Autism YOUR
Education Supplement MAY 2016
www.autism.org.uk
MAGA ZINE
GUIDE TO HOME SCHOOLING CREATIVE EDUCATION Working special interests into the curriculum
UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE
Your questions answered EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Expert advice on asking for the support your child needs at school
How to ямБnance your studies
ASPERGER SYNDROME AND ANXIETY Ten-year-old Erin opens up about her school day
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At school I don’t feel I have to be something I’m not. I used to find it scary sometimes. Now I can relax enough to be myself and that’s a great feeling. Christopher, student with autism
Teachers, school and nursery staff, sign up for free resources to help you support students with autism. www.autism.org.uk/myworld
The National Autistic Society is a charity registered in England and Wales (269425) and in Scotland (SC039427) and a company limited by guarantee registered in England (No.1205298). 2146 210416
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WELCOME ● CONTENTS
Welcome
9
T
he National Autistic Society’s Too Much Information campaign is all about increasing public understanding of autism. As part of this, we’re delighted to include Erin Sage’s moving account of her school day on page 9. As a 10-year-old girl who has Asperger syndrome, even things like a teacher saying good morning to her can make Erin anxious. As these challenges build throughout the day, Erin internalises her anxiety, only letting it out once she’s in the car going home. As well as explaining her difficulties, Erin also gives tips on what helps with her anxiety and the upsides of having Asperger syndrome. Getting the right education for your child continues to be a battlefield for many parents. In our straight-talking guide to effective communication on page 24, our education rights expert sets out how to ask for the extra support your child needs, and to get schools to follow through on plans that have been agreed. If school is becoming too difficult for your child, you might be thinking of home-schooling. Read our guide on page 14 written by Karen Wright, who has home-schooled her son for a year. It’s been so successful that she says she hardly recognises the stressed-out family they were a year ago. With advice on how to weave a child’s special interests into their education (page 20) and the financial support available to autistic university students (page 28), this is a packed issue – I hope you enjoy it.
Suzanne Westbury Editor, Your Autism Magazine Education Supplement Printed by Wyndeham Grange Designed by Zinc Media
Advertising by Zinc Media Tel: 020 7878 2367 Fax: 020 7379 7155 parminder.sangha@zincmedia.com www.zincmedia.com
The National Autistic Society is a charity registered in England (269425) and in Scotland (SC039427) and a company limited by guarantee registered in England (No.1205298), registered office: 393 City Road, London EC1V 1NG
20 Contents 5 News: Education update 9 My story: Erin’s school day 14 Feature: A guide to home schooling 20 Feature: Incorporating special interests 24 How do I…communicate effectively with my child’s school? 28 Q&A: Financial and educational support for students Disclaimer: In the interest of providing the widest possible range of information to readers, we may include details of some of the many approaches to autism now available. However, this does not imply NAS endorsement of any particular approach or product.
Copyright © The National Autistic Society 2016
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E T A D P U N IO T A EDUC
NEWS
7,000 call for every teacher to have autism training THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC Society and Ambitious about Autism ran an important campaign in March calling on Education Secretary Nicky Morgan to include autism in initial teacher training. More than 7,000 people signed the online petition calling for autism training for every new teacher, which was delivered to the Minister in March. Jessica Leigh, organiser of the #EveryTeacher campaign, said, “With more than one in 100 children on the autism spectrum, and 70% of those children in mainstream schools, every teacher in the UK will teach an
autistic child at some point. But there is no compulsory autism training for teachers. “Our research found that 60% of teachers said they didn’t have the training they need to teach autistic pupils. Fifty-eight per cent of children on the autism spectrum said that the single thing that would make school better for them was if teachers understood autism.” The campaign was launched to coincide with the Government’s review of the Initial Teacher Training Framework. We will continue to speak
to policy makers about this important issue until a decision is announced about the review of the Framework.
First Schools’ Autism Awareness Week celebrated nationwide AN INCREDIBLE 80,000 free autism information resources were downloaded in the run-up to our first Schools’ Autism Awareness Week, held from 14-18 March. Thousands of primary and secondary schools took part in the week, meaning that tens of thousands of children learnt about autism in
lessons, activities and assemblies. The Schools’ Autism Awareness Week resources are still available to download at www.autism.org.uk/saaw. Find out about the many ways you can continue raising awareness of autism in your school at www.autism.org.uk/ raisemoney.
Two new autism-specialist schools WE ARE DELIGHTED to be opening two new schools for autistic children in 2017 and 2018. Our new school in Chigwell, Essex, will be for 70-80 pupils of primary age through to the sixth form. It will initially provide day placements and, once established, aims to offer an employment support service and training centre. The Vanguard School will be a free school for 80 pupils aged 11-19 in
Lambeth and neighbouring London boroughs. It will cater for children on the autism spectrum and with associated learning difficulties. We are working with local parents on the development of the school. To be kept up-to-date on the schools, please register your interest at www.autism.org.uk/chigwell or www.autism.org.uk/vanguard.
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FEATURE
My school day Ten-year-old Erin loves school, but wants people to understand more about her Asperger syndrome. She shared with us how she feels during a typical school day and what teachers can do to ease her anxiety.
As an aspie kid, even regular activities like being at school can be incredibly stressful. As I enter the school gates, I can sometimes feel anxious simply because I am unsure, even after seven years at the school. Am I late? Early? I will glance in the window and discover if any classmates have arrived already. This helps to give reassurance that I am doing the right thing. After hanging up my bags, and having a quick chat with a few classmates in the cloakroom, I am often reluctant to enter the classroom first. I feel this is a result of previous entries when my teacher has greeted me in the morning. I dislike it when this happens because I am never certain how to respond. Usually I will mumble a response and attempt to smile away any uncertainty, but it is important to know that I don’t mean any offence by not looking in your direction and not responding confidently. It is normal for me to avoid eye contact and looking at other people’s faces. It is important that my inability to obey the phrase ‘look at me when I’m talking to you’ is understood. During lessons, I become most confident being left to focus on my work. Maths is by far my favourite subject, mainly because I feel I excel at it. Knowing that I’m doing the right thing is very reassuring for me. However, sometimes direct instructions and questions that are aimed specifically towards me can be a problem. When teachers ask me questions it is far better to say ‘Erin, can you pass me that book?’ rather than ‘Pass me that book please Erin’. This is because I can become over absorbed in an activity (especially when reading), resulting in me
“NEW SITUATIONS MAKE ME STRESSED, AS NEW TEACHERS WHO DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME MAKE ME SPIKE WITH ANXIETY.”
Maths is Erin’s favourite subject
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FEATURE ●
“I HAVE AN ENORMOUS SENSE OF RIGHT AND WRONG. IF SOMEONE IS MISBEHAVING OR PUSHING IN THE LUNCH QUEUE I CAN BECOME TENSE. AT TIMES I CAN ACTUALLY FEEL SCARED. I CAN’T ANTICIPATE WHEN THAT FEELING WILL REACH ITS LIMIT.” blocking out any other sounds, until I hear my name. If the question precedes my name, I don’t hear the question, I only hear my name. Then I worry because I know I have missed something! Lunch time can demonstrate a large issue for me; as an aspie kid, I have an enormous sense of right and wrong. Therefore, if someone else is misbehaving or just pushing in the queue I can become tense. At times I can actually feel scared. I can’t anticipate when that feeling will reach its limit. However I will rarely tell anyone else about this during the school day. When I become tense or stressed, I struggle to release my negative emotions which results in me becoming irritable and preferring not to speak. I find that all these emotions just hover in my stomach which leads me to occasional tears and a complete breakdown. I have a canopy in my classroom that I can retreat into but still feel part of the class and importantly, still hear the lesson the teacher is giving. I prefer it this way rather than having to walk out and then (even worse) back into the class with everyone looking at me. I need time out to process things – usually after break times because they are so busy. Home time brings relief to me; if I have been stressed at school I will release all my emotions in the car, explaining it to my mum and calming myself down. The promise of a new day is a huge consolation; sometimes when something bad happens in the morning and I cry or become deeply annoyed and upset, I just want to start the day again. In my mind I have the idea that every day has to be a good day, and I class days as, for example, good, bad, really good or really bad. This may seem illogical but I enjoy it. However if a morning has been upsetting, I
Erin likes playing with her friends but can find busy break times stressful
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FEATURE
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FEATURE ●
can become irritable and upset at school. This is because I feel, even if I do brilliantly at school today, it can’t be a super good day because I’ve had a bad morning. I love school. I love learning. It really pleases me when I have done something right. My advice for helping me would be fairly simple: try and get to know me. Give me praise to boost my confidence – which is low at times. Realise that even though I may be functioning okay, I may actually be in pieces inside. Know that it is impossible for me to keep eye contact with you without it causing me physical discomfort. Try and pick up on the signs that I am uncomfortable – do I look stiff when I walk, for example? I can’t tell you I am upset about something, but the signs are all there. Teachers will rarely see me upset because I contain it all until I release it at home time. If you notice that I look tense and you understand the reason, the best thing to do is explain things to me gently (if you can, try to make it funny and get me to smile) and reassure me that I’m doing the right thing. This helps me to calm down and become happy again.
Erin on her Asperger syndrome Aspergers is a condition which means that I find mixing with other people, unfamiliar places and surprises difficult. I find it hard to know what people are going to do − this can result in me feeling anxious and unsure. I don’t like crowds of people who are strangers so going out can be difficult. I don’t like loud noise and this makes being around roads quite troublesome. However, I like being a hermit!
Erin likes being left to focus on her work
Another trait is attempting to be good all the time; I hate being scolded or shouted at. I think I hate it because when they shout people are loud and unpredictable. I don’t want people to think I am being rude if I don’t look at them, it’s just because I can’t. New situations make me stressed. New teachers who don’t know about me make me spike with anxiety. I will walk on tip toes and sometimes twitch because I am so nervous. This is the first time I have shared so much information about my Aspergers. It’s a little difficult because it’s hard to identify if what I feel is my Aspergers because to me it’s just normal. When I am at home with mum I don’t have Aspergers. It’s normal life. It’s me and nothing else. When we put other people into the mix it becomes different. Fortunately, benefits outnumber downsides. The good things are: enjoying maths (good for when it comes to school work); being very observant; being able to become absorbed in a book; I am usually very honest; I can easily be on my own as long as I am somewhere familiar, like at home; and all emotional effects are multiplied. So when I become happy, I become extremely happy.
Finding a quiet corner to play
Find out more
Erin has also written a blog for our Too Much Information campaign which aims to increase public understanding of autism, including Asperger syndrome. Find out more at www.autism.org.uk/tmi. Teachers – sign up to MyWorld at www.autism.org. uk/MyWorld to have practical tips on helping autistic children emailed to you every fortnight.
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FEATURE ● HOME SCHOOLING
A GUIDE TO HOME
SCHOOLING 14 | EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT
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HOME SCHOOLING ● FEATURE
Karen Wright home-schools her eleven-year-old son and would thoroughly recommend it. She tells us about her experience and answers some common concerns.
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Karen has home-schooled her son for the last year
e are about to complete our first year of home schooling. “We” means me (Mum, writer, therapist, and now teacher), Dad (a very busy solicitor and now PE teacher) and, of course, our eleven-year-old son who has a diagnosis of Asperger syndrome with particular sensory challenges, and some developmental and physical issues. I hardly recognise the family that we were this time last year. We took our son out of school as a temporary measure. He was constantly unwell with largely undiagnosed health problems, and incredibly stressed and anxious. He was only managing to attend his mainstream school for two half days a week at best. Although we had endless meetings, we felt that our son’s needs were not being met, and his spiral of illness and depression was not being dealt with. We felt as if we were left with little choice, and were ourselves very stressed and overstretched. As our son gradually recovered and gained confidence again, home schooling began to feel like the really nurturing and loving thing to do. It became clear that there were huge gaps in his learning, and certain areas which needed far more support. We began to understand why he had struggled so much at school, but also we felt able to meet those needs, especially with the help of a wider team which was gradually assembled around us. It has not been an easy year, but it has been a privilege and a joy too. Although it began as a last resort, home schooling is now something I would thoroughly recommend, and for us it has really suited and benefited our child. I have been asked lots of questions by other parents of SEN children about home schooling.
Can I take my autistic child out of school, especially if they have a Statement of Educational Need or EHC plan? Yes, you can but there is a process you need to follow, which is explained at www. autism.org.uk/homeeducation. You have a legal responsibility to provide a full-time education for your child, suitable for their age, ability and aptitude and which must take account of their special needs. How you do this, however, is your choice and you are not obliged to follow the National Curriculum. I would recommend that you discuss with, and try to gain the support of, all professionals involved with your decision, and notify them in writing of your final choice. You may continue to need their help with any funding and any additional help you try to secure. Our school did not agree with our decision and this caused huge delays for us.
I’m not a teacher. How can I possibly home-school my child? Don’t panic! It’s unlikely that you would have to go it alone. You may be entitled to teaching support via your local learning hub, and there is other help available, for example via a social services community care assessment. Speak to your case worker and any other relevant professionals. We did home school largely on our own for the first term, and it was hard work, although it did give us time to rebuild trust with our child and establish very positive ways of working. We also had the freedom to develop our own curriculumbased activities. Since then we have gained (per week): five hours of maths support and one hour of ICT distance learning from our learning centre plus one and a half hours of music studio time.
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FEATURE ● HOME SCHOOLING
“AS OUR SON GRADUALLY RECOVERED AND GAINED CONFIDENCE AGAIN, HOME SCHOOLING BEGAN TO FEEL LIKE THE REALLY NURTURING AND LOVING THING TO DO.” − KAREN There are lots of local cells of home schoolers and some more distant organised groups (we are in a rural area) that we could join. We will shortly be starting forest school, where our son will do outdoor activities in local woodland, and other activities with other small groups of children from the learning centre. There will be similar opportunities for you wherever you are in the country.
provision, as well as the actual hours you spend with your child. This means that one carer at least is needed to be widely available. With the use, however, of home schooling groups and local provision, you can be flexible with your hours. Now that we have more support in place I can work part-time again from home. You do not need to spend much on resources (see the bottom of page 17); there is a lot that can be downloaded or sourced for free.
How can I afford to do it? Unfortunately, there are no grants or allowances as such for home schooling, but there may be local funding available for certain types of provision to which you are entitled. We gained funding for a term of swimming and a youth club scheme for example. Home schooling is time consuming in terms of preparation and organisation of
What about socialisation? Won’t he miss his friends? Well, I think it’s important to bear in mind that this is not necessarily the same for an autistic child. What we may think of as an enjoyable activity with others can be uncomfortable, confusing or exhausting for someone with autism. I would like our son to ‘socialise’ more,
especially in preparation for further education or the world of work. But we have found that because he is no longer stressed and tired after school, and exhausted at weekends, his capacity for out-of-school activities has hugely increased, and largely compensates for being mainly with adults most of the day. When he was in mainstream education he only managed one after-school activity. Now he attends two after-school group activities, two music lessons, goes to the gym with my husband, and goes to the skate park regularly. He was adamant, when we took him out of school, that he would not miss his friends. This does seem to have been the case, especially as, although he is good at making friends, he found playtimes and lunchtimes at school difficult. He now enjoys seeing them after school and in the holidays.
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HOME SCHOOLING ● FEATURE
How can I meet my child’s complex needs? It is a daily challenge to do this; but the reality is that you know your child best and are likely to be able to do an incredible job in actual fact, because you only have your child or children to focus on, and not a class of around 30 children who may have all sorts of physical, emotional and social needs to be met. You are not an overworked SENCO, you are likely to have much more time to advocate for your child, and are ideally placed to speak to professionals. The way our son learns is probably unique to him, and so, in many ways, it is much easier to help him access the curriculum at home. He still needs intense one-to-one support or he loses track or becomes easily frustrated. Material needs to be visual, and perhaps tactile, with a great deal of repetition, cueing and processing time included. He needs regular breaks to meet his sensory needs, occupational therapy
exercises, and specific personal and social education to help him deal with emotions and everyday stuff. A lot of this wasn’t being done at school. Learning works well for us when it is built around a topic web which involves his special interests or learning directions. This term we chose Japan, because my son was interested in learning some of the language, and likes anything to do with volcanoes and technology, so there was plenty of scope here. On the last day of half term we made sushi for his teachers and our family. Learning can actually be hugely enjoyable in this way, and you can also be covering the National Curriculum if you want to.
I don’t know how you do it! Some people I meet clearly do think we’re crazy! It does help! While I wouldn’t want to underestimate the sense of frustration I have had at times when my son doesn’t seem to make much progress, or the huge time commitment that is involved,
and at times lack of personal space (that feeling, in the winter especially, of climbing the walls), home schooling doesn’t necessarily make you insane or some sort of martyr to the cause. There are so many positives to talk about. Not just the end of school runs – can you believe it! No more school meetings (although I can’t promise you that there won’t be others), far fewer mood swings and temper tantrums. And spending precious time with your child, and supporting him in a totally positive and safe environment. I do think that it is vital that you enlist support from friends, neighbours and family, and to make sure that you have regular time out to exercise, and pursue your own interests. Network with other parents via local groups and the internet. Make the most of weekends and the holidays. Sign your child up for holiday activities at your library, sports centre, or look out for locally-funded schemes for children with special needs.
Home schooling resources There are lots of resources we have found which have really supported our son’s learning, and these are often free. 1. Obviously use your library, but not just for reading and topic books. Online you can access Encyclopaedia Britannica and magazines, audio and ebooks. Also, look out for code clubs and reading clubs that may run there. 2. Purchase other books second hand, or maybe borrow from friends who have grown out of them. I have used maths and English revision books from pound shops which are clearly set out with good visual learning, as well as paying a little more for books such as the Oxford Primary Atlas where the workbook covers the geography for the Primary National Curriculum. 3. We are teaching our son to touch type using BBC Bitesize ance at Typing as he finds handwriting difficult. 4. We have also bought a Dragon! Dragon Naturally Speaking by Nuance software, enables your child to speak through a headset and have their words typed up on screen almost instantaneously. Great for kids who struggle to express themselves on paper, and lovely for creative writing and project work. 5. Our son needs to do a fair bit of OT, but apart from getting a different pair of scissors we have mostly used stuff from
around the house. For fine motor skills we have used pasta, puzzles, Lego, juggling balls for example. For writing skills you can practise patterns and letters in a huge variety of ways including tracing in sand trays and even shaving foam! We use kits given for birthdays and Christmas to build slowly, and we do lots of cooking. For gross motor skills you can go to your local pool or playground at quieter, out of school times, and I’m sure, like us, you will have equipment like trampolines and swing ball. We also play darts (great for Maths!) and our son will happily scooter, cycle or skateboard (but only if it doesn’t rain or isn’t windy). Indoors we do some pilates exercises, and have a wobble board and a balance ball. 6. There are many apps and games out there which can support learning and encourage independent work and exploration. We really like: Poisson Rouge, Times Tables, High Frequency Words, KS2 English by GoLearningBus, Duolingo, The Gruffalo and the Vanishing Wood and Notepad. 7. BBC Bitesize is enormously helpful for all subjects with specific key stage topic work, short video clips and games. We have also found mathswebsite.com and Google Earth which are great resources. 8. The National Autistic Society has hugely helpful materials to download. Look at www.autism.org.uk and sign up for the MyWorld fortnightly emails for education professionals.
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INSIGHT ● INCORPORATING SPECIAL INTERESTS
SPECIAL INTERESTS AT SCHOOL Many autistic children have particular interests. They can really enjoy learning about their interest or collecting items to do with it. Common ones include and lm characters or more general topics such as cars, dinosaurs or ags.
How can you use special interests to engage children in activities and motivate them to learn? Two of The National Autistic Society’s schools share the creative ways they bring special interests into the classroom. Minecraft in Maths at Helen Allison School Emma Sanderson, Deputy Principal, says, “We integrate special interests as much as possible. We’ve worked with one group in particular to incorporate Minecraft into their maths lessons. The first thing we did was purchase an educational version of the game that doesn’t allow them to talk to other people. Then we created resources – so for instance when the children were learning about nets of cubes they made different types of nets around the Minecraft characters. When they were looking at calculating area and
Using Minecraft to teach how to calculate area and perimeter
Working Henry Hoover into literacy
r udly displaying enry
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INCORPORATING SPECIAL INTERESTS ● INSIGHT
perimeter they calculated these for the different islands and lands in the game. So the whole Maths curriculum for a term was based on Minecraft, and during that term these children made more progress than in any other! We still go back to the resources from time-to-time. “Our primary students are into Lego Ninjago so we use that. We’ve also used Henry Hoover storybooks to improve students’ literacy and as reward-based interventions (pictured). “We’ve got one student who is into volcanoes and we used that to give her a way of managing her own behaviour. We helped her see her behaviour as a volcano before it erupts. “In our initial in-depth admission meeting with parents and pupils, we always ask about special interests. Some people call them obsessions; we prefer to call them special interests. It’s part of finding out what motivates each pupil to learn and gives us the tools to tailor their individual curriculum and reward systems.”
Nineteen-year-old college student Max Ferreira, who has a passion for trains, explains more about special interests. “Since I was little I’ve been very keen on trains, especially steam engines. It’s to do with the sights, sounds and smells of the steam locomotives, taking me back to a bygone age, to the industrial revolution. What I like is spotting the different types of British steam trains, the shapes and colours, engines and coal, hauling passengers and freight across the country. Many autistic young people may struggle in everyday life, with their social skills and their learning. But having a special interest like I do can make them happy and take their minds off any difficult situations that can be overwhelming them, washing away negative feelings. Whether they have Asperger syndrome or are severely autistic, having a passion can help them to relax and stop getting anxious. With the encouragement of parents, carers and teachers, young people with autism and learning disabilities can be helped to develop their special interests. Then, before you know it, they’ll become very knowledgeable about their passion for life, perhaps even developing it into a future career.”
Reward systems at Radlett Lodge School Ria Low, a support worker says: “The ‘start your engines’ reward system was set up for three teenage pupils who have an interest in cars and Formula One racing. Completing work, being kind to others and using appropriate language enables the boys to move their cars around their track and, when reaching the finish line, they receive a reward of their choice. The three boys’ photos are then placed on the podium indicating who completed their race 1st, 2nd and 3rd. This reward system is very successful and highly motivating for pupils. “A ‘drumming’ reward system was set up for a pupil who loves music
and has a keen interest in drumming. He has eight chances throughout the day to earn his drum tokens; these are collected for completing work, following class rules and helping his peers. Once the pupil has collected his tokens he is rewarded at the end of the day. This pupil is highly motivated by this reward chart and takes pride in
it; he often wants to show visitors his daily progress when they visit his class. The photo shows how work tasks have been specifically set up for pupils with a focus on their preferred, highly motivating characters. This method can be extremely effective in engaging individuals who may find it difficult to maintain focus on tasks.
Find out more about special interests at www.autism.org.uk/specialinterests. Read more about The National Autistic Society’s schools at www.autism.org.uk/schools. Read more of Max’s work at: http://bit.ly/1Sak9y2.
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Are you after a new venue to holiday with your group? Lincolnshire has many attractions, a beautiful cathedral City, long golden beaches, vast expanse of countryside and many educational tourist attractions. Perhaps you have members of the group who suffer from autism, ADHD, Aspergers or other complex needs, such as sensory impairment or suffering from cerebral palsy who need help in getting around in a wheelchair? We have made access very easy around the large holiday site. Why not plan a trip to the Thomas Centre - a safe and secure environment that is totally non-judgemental. The family run team are very welcoming and understanding of your specific needs be it epilepsy, tourettes or other challenging behaviours. You can fill your day with walks in our very own woods, swimming in the indoor pool, trampolining, or fun study sessions in our classroom! The Thomas Centre may be the answer! To see all our great facilities go to...
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WESTHEATH REBUILDING LIVES THROUGH EDUCATION
Outstanding Day and Weekly Boarding School set in 32 acres Supporting students aged 10 - 20 with a range of challenges, including High Functioning Autism, Aspergers, & Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties info@westheathschool.com 01732 460 553 westheathschool.com West Heath School, Ashgrove Road, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1SR Charity Registration Number: 1069677
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TOP TIPS
●
COMMUNICATING WITH SCHOOLS
How do I… Work with professionals
communicate effectively with my child’s school?
1
Try to work with your child’s school wherever possible. Raise any concerns you have as early as possible with the class teacher. Involve others if necessary such as the school’s SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator) or special educational needs (SEN) governor. In Scotland, approach staff or parent council members with responsibility for Support for Learning. If it’s not possible to resolve matters within the school then involve an officer from your local or education authority. There may also be further action you can take depending on your issue.
Keep records
2
Carla Manini Rowden, The National Autistic Society’s Senior Education Rights Coordinator, gives her top tips on how to ask for the support your child needs at school.
Know your rights
Stay up-to-date with strategies and interventions being used by staff and ask the school and authority for their SEN or support for learning policies. Download a copy of the code of practice which explains what schools and authorities must do for children and young people with additional support or special educational needs. The National Autistic Society has several information resources on education rights and entitlements which you can download from www.autism.org.uk/education.
3
Keep records of discussions and meetings and a diary of events and your child’s difficulties. If appropriate, your child could also keep a diary. Keep copies of all correspondence. Make sure that any deadlines are met. For example, your child’s school or authority may ask you to take action within a certain period of time and they may also have deadlines in relation to carrying out assessments or preparing and implementing plans. Always keep the original versions of any documents – send photocopies. When you receive paperwork, check that all relevant documents are included and ask for anything that is missing. Read through documents and highlight things you agree or disagree with. Make a photocopy of documents so that you have a copy of paperwork to make your notes on. If you have any difficulties obtaining information, you have the right to request copies of any information held about you or your child by the local or education authority. The Information Commissioner’s Office has further information on what you can request and how. Always date and keep a copy of any letters you send and hand deliver them or send them by recorded delivery. Wherever possible, address letters personally, by using the head teacher’s or education officer’s name.
Meeting preparation Whether you have a meeting at the school to discuss your child’s education, a meeting with the authority, or a review meeting, it is important to be prepared. Ask for copies of your child’s records, read any reports that have been written about your child and highlight any areas requiring clarification or causing concern. Mark any relevant sections in the code of practice which relate to your views. If there is someone else, for example, an educational psychologist or a teaching assistant you think should attend the meeting then ask if they can be invited. Ask someone to go with you to the meeting and let the school or authority know that this is happening.
4
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COMMUNICATING WITH SCHOOLS ● TOP TIPS
Make sure you’re clear on next steps
5
Approach the meeting positively
During the meeting, keep the focus on your child’s needs and use your prepared list of views, concerns and questions during the meeting and tick off points as they are discussed. Ask your companion to take notes. Let the school or authority describe what they can do for your child and if anything is not clear, ask for it to be explained again. Don’t feel pressured to agree to anything in the meeting. Keep positive, try not to cast blame. Instead, focus on everyone getting things right in future rather than dwelling on what may have gone wrong in the past. Negotiate rather than demand and try to be open-minded about different ways of giving your child the support they need and look for points of agreement. If things feel like they are becoming overwhelming during the meeting, ask for a moment to calm yourself.
6
At the end of the meeting, clarify what is going to be done next, by whom and when, and agree a date for the next meeting where appropriate. After the meeting, write a letter to the chairperson, with copies to all present, to confirm your understanding of what was discussed and any action agreed. If you receive minutes, make sure they are an accurate reflection of what you discussed and if not, make your concerns known in writing.
7
Autism awareness If you feel that the school or authority could benefit from greater understanding of autism and how it may impact your child, you may wish to share autism knowledge and resources. Our resources may help, such as our autism spectrum disorders resource pack for staff, available to download at www.autism.org.uk/teacherpack.
Further help If you are a parent trying to obtain an appropriate education for your child, you can get further help from our Education Rights Service. Call 0808 800 4102 or email educationrights@nas.org.uk.
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Q&A ● ADVICE FOR STUDENTS
Q&A Student support ff to university or college in September Brett Aspden, he National Autistic Society’s Student Support Services Manager, North, e plains the nancial and study support available to autistic students and how to apply.
I’ve accepted a university place. As an autistic student, what extra support can I expect? You will be allocated a disability advisor at the university initially, who will support you through first visits, enrolment and other appointments. He or she will be your main point of contact throughout your time at university. Your disability advisor will also support you through your assessment of need, which will be used to decide how much Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) you are given.
What is Disabled Students’ Allowance? As an autistic student, the financial support that is available to you comes in the form of Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA). This is paid on top of your other student finance (student loans). DSA is not means-tested and the amount you get depends on the assessment of your needs whilst at university.
What can DSA be used for and does it have to be paid back? DSA covers additional study-related
costs that you will incur because of your disability. You do not have to pay it back. As the student, you do not receive the DSA directly to yourself or your bank, it is managed by Student Finance and sent directly to your support provider. Some students use their DSA for additional equipment they need, such as voice recorders to help record lectures and listen back to them. Or it can fund software where you can dictate what you want to be written, and the software will write it out for you. DSA can fund intense, everyday support at university, or specialist mentoring which may only occur once a week to keep you on track with your studies and student life. Universities also offer other adjustments of course, such as allowing extra time for some assessments, and for group work. Again, this is all part of your initial assessment.
When should I apply for DSA and who should I apply to? You should first apply for your student finance, as soon as possible. Once this is complete, you can apply for your DSA through the following link: www.gov.uk/ disabled-students-allowances-dsas/ how-to-claim.
You will need proof of your disability to be able to claim DSA, so always make sure you have this from your GP, psychiatrist or consultant. The earlier you apply for your DSA, the more likely you are to have it all set up and in place by the time you begin your studies.
What support can I get from The National Autistic Society? The National Autistic Society can offer various forms of support to you while you are at university, which are funded by DSA. Once you have followed the process of applying, and you have had your needs assessment at university, you will be contacted by a member of
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ADVICE FOR STUDENTS ● Q&A
The National Autistic Society team at your prospective university. What you can expect from them is knowledge of autism and Asperger syndrome, and skills in supporting students in their studies. With a little more information from you, they will understand the best way to support you throughout your studies, how you prefer to communicate, and how you work and learn best. The support from The National Autistic Society will depend on the level of DSA you are assessed for. If you have high support needs, you may receive ‘in-class’ support, as well as weekly mentoring support and some study skills support. In-class support can
help you with note taking, and your understanding of the content being discussed. Mentoring is usually one or two hours a week, discussing your organisation of work, time management, and any personal issues you want to discuss. Mentors are highly skilled, experienced staff who have a high level of knowledge about autism. Study skills support helps you with structuring your written work, develops your skills with grammar and helps you understand the best way to write essays. The National Autistic Society has also helped to develop a new service called Brain in Hand, which will be in place ready for students beginning university
in September 2016. Students will be able to use this on their mobile phone to help reduce anxiety in university, and have a direct way of communicating with someone should this be required. Find a list of frequently asked questions on DSA and university support at: www.dsa-qag.org.uk/students/faqs. How to apply for DSA: www.gov.uk/ disabled-students-allowances-dsas/ how-to-claim. Further information on higher education support from The National Autistic Society: www.autism.org.uk/furthereducation. More information about Brain in Hand: www.autism.org.uk/braininhand.
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Southall, Greater London 4-19 years www.sybilelgarschool.org.uk
Meopham, Kent 5-19 years www.helenallisonschool.org.uk
Catrine, East Ayrshire 8–21 years www.daldorchhouseschool.org.uk
Thurnscoe, South Yorkshire 5-19 years www.robertogdenschool.org.uk
Church Lawton, Cheshire 4-19 years www.churchlawtonschool.org.uk
Radlett, Hertfordshire 4-19 years www.radlettlodgeschool.org.uk
Reading, Berkshire 5-16 years www.thamesvalleyschool.org.uk
Pilning, Bristol 7-19 years www.andersonschool.org.uk
W s t
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Since opening our first school 50 years ago, we remain pioneers in providing bespoke education and care for autistic young people. We build trusting relationships with each of our pupils, and use our creativity to help them to grow and flourish.
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速
Find out more about visiting one of our specialist schools today at
www.autism.org.uk/schools
Day and residential placements in our schools are funded by your local authority.
DPS ED Supp Adverts.indd 3
The National Autistic Society is a charity registered in England and Wales (269425) and in Scotland (SC039427). Church Lawton School and Thames Valley School are part of the network of free schools and academies owned and operated by the NAS Academies Trust, a company limited by guarantee in England (No.7954396).
Welcome to my school. Welcome to MyProgress
20/04/2016 14:31 12/04/2016 11:30
This isn’t just a tin of beans. It’s a milestone. A massive victory. A success story in tomato sauce.
For one of the young people we care for at Hesley, the thought of going to the shops to stock up on weekly groceries was unthinkable. A constant challenge for him, his parents, his previous care providers, but not us. There were many difficulties to overcome. It wasn’t easy, but we got there by finding effective and innovative coping techniques. The young man who wouldn’t step foot in a supermarket now shops for himself. Find out more about our schools and colleges visit www.hesleygroup.co.uk or call 0800 0556789.
Enquiries freephone 0800 055 6789 www.hesleygroup.co.uk Established in 1975, the Hesley Group provides specialist support through its schools, colleges and adult residential services with a highly experienced and expert multidisciplinary educational, care and therapeutic staff resource, in high quality purpose built settings. We’re focused on positive outcomes and progress towards sustainable independence.
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