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AutismHandbook
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Contents SectionIntroduction 1Autismoverview 2Factorsassociatedwithautism 3Behavioursassociatedwithautism 4Communication 5Curriculum 6Transitions 7Teaching,learningandassessment 8Inclusion 9TrainingandProfessionalDevelopment 10Therapysupport 11Positivebehavioursandrewards 12Healthandsafety 13Partnershipwithparentsandcarers 14
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SECTION1.INTRODUCTION.WelcometoTheGrove.Wecaterforstudentsbetweentheagesof5-19whohaveaprimarydiagnosis of autism. Many of our students have additional needs which often include acognitive impairment, speech and language difficulties, sensory difficulties and difficultiesassociated with social communication. Some students have other additional diagnosesidentifiedontheirEHCPsuchas,forexample,ADHD. Ourvisionto“InspireExcellence,ChampionPotentialandEmpowerLearning” issimpleandfounded on a desire to make a difference. We aim to enable every child to flourish byencouraging and building on their unique strengths and interests, and we work withstudentstodevelopanddeploystrategiestoovercomeandcopewiththeirdifficulties.Werecognisethateverychildisdifferent,andeveryindividualchildisalwaysourstartingpoint.In addition to academic achievement, the focus is on developing every child’s social,emotionalandpersonaldevelopment.Thisissupportedbyensuringeverychildstrengthenstheir independence and living skills which are key to building their confidence and self-esteem.Students at our school have access to a team of skilled teachers, visiting therapists, andprofessionalswhoworktogethertoensureeachchildhasalearningprogrammetailoredtotheirspecificneeds.Familiesareofferedthesupportandadvicetheyneedtofeelconfidentandinformedabouttheirchild’sneedsandfutureprospects.We are committed to working closely with our mainstream colleagues to share goodpracticeacrossourprovisionandthemainstreamschool.Centraltothispartnership isourcommitmenttoworkingalongsideourparentsandcarerstosupporttheprogressandwell-beingofourstudents.WithwarmwishesLuciaSantiHeadofSchool SECTION2AUTISM-ANOVERVIEWWhatisautism?Autism is a lifelong developmental condition that affects social communication andinteraction.Peopleontheautismspectrummayfinditdifficulttounderstandhowtheworldaround themoperates andhow to relate and interactwithothers. Inparticular theymayhave trouble learning, understanding and interpreting the unwritten rules of socialinteractionandrelationshipsthatmostpeopletakeforgranted.
ThedyadofimpairmentsIn 2013 the new diagnostic criteria known as the DSM-5 for autismwas introduced. This
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replaced the traditional reference to the triad of impairments and instead introduced aDyad.KeychangeshighlightedwithintheDSM-5are:● Social Communication deficits are now placed together as they are seen as
intrinsicallylinked. ● Sensory difficulties have been recognized as fixated interests and repetitive
behaviours. � ● Previous separate diagnoses of Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome and PDD-NOS have
beenreplacedbyasinglediagnosisofAutismSpectrum. ● Forthefirsttimethespecificdiagnosticneedsofgirlsandwomenarerecognized.
SocialcommunicationPeoplewithautismcanexperiencedifficultiesincommunication.Thisisoftendifficultiesincommunicating with others and also engaging in reciprocal communication. People withautismcannotalwaysaccuratelyinterprettheactionsandintentionsofothers,makingsocialinteractionverydifficult.Forexample,apersonwithautismmay:● Useoverlyformalandstiltedlanguage ● Be unable to initiate or sustain two-way communication appearing aloof and
uninterested ● Beunabletounderstandsocialrules,(e.g.standingtooclosetoothers,inappropriate
touching, inappropriate greetings or choice of conversation or make abrupt orinsensitivecomments
● Finditdifficulttounderstandsarcasm,ironyormetaphors ● Interpretinstructionsliterally(e.g.“goandwashyourhandsinthetoilet”) ● Have difficulty reading other people’s facial expressions and avoid or overuse eye
contact ● Have little or no verbal language andmay use signing or gesture appropriately or
inappropriately ● Finditdifficulttounderstandturn-takingandgroupwork ● Notunderstandtheconceptofrelationshipsandfriendshipinthesamewayasother
people. �
Socialimaginationandrepetitiveinterests,activitiesandbehaviours � People with autism may have highly developed imaginations, but have difficulty withflexibilityofthought.Theytendtoberigidthinkersandstruggletoempathisewithanother’sofvieworthinkhypothetically. Theymayexperiencedifficultieswith:● Adaptingtochangesofroutine ● Dealingwithchangesoftopicorfollowingmultipleconcurrentsubjects. ● Beingabletomulti-task,ortoshiftattentionreadilybetweensubjectsandtasks.� ● Develop rule-bound behaviour and inflexible routines, which can inhibit social
development. Whereaspecialinterestiscompatiblewiththestudent’ssubjectchoice,itcanbeapositiveaid to learning but special interests can also be a barrier to learning when compulsory
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subjectsofstudyfalloutsidethatnarrowframeofinterest.Theymayexperiencedifficultieswith:● Adaptingtochangesofroutine ● Dealingwithchangesoftopicorfollowingmultipleconcurrentsubjects. ● Beingabletomulti-task,ortoshiftattentionreadilybetweensubjectsandtasks.
Sensorysensitivities(sensoryintegrationdifficulties)Inmanystudentswithautismtheprocessingofsensoryexperiencesmaybedisorderedordelayed.Theslightestchangeordifficultywithprocessingsuchinformationcaninfluencehowwemanagedailylivingskills,academicprogressandsocialinteractions.ManypeopleontheautismspectrumhavedifficultyinprocessingeverydaysensoryInformation.Weprovideopportunitiesandprogrammestomeetthevarietyofsensoryintegrationneedsordifficultiesthatsomeofourstudentspresentwith.Commonsensoryintegrationdifficultiescanbeunder-sensitivity,over-sensitivityorprocessingwithinterference(“whitenoise").Thesecanbetooneoracombinationofsensessuchassight,hearing,touch,balance,smell,taste,andreactiontopain.Anyofthesensesmaybeover-orunder-sensitive,orboth,atdifferenttimes.Thesesensorydifferencescanaffectbehaviour;cancausestress,anxiety,andpossiblyphysicalpainandhaveaprofoundeffectonaperson’slife. ThestaffworkcloselywiththeOccupationalTherapisttoaddressalltheindividualneedsofthestudentsandensurethateachindividualhasaprogrammedesignedtomeettheirspecificneeds.Thisisanintegralpartofthestudents’learninganddailytimetable.Facilitiesinschoolsupportmuchofthevestibularandproprioceptivedifficultiesthatsomeofourchildrenhave.
TypeofSenses Hypo-sensitive.Lowsensitivity,oftensensoryseekers
Hyper-sensitive.Highsensitivity.Oftenhighsensoryseekers
Vision-Sight Objectsappearquitedark,orlosesomeoftheirfeatures;centralvisionmaybeblurredbutperipheralvisionquitesharporviceversa.Poordepthperceptionresultinginclumsiness.
Distortedvision-objectsandbrightlightscanappeartojumparound.Easierandmorepleasurabletofocusonadetailratherthanthewholeobject.
Audition-Hearing Maynotacknowledgeparticularsounds.Mightenjoycrowded,noisyplacesorbangdoorsandobjects.
Noisecanbemagnifiedandsoundsbecomedistortedandmuddled.Inabilitytocutoutbackgroundnoise,leadingtodifficultiesconcentrating.
Olfaction-Smell Somepeoplehavenosenseofsmellandfailtonoticeextremeodours(thiscanincludetheirownbody
Smellscanbeintenseandoverpowering.Thiscancausetoiletingproblems.Avoidspeoplewithdistinctiveperfumes,
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odour). shampoos,etc.
Gustation-Taste Likesveryspicyfoods.Eatsormouthsnon-edibleitemssuchasstones,dirt,soil,grass,metal,faeces(knownaspica
Findssomeflavoursandfoodstoostrongandoverpowering.Mayleadtoarestricteddiet.Certaintexturescausediscomfort-mayonlyeatsmoothfoods.
Somatosensation-Touch
Hasahighpainthreshold.Maybeunabletofeelfoodinthemouth.Mayself-harm.Enjoysheavyobjects(e.g.weightedblankets)ontopofthem.Chewsoneverything,includingclothingandinedibleobjects.
Touchcanbepainfulanduncomfortable-peoplemaynotliketobetouchedandthiscanaffecttheirrelationshipswithothers.Dislikeshavinganythingonhandsorfeet.Difficultiesbrushingandwashinghairbecauseheadissensitive.Mayfindmanyfoodtexturesuncomfortable.Onlytoleratescertaintypesofclothingortextures.
Vestibular-Balance
Aneedtorock,swingorspintogetsomesensoryinput.
Difficultieswithactivitieslikesport,whereweneedtocontrolourmovements.Difficultiesstoppingquicklyorduringanactivity.
Proprioception-Bodyawareness
Standstooclosetoothers,becausetheycannotmeasuretheirproximitytootherpeopleandjudgepersonalspace.Findsithardtonavigateroomsandavoidobstructions.Maybumpintopeople.
Difficultieswithfinemotorskills,e.g.manipulatingsmallobjectslikebuttonsorshoelaces.Moveswholebodytolookatsomething.
SECTION3.FACTORSASSOCIATEDWITHAUTISM Centralcoherence Peoplewithautismcanoftennoticeandrecallsmalldetailsthatothersmaymiss,butmayhavedifficultyputtingthesesmalldetailstogethertoviewthe“biggerpicture”.Centralcoherenceistheabilitytobringlotsofsmalldetailstogethertoformthe‘wholepicture’.Itcouldalsobedescribedastheabilityto‘readbetweenthelines’ofasituation.Peoplewithautismoftenstrugglewithcentralcoherenceandteachersshouldbemindfulthattherearemanysituationswherestudentswithautismmayneedsupporttounderstandthewideraspectsofasituation.
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Executivefunctioning Peoplewithautismoftenhavetheabilitytofullyfocusonamatterofspecialinteresttothem,whilsthavingdifficultyinprocessingaseriesofthoughtsandactions.Executivefunctioningistheabilitytoorganiseandplanactions,routines,thoughtsandbehaviourinalogicalandrationalway.Peoplewithautismmayexperiencesignificantdifficultieswithexecutivefunctioningandthereforefinditdifficulttodecidewhichactionstocarryout,andinwhatorder,tocompletetasks.AtTheGrove,weaimtosupportourstudentswiththisthroughconsideringcarefullyhowwegiveinstructionsandthroughtheuseofvisualstructureandschedules.Wealsohelpstudentstoevaluateactionsandexperiencessotheyareabletodrawinformationfromtheirpastexperiencestomakedecisionsandchoicesaboutnewexperiences.Thiscanbethroughawiderangeofstrategiessuchassocialstories,comicstrips,mindmaps,reflectionsheets,socialskillsgroupsandsoon. Theoryofmind(orSocialthinking) Peoplewithautismareoftensaidtohavelimited‘theoryofmind’.Thisistheabilitytorecogniseotherpeople’sthoughts,feelingsandagendasandunderstandthatthesedifferfromtheirown.Theymaybelessabletoempathisewithothersandcanstruggletounderstandotherpeople’semotions.Itmayalsobedifficultforpeoplewithautismtorecogniseandjudgeotherpeople’sintentions.Thiscanmakethemvulnerabletobullyingandexploitation.AtTheGrove,wearefullymindfulofthisrisk,andtopicssuchasunderstandingfeelingsandemotionsandanalysingtheintentionsofothers(e.g.strangerdanger)areanintegralpartoftheschool’sPSHEandlifeskillscurriculum. Doubleempathy Morerecentstudiesinthisareahavebeguntofocusontheconceptof‘doubleempathy’.Whilstthiscontinuestorecognisethedifficultiespeoplewithautismmayhaveinempathisingwithnon-autisticpeople,italsoplacesonusonthenon-autisticpersontoconsiderthethoughtsandactionsofthepersonwithautismandtrytoempathisewiththem.Thisabilitytonotmakeblanketassumptionsaboutasituationbutto‘tuneinto‘eachautisticpersonasanindividualcanbetermedtheabilitytodevelopan‘autismlens’.Thetable‘Autismlens’:understandingtheactionsofpupilsontheautismspectrum’(AET)(SeeAppendix1)outlinesanumberofscenariosandsuggestshowthesemaybeviewedfromtheaspectofapersonwithautism.SECTION4.BEHAVIOURSASSOCIATEDWITHAUTISMSelf-stimulatorybehaviourManypeoplewithautismshowself-stimulatorybehavioursuchasflapping,twiddling,orrocking.Thiscanabsorbthemcompletelyandimpactontheirreadinessforlearning.Self-stimulatorybehaviourcanbearesponsetoanxiety,environmentalstresses;itcanalsobequitepleasurable.
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Oftenasensoryprogrammeincorporatedintothedaycanhelptoreduceself-stimulatorybehaviours.Strategiesthatmayhelpastudentstomanagetheirself-stimulatorybehaviourmayinclude:● Rockingorspinning(whichcanbepartofmovement,exerciseormusicactivities) ● Vestibularactivitiessuchasbouncing ● IntensiveInteractionprogrammes ● DeepPressuremassage ● Usingascheduleorfirst/thenornow/nextsystemwherebyastudentisencouraged
toengageinaclassroomactivitybecausetheyunderstandwhentheirtimefortheirpreferredactivityis
● Willhavetimetocarryouttheirpreferredactivity. ● Rewardscharts ● Breakcards ● EmotionalKeyRingsthathelpthestudentidentifyhowtheyarefeeling ● Communicationwall/boardtohelpthestudentexpressthemselvesanddecrease
stress ChallengingbehavioursChallengingbehaviourscanbepassiveoractive.Werecognisechallengingbehavioursasservingapurposeforthestudentsandalsocommunicatinganeed.Challengingbehavioursmayalsoberelatedtoenvironmentalstressoranxiety.Morethanoftenstudentsarerespondingorseekingtocommunicatewhattheyarethinkingorfeelingthroughtheirbehaviour.Challengingbehavioursmayforintothefollowingcategories:● Aggression● Inappropriatenoises● Misuseofproperty● Sociallyinappropriatebehaviour● Self-injuryandself-stimulation● Distractibility● Regurgitation● Non-compliance● Attentionseeking
Thiscanoftenmanifestinbehavioursthatweperceiveaschallengingandmaybetheresultofenvironmentalstressessuchas:● Difficultieswithexpressiveandreceptivelanguageandcommunication ● Difficultieswithsocialcommunicationandunderstandingthesocialexpectationsand
“rules” ● Rigiditytosetroutinesandfearofchange ● Sensoryexperiences ● Difficultieswiththeoryofmind,inparticular,aninabilitytopredictconsequencesof
actions
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Thesearejustafewexamplespleaserefertothe'behaviourandphysicalinterventionpolicy’formoreinformation.Themostimportantstrategyinsupportingstudentsistobeabletoidentifytriggersandpre-emptbehaviourstohelpreducetheirfrequency.Oftenthiswillbestaffleadinthefirstinstancebutwewouldalwaysbestrivingtoenabletostudenttoselfregulatetheirbehaviours.Strategiesthatmayhelptode-escalatepotentialchallengingbehaviourscouldinclude:● Distractionorde-escalationsuchaswalking,singing,breaks,orwhateverhasa
calmingeffectontheindividualstudent.● Clear,predictableandconsistentdailyroutinescommunicatedatanappropriate
levelusingVisualcues(timetables,schedules,nowandnextboards,choiceboards,tasksboards)
● Identifyingantecedentsandconsequencestobehavioursandviewingbehaviourswithanautismlensi.e.howmaytheautisticpersonperceivethissituationinordertoresultinsuchbehaviour(classrules,Iamworkingtowardscharts,consequencescharts,nowandnextboards,socialstories)
● Consultationwithotherstoavoideventsandsituationsthatmaycausestress(penportraits,socialstories)
● De-escalatesituationswhereverpossible(inschoolthiswillbefollowingtheTeamTeachapproach)
● Emphasisonreinforcingsocialskills,socialcommunicationthroughdirectandindirectteaching(socialskillsgroups,PHSCE,lifeskills,teachingresponseswithincontext,roleplay)
● Clearcommunication,staffshouldalwaysbemindfulofhowwecommunicatetostudents(simplelanguage,repetition,visualsupports,communicationwall,symbols,PECSboards)
● Considerationofthesensoryenvironment(sensorybox,twiddles,lowarousalenvironment,calmrooms,movementbreaks,TEACCHstyleclassroom)
● Acknowledgementandlabelingofemotionstohelpstudentsregulate(emotionskeyrings,5pointscale,angermanagement)
Afteranepisodeofchallengingbehaviour,somestrategiestowinddownwillinclude:● Creatingasafe,calmspaceforthestudenttorecover ● Findingcalmingactivitiesthatwillhelptoregulatethestudent● Ade-brief/reflectionwiththestudent(ifthisisappropriatetotheirlevelofneed) ● Seekingsupportfromcolleagues ● Discussingstrategieswithstaffandparentsandusejointproblem-solvingstrategies ● Stayingpositiveandacknowledgeyourownachievementsandthestudent’s. ● ReviewingthePLPespeciallythepositivebehavioursupportplanand/ortheirpen
portrait. ● LoggingtheincidentontoBehaviourWatchandensuringstaffmembersareokay
Eatingdifficulties
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Duetosensorydifficultiesandrestrictedrepetitivebehaviours,somestudentswithautismmayhavelimitedrangesoffoodtheywillconsidereatingandmayinsistonparticulararrangementsoffood,suchas:● Separateplatesforfoods● Gravynottouchingotherfoods● Particularbrandsoffood● Particulartextures/tastes
Intheseinstances,thereshouldbeacollaborativeapproachofallparties(includingtheSALT)andagradualapproachtohelptoreducestudents’anxietieswithfood.Theprocessshouldnotberushedandemphasisshouldbeonarelaxedapproachtoensurethereisaconsistenteatingroutinewithclearboundaries.Aspectstoconsiderinclude:● Setting–aretheretoomanydistractions/noise? ● Isqueuing/waitingaproblem? ● Isitthequantityoffood? ● Isitthepersonwhoisservingthefood? ● Doesthestudentunderstandwhattheycanandcan’teat?(Religiousobservance/
specificdiet) ● Istherealackoftolerance,sensitivity,fearofnewthings? ● Isthereclearcommunicationsothatthestudentunderstandstheroutine? ● Isthereenoughtimetoeatthemeal? �
Whenthecentralissueisclearlyidentifiedthenaprocessofplanningstrategiestoovercometheseproblemscanbeagreed.Occasionallyliaisonwiththeschoolnurseisappropriatee.g.weightgain/lossorseverelyrestricteddietthismaypromptareferraltoadietician. SECTION5.COMMUNICATIONFunctionalcommunication.Functionalcommunicationisaboutlearningtocommunicateneedsinamoresociallyacceptableway.Inotherwords,insteadofbecomingfrustratedatnotgettingtheirneedsmetweteachchildrenwithautismhowtoexpresstheirneedsthroughcommunicatinginasociallyacceptablemanner.Wehelpourstudentsdeveloptheseskillsthroughavarietyofstrategiesinvolving;theuseofwords,alternativecommunicationssystems,suchastheSubject,VerbNoun(SVN)symbolsstrips,PictureExchangeCommunicationSystem(PECS),symbols,signingorgestures,suchaspointing.Forourmoreablestudentsitisoftensupportingthemtounderstandtheappropriatenessofcommunicationandhowtoadaptthisdependingoncontext.ThesestrategiesarealsosupportedbyourschoolwideapproachtotheTeamTeachpositivebehaviourmanagement. Visualcuesandsupports,inwhateverform[relevanttothestudent’sneed]andtheuseofgestureshelpstudentswithautismmakesenseoftheworldaround.Thisisbecausetheytendtobestrongvisuallearners,eveniftheirlanguageandcognitivefunctioningisofahigh
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level.Therearemanydifferentapproachestoteachingcommunicationbutwemustensurethatthemostrelevantaspectsaretaughtconsistentlysothatthestudentgainsmeaning. Inconsultationwiththespeechandlanguagetherapist(SaLT),classteacherswriteapenportraitforeachstudentintheirclasswhichincludesacommunicationprofilebrieflyoutliningtheirpreferredmethodofcommunicationandhowbesttocommunicatewiththem.Staffshouldbemindfulofnotoverloadingstudentswithlanguage.TheuseofMakatonsigningispromotedtoincreasestudents’accesstolearning,asistheuseofkeywordswithclearminimallanguagereinforcedwithvisualsupports.Theseapproacheswillhelpthestudenttounderstandortakemeaningfromwhatisbeingsaidtothemandallowthemtoprocesstheinformationattheirlevel. Pleaserefertothe‘CommunicationPolicy’forfurtherinformation. SECTION6.CURRICULUMOurcurriculumisperson-centredandofferspathwaysforstudentstolearnfrompersonalisedandcomprehensiveprogrammesthataddresstheiracademiclearningwhilstalsosupportingthosedifficultiesthatarisefromtheirautisticspectrumdiagnosis.AtKS3andKS4,thedaystartswithformtimewherearangeofactivitiesthroughouttheweektakesplace.Allclassesspendtimeatthebeginningandendofthedayreviewingandreflectingontheirdailytimetables.AtbothKeyStage3andKeyStage4,studentsfollowalifeskillsprogramwhichlendsitselftoacross-curricularapproach.Independentlifeskillsaretaughtthroughvariouschannelssuchasshoppingtrips,cooking,traveltraining,socialskillsamongstothers.Thefocusisalwaysondevelopingcoreskillsinorderthatstudentscanoperateconfidentlyandsuccessfullyinschool,workandlife.Theindependentlifeskillsprogrammealsopromotesorganisationalskills,responsibility,self-esteemandindependence.WerunsixSEARCHdaysacrosstheacademicyear.Onthesedays,wedropthedailytimetableandtherearewhole-provisionactivitiesthatfocusondevelopingpersonalandcollaborativeachievementsandskills.TheaimistosupportandembedtheSEARCHethosandcelebratetheseaspectsoflearning.PrimaryTheaimoftheprimarycurriculumistodevelopearlyskills,withparticularfocusoncommunication,playandproblemsolving.Thecurriculumisdeliveredwithin3yearcyclesthatarerepeatedtoensuredepthoflearning.Lifeskillsisfullyintegratedandfocusesondevelopingfunctionalskillsforlife,supportedbytheOT.Thecurriculumfollowsanumberofpathwaysdependingontheabilityifthechildandisdeliveredthroughaclassbasedmodel.KS3TheaimoftheKS3curriculumistobuildontheexperiencesfromtheprimaryphaseandtosupportourstudentstobecomesuccessfullearners,confidentindividualsandresponsiblecitizens.AtKS3,studentsarebasedinclassesandhaveoneteacherwhodeliversthefull
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curriculum.Studentsstudyarich,developmentallyappropriatecurriculumatKS3whichencompassesabroadrangeofsubjectsincluding:Literacy,Numeracy,Humanities,Science,PSHE,TheArts,Technology,MusicandPE.Thecurriculumisdeliveredonathree-yearrollingprogrammebasedonathematicscheme.KS4StudentsinKS4haveaccesstoaccreditedcoursesdesignedtosupportandgeneralisepreviouslearningatKS3.Keycomponentsprovideopportunitiesforstudentstobecomeliterateandnumerateforlifeandtopractiseskillswithinreal-lifecontexts.Thecontentofthesecoursesisinlinewithourprinciplesofdevelopingskillsforindependentliving,developmentofliteracyandnumeracyineverydaylifeaswellasaccesstoworkexperienceandfurthereducation,employmentandtraining.Studentscombinetheiracademiclearningwithopportunitiesforworkexperience.Wetrytobuildthecorrectlearningprogrammesforstudentsmatchedtotheirinterests,skills,abilityandaspirations.StudentsareabletotakeEntryLevelcourseswhichincludeEnglish,Maths,PSHE,ArtandDesign,andtheBTECHomeCookingcourse.StudentscanalsoachievearangeofAQAAwardunitswhichweoffer;theseareoftentailoredaroundthestudent,forexample,theymaycompleteamoduleonhorticultureortraveltraining.Post16Thepost16curriculumfocusesmainlyondevelopingtheskillstowardsadulthoodwhicharebroadlydeliveredwithinthefourareasof;● Employment● IndependentLiving● Friends,relationships&community● Healthandwellbeing
Thereisstillanemphasisondevelopingthecoreskillssothatstudentsareliterateandnumerateforlife.Thecurriculumisdeliveredthroughworkbasedinthecommunityandalsodrawsonfacilitieswithintheschoolschoolcommunityandbeyond.Studentsalsoattendalocalcollege.IndependenceandlifeskillsThedevelopmentofindependenceandlifeskillsisencouragedatalltimesandunderpinsmuchoftheworkwedotohelpingstudentsprepareforasuccessfultransitiontoadultlife.Opportunitiesforthedevelopmentofindependenceskillsinclude:● Carryingoutoccasionalorregulartasks/jobsatschool(e.g.collectingtheregister) ● Independent/guidedchoicesofclubs ● Traveltraining ● Socialskillsgroups ● Communitylearningwhichisembeddedwithintheweeklytimetable ● InclusiveopportunitiesandlearningwithinHeartlands. ● Lunchtimeandbreaktime
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● Residentialschooljourney. ● Awiderangeofeducationalvisitsincludingsportingeventsandcompetitions,
theatretripsandvisitstoarangeoflocationstowidentheexperienceforourstudentsoflifeoutsideofschool.
● Off-siteorinternalworkexperience(foryear11’s) ● Preparationfortransfertopost-16provision(foryear11’s) ● Students’voiceatstudentcouncil,theJLTandHaringeySENschool’scouncil ● Higher-functioningstudents’advocacyforthelessable ● Participationinafter-schoolclubs ● Enterpriseactivities
WehaveourownLifeskillsframeworkthatprovidesaframeworkforteachingeachstudentlifeskills.Thisisnotlinearandmaybedevelopedalongsidethestudent’sindividuallearningstyleandprogression.PlayandleisureskillsPlayandleisureskillsareskillsthatapersonhastohelpthemengageinactivitiestheyenjoyandthatoccupythem.Thesemaybesolitaryorbepartofcollaborativeenjoyment.Studentswithautismmaynotnaturallyengageinleisureactivitiesandoftenneedhelptochooseapreferredactivity;theytendtofavoursolitaryactivities.Theplayandleisurecurriculumallowsfordevelopmentoftheseskillssuchaslearningtousegames,playcollaborativegamesandusealltypesofleisureequipment.Lunchtimeclubssupportthislearning.Staffrundailylunchtimeclubs.(SeeourPlayandLeisureCurriculum)ProblemsolvingandthinkingThinkingandproblemsolvinghasalwaysbeenachallengeforourstudentsbecausewhenteachingmemoryskillsweoftengetenticedbytheneedtoprovideroutine,order,certaintyandstructureforwhichourlearnersareusuallyexcellentat,andrespondpositively.However,wemaywellberestrictingopportunitiesforlearning,becausewearenotexpectingourpupilstothinkandtoproblemsolve.Whenfacedwithproblemsanddifficulties,asinevitablytheywillbe,pupilswhohavelearnedtorelyonroutine,order,certaintyandstructurewillhavenoskillsorstrategiestofallbackon.Inthesecircumstancesitmaywellbethattheirdistresswillbeevengreater.Inpreparingourlearnersforlifebeyondschoolandgreateropportunitiesforindependenceitisimportantthattheyareabletofunctioninarangeofsituationsandcontexts.Inordertobeabletodothistheywillneedtobeabletoapplyknowledge,skillsandunderstandingtocircumstancesthatmaybeunusual,unexpectedandunpredictable.(SeeourThinkingandProblemSolvingCurriculum)
LunchtimeAllstudentseatlunchinthemainstreamrestaurantarea.Lunchisorganisedatthequietesttimepossible.Weencourageourstudentstodeveloptheirfunctionallifeskillsandmotorskills;so,developingtheireatingskillsandhabits.Socialskillsareakeyareaoflearning;duringthistimeweaimtoencouragesocialrelationshipsandfosterasenseofenjoymentatsittingtogetherwithfriends.Forsomestudents,focusmaybeondevelopingfinemotorskillsormanagingtheanxietiesaroundfood,inthesecircumstancesamoretailored
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approachtomealtimeswillbesupported.Somestudentswillrequirevisualstohelpthemmakeindependentchoicesandbeabletocommunicatethesechoices.Theclassteamsareexpectedtoprovidetheseresourcesfortheirstudentsasappropriate.Ifteamsneedfurtherguidance,pleasecontacttheSALTforsupport.Allstudentsshouldhavetheircommunicationaidsduringanylunchtimeactivitytoenablethemtohaveasmuchindependenceaspossible.EqualOpportunitiesWetakecaretoensurethatallstudentshavethesameopportunitiestoactivitiesandexperiencesappropriatetotheirneeds;thisisreflectedthroughourcurriculum.Balanceandbreadthisalwaysconsideredandweensurethatourstudentshaveequalaccessandsupporttoallaspectsofthecurriculumandlearningopportunities.Whereadaptationsneedtobemade,weensurecarefulconsiderationisgivenatalltimestoensurethebestoutcomefortheindividualchildandthatweareconstantlymindfuloftheindividualchallengesforeachstudentaroundtheirautismwhendesigningthese.SECTION7.TRANSITIONSWerecognisethattransitionscanbeatimeofextremeanxietyforourstudents;theypresentatimeofchangeanduncertainty.Forthisreasonweensurethattransitionsaresupportedconsistentlysotominimisestressandanxietyandtheyshouldbeconsideredaspartofthecurriculumplanning.Therearemanyformsoftransitionsandweaimtominimisetheseacrosstheschoolday.However,transitionscannotbeavoidedsoweaimtosupportourstudentstounderstandandpredictoutcomesandexperiencesrelatedtotransitions.MicroAllstudentsareinvolvedinarangeoftransitionsacrossthetypicalschoolday.Suchtransitionscanbeconsideredmicrotransitionsandinclude:
● Movingfromonetasktoanother ● Fromclass-timetobreak-timeandviceversa ● Fromoneareatoanother ● Frominsidetooutside ● Fromhometoschool/schooltohome ● Movementbetweenstaff
Astheconceptoftimeisoftendifficultforpupilsontheautisticspectrum,theycanbenefitfromexplicitvisualcuesorpromptstohelpthemgaugetheprogressofthedayandastheygetoldertomanagetheirtime.Allstudentsaresupportedwithinandaroundtheirclassroomsetting.PLPsshouldhighlightanydifficultiesstudentsmayhavewithunderstanding,communication,routineandstructure.Classesmustensurestaffareconsistentintheiruseofpractice,symbolsand
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visualcuestohelpstudentsdeveloptheirindependenceandinteractwithintheirenvironment.MacroMacrotransitionscanbesupportedinmanydifferentways.Weoftenhelpourstudentsprepareforlargertransitions,suchasanoff-sitevisit,workexperience,changeofsettingorschoolphase/classthroughtheuseofschedules,countdowns,socialstories,comicstropconversations,repetition,remindersandsoon.Someworktosupportfamiliesmaytakeplaceifthereisanupandcomingtransitionsuchasafamilyholidaytoplanfor.Startinganewschoolorcollegecanbeoverwhelminganddauntingforboththechildandtheirfamily/carers.WeensurethetransitionprocessintoTheGroveisassmoothaspossible.Thereisaformattothetransitionprocesswhichwefollow;however,ineachindividualcase,theprocessismodifiedaroundtheneedsofthestudent.● SummerTerm1
Parents/carersareinvitedtotheschooltomeettheteamandlookaround;theycompleteaninformationformandtourtheprovision.Weaimtoanswerasmanyquestionsatthispointtoreassureournewfamilies.Contactismadewiththechild’scurrenteducationalsettingforaninitialvisit;amemberoftheschoolteamvisitstogatherrelevantinformation.TheGroveandthecurrentsettingworktogethertocreateatransitionplan.
● Summerterm2 Theclassteachervisitsthechildintheircurrentsetting.Parentsorcarershaveanamedcontactatschoolwhocanansweranyquestions.ThenewstudentvisitsTheGrovefor‘taster’sessions(thisisbespoketoeachchildandmaybeaslittleasonevisitorweeklyvisitsfortherestoftheterm).
Phasedtransitionsmaybeappropriateforsomeindividualstudentsatthestartoftheschoolyear–thiswillbeidentifiedwithinthetransitionplan.Aninformationbookletissenthomeforthestudenttoreadoverthesummerholidaywhichhaspicturesandinformationabouttheprovision.Forourolderstudentswhoaremovingtocollege,,weaimtofollowthesameframeworkinreverse.Weworkcloselywiththelocalcollegesandproviderstosupportthestudentsintheirmove.Weorganisevisitstothechild’scollegeofchoicesotheybecomefamiliarwiththenewenvironmentandstaff.Weaimtoworkalongsidethecollegeduringthestartoftheautumntermtoprovideinformationandsupportwhilstthestudentfamiliarisesthemselveswiththeirnewsetting.BeyondSchool.Weworkwithstudents,families,parentsandcarerstosupportthemintheirchoicesforthefuture.WestarttransitionpreparationsinYear9withatransitiontowardsadulthoodplan.SomeofourstudentswillremainatTheGroveandmoveintoourPost16department.Forsomestudents,theymaymovetoanothercollegesettingafteryear11.Forstudentswho
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aremovingtoanothersetting,therewillbeatransitionmeetinginthesummerofyear10forallstudents.Duringthismeeting,wetalkthroughtheTheGrovePost16provision,localcollegesandfurthereducationproviders,wesignpostparentsandstudentstoservicesoutsideofschoolthatoffersupport.AtthestartofYear11,weplanvisitsforourstudentstoourPost16orlocalcollegessotheyareabletoparticipateindiscussionsabouttheirnextsteps.Parentsandcarersareadvisedtocompletetheapplicationprocessinthefirsthalftermoftheautumnterm.Thisisalwaysaworryingtimeforstudentsandtheirfamiliesastheyplantomoveontothenextstepoftheireducation.Weworkcloselywithallfamiliesandstudentstoensuretheyfeelsupportedandconfidentabouttheirchoices.SECTION8.TEACHING,LEARNINGANDASSESSMENTStructuredlearningStructureprovidesstability,predictabilityandsecurity.Formanyofourstudentsthesearecrucialelementstoensuretheyarereadyandabletolearn.Thewayinwhichastudent’sdayisstructuredandorganiseddependsontheirindividualneeds.Thiscanbedonethroughareassuchastimetabling,rewards,exercise,schedules,reflection,curriculumsupportandintervention.Studentsallhaveindividualstructuredtimetablesthatcanbepresentedindifferentformats.Thisenableseachstudenttoidentifywhattoexpectduringtheday,soreducinganxiety,andtohelpthembecomemoreorganised.Movementandsensorybreakshappenthroughouttheschoolday.Webelievethatexerciseisakeyfactorinincreasedattentionandconcentrationandalsocontributestoanindividual’shealthandwell-being.Studentstakepartincircletimes.Thisgivesthemanopportunitytosharetheirthoughtsandfeelingsabouttheday,greeteachotherandpreparethemforthedayahead.Itprovidesanopportunitytoplaysomeinteractivegamesandteachsocialskills.Plannedtransitiontimesareanimportantpartofourteaching.Weexplicitlyteachallourstudentshowtomanagethesetimesandhowtoprepareforchange,includingplannedandunplannedchanges.EnvironmentOurstudentshaveaccesstoahighlyspecialisedlearningenvironmentspecificallydesignedtomeettheneedsofstudentswhoseautismimpactsconsiderablyontheircommunicationandlearningneeds.Wepromotealowarousalenvironmentthatfacilitatesatotalcommunicationapproachtoenableourstudentstopredictandmanagetheirday.Asaresult,ourstudentsareabletopredictwhatishappening,communicatetheirneedsandinteractwithothers,sodevelopingandbuildingonindependentlearningandproblem-solvingstrategies.Personalisedapproachtolearning.
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Studentshaveapersonalpenportraitthathighlightsindividualstrengthsandareasofneed,thisformspartofthepersonallearningplan(PLP).Thepenportraitsprovideinformationonteachingandlearningstyles,strategiesandresponses.Theyaresharedbetweenallstaffsothereiscontinuityandconsistency.Strongemphasisisplacedonworkingwithparents,carersandfamilies.Targetsandstrategiesareencouragedtobeworkedonoutsideofschool.Parentsandcarersaresupportedtodothisviahomevisitsandtraining.EverystudenthasaPersonalLearningPlan(PLP).Thisisaonestopdocumentwhichoutlines;● Penportrait● EHCPTargets● Academicflightpath● SCERTSTargets● LearningTargets● LifeSkillsTargets● Behaviourandwellbeingplan● PhysicalInterventionPlan(ifrequired)● RiskAssessment(ifrequired)● TransitionPlantowardsAdulthood(Fromyear9)
Thetargetsarereviewedandsetbyourteachers,multidisciplinaryteamandprofessionalsincollaborationwithfamiliesandwherepossible,students.Targetsreflectsmallsteps;theyaremeasurable,achievable,andrealisticandidentifyatimescale(knownasSMARTtargets).ThePLPandstudentprogressisreviewedeachtermandfamiliesareinvitedtoadiscussionfollowingthis.ItisimportantthatthisisasharedprocessandtargetsthatarebeingworkedoninschoolcanalsobeaddressedinthehomeenvironmentTheannualreviewmeetingisastatutoryobligationforallchildrenwithanEducationalHealthCarePlan(EHCP).Weruntheannualreviewmeetinginthestyleofaperson-centredplan.Focusischild-centredandtakesintoaccounttheviewsofthechildandthoseinvolvedwiththechildwithfocusonrecognisingareasofstrength,difficulty,andimportance.Teachingandlearningmethods.AtTheGrove,weapplyavarietyofteachingmethodstosuitthedifferentlearningstyles.Someofourstudentsbenefitfrommulti-sensoryapproachestoaccommodatetheirkinaestheticandvisuallearningstyles.Tasksandactivitiesarebrokendownintomanageablechunkstohelpstudentswithorganisationandsequencingskills.SpecificapproachesThesupportwegivetoourstudentswillbetailoredtomeettheirindividualneedsandshouldbeoutlinedonthePLP.
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Astheprimarydiagnosisforallourstudentsisautism,therearenumerousschoolwideapproachesweexpecttoseewithindailypracticeacrosstheschoolthatsupportsstudentlearning,theseinclude,whereappropriate,thefollowingsystems:
● AttentionAutism ● SVN(Useofsubject,verb,noun)Symbols● PECS(PictureExchangeCommunicationSystem) ● TEACCH(TreatmentandEducationofAutisticandotherCommunication
HandicappedChildren) ● SensoryIntegration(SI) ● SCERTS(SocialCommunication,EducationalRegulation,TransactionalSupport) ● Makatonsigning ● Symbols,VisualsandPhotographicSupport ● Schedules,choiceboards,nowandthenboards,rewardcharts,“Iamworkingfor”
charts,breakcards ● MinimalLanguage(seecommunicationpolicy) ● IntensiveInteraction ● TeamTeach(Seephysicalinterventionpolicy) ● DifferentiationoftheNationalCurriculumanditsassessment ● Mentoring ● AugmentativeandAlternativeCommunication(AAC)methods ● IntensiveInteraction
Emphasisisalwaysonensuringanunderstandingofneedsandidentifyingstrategiesforappropriatemethodsofteachingandlearningwithintheclassroomsandbeyond. Structureprovidesstability,predictabilityandsecurity.Formanyofourstudents,thesearecrucialelementstoensuringtheyarereadyandabletolearn.Timetablesshouldbestructuredandorganiseddependingonstudentindividualneedsandachievedthrough;timetabling,rewards,exercise,schedules,reflection,teachingsupportandintervention,andconsistentapproachesoutlinedintheirpersonalisedlearningplans. “Movementandlearningbreaks”mustbeavailablethroughouttheschooldayaswerecogniseourlearnerslearnbestwhentheyhaveaccesstothis.Wepromoteexerciseasakeyfeatureinenhancingattentionandconcentration,anditsbenefitsincontributingtohealthandwell-being. Learningenvironment Duetothecomplexlearningbarriersourstudentsexperienceduetotheirautism,werecognisethelearningenvironmentneedstobeconsistentthroughoutsostudentsareabletonavigateandpredicttheirsurroundings,beasindependentaspossibleandfeelconfidentandsafe.Toensurethesehappen,weexpecttheenvironmenttoreflectourapproachandethosandforeverymemberofstafftoensuretheytakeresponsibilityforadaptingandmaintainingittosuittheneedsofthestudents. Classroomexpectations
● Schedulesforeachstudentvisiblydisplayedorwheretheycanaccessitquickly.
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● NowandNextboardstohelpstudentsbreakdowntasks. ● Taskschedulesforstudentswhomayneedfurtherdifferentiation. ● Communicationwallwithvisualsthatreflecttheuseofcolourfulsemantics. ● Aquietareawithsensoryactivitiesavailable. ● SVNBoard● Choiceboards. ● Jobboards. ● Meritcharts. ● KeySymbols:Look,Listen,HandsUp,NoTalking. ● TEACCHstylearrangementforclassroomlayoutadaptedtoeachclassbutincluding
areasforindividualandgroupwork. ● NOcluttereddesksorworkareas. ● AreaaroundtheIWWcompletelycleartolimitdistraction. ● AllareasclearlydesignatedandlabelledusingCommunicationinPrint(where
required)tofacilitateindependence. ● Accesstosensorybox,timers,whiteboardsandstudent’sindividualsorrymaterials
suchas“Iamworkingforcharts.” Sharedareas
● NOclutteredtableareasorsurfaces. ● NOresourcesleftoutafterasession(tidyawayshouldbepartofthelesson). ● Symbolsandwritingclearlymarkingareasandequipmentusingcommunicationin
print. ● Displaysshouldbetidyandnot“busy”.Photos,pictures,workshouldbedouble
mountedasshouldanytitlesorkeyinformation. ● Classroomdoorstohavenamesoftheclassandnamesandpicturesofstudentsand
staff. Staffinformation
● Staffshouldcarryemotionskeyringsatalltimessothatstudentshaveaccesstothisinformationatalltimes.
● Staffshouldhaveaccessatalltimestoanycommunicationaidsorsupportsthatastudentrequirestoaidtheirreceptivelanguage.
● Studentsshouldhaveaccessatalltimestotheircommunicationsystemsotheyhaveaccesstocommunicateatalltimes.
AttentionAutismAttentionAutismisaninterventionmodeldesignedbyGinaDavies,SpecialistSpeechandLanguageTherapist,whichweadoptaspartofourspecialisedteachingandlearning.Itaimstodevelopnaturalandspontaneouscommunicationthroughtheuseofvisually-basedandhighlymotivatingactivities.TheaimsofAttentionAutismaretofosterstudentengagementanddeveloptheircapacitytoshareandextendtheirattention.TheAttentionAutismprogrammeprogressesthroughaseriesofstages,buildingoneach
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skilllevel.Stage1Aims:ToFocusJointAttention.Focusattentionontheadult-ledagendafor4–5minutesEngageattentionandenthusiasmRelaxandenjoythistimetoanticipatesharedgoodtimeStage2Aims:TheAttentionBuilderSustainfocusthroughoutanactivityledbyanadult,fromthestarttotheendinagroup,for5–8minutesDevelopcommunicationthroughnon-verbalmeansandbodylanguageDevelopunderstandingincontexts.Buildexpressiveopportunitiesinsocialcontexts.Stage3Aims:ShiftAttention.ShiftattentiontoyourownparticipationandthenbacktothegroupEngagefocusedattentionforatleast10minutesStage4Aims:Shifting&Re-engagingAttention.Attendandsustainfocus,experienceatransitioninfocusandthenre-sustainfocusagain,for20minutes.TEACCHProfessorEricSchoplerandmanyofhiscolleaguesattheUniversityofNorthCarolinaatChapelHilldevelopedstructuredteachingviatheTEACCHmethod.TheTEACCHmethodprovidesthechildwithstructureandorganisationwhichsupportsthedifficultiesmanyofourlearnershavewithreceptiveandexpressivelanguage,sequentialmemory,andcopingwithchangesintheirenvironment.Thisapproachisbasedonfivebasicprincipleswhichweadoptprimarilytoassistunderstandingtheenvironment.Thetechniquesarenotfadedoutovertime;theyareconsistentlyusedacrossavarietyofenvironmentsandsettings.Physicalstructure.Physicalboundariesareclearlydefinedsupportingstudentstopredictandaccesstheenvironment.Wemaketheenvironmentpredictablethroughclearlydemarcatedareasandstructure,thissupportsstudentstobemoreindependentanddevelopasenseofcalmandpredictability.Classescanbearrangeddifferentlydependingontheneedsofthestudents,allclasseshaveindependentworkstationswhereastudentcanworkinacalmandpredictableplaceiftheyrequire.Atallopportunities,studentsareencouragedtoexperiencearangeoflearningskillssuchasworkingindependentlyandaspartofagroup.Scheduling.Ourstudentshaveaccesstoschedulesandplannersthathelpthempredictwhatishappeninginpresenttimeandwhatwillbehappeninginthefuture.Thesecanbeuniquetoastudentandmaybethroughsymbols,pictures,wordsoranymethoduniquetothem.WorksystemsAworksystemsupportsastudentthroughenablingthemtounderstandwhatisexpectedduringanactivity,howmuchissupposedtobeaccomplished,andwhathappensafterthe
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activityiscompleted.Thisenablesthestudenttoworkindependentlyandfeelasenseofaccomplishment.Routine.Studentshaveverypredictableroutineswhichareguidedbytheschedules,plannersandworksystems.Theseareimplementedandcanbeusedandgeneralisedacrossthestudents’dayandwithinmultipleenvironments.Manyofourstudentscanbecomeanxiousifthereroutinesarechangedforanyreasonorsomethingnewisintroducedtotheirroutine.Weactivelyteach“surprise”withinroutinestohelpstudentsdeveloptheirflexibility.Visualstructure.Visualstructurereferstovisually-basedcuesregardingorganisation,clarification,andinstructionstoassistthechildinunderstandingwhatisexpected.Theseinvolveclearlylabelledclassrooms,visualsupportsandaccesstocommunicationwalls.Additionalsupportsareimplementedforindividualstudentsdependingontheirlevelofneeds.CommunicationwallsThisallowseverystudenttohaveaccesstovisualcuesandlanguagewithineachclassroomandtheenvironment.Weadoptthecolourfulsemanticsguidetodevelopingsymbolssotheyareconsistentthroughout.Weexpectstudentstoengagewithpeoplewhenusingthecommunicationwallsoweareactivelyencouragingsocialcommunicationandsocialengagement.
● Verb–Yellowborder ● Person–Orangeborder ● Location–Blueborder ● Noun–Greenborder
Emotionkeyringsand5pointscaleStudentsoftenfinditdifficulttoidentifyandexpresstheiremotions.Weusethe5-pointscaletohelpthemidentifytheiremotionsandalsoaccesstoemotionkeyrings.Staffshouldhavetheseonthematalltimestoensurestudentsareabletoexpressthemselves.The5pointscalechartisusedineachclasstohelpstudentsrecognisetheiremotionsatdifferentpointsacrosstheschoolday.TheSubjectVerbNoun(SVN)approachTheuseofSVNsymbolstripsareforstudentstocommunicate,muchlikethePECSsystem.Thedifferenceinthisapproachisthethechildistaughttoengagewithpeopleinordertomeettheirneeds.Basedonextensiveresearch,manypeoplewithautism,duringearlydevelopmentinteractorshowinterestininanimateobjects,which,asweknow,givenofeedbackorprovidenosocialcommunication.Therefore,itisnotuncommonforyoungsterswithcomplexautismtolearnfromtheseinteractionsratherthanearlysocialinteractionswiththecaregiver.Byintroducingthe“subject”orthepersonwithinthecommunicationrequest,weareaimingtoteachthepersonthatcommunicationandinteractionwithotherpeopleisnot“scary”or“unpredictable”butcanbeapositiveexperienceandhelpthe
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persontofirstlyhavetheirneedmetandsecondlymaketheexperiencepleasurable.WhenusingtheSVNboardsandsymbolstrips,weusethesamecoloursasidentifiedwithinthecolourfulsemanticstokeepconsistencyinlearning.OncethestudenthasmasteredtheSVNapproach,thecommunicationsystemcanbeusedextensivelytoaccessteachingandlearningforexample,readingandcommentingonatextandansweringquestions.ThePictureExchangeCommunicationSystem(PECS)PECSisafunctionalcommunicationsystemthatdevelopsimportantcommunicationandsocialskills.Itisappropriateforpeopleofallageswithawiderangeoflearningdifficulties.PECScanbeusedanywhereandatanytimewhensomeonecommunicates.PhaseI–HowtoCommunicate:Studentslearntoexchangesinglepicturesforitemsoractivitiestheyreallywant.PhaseII–DistanceandPersistence:Stillusingsinglepictures,studentslearntogeneralisethisnewskillbyusingitindifferentplaces,withdifferentpeopleandacrossdistances.Theyarealsotaughttobemorepersistentcommunicators.PhaseIII–PictureDiscrimination:Studentslearntoselectfromtwoormorepicturestoaskfortheirfavouritethings.Theseareplacedinacommunicationbook–aringbinderwithVelcro®stripsallowingpicturestobestoredandeasilyremovedforcommunication.PhaseIV−SentenceStructure:Studentslearntoconstructsimplesentencesonadetachablesentencestripusingan‘Iwant’picturefollowedbyapictureoftheitembeingrequested.PhaseV–AnsweringQuestions:StudentslearntousePECStoanswerthequestion,‘Whatdoyouwant’PhaseVI–Commenting:Studentsaretaughttocommentinresponsetoquestionslike‘Whatdoyousee?’,‘Whatdoyouhear?’,‘Whatisit?’,etc.Theylearntomakeupsentencesstartingwith‘Isee’,‘Ihear’,‘Ifeel’,‘Itisa’,etc.AttributesandLanguageExpansion:Studentslearntoexpandtheirsentencesbyaddingadjectives,verbs,prepositions,etc.Socialstories.CarolGraycreatedsocialstoriesin1991tohelpteachsocialskillstopeopleontheautisticspectrum.Theyareshortdescriptionsofaparticularsituation,eventoractivity,whichincludespecificinformationtothereaderonwhattoexpectinagivensituation,enablingthepersontohaveagreaterunderstandingofwhattoexpectorhowtoadapttheirresponse.Socialstorieshaveahugerangeofapplications,whichinclude:
● Developingpersonalskills ● Helpingtounderstandhowothersmightbehaveorrespondinaparticularsituation
andsohowtheymightbeexpectedtobehaveinresponse ● Supportingchangestoroutinesandunexpectedordistressingevents
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● Providingpositivefeedbacktoapersonaboutanareasofstrengthorachievementinordertodevelopself-esteem
● Supportingtheunderstandingofhowtomanageemotionsorbehaviours PlanningandassessmentEverystudenthasaPersonalisedLearningPlan(PLP)whichcontainsadetailedprofileandinformationaroundthatstudent.Thiswillinclude:● Studentinformation ● Studentphoto ● Penportrait ● Academicflightpath ● Targets–EHCP,English,maths,PHSCE,LifeSkillsandSCERTS/AutismProgress ● Positivebehavioursupportplan ● Riskassessment(ifrequired) ● Additionaltherapyinformation(ifrequired)
ThePLPisaworkingdocumentandshouldbereviewedweeklybytheclassteam.Targetsremainfocusedondevelopingacademicandpersonalprogressforourstudents.Targetsarepersonalizedandaimedatsupportingeachindividualstudenttoprogresswithinthoseareasthatpresentthemostchallengingtothemasaresultoftheirautism.SECTION9.INCLUSIONTheGroveisabletodrawontherichresourcesandopportunitiesofitsmainstreampartnerschoolsandweaimtoprovideasmanyinclusiveexperiencesthataresuitableforeachofourlearners.Thismaybeabespokeopportunitysuchasaccessinglessonsinthemainstreamschool,representationontheHaringeyschoolcounciloritcanbeworkingalongsidepeersfromthemainstreamschoolduringactivitiesandevents.Weareproudtohaveanumberofinclusionambassadorsinthemainstreamschoolwhocontributetoraisingtheprofileandawarenessofautismthroughtheschool.Classteachersareresponsiblefororganisinginclusivelearningwiththeirmainstreamcolleagues.Thiscanbeorganisedviainternalemail.Inclusionalsoextendstooutreachtothemainstreamschoolandthemanystudentsonthespectrumthatrequiresupport.WeprovidetrainingtothestaffacrosstheTrustinordertoensurestaffarewellequippedtocaterforallofourautisticpopulation.Wealsoprovideoutreachsupporttootherschoolsworkingdirectlywithstudentsandofferingtrainingtostaff.Wehaveourownstudentcouncilwitharepresentativefromeachclass.Eachclassisexpectedtodiscusstopicsandgatherviewsforthehalftermlymeetings.Studentshaveastrongvoiceandhavebeeninstrumentalindesigningtheirclubswithintheprovision.Inaddition,studentsarepartofthewiderHaringeySENSchoolcouncilwhichmeetsregularlytodiscussborough-wideissuesforyoungpeoplewithSEN.
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SECTION10.PROFESSIONALDEVELOPMENT.Webelievethattoprovidehighqualityeducation,careandprovisionforourstudentswithAutismwemustprovidehighqualitystaffingandresources.Webelievestronglythattomaintainthisqualityofprovisionwemustensurethatthereiscontinuousprofessionaldevelopmentforall.Allstaffnewtotheschoolhavesomeinitialautismawarenesstrainingaspartoftheschool’sinductionpackage.StaffcompletetheNationalAutisticSociety(NAS)onlinetrainingmodulesaspartonthispackage.Followingthisallstaffatareofferedtrainingofvarioustypesthroughouttheschoolyearaccordingtorecommendation/requestsarisingfromtheirAppraisals.WeusetheAETcompetencyframeworkasaselfauditforallmembersofstafftoandthishelpstoidentifyareastheywishtodevelop.Inaddition,regulartrainingisdeliveredforthewholestaffonatrainingcyclelinkedtotheschoolimprovementplan.Staffareinvitedtorequestadditionalprofessionaldevelopmentthroughfurtherstudysuchasmastersdegrees.TeachingstaffarerequiredtotakepartinourTeachingShapesprogrammewhichisbasedontheinternationslessonstudyprogramme.Thisformspartoftheprofessionaldevelopmentforteachingandlearning.Wealwaysaimtoensurethat:● Teachersarerecruitedwithspecificknowledgeandunderstandingofteaching
studentswithautism ● Ourstaffreceiveoutsidetraininginalltheappropriateareasofeducation,careand
provisionforstudentwithautism. ● Staffgiveregularfeedbacktoeachotherandsharetheirprofessionaldevelopment
andexperienceswitheachother.Thisenablesgoodpracticetobesharedthroughouttheresourcebaseandextendthroughtheschool.
● StaffreceivetwilighttrainingeachterminareasandaspectsspecifictoAutism. ● StaffsharegoodpracticeandhaveexperienceofworkingwithinthePrimaryand
secondaryclassestoensureconsistency. ● AllourpermanentmembersofstaffaretrainedintheTEAMTEACHapproachto
positivebehaviour.Wecurrentlyhaveaqualifiedtrainerineachoftheclasses. ● Multidisciplinaryprofessionalhaveopportunitiestosharepractice,adviceand
informationwithstaffteamsatregularclassteammeetings. SECTION11.THERAPYSUPPORTMultidisciplinarysupportavailableforstudentstosupportworkinschoolconsistof:
● SpeechandLanguageTherapy(SALT) ● OccupationalTherapy(OT)
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● Emotionalwell-being TherolesoftheSALTandOTareofferedatatieredlevelofsupport:
● UniversalService:Thisisthefoundationofunderstanding,knowledgeandskillsincommunicationandsensorysupportacrossourprovision.Theroleofthetherapistatthislevelistosupport,advise,assessandprovidebasictraining.
● TargetedService:Thislevelofsupportisfocusedonindividualsandmayrequiretrainingorspecificplanningtomeetanindividual’sneedssoreducingthebarrierstolearning.
● SpecialistSupport:Thislevelofsupportisfocusedondirectandindirectinputfromatherapistwhenneeded,suchasin-depthassessmentsorinterventions.
Thetherapistsassessstudentsonentry.Thisassessmentiscarriedoutoverafewweeksacrossarangeofactivities.Formost,thisisdonebyobservations,directinteractionanddiscussionswithschoolstaff,parentsandcarers.Followingthis,targetsandprogrammesarederivedtheseareoutlinedwithinthestudent’sPLPandmonitoredbyclassteamswithsupportfromthetherapist.Ourtherapistsarealsoavailabletoattendindividualmeetingsandreviews,liaisewithprofessionals,writepolicies,reportsandprogrammes,andprovidetraining,supportandmentoringforstaff.Wehaveatherapyassistantonsitewhosupporttheday-to-dayplanningandsupportofthestudents.Staffshouldrefertotheminthefirstinstanceiftheyneedadvice.SpeechandLanguageTherapy(SALT)TheSpeechandLanguageTherapist(SALT)workstopromotethespeech,languageandcommunicationdevelopmentofourstudents,toensureeachachievestheirfullcommunicativepotential.Theabilitytouselanguageandcommunicatewithothersdiffersfromindividualtoindividual,andSALTworksinpartnershipwiththestaffteamtoensurethateveryoneherehasaneffectivecommunicationsystem.Itisessentialthatstudentswithspeech,languageandcommunicationdifficultiesarenotlefttostruggle.Helpingstudentscommunicatemoreeffectively,inturn,helpsthemtoprogress,notonlyatschool,butalsotoparticipateinthewiderworld.Astudent’scommunicationprofilewillbehighlightedwithintheirpenportraitwhichmakesuppartoftheirPLP.Targetstodevelopspeech,languageandcommunicationwillalsoformpartofthePLPandwillbesetandmonitoredjointlybytheclassteamandtherapists.Thefollowingaspectsofcommunicationareconsideredwhendevelopingaprogramme:
● Bodylanguage ● Facialexpressions ● Eyecontact ● Gesturesandpointing ● Signing(Makaton) ● Vocalisations ● Useofobjects,photographsandsymbols ● UseofHigh-TechVoiceOutputCommunicationAids,(VOCAs)andotherAACdevices
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● Speech ● Writing ● Socialcommunicationskills �
Weadopta‘TotalCommunicationApproach’.Thismeansthatallmethodsofcommunicationarerecognisedandvaluedequallyasformsofinteraction.Communicationunderpinsallareasofthecurriculumandallowsstudentstoaccesslearninganddevelopsocialrelationships.Weusearangeofcommunicationmethodsandapproachestodevelopcommunicationwhichinclude:
● AttentionAutism ● IntensiveInteraction ● PictureExchangeCommunicationSystem(PECS) ● SVN ● SpecificmeasurableinterventioninLiveEnglish(smiLE) ● VERVE ● SCERTS ● Makaton
Pleaserefertothecommunicationpolicyformoreinformation.Wedonotfollowoneapproachonlysincetheneedsofthestudentsvary.Webelieveitiseverybody’sresponsibilitytohaveanunderstandingofthedifferentmethodsofcommunicationandusetheseindailypractice.Wepromotetheviewthattobeaneffectivecommunicatorwemustbeeffectivelistenersandobservers.Itisthereforeessentialthatcommunicationapproachesareconsistenttoensuremaximumcommunicativefunctionisachieved.Thismeansthatwhateverformofcommunicationisthemosteffectiveforanindividualstudenttheymustalwayshaveaccesstoit.OccupationalTherapy(OT)OccupationalTherapyprogrammesconsistofacombinationofapproachesdependingonthespecificneedsofindividuals.Programmesaredeliveredbystaffona1:1basis,insmallgroupsorinlargergroupsandaddressdifficultiessuchasmotorcoordination,sensorydifficulties,self-regulationskills,executivefunctioning,finemotorskills,visualmotorskillsandfunctionaldailylivingskills.Thelifeskillscurriculumsupportsthedevelopmentofmotorskillsplanningandthedevelopmentofsequencingskillsandfunctionalskills.Targetswillformpartofthestudent’sPLPandtheOTwillliaisetoensureplanningissuitableforthetargetskilldevelopment.Eachstudent,whohassensoryprocessingdifficultyhasasensoryprofilewhichishighlightedwithintheirpenportrait.ThosewithmoreprofoundneedsmayhaveamoredetailedsensoryprofilewrittenbytheclassteacherinconsultationwiththeOTandOTassistant.Interventionmayinclude:
● Asensoryprofilewhichwilloutlineanyspecificactivitiessuchasheavyworkouts,grossmotorexercisesandcalmingactivities
● Aschoolandhome(daily)sensoryprogramme
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● Adviceonspecificequipmentorchangestotheenvironmentthatsupportsselfregulationsuchas;eardefenders,vibratingpillow,move-n-sitcushions,chewytubes,sensorytoys/activities
Emotionalwell-beingTheprovisionbenefitsfromavisitingtherapistswhoworksalongsideclassstaff,parentsandcarersandindividualstudentstosupporttheirwell-being.Theseincludemusictherapyandarttherapy.Inaddition,theprovisionworkswiththeHaringeyChildandAdultMentalHealthService(CAMHS)tosupportthewellbeingofindividualswhohavebeenreferredorneedadditionalsupport.TheEducationalPsychologyServiceisemployedbytheLocalAuthoritytoofferaserviceworkingwithstaff,studentsandfamilies.Multi-DisciplinaryWorking(MDT) Thetherapyteamworkswithotherprofessionalsasamulti-disciplinaryteamaroundfamiliesasrequired.Theseteamsmayincludeprofessionalsfrom:
● Education:TeachingStaff,namedcontactprofessionals ● Health:Therapists,CAMHS,SchoolNurse,EducationalPsychologist(EP) ● Socialcare:SocialWorker,FamilySupportWorker,Advocacy
WeseektoensurethereareregularMDTteamsheldonsitetoensureastrongpartnershipworking.StaffmemberswhowishtoraiseanyconcernsregardingastudentwithinaMDTcontextshouldcontactourpastoralmanager.SECTION12.POSITIVEBEHAVIOURANDREWARDSWebelievethatpositivebehaviourisimportantforeffectivelearningtotakeplace.Emphasisisplacedonteachingstudentshowtoregulatetheirbehaviourresponses.Challengingbehaviourscanbepassiveoractive,theymustberecognisedbystaffasservingapurposeforthestudentandcommunicatinganeed.Challengingbehavioursmaypresentas;● aggression● inappropriatenoises● misuseofproperty● sociallyinappropriatebehaviour● selfinjuryandselfstimulation● distractibility● regurgitation● non-compliance● attentionseeking
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Webelievethatitisimportanttomeetthechallengesposedbypassivemanifestationsofthesebehavioursasitistodealwiththeactiveones.Weapplyavarietyofstrategiesandalwaysteachinthecontextofpositivebehavioursupportandwellbeing.● Weensurethattheenvironmentissafe,structuredandsupportsourstudents’
individualneedsthroughtheprinciplesofTEACCH. ● Thelearningenvironmentismotivatingandfunctionalforthestudents.● Teachingandlearningisinlinewithstudent’spositivebehaviourandwellbeingplans● Thecurriculumismatchedtostudentneedandrelevanttotheiremotionaland
developmentalstage.● Thereisaconsistentapproachtototalcommunication.● Useofrewardmeritsystemstokeepchildrenmotivatedandhelpthemtake
responsibilityandownershipfortheirlearning.(ensurerewardsareindividual,meaningfulandarematchedtostudent’sinterests).
● Praiseforpositivebehaviours,attitudesandefforts. ● Students’achievementsarerecognisedthroughpraise,merits,houseteammerits
andtheweeklyachievementassemblywheretheyarepresentedwithcertificatesandawards.
● Clearboundariesforstudentssotheyknowwhatisexpectedofthem. ● Useof“Iamworkingforcharts” ● Useofreflectionsandde-briefsforstudentstohelpthemidentifyhowtomodifyand
understandtheirbehaviours. ● Partnershipwithparentsandcarerstoenableaconsistentapproach.
Ourapproachandphilosophyisreflectedinourbehaviourandwellbeingpolicywhichisconsistentlyappliedbyallstaffandvisitingprofessionalswhoworkinschool.Theprovisionhasapastoralmanagerwhoofferssupporttostaffteamsintheirworktosupportstudentbehaviourandwell-being.Thisisfacilitatedthroughdetailedbehavioursupportandwellbeingplans.Theroleextendstothecareandwelfareofthestudentsthroughherroleassafeguardinglead.BehavioursupportTheschoolfollowstheTEAMTEACHapproachtopositivebehavioursupportanditsguidelinesandpractice.Positivebehaviourisencouragedatalltimesandrewardsformanintegralpartofthestudent’sschedule.Studentshaveapositivebehaviourandwellbeingsupportplan(PBSP)withintheirPLP,thepastoralteam,SLTandtheTeamTeachtrainerssupportthedevelopmentofthese.Theplansoutlinethepositivebehaviourstrategiesandpreventativemeasurestobeusedtosupportthestudent.
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Ifapositivehandlingplan(PHP)orapersonalriskassessment(RA)isrequiredthepastoralteamandTeamTeachtrainerswillsupportwiththemonitoringofthis.Classteachersareresponsible,inthefirstinstanceforwritingthePBSP,thePHPandtheRA.(Riskassessments(RA)willaccompanyaPBSPwherethereisariskofinjury,dangerordamagetoanindividualorothers).TheTeamTeachtrainersareonhandtoensurethattheapproachiscarefullyfollowedatalltimes.Trainingthroughouttheschooloccursregularlytoensurestaffpractice,knowledgeandskillsiskeptuptodate.BehaviourWatchsoftwaretologandmonitoranyincidentswithintheprovision.ThisisanalysedonaregularbasisbythepastoralteamandfedbacktoSLTandclassteacherstoenableadjustmentsandmodificationstosupportforstudentswherenecessary.Itistheresponsibilityofallstafftoensuretheyrecordincidents.Inthecaseofaphysicalintervention,theincidentshouldbeloggedwithin24hours.SECTION13.HEALTHANDSAFETYThesafetyandwelfareofstudentsandstafftakesthehighestpriority.WefollowtheHealthandSafetypoliciesofHeartlandsHighSchoolandStMary’sdependingonwhichsitestaffandstudentsarelocated(PleasereadourstatementonH&Sandaccompanyingpolicies).Wehaveanumberofriskassessments,whicharebespoke,toourpracticeandtheneedsofourstudentpopulation.WehavethreeChildProtectionleads,NadineHuseyin,LuciaSantiandHelenGeorgiadeswhoareresponsibleforthewelfareandsafeguardingofthestudents.TheschoolusesMyConcerntorecordALLconcerns.Allstaffareheldaccountableandareexpectedtologanyconcerntheyhaveaboutthewelfareofachild.Theschoolfollowssaferecruitmentproceduresatalltimestoscrutiniseallthoseworkingwithintheschoolwithchildren.Weensurethatallstudents'personalcare,welfareanddevelopmentareconsideredatalltimesviaourcloselinkswithmulti-agencyprofessionalsandpromotionofPHSEandcitizenshipviaourcomprehensivecurriculumandguidance.Inadditiontotheschoolproceduresforchildprotectionandsafetyweensurethatwhenhandlinganycrisismanagementwithourstudentsthatthechild’sspecificneedsaretakenintoconsiderationandthatcommunicationandsupportishandledappropriatelyandwithsensitivity.Followinganycrisisourmainfocusintoensurethatallpartiesconcernedaresafeandanyactionsrecorded. SECTION14.PARTNERSHIPSWITHPARENTS.
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Wehaveastrongfocusonmaintaininganddevelopingrelationshipsbetweenparentsandcarersandthestaff.Wewelcomeparentsandcarersintoschool,aswebelievethattoachievethebestoutcomeswemustworkinpartnership.Therearemanyopportunitiesforparentsandcarerstobecomeinvolvedinaspectsoftheschoolandparentgroupsofferopportunitiesforparentsandcarerstomeeteachotherandshareexperiences.Theseinclude:● Parentandcarertraining ● Pastoralmanagerandhomeliaisonservices ● Parentandcarerssocialgroups ● TermlyPLPmeetings ● Annualreviewmeetings ● Opendoorpolicy ● Weeklynewsletters ● Dailyhome/schoolcommunicationviatheclassteam ● Annualreports ● Termlyquestionnairesandparent/carerfeedback
Familiesareexpectedtokeeptheschoolinformedofrelevantinformationthatmayimpactontheteachingandlearningoftheirchild.Weencouragethisinformationsharingaspartofourstrongbeliefthatatwo-wayflowofcommunicationensuresachildgetsthebestfromtheirtimeatschool.Thisfosterstrustandtransparencywithintheworkingpartnershipandthiscommitmentisconsolidatedthroughthehome–schoolagreement.HomevisitsWherenecessary,staffconducthomevisits.Forsomeyoungpeople,itisimportantthatwedothisbeforeentrytotheschoolaspartoftheplannedtransition.Additionalhomevisitsforexistingstudentsandtheirfamiliesmayalsotakeplace.Thesearecommonlyorganisedandattendedbyourpastoralteam.Fromtimetotime,othermembersofstaff,includingourtherapists,maywanttovisitafamilyathometosupporttheimplementationofstrategiesandtosupportcontinuity.InsomeextremecasesaHomeEducationProgramme(HEP)maybedesignedandsupportedbytheschool.Ourtherapistofferhomevisitsandtrainingforparentsandcarersduringtheholidayperiods.ParentTrainingTrainingsessionsareheldeachhalfterminschoolforparents,carers,otherprofessionalsandfriendsonaspectsofAutism.Theseworkshopsarerunonaninformalbasisandprovideinformation,practicalideasandstrategiesforparents,carersandsuchtosupporttheirchildathome.Theworkshopsalsoprovideopportunitiestobecomepartofanetworkgroupforparent,carersandthosewhoworkcloselywithchildrenwithautism.Acopyofthescheduleissenthometoallparentsandcarersandisalsoavailabletootherswhoareinterestedinlearningmoreaboutautism.