and resources available to students, a small number of providers are contravening regulations regarding registration, and schools are not always checking providers’ registration status. Schools are more aware of their responsibilities when selecting a provider than they were in 2011, but they still lack clear guidance regarding safeguarding. The absence of such specific guidance leaves schools uncertain about what is considered good practice with regard to safeguarding checks on potential providers. Providers also lacked guidance on the use of social media and general e-safety. “It is vitally important that schools recognise their responsibility for each and every pupil sent to an external provider”, says Sean Harford, Ofsted’s National Director for Education. “These are some of the most vulnerable children in the education system and the school is responsible for ensuring their personal and online safety while they are off site, as well as the quality of the education provided.” WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

SEN NEWS

All schools should have on-site mental health services Almost two-thirds of primary schools in England do not have a counsellor based on-site, and the majority of those that do provide counselling on-site for one day a week or less. These are the findings of new research published by children’s mental health charity Place2Be and the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT). One in five children will experience a mental health difficulty at least once in their first 11 years, according to 2015 research by London’s Centre for Mental Health, and many adults with lifetime mental health issues can trace the symptoms back to childhood. The NAHT says many headteachers in schools across England have raised pupil wellbeing and mental health as amongst their top concerns. The Department for Education has also stated that: “Our strong expectation is that over time all schools should make counselling services available to their pupils.” The new research, based on responses from 1,455 primary school leaders across England, showed that nearly all schools who responded to the survey are engaging in activities to help support pupils’ mental health, including working with parents (86 per cent), signposting to specialist services (75 per cent), and teaching lessons on mental health (63 per cent). However, the survey revealed barriers to putting in place professional mental health support for pupils. For those who did not already have a school-based counsellor, financial constraints were the most common barrier (77 per cent), followed by the lack of services or qualified professionals locally (61 per cent) and the lack of physical space in the school (46 per cent). “Primary school leaders are well aware of the challenges that their pupils face, whether it’s coping with parental separation, the illness or death of a loved one, or even witnessing domestic violence or substance misuse at home”, says Catherine Roche, CEO of Place2Be. “The vast majority are already working hard to support them so that they’re ready to learn and can get the most out of their education. But teachers are not counsellors, and sometimes schools need professional support to make sure that problems in childhood don’t spiral into bigger mental health issues later in life.”

Sight loss charities to merge The UK’s oldest sight loss charities are preparing to merge. The Royal Blind Society (RBsoc) is now operating under the new name, Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC), and plans to merge with the Royal London Society for Blind People (RLSB). The name change is intended to emphasise the charity’s focus on sight loss in youth, and the new organisation will have a strategic focus on improving the life chances of blind and partially sighted children and their families. WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Kids pay high price for high ability New research suggests that children with high learning potential are increasingly suffering from loneliness and worrying about issues that they never used to in the past and that this is having a negative impact on their future development. The charity Potential Plus UK, previously known as The National Association for Gifted Children, has published a report on emotional and mental health issues amongst high ability children. Based on a survey between 2010 and 2015 of 338 children and parents, the Too Much, Too Soon report found that the number of high learning potential children with emotional and mental health issues is on the increase. In 2010, seven per cent of these children were extremely concerned about things that in the past had not concerned them. By 2015, this figure had risen to 30 per cent. In 2010, 28 per cent of children said they had experienced no fun at all during the previous week playing with other children. By 2015, this figure had gone up to 40 per cent. Only ten per cent of children felt they were lonely a lot of the time in 2010, but by 2015 this percentage had doubled to 20 per cent of high learning potential children. The youngest child reporting emotional health issues in the survey was four years old. Roughly 58 per cent of children agreed that “people seem to accept lower expectations of me than I do of myself” and 27 per cent said they felt strongly or extremely strongly that “If I fail at school I am a failure as a person.” Denise Yates, Chief Executive of Potential Plus UK, believes that evidence from children and young people shows increased stress levels in our population. “For children with high learning potential, these are exacerbated by perfectionist traits, isolation and loneliness, and increased pressure within the school environment, which often does not help to support these children or improve their resilience”, she says. “When they cannot live up to their often impossibly high standards, this is when meltdown can occur.” The report makes nine recommendations for action by government, schools, parents/carers and the children themselves. For more information, visit: www.potentialplusuk.org SENISSUE81

SEN NEWS

Joint inspections target vulnerable children New Joint Targeted Area Inspections of services for vulnerable children and young people have been introduced by Ofsted, Care Quality Commission (CQC), Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP). From February this year, all four inspectorates are jointly assessing how local authorities, the police, health, probation and youth offending services are working together in an area to identify, support and protect vulnerable children and young people. The new short inspections will allow inspectorates to be more responsive, targeting specific areas of interest and concern. They will also identify areas for improvement and highlight good practice from which others can learn. Ofsted’s National Director for Social Care, Eleanor Schooling, believes that the responsibility of safeguarding should not rest with a single agency. “These new inspections will provide a comprehensive picture of how several agencies work together in an area to ensure children are safe.” Each inspection will include a “deep dive” element, with the first set, to be completed by Summer 2016, focusing on children at risk of sexual exploitation and those missing from home, school or care. Future areas of focus will be decided upon with input from key stakeholders. The inspection report will include narrative findings that clearly set out what the local partnership and agencies are doing well, and what they need to do to improve. When each set of inspections by theme are completed, a thematic overview report will be published to highlight the learning more widely. The inspections will replace Ofsted’s current thematic inspection programme. Alan MacDonald of the Probation Service says he sees real benefits in jointly assessing how well local agencies work together to protect and care for vulnerable children: “We think these inspections will shed light on both good and poor practice, identifying examples from which others can learn and helping areas to improve.” The joint inspections have been introduced following a consultation process last year and a pilot programme in December.

Walk on the wild side School children are being encouraged to build exercise into their daily routines by walking to school. Walk to School Week, taking place from 16 to 22 May, aims to celebrate walking and promote year-round walking activity. The Week is organised by Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking, and happens during National Walking Month each May. In 2015, over 14,000 classes and around 400,000 children took part in the event. “The majority of children are not getting their recommended 60 minutes of daily exercise”, says David Graham, the charity’s Head of Strategy for Schools. “Walking to school is a free and easy way for children to build exercise into their day. Physically active children are more alert, ready to learn and achieve better grades than those who are driven.” This year’s theme is “Strider’s Walk in the Wild”, with resources focusing on the walking habits and natural environments of different animal species and providing daily curriculum-linked activities for KS1 and KS2. A secondary school initiative which incentivises pupils to walk more than their classmates is also being run by Living Streets. The fundraising element of Walk to School Week takes place on Tuesday 17 May, known as “Happy Shoesday”. Children and staff wear the shoes that make them the happiest and donate £1. Money raised will go to Living Streets for work with schools, disability groups and local communities, and its campaigning work to improve safety on UK streets. For more information, visit: www.livingstreets.org.uk

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SEN NEWS

HCPC unveils new standards of conduct The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) has published its revised Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics. These are standards for the 16 professions the HCPC regulates, which include arts therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, practitioner psychologists, prosthetists/orthotists, social workers in England, and speech and language therapists. The Standards set out in broad terms the behaviour expected of practitioners of each of the professions. They reflect both the public’s expectations of professionals and the standards that professionals expect of each other. Revisions to the Standards include a standard about reporting and escalating concerns about the safety and wellbeing of service users (standard 7) and a standard about being open and honest when things go wrong (standard 8). Individuals are expected to tell service users and carers when they become aware that something has gone wrong with the care, treatment or other services that they provide and to take action to put matters right wherever possible. They are also required to consider making an apology and to make sure that the service user receives an explanation of what happened. The revised Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics, which are effective now, can be downloaded from the HCPC website: http://www.hcpc-uk.org

Sleep project for children with autism A series of sleep workshops aimed specifically at children with autism and their families is being piloted in Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire. It is estimated that 86 per cent of children with additional needs will suffer with sleep issues at some point during their childhood, compared with around 40 per cent of all children. Sleep deprivation can cause a wide range of difficulties for both parents and the child, including lowering of the immune system, behavioural issues and under achievement in education. Vicki Dawson is the Founder of the Children’s Sleep Charity, which has been funded by the NHS to trial the workshops. She says the charity has been inundated with requests for support from families of children with autism. Marie Simmons is mum to Kristan who is six years old, is on the autistic spectrum and also has sensory processing difficulties. “Kristan was up for most of the night. I decided to get help and hoped there was a light at the end of what felt a very dark tunnel”, she says. A few weeks after receiving support to make changes to his bedtime routine Marie reported that “Kristan started to sleep through the night, his behaviour improved in the day time and evenings are no longer spent running up and down the stairs.” WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

New tool to help schools carry out SEN reforms A free online tool is being made available to schools to help them understand how they are doing in implementing the changes required by the Government’s recent SEN reforms. The self-audit tool, developed by education charity Achievement for All, enables schools to assess current practice and offers guidance and resources to support further improvement. The tool consists of a survey which, once complete, generates a report containing a summary and guidance on what steps to take next. Schools also have access to a library of additional resources and options to support the school in improving outcomes for pupils with SEN and disabilities. Based on the SEN Code of Practice, the review focuses on eight key areas that are critical to SEN reform implementation. For each area, there are three questions, with examples provided to help the schools with their answers. The survey takes roughly 20 to 25 minutes to complete. To access the toolkit, go to: https://audittool.afaeducation.org

New CEO for learning disabilities charity Ben Higgins has been appointed as the Chief Executive at the British Institute of Learning Disabilities. Mr Higgins has worked for a number of voluntary sector organisations, and moves from the National Autistic Society, where he was Head of Education Development. “I am really excited about developing successful partnerships with organisations that share BILD’s values and commitment to increase the opportunities available to people with learning disabilities and autism”, he said. SENISSUE81

WHAT’S NEW?

What’s new?

Autism Show 2016 ticket office is now open The Autism Show 2016, sponsored by Hesley Group, will be returning in June and July to London, Birmingham and Manchester.

The Autism Show connects the autism community with the latest information, advice, products and services on the condition. Visitors can hear from the UK's leading autism professionals, discover 100s of products and services and listen to adults on the spectrum talk about their experiences. They can also learn new strategies for home and school and access one-to-one specialist advice. Save 20 per cent by booking in advance at: www.autismshow.co.uk

Specialist practical SEND support to schools The new OFSTED Common Inspection Framework requires schools to meet the challenge of every teacher being an “outstanding SEND teacher”. Auditory-actions provides teaching, assessment, consultancy, INSET, intervention and strategies to enable teachers to meet this requirement. The Director has over 25 years’ experience in SEND and has a wide knowledge of SEND, notably auditory processing disorder, hearing impairment, ASD, ADHD working memory, communication and language. The emphasis is to provide practical solutions to problems confronting schools and to enable mainstream professionals to manage SEND in a busy classroom, along with their statutory responsibilities.

New homes for Choice Care Group Choice Care Group continues to grow its residential and supported living services. They have opened four new homes in the last six months – two in Hampshire, one in Bournemouth and one in Surrey. Their homes provide residential care for groups of individuals of differing ages and abilities. Each home has its own personality and group dynamic and Choice Care Group encourage each individual to contribute to the life of the home. Choice Care Group are located in the Midlands and South of England. Homes range from small three-bed homes to large 12-bed detached houses, most with en-suite rooms. www.choicecaregoup.com 0203 195 0151

Manage CPD training for free CPD Safe is a new, comprehensive free online platform which enables both schools and individuals to manage their continued professional development, providing vital evidence for inspection, appraisals and future job applications. Schedule training, add records and certificates; reflect and document the immediate impact on long-term teaching and learning. Use the "at-a-glance" management dashboard to monitor staff training progress and overall view of CPD, while setting goals for individuals and departments at one or multiple locations. CPD Safe’s secure platform is 100 per cent free to educational establishments and individual users.

www.auditory-actions.co.uk info@auditory-actions.co.uk

Visit: www.cpdsafe.com

Challenging role for Mental Health Advisor

New MemRabel 2 memory alarm

The Challenge is a major provider of the National Citizen Service (NCS). This summer, 42,000 young people across its regions will take part. The Challenge is continuing to invest in ensuring every young person who wants to can fully participate. The organisation has introduced a new role: a Mental Health Adviser who will support the teams to put in place strategies around supporting young people with mental health needs and direct young people to appropriate support after the programme. More details of this role can be found at: ncsthechallenge. org/jobs. To apply, send a cover letter and CV to: MHArole@the-challenge.org SENISSUE81

Medpage Limited have introduced the new MemRabel 2, a daily calendar reminder alarm for people with failing memory. It uses high specification multi-media playback to display reminder videos, photos, and prerecorded voice reminders. Up to 20 daily, weekly, monthly or annual alarms can be set to provide reminders for medication, appointments, daily tasks, birthdays or any other event a person may forget. MemRabel 2 also helps with time of day association where people can be confused. It has a choice of time displays to suit people of varying cognitive ability. For more details, visit: www.memrabel.com WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

WHAT’S NEW?

Eureka! launches new education programme for special schools After winning Gold in the “Access for All” category from Visit England in 2015, Eureka! The National Children’s Museum has developed new accessible workshops for disabled children. Choose from Gross Lab exploring the icky side of the human body or Sensory Stories for a multi-sensory and interactive storytelling experience. Eureka! is a fully accessible venue. Essential carers visit for free, and facilities include a Changing Places toilet, chill out room for visitors with sensory difficulties, plus ear defenders and wheelchairs. With over 400 interactive exhibits across six galleries a trip to Eureka! is an unforgettable hands-on day. www.eureka.org.uk

Speech and language toolkit WellComm: Revised Edition, a speech and language toolkit for screening and intervention in the early years, is a quick and easy-to-use screening, monitoring and intervention tool for children aged six months to six years. By using WellComm, teachers can identify pupils in need of further help and support them with tailored interventions that can help improve their language skills. The Online Report Wizard provides every teacher with access to enhanced reporting, reporting progress, individual and cluster level reporting, and a secure system that's password protected. For more information, visit: www.gl-assessment.co.uk/products/wellcomm-revisededition or call: 0330 123 5375.

Transitions and transfers Specialist SEN solicitors, Douglas Silas Solicitors, are leading the way in helping parents successfully transition their child’s statement of SEN to EHC plans, or to move to the next stage of their educational journey. This includes transfers to primary/secondary schools and post-16/post-19 placements. Unfortunately, these have often been hindered by lack of knowledge, requiring Douglas to resolve many disputes. Douglas says: “Many people (including LAs) are currently struggling to do things properly or in time, so we are helping parents sort out messes or avoid them from happening in the first place.” For more information, visit: www.SpecialEducationalNeeds.co.uk

National employer recognises Henshaws student When Alex first started at Henshaws Specialist College, he found it difficult to work in a team. Staff supported him to understand rules for social interaction, giving him the skills and confidence to work alongside others. “Over the last two years the difference we’ve seen in Alex is amazing”, says Clare Robinson, Work Experience Coordinator. “His ability to initiate conversation and body language have improved. Alex now attends a weekly work placement at Hobbycraft near to his home area. By developing his social and technical skills on campus, Alex can now access the real world of work.” henshaws.ac.uk

Develop the SEND dream team in your school

Free “Communication Matters” events in Birmingham

Hays Education is partnering with Anita Devi, a leading education consultant, to deliver UK breakfast seminars between now and June 2016. These will support headteachers and senior leaders to “Develop the ultimate SEND dream team in your school”.

Hesley Group have released details on their upcoming free autism event and are now taking booking requests.

Anita Devi will explore a range of ideas, enhancing teacher and staff skills and confidence to meet the requirements of the DfE’s 0 to 25 SEND Code of Practice 2015 around the “assess-plan-do and review” cycle. These will examine effective strategies for recruiting and retaining high quality SEND practitioners, including SENCOs/inclusion managers.

Taking place at Aston Villa FC in Birmingham on 13 and 14 April, speakers Alex Kelly and Angela Stanton-Greenwood will provide practical workshops and presentations that will enable parents/carers and professionals to gain valuable skills and knowledge. Organisers say the one-day-event “will be sure to keep you engaged and focussed throughout”. More details can be found at: www.hesleygroup.co.uk

To book your free place, email: hayseducation@hays.com WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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WHAT’S NEW?

New Autism Expo

Autism and mental health conference

Anna Kennedy Online have announced the establishment of a new autism event for families and carers. AKO Autism Expo will take place at Brunel University on 12 March 2016.

This conference, organised by The National Autistic Society on 11 May in Manchester, will give professionals the tools and strategies they need to identify and provide targeted support for people with autism. Highprofile speakers will talk about adapting screening and diagnostic instruments for assessing individuals with complex needs. There will also be practical discussions focusing on how to adapt therapies and interventions to make them appropriate for individuals on the autism spectrum and case studies illustrating best practice models for diagnosis and transition planning.

Organisers say they are putting together an event that is both welcoming and awe-inspiring, where the talks are fresh, where all aspects of autism are talked about, and with speakers the attendees won’t have seen before. There will also be exhibitors, clinics, an art exhibition, food, a soft play area and a quiet room. A £5 booking discount is available if you book your tickets early at: http://akoautismexpo.co.uk/tickets

For more information and to register, visit: www.autism.org.uk/mentalhealth2016C

Engaging shows for schools Let's All Dance produce dance shows for children and family audiences. Their original ballet, The Princess and The Frog, which is popular with children with a wide range of special physical and educational needs, will be touring to schools in the summer term 2016. With lovely costumes, an enchanting set and specially commissioned music, the show is visually and aurally engaging, while a voice over ensures the story is crystal clear to everyone. Children can meet the dancers before or after performances and the company is happy to accommodate special requests wherever possible.

Making efficient use of the outdoor environment Many SEN schools are being expanded, leading to smaller outdoor spaces and bigger pupil numbers; some schools are struggling to provide highquality outdoor spaces that support learning, play and healthy behaviour. Petrow Harley landscape architects have assisted SEN schools in making better use of their existing school grounds. A recently completed school project that they designed and project managed has resulted in an increase of 60 per cent in useable space. Another scheme has re-used a redundant space and transformed it into an accessible educational area.

letsalldanceproductions@gmail.com 020 8265 4634 www.lets-all-dance.co.uk

For more information, call Rob on: 0208 949 0803 or visit: www.petrow-harley.com

Tired of paper based medical management?

Play equipment for adventure and imagination

Medical Tracker is a revolutionary web application used by schools to record, track and manage all areas relating to first aid and medication. It can manage care plans, record first aid incidents, notify parents and carers, create detailed reports for governors and much more.

PlayQuest Adventure Play Ltd is one of Britain's leading adventure playground manufacturers and suppliers, with a background of designing and installing play equipment throughout the UK, for over 24 years.

Medical Tracker is compatible with every management information system and has automatic links set up with the market leading MIS applications. You can find out why schools are moving from paper based systems to Medical Tracker’s online medical management application by watching the 90 second overview video at: www.medicaltracker.co.uk. Tel: 020 3743 9599. SENISSUE81

Based in North Wales, PlayQuest describes itself as “a friendly, reliable company that always strives to assist its customers in creating their perfect playground”. Among its range of play equipment, there is a wide selection of interactive game boards and sensory musical play equipment, designed so children can play, learn and interact together, or have their individual imaginative playtime. For more information, visit: www.playquest.co.uk or call: 01745 561117. WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

WHAT’S NEW?

Inclusive Play Design Guide

Accessible textbooks

Universal design leader Playworld has launched the “Inclusive Play Design Guide”, created together with a group of child development experts, offering inspiration and guidance to support the design of every play area.

Load2Learn is a free online service providing accessible textbooks and images to support dyslexic, partially sighted or blind learners from early years to higher education.

This informative document provides inspiration to help educate people, in the hope that individual decisions are made with an understanding of the needs of everyone visiting a playground. Using the Guide, along with the support from a Playworld consultant, can be a valuable component in the design of your new playground.

Load2Learn can significantly improve the school experience for these learners and save time for teaching staff who support them. The collection grows daily and currently has over 7,500 titles in various accessible formats. Over 60 publishers engaged, including Pearson Education, Elsevier, Hodder Education, HarperCollins and Oxford University Press. “This resource is invaluable. The time it saves us is fantastic”, says Stockport VI Service.

www.playworld.com 0207 608 5774

For more information, call: 0300 303 8313, email: Load2Learn@rnib.org.uk or visit: Load2Learn.org.uk quoting L2LQ2.

Prior’s Court young adult provision celebrates CQC result

Talking Books are now free

CQC inspectors have praised Prior’s Court’s Dove Cottage, part of its young adult provision, for the effective care and outcomes it provides young people with autism and awarded it a “good” overall rating. Parents and carers see it as a “centre of excellence”, the CQC inspector noted.

To celebrate 80 years of its Talking Book Service, RNIB is making it free. Now, even more blind and partially sighted people can enjoy the simple pleasure of reading. Ruth Over (Head of Adult Care), Jordan (young person), Edward Mann (Support Worker) and Emma MacKay (Dove Cottage Home Manager).

Dove Cottage supports six young adults aged 19 to 25 with autism, providing a 52-week supportive living and learning environment and a transitional step to adulthood.

Joining the free library allows you to borrow Braille, giant print and audio books; with over 23,000 Talking Books, recorded by professional actors and narrators and spanning a wide variety of genres, from crime to romance, historical fiction to humour and everything in between, you’ll always have something to read. To find out more, visit: rnib.org.uk or call the RNIB helpline on: 0303 123 9999 quoting BBSQ2.

www.priorscourt.org.uk

Inclusivity in play

Bespoke education recruitment

Experts agree that children with disabilities are like all other children – to progress they need to develop their cognitive, psychomotor and social skills, as well as their independence. They want to enjoy themselves like everyone else, with everyone else.

Vision for Education's SEN specialists provide a bespoke recruitment service for all alternative education and SEN provisions.

As a provider of playgrounds for over 25 years, Proludic has developed considerable expertise in disability and inclusion. The Inclusive Play Areas Guide contains a wealth of information and is a useful resource for anybody involved in providing playgrounds. For information on the Inclusive Play Area Thematic Guide and to learn more about designing inclusive playgrounds, call Proludic on: 0115 982 3980 or email: marketing@proludic.co.uk WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Clients have their own dedicated SEN consultant who can supply emergency day-to-day cover, long-term and permanent candidate sourcing, covering leadership, teachers, SENCOs, teaching assistants and learning support assistants. They are experienced with SEMH, ASC, MLD, SLD, SpLD, PD and complex needs teachers and support staff, and are fully AWR compliant. The company pay the best rates to its fully qualified and vetted candidates and in-house training is offered to candidates including, Team-Teach, Moving and Handling, Autism Awareness, ADHD Awareness, AAC and Sensory Integration. www.visionforeducation.co.uk SENISSUE81

WHAT’S NEW?

Engaging children with SEN in creative experiences

Indoor sunken trampolines for schools

The Why and How Conference 2016 will take place on Saturday 19 March at the Royal Academy of Arts.

Sunken Trampolines have announced the development of trampoline lids for their sunken trampolines.

This Conference will provide a space for attendees to consider approaches and develop ideas around the nature and value of cultural and artistic engagement for children with SEN and disabilities. Presenters were selected from an open submission process and include SEN teachers, artist educators, disability consultants and gallery and museum professionals. Attendees will explore their own creativity and share ideas and experiences while taking part in talks, round-table discussions and practical workshops. www.royalacademy.org.uk/event/why-and-howconference-2016

Affordable sensory environments Sensory Technology specialise in the design, manufacture and installation of sensory environments. Their expertise covers sensory rooms, sensory gardens, sensory pools and sensory soft play and calming rooms. They pride themselves on their adeptness to continually create new products for the enjoyment of those of all capabilities. Their client’s sensory environments are developed using modern innovative technology. The I-Digital LED products included within their “Senteq Select” range are great examples of this technology. Combining advanced digital systems with personal sensory favourites guarantees a stimulating multi-sensory environment that puts the control in the hands of its users. For more information, visit: www.senteq.co.uk

Debut season for Globe’s Artistic Director Emma Rice will open her first season as artistic director at Shakespeare’s Globe with A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Following this, audiences can expect powerful stagings of The Taming of the Shrew and Macbeth as well as Imogen, a reframed production of Cymbeline; UK-wide tours of The Merchant of Venice and The Two Gentlemen of Verona; and Kneehigh’s family-friendly 946 and the magical The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk.

With more and more schools having indoor trampolines for Rebound Therapy, Sunken Trampolines have developed lids that allow schools to utilise much needed space when the trampoline is not in use. Designed to be light enough for one member of staff to open yet strong enough to hold everyday activities on top of it when closed, Sunken Trampolines’ unique design is now being used by schools across the UK. For more information, contact Angus or Joel at: www.sunkentrampolines.co.uk

Eco-classrooms for SEN TG Escapes provide bespoke modular eco-classrooms for SEN up and down the country. They have recently completed two projects for the Cambian group, one of the UK’s largest providers of specialist behavioural health services for children and adults. You can read about how staff and students at Pengwern and Hillgate have benefited from their Learning Escapes at: www.tgescapes.co.uk/education-case-studies. “It’s such a calming environment and I have noticed that the students are much calmer and more engaged. They like the structure of the room; low stimulus really works for our autistic learners.” 0800 917 7726 email: info@tgescapes.co.uk

Grass sofas for outdoor living rooms You can now recreate your own living room area outdoors with an all-weather outdoor sofa and armchair from Timotay. Whether you wish to create a calming retreat, a one-toone space, a teaching and story time area or a sensory relaxation zone, these items are ideal.

“I hope that my first season will inspire joy, sorrow, fear and laughter in equal, glorious, wonderful, childlike measure as we all choose to get lost in the woods together”, says Emma.

Timotay are currently running a special offer with an introductory price of £550 per sofa and £450 per armchair. You can find out more about the grass sofa or armchair and order online at:

Shakespeareglobe.com

www.timotayplayscapes.co.uk

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UNION

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SEN LAW

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POINT OF VIEW

Point of view: parent

A family affair

Michelle Parsons explains how her Asperger’s diagnosis helps her children understand their ASD

hen we spend time with children on the autism spectrum, we try to encourage those children to see the positives in their condition. But if you are a parent who has ever suspected you might be on the spectrum yourself, what better way to show your child that ASD is something to be embraced than leading by example and seeking a diagnosis of your own? This is what I did when my son was undergoing assessment, and my research on women with Asperger’s led me to realise I have autism as well. Because the waiting time was shorter for adults in our area, I was actually diagnosed a few weeks before my son, so on the day of his diagnosis I was able to say, “That’s great, it means you are the same as mummy!” ASD is being recognised more and more as having a strong genetic component, so if one or more of your children have the condition, there is a distinct possibility that you or another family member might have it too. Ask yourself the question, and remember that Asperger’s can look very different in adults, who might have developed coping mechanisms and ways of “blending in” over their lifetimes, especially females. But what difference would it make now? To some people, just recognising traits in themselves is enough. But to me, as soon as I realised I had Asperger’s, a diagnosis was a must, for my children, for myself and for everyone else out there with ASD. Not only did my late diagnosis increase my self-awareness and SENISSUE81

provide an explanation as to why I had gone through certain difficulties in my life, I also found the sense of relief it brought worked wonders for my mental wellbeing – and a happier mum means happier children.

Role model Being able to say to my children (Ewan, nine and Eliza, six, both diagnosed) that mummy has Asperger’s as well, lets them know that the person they look up to most in the world can also be their Asperger’s role model. It reassures them that they too will grow up to have

It reassures them that they too will grow up to have friends, a partner and a job friends, a partner and a job. If you as a parent don’t think you have Asperger’s, is there someone else in your family who could be that role model? Through my openness about my own diagnosis, it encourages the children not to feel ashamed of theirs. We talk about how it is something to be proud of, because of the talents we have. We can find amusement in our conditions when we catch ourselves doing something typically “Aspie”. And we can help each other realise when we might be looking at something irrationally, and ask if it is our Asperger’s “tricking” our brains (more useful with older children). I can tell my children stories about things I

have learnt and ways of dealing with things. Of course, any adult can teach a child life lessons, but it is a much more powerful and sincere message if your children know you have been there yourself. If we want to change the way the world views ASD, so it is no longer a taboo subject or looked down upon, we need to be raising children that are confident in all aspects of their identities, who aren’t scared to speak up about autism and dispel some of the myths. I show my kids every day that ASD isn’t something you have to keep quiet, by acting as if it is the most natural thing in the world (which of course it is). They can pass this on to their children as well, and hopefully other people they meet, just as I’m passing this on to you and encouraging you to do the same.

Further information Michelle Parsons is a writer who realised she and her children had Asperger’s syndrome when she was working for a charity helping parent carers of children with additional needs. She now writes on the subject: www.michelleparsonswriter.co.uk

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POINT OF VIEW

Point of view: SEN team leader

Beneath the tip of the iceberg We need to look at the causes of a pupil’s behaviour issues, if we are to help them learn, says Beccie Hawes

ne event which makes many of us in our inclusion service happy is the arrival of a new pupil – a new opportunity to help a child achieve their full potential. Often, for the pupil, the chance of learning with a new teacher is a fresh start, a time to put the past behind them and move forwards. But how can you make sure that you uncover the new pupil’s full potential? Often, when working with someone new, the first conversation we have with a school starts something like this: “I have this child who no-one knows how to manage”. This then leads to: “We’ve exhausted everything we’ve got to offer and we’re hoping you can help”. At this point, it’s a reminder to us of why we took this role and the challenge of teaching the “unteachable learner”. Pupils in this scenario are usually exhibiting a series of behaviours that are communicating something about their learning to us. Our task is to be the person that unpicks this. At the heart of this, then, we need to remember that the pupil doesn’t have a learning difficulty; we have a teaching difficulty. It is up to us to find the best way in which a pupil will learn. Going beneath the tip of the iceberg, delving deeper to accurately identify a need, is the only way our teaching difficulties will be solved.

The way it is I recently observed 13-year-old Josh sat outside the Headteacher’s office doing what the nearby teaching assistant referred to as “his constant chuntering” about receiving yet another detention. WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

It transpired that he had received yet another telling off for not having his PE kit with him and he had also again forgotten to bring the right ingredients for food technology. Josh had then stormed out of his form room and shortly afterwards he punched the wall. In hushed tones, the teaching assistant explained that Josh always forgets everything, was always angry, always damaging stuff and just not doing as well as he should be at school. She shared that this was “just the way it was with him”. Looking at the situation

We need to remember that the pupil doesn’t have a learning difficulty; we have a teaching difficulty from the outside, the approach I took was to explore the reasons why this was “the way it was” for Josh. Sometimes a pupil’s needs can be difficult to unpick because their behaviour can often mask what is really going on and lead to a label that only covers the surface. In this case, after six months of exploring, we realised that Josh has dyslexia. His dyslexia had been hidden behind thirteen years of frustration, fear and embarrassmentdriven behaviour. Josh and the many others just like him are the reason why it is important for us always to look deeper, beneath

the surface and never accept that “this is just the way it is”. We need to amalgamate information from a range of situations and sources and have robust assessments for learning procedures and practices that drive learning forwards. We also need to treat each and every day as a fresh start, with a wealth of new possibilities and opportunities – a chance for us all to do better than yesterday. It is up to us to find the best way in which a pupil will learn. Looking beneath the tip of the iceberg to accurately identify the child’s needs is the only way our teaching difficulties will be solved.

Further information

Beccie Hawes is Head of Service at Rushall's Inclusion Advisory Support Team. Beccie’s blog forms part of GL Assessment’s Hard to Spot series from education experts: www.gl-assessment.co.uk/ hard-to-spot

What’s your point of view?

Email: editor@senmagazine.co.uk

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SEN LEGAL Q&A

Resolving disagreements Specialist SEN solicitor Douglas Silas explains what you can do if you have a dispute regarding SEN What is meant by “resolving disagreements?” For many years, people have thought that the only way of resolving disagreements about SEN matters was through an appeal to the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Tribunal. However, the new SEN Code of Practice (CoP) dedicates a whole chapter (Chapter 11) to discussing various ways of resolving disagreements between parents/young people and early providers/schools/ colleges and local authorities (LAs), adding that it supports “early resolution of disagreement at the local level”. The new CoP is now trying to get disputes resolved earlier across a range of matters and get people using complaints procedures, or other disagreement resolution services more. It also explains independent disagreement resolution arrangements which LAs must make available for disagreements across special educational and health and care provision, mainly in relation to education, health and care (EHC) plans, including with health commissioners and social care agencies.

How do I know what to do? Every LA is supposed to provide information to parents/young people through an impartial Information Advice and Support Service (usually known as “IASS", although some have branded themselves as “SENDIASS"). Again, the CoP has dedicated a whole chapter to this (Chapter 2). Paragraph 11.2 of the CoP also sets out a helpful table which summarises the bodies who can consider complaints about decisions in SENISSUE81

The Government encourages dispute resolution through local complaints procedures.

The Code of Practice sets out a helpful table of bodies who can consider complaints relation to children/young people with education, health and care needs. It can sometimes be a bit confusing though; what the CoP is trying to establish is that parents/young people if they are able to, should first use complaints procedures of local providers (such as for schools and colleges), or try to use mediation, before raising a complaint higher up or appealing.

young people must contact a mediation advisor before registering an appeal. Any provision by a mediation advisor (who provides information), or a mediator (who actually conducts the mediation), must be independent of LAs and/or the relevant health commissioner. The CoP explains about independent mediation arrangements which parents/young people can use before deciding whether or not to appeal to the Tribunal and also for health and social care complaints in relation to an EHC plan. It also goes on to describe the conditions for appealing/ making a disability discrimination claim to the SEND Tribunal, as well as using complaints procedures for health and social services.

What is mediation?

What does this mean in practice?

Now, before an appeal can be lodged about an EHC needs assessment or the SEN element of an EHC plan, parents/

If parents/young people decide to proceed with mediation, then the LA must ensure that mediation takes place WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

SEN LEGAL Q&A

within 30 days of the LA being informed (although the LA may delegate the arrangements for the mediation to the mediator who has contacted them on their behalf). Parents/young people do not have to pay for the mediation session and the LA must attend the mediation that has been requested. After mediation has taken place, the mediation advisor must then issue a mediation certificate within three days, only after which the parent/ young person can appeal. If the parent/ young person only wants to appeal about the health and/or care aspects of the EHC plan though, then the health commissioning body or LA must arrange for mediation between them.

So, do I have to attend mediation before being able to appeal? No, whilst mediation by independent mediators is often helpful in resolving matters, the only legal requirement currently is that, once the LA has issued the decision which can be appealed to the Tribunal, the parent/ young person can only appeal to the Tribunal if they have a certificate of mediation. If the parent/young person contacts the mediation service before the appeal deadline and states clearly that they do not want to mediate, a mediation advisor must then still issue a certificate for them within three working days, which can be used to register an appeal. Also, if the parent/young person initially indicates that they want to go to mediation about a matter which can be appealed to the Tribunal, but then changes their mind, they can contact the mediation advisor, who will still issue a certificate.

Are there timescales for mediation/appeals? Aside from the above, in terms of appeals, there is still a two month deadline to lodge an appeal from the date of the LA’s decision that can be appealed to the SEND Tribunal, but this can now be extended by 30 days from the date of obtaining the certificate. WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

I encourage people to try and resolve matters at a local level if possible

This means that, sometimes, if a parent/young person does not obtain a mediation certificate until just a few days before the two month deadline (which they must do), they can still effectively buy themselves just under a month more to lodge their appeal.

Are there other ways of resolving SEN disagreements? It all depends on what the dispute is about. For example, the SEND Tribunal not only hears strictly SEN decisions, but can also hear disability discrimination claims against schools/ LAs (or whoever is the “responsible body” for a school). There are also exclusions (permanent or fixed-term), complaints about schools or early years education providers, complaints to the Secretary of State for Education or Ofsted, as well as complaints about post-16 institutions through the institution itself or the Skills Funding Agency (SFA)/Education Funding Agency (EFA). People can also exercise a right of complaint to the LA directly or through the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO).

What about other disagreements, like health or care matters? There is a complaints procedure through the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) in relation to people who have been treated unfairly or received a poor service from other government departments or public organisations (such as the NHS in England) through the NHS Complaints Service. A complaint can also be pursued through a local “Healthwatch” or the “Healthwatch

for England” website and each CCG has information available about its complaints services; providers of NHS services usually have a Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS). Complaints about social services provision, including children’s social care services to safeguard and protect children, are also subject to their own complaints procedures as well as, again, the LGO.

Where can I find out more? I’m afraid it can all be a bit confusing, as sometimes you have to use one procedure rather than another one for a particular thing. Fortunately, as I’ve said, the CoP has a helpful table of where to go for what and also a dedicated chapter on resolving disagreements, as well as links to websites for further information. The most important thing now is to try and always resolve disagreements at a local level if possible first.

Further information

Douglas Silas is the Principal of Douglas Silas Solicitors and runs the website: www. SpecialEducationalNeeds.co.uk. He is also the author of A Guide To The SEND Code of Practice (What You Need To Know), which is available for all eBook readers: www.AGuideToTheSENDCode OfPractice.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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SHORT BREAKS/RESPITE

The fight for respite Amanda Batten reveals how parent power is helping to keep short breaks on the agenda despite funding cuts

hort breaks are among the most fundamental services for supporting families with disabled children. They provide a lifeline for many families, helping to hold them together and preventing them from reaching breaking point. In fact, the term “lifeline” is frequently used by families when describing the value of short breaks. This is fitting because short breaks are a relatively simple way in which statutory authorities can help families to relieve the pressure of their day to day lives. The evidence supports this. Families that receive a regular break from 24/7 caring are emotionally healthier, experiencing lower rates of stress, depression and sleep deprivation. For disabled children, short breaks

The future of short breaks provision is a source of increasing anxiety for many families help to open up the world and give them a sense of independence. As a result, fewer children need access to emergency provision or enter the looked-after sector. Short breaks also allow parents to spend more time with their other children, who can often miss out as families juggle medical appointments, assessments and work. Despite their obvious value to parent carers, not to mention the £174 million in estimated savings to other services

accrued by the state through their outcomes, the impacts of austerity on the budgets of local authorities means the future of short breaks provision is a source of increasing anxiety for many families of children with SEN and disabilities.

What are short breaks? • “Short breaks” is a term to describe services that are designed to support parent carers to be better able to care for their children – or to do so more effectively – and services which support disabled children to enjoy different experiences, develop new skills and help them to achieve their ambitions in life. • Short breaks services are sometimes referred to as “respite” care, although this term can be viewed as having a negative meaning, in that it gives the sense that caring for a disabled child is a burden. • Short breaks services can be provided by councils (local authorities), health services or private, voluntary and community sector organisations. Short breaks services can include day-time or overnight care in the home or elsewhere, educational or leisure activities outside their homes, or services to assist parent carers in the evenings, at weekends and during the school holidays.

Short breaks help promote the health and wellbeing of kids and parents/carers.

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SHORT BREAKS/RESPITE

The future for short breaks Last autumn, Contact a Family published worrying research that showed more than half of local authorities had cut spending on short breaks for families with disabled children since 2011/12, resulting in less provision and increasing barriers to access what remains. Working with other charities through the Every Disabled Child Matters (EDCM) campaign, the charity sourced its data through Freedom of Information requests to every local authority in the UK. Over half of the 126 local authorities that responded had made average cuts of 15 per cent since 2011, and for some it was as high as 26 per cent. When taking inflation into account, the survey found that 75 per cent of local authorities had cut their short break provision in real terms. The research also quantified the impact of these cuts on families: • only nine per cent of parent carers agreed that families with disabled children can access the short breaks they need • 56 per cent felt access was becoming more difficult

Why do families with disabled children need short breaks? • 76 per cent of parent carers experience stress or depression. • 72 per cent suffer from lack of sleep. • 80 per cent of parent carers of children with learning disabilities say they have reached or are close to reaching “breaking point”. • Disabled children make up ten per cent of children in care, compared to five per cent in the general population.

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53 per cent of parent carers said they had never accessed any form of short breaks service • 24 per cent of families reported service closures and others reported cuts in available hours and increasingly strict eligibility criteria • 53 per cent of parent carers said they had never accessed any form of short breaks service, suggesting large numbers of eligible disabled children are not being reached by current (and decreasing) levels of provision. I believe that short breaks should remain a priority in town halls up and down the country, and where this doesn’t happen I’m concerned about both the economic and social consequences. The Government’s spending review in November didn’t indicate that any extra funding would be ring-fenced for short breaks and it is clear local government finance continues to be under intense pressure. We will know more in the spring when budgets for 2016/17 are set.

Success stories: parent participation Happily though, it’s not all bad news. Almost half of the local authorities surveyed (48 per cent) have protected short breaks services or made modest increases in budgets since 2011/12 – hard work in an increasingly challenging financial climate. It is important too for parents to come together to influence local commissioning through their parent carer forums – groups of parents and carers of disabled children who work with local statutory partners to help ensure services meet the needs of disabled children and families. Having parent carers at the heart of strategic decision-making helps

develop a genuine shared vision. Co-production, which goes beyond participation or engagement to reflect a true partnership with other practitioners and service users, is essential. Adopting this approach from the start – when planning, developing, implementing or reviewing a service – can lead to real cultural change and make an enormous difference on the ground.

Holding it together A mum from Somerset, who cares for her nine year old daughter and five year old son who has a severe learning disability and uses a wheelchair, explains just what short breaks mean for her family. “It's hard to quantify just how important short breaks are to us. They are a lifeline. Our son is entirely dependent upon us for all his needs and it is relentless. We had respite provision up until October last year and when I heard we had lost it – due to the changing needs of our son – I cried. Respite is our safety valve. Without it my nerves shred. It allows us to breathe out and gives us time to relax, away from the constant worry of ‘Is he OK?’ and ‘Will he not be OK in a minute?’ “It means we can take our daughter to places with steps or steep hills. We can listen to her without fear of interruption and my husband and I can go for dinner or maybe even have a night away... And when he returns, I’m re-energised, I have been able to miss him – as any parent should. Short breaks hold our family together. They aren’t a luxury, they’re a necessity.”

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SHORT BREAKS/RESPITE

Short breaks hold our family together. They aren’t a luxury, they’re a necessity Short Breaks Partnership

A short break can make a huge difference to the whole family.

Parent power saves short breaks funding in Hampshire In 2014, Hampshire County Council proposed a reduction to the Children with Disabilities budget by £3.5m to £2.5m by cutting provision in residential care, respite and short breaks services. The Parent Carer Forum knew how important these services were as they had been involved in shaping local provision. They also recognised that the withdrawal of this vital support would result in more families facing crisis and potential family breakdown. The Forum felt it necessary to raise these concerns with the council, seeking opportunity to protect these services. As part of this process, they sought advice to fully understand the legal duties for short breaks services; they launched a survey to gain the views of parent carers and providers and presented the findings to the council; they encouraged families to highlight the personal value of short breaks services to their local councillors by sending them postcards; and they supported individual families to be able to engage in the local authority’s consultation process. Initially, the council responded to the views of families in Hampshire by stating that they would use funding from their reserves as a one-off payment to protect the budget for short breaks services in 2015/16. Since this decision in January 2015, the council have gone on to express their pledge to protect short breaks services by committing further funding as an ongoing provision.

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Short breaks must remain a priority for local authorities. In 2015/16 Contact a Family has received funding from the Department for Education to bring together the Short Breaks Partnership – a consortium including Action for Children, the Council for Disabled Children and KIDS. The Partnership provides information, advice and guidance on legal and policy issues, good practice case studies and wider resources designed to help statutory partners understand the true value of short breaks and to invest in what works. As reflected in the SEN and disability reforms, respect for families is key. When the “views, wishes and feelings” of children, young people and their families are fully recognised, and support and outcomes meaningfully personalised, great outcomes follow. Short breaks are, and should remain, a fundamental part of SEN and disability provision for local authorities and clinical commissioning groups.

Further information

Amanda Batten is CEO of Contact a Family, a charity that provides information and support to families with disabled children across the UK, including information about short break services, what you are entitled to and a legal resource to help parent carers. If you are in a parent carer forum, the charity can also help you find out more about improving short break services in your area: www.cafamily.org.uk

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SHORT BREAKS/RESPITE Advertisement feature

A holiday and professional development opportunity rolled into one? Are you an SEN professional looking for an opportunity to share your skills and experience, while developing your practice with children or young people who are deafblind or who have multi-sensory impairments? Join Sense Holidays and Short Breaks and be part of creating amazing holiday opportunities this Easter, May half-term and summer! Each year, Sense supports up to 300 deafblind people of all ages on our national programme of short breaks, holidays and weekend events. We offer opportunities for children, young people and adults with a multi-sensory impairment to have fun, try new things and meet new people in a safe, supportive environment. Short breaks and holidays take place in school holidays including Easter, May half-term and July and August, across England and Wales. They are residential and run for five to seven days. Accommodation ranges from outdoor activity centres and barges, to cottages, farms and barns, and to campsites and a festival. We’ll match your existing skills, experience and interests with a group of between three and eight children, young people or adults who are deafblind, multi-sensory impaired, or who have multiple complex needs.

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You’ll be joining a diverse team and network of people with a real passion for enabling individuals to get the most from their holiday. You’ll receive a high level of individual support from Sense by phone and email, face-to-face training and support at our weekend preparation events, as well as a wealth of creative, innovative and practical ideas from the experience of your peers. For more information on roles currently available as a paid leader, deputy leader or as a volunteer, call on: 0300 3309250, email: holidays@sense.org.uk or go to: www.sense.org.uk/holidays and: www.sense.org.uk/shortbreaks

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TOURETTE’S SYNDROME

Secondary Tourette’s Seonaid Anderson looks at how to help children with Tourette’s handle the difficult transition to secondary school

hile any transition for a young person with special needs is likely to raise concerns, the move from mainstream primary to secondary school can be one of the most challenging experiences they will face during their schooling. In this article, I will consider the particular issues faced by children with Tourette’s syndrome as they start secondary education and how we can plan to help make this transition as smooth and painless as possible. Tourette's syndrome is an inherited neurological condition which covers a wide range of symptoms, including involuntary movements and sounds. These “tics” have to present for a year or more for a diagnosis to be reached. Tourette’s is more common amongst boys than girls. Some children can have mild symptoms which are often just a little bothersome and may not be severe enough to reach a diagnosis. Others can be greatly affected by the severity of their tics, which can impact on every aspect of their lives, especially education. IQ is not affected by Tourette’s, which is not a learning disability although it can present obstacles to learning. One of the most common myths surrounding Tourette’s is that all people with Tourette’s swear uncontrollably. The media has done little to dispel this stereotype, even though it is thought that only about ten per cent of people with Tourette’s have a swearing tic, known as coprolalia. One of the main difficulties for people with Tourette’s is that they can have a multitude of different tics which can come and go in intensity and change in their form over time. SENISSUE81

The understanding of staff and students will help pupils with Tourette’s to adapt and thrive.

Often, coughing and blinking tics are first to appear. The effects of tics can include fatigue, pain and injury, making it difficult to follow what is going on in class, to concentrate or to carry out tasks such as writing. Socially, it can lead to bullying and social exclusion, especially during adolescence when tics can reach their most severe.

of Tourette’s should be specific to each individual and should be discussed with a Tourette’s specialist. This also applies to the educational life of someone with Tourette’s; their strengths and difficulties are unique to them and any support should be individually tailored to the particular child.

Planning

It will not help the pupil if they are told off or asked to stop these involuntary tics Another myth to be dispelled is that it is the tics alone that cause the most difficulties. Unfortunately, Tourette’s commonly has associated conditions (comorbidities) and young people report that they can often cause more difficulties than the tics themselves. Most often, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are found with Tourette’s. It is important, therefore, that he treatment

Meetings between primary staff, secondary staff and parents can be used to create a transition plan for the individual pupil. Such meetings provide an opportunity to transfer expertise about Tourette’s, the waxing and waning of tics and any comorbidities the child has. Suggestions can be made about how to recognise and understand which behaviours are involuntary tics and which may be more purposeful behaviours, and to treat them separately. Some vocal tics can be seen as loud and disruptive. However, it will not help the pupil if they are told off or asked to stop these involuntary tics. In fact, it may make them worse. There are many other activities which the relentless presence of WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

TOURETTE’S SYNDROME

What helps pupils with Tourette’s in the classroom? There are a number of strategies utilised by experienced teachers that are known to be particularly helpful for children with Tourette syndrome: • seating children with Tourette’s at the front of the classroom can enhance attention • refraining from commenting on or responding visibly to tics whenever practical • making sure you do not ask a pupil with Tourette’s not to tic • considering appropriate behaviour management in light of the extent to which certain behaviours are not in the student’s control • being alert to potential mimicking, teasing and bullying • being aware of any behavioural treatments or medication the pupil receives so that you can take account of any side effects and support the management strategies they have been taught • providing “time-out” passes, as breaks can relieve tension and ensure time for movement • the provision of designated areas where tics are “allowed” • breaking down longer assignments into shorter tasks • removing unnecessary objects from desks • permitting pupils to “fiddle” with specified objects • the use of scribes, rulers, laptops, visual timers, grid paper, calculators, organisers and visual diaries • placing greater emphasis on effort rather than presentation to reduce anxiety • the use of worksheets that require a minimum of handwriting • pairing students with supportive and understanding “buddies” • work contracts between teachers and the pupil which outline expectations and provide clear goals.

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Tourette’s may affect, including communication, planning, time management, organisation and initiating tasks. Pupils’ classwork, homework and examinations can also be adversely affected by tics. Hand or eye tics can impede writing, making it hard to complete work on time or to an expected standard.

Support The simple step of improving awareness in school of the condition and its associated support needs can greatly help a student with Tourette’s to cope. There are few, if any, resources designed specifically for pupils with Tourette’s, but some of the written interventions for students with autism can have useful suggestions for children with planning and organisation problems, anxiety or challenging behaviour. Shared resources which staff and students might find helpful include using an emotional thermometer and emotional toolbox with those with anger issues or challenging behaviour. For difficulties with planning and organisation, producing a personalised timetable and help with organising and prioritising homework can be useful. By agreement with parents and the child, prompt cards could be employed, which allow the pupil to leave the classroom or activity for a short time, for example if they feel they need to go and “release” some tics that they may have been suppressing. Similarly, a Tourettes information card may be useful for the child to carry and show to any new or temporary staff members. Time invested in creating a wellplanned transition is likely to have long-term benefits where a blend of general and specific strategies can be adapted to the students’ strengths and difficulties. The most important things a mainstream school can do is to effectively provide structured support and encourage knowledge and understanding of Tourette’s amongst pupils and staff. Good communication with the young person and the family is also crucial.

If educational issues are not properly addressed, the potential for bullying can be great Understanding Creating the right environment of understanding in the classroom is essential and can help pupils with Tourette’s develop their confidence and flourish at school. If educational issues are not properly addressed, the potential for bullying can be great, and the student is more likely to develop poor social skills, under-achieve academically and suffer from low self-esteem. A lack of awareness about Tourette's can lead to problems in the classroom and many children with Tourette's report getting into trouble at school. However, when there is understanding from school staff, students are often very appreciative. It is crucial that teachers recognise that behaviour engendered by Tourette's is involuntary and that they make suitable allowances. When there are more pervasive problems with Tourette's, input from an educational psychologist is appropriate and can be very helpful, especially where an education, health and care plan is required.

Further information

Seonaid Anderson is Research Manager at the charity Tourettes Action: www.tourettes-action.org.uk

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PERFORMING ARTS

Come as you are Relaxed performances are ushering in a new era of theatre for audiences and venues alike, writes David Bellwood

he use of metaphor and simile is a game of verbal reasoning, an expansion of human experience and observation to find connections and patterns that test and reflect one’s perception of the world. In Shakespeare’s texts, where worlds are constructed of words developed more by the listener’s mind than by the scenographer’s craft, the game is as mercurial as it is rich, with characters working and reworking their own worlds. Hamlet, for example, takes all of two breaths to transform that “majestical roof fretted with golden fire” into “a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours”. Expectations of neuro-atypical students to understand these tricks, and many

A relaxed performance of Romeo and Juliet, at the Globe Theatre in 2013. Photography: Ellie Hurttz.

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Across the country dramatic work is now being produced with a relaxed ethos at its core

for whom attendance might seem impossible or problematic, from pupils in special schools to individual deafblind students. As with most modifications made to front of house practice, that which has been adapted to assist a small number in society almost always has a more wide-reaching impact.

Transforming venues other aspects of Shakespeare’s texts, are often low amongst audience members, who assume that someone making involuntary noises is neither engaging with nor enjoying the play. Relaxed performances offer an opportunity for people to see a production without, what Libby Purves of the Times refers to as, “our prim post-Victorian convention”. Instead of imposing stillness and silence onto patrons, such performances allow for an environment in which people may come and go as they wish, are allowed to use technology that might assist them with communication, and can take what they want from the play whilst sharing in the communal act of the theatrical experience. It is rare for relaxed performances to change any major feature of a production, though things such as strobe lighting is usually removed and the chances of sudden shocks are reduced when producers know the audience is sensitive to such stimuli. The text and language generally remains unedited, though, giving audiences the same experience as is offered by any other evening of a run. Relaxed performances aim to increase access to theatre and extend its reach by considering the potential needs of those individuals and schools

Much pioneering work was done by venues involved in London’s 2012/13 Relaxed Performance Project, masterminded by Kirsty Hoyle, Director at Include Arts. Since then, venues have been able to gauge feedback from visitors to refine their model of access. Indeed, in order to be as welcoming as possible to audiences, venues need a deep understanding of their own natures. At Shakespeare’s Globe, the experiences of relaxed performances have taught the theatre a great deal, both about students with SEN and about its wider audiences. The adaptations the theatre originally intended for patrons with physical disabilities and learning disabilities have informed new practices, such as its development of work for people living with dementia. The training staff have received has undeniably proved useful for non-relaxed performances. The conversations created both before and after any relaxed performance are of great benefit to staff, from stewards to directors, and across the country dramatic work is now being produced with a relaxed ethos at its core. These pieces mark a wonderful, transformative and exciting period in theatrical history in which the needs of the audience are prioritised.

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PERFORMING ARTS

A pupil can ask a teacher directly about something that has just happened on stage

Relaxed performances are proving increasingly popular with audiences. Photography: Ellie Hurttz.

Opening up access When done well, relaxed performances provide a great opportunity for school groups with mixed needs and individuals who benefit from being asked to conform to fewer unwritten social rules. They also give visitors with SEN and disabilities agency over their environment and decisions, and the full experience of visiting the particular site. The benefits for students with SEN go beyond watching a performance. Theatres are busy buildings with considerable activity and large groups of people congregating in what can feel like tight spaces. Triggers for those with anxiety issues are potentially everywhere, from the auditorium to the box office. The primary motivations of relaxed performances require that all aspects of an organisation’s offering are considered and that the visitor’s journey into and around the theatre is clearly explained before s/he arrives. Being aware of the potential needs of audience members enables staff to take the time to help individuals through any processes which might otherwise be overwhelming. Questions are sometimes raised about whether or not certain plays are more appropriate for students with SEN, children with profound and multiple learning disabilities or others with learning challenges. This suggests that we wish to make some performances inaccessible to WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

audiences with learning disabilities. The redundancy of this idea is, I hope, self-evident. Theatre and play by their nature promote exercise of one’s social communication and social imagination. They are a rich source of conversational material which examine the actions and motivations of characters and prompt audience members to reflect on them.

Involving audiences Theatres can also capitalise on many of the tools acquired in producing and watching performance through workshops, in which classes are invited to take part in dramatic exercises to explore plays and acting. A key part of these conversations is immediacy: in a relaxed performance a pupil can ask a teacher directly about something that has just happened on stage. Though the aims of a relaxed performance are not to have audiences in full conversation throughout a show, there are times when it is important to an individual’s focus and understanding to have questions answered as they occur. As relaxed performances have become more common, circles of people who would otherwise not join the conversations have increasingly been invited into our theatres, many of whom have previously felt excluded from attending performances or taking part in drama workshops. In providing relaxed performances, venues can help to examine and break down the social

barriers that inhibit people enjoying productions equally. There are certainly physical barriers intrinsic to many, if not all, of our theatre buildings, but these can be overcome through adaptation and by understanding the needs of individual patrons. It is this capacity to understand these needs that enables a theatre to also break down attitudinal barriers. Theatres should be as welcoming as possible to all. As venues across the country are finding, playgoers respond positively to relaxed performances and choose to return time and again. The growth in demand for relaxed performances will give people with SEN and disabilities greater agency when attending theatres, providing them with new experiences and interactions both inside and outside the world of play.

Further information

David Bellwood is Senior Access Officer at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London, which runs relaxed performances as part of its Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank programme: www.shakespearesglobe.com

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DOWN'S SYNDROME

Seeing the world differently Stuart Mills explains how vision impairments can affect children with Down’s syndrome

hildren with Down’s syndrome tend to be very good visual learners due to their strong visual memory. However, all children with Down’s syndrome have poor visual acuity and many will also have an additional visual impairment. These will not always be picked up in children with Down’s syndrome as it is sometimes wrongly assumed that any difficulties in learning or behaviour are due to their condition. Therefore, it is vital for children with Down’s syndrome to have regular eye checks (at least every two years for school aged children, or more frequently if recommended by an optometrist or ophthalmologist). A lot of children will have long-sight, short-sight and astigmatism. Typically developing children are often long or short-sighted in early infancy, but grow out of these errors over the first few years of life. Children with Down’s syndrome start out with a similar range of errors, but are much less likely to outgrow the errors and much more likely to become more long or short-sighted.

A child with Down’s syndrome is ten times more likely to need to wear glasses Accommodation (focusing at near) The greatest differences between vision in children with Down’s syndrome and typical children are found in their close or near vision. It is this vision that is needed so much in school or when children are following their interests, such as reading or looking at a book or playing on the computer. Children with Down’s syndrome focus very poorly at near vision and tend to under-accommodate by quite

Everyone with Down syndrome has issues with visual acuity.

a large amount. This is consistent for any individual child and persists even when the children wear their glasses to correct long sight. This means that near work, especially in school, must be more difficult for the children

What to look out for The following may be indicators that a child has vision problems: • poor concentration • being easily distracted • clumsiness • avoidance of near tasks • not completing work • physical signs such as frequent blinking, screwing up their eyes or irritated eyes • frustration with school and getting easily upset. SENISSUE81

Reading materials do not look as sharp or well defined to kids with Down’s syndrome.

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DOWN'S SYNDROME

These children have poorer visual acuity… their world lacks fine details and sharp contrasts

Glasses must fit correctly, without slipping.

because it is out of focus. Recent research by Maggie Woodhouse at Cardiff University has suggested that children who have this problem with focusing benefit from wearing bifocals, at least in school. Some children with Down’s syndrome choose to wear their bifocals all of the time, preferring them to the conventional “single vision” glasses. The research also identified a surprising finding: it wasn’t the case that the children in the study couldn’t focus properly; it was that they didn’t focus properly. Some of the children in the study began to focus accurately over the top of their bifocals. After two or so years of wear, these children were able to revert back to using ordinary lenses. The bifocals taught them to focus on their own.

Correctly fitting glasses A child with Down’s syndrome is ten times more likely to need to wear glasses than a child who doesn’t have the condition. In 2011, following concerns from some of its members about poorly fitting glasses, the Down’s Syndrome Association carried out a survey of both children and adults to see how big the problem was. A massive 45 per cent of respondents did not think their glasses were comfortable. Most comments were made about improvements to overall fit. Children with Down’s syndrome have WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

smaller noses and a shorter distance from ears to face than typical children and so glasses have a tendency to slip down. This is not only irritating for the child, but means that he or she isn’t looking through the correct part of the lens. It is therefore important they have glasses that fit properly and comfortably without slipping. There is an exciting new research study being carried out at Aston University, Birmingham using facial analysis to build a profile of the facial measurements of children with Down’s syndrome. This information will be used to find out what spectacle frame parameters need to be produced in order to comfortably fit children with Down’s syndrome. It is hoped that this profile will inform spectacle frame manufacturers with useful data in order to provide specific frames.

Visual acuity Many children with Down’s syndrome will need to wear glasses, but even when correctly fitted glasses are worn, 100 per cent of children with Down’s syndrome have poorer visual acuity than other people. These children see the world differently; their world lacks fine details and sharp contrasts. Thus reading materials, for example, do not look the same to a child with Down’s syndrome as they do to his/her classmates. To take advantage of their strength as visual learners and to help them succeed, we need to make sure they can see things. Providing them with big and bold printed materials will help to compensate for their poorer visual acuity. It is very important to take their poorer visual acuity into account in all settings where children are learning.

In addition to providing big and bold printed materials, here are some tips you can use to help pupils with Down’s syndrome: • place the child near the front of class • make sure teaching/learning materials are clearly presented in black felt pen • give the child a black pen to help them see what they write clearly • check they can see the words in their reading books (the size of print in books tends to get smaller as reading skills develop) • avoid faint lines in exercise books, badly photocopied sheets and yellow highlighter as they may not be seen • ensure all materials in school have high contrast and visibility, for example, you may find the pupil responds better to seeing print written in black felt tip as opposed to pencil or on yellow rather than white paper • where there is text in learning materials it should be no smaller than 18 point • use simple and clear presentation with less detail rather than more • when asking the child to write, highlight lines on the page with a bold colour to improve the child’s ability to focus on them • ensure the child’s glasses fit properly and are worn • seek advice from the Visual Impairment Service within your local authority.

Further information

Stuart Mills is Information Officer at the Down’s Syndrome Association. A range of free resources about correctly fitting glasses and visual acuity in children with Down syndrome are available at: www.downs-syndrome.org.uk

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ACCESSIBLE VEHICLES

Access all areas Emily Gilbert provides some top tips on selecting the right accessible vehicle to meet your needs According to a 2015 survey of 1,000 people conducted by US car magazine Edmunds.com, most people claim that they found the purchase cycle of a vehicle more stress-inducing than getting married. Not only would they sooner opt to say “I do” again, they would also happily pick the middle seat on an airplane (32 per cent) and even offer to clean toilets (46 per cent) if it somehow freed them from the dreaded buying process. When you add to all this the need to ensure that a vehicle is fully accessible for a child or young person with SEN or disabilities, the anxiety levels can sometimes go up a notch or two. It is not uncommon to see perspiring brows on those looking for their ideal accessible vehicle, who can be overwhelmed and under-prepared when it comes to the point of contacting

There are numerous consumer forums and reviews online covering almost every vehicle make and company

the strain on the prospective buyer. Whether you are looking for a 24seat, eight-wheelchair-capacity luxury minibus or a smaller, one wheelchair accommodating car, this article aims to set out some of the key points that can make your decision a little bit easier.

Preparation and research

a supplier. With so many options to think about – including passenger versus wheelchair capacity, on-board versus external tail-lifts and the option of tracked flooring, to name but a few – the search presents countless issues that those looking for non-accessible vehicles rarely have to consider. Although the process is never going to be the most straight-forward, there are many things that can help ease

First up, of course, is the preparation process. Putting in the groundwork at the outset means you will save yourself a lot of potential aggravation further down the line. If you dive straight in, you run the risk of being swamped with options without knowing what you truly want or need. It is important to fully define exactly what you and your passengers require. At most, how many seats do you need? Think about how many erected wheelchairs you need to transport at

Adapted vehicle suppliers can offer a wide range of options to meet your individual specifications.

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ACCESSIBLE VEHICLES

Many sales people are more than happy to do the legwork for you to source the vehicle that you want

Purchasers will need to weigh up the relative benefits of a new or used vehicle.

any given time. Would you prefer an onboard tail-lift, external tail-lift or ramp? Would a long, medium or short wheel base suit you better? Do you want a new or used vehicle? Would you prefer to buy or rent? There are many different issues to think about but once you’ve decided on these things, you can then move on to the task of shopping around for the best deal. However, research is also key in the prepping procedure and, as in so many aspects of life, the internet offers us an invaluable resource. Online research means that you don’t have to go into the buying process blind. The internet can also be used to keep you up with technological developments that are happening on a seemingly daily basis in the automotive industry. There are numerous consumer forums and reviews online covering almost every vehicle make and company going, all available free.

New or used? As with any vehicle purchase, the new versus used debate is quite an issue. With all the additional factors to think about in the accessible market, the answer to this question can be even harder to find. If you opt for new, you can rest assured that not only do you have the latest and, most importantly, the WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

safest technology for you and your passengers, but also the benefits of the manufacturers warranties that come with the vehicle. Such privileges do not come without considerable expense, though. Many buyers prefer to look to the used market because of the savings that can be made and the great deals available on vehicles that may be only a few years old with low mileages and not many previous owners. However, there are also negatives to buying used, despite the cost savings. Especially in the minibus industry, with so many additional extras available, it is more than likely that the previous owner would have had different requirements to you, so the vehicle would have been built with their specifications in mind, rather than yours. When buying used, there may, at times, be a need to compromise on what you actually want, while for a new purchase you can effectively build the vehicle you want, with the specific extras that suit you.

Don’t be shy If you’ve done your research into the kind of vehicle you’re looking for, you can forget about traipsing through endless online stock inventories and go straight to the company or companies that best seem able to meet your requirements. Many vehicle

salesmen are more than happy to do the legwork for you to source the vehicle that you want, if it means a sale and a happy customer. If they don’t have the right vehicle available at the outset, they can keep your brief in mind when replenishing their own stock and provide you with suitable vehicle options as and when they crop up. This way, you not only build a trusted relationship with the company you’re buying from but you also find the best vehicle with the least stress.

Now you’re ready At the end of the day, a vehicle purchase is an expensive, unavoidable outlay that provides no direct financial profit, so you want to make sure you’re happy. Hopefully, with the right research and right guidance, you can make the best decision for you and your passengers and have no regrets post-purchase. Whether you’re a fleet manager of a local authority, a community transport manager, a school or an individual looking to make like easier with an accessible run-around, the right preparation can make your purchasing decision a whole lot easier.

Further information

Emily Gilbert is the Marketing and Sales Specialist at Access A Bus Sales UK which specialises in supplying accessible and nonaccessible minibuses: http://accessabus.uk

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ACCESSIBLE VEHICLES Advertisement feature

Making WAVs even more accessible Wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) manufacturer Brotherwood, and contract hire specialist providers LVC Mobility, are pleased to announce an exciting new partnership which combines over 50 years of specialist experience to offer affordable finance packages for both business and private Individuals in need of high quality, wheelchair-friendly transport. For many SEN schools, the cost of purchasing a new WAV outright can be prohibitive. LVC’s new contract hire package offers an affordable solution, with a low initial outlay and fixed, tax-allowable monthly rentals – all that is required to run a high-quality, easy-to-use wheelchair car for an agreed period from 24 to 60 months. For peace of mind and easy budgeting, a full maintenance package can be included in the monthly rental, eliminating any unforeseen costs and ensuring accurate and predictable cash-flow. Disposal is simple and risk-free; at the end of the agreement, the vehicle is simply handed back, with no need to worry about part exchange value. SEN schools will benefit from the availability of contract hire for the new Brotherwood Envy, the UK’s only fully electric WAV to carry European Type Approval. At a time when scrutiny of vehicle emissions is at a high, many

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are now opting for alternative fuels, their low running costs further supplemented by generous financial assistance from OLEV Grants. Contract hire on the Envy eliminates the need to tie up capital and fixes the outlay required to run an electric vehicle to a manageable regular payment. Brotherwood have been converting vehicles for wheelchair access since 1985; their products are considered to be the highest quality available on the market today, offering superior comfort, safety, and inclusion for the wheelchair user. LVC Mobility is a trading style of LVC Central, who have over 20 years of funding expertise through the UK’s major vehicle finance lenders. Together, the partnership offers unparalleled customer service and knowledge in their respective fields, providing a trusted, experienced and competitive funding alternative that can enable you to access the very best in wheelchair passenger transport. For more information, contact Brotherwood on: 01935 872603 or visit: brotherwood.com

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ARTS

Time for art Heather Jones describes how a famous artist’s work inspired her pupils to get creative

have always loved the work of environmental artist Andy Goldsworthy and have often used it as an inspiration for school art projects, as many teachers have. In an installation of 2000, Goldsworthy made thirteen giant snowballs in Scotland and hid objects from the landscape within them, such as pine cones, sticks and leaves. He then transported these to London in June and left them in various locations to gradually melt and reveal their hidden treasures. He was interested in the concept of change over time and revealing to the people of London the beauty of nature as the natural objects were slowly revealed. I am always keen with my pupils, who have a range of moderate learning difficulties, to get away from the notion that art is just about doing a painting to be hung on a wall; I want them to be aware of other art forms and to embrace the latest technology creatively. With these thoughts in mind, I decided to embark on our own “snowballs” project. To start with, we watched a short presentation about Goldsworthy’s installation and had a great discussion about how the snowballs would change over time and how people would react to them. Pupils then made their own ice balloons; they gathered small natural objects to put inside, such as rose hips,

berries and small leaves. They then put ink powder and glitter into the balloons, before filling them with water and giving them a good shake. These were put into the freezer to freeze overnight. In the next session, pupils were introduced to the idea of time-lapse photography and were shown several examples of it on the interactive whiteboard. They were taught how to use a time-lapse app on a tablet computer and tried it out for themselves.

Beauty revealed Now it was time to unveil their ice balls. Pupils peeled off their balloon skins to great delight as beautiful smooth coloured balls were revealed. The balloons themselves were also things of beauty and we captured this by taking photographs of them before they melted. They were also very satisfying in a tactile way and pupils enjoyed touching and holding them. Pupils then placed their ice balls in a shallow tray lined with foil and were helped by staff to set up a small green screen to surround the tray and ice ball. The idea of this was to allow pupil’s when making their short film to add their own background. Tablet computers were set up in a suitable position using clamps from the science room to keep them still. Pupils then set the app to take a

They were taught how to use a time-lapse app on a tablet computer and tried it out for themselves photograph every ten seconds of their ice ball slowly melting. Hair dryers were used to aid the melting process. The finished time-lapse films were about 30 seconds long and pupils used two other apps to add their own backgrounds and music. The films then formed part of the finished piece of work, along with a few slides written by pupils to explain the project. They were then presented to the whole school on a large screen during assembly. This project was worthwhile on so many levels: it embraced digital technology in a creative way, it was hands-on, active learning and it taught pupils many new IT and computing skills. Pupils of all abilities were also able to join in: some enjoyed the tactile and visual nature of the project and could understand the simple concept of ice melting; others could understand the idea of time lapse and show more independence when using the various apps. It was very cross curricular, encompassing activities and learning from art, ICT, science and maths. Most of all, the pupils really enjoyed taking part in a dynamic, multi-sensory learning experience. I do hope Mr Goldsworthy would approve.

Further information

Heather Jones is the Lead Teacher in the ASC provision at Samuel Laycock School. She would like to thank Paul Lord for his help with all things digital: www.samuellaycockschool.org.uk Pupils’ colourful “snow balls” were filmed in time-lapse as they melted.

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TRANSITION

Looking to the future Henry Inman explores some of the issues faced by young people with SEN as they transition to adult life

hen looking to the future, young people and their parents or carers start to think about their long-term goals for a successful adult life. Priorities tend to include sorting out living arrangements, accessing further education, work related activity, leisure time and therapy or health-related support. A successful transition requires effective partnership working between the current provider, the young adult, the family, professionals and services in the target area to ensure a bespoke solution for every student.

Planning early One of the barriers to beginning the planning process can be that families and carers, and young adults themselves, don’t feel ready to think about transition as they would prefer their son or daughter to stay for longer with the current provider. Ongoing support for families is crucial, and it can also help to explain just how long it can take to organise a quality transition. This may include the conversion of a learning difficulty assessment to an education, health and care (EHC) plan if ongoing education is likely to form part of the transition, which can be a lengthy and challenging process. Ideally, future arrangements should be determined as soon as possible, taking into account the needs of the individual young person. However, often this is delayed by decision making processes such as further consideration of the suitability of the local offer or availability of funding. Anthony developed his independence, personal and social SENISSUE81

Independent living has been a stepping stone to enjoying leisure activities for Krissy.

skills whilst at a specialist college and was able to transition into adult life successfully. Anthony particularly enjoys cooking so he has continued to develop these skills. Anthony also has a regular programme of leisure and social activities throughout the week.

Students and their parents or carers will have aspirational goals such as learning to live independently Consultation is key Students and their parents or carers will have aspirational goals such as learning to live independently or to gain skills which could lead to voluntary work or supported employment. It is the job of the provider – through a process of consultation supported by a challenging curriculum, mentorship and independent information, advice

and guidance – to ensure that these goals are realistic and achievable and that EHC plan outcomes are met. Young adults should be given the opportunity to try new experiences, test themselves, develop friendships, become more confident and resilient and build trust amongst peers. Mike, who is 21, began his learning programme relying entirely on his wheelchair. Through intensive physiotherapy over the last 18 months, he has progressed from walking in the hydrotherapy pool, to standing with the parallel bars and then walking with support. There is still more work to be done but with further intensive therapy, there is potential for Mike to continue growing in strength and even to walk alone. His goal of being able to stand at a bar and order a drink has been achieved through the multi-disciplinary team working from education, care and therapy staff in close communication with Mike and his family. This has helped him to maximise his independence and develop personal, social and employability skills in a safe and supported environment. WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

TRANSITION

Learning from past experiences

Luke gained valuable experience volunteering at a radio station.

Provision in the local area If the young adult will be returning to their home area, it is important to research what is on offer there. This process will normally involve social work, careers advice and guidance and transitions professionals. Referrals to health professionals should also be considered. The focus should be on ability not disability; working with professionals in the home area to identify the most appropriate opportunities is crucial. However, some areas are better served than others and distance to services or travel costs can be a barrier. With the support of family, carers and professionals working locally, the young person should be encouraged to experience what is available in their home area. This could include checking out living arrangements and attending taster sessions. Well-delivered Young Enterprise or employability programmes can motivate young adults and spark an interest in work based learning such as a supported internship or self employment. Rachael used the skills she’d developed through Young Enterprise and her college employability programme to set up her own business, selling “happiness kits”. She continues to develop her work related skills further through attending a weekly social enterprise programme. WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Timing and planning are really important. Some young adults need more time than others to deal with change, but the sooner that onward transition can be planned, the better. Learning from past experiences is key. Consider, for example, what the transition into the current provider was like and how long it took the young adult to settle. Take note of the learning points and use past experience to inform transition-out arrangements. One of Krissy’s aims of placement was to transition into supported living in her home area. Her placement therefore focused on social, independence and work skills to develop real improvements in her confidence. Detailed transition planning, from college to supported living, ensured a happy move from home to parental independence. Once Krissy was settled in her living arrangements, she was then able to look at local leisure activities. She has followed her love of drama and recently featured in a play at her local theatre.

Changing circumstances It is important to follow up after the student has left the provider and moved on to the next stage. Many young people and families may appreciate ongoing advice and guidance. Although most students return to their home areas, there are sometimes problems with the availability of suitable housing with compatible young adults. There may also be limited opportunities for supported employment or opportunities in social enterprises or volunteering.

Working with professionals in the home area to identify the most appropriate opportunities is crucial Despite best efforts, plans don't always work out. Aspirations change, circumstances change, and the availability of services fluctuates. Luke has gone from strength to strength in terms of his ongoing education. However, although Luke met his aspiration to volunteer with a radio station, unfortunately that enterprise closed down because of lack of funding.

A bespoke transition Providers can help to create the most successful outcomes for young people by delivering a developmental curriculum, through effective liaison with the young adult, their family or carers and associated professionals, by providing realistic advice and guidance, and by planning and partnership working. However, there are many pitfalls during a quality transition. Sometimes meeting aspirations takes longer than expected or sometimes it just doesn’t work out as planned, which can be very frustrating for all concerned. The key is to support young adults to retain the skills and confidence that have been developed during the years of formative education.

Further information

Mike enjoys being able to stand at the bar to order a drink.

Henry Inman is Transitions Manager at Henshaws Specialist College, a residential and day college for students aged 16 to 25 with a wide range of disabilities and additional support needs: http://henshaws.ac.uk

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TRANSITION

â&#x20AC;&#x153;everything they do at henshaws is geared around the real worldâ&#x20AC;? Personalised Learning Programmes

OPEN DAY Thursday 24th March 2016

Henshaws Specialist College is a transformational place. Through our personalised approach to education, learning and care we empower children and young people living with a disability to progress and live life the way they want. Whether preparing for employment, making friends or learning to live more independently, we enable our students to make their aspirations possible and goals a reality.

Please contact us or book a visit. Call 01423 886451 Email admissions@henshaws.ac.uk henshaws.ac.uk Henshaws Specialist College, Harrogate, HG1 4ED Registered Charity No: 221888

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TRANSITION

DNEX 2016: for an independent life The North’s largest annual independent living exhibition will take place on Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 September 2016 at Newcastle Racecourse and will open daily at 10am. DNEX is hosted by Disability North – a leading disability resource in the North-East and Cumbria. 2016 marks the thirtieth DNEX exhibition. This free exhibition provides information, advice and equipment for disabled people, older adults, carers and health and social care professionals on a range of disability related issues. In a new development, DNEX 2016 will be co-located for the first time with Disabled Living Foundation’s Moving and Handling People North, the two-day CPD-accredited learning event for healthcare professionals. To find out more, email: caitlinhunter@disabilitynorth.org.uk, telephone: 0191 284 0480 or visit the DNEX section of the Disability North website: www.disabilitynorth.org.uk/dnex

New cafe helps prepare young people with autism for the world of work Pupils from Inscape House School in Cheadle are being given the chance to gain valuable skills and work experience through a new business venture, Inscape Enterprises. InCafe, part of the enterprise, opened to the public in February and is run by pupils and staff at the school, which caters for young people aged four to 18 years with autism spectrum conditions. Supported by local businesses, the enterprise aims to give first-hand work experience to pupils in a real cafe. Many students have developed the necessary skills to work independently, with thirteen pupils having passed the Level 1 Food Hygiene Certificate. “Our pupils with autism spectrum conditions have some very valuable skills which can be applied in the workplace”, says Anne Price, Head Teacher at Inscape House School. “Many of our students have associated difficulties to do with learning and behaviour, stemming from significant communication difficulties and sensory needs. However the flip side to those difficulties is that in the right environment those difficulties can become strengths, such as routine and maintaining processes.” 17-year-old Katie has been at the School since she was six and working in the cafe has really helped her confidence and has provided her with the experience she needs to work in hospitality. “My favourite days are working in the cafe”, Katie says. “I like to be busy and wait tables.” WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Along with the cafe, the enterprise consists of InConfection, which operates a sweet delivering service, supported by Swizzels Matlow, to local businesses including Santander and Barclays banks, and InCreative which gives pupils the opportunity to share and sell their art and craft work to the public. The cafe is currently open Monday to Wednesday, from 10.30am to 1.30pm, at the Together Trust Central Office site on Schools Hill, Cheadle. Booking is recommended by calling: 0161 283 4750. The cafe can be opened for events, meetings and training on Thursdays and Fridays. For more information, visit: www.togethertrust.org.uk SENISSUE81

TRANSITION

Changing up Liz Smith provides twelve top tips for successful SEN transitions

ow can I know if it's right for me? What if I get there and it's not what I was expecting? Will people laugh at me because of who I am or what I do? These questions and hundreds like them worry young people as they think about the transition from school to work or college. Now take those worries, multiply them tenfold and add some special needs issues too. Then we get an idea of why transitions for students with SEN can be particularly stressful. Will there be someone to meet me from the bus? Who will carry my tray at lunchtime? Will the teachers understand my computer input device? Why do I have to leave this place where I feel safe and understood? I contacted a number of special schools to ask them about their experiences in helping students prepare for successful transitions. Their answers show just how broad, complex, and fulfilling the area of SEN transitions support can be. This is the “top twelve” from the hints and tips I gained.

1: Have at least one member of staff, off-timetable, dedicated to supporting student transitions This work is time-consuming in any school. Students with SEN need a higher level of individualised support, with many hours of work for each young person. All but the smallest units need a member of staff specifically for transitions support. It's best if that staff member is “off timetable”, so that they can lead the school's transitions work throughout the year and be available to students for individual help. In many successful schools, the transitions manager has one or more assistants too. SENISSUE81

Help the student channel the energy of their ambitions into achieving realistic goals 2: Develop a plan for transitions support and make sure all the staff know about it Issues relating to transitions can come up in any lesson and any one-to-one session. Not all of the staff can know all about transitions to the same indepth level as the transitions manager. But make sure everyone knows about the information, advice and guidance (IAG) resources you have, and where they can go for help when they need it.

3: Get the right resources for support with choices in training and careers Great resources mean students and staff get expert information relating to careers, training, and transitions. Make sure your resources are independent and impartial; many students with SEN

find it hard to discriminate between fact and marketing hype in advertisingsupported products. Look carefully at accessibility too. Products with pictures, videos, low reading age, and built-in voice for reading text are more likely to be used by the students. Encourage the students to do their own independent learning where they can. Most subscription products offer a trybefore-you-buy option, so you can use them with your students first to see what works best in your situation.

4: Start your transitions work early Have training and placement providers visit your school to explain what they offer. Organise days for the students to visit colleges and workplaces, in a group and/or on their own, according to needs and abilities. Take videos and pictures of those places to show the students back at school. Organise “taster” days and part-days for students at their intended destination. By the time it comes to the actual first day in the new setting, the young person should feel familiar with it and everyone should be confident that there will be no surprises.

With encouragement, many local companies will offer placements and other help.

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TRANSITION

5: Make time to understand each student and their motivations Every student is different, and each has their own history, abilities, and needs. There is no “one size fits all” solution, especially in an SEN context. Be adaptable and creative in helping plan for what's next. At this age, students are growing and changing fast, so keep alert to their developing needs and ambitions. Stay flexible as to what is best for them as they develop.

6: Manage student expectations Many students with SEN have difficulty in being realistic about what they can expect to achieve. Some find themselves overly focussed on their disability. Don't let your students get hung up on what they can't do; help them see what they can do. Some students have unrealistically high expectations. Ambition is a great motivator, but unrealistic ambitions can cause wasted effort and disappointment. Help the student channel the energy of their ambitions into achieving realistic goals – “Modifying expectations and keeping ambition alive”, as one adviser put it.

7: Manage parental anxieties Transitions are stressful times for parents and carers too. Their anxieties are easily passed on to the young people they care for. Reassure parents by keeping them informed and involved. Make sure they know how to contact you. Offer to help parents with form-filling; your experience and help is useful for the paperwork they need to do.

8: Check that paperwork reaches its intended destination Education, health and care (EHC) plans and other paperwork are great in helping with smooth transitions and continuity of care and provision. But they are only useful if they get to their intended recipient. Email in-boxes overflow, spam filters get WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Treat these people like royalty. Invite them to your school to see what you do. Give them tea and cake

cake. Get their email addresses and direct-line phone numbers. You can help them and they can help you, and by working together you can help your students more effectively.

confused, and some internal mail systems rival the Bermuda Triangle for mystery disappearances. When you send important documentation relating to student transitions, make a note in your diary for a week or two from now to check that you got an acknowledgement.

A phone call to your transitions support friends in the student's destination in the first week of term helps fix any problems as they arise. A call or email at half-term, and then perhaps the start of the second term, can be useful too. And the information you get in return helps you plan better for the next cohort. Plus, it's great to hear the stories of how the people you worked so hard for are getting on in their new environment. Small group sizes and lots of one-to-one work means that staff and SEN students get to know each other well. That makes it hard when it comes to letting go. But with the right preparation, support, and resources, that step into what's next can be a fulfilling and enabling transition in the student's onward journey.

9: Your local area is full of helpers; enlist them Many local companies, sports teams, charity associations, celebrities and others like to help if they know they can make a difference. Make sure you use your powers of persuasion to recruit potential local helpers. If you can win them over, they'll be a great ongoing resource for visits to your school, helping your sports teams, work experience placements, and fundraising for special equipment.

12: Keep in touch with your students at their new destinations

10: Meet up with others working in IAG for SEN in your area Many areas of the country have regional groups for people who work at providing information, advice, and guidance in SEN settings. These are great for networking and exchanging information and ideas, and supporting each other. Guest speakers bring a lot to these, too. If there's not a group in your area yet, think about starting one.

11: Make friends with the transitions support staff in your destinations Your transitions contacts at colleges and other destinations are a great source of information, support, and friendly advice. Treat these people like royalty. Invite them to your school to see what you do. Give them tea and

Further information

Liz Smith is Managing Director of Careersoft, publishers of independent careers information and creators of the online resource First Jed, which is used by SEN and mainstream schools: www.careersoft.co.uk/SEND Liz would like thank Lee Davis at the Oaks school, Paula Leyland of Bower Grove school, Rebecca Sheen from Southlands School and Rebecca Wicks at The Clare School for their assistance with this article.

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SENSORY

Playing with the senses Katherine Bentley explores the benefits of multi-sensory play

eeing your child play is a precious moment, but for the parent of a child with disabilities or SEN, teaching this simple pleasure can be a more challenging experience. Many parents and carers resort to buying toys aimed at much younger children. However, it doesn’t have to be this way, as toys specifically designed for children with SEN and disabilities are changing lives and creating whole new possibilities. In a world where essential care needs can take priority over play, it is easy to underestimate the impact this can have on a child. However, fun specialist toys can make a real difference to their life in a wide variety of ways, helping them to engage and develop new skills which can then open up a whole new world for both the child and their family.

Boosting development In some cases, the right specialist toy means a child can play with their parents or carer for the first time, or it can help foster a bond between siblings where play may otherwise be difficult. The development of important physical skills can also be improved; the right toy can boost a child’s attention span, understanding of cause and effect, response to sounds, hand/eye coordination and motor skills – all of which can also lead to a child’s confidence growing. Not only can play help children develop, it can also help with social skills and enable families to enjoy quality time together as they learn which particular toys draw the child’s focus and improve their development – such as reaching for a toy or taking notice of sound, movement or colour – and SENISSUE81

Small things experienced during play are the building blocks of communication and development even what makes them laugh. Play can also help a family better understand their own child’s sensory needs so they can be met in the right way. Multi-sensory play can be used to distract and comfort children in many situations, such as when they are in pain, waiting for appointments at hospital, during therapy or travelling. Toys with a relaxing and calming effect can be particularly useful, whether it is something that has lights or a texture, or a favourite toy which is known to elicit a response.

A sense of wonder While standard toys can be picked up cheaply, it is clear that play equipment for children with SEN is often harder to source and more expensive to buy. This means that the specialist therapeutic and developmental toys which can be of real benefit are often out of reach of many families, leaving them with tough decisions to make. However, with so many clear benefits to play, enabling all children with disabilities the opportunity to access specialist toys would make a huge difference. As adults, we are aware intellectually of the benefits of play, but the wonder and joy of exploring the touch and feel of texture, the brightness of colour, the sweet sound of tinkling bells or the satisfaction of solving a cause and effect toy are a distant memory. These small things experienced during the pleasure of play are the building blocks of communication and development. Toys help children to enhance their understanding of the world and their place within it, as well as providing a sense of fun and pleasure in the present. And of course, a smile from a child to a parent can be the ultimate reward.

Further information

Katherine Bentley is the Equipment Loans Deputy Manager at Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children, which provides specialist equipment for children with disabilities and terminal illness, including Play Therapy Pod loans containing specialist sensory toys: www.newlifecharity.co.uk

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SENSORY Advertisement feature

How to create a dyslexia friendly classroom A dyslexia friendly classroom will include a variety of teaching and learning strategies enabling every child to access the full curriculum. This needs to be in a style which will encourage confidence and success, as well as developing good self-esteem. The following list is a summary of successful primary classroom strategies: • a well organised environment with clear routines to minimise movement and noise • a good mix of visual, auditory and kinaesthetic activities within each lesson • an alphabet arc on the wall • dyslexic pupils sitting within easy eye contact of the teacher • colour coded storage system (for example, yellow for literacy and blue for numeracy) • resource boxes/goody boxes • a variety of writing implements, including red and blue pens for practising spellings before writing in books (red for vowels and blue for consonants) • revisiting reading and spelling strategies at the start of each year and having these displayed for constant reference • a selection of high interest/low reading age texts available

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• whiteboards with coloured markers to practise spellings and sentences • keyword cards/days of the week cards/months of the year cards • writing planning boards or writing frames • using a variety of recording methods – mind maps, storyboards, flowcharts, SD10103 Dyslexia Toolkit: £64.95 video, diagrams, oral presentation • using ICT as a multi-sensory method of working • giving children thinking and talking time • having drinking water available • using “buddies” or “peer mentors” to help with homework/organising • colour photocopies/coloured wallets for use with white paper. Come and see us at the British Dyslexia Association conference on the 10, 11 and 12 March on stand 11. www.specialdirect.com

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SENSORY Advertisement feature

Stimulate the senses with a multi-sensory room Welcome to a world of soothing sounds, moving colours and shapes, projected images and tactile walls, where you can touch, feel and explore a myriad of senses. Multi-sensory rooms have long been established as being of benefit for children with a range of SEN conditions. They can offer an oasis of tranquillity which is vital for children’s emotional wellbeing, and can help them relax and recharge, ready to engage in more structured activities and learning. They offer a range of calming or stimulating activities to children who may otherwise have fewer opportunities to exert control and make choices. They provide a way of stimulating the senses in a controlled environment and give them opportunities to interact, build confidence and access the curriculum in meaningful ways. In this fun and “failure-free” environment, children can learn to use switch technology, allowing them to put cause and effect control into action, develop their hand-eye coordination, practise social and communication skills and bond with others. They may be encouraged to interact with the environment, or simply choose to lie down and enjoy the sensory experience created by the colours, sounds and lights. LDA offers a range of sensory room packages which can be tailored to meet the needs of your children and your available space. This could be a light room, a dark room or an interactive learning environment. Entry-level products in the range start with the Plug and Play Package, through to the Premium Sensory Room Package. There is also the option of creating your own bespoke package tailored to your requirements or available space. Important considerations When thinking about your sensory room design, you may wish to include these practical considerations: • room size, including ceiling height to accommodate equipment and wall space for projection • padding – are soft play floors and walls required for safety and comfort? • heating, cooling and ventilation – is the chosen room adequately ventilated and can the temperature be controlled? SENISSUE81

• lighting – is there adequate normal lighting for maintenance and cleaning purposes? Can the lights be dimmed for a gentle transition into and out of the sensory therapy session? Is there a quick “on” switch for emergencies? • blackout – are you able to black-out the room for the sensory session? Look for any gaps around doors and windows • accessibility – are the door openings wide enough with room for wheelchairs and standing frames? • storage • safety. Sensory room essentials Crucial pieces of equipment in sensory rooms include: • bubble tubes • projectors and wheels • infinity tunnel • mirror ball and spotlight • fibre-optic curtain or spray • textured panel or activity wall • soft-play flooring • interactive switches • fans or bubble blowers.

Whether you opt for an off-the-shelf package or a bespoke design, you can be confident that you will receive expert advice and support, with direct delivery of up to four weeks on sensory room packages. For more information, call: 0845 120 4776 or visit: www.ldalearning.com To request a catalogue, email: enquiries@ldalearning.com

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ADHD

ADHD reimagined The traditional view of ADHD as a behavioural disorder fails to recognise the true nature of the condition, says Tony Lloyd

n this article, I will argue that a changing emphasis from seeing ADHD as a childhood behaviour disorder to a developmental delay of three to five years characterised by impairment of the brain’s management system – the “executive functions” – is changing our preconceived notions of teaching and learning for children with ADHD. Children with ADHD experience poor concentration, poor memory, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Many clinicians also see low emotional resilience and poor executive functioning as additional core characteristics of the disorder. ADHD often results in children underachieving and becoming distressed by classroom based learning, but how many of us know why this is the case? Children with ADHD find it difficult to hold information in working memory in order to employ hindsight, foresight, a sense of time and therefore problem solving ability in order to understand

Around 70 per cent of children with ADHD will have two additional learning difficulties it. Frequently sensitive to distraction and with an inability to self-regulate their anxiety, their ability to think, plan and execute tasks is impaired. This creates frustration which leads to often unconscious attempts to avoid this distress through avoidance of work and, sometimes, inappropriate behaviour. We might assume that we all have an equal amount of self-control, but this is not the case with an ADHD brain. We then make value judgements about the child and their parents which may be inaccurate. Reducing learner distress is essential for successful learning. To demonstrate this point, I often ask teachers to tell me how high levels of

Many children with ADHD exhibit poor executive functioning.

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stress affect their performance and relationships with colleagues and pupils. They recall periods such as the end of term or during inspections, when they can become forgetful, irritable, unable to concentrate or organise their thoughts, easily upset, sleep deprived and overwhelmed by the demands of the job. There is more than a hint of irony when they realise that what they describe is very like ADHD. This can help them gain a greater sense of what life is like every day for the ADHD child.

Living with ADHD It is estimated that five per cent of children in the UK have ADHD – some 500,000 children. However, only two per cent of children are diagnosed with the condition. This suggests that the majority of children with ADHD have developed strategies to live successfully with ADHD and are achieving and behaving appropriately. Sadly, it can take up to four years to obtain a diagnosis, during which time pervasive learner anxiety has impaired achievement, behaviour and the mental health of the child. Around 70 per cent of children with ADHD will have two additional learning difficulties; the most common is dyslexia, but they may also have dyspraxia, Asperger’s syndrome, dyscalculia, Erlin’s syndrome, speech and language difficulties or sensory processing disorder. Many children with ADHD can show mild traits of a range of such neurodevelopmental disorders. In summary, their needs are often complex and difficult to discern for teachers who have no training in learning difficulties or child development. Many teachers now understand that the old notion of ADHD as a WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

ADHD

Emotion plays a key role in child development and therefore in education

Psychological resilience is central to successful learning.

childhood behavioural disorder is no longer valid, seeing the sometimes difficult behaviour as a consequence of developmental delay (they don’t “act their age”) and a sign of learner anxiety and frustration that the child is unable to assimilate or articulate. This does not excuse inappropriate behaviour; it does, however, provide insight into how we can improve behaviour so that it supports learning and achievement by differentiating for it through developing their executive functioning skills. We now aim to improve the executive functioning skills of these children so that academic attainment and good behaviour inevitably follow.

organise our thinking and integrate them with emotion. Emotion plays a key role in child development and therefore in education – which begs the question why the national curriculum does not place greater emphasis on psychological development? The genetic imperative in human beings is after all, relationship driven. By improving executive functioning skills, we can reduce pervasive learner anxiety. This reduces the risk of long-term mental health problems, influences the structural and functional development of their brains enabling them to become successful, resilient learners and better able to regulate their emotions and behaviour so they can achieve their long-term goals and potential.

Executive function 1: Managing emotion How can our emotional state be manipulated so that it serves the requirements of the task in hand – the goal of learning? The instinctive questions we ask when given a task is, “Do I want to do this? Why should I do this (motivation)? How do I feel

Emotional connection The emergence of a need to promote psychological resilience as an essential component of successful learning and attainment is welcome, but how can educators do that? How do we ensure the fulcrum of resilience is centred to balance the growing ability of the learner with the demands of education, while factoring in such environmental variables as the child’s home life, health and genetic inheritance? The executive functioning of the brain is our capacity to connect, prioritise, WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

The features of executive functioning 1. Inhibiting emotion to control behaviour and motivation. 2. Organisation/sequencing/ planning/prioritising. 3. Attention/concentration. 4. Memory. 5. Hindsight/foresight – a sense of time. 6. Goal setting.

right now? What would I sooner be doing right now? Our emotional systems work at lightning speed – up to 200 times faster than our higher functioning cortex that deals with abstracts concepts that connect with intellectual thinking and memory. Our emotional state and memories influence our response. For the anxious ADHD learner who is perhaps demotivated by the fact they will forget tomorrow what they have learned today – and possibly be disciplined for it – the instinctive response is: how can I avoid this? Getting into a learning state is supported by multiple factors. Good sleep is important, so that the pupil is alert, as is food – especially breakfast (the energy from a bowl of cereal will not fuel an ADHD child for very long). It is also important to consider what is happening at home or on the playground that is affecting the child’s mood. The physical health of the child and a healthy lifestyle is important; for example, a daily cardiovascular exercise regulates the neurotransmitter dopamine, which plays a key role in memory, concentration and motivation. All children learn how to behave as part of the socialisation process. Cooperative learning helps forge formative relationships with peers and the teacher to attach a positive emotional charge to the learning. This in turn builds confidence in the learner so that they feel safe and feel they “belong” in the social group that is the classroom. Many teachers will use strategies to promote a learning state of mind by employing brain gym movements, breathing exercises, meditation, music, progressive muscle relaxation and sometimes absolute silence as a way of enabling children to manipulate their biology to enter into a state that is conducive for learning, especially after break and lunch times. Children gain emotional resilience from knowing that they have skills and strategies to change how they are feeling at will. This confidence >> SENISSUE81

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is essential for a successful learner and a key element in developing the motivation to get started. Being able to separate emotion from fact comes with maturation of our intellectual capacity and therefore will be a challenge for all children. A skilled teacher knows how to harness the power of emotion in children to inspire and motivate and enable them to develop mastery over emotion as a necessary part of the socialisation process. In a world where everything is instant and the concept of delayed gratification is alien to children, the virtue of persistence can only be learned when children truly grasp the necessity of trial and error in learning and achievement. 2: Organising In order for the learner to understand what to do they must understand what is being asked of them. The impulsive ADHD child will be inclined to start writing before they have finished reading the question or listening to the teacher’s instructions. The learner must therefore learn to hold information in working memory so as organise their thoughts and plan their response to the assigned task within a certain time frame. Mind maps are really helpful as we brainstorm ideas and then number in sequence those ideas to structure and plan our execution of

The three Rs – routine, repetition and review – can help maintain focus

transitioning from one task to another and how connecting and integrating the learning from each aspect of the task can support transferable learning.

the task. Using post-it notes is another useful way of helping the child to learn how to plan, organise and sequence information and transition from one task or topic to another. The mind map or post-it notes once sequenced, compensate for the poor memory and inability to hold all this information in working memory. Working cooperatively alongside others or allowing self-talk commentating on what they are doing and why, children with ADHD can then process and explain what, how and why they have sequenced and prioritised the component parts of the task. This skill is essential for homework. Give the student a list with a start and finish time. Build in 20 minutes to prepare to start work – which could include taking a quick walk, a wash, clearing the desk or table they are going to work on, getting the books, pens and materials they need and even a detailed breakdown of how much time to spend on each element of the homework task. Emphasise the skill in

3: Attention/concentration: the three “R”s Getting children to pay attention is ultimately the product of good quality multi-sensory teaching, opportunities for movement, good resources and employing visual, auditory and kinaesthetic stimuli. Explaining the value of the learning in a way that enables children to see it as relevant to them also helps to sustain their attention. Good classroom relationships, rewards and recognition for effort, such as writing letters home praising the child, all help add a positive emotional charge to the learning. The good physical and emotional factors mentioned above (in point 1) are supported by ensuring the child is sat at the front of the class, away from doors and windows to reduce distractions. Reinforcing success by recognising and praising completing even one small aspect of the task in hand can help sustain motivation to pay attention. The three Rs – routine, repetition and review – can help maintain focus, so ask the pupil to “Tell me what have you learned so far?” Brain breaks, with two minutes of deep breathing, can help maintain focus as can using a stress toy to squeeze or a foot pad, as movement aids concentration.

There is much teachers can do to help pupils with ADHD to concentrate.

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4: Memory Most teachers will be familiar with accelerated learning techniques to support memory as well as those already mentioned in this article but for children with ADHD, additional skills and lifestyle choices will further aid their ability to recall information. Medication for children with severe ADHD has a role to play but daily exercise is essential, as is enough sleep and fuel from food. Short-term memory is often filtered so we only notice what is relevant. What is instinctively relevant to children is the need to feel safe, protected and WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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belong. The love of learning is genetic and evolutionary and is stimulated by novelty and multi-sensory stimuli. Active working memory is when we take in environmental stimuli and relate them to what we already know and understand their usefulness to the current situation. Long-term memory is when we have “filed and saved” information to retain it because we have experienced a need for it that gives it value for our wellbeing or our life in general. Inevitably, most of our long-term memories have a strong emotional charge, such as falling in love, achieving a personal goal or experiencing a significant loss. When we develop a love of ideas, images, topics, places, for example, we commit to long-term memory because we see a value to the knowledge, be that to pass an exam or do our job. Poor memory skills impair the child’s ability to hold information in their mind for long enough to synthesise, analyse and discern the relevance and connection to what they already know and indeed where to look for additional information – the computer, text book, teacher or past learning? 5: Hindsight, foresight and a sense of time Children with ADHD have a poor sense of time. This is why it is important to attach time frames to tasks, breaking down a forty minute lesson into bitesize pieces. Poor memory is aided by planning and organising tools and strategies, then enabling the child to develop a time-line as well as a sequence that facilitates hindsight and foresight: relating back to what is known, prospecting about what might happen ‘if’ and “when” and then connecting, prioritising and integrating cognitive functions, moment by moment, like the conductor of an orchestra. It is helpful to the entire class if you specify how much time should be assigned to segments of the task. This will prevent children from rushing to complete and avoid the temptation WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

to behave in ways that distract other learners. More importantly, they will learn the necessity of reviewing what they have done, evaluate it to discern how to improve it and create an opportunity for a final repetition, increasing the likelihood it will be filed and saved in long-term memory. 6: Goal setting We all need to gain a sense that we are making progress and moving toward achievement of our goals. Human beings become depressed and demotivated when they feel stuck or disempowered. Confidence in our ability to move toward our goals builds psychological resilience and perspective about how long it may take to achieve our goal – and so we learn perseverance. For the child with ADHD, the experience of succeeding at something, only to have completely forgotten how they achieved this, can be dispiriting and impact on their self-concept as an intelligent capable and persistent learner. It is important therefore to offer some quick wins and easily achievable goals. Supporting the achievement of long-term goals can be aided by the use of cork target boards that contain photographs and images of role models, certificates of achievement and a combination of very personal goals and academic goals. In individual lessons or at the start of schemes of work, go for interest right from the start of the lesson: engage, praise, encourage and convey excitement. Summarise the activities of the lesson and the learning and behavioural expectations. Set out the value and relevance of the learning and identify all the materials and skills they will need during the lesson. A good but simple structure is: My goal for the lesson is… My plan for achieving this goal is… My resources are… My reward for achieving this goal is… Targets for the lesson should include such things as on-task effort, following directions, persistence, recognising

It is important to offer some quick wins and easily achievable goals

the value of trial and error, planning and organising, pro-social behaviour through cooperative learning and peer educating. Rewards for this behaviour should be offered as an incentive whenever possible. Celebrating effort and success are vital to sustaining progress and perseverance.

Changing minds More people in public life are being open about their ADHD and how they have learned to live successfully with it. Taking a strength based approach, focussing on we can do, will help challenge the myth that all children with ADHD underachieve and behave inappropriately. Educating all children about various learning difficulties can reduce stigma and bullying and promote inclusive learning that fosters peer support. I believe that key to this is recognising that ADHD is not about behaviour but delayed development of the brain’s executive functioning. When we know what ADHD is, and what it is not, we can start to employ teaching and learning strategies that are differentiated to ensure children with ADHD, learn, achieve, become resilient and enjoy and thrive in education.

Further information

Dr Tony Lloyd is CEO of the ADHD Foundation, which provides training on ADHD to schools, universities, child social care and fostering agencies: www.adhdfoundation.org.uk

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Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing for Young People with Autism, ADHD and Learning Disabilities The Cerebra annual conference this year will look at the hot topic of mental health in young people with learning disabilities. Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing for Young People with Autism, ADHD and Learning Disabilities will take place on Thursday 28 April at the Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole Street, London W1G 0AE. The conference is aimed at parents, carers and the professionals who support them and will look at: • the risks to mental wellbeing in children and young people • interventions and improvements in health service practice • recent developments in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) • the need to involve young people and their families in defining the research and policy agenda. The conference costs £45 if you book before 31 March. Email Rachel Shailer on: rachels@cerebra.org.uk or call: 01267 244225.

ADHD pupil’s journey from special school to grammar school Finlay Bissell's parents were devastated to learn that their son could not cope with mainstream school. Because of his ADHD, anxiety and OCD, they were advised to find a special school. Little did they know at the time that he would become the first special school pupil to go directly into Poole Grammar. Now, Finlay (pictured, left, in the green blazer) has returned to his old special school, Longspee Academy, to see his former teachers and to present pupils with a computer programme he has designed to help them learn their times tables. When he first started at the Academy, at the age of eight, Finlay was confused and frustrated. After much hard work from Finlay, his parents and the school, he succeeded in passing the entrance exam for Poole Grammar and was offered a place there. “He became the first pupil to come directly to us from special education, without being integrated back into mainstream education first”, says Andy Baker, Poole Grammar’s Headteacher.

have tried it were so engaged they didn't want to stop,” says

“He has also made friends and enjoys school life and we feel

Longspee Associate Principal Sharon Burt. “He is an excellent

extremely proud to have him as a member of our school.”

example of what children can achieve when given a well matched

Finlay particularly enjoys maths and computer studies and the programme he created for learning times tables is proving

education and support and we hope his success will inspire our other pupils to strive to reach their full potential.”

to be very popular with everyone back at Longspee. “Our team

Finlay’s mum, Joanne, says that he eventually intends to

are absolutely thrilled to invite him back to share the motivational

study for A levels before following his older brother Elliot ,18,

game that he has designed for our pupils. The first pupils to

on to university.

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DYSLEXIA

Dyslexia: sight and sound John Stein looks at how we can help dyslexics by tackling their visual sequencing and auditory processing difficulties

bout 12 per cent of boys and six per cent of girls find it very difficult to read because they have developmental dyslexia. They have difficulties learning to split words into the separate sounds of which they consist; they have linguistic “phonological” problems, as do all children who find learning to read difficult. But dyslexics can be distinguished from those with other causes of failure to acquire phonological skills, such as low intelligence, lack of good teaching or parental support, because they experience specific problems with sequencing the visual order of letters and the order of sounds in a word. This difficulty with sequencing affects reading and spelling particularly, but it is not confined to this. In this article, I will build on some of the latest research into dyslexia to explain why dyslexics fail to acquire these sequencing skills and how these issues derive from more basic sensory processing disabilities.

Dyslexics do not have significant problems with the very earliest stages of visual processing The basic skills required for reading Reading is the most complicated skill that most children ever have to master. It requires two different processes to be combined rapidly and accurately. First, they need to recognise letters visually and determine their order. This visual sequencing is the most important part of reading, and its speed determines the overall speed of reading and comprehension; it is “rate limiting”. Second, they need to learn the skill of translating the letters into the sounds they stand for, in the right order; this is known as auditory sequencing. When children are learning

A synoptophore is used to measure how well the eyes work together for binocular viewing of text.

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to read, they read out loud; indeed, until the Twelfth Century, being able to read silently, “in your head”, was regarded as a sign of exceptional brilliance. It is only when a child fully understands that word sounds can be represented visually as a sequence of letters that s/he realises that it can be split into a sequence of separate sounds. Thus, this phonological skill is fundamentally subordinate to the visual requirements of reading.

Visual sequencing Many dyslexics find visual sequencing difficult. The first step in reading is to learn to recognise individual letters. Actually, dyslexics are initially just as good as good readers at recognising single letters. As this basic process is the same for all visual recognition, this shows that dyslexics do not have significant problems with the very earliest stages of visual processing. However, letters do not come singly, but in groups, and their order matters. When a child is first learning to read s/he will inspect each letter individually moving their eyes from letter to letter. But s/he needs to know where the eyes were pointing during each fixation in order to determine the order of the letters. Therefore, in order to determine the order of the letters, s/he has to learn to associate the visual form of each letter being fixated with signals about where the eyes are now pointing, that is, with the eye movement just before that fixation. This is what many dyslexics fail to achieve accurately. Each time we move our eyes, images stream across the retina in the opposite direction. Although this is happening physically, >> SENISSUE81

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we are not usually consciously aware of this motion, because the neural command to move the eyes is also sent to the conscious vision centres in the brain, and this is used to blank out the apparent movement. At the same time, the letter seen at the new position of the eyes is automatically associated with that position, using the eye movement signal just before it; so we ascertain that the letter now being inspected comes just after the previous one. Thus we keep an account not only of its identity but also of its sequence in a word. When described and dissected in this clumsy way, the process sounds very complicated and effortful. But most of us learn to sequence not only letters, but also numbers and objects, for example, fast, effortlessly and supremely accurately. The special image motion and eye movement signals required for these associations are provided by a set of large nerve cells called visual magnocellular neurones (from Latin “magnus", meaning large). The size of these cells means that they process and conduct signals very rapidly, so that they are specialised for timing visual events, hence for signalling movements – of the eyes themselves and of images moving over the retina. There is now overwhelming evidence that many dyslexics have impaired development of these magnocells, so that the association of each letter with its position in a word is slow and inaccurate. The degree of this deficiency predicts the severity of their visual reading difficulties. What this means in practice is that we can easily distinguish dyslexia from other causes of reading problems simply by looking for signs of magno-impairment.

Visual difficulties in the classroom School staff should always ask children with reading difficulties whether they have any visual symptoms when reading. Do letters appear to blur, or split into two, or move around when you try to read? Does reading make SENISSUE81

your eyes or your head ache? Further investigations, such as measuring eye fixation, convergence and focussing, recording brain waves evoked by moving or flickering stimuli, may then be used to confirm their visual problems, but they are not essential. Asking the right questions is.

When we give appropriate children yellow or blue filters, we find we can triple their rate of reading progress

How can we help? Yellow filters Visual magnocells receive most of their input from the red (long wavelength) and green (medium wavelength) colour receptors (cones) in the retina. Yellow light combines both those wave lengths. So magnocells are best stimulated by yellow light. Therefore, if you give children deep yellow filters to look through, their magnocells are selectively activated. In children whose main visual problem is that the letters look blurry and tend to split into two, this boost to the magno input is often sufficient to help them overcome these symptoms, hence their reading improves rapidly. Blue filters However, yellow filters only appear to help about half of dyslexic children with visual symptoms. The others complain mainly of eye and head aches and of letters moving around and over each other. We were surprised to find that most of these could be helped by deep blue filters, even though these cut out most of the long wavelengths that directly stimulate magno cells. But we’ve discovered that they probably work in a different way. The hypothalamic clock Our blue filters appear to optimally excite a newly discovered set of cells in the eye which do not contribute directly to conscious vision. Instead, they feed deep into the centre of the brain – into the hypothalamus. This is where the body’s internal “clock” which times out our daily rhythms is situated. The blue input synchronises the clock to seasonal changes in day length, so that we wake up earlier in summer and

later in winter. On arousal by blue light the first system that is woken up is the magnocellular system to prepare you for rapid responding. Hence our blue filters probably work by enhancing arousal in susceptible children and this helps them to focus their attention more accurately, in particular by helping them to keep proper track of their eye movements, so that letters cease to appear to move around. Not surprisingly, we found that the blue filters not only improve arousal, concentration and reading, but they also reduce difficulties with getting to sleep at night because they help to improve synchronisation of the body clock. What we didn’t expect as well however, was that they also had a dramatic effect on these children’s headaches. Even more surprising was that a mother with recurrent migraines, on noting her children’s headaches greatly improving, began wearing blue filters herself and found that her migraines improved as well. We have since found that if blue filters improve sleep patterns, they will often also improve migraine. I must emphasise that these results require much more thorough testing before we can say in whom the blue glasses may work. To summarise thus far, the visual magnocellular system is crucial for reading. It is responsible for signalling the moments in time when visual events occur. Each time the eyes move, visual magnocells signal the command to move and also the resultant movements of the letters across the retina, so that these can be discounted, and the letters kept stationary. Thus, if the magnocell responses are weak, as in many dyslexics, letters may appear to WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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blur or move around, making reading very difficult. But now we know that using either yellow or blue filters we can make the letters keep still. When we give appropriate children yellow or blue filters, we find we can triple their rate of reading progress (Ray, Fowler and Stein, 2005).

Even very basic musical training, such as to beat a drum rhythmically, can help greatly

Auditory processing problems

This prevents the children being able to detect auditory amplitude and frequency changes rapidly and accurately. Hence they cannot sequence speech sounds properly to determine their correct order.

However, visual symptoms occur only in about half of all children with reading problems. As mentioned earlier, the other main skill required for reading is to be able to rapidly translate letters into the sounds they stand for. Most of the children with dyslexia without visual symptoms seem to have problems with the basic auditory processing required for this translation. Discriminating letter sounds requires detecting very small and rapid changes in speech amplitude and frequency. Many children with dyslexia have difficulties hearing these distinctions and tracking their order, and this helps to cause their phonological reading problems. Detecting these amplitude and frequency changes is mediated by large neurones in the auditory system, which are similar to the visual ones. Thus, these “auditory magnocells” are crucial for speech and language comprehension. As in the visual system, there is now much evidence that in many dyslexic children the development of these auditory magnocells is impaired.

Detecting poor sound sequencing in a classroom setting To look for weakness in speech sound sequencing, you should always ask parents about their children’s speech development and mispronunciations, and ask the children to repeat out loud, multi-syllable words read out to them, such as super-cali-fragel-istic.

function by musical training, and this often helps them to improve their phonological skills for reading. Even very basic musical training, such as to beat a drum rhythmically, can help greatly.

Conclusion Most dyslexics probably suffer some degree of impaired development of both visual and auditory magnocellular systems. All reading problems are associated with reduced phonological skill, but in dyslexia it is caused by impaired visual and auditory sequencing. Of course, we need to further understand the genetic, social and nutritional causes of these sensory deficiencies, but the practical significance of our new understanding of the sensory basis of dyslexics’ phonological and other reading deficits is immense, because these sequencing difficulties are ones that you can remediate relatively easily. Yellow or blue filters or musical rhythm training can help many dyslexics and are both practical and easily affordable.

How can we help auditory processing problems? As in the visual case, there are techniques that can be used to make auditory magnocells work better. Music is the easiest. Musical rhythm is established by recurrent amplitude changes, whilst tunes are melodious frequency modulations. Hence it has been shown that we can improve children’s auditory magnocellular

Further information

Professor John Stein is Chairman of the Dyslexia Research Trust and Professor of Neuroscience at Magdalen College, Oxford: www.dyslexic.org.uk

The “RAF rule” is used to assess binocular convergence and focusing.

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THE CRISPIANI METHOD by Prof. Piero Crispiani University of Macerata, Italy

VMT

Video Motor Training PROJECT LEADER Eleonora Palmieri ACADEMIC CONSULTANT Piero Crispiani PROJECT TEAM Ivan Di Pierro Antonio Grifoni Eleonora Palmieri

REHABILITATIVE AND EDUCATIONAL TREATMENT ACTIVITY GYM MOTOR TRAINING PROGRAM CHAMPION LIRM

mail: dislessia.co@gmail.com phone: +39.338.7051712

Clinic of dyslexia and dyspraxia www.istitutoitard.it

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Early intervention to understand dyslexia and dyspraxia by Professor Piero Crispiani Questions about the nature of dyslexia are assuming great importance today because a series of actions have become established: • how and when to activate early intervention for dyslexia • how and when to make the diagnosis and functional evaluation • how to apply rehabilitative treatment (therapy) • what kind of advice is necessary at school • what indications teachers should look for • which aids should be used to support those with the condition. Today, the interest around dyslexia covers the overall process of adaptation, such as the tasks, family, life, and school. For parents, it is essential to know how to choose the right games and leisure activities, how to manage the timing of the communication, how to bear the order/disorder in space and time, how to monitor slowness or precipitation of language and so on. In the last ten years, neurophysiological concepts have been consolidated, placing an emphasis on the impairment of coordinative processes in the dyslexic child, with special attention to sequential and coordinated movements required for both reading and writing. Theoretical approaches In this perspective, it is possible to point out two theoretical approaches which have a great affinity. The “cerebellar theory” (A.J. Fawcett, R.I. Nicholson, P. Dean, E.R. Berry, et al.), that indicates forms of dysfunction at the level of the cerebellum, the organ responsible for the sequencing of actions in partnership with the frontal lobes and the motor areas. Dyslexia therefore exhibits a “procedural” difficulty as seen in an orderly and sequential action such as reading, writing and many other functions.

dysgraphia and dyscalculia, consists of a “sequential dyspraxia”, as a disorder of the ordered execution of actions in the right sequence, at constant speed (fluency) and with agile procedures of self-control and self-correction. In both cases, the reading of the phenomenon moves from phonological – in terms of semantic, symbolic, mental disorders to the motor and coordinative, and it involves the execution of cross motor patterns, rotator patterns and laterality. In this sense, it refers to the coordination of praxis, or “dyspraxia” as a functional, executive, qualitative disorder. The phenomenon shall make further determinations, such as early diagnosis, the importance of prevention, the nature of praxic-motor therapy, the nature of the errors, and so on. This condition determines the forms of disorder, disharmony and lack of coordination as random circuits between the right and left hemispheres. These circuits became d ynamic through the coordinated action and fluid from the motor, sensory-motor, verbal-motor and ideo-motor. This intensive exercise and constant coordination determine the best features of the electrical exchanges between the hemispheres and for the execution of human behaviour. It is important to improve the functions (reading, writing, oral calculation, written calculation, put items in columns, loan reporting and so on) to gain access to a rather functional autonomy, to reach a better performance without bypassing the difficulty. www.pierocrispiani.it pierocrispiani@gmail.com www.centrostudiitard.it

The “Praxic Motor Theory”, as defined and formalised by Prof. Piero Crispiani – which revives concepts already present in Orton, Roudinesco and Prelat, de Ajuriaguerra, Mucchielli and Bourcier, Stambak, Kocher, Vayer, Le Boulch, and Cacciaguerra, then was picked up by contemporary authors (Chiarenza, Boltansky, Basse, Simonetta and Massenz) – indicates the disorder in dyspraxia and in the organisation of space and time to the fundamental nature of the dyslexic syndrome, with strong involvement of the dominant side. In this sense, dyslexia, which always includes WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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Lucid Exact: supporting every child’s learning needs at Millfield At Millfield Senior School the aim is clear – to discover and develop the potential of each pupil. Using Lucid Exact helps ensure every child’s literacy learning differences are taken into account. Based in rural Somerset, Millfield Senior School is an inspirational independent boarding school where pupils are encouraged to reach their personal best. Jacqui Clarke, Head of the LSC and SENCO, explains: “We’re a non-selective school, with 1240 pupils between the ages of 13 and 18. Approximately 41 per cent of our pupils have a learning difference. Some of these will have been diagnosed before they join us, but we find many start with issues that have previously gone undiagnosed. “To give our pupils every opportunity for success, it’s imperative that we discover any barriers to literacy learning as quickly and efficiently as possible. Lucid Exact helps us do this.” Areas of attainment Lucid Exact is a suite of computerised tests designed to assess literacy skills. It comprises standardised tests in word recognition, reading comprehension and speed, typing speed, handwriting speed and spelling. Jacqui continues: “We used to use an assessment that couldn’t be delivered to pupils en masse, alongside a paper spelling test and an online reading test. This led to a couple of instances where pupils with issues were missed, so the school was very receptive to my suggestion of using a blanket screener to streamline the process. “I had used Lucid Exact before, so knew it would suit Millfield’s needs perfectly. I have also looked at Exact’s results in detail alongside diagnostic one-to-one testing, which confirmed to me that the standardisation is really accurate”. Across Cohorts All 220 Year 9 and 330 Lower Sixth pupils are assessed with Lucid Exact. “Lucid Exact is easy to deliver to big groups, which is vital in a school the size of ours. It means that within just a couple

Benefits of Lucid Exact at Millfield Senior School:

• used as part of the evidence required by JCQ when applying for exam access arrangements • screens for literacy learning differences quickly and efficiently • easy and simple to deliver to large year groups • gives useful, accurate standardised information on every new pupil within the first few weeks of term • Test B can be used to repeat the assessment • helps prioritise where further diagnostic testing and support is needed • ensures all pupils’ learning needs are accommodated from the outset.

of weeks of the autumn term, all our new pupils have been screened. Lucid Exact allows us to be extremely quick off the block in terms of investigating further and putting interventions into place.” Next Steps Once all pupils have been screened, Jacqui looks at the results and highlights any low scores. Then she cross-references with pupils’ registration paperwork to see if learning difficulties have already been declared. “Lucid Exact offers a parallel form – Test B – for repeated assessment and, over the past two years, I have used this to retest those pupils who haven’t been previously identified yet have scored poorly. Comparing results acts as a double check to make sure that nerves or anxieties haven’t negatively affected scores. This strategy helps correctly prioritise our resources and time moving forward. Armed with the information, I can talk to the pupils and their parents about what we have found out, then move on to more in-depth investigations including diagnostic testing and referrals to external educational psychologists.” Comprehensive screening “It’s no understatement to say that without Lucid Exact, we wouldn’t be able to offer such a high level of screening full stop, let alone so quickly. It gives us useful, accurate information on every new pupil within a couple of weeks of term and can be used as part of the evidence required by JCQ when applying for exam access arrangements. In short, it ensures we are achieving our aim of supporting all our pupils’ learning needs from the outset.” To find out more visit: www.lucid-research.com or contact: sales@lucid-research.com

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LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

Getting away from it all Learning outside the classroom is a perfect way to engage and nurture kids with SEN, writes Victoria Wilcher

n a recent article for the Guardian Teacher Network, Ben Fogle expressed his concern that “Children have become tiny cogs in a box-ticking government machine”. He went on to discuss his own time at school and how exploring the natural environment helped him to find his path in life, following disappointing A Level results. Fogle is just the latest of several public figures who have expressed concern about the way in which the education system can lead to children being cooped up in classrooms for large parts of the day, leading to disaffection, disengagement and even mental and physical health problems. For pupils with SEN, the confines of the classroom can be even more restrictive and damaging. For many of these children, the opportunity to learn

Learning outside the classroom gives real world context to learning outside the classroom not only brings learning alive, making it more engaging and easier to understand, it can also bring benefits for mental and physical health, and aid personal and social development. Learning outside the classroom (LOtC) can make learning more engaging, more accessible and more relevant for pupils with special needs. Having flexibility in the location of the learning enables staff to tailor learning to pupils’ particular needs. Learning outside the classroom gives real world context to learning,

allowing the opportunity for practical application of concepts and building pupils’ confidence by introducing them to a wider range of people and situations than they would otherwise encounter. Many special schools are demonstrating exemplary practice in LOtC because they recognise that real world learning is best for their pupils. In this article, I have identified some of the key benefits of LOtC for pupils with SEN, alongside examples of good practice.

Exploring the world Learning outside the classroom takes place in a wide range of settings. Much of it takes place in the school grounds, in growing areas and sensory gardens; some schools now even have livestock onsite. Educational >>

A hands-on approach can really bring learning to life.

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visits also offer important learning experiences. These might include cultural encounters in museums and galleries, life skills development in shops and town centres, adventurous activities, curriculum support in natural environment settings and the interest of unfamiliar locations; the possibilities are endless. For many pupils with SEN, life outside school can be very limited, with few opportunities to explore the world around them. LOtC can broaden pupils’ horizons and give them experiences they would not have otherwise. The adventure and exploration offered by LOtC should be guided by context, and should be appropriate to the young people involved. Dennis Concannon, one of the nominees for the 2015 Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Learning Outside the Classroom, realised that for his pupils, many of whom rarely leave their home except to go to school, it was important to give them experiences within their local community. For them, an expedition did not need to involve a lot of travel; the challenge was to leave the familiar environment of school and home, so he focused on taking groups out into the local community and encouraging them to explore their local spaces. Dennis supports pupils with high anxiety to step outside their comfort zone and enjoy positive shared experiences with their peers.

Context for learning Activities outside the classroom can bring real world applications for learning, aiding pupils’ understanding of their learning. It is much easier to understand plants and living things through growing activities in the school garden than by being taught about the principles in class. Pupils develop understanding through observation, rather than learning from being told. The physical engagement of outdoor learning, feeling the soil between their fingers or the texture of tree bark, is much more memorable than simply being given facts. SENISSUE81

Building resilience LOtC can help pupils to build their resilience. Leila Atkins, LOtC Coordinator for Castlewood School, and another nominee for the LOtC Awards, has had great success in developing growing activities at the school. She instigated a potato growing competition, empowering pupils by giving them responsibility for looking after their own plants. When some of the crop was destroyed by vandals, the children were understandably upset, but Leila used this as an opportunity to teach pupils about how their behaviour can affect other people, and also build their resilience to cope with disappointment. Learning outside the classroom often offers these opportunities for unplanned learning, whether it is meeting and talking to a new person during a visit, or reacting to an unforeseen incident. A skilled teacher can use these as dynamic learning opportunities, which better prepare pupils for life after school.

Personal and emotional development Pupils with mental health issues can find LOtC experiences, particularly engagement with the natural environment, very beneficial. Contact with nature can have a calming effect, and the physical aspect of being outside and active can be much more beneficial than sitting still in a classroom. Art and creativity outside the classroom can also have a huge impact on pupils’ emotional development. Robin Johnson, Cultural Learning and Development Officer for Kedleston Schools, has developed a range of projects to support his pupils with social, emotional and behavioural needs. In order to meet the specific and complex needs of pupils, the school embraced creativity and culture in developing a curriculum which could support its pupils. Robin’s aim was to give pupils a sense of wonder about the world and develop their abilities, personalities and imagination. Robin

Pupils develop understanding through observation, rather than learning from being told worked with arts and heritage providers to create tailored opportunities for his pupils which would meet their needs, such as working together to make an animated film based on a visit to a local museum. These opportunities have, over time, improved both the emotional wellbeing and the classroom attainment of pupils.

Work experience Learning outside the classroom offers students practical experience of the real world, which can expand their horizons to new possibilities beyond their school life. Nick Hastings, winner of the award for LOtC Educator 2015, is Head Stockperson at Walby Farm Park. There, he is able to work closely with students from Beaumont College, an FE college for young people with physical and learning disabilities. He is able to give them practical work experience on the farm, giving the young people a sense of responsibility and achievement, and opening up new career options which they had not previously considered. A parent of one boy with autism involved in the programme described how, though initially her son was scared and unhappy to be visiting the farm, by the end of the first day, he was full of enthusiasm and confidence, and keen to go back the next day. LOtC experiences give pupils who are used to having limited independence an opportunity to become more independent and learn new skills, within a safe environment.

Residential experiences Residential experiences can bring even greater benefits in terms of allowing young people to experience a sense of independence and encounter new WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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You’re never too young to start enjoying outdoor learning.

experiences. The Learning Away project worked with over 60 primary, secondary and SEN schools across the UK to pilot and evaluate the value of residential experiences. St George’s C of E Primary School in Barrow-in-Furness focused on how to include children with behavioural issues on a residential trip. Many schools are wary of taking pupils with behavioural problems on residential visits, but these can often be the pupils who benefit most from such an experience. As noted by the school, residential visits are not conventional teaching experiences and as such, the normal rules do not necessarily apply. Guidelines for conduct vary because the pupils are not confined to a room; new rules are made, others are modified and expectations can differ. Behaviour often changes in a new environment and, in the school’s experience, this has always been in a positive way. As a consequence, staff perceptions of pupils have changed, meaning the changes which happen on the residential stay are transferred back to school. One pupil with severe behavioural difficulties found huge benefit in a WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

residential visit. During the camping trip, the headteacher chose him to help demonstrate tent building. This request for help greatly empowered the pupil. “That head had no idea about building a tent. If it wasn’t for me, no-one would have a tent that would have stayed up an hour, never mind the whole night”, the pupil happily boasted. Even his classmates were impressed by how clever he was at solving the

The changes which happen on the residential stay are transferred back to school problem of putting up a tent. He spent the next hour supporting other children with hammering in tent pegs, laying mats, unzipping sleeping bags and being generally helpful. All the plaudits he received helped him grow. His self-esteem rocketed and he chose to be “the helpful boy”. The label and attitude stuck with him on his return to school. With only four weeks left of his final years of primary

school, the pupil was able to show he had turned a corner in his attitude. He left primary school secondaryready and with a reputation of helpfulness preceding him. Two years on, he still recalls the camp with fondness; it was there that he made good friends, who helped him settle positively into secondary school. The school has had great success in taking children with challenging behaviour on residentials. The children have behaved well, forged new friendships, and grown in resilience and self-belief. They have never had to remove a child from the camp. The benefits of taking pupils away have been maintained back at school, with pupils feeling empowered. They have shown that they can control their own behaviour and have experienced success. These are just a few of the benefits that learning outside the classroom can offer pupils with SEN. By taking learning outside the confines of the classroom, we can offer experiences that are tailored to their needs and will support both their academic attainment and personal development.

Further information

Victoria Wilcher is Development Manager for the charity the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom. The Council organises an annual awards event to recognise organisations and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to learning outside the classroom: www.lotc.org.uk

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Sutcliffe Play offer even more choice Sutcliffe Play has added exciting new designs to its Toddlerzone range of playground equipment. Toddlerzone Plus offers even more inclusive play opportunities for young children. It utilises space under the decks, on the posts, and at ground level to create multi-level play opportunities. “Over the years we have developed a wide range of Toddlerzone play equipment that aims to inspire little ones to imaginative, social and physical play. Toddlerzone Plus will provide even more play opportunities and is designed specifically to develop toddlers key skills”, says Andrew Love, at Sutcliffe Play. The Toddlerzone Plus range offers three units – Daisy, Daffodil and Spider – each designed to reflect natural play themes with motifs, gently waving panels and a natural colour palette. The natural theme continues with the addition of three new springie designs – Ladybird, Flower and Busy Bee. Sutcliffe Play themed play springies are open fronted for easy access, making them an inclusive product. www.sutcliffeplay.co.uk 01977 653 200 WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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Outdoor learning with SEN can be EPIC The idea of learning outside the classroom isn’t a new or pioneering way of thinking, as the Department of Education stressed its importance with this thought provoking statement ten years ago: “We believe that every young person should experience the world beyond the classroom as an essential part of learning and personal development, whatever their age, ability or circumstances.” This has been used as a foundation for showing how getting pupils beyond the confines of a classroom and outside is essential for engaging learning, improving fitness and wellbeing and, in the case of many children with SEN, developing social and behaviour skills. Despite this being known for the last ten years, the corresponding push to get children in SEN schools outside has been hampered by the facilities at many schools, which haven’t had the ability to offer outdoor play as their amenities don’t meet the unique requirements of pupils with SEN. If the special requirements of children with SEN are not considered when designing play facilities, this can lead to play surfaces that present dangerous and intimidating play, without promoting engagement in outdoor learning. Synthetic Turf Management (STM) are artificial turf playground surfacing specialists who identified the opportunities that schools could offer pupils with SEN – with the right mix of design and installation of safe play artificial turf playgrounds, which lead to the creation of EPIC (Education and Play In Colour). Using coloured artificial turf that is safe, engaging and allweather can develop learning environments that offer a new visual and sensory stimulation which are of particular benefit

for those young people with learning difficulties, as this can be liberating for those who struggle in a structured school learning environment. Creating fun and encouraging learning Synthetic Turf Management’s impact at SEN schools with EPIC playgrounds needs to be seen to be appreciated; their project at Severndale Specialist Academy is a great example of how the right play surface can transform the learning of the pupils at the school. Severndale is attended by pupils aged between three and 19 who have a range of learning difficulties, from moderate to profound. STM where tasked with creating a space for these pupils that is fun, safe, and encourages learning for the pupils at the school. With over 15 years’ experience working with artificial turf and schools, STM could offer Severndale a combination of the right products that fit all the safety requirements of a play surface, while using their installation and design experience to use this turf to create a stunning visual area. The final project, a “Sea World”, looked fantastic, as the images on this page show. Jon Bell, Director at Synthetic Turf Management, had his say on the experience of the project: “As a former teacher, I appreciate the importance of having the right facilities to ensure the pupils have the right learning environment, and this is even more important in SEN schools. At Severndale they needed a playground that was colourful and safe and we were delighted to help. “As the artificial grass was produced, we were thrilled to see the playground surface take shape. Brightly coloured fish, seahorses and starfish sat on a sea-blue background; we were certain that the Severndale pupils would be very happy. “This was a hugely successful project, and we were incredibly proud to have been a part of it. Severndale now enjoys the benefits of having a soft artificial turf area that offers much more than a normal playground surface.”

Synthetic Turf Management continues to work closely with schools designing EPIC playgrounds. To contact STM and take advantage of their free consultation service, call: 01642 713 555 or email: info@stmworld.co.uk. To learn more about STM, visit: www.stmworld.co.uk

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BOOK REVIEWS

Book reviews by Mary Mountstephen

Specific Learning Difficulties: What Teachers Need to Know D. Hudson. Illustrator: J. English

Autism Movement Therapy: Waking Up The Brain J. Lara and K. Bowers

Jessica Kingsley Publishers £12.99 ISBN: 978-1-84905-590-1

Jessica Kingsley Publishers £14.99 ISBN: 978-1-84905-728-8

Diane Hudson is a tutor and

Autism movement therapy (AMT)

mentor to students with SpLDs.

has been created using aspects

She also has personal experience

of applied behaviour analysis

of dyslexia, as well as being the

(ABA), combined with music

mother to three children diagnosed with SpLDs. The book is intended for those working in the secondary sector and is a practical guide to teaching more effectively. It also serves as a very useful reference

and movement as a brainbody intervention for children with ASD. Lara

has

founded

organisation that trains and licenses dancers, teachers and other professionals to deliver this structured therapeutic technique

book that would be of value to those in teacher training

in 45-minute sessions. She is also an ABA therapist in

and other professionals.

Los Angeles and a Core Adjunct Professor. Bowers, is a

Hudson devotes a chapter to each of a range of learning

filmmaker and art director who founded The Art of Autism,

differences, including dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD and

which showcases the creative and artistic talents of children

dyscalculia, and each chapter follows a similar format.

and adults with autism.

There are also two chapters detailing strategies for organisation and exam preparation. The book includes a number of simple illustrations and the layout includes checklists and bullet points as well as key summary points. It is presented in a very readable format with many practical tips and strategies, as well as stressing the positive “upsides” or strengths of each condition. There is a glossary, a summary table of common areas of difficulty and a very useful section providing sources of further information and support.

Part 1 of this book outlines the benefits of movement and music in relation to the development of core skills, as well as increased self-determination, self-regulation and improved sensory processing. It includes a number of diagrams and photographs and provides an outline of a typical session, including information about music, linked to other skills being taught. Part 2 provides information about behaviour plans and the use of AMT to develop social skills that can then be used in a range of settings, such as the playground and other everyday environments.

Hudson has produced a book that will appeal to a wide

This is an interesting introduction to this approach

audience and it would also be of value to older students

and it is written in a practical style. It would perhaps have

with SpLDs seeking advice, guidance and reassurance to

benefited from more detailed descriptions of the movements

help them learn more effectively.

themselves and of the underlying rationale of the approach.

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BOOK REVIEWS

Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and How to Think Smarter About People Who Think Differently

Kindergarten and ASD: How to Get the Best Possible Experience for Your Child

S. Silberman

Margaret Oliver

Allen and Unwin ISBN: 978-1-76011-363-6 £16.99

Jessica Kingsley Publishers £14.99 ISBN: 978-1-84905-720-2

This book follows on from the

In this book, the author shares her

author’s article “The Geek

experience of teaching children

Syndrome” and it focuses on

with special needs in early

the concept of neurodiversity

years and primary settings. It is

through a very thorough

intended as a guide for parents,

exploration of the history of

but would also be a useful

autism and the clinicians who

resource book for teachers and

developed early concepts

other professionals advising

in this field. The original

parents and family members.

article explored the rise in

It should be noted that

diagnosis of autism in the

“kindergarten” in this book

US, and in Silicon Valley

refers to the US context, where

in particular, and focused on

the term generally applies to children

a positive perspective on the skills and talents of the

who are five-years-old, with “pre-kindergarten” applying to

autistic individual.

the younger age range.

The book opens with a foreword by Oliver Sachs, who describes it as “a sweeping and penetrating history” which will “change how you think of autism”.

Oliver focuses on three key interconnected elements: the child, the school experience and the parent. Each of the nine chapters develops these themes and

This is a fascinating book written in a journalistic style

the book concludes with a section providing practical

and, at over 450 pages, it is possibly a holiday read or

tools and guidance on further reading. Chapters cover

one to dip into chapter by chapter. It describes the lives

information about areas such as communication, social

of many individuals and families and the ways in which a

and emotional growth, behaviour and sensory support.

diagnosis of autism or Asperger’s syndrome affected their

The author also provides a chapter on cognitive theories,

lives. It challenges the concept of “normal” and invites the

which covers topics such as executive function and theory

reader to see the world through the eyes of an autistic

of mind, and she links the theory to practical implications

individual. The author develops the concept of autism

and supporting strategies.

as “a strange gift from our deep past… a valuable part of humanity’s genetic legacy”. This book is absolutely stunning and a worthy winner

The book is well structured and although some sections are written more with US legislation in mind, there is much that would be of value to UK teachers and families working

of The Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-fiction 2015. It is

with young children with ASD.

highly recommended.

The title says it all.

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AUTISM

Autism Awareness Month: April 2016 Autism Awareness Week: 2 to 8 April 2016 World Autism Awareness Day: 2 April 2016

utism campaigns are set to take centre stage this April, with a range of awareness events and dates being celebrated by organisations in the UK and globally. We asked three of the UK’s leading autism charities what they will be doing this April to promote autism awareness and what they see as their priorities in the drive to further our understanding of the condition and support those living and working with people with autism.

The National Autistic Society: from awareness to understanding Last year, we carried out a YouGov poll and found that over 99 per cent of people in the UK had heard of autism. This means that, more or less, we’re all aware of autism: “autism awareness” has arrived. Except, of course, it hasn’t. 87 per cent of autistic people and their families say they still don’t think the public understand autism in a meaningful way. That gulf between awareness and understanding remains enormous. We’ve spent the past year investigating this gap. At first, the research we conducted was causing some confusion. We’d asked the autistic people and families participating to keep a log of recent incidents where they’d experienced difficulties in public places or with members of the public. When participants fed back to us, many of the log sheets were sparsely populated or even blank. Our first thoughts were of relief that the public had a better understanding of autism than we’d realised, but we probed further, including surveying SENISSUE81

Charities will be busy campaigning for awareness and understanding of autism this April.

nearly 7,000 people, and what we found was even more shocking. The reason the individuals and families taking part weren’t encountering misunderstanding or hostility was that they had simply learned to avoid it. Families with younger children try to

By the time autistic people reach adulthood their world can look very small ignore it: it hurts, but they won’t let it stop them living the life they want to live. But, our research showed, over time it becomes too much. They stop wanting to put their child or themselves in that situation. So they avoid the places where they face the “tuts” and judgemental looks and become more

and more isolated. By the time autistic people reach adulthood their world can look very small. It isn’t that the public sets out to be judgemental towards autistic people, it’s that they often don’t see the autism, they just see the “tantrum” or the “difficult person”. So we’re launching a major three year campaign to increase public understanding of autism on World Autism Awareness Day 2016. Throughout the campaign, we will be working with autistic people and their families, other charities and many others to share their stories and make sure the public starts to really understand what autism is like for children and adults right across the spectrum. Because World Autism Awareness Week (WAAW) falls in the school holidays this year, we’re also running our first Schools Autism Awareness Week from 14 to 18 March. There are lots of ways you can get involved in both campaigns, including lesson WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

AUTISM

and activity plans to help students and teachers get autism friendly: www.autism.org.uk/get-involved

Autistica: building futures through autism research Autistica funds and advocates for medical research to understand the causes of autism, improve diagnosis, and develop new treatments and interventions. Families often say that while the core features of autism do bring challenges, it is the conditions that commonly co-exist alongside autism that create the greatest difficulty and that they want to understand better. As well as a significant impact on family life, autism care and loss of earnings cost the UK an estimated £32 billion, yet just £4 million is spent on research to better understand autism and develop effective interventions and treatments to help those in need. Autistica aims to change this balance through research and advocacy so that more people with autism can live independent lives.

People with autism and intellectual disability die thirty years younger than the typical population This Autism Awareness Month, we aim to highlight the importance of research in saving lives and building bright futures for those with autism by launching a major report to highlight shocking new data around early death in autism. A study published in late 2015 showed that people with autism and intellectual disability die thirty years younger than the typical population and those with autism and no intellectual disability die on average 12 years younger. The most significant driving factors behind this hidden crisis are the high rates of suicide and epilepsy in autism. Virtually no research has been done anywhere in the world to WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

determine how to treat epilepsy or suicidal tendencies in autistic people. Backed by groundbreaking science and increasing public awareness and investment, Autistica is launching a nationwide campaign to bring attention to this overlooked problem. Autistica’s report will launch on Friday 18 March following an event in Parliament with government leaders, funders and members of the autism community. You can follow the campaign on Autistica’s social media pages, pledge your support through an online petition that will pressurise government policy makers and funders to take action, or donate to support further research into epilepsy and mental health in autism. Taking part in research If you or a family member has a diagnosis of autism, you can volunteer to take part in research. Autistica funds a nationwide database where you can register to help advance our understanding of autism, and being involved in studies will provide you with access to cutting-edge treatments and expert support. Visit: www.autistica.org.uk/getinvolved

Ambitious about Autism: an equal right to work World Autism Awareness Day exists to highlight the need to improve the quality of life for children and young people with autism so they can lead full and meaningful lives. A full and meaningful life for young people with autism is the same as for any other young person in Britain today. It includes being able to become valued members of their communities and having the right skills to make a successful transition from education to employment. But as young people with autism prepare to make this transition, they are faced with a stark and challenging reality. Recent figures suggest only 15 per cent of people with autism are in full-time, paid employment. People with autism have an equal right to an education which develops their

Only 15 per cent of people with autism are in full-time, paid employment personality, talents and abilities to the full – an education which prepares them to make a successful transition into paid employment. So why are young people with autism being denied this right? It is not because they lack the ability or desire to work. Young people with autism have a lot to offer employers and the economy. Like any young person, they have a diverse set of skills and talents and can be a huge asset in the workplace. However, they face barriers that neurotypical people don’t. Young people with autism tell us that better understanding among employers, better support from schools and colleges to prepare for work, better careers advice and more work experience opportunities would make a huge difference to their employment chances. Put simply, they need the support and opportunities to enable them to learn, thrive and achieve. So now it is time to make this hope a reality. The onus must not only be on the young people themselves but schools, colleges and post-16 education providers, and employers must work together to make the ambition to work a reality. Failure to make this happen is neither right nor smart. This Autism Awareness Day we are launching our Employ Autism: From School to Work campaign. It seeks to ensure young people with autism get the right education, advice and work experience opportunities to prepare for their transition into work; it also aims to ensure employers have the understanding and will to support this transition: www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk/ employ-autism SENISSUE81

AUTISM SHOW Advertisement feature

The Autism Show returns this summer The Autism Show, the national event for autism (including Asperger syndrome), sponsored by Hesley Group, will be returning to London, Birmingham and Manchester this June and July. Working closely with partners The National Autistic Society and Autism West Midlands, The Autism Show offers more practical advice, support and information on autism than can found anywhere else in the UK. Inspiring speakers At the event, you can hear the UK's leading autism professionals discussing the latest news and research in The Autism Matters Theatre in partnership with Research Autism. This year's headline speakers include the Rt Hon John Bercow MP, Speaker of the House of Commons and father of an autistic son, Barry Sheerman MP, founder of the Autism Commission, and TV presenters and parents of two autistic children, Carrie and David Grant. In The Hub: Theatre 1, in partnership with Autistic UK, visitors can listen to the life experiences of adults on the autism spectrum and in so doing gain unique insights into how to approach the past, present and future. Topics covered include education and employment, supporting autistic girls, and mental health. Practical advice Meanwhile, The Hub: Theatre 2 provides a huge variety of practical tips and strategies to help care, support and teach autistic children and adults. Hear professionals cover subjects ranging from choosing the right interventions to diet, and autism in the mainstream classroom to the transition into adult services. At The Autism Show, parents and carers wishing to speak to specialist professionals can book a one-to-one clinic covering subjects such as legal advice on SEN, managing challenging WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

behaviour, welfare rights, employment, speech and language, and occupational therapy. Hands-on resources Last year's popular Sensory Classroom feature, created by Sensory Spectacle, will be returning, but now set in a secondary school environment, providing visitors with a simulated experience of what it may feel like to have a sensory processing difficulty. Meanwhile, The Sensory Room created by Mike Ayres and OM Interactive will be enticing visitors to interact with the latest in sensory design and technology. Autistic adults and children who find cycling hard or impossible to access can visit the Cycle Test Track in association with Wheels For All, where they can try out a new range of specially adapted bikes, from recumbent tricycles to wheelchair cycles. Latest products and services Amongst all this content, visitors can access 100s of products and services which can make an immediate and positive difference to someone on the autism spectrum. Visitors can explore the exhibition to find the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading suppliers of learning tools, visual aids, sensory equipment, furniture, advice and support services, residential care, specialist schools and much more. To find out more and to book your tickets in advance to save 20 per cent, visit: www.autismshow.co.uk Help to connect the autism community by inviting others living and working with the condition. ExCeL London, 17 to 18 June 2016 NEC Birmingham, 24 to 25 June 2016 EventCity Manchester, 1 to 2 July 2016

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AUTISM Advertisement feature

Hesley Group’s free autism events return in 2016 Returning for the fourth year running, Hesley Group’s latest free events are fast approaching. With previous years’ events being held in Manchester, Newcastle, Leeds and London, to name but a few, this year’s events are seeing a return to Birmingham in April and London in October. Having proven immensely popular over the past three years, with each of last year’s events being fully booked within a matter of weeks, this year’s programme looks set to be just as sought after. Once again, each event will be held over two days and will be split between parents/carers and professionals, with the first day being solely dedicated to parents/carers and their needs then the second dedicated to professionals. This year, however, things will take a slightly different form to last year. Instead of three or four talks throughout the day from different relevant people within the industry, the events are instead looking towards practical workshops with a focus on behaviour as a form of communication. Focus on parents With “Communication Matters” as the overarching title, each day of the event tackles different issues that are relevant to either parents or professionals. Parents will benefit from attending three workshops during the day which will be about practical and applicable skills and knowledge. Each person will come away with tools to use in their own family. For parents, the “Total Communication” workshop will be led by Laurence Stanton-Greenwood, a Regional Makaton Tutor. This very practical session will cover signing and the use of symbols, where parents can practice and discuss their use and leave the event with some practical resources. “Talking and drawing your way through anxieties” will be led by Alex Kelly, a Speech and Language Therapist with nearly 30 years experience. Parents will discover techniques to help their child work through issues.

The third workshop, “Communication as the meaning behind behaviour” will be led by Angela Stanton-Greenwood, who is a Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Consultant to Cornell University in New York. Parents will explore and practice behaviour support strategies that encourage their child to “talk out rather than act out” when they are likely to demonstrate behaviours of concern. Focus on professionals The professionals’ day will have empathy as its base rather than practical hands on tools, as professionals have a different perspective on a child’s needs to that of a parent. Therefore, Alex Kelly will take half of the day as a speech therapist engaging with the professionals in a keynote during the morning on the theory of communication. There will then be an hour-long workshop in the afternoon providing empathy activities on the same theme. Angela Stanton-Greenwood’s keynote in the morning will focus on the theory of behaviour as a form of communication and her afternoon workshop will provide empathy activities to follow on from her keynote session. Feedback from people who have attend previous events has always been extremely positive, with many commenting on how well organised they are, the high quality of speakers, the opportunities for people to share stories and learn from others whilst actually enjoying the day (including the fantastic refreshments and lunch that is always provided). This year’s events look set to be another outstanding success. More details on the forthcoming events can be found at:

www.hesleygroup.co.uk/events/birmingham2016 WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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AUTISM Advertisement feature

Autism consultant Robyn Steward Robyn Steward has worked in autism for over ten years. Robyn has Asperger’s syndrome and she believes that it’s really important to understand everyone on the autism spectrum’s different needs and abilities. Robyn has worked as a mentor and also researches how others on the spectrum experience the world. She is a visiting Research Associate at the Centre for Research in Autism and Education at University College London (UCL). She is author of The Independent Woman’s Handbook for Super Safe Living on the Autistic Spectrum, and she has spoken on autism all over the world, including in the USA, Australia and Russia. Robyn is keen that autistic people are represented properly in the media and was a consultant for the National Theatre’s production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. She is also on the Autism Education Trust’s programme board.

“Your INSET was invaluable to us and several pieces of advice that you gave us came in very useful on Friday, when one of our students with Autism became very upset...” Teacher

Robyn is excited about the NAS Schools’ Autism Awareness Week (14 to 18 March). www.robynsteward.com

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RECRUITMENT

Nice work Julian Stanley looks at what schools can do to attract and retain the right staff

ecruiting teachers has never been more challenging, and for those seeking that even rarer find – the qualified SEN teacher – the challenge is greater still. But there are things you can do as a school to attract good calibre teachers and, importantly in this competitive and challenging market place, keep them.

Provide quality training Studies suggest that more staff will continue working in education if they are supported with key challenges, such as pupil behaviour and workload, and given greater career prospects. What’s more, these are major factors in attracting teachers to your school (see What impact does the wider economic situation have on teachers’ career decisions? A literature review by Merryn Hutchings, DfE, 2011). The chance to develop whilst in the work place as well as the chance to rise through the ranks is something that many new teachers find extremely attractive, so you should make sure they know they are joining a school that takes their professional development as seriously as it does the educational development of the pupils they will teach.

Make sure they know they are joining a school that takes their professional development seriously

Implement a staff wellbeing policy One theme that I hear coming back again and again when talking to teachers is the importance of a health and wellbeing policy in schools specifically designed to spot, monitor and alleviate the stresses and strains of the job. In 2014, the annual health survey by the Education Support Partnership found that individuals working in education institutions with a fully implemented staff wellbeing policy reported significantly lower levels of stress, anxiety and depression. However, only eight per cent of staff in education stated that they had access to a fully implemented policy. This suggests that such policies could be big differentiators for schools seeking to hire the best in their field.

Establish a framework of accountability that is supportive and informed While regulation is important in schools, it should not have a detrimental effect on the health and wellbeing of the education workforce. Check that your institution is not unnecessarily exceeding bureaucratic requirements for inspections and help promote a healthier culture before, during and after inspections by fostering a supportive environment with colleagues.

Don’t be shy Make sure your school has a profile that enables prospective teachers to find out more about you. This way they get a sense of the school they could potentially join before they put pen to paper. If you have a website, make sure it is up to date and has content of relevance to staff, not just pupils and parents. If you are active in social media, make sure your online content is up to date. These outlets give your school a personality and a vital opportunity to communicate who you are and what you can do as a school. Recruitment is now recognised as one of the toughest challenges facing the sector, but by following these tips you can make sure that your school not only recruits the right staff, but keeps them on board for years to come, a consistency that is of great value not only to the school, but to pupils too.

Further information

Julian Stanley is CEO of the UK charity Education Support Partnership: www.educationsupport.org.uk Keeping staff can be just as important as recruiting them in the first place.

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CPD, TRAINING AND EVENTS

Autism

T.E.A.C.C.H. Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication Handicapped Children

3 DAY TRAINING COURSE - £391 27-29 June 2016 Course led by: Prof Gary Mesibov Div. TEACCH

This induction training is most appropriate for educators, therapist, administrators, paraprofessionals & families AM/PM refreshments & light lunch

199-203 Blandford Ave Kettering Northants NN16 9AT Tel/Fax: 01536 523274 Email: autism@autismuk.com Book on-line: www.autismuk.com

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

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 NAS Training and Consultancy has many years' experience delivering autism training courses to teachers, education professionals, local authorities, social services, parents and professionals across the UK. The NAS collaborates with universities and institutes of higher education on courses leading to recognised qualifications in autism spectrum disorders. www.autism.org.uk

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

Postgraduate Diploma in Dyslexia and Literacy This course is for those who have already completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Dyslexia/SpLD or equivalent at Level 7. The Postgraduate Diploma has a focus on assessment and leads to 120 credits with Middlesex University. The Diploma provides eligibility for an Assessment Practising Certificate (SASC accredited) as well as AMBDA (BDA) with Module C2. dyslexiaaction.org.uk

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

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

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CPD, TRAINING AND EVENTS 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

MA Leading Inclusive Education

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

Middlesex University

The MA Leading Inclusive Education provides career development for teachers working in inclusive education, allowing them to explore the best ways of leading and managing children and teachers in an inclusive situation. The course provides an insight into the skills needed to deal with various conditions affecting children's learning, and allows teachers to gain a deeper knowledge of how good, effective leadership can impact children's learning and development. www.mdx.ac.uk

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Various dates and venues

Visual Interventions and Social Stories A visual and auditory social and behavioural strategy for teaching and support staff working with learners with autism, Asperger syndrome, ADHD and related conditions. The aim of this fun, informative and effective workshop is to provide each delegate with a deeper knowledge and understanding of the needs of a range of learners and provide the skills necessary to create appropriate interventions. £165 (ex-VAT) per delegate.

www.peoplefirsteducation.co.uk

Various dates and venues

Helping Learners Who Are Able/Gifted/Talented A day course of strategies for teaching and support staff to engage, teach and include those who may be able/gifted/talented. The aim of this fun, informative and effective workshop is to provide each delegate with a deeper knowledge and understanding of the needs of a range of learners and provide the skills necessary to create appropriate interventions. £165 (ex-VAT) per delegate.

www.peoplefirsteducation.co.uk

Various dates and venues

Helping Learners with Autism, Asperger Syndrome and ADHD Day Course A day course of tried and tested strategies for teaching and support staff working with learners with autism, Asperger syndrome, ADHD and related conditions. The aim of this fun, informative and effective workshop is to provide each delegate with a deeper knowledge and understanding of the needs of a range of learners and provide the skills necessary to create appropriate interventions. £165 (ex-VAT) per delegate. www.peoplefirsteducation.co.uk

Dyslexia Day Course Strategies for the effective inclusion of learners with dyslexia, for educators and/ or support staff. This fun, informative and effective workshop will provide each delegate with a deeper knowledge and understanding of the needs of a range of learners and provide the skills necessary to create appropriate interventions. £165 (ex-VAT) per delegate.

www.peoplefirsteducation.co.uk

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CPD, TRAINING AND EVENTS Various dates and venues

ADHD Day Course Strategies for the effective inclusion of learners with ADHD; a day course for educators and/ or support staff, designed to successfully include learners with ADHD/ADD and related conditions. This fun, informative and effective workshop provides each delegate with a deeper knowledge and understanding of the needs of learners with ADHD/ADD and provides the skills necessary to create appropriate interventions. £165 (ex-VAT) per delegate.

www.peoplefirsteducation.co.uk

Various March and April

Autism and sport 20 March: Wales 12 April: Birmingham 26 April: York

This one-day course, organised by The National Autistic Society, provides a comprehensive introduction to autism, focusing on the delivery of sport. Aimed at those involved in delivering sport or physical activity, it will help delegates to recognise and understand the key areas of difference in autism, as well as looking at supportive strategies in practical situations in order to reduce the difficulties experienced by participants and session leaders. www.autism.org.uk/sportcourseC

Various March to Nov

Understanding stress and anxiety in autism, and their impact on behaviour 9 March: London 15 June: Manchester 22 Nov: London

This one-day, CPD certified course, organised by The National Autistic Society, will help delegates understand the potential causes of stress and anxiety for people on the autism spectrum. It will examine the impact of anxiety on behaviour and provide guidance on implementing changes to environments and practices to reduce stress. www.autism.org.uk/behaviourcourseC

Various March and Nov

Sensory considerations 16 March: Nottingham 8 Nov: London

This one-day, CPD certified course, organised by The National Autistic Society, will explore the potential sensory differences experienced by children and adults on the autism spectrum, exploring strategies to support these differences. www.autism.org.uk/sensorycourseC

March 2016 2 to 4 March

National FutureSchools Expo Australian Technology Park, Sydney

National FutureSchools Expo is the largest education event in NSW. It consists of one central exhibition and five parallel conferences designed to tackle specific areas of the future school.

10 to 12 March

The 10th BDA International Conference Oxford

The BDA's International Conference is for anyone interested in learning more about developments and forthcoming changes around the dyslexia sector. In 2016 they are celebrating their 10th International Conference. The programme of speakers is now available to view and download from: www.bdainternationalconference.org

12 and 13 March

National Learn to Play Day UK wide

Free musical instrument lessons nationwide over 100 participating music shops and venues. Over the weekend, members of the public can participate in more than 12,000 free instrument “taster” lessons at music shops, schools and venues throughout the UK. www.learntoplayday.com

15 March

Understanding and supporting children with PDA Birmingham

This one-day course, organised by The National Autistic Society and delivered by Phil Christie from the Elizabeth Newson Centre, aims to develop a clearer understanding of pathological demand avoidance (PDA) and its relationship to autism spectrum disorder. The session will focus on developing an understanding of developmental pathways and educational management of some of the more complex children within the autism spectrum, particularly those who fit the profile of PDA.

17 March

Understanding autism and introduction to the SPELL framework London

This one-day, CPD certified course, organised by The National Autistic Society, provides an overview of autism and how to support people with the condition using the SPELL framework. SPELL is a framework for responding to the needs of children and adults on the autism spectrum developed through evidence-based practice. It is useful in identifying underlying issues, reducing the disabling effects of the condition and providing a cornerstone for communication. This course is suitable for those wanting to increase their understanding of autism and strategies to support children or adults on the autism spectrum. Other dates and in-house training available. www.autism.org.uk/SPELLcourseC

17 March

Learning By Doing London

Following his popular training seminars and webinar last year, award-winning, specialist SEN solicitor Douglas Silas takes a closer look at the new SEN framework one year on, including how to deal with tricky issues. This training is CPD accredited but is aimed at both parents and professionals. www.SpecialEducationalNeeds.co.uk

www.autism.org.uk/PDAcourseC

www.futureschools.com.au

15 March 10 March

Kids to Adultz in the Middle Coventry

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The Kidz exhibitions are the largest UK events of their kind supporting individuals, parents, carers and healthcare professionals. The focus of these events is equipment, products and services for children and young adults up to 25 years with disabilities and additional needs, their families, carers and the professionals who support them. www.disabledliving.co.uk/Kidz/Middle

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Interpretation and Implementation of SpLD Reports for Non-specialist SENCOs/Teachers – from Assessment to Action London £155/£185 www.patoss-dyslexia.org

16 March

Morphology for Teachers: An Introduction London £155/£185 www.patoss-dyslexia.org

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CPD, TRAINING AND EVENTS

Kidz to Adultz up North Thursday 17 November 2016 EventCity, Barton Dock Road, Manchester, M17 8AS 9.30am to 4.30pm 150+ exhibitors offering advice and information on funding, seating, beds, mobility, bathing, sensory, accessible vehicles, transition, communication, housing, education, employment, personal budgets, care, legal matters, wellbeing, sports, leisure and more. A full programme of free CPD and topical seminars will run alongside each event covering topics such as: moving and handling, continence, sleep issues, behaviour, sensory, transition, housing, education, employment, The Care Act and more. Along with the usual paediatric elements to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kidzâ&#x20AC;? events, Kidz to Adultz up North will see the introduction and expansion of services and equipment to support young adults up to the age of 25, with exhibitors from the housing, higher education and employment fields, together with domiciliary care services, personal budget brokers and accessible vehicles for those providing holiday and travel options. www.disabledliving.co.uk/Kidz/North

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CPD, TRAINING AND EVENTS 17 to 19 March

The Education Show NEC Birmingham

The Education Show 2016, the go-to event for CPD and learning resources, will be returning to NEC, Birmingham on 17 to 19 March, with a jampacked programme of new content, inspiring training and development. Thursday and Friday 9am - 5pm; Saturday 9am - 4pm. Free. To register, visit: www.education-show.com

21 to 23 March

Connected with others: Cultivating compassion in the classroom

23 and 24 March

Applying to University New College Worcester

A course for students with a visual impairment and their parents, to help with applying for University for 2017 entry. For more information and booking:

01905 763933 www.ncw.co.uk

23 to 26 March

GCSE Revision Course New College Worcester

A residential course in the Easter holidays for Year 10 and 11 students to help prepare for exam. Includes revision techniques and past papers. For more information and booking:

01905 763933 www.ncw.co.uk

Manchester

In Connected with Others, students cultivate the character qualities that make relationships work. This course is for deputy heads, teachers, youth workers and school psychologists who have completed Mind with Heart’s introductory training or an eight-week mindfulness training or equivalent. http://mindwithheart.org

22 March

Understanding and managing feeding and eating on the autism spectrum Nottingham

This one-day course, organised by The National Autistic Society, will focus on understanding and managing feeding and eating in individuals on the autism spectrum. It is written and presented by professionals from Birmingham Food Refusal Services who provide clinical and training services for food refusal. www.autism.org.uk/feedingcourseC

23 March

QTS and Employers numeracy tests for students with SPLDs/Dyscalculia for Schools - Assessing and Diagnosing Dyscalculia and Maths Learning Difficulties London £155/£185 www.patoss-dyslexia.org

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April 2016 4 to 8 April

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 247202/245911

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

16 April

Patoss 2016 Annual Conference and AGM London £155/£185 www.patoss-dyslexia.org

20 April

Outreach Open Day: Teaching Students with a Visual Impairment

20 April

20 to 24 April

Epilepsy Awareness and Administration of Emergency Medication

Crippled, Handicapped, Disabled: Living Beyond Labels

Lingfield

London

A half-day course suitable for a range of professionals as well as families who want to learn more about epilepsy and administration of emergency medication. Foundation level.

Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People (QEF) will be holding an exhibition at gallery@ oxo, Oxo Tower, London. The exhibition showcases 80 years of the charity’s history from when it first opened as “The Cripples’ Training College” in 1935. The exhibition will be centred around eight main objects including an Iron Lung and an Invacar, and will include many other pieces of assistive technology, archive photographs, film, and newly recorded oral histories from people that were involved with QEF over the years

The Neville Childhood Epilepsy Centre, Young Epilepsy, Lingfield, Surrey RH7 6PW £ 85.00

training@youngepilepsy.org.uk www.youngepilepsy.org.uk

20 April

Epilepsy Awareness and Seizure Management Lingfield

A half-day course suitable for a range of professionals as well as families who want to learn more about epilepsy. Foundation level. The Neville Childhood Epilepsy Centre, Young Epilepsy, Lingfield, Surrey RH7 6PW £ 75.00

training@youngepilepsy.org.uk www.youngepilepsy.org.uk

20 to 22 April

GESS Mexico – Bursting with Education Ideas World Trade Center, Mexico City

The 2nd edition of GESS Mexico from 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

http://qef.org.uk

21 April

Interpretation and Implementation of SpLD Reports for Needs Assessors and Disability Officers London £155/£185 www.patoss-dyslexia.org

25 April

Teaching Critical Communication Skills: HELP! I can’t WAIT to ask for a BREAK and more Brighton (at the PECS offices)

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 ask for help or a break.

01273 609555 www.pecs.com

25 and 26 April

PECS Level 2 Training Southampton

Outreach Open Days at New College Worcester show how NCW teaches students who are visually impaired, and provide practical support on specific curriculum areas. For more information and booking:

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.

01905 763933

01273 609 555

New College Worcester

www.ncw.co.uk

www.pecs-unitedkingdom.com

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CPD, TRAINING AND EVENTS

Introduction & Application to the

SCERTS

Aspergers Syndrome, ASD Social Stories 10.2

Model

2 DAY TRAINING COURSE - £260 30 June –1 July 2016 Using the SCERTS curriculum & practice principles to design programming for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Course led by: Emily Rubin MS, CCC-SLP Director

This training is appropriate for: educators, therapists, administrators, paraprofessionals & families AM/PM refreshments & light lunch

199-203 Blandford Ave Kettering Northants NN16 9AT Tel/Fax: 01536 523274 Email: autism@autismuk.com Book on-line: www.autismuk.com WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

2 DAY TRAINING COURSE 30 June–1 July 2016 Course Led by

Carol Gray Dir. The Gray Centre for Social Learning and Understanding This training is most appropriate for: Educators, therapists, administrators, paraprofessionals & families AM/PM refreshments, light lunch.

199-203 Blandford Ave Kettering Northants NN16 9AT Tel/Fax: 01536 523274 Email: autism@autismuk.com Book on-line: www.autismuk.com SENISSUE81

CPD, TRAINING AND EVENTS 27 April

16 May

SoSAFE! Social and Sexual Safety Oxford

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-unitedkingdom.com

May 2016 2 May

Family Day New College Worcester

Free for families with a child who is visually impaired – a fun day of activities and workshops, and a chance to look around and meet staff and students. For more information and booking:

01905 763933 www.ncw.co.uk

4 May

Epilepsy and Autism Lingfield

A half-day course suitable for a range of professionals as well as families who want to learn more about epilepsy and autism. Foundation level. The Neville Childhood Epilepsy Centre, Young Epilepsy, Lingfield, Surrey RH7 6PW £ 75.00

training@youngepilepsy.org.uk www.youngepilepsy.org.uk

11 May

Autism and mental health conference

Policy priorities for child protection - preventing abuse, improving children’s services and reforming social work Central London

With Lisa Pascoe, Deputy Director, Social Care Policy, Ofsted; Professor Di Bailey, Nottingham Trent University and Association of Professors of Social Work (APSW); Jenny Barksfield, PSHE Association; Josh MacAlister, Frontline; Mick McCracken, Newcastle City Council and Family Insights Programme; Naana OtooOyortey, FORWARD (Foundation for Women’s Health Research and Development); Alison Renouf, London Safeguarding Children Board and Maris Stratulis, British Association of Social Workers (BASW). This event is CPD certified.

www.autism.org.uk/mentalhealth2016C

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Cardiff

PECS Level 1 Training Workshop Birmingham

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.

01273 609 555 www.pecs-unitedkingdom.com

We take every care when compiling the information

Balance/Auditory/ Vision/eXercises “BalA-Vis-X workshop”

£195 + VAT (early bird offer until 6 March 2016). £225 + VAT (after 6 March 2016).

Kids to Adultz South

nsmtcbooking@hotmail.com www.nsmtc.co.uk

Autism Wessex Annual Conference Bournemouth

Autism Wessex have announced the details of their annual conference to be held at AFC Bournemouth on 25 May 2016 with guest speaker Peter Vermeulen. Details can be found at: autismwessex.org.uk

30 and 31 May 2016

EduTECH Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre

EduTECH is the largest education event in Southern Hemisphere and Asia-Pacific. It is the only event in Australia that brings together schools, tertiary, VET and workplace learning under one roof. www.edutech.net.au

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.

3 to 5 June

Key topics covered will include implementing a whole school strategy to promote mental health and wellbeing; working effectively with other agencies to support pupils; implementing practical and workable strategies to help tackle self-harm, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, low self-esteem and more; knowing how to identify and refer pupils with mental health concerns; learning effective strategies to engage and support families with mental health concerns; using therapeutic play techniques to support pupils with emotional difficulties; and learning practical mindfulness techniques to help support pupils and staff

25 May

Manchester

This conference, organised by The National Autistic Society, will give you the tools and strategies you need to identify and provide targeted support for people with autism. High-profile speakers will talk about adapting screening and diagnostic instruments for assessing individuals with complex needs. There will also be practical discussions focusing on how to adapt therapies and interventions to make them appropriate for individuals on the autism spectrum and case studies illustrating best practice models for diagnosis and transition planning.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Conference

www.westminsterforumprojects.co.uk

19 and 20 May

June 2016

23 May

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London

Three days of intensive training given by founder Bill Hubert. Bal-A-Vis-X is a series of more than 300 Balance/Auditory/ Vision eXercises of varied complexity all of which are deeply rooted in rhythm. The workshop is for SENCOs, OTs, TAs, healthcare professionals and parents. To see examples of the exercises and make a booking, visit the website.

07766 837 616

www.integratedbrain.co.uk

9 June Reading

13 to 15 June

Three-day Structured Teaching course A broad-based, intensive course which provides both the theoretical and practical applications of structured teaching Ideal for professionals working with individuals with autism or parents/ carers. Modules include the culture of autism, designing and implementing structure to support activities in the learning environment and the home, methods to encourage independent work, developing communication, social, vocational and leisure skills, the use of social stories and an introduction to assessment in relation to structured teaching. Delivered by TEACCH trainers with extensive practitioner experience. £295 professionals and £145 parents/ concessions Prior’s Court Training and Development Centre, Newbury, Berkshire 01635 247202/245911

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

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CPD, TRAINING AND EVENTS

The Occupational Therapy Show The UK CPD, education and trade event for occupational therapists (OTs) – The Occupational Therapy Show – is taking place at the NEC, Birmingham on 23 and 24 November 2016. The Occupational Therapy Show welcomes thousands of OTs from all over the country, and from a wide range of specialist areas, to educate, inspire, and raise the profile of this important allied healthcare profession. The conference programme stretches across four separate streams, covering clinical areas including: • physical • mental health • children and families • innovation in practice and shaping the future. There are a total of 60 hours of professional development to be obtained over the two days. CPD certificates are sent out after event, stating the sessions attended and the total number of hours attended. The show is open from 9am to 5.30pm on the Wednesday and 9am to 4.30pm on Thursday, with registration from 8.30am on both days.

The charity, Tourettes Action, are offering the fantastic opportunity of places at a ½ day workshop for education professionals, parents and carers of children with tics and Tourettes Syndrome. There are 50 subsidised places in this workshop which will describe Behavioural Treatment for Tics (CBIT) which is used for children with tics and Tourettes Syndrome (TS). This is the first time Tourettes Action is offering these workshops in London, Newcastle and Belfast. The parents/carers and education professionals ½ day workshop will take place on a Saturday will include an update on Tourette syndrome and an overview of the treatment. There will be 3 parents/carers and education professionals workshops held during 2016. London 23 April 9:30am – 12:30 Newcastle 21 May 9:30am – 12:30 Belfast 2 July 9:30am – 12:30 The cost for the parents/carers and education professionals workshop is £25 and is non-refundable.

Please contact Seonaid Anderson at Seonaid@tourettes-action.org.uk to attend one of the education professionals, parents and carers workshops or if you have any questions. Please note that number who can attend the workshop will be limited so please book your place now.

www.tourettes-action.org.uk

www.theotshow.com

WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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CPD, TRAINING AND EVENTS 14 June

NAS Masterclass – Cybercrime and Autism Birmingham

The three-hour Masterclass, organised by The National Autistic Society, will be delivered by Dr Juli Crocombe and Dr Lorraine Higham from St Andrew’s Healthcare. The session will focus on what is meant by “Cybercrime”, how this differs from traditional crime, why might a person with autism be more prone to committing cybercrime and what do we actually know about the links between cybercrime and autism. www.autism.org.uk/cybercrimecourseC

17 to 18 June, 24 to 24 June and 1 to 2 July

The Autism Show in association with The National Autistic Society, sponsored by Hesley Group ExCeL London, NEC Birmingham and EventCity Manchester

The Autism Show is the national event for autism, dedicated to the two million people in the UK who live and work with autism on a daily basis. Taking place in London, Birmingham and Manchester the event connects the growing autism community with the latest information, advice, products and services on the condition. At the event visitors can hear from the UK's leading autism professionals; discover 100s of products and services; listen to adults on the spectrum talk about their experiences; learn new strategies and approaches for home and the classroom; access one to one specialist advice; and interact with inspiring and thought-provoking features. Book tickets in advance and save 20 per cent at:

July 2016

22 June

Outreach Open Day: Teaching Students with a Visual Impairment New College Worcester

Outreach Open Days at New College Worcester show how NCW teaches students who are visually impaired, and provide practical support on specific curriculum areas. For more information and booking:

01905 763933 www.ncw.co.uk

22 June

ADHD Awareness Training London

For SpLD specialists in education. Explore the complexity of ADHD and overlapping conditions. For more information, email: info@workingwithdyslexia.com

23 and 24 June

PECS Level 1 Training Workshop Brighton (at the PECS offices)

01273 609 555 www.pecs-unitedkingdom.com

28 June

Learning to wee and poo in the right place – continence problems in children with autism

6 July

Complex Childhood Epilepsy and Managing Challenging Behaviour

The Neville Childhood Epilepsy Centre, Young Epilepsy, Lingfield, Surrey RH7 6PW £ 125.00

training@youngepilepsy.org.uk www.youngepilepsy.org.uk

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and equipment for disabled people, older adults, carers and health and social care professionals on a range of disability related issues. DNEX 2016 will be co-located for the first time with Disabled Living Foundation's Moving & Handling People North: the two-day CPDaccredited learning event for healthcare professionals. www.disabilitynorth.org.uk

October 2016

Kids to Adultz Wales Cardiff

18 July

Understanding and supporting the autism diagnostic process Bromley

www.autism.org.uk/diagnosiscourseC

The Neville Childhood Epilepsy Centre, Young Epilepsy, Lingfield, Surrey RH7 6PW £ 75.00

provides information, advice

7 July

www.autism.org.uk/continencecourseC

A half-day course suitable for a range of professionals as well as families who want to learn more about epilepsy. Foundation level.

This annual independent living North. This free exhibition

www.youngepilepsy.org.uk

Lingfield

Newcastle Racecourse

This one-day course is suitable for a range of professionals as well as families and will provide insight into understanding why complex epilepsy is difficult to treat and the impact it can have on the individual, their families and their carers. Foundation level.

training@youngepilepsy.org.uk

Epilepsy Awareness and Seizure Management

Bristol

DNEX

exhibition is hosted by Disability

The one-day course, organised by The National Autistic Society, will focus on the common toileting difficulties in children with autism, toileting training, specific continence issues and autism-related continence issues. The day will be presented by Dr Eve Fleming (Community Paediatrician) and Lorraine MacAlister (NAS).

22 June

21 and 22 September

Lingfield

This one-day course, organised by The National Autistic Society’s Lorna Wing Centre, has been designed for professionals who are developing their specialist skills in working with children and young people with autism, such as teachers, social workers and youth offending officers. It will be of interest to those professionals who are not clinically qualified to carry out diagnoses but where it is important that they have a good understanding about the diagnosis of autism.

www.autismshow.co.uk

September 2016

5 and 6 October

Independent Living Scotland SECC Glasgow

Event offering advice, support and information for individuals living with disability or a longterm condition. Plus product knowledge and networking opportunities. www.independentlivingscotland.org

November 2016 7 November

Every Child’s Progress Counts Durham

A conference for headteachers, teachers, SENCOs and governors aimed at helping all schools to meet SEND requirements. To reserve a place at the early bird rate of £100 (no VAT) or £240 inc dinner, bed and breakfast, email: info@schoolsnortheast.com http://schoolsnortheast.com

7 November

Kidz to Adultz up North Manchester 9.30am to 4.30pm www.disabledliving.co.uk/Kidz/North

WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

CPD, TRAINING AND EVENTS

Dyslexia Assessment & Consultancy 41 Cardigan Street London SE11 5PF Tel 020 7582 6117 07435 968 614 www.workingwithdyslexia.com We are a team of experts specialising in the assessment of dyslexia, dyspraxia & specific learning difficulties

Contact us for diagnostic assessments and support at senior school through to college, university & the workplace Our professional CPD training days are SASC approved and receive consistent â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;excellent feedbackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

ADHD Awareness Training Wednesday 22 June 2016 London A full day for SpLD assessors, SENCOs and support tutors to explore the complexity of the ADHD condition. Identification, management & support within the education setting. Screening tools. Overlaps with other SpLD conditions & mental health conditions. The pathway forward. We specialise in tailor-made training days for your in-house teams. Full day and half days courses on all aspects of Diagnostic Assessment, the range of SpLDs, scores, statistics and writing quality reports. Also courses for study skill tutors, learning support teams and SpLD awareness training for staff.

Contact the office for full course details, booking forms and all enquiries: info@workingwithdyslexia.com

WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

SENISSUE81

SEN RESOURCES DIRECTORY

SEN resources directory Information, advice and support for all things SEN... ADHD ADDers.org

Information and support forum for those affected by ADD/ADHD:

www.adders.org

Bullying Bullying UK Support and advice on bullying:

www.bullying.co.uk

Childline National Attention Deficit Disorder Advice and support for those suffering from bullying: Information and Support Service www.childline.org.uk (ADDISS) Resources and information for ADHD:

Cerebral palsy

www.addiss.co.uk

Autism/ASD

Asperger Foundation UK (ASF)

Down’s Syndrome Association (DSA)

www.aspergerfoundation.org.uk

www.downs-syndrome.org.uk

Autism Awareness

The Down’s Syndrome Research Foundation UK (DSRF)

www.autism-awareness.org.uk

Information, support and training for those affected by Down syndrome:

Charity focussing on medical research into Down syndrome:

www.dsrf-uk.org

Autistica

Charity raising funds for medical research into autism:

Diagnostic assessment and support for dyslexia and related SpLDs at secondary level, college, university and workplace, plus CPD training and support.

www.workingwithdyslexia.com

Dyspraxia Dyspraxia Foundation UK Dyspraxia advice and support:

www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk

Scope UK

Down syndrome

Forum for sharing experience/advice for those affected by ASD:

Dyslexia Assessment & Consultancy

Help, advice and support for children and adults affected by cerebral palsy:

www.scope.org.uk

Support for people with Asperger’s syndrome:

Dyslexia

www.autistica.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 The FASD Trust www.fasdtrust.co.uk

The National Organisation for Foetal Alcohol Syndrome UK Support for those affected by foetal alcohol spectrum disorder:

www.nofas-uk.org

National Autistic Society (NAS)

Help and information for those affected by ASD:

General SEN

www.autism.org.uk

Research Autism

Charity focused on researching interventions in autism:

www.researchautism.net

Bullying Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA)

Charity dedicated to reforming attitudes and policy towards bullying:

British Dyslexia Association (BDA) Information and support for people affected by dyslexia:

British Institute for Learning Disabilities Charity for learning disabilities:

www.bdadyslexia.org.uk

www.bild.org.uk

Crick Software

Cerebra UK

Clicker 6 is one of the most widely-used reading and writing tools in the UK for children with dyslexia:

www.cerebra.org.uk

www.cricksoft.com/clicker

www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk

Dyslexia Action

Charity for children with brain related conditions:

Child Brain Injury Trust

UK bullying prevention charity:

Charity providing services to those affected by dyslexia:

Supporting children, young people, families and professionals when a child has acquired a brain injury:

www.beatbullying.org

www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk

www.childbraininjurytrust.org.uk

Beat Bullying

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WWW.SENMAGAZINE.CO.UK

SEN RESOURCES DIRECTORY

General SEN Department for Education (DfE) The UK Government’s education department:

www.education.gov.uk

Learning outside the classroom Council for Learning Outside the classroom (CLOtC) Awarding body for the LOtC quality badge:

Spina bifida Shine

Information and support relating to spina bifida and hydrocephalus:

www.shinecharity.org.uk

www.lotc.org.uk

Mencap Learning disabilities charity:

www.mencap.org.uk

National Association for Special Educational Needs (NASEN)

SLCN

Literacy Crick Software

Organisation for the education, training, advancement of those with SEN:

Clicker 6 is the child-friendly talking word processor that helps pupils of all abilities to significantly develop their literacy skills:

www.nasen.org.uk

www.cricksoft.com/clicker

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

Action on Hearing Loss Hearing impairment charity:

www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk

Deafness Research UK Charity promoting medical research into hearing impairment:

www.deafnessresearch.org.uk

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

www.ndcs.org.uk

National Literacy Trust (NLT) Literacy charity for adults and children:

www.literacytrust.org.uk

Music Music resources for young children and children with additional needs. All original material designed to enable the non-musician to deliver music sessions including, body awareness, sensory experiences, early verbs, self and spatial awareness, communication skills and turn taking. For more information, visit:

www.holisticmusicforchildren.com

PMLD PMLD Network Information and support for PMLD:

www.pmldnetwork.org

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

Home education The Home Education Network UK National organisation for home educators:

www.thenuk.com

www.reboundtherapy.org

SEN law

Afasic

Help and advice on SLCN:

www.afasicengland.org.uk

Support for people with little or no clear speech:

www.communicationmatters.org.uk

The Communication Trust 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

Douglas Silas Solicitors Specialising exclusively in SEN cases:

Law

www.ace-centre.org.uk

Communication Matters

Holistic Music for Children

Hearing impairment

ACE Centre

Advice on communication aids:

www.SpecialEducationalNeeds.co.uk

Independent Parental Special Education Advice Legal advice and support for parents:

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

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