Autism YOUR
www.autism.org.uk
Education Supplement MAY 2015
MAGA ZINE
THE NEW SEN SYSTEM, SO FAR
‘Would my child be better off in a special school?’
Your stories
AUTISM AND SPORT Top tips from a PE teacher
Advice from our experts
Educating the East End’s Christopher on autism, art and Ms Ayesha
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WELCOME ● CONTENTS
Welcome
24
L
ast September saw the introduction of the new Special Educational Needs (SEN) system. Aiming to place families at the centre of decision-making, the new system requires education, health and care services to work together to provide coordinated support across all areas of a child’s life, from birth to the age of 25. So far, so good, but in this climate of austerity, what’s happening on the ground? Are parents finding it easier to obtain an education, health and care plan or can the process still be described as more of a protracted battle? We spoke to three families about their experiences on pages 9-12. The vast majority (71 per cent) of school-aged children on the autism spectrum are in mainstream education. Schools have a legal duty to support them by making ‘reasonable adjustments’ to their policies and practices. I hope the feature on pages 14-17 empowers you to find out more about what your child’s school could do. Our cover star, Christopher, from Channel 4’s Educating the East End, has thrived in a mainstream school, largely thanks to his teaching assistant, Ayesha. I was delighted to meet them both at Frederick Bremer School and hear about Christopher’s plans for the future.
Suzanne Westbury Editor, Your Autism Magazine Education Supplement
Printed by Eclipse Colour Designed by Ten Alps Publishing Front cover photograph by Gareth Gatrell Advertising by Ten Alps Publishing Tel: 020 7878 2367 Fax: 020 7379 7155 parminder.sangha@tenalps.com www.tenalps.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
9 Contents 5 News: Education update 9 Feature: Your experiences of the new SEN system 14 Feature: Reasonable adjustments in mainstream schools 20 Q&A: Christopher and Ayesha from Educating the East End 24 Feature: A day in the life of a sports teacher 28 Advice: Is mainstream school the right choice for my child? 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 2015
EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT | 3
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NEWS
E T A D P U N IO T EDUCA
New ‘MyWorld’ teacher support campaign launches SEVENTY PER CENT of teachers have told us they need more information on developing strategies for individual children with autism. In our recent teachers’ survey, sixty per cent also said they want information on communication needs, eating, sport and preventing bullying. Carol Povey, Head of the NAS Centre for Autism said, “It’s vital that everyone in a school has an understanding of autism and the unique needs of each child. Our vision is that they all have access to the tools and resources they need to provide the best possible care and support to children with autism.” This May, we are launching our new My World campaign specifically for teachers. The campaign will provide teachers with subject-specific information and resources relating to autism and deliver it direct to their inboxes. Each email
Church Lawton School’s new home WE ARE THRILLED to announce that our newest school, Church Lawton in East Cheshire, is now in its permanent building. The school has a capacity to support 60 pupils aged 4-19 who have a diagnosis of autism, including Asperger syndrome. Read more at www.churchlawtonschool.org.uk.
Teachers can sign up for resources and top tips
will contain insightful stories, case studies and blogs from professionals working in the field of autism, as well as recommended resources. Encourage the education professionals you know to sign up to the free emails at www.autism.org.uk/myworld.
Pioneering autism centres for Surrey The first NAS Cullum FOUR MAINSTREAM Centre is due to open at the SCHOOLS in Surrey are Salesian School in Chertsey set to get the county’s first in September. The centres centres focused on educating at Hinchley Wood School, secondary school children Rodborough School in with autism. The initiative Godalming and The Howard is thanks to a partnership of Effingham School in between Surrey County Effingham will open at a Council, The National Autistic later date. Society and the Cullum Peter Cullum CBE Peter Cullum CBE said, Family Trust. “Once this initiative is a proven success The four NAS Cullum Centres will we genuinely hope it will become the provide specialist support for 80 model that will be adopted on a UKpupils with autism. Pupils’ time will wide basis.” be split between mainstream classes and the centres, which will focus on Find out more at www.autism.org.uk/ tailored learning techniques and social cullum-autism-centres. communication skills.
Support in Scotland THE NUMBER OF children in Scottish schools needing extra support due to autism has risen by 15 per cent to almost 10,000, the latest figures show. NAS Policy and Campaigns Officer Robert MacBean called for more support to meet children’s needs, particularly speech and language therapy.
New anti-bullying pack BEING ME is a new classroom resource about child bullying. It offers five powerful diary entries to give readers a greater understanding of what life is like for other children, including those with autism. Download a free copy at www.autism.org.uk/beingme.
EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT | 5
VIEwS ON ThE NEw SEN SySTEm ● FEATUrE
Yourexperiences
of the new Special Educational Needs (SEN) system On 1 September 2014, changes to the Special Educational Needs (SEN) system in England and Wales came into force. We asked for your experiences of the new system so far.
Kerry Chaney-Walker from Hertfordshire had to fight for her son Frank’s assessment. Frank received a diagnosis of autism aged three, along with sensory processing disorder, global developmental delay and moderate learning difficulties. He goes to a fantastic special needs pre-school in Bishop’s Stortford for three sessions a week. The school is 22 miles from where I live but I’m happy to travel that distance because we’ve seen such a difference in him since he started going. On a Monday he attends a mainstream school for two and a half hours. I wanted him to go to a special school so I applied for an EHC plan assessment. I sought advice and enclosed so much evidence, and both schools did as well. One report was carried out by an autism nursery teacher, who could not travel to his special needs pre-school as she
said it was too far. As a result, the report felt very beige and bland and did not reflect his needs. Despite this it was all submitted as I was confident we had enough evidence. Sadly, I was wrong. The panel decided Frank couldn’t be assessed and told us to re-apply in six months. When I called up in disbelief, they said we could go for a meeting with the SEN co-ordinator. We did this in January, although this was not official mediation. Following this, I had several calls with the Independent Parental Special Education Advice (IPSEA) group. I quoted the new SEN laws the local authority should be following. I also corrected them as they had misinterpreted Frank’s instrumental activities of daily living (IALDS) levels. So I literally presented the data. We attended the hearing and, this time, they agreed to assess Frank. Hopefully this will be enough time to get the school place I want. However, we should be at week 14 of the process but we are now only at week 6. I feel that we know our children best. For us as a family we felt we were being told that he would have to go to mainstream and fail. It’s alright to say every child is entitled to a mainstream education, however this does not necessarily equate to inclusion.
The key changes to the SEN system are: •
•
•
Kerry thinks Frank needs to attend an autism-specific school
replacing SEN statements and learning disability assessments with new birth-to-25 education, health and care plans (EHC plans) – setting out in one place all the support families will receive EHC plans can include a personal budget for families or young people to use when choosing the elements of provision they need requirements for better co-operation between councils and health services to make sure services for children and young people with SEN are planned and commissioned jointly.
EDUCATION SUpplEmENT | 9
FEATUrE ● VIEwS ON ThE NEw SEN SySTEm
Claire Freeman’s family had a really positive experience in Nottinghamshire, thanks to the efforts of the local authority. Elliot was diagnosed with autism at four years old. He joined the village school in the mainstream reception class, with dedicated one-to-one support from a teaching assistant. He progressed reasonably well until October 2013 when his personality drastically changed. He went from being a happy, outgoing nine-year-old boy, content in his own world of dinosaurs, Mr Men and Angry Birds, to being in a highly-stressed, uncooperative, uncommunicative and frequently violent state. He would search the house for torches and line them up at the front door to stop ‘monsters’ from getting in. He used up whole rolls of sellotape blocking off his bedroom door, forming a sticky spider’s web to block entry. After a couple of weeks his breakdown escalated − he became mute and would not respond to anyone, totally shutting himself off from the outside world. This behaviour obviously caused problems at school, as they became increasingly unable to cope with him. My husband and I suspected that his behaviour was caused by the increasing pressures of his mainstream school environment. I initiated an EHC plan after a meeting with Elliot’s headmaster, who was very supportive. We agreed that we needed to look into him changing his school environment. This was several months before the national implementation of the new EHC plan structure. We live in Nottinghamshire, one of the pilot areas, so Elliot was one of the very first children to benefit from the new process. The whole EHC plan process went like clockwork, from the initial request being completed online to timelines being met. A group of professionals assembled to meet regularly to discuss Elliot’s situation and how best to create a suitable environment for him in which to learn. I remember feeling very privileged that a roomful of people, including the headmaster, his class teacher, an educational psychologist, local education authority representatives managing the EHC plan process and a speech and language therapist spent three hours at a
10 | EDUCATION SUpplEmENT
time purely discussing Elliot’s wellbeing. I pulled out all the stops to make sure we received the right advice. Our representative from the local education authority prompted me to visit one particular school, as she had heard that they had a space and felt that it would be a good match. From the moment we walked in the door and met the staff, we knew it would be the right place. After the necessary procedures were followed in terms of professional reports and the completion of the EHC plan documentation, Elliot was offered a place at the school. The relief was enormous. We were (and continue to be) amazed at the level of support he receives. He has gone from a mainstream classroom of 25 to being one of nine children in his class, with three and sometimes four adults there to support him. Elliot himself is extremely happy; we have given him the new nickname of Tigger because he bounces his way up the drive every morning to the minibus and comes home every day smiling from ear to ear. He still has problems with his communication and interaction, but he is content, well-supported and his needs are met every day at school. Although a lot of the time he is in his own world, we know that ‘Elliot world’ is a happy place! The EHC plan system and what it has delivered for Elliot has been our salvation. We have personally thanked the representative from the local authority so many times for all her help. She insists she is merely doing her job but it is so much more than that. The professionalism, the caring support, the level of understanding and the feeling that we are not alone in wanting the best for Elliot, have all been second to none. Additionally, her role as a link between the different professionals involved was essential to the smooth running of the process.
“I felt very prIvIleged that a roomful of people, IncludIng the headmaster, ellIot’s class teacher, an educatIonal psychologIst, local educatIon authorIty representatIves and a speech and language therapIst spent three hours at a tIme purely dIscussIng ellIot’s wellbeIng.”
VIEwS ON ThE NEw SEN SySTEm ● FEATUrE
“we’ve gIven ellIot the nIckname of tIgger because he bounces hIs way up the drIve every mornIng to the school mInIbus and comes home smIlIng from ear to ear.”
EDUCATION SUpplEmENT | 11
FEATUrE ● VIEwS ON ThE NEw SEN SySTEm
Dorthe Cook had to challenge her local authority in Torquay after they decided against assessing her son, Christian.
My son was diagnosed with ASD and dyspraxia last May, aged seven. He goes to an independent school which has always been very supportive of him. They suggested that we apply for an ECH plan as soon as the changes came into force. Together we filled out forms and collected a huge amount of supportive documentation. All this was sent off on 1 September 2014. Within two weeks I received a call from the SEN administrator to say that the panel had decided not to assess our son. I challenged this and she agreed to a meeting with us and the school the following week. We met face-to-face and the outcome of the meeting was that our son would be assessed. Without the school completely behind us, I don’t think they would have changed their minds. By December, the SEN officer came to our house to discuss the draft EHC plan to make sure we were happy with everything. Basically our son has been given the same budget given to a state school child. This is a huge relief to us as we can’t afford to pay for a full-time TA. After discussing the personal budget we decided that it was easier to give the control to the school, but only because they are fantastic and it will cut down on paperwork.
12 | EDUCATION SUpplEmENT
Your thoughts from Facebook
“In South Gloucestershire it’s all about evidence. Children seem to get declined a few times before eventually getting assessed. My son has finally been accepted for an assessment but now it will take another 10 weeks before a plan is decided. I’m not very impressed.” Kelly, South Gloucestershire “I applied for my son, who’s 10 and has been out of school since October 2014. There was no support in his mainstream school and he wasn’t coping. We were told that he wouldn’t get an EHC plan but requested it ourselves. “I’m pleased with how the process has gone so far. We were told that if he gets awarded a plan with hours attached we have the option of a personal budget. We could then potentially employ a teaching assistant ourselves but would then be responsible for paying their tax and NI.” Natasha, Derbyshire
For detailed advice and information about the SEN changes, visit www.autism.org.uk/SENreforms or contact The National Autistic Society’s Education Rights Service on 0808 800 4102.
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INSIghT ● ADjUSTmENTS IN mAINSTrEAm SChOOlS
Focus on… reasonable adjustments Andy Cutting, our Helpline Specialist Exclusions Adviser, explains some of the most useful ‘reasonable adjustments’ that mainstream schools can make to their practices and behaviour policies to help pupils with autism.
R
easonable adjustments are changes to a school’s usual practice to enable pupils with disabilities to access all aspects of school life – not just the lessons, but break and lunchtimes, clubs and trips. The duty to make reasonable adjustments for pupils with disabilities is enshrined in the Equality Act 2010. A diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) would generally be considered, in the eyes of the law, to be a disability.
A school’s duty to make reasonable adjustments Many reasonable adjustments are inexpensive and will often involve
14 | EDUCATION SUpplEmENT
a change in practice rather than the provision of expensive pieces of equipment or additional staff. The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) Technical Guidance states: “A school’s duty to make reasonable adjustments is an anticipatory one owed to disabled pupils generally, and therefore schools need to think in advance about what disabled pupils might require and what adjustments might need to be made for them.” The paragraph above highlights that a school should not just be waiting for disaster to strike and then reacting to incidents, but that it should pre-empt them. A thorough understanding of the individual’s
needs early on is vital, so that strategies can be put in place to support them and minimise the risk of situations arising that might lead to exclusion.
Reasonable adjustments to practices From my experience of talking to parents of pupils facing exclusion, some of the most useful reasonable adjustments that parents can ask for, and schools can implement, are: Quiet rooms – for breaktimes, lunchtimes, or during lesson time to de-stress. Quiet rooms should, of course, be different from rooms where pupils are sent as a punishment.
ADjUSTmENTS IN mAINSTrEAm SChOOlS ● INSIghT
Pupils with autism can benefit from quiet rooms where they can de-stress
Allow pupils with autism to leave the classroom early to avoid the hustle and bustle of corridors when changing lessons I advised one parent that her son should be allowed to go into the school hall before anyone else at lunchtime. He wanted to know that he had a clean table. Stress alert cards These are red cards to show to an adult in the classroom. The child may then need to leave the room. It is helpful if they then have a quiet room to go to or can approach a trusted mentor for support. Physical activity exercises or breaks to alleviate stress I recently had a call from a parent whose child was allowed to use a
sensory tent in break times. However, he badly needed an outlet to release all the stress and energy which would build up inside him. A school trampoline, or access to the school sports hall at a set time, would provide this outlet. Circle of friends A circle of friends encourages the development of a supportive peer network for the child. Those in the group, usually six to eight other children, are encouraged to look at their own behaviour and to develop an understanding of the focus child’s behaviour and difficulties. The children then work together to develop their social and communication skills and to talk about practical strategies and ways to help the focus child.
Social stories™ Social stories are short descriptions of a particular situation, event or activity, which include specific information about what to expect in that situation and why. They can be very useful to prepare pupils with autism for lessons, activities and trips. Other reasonable adjustments to consider are: • mentoring – a trusted person such as a learning mentor to meet regularly with your child • small group work on the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) to help children develop skills such as understanding another’s point of view, working in a group, sticking at things when they get difficult, resolving conflict and managing worries
EDUCATION SUpplEmENT | 15
INSIghT ● ADjUSTmENTS IN mAINSTrEAm SChOOlS
© vgajic
A circle of friends is a supportive network of six to eight children
• counselling – many schools have a school counsellor on site or links to outside organisations • behaviour support – this might be something like an anger management course or advice from a specialist behaviour support teacher • calm and uncluttered décor/wall displays • a set seating plan so pupils with autism know where they sit every day • buddying/befriending schemes • peer mentors.
16 | EDUCATION SUpplEmENT
Reasonable adjustments to behaviour policies The duty to make reasonable adjustments also applies to school policies. Pupils with autism are much more likely to break the school rules than neurotypical pupils (pupils who do not have autism). This means that they could be placed at a substantial disadvantage if schools rigidly apply their behaviour policy. The Equality and Human Rights Commission Technical Guidance states:
“Most discrimination in schools is unintentional and may come about because of rigid policies or practices. Reviewing all practices and policies will help a school to ensure that it does not discriminate… This might mean applying different sanctions, or applying them in a different way, to avoid putting a disabled pupil at a substantial disadvantage in relation to non-disabled pupils.” It gives an example: ‘A pupil with
ADjUSTmENTS IN mAINSTrEAm SChOOlS ● INSIghT
Katie White, a Teaching Assistant at Withycombe Raleigh Church of England Primary School in Exmouth, Devon, explains the adjustments her school has made to help an eight-year-old pupil with autism: “The child I support has his own area at the back of the classroom. He has a desk with his peers, but when he finds that too much he can sit back in his little quiet area, where he has a desk and can still see the interactive whiteboard. I have cushions and soft cuddly teddy bears there for his sensory needs. There’s a barometer on the wall which shows ‘calm’, ‘happy’, ‘angry’, so if he’s not able to verbalise, he can let me know where he is. We had an anxiety issue at home time where he wanted to keep looking out the window for his mum. Now, for a few minutes at the end of the day, he can go to the window, wave to mummy and when he comes back, he gets four ticks on the paper window that I made (I always make targets achievable for him). Then he gets ready for home in line with everybody else. He doesn’t like the dinner hall so his lunch buddies sit with him in the corridor. There’s a lot of instigating of social understanding on his peers so he’s not left out of a group. That takes a bit of work but once you’ve done it, it’s brilliant. I’ve got children who you’d think would not want to play with this child and they actually come up and say ‘can I be your lunch buddy?’ In the playground playing football, they’ll kick the ball towards him to give him his turn. If the teacher’s away, I put the change symbol on his timetable. Change does happen, it’s about reassuring him, saying ‘that person’s not here but this is what we’re doing today’. It also helps to get lesson notes from the teachers so you know what’s coming up and if something’s too scary, I might have to take my child out. That’s the beauty of having all your resources on a tray under the child’s desk, you can disappear to his quiet area if you need to.”
A word of caution
learning difficulties is excluded for repeatedly getting up from his seat during lessons and disrupting other pupils. It is the school’s policy that repeated disruptive behaviour is punished by exclusion. The school is under a duty to make reasonable adjustments to its policy, which might mean disregarding some of the disruptive behaviour and working with the pupil to find a way in which to help him to remain in his seat during lessons.’
I get many calls about situations where reasonable adjustments to policies and practices have been made, but not applied consistently. For instance a pupil with autism was excluded for hurting a teaching assistant (TA) during a PE lesson. The TA went out of the hall to use the toilet, leaving the boy without oneto-one support. He became anxious and started rolling on the floor, as he found the group work involved in PE difficult to cope with. On her return, the TA tried to pull the boy upright. He flew back and his head knocked her in the face.
The school excluded him, but as much of his behaviour was connected to his disability and the school had failed to make a reasonable adjustment, the exclusion was unjustified and could be considered discrimination arising from a disability, which is unlawful.
For further information: The Equality and Human Rights Commission Technical Guidance for Schools (England): www.equalityhumanrights.com/ publication/technical-guidanceschools-england Circle of friends: www.autism.org. uk/circleoffriends
EDUCATION SUpplEmENT | 17
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Q&A
●
CHRISTOPHER AND AYESHA
We’re a
TEAM When Christopher Harris appeared on Channel 4’s Educating the East End, he impressed viewers with how well he deals with school, with the help of his teaching assistant, Ayesha Choudhury. We caught up with them at Frederick Bremer School in London to talk about Christopher’s progress in Year 11 and his passion for art.
20 | EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT
M
CHRISTOPHER AND AYESHA ● Q&A
A selection of Christopher’s artwork
Were you surprised at the reaction to Educating the East End? C – At first, I was quite embarrassed! The TV producers showed it to us before the scheduled time, so that prepared me a bit. A – The producers sent me some of the tweets and I was just overwhelmed. I passed them on to Christopher’s mum; lovely comments from people.
Christopher, when did Ms Ayesha start supporting you? C – Year 7. She’s given a great contribution to the three of us: me, Darius and Jordan. She’s really helped us go through a lot of downs and ups. It’s soon going to be our exams and she’s trying her best to prepare us.
How does she help you? C – When I feel quite upset, not able to do anything, she will motivate me and give me advice. She’s taught me to always think positive, have some discipline in anything that you hope to aspire to; you can get it if you keep your eyes on the goal.
Ayesha, what do you say if Christopher is feeling a bit down? A – I’ll just remind him how capable he is. I tell him that every single person on this planet has negative thoughts and sometimes these are more powerful than on other days and we just have to overcome them and
remind ourselves that we can achieve whatever we want. Sometimes these little nags, I love to call them ‘little worms’, seem to come along and want to take over, but we kick them out.
Christopher, how can having autism make things difficult for you at school? C – Learning can be difficult as some students can distract you. Ms Ayesha says I should consider my learning and not them, because in the end they are focusing on themselves, so why shouldn’t I? Last year when there was noise, I took it really aggressively, to the point of kicking chairs, leaving the classroom, slamming the door. Now I can handle it more.
Ayesha, how does the school adapt to support Christopher? A - Christopher doesn’t have some lessons. In that time we have extra lessons so we can give some support with the core subjects. They also do arts awards now, which is a fantastic way to develop the students’ talents, and help them let off steam. It’s quite pressured in Key Stage 4 for your average student, so for our students, it’s a double whammy where they’re overwhelmed on a daily basis. Doing arts awards helps them to calm down. During break and lunchtimes, a lot of our students don’t like going out into the big playground, so we’ve got classrooms where we all sit down and
eat together, and a chill out room with beanbags which we made ourselves.
Christopher, are you going to study art at college? C – I hope to continue my art and do design and animation. Hopefully when I go to college, I’ll pick up more interests. I have a big interest in science and maths too.
Do you feel you can be yourself at school? C – Of course, I don’t feel that I’m concealed at all to be something I’m not. I can just be a free individual, that’s the vibe I get from the school. I don’t have any regrets at all. I can live as positively as I like. That’s got better over the years. A – I think that’s the main aim. I’ve always thought in life that if someone’s wellbeing is looked after, everything else follows automatically. If someone’s feeling as if they don’t belong or they don’t feel safe, happy or wanted, it’s a bit difficult to progress in any area. For me, I’m very passionate about making sure they feel they belong here, that we’re a team, and they can turn to us.
What would you say if someone was struggling at school? C – A sign of struggling is a sign you’re improving, because when you struggle, you persevere. Appreciate those who help you, because without them, what are you really? And appreciate yourself, who you are.
EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT | 21
HIRE, ADVICE AND TRAINING
AUTISM SPECIALISTS There’s Something Special About Us.
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We offer: • an autism specialist recruitment service. • advice and strategies based on observations at your home or a setting of your choice. • we offer a wide range of autism training to suit your needs.
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FEATURE ● SPORT
GAME CHANG E Gareth Ash, Teaching Assistant and Lead for Sport at Robert Ogden School in Yorkshire, writes about his day encouraging pupils with autism to get active.
›› MONDAY 23 MARCH 5.55am The alarm’s set for 6.30, but my baby son wakes me up earlier. My wife’s off on maternity leave so I let her have a lie-in and I give my son his bottle. After eating a quick banana, I cycle 10 miles to the school, which is on the outskirts of Barnsley and Doncaster. I’ve worked at Robert Ogden, an NAS school for pupils with autism, for 14 years. I love it; you have a lot of fun and know you’re making a difference. I wouldn’t pedal this far if I didn’t enjoy myself!
One of my pupils likes to actually see who’s going to be there, so I go to the hall with him to find everyone.
10am As a teaching assistant, I work within the hub at the school, one to one with pupils who have Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome (PDA), ADHD or Asperger syndrome. The hub offers personalised learning for children who find it difficult to work in a group environment. They might be anxious and disruptive in a group but out of that environment the anxiety goes away.
11.30am I take my pupil down to lunch a bit earlier to avoid the crowds. Sometimes they eat in the dining room, or they can bring their food up to the tutorial rooms, depending on how they are.
1pm My pupil tends to go back to his room to do his work. Then we take a walk out to the shop and when I get back he knows it's 30 minutes until football club. He has a rest while I get everything sorted in the sports hall.
9am I’m running a football club tonight so I make sure I see all the pupils taking part in the morning. I ask how they’re doing and if they’re coming along. Then I let the kids know who’s going to be there, and which two skills we’ll be practising, so they are all prepared.
24 | EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT
11am
3pm
I do some one-to-one PE with a pupil who’s chosen to do cricket skills this term. I like to let my pupils choose their sports because there’s so much in their lives where they don’t have that much choice.
Once all nine pupils arrive, I let them have a little chat and then I come into the middle and do a skills demo. Goalkeeping, handling and diving are today’s skills. Some of the children find it difficult to understand what to
SPORT ● FEATURE
G ER
do with diving; they’re scared about what’s going to happen when they hit the floor. I tell them it’s not like falling; you’re in control of your body. Then it’s time for the game. It can be difficult in the sports hall when everyone’s playing and the ball’s banging against the wall and echoing. They tell me they’d rather be out on the football field but we can’t if the weather’s bad. To help, I put them in groups of three. I do a rotating game so there’s a maximum of three minutes that your team can be on and then you come off. That helps with the noise. Every week I see pupils get used to winning, losing, being part of a team, scoring goals, even own goals. They’re starting to laugh off own goals now; a year ago they would have caused an argument. On a Tuesday, I run a football club just for primary kids. Some of the lads from the Monday group do some coaching there. That helps me out and it’s good for them when they’re doing training/AQA qualifications.
4.30pm End of the session. For me, the football is the secondary thing. Most
Playing in sm
all groups
important is learning to socialise in a group and accept each other’s opinions. That’s the skill they’ll take away with them. I had an email from the mum of a kid who's just left saying he’s now playing for his college team, with people he’s barely even met. Another lad now coaches a local under-nines team and plays for Doncaster College disability football team. I sometimes watch his team if he’s playing near me.
5.20pm I cycle home. When I get in, I see how my wife’s doing, play with my son, bathe him and put him to bed. I like to get things organised for going to work again in the morning before settling down for tea and TV. Then I go to sleep, ready to be up early again next morning.
Gareth loves his job
eeping
Practising goalk
Autism and sport – further information The National Autistic Society now offers autism training for sports teachers. Visit www.autism.org.uk/active for more details. Find out more about Robert Ogden School at www.robertogdenschool.org.uk.
Gareth gets the thumbs up
EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT | 25
“The staff are caring, excellent and enthusiastic.” At Ambitious College we believe everyone is entitled to lead a fulfilling, happy and rewarding life; and this includes young people with autism and complex needs.
Parent of learner
Co-located with mainstream FE colleges in north and west London, we offer a highly personalised curriculum that supports learners to gain the skills and experience they need to make a successful transition to adult life. To enquire about visiting Ambitious College or making a referral call 020 8815 5428
“This is the best place my relative has ever been.”
www.ambitiouscollege.org.uk
Parent of learner A&A AD AW.indd 1
13/04/2015 17:04
Do you support children with autism? The National Autistic Society offers a wide range of services for education professionals to enable you to develop your skills base and learning.
Upcoming conferences
Training courses
Autism and mental health 19 May, London
A day with Tony Attwood: cognitive abilities associated with Asperger syndrome 15 May, Birmingham
Enabling to supporting 1 June, Manchester Understanding and managing challenging behaviour 25 June, London
Understanding autism and introduction to the SPELL framework 20 May, Barnsley or 17 June, London TEACCH three-day training with Professor Gary Mesibov 22-24 June, Manchester
Autism and sensory integration July, Cardiff
Autism and schools workshop with Dr Wenn Lawson 3 July, Birmingham
www.autism.org.uk/conferences2015A
Understanding behaviour 4 August, London Autism, communication and sensory workshop with Dr Wenn Lawson 24 September, London www.autism.org.uk/training2015A
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), registered office 393 City Road, London EC1V 1NG 1451 160415
YAM half Services 16.04.15.indd 1
16/04/2015 16:22
Autism Connect is the UK’s first Social Network for people with autism and their families. It has been developed by the Autism Alliance UK with funding from the Department of Health. Join Autism Connect to: • Develop your own social network, featuring the people and providers who give you support • Search for people local to you who are going through similar experiences • Share your experiences and thoughts, ask questions, give answers, and interact with other families (you can even send hugs!) • Find and promote local activities and events • Rate and review local providers, services and venues, sharing them with others through the directory • Leave feedback for autism-friendly venues, helping them to become even better! • Access free autism eLearning • Download information and visual resources • Share ideas and suggestions for local support and activities
Visit the site and sign up today at www.autism-connect.org.uk
ADvICE ● ChOOSINg A SChOOl
Is mainstream
school the right
choice ?
Carla Manini Rowden, The National Autistic Society’s Senior Education Rights Coordinator, answers one of the biggest questions facing parents of children on the autism spectrum.
Y
our child’s individual needs should always be the starting point for identifying what type of school they should attend. Where will they be happy, secure and able to reach their full potential? While you know your child better than anyone, you may also want to ask any professionals who have seen your child, such as an educational psychologist, about what type of setting and support might best meet your child’s needs.
Options and restrictions You may be faced with a variety of options. As well as mainstream and special schools, some mainstream schools have classes, bases or units for pupils with autism. Depending on your child’s needs you may also wish to consider residential, independent or even home education. There may also be restrictions. There is a legal duty to ensure that all children are educated in a mainstream setting. However, there are exceptions. For example, a mainstream school may not meet your child’s needs, or the education of the other children at the school would be affected, or it would be too expensive. If you live in England, Northern Ireland or Wales, children usually need a statement of special educational needs or an EHC plan
28 | EDUCATION SUpplEmENT
to access a placement at a special school, so those without plans may find that their choices are limited. For details of which type of schools and units are available, contact your local authority or Board or visit their website. Our Autism Services Directory also contains details of schools that cater for children with autism. You may not necessarily be limited to schools in your area.
Visiting schools with your child It’s often a good idea to visit many different types of school and to go with your child if possible. This will give you a better idea of what is available and which features you think are important. You may also want to speak to other parents with children at the schools you are considering. Inspection reports and any accreditation awards may also help you make a decision. To help you decide whether a school will meet your child’s needs and help them reach their full potential you may wish to consider the following issues and questions: The school environment and surroundings, including the physical building. How will your child react to the layout, lighting, noise and even smells? What are the class sizes and groupings and what support is provided within classes and during unstructured times like breaks and lunchtime?
© shorrocks
ChOOSINg A SChOOl ● ADvICE
Transport to and from school. Would your child manage or need help with the journey? Would your child be eligible for free transport or would you have to provide this? Staff experience and empathy. What is the school staff’s knowledge of autism and what resources and strategies would they use to meet your child’s needs? Will there be access to other professionals, such as therapists, and how will any health and care needs your child has be met? You may also want to discuss how staff would support any routines, special interests, anxieties, sensory or dietary needs your child has. Also, is there good communication between staff, and what is their approach to home-school communication and collaboration? Learning opportunities. Will your child have access to the curriculum (full, reduced or modified) and opportunities to learn life skills, achieve qualifications or study subjects of interest? What opportunities will your child have for extracurricular activities, trips and events? Peer groups. What opportunities will your child have for mixing with other children with similar needs and/or neurotypical children? If you have concerns about bullying or teasing check what the school’s policy says and ask what prevention strategies they use. It is important that your child is encouraged to express their views where possible, whether they are able to
communicate this to you directly or through the use of the written word or pictures, facial expression or body posture.
Meeting your child’s needs To summarise, a mainstream school may be the right choice if it can provide your child with any extra support they need within classes and in breaks, and staff have experience of autism and the resources and strategies to meet your child’s needs. A special school may be best for your child if they need a smaller class size, access to therapists and a modified curriculum. Whatever setting you choose, educational provision for children with autism needs to be appropriately resourced. All schools, mainstream and special, should expect to teach children on the autism spectrum, and have the understanding, resources, training and specialist support to meet their needs. If you have concerns that your child’s needs are not being met, contact our Education Rights Service on 0808 800 4102. Further advice on how to choose the right school for your child, together with practical resources to support children in the classroom and information on our own eight specialist schools for children with autism can be found at www.autism.org.uk/education.
EDUCATION SUpplEmENT | 29
HESLEY HELPED ME TO HELP MYSELF. We’re one of the UK’s leading independent providers of residential services, schools and colleges supporting people with autism and complex needs. Our highly trained staff provide the highest quality, person-centred approach. Giving those who use our services the support, skills and tools they need to be as independent as possible. Our unique Hesley Enhancing Lives Programme (HELP) is a big part of this. Combining the latest techniques and practices, HELP is our successful value-based positive behaviour support programme. Based on the principles of Therapeutic Crisis Intervention which is accredited by the British Institute of Learning Disabilities, HELP reduces the need for highrisk interventions by taking an empathic and proactive approach. We focus on how our actions can positively shape the emotional well-being of all those who use our services. It’s why all our staff are given HELP training to make sure it works in practice as well as theory. Find out more about the Hesley Enhancing Lives Programme visit www.hesleygroup.co.uk or call us 0800 055 6789.
Established in 1975, Hesley Group, through its schools and colleges support 8 to 25 year olds 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.