Send magazine january 2018 digital

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ISSUE 19 January/February 2018

Special Educational Needs & Disability

Magazine for teachers, parents and carers

EXAMS... ... HELP?!

Dealing with anxiety with revision and exams

Music and the brain Understanding the positive affects of music and rhythm

The inclusion agenda

Early identification Focus of the importance of early intervention

Is the current system working?

An ESSENTIAL part of the teaching toolkit

ALSO I NS NEW IDE

POLICY S BOOK UPDATES THE LO REVIEWS C ...and AL OFFER muc h more

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Welcome to SEND Magazine

SMagazine END

Publisher Director Nick Clarke BA (HONS) 07984 306 664 nick@sendmagazine.co.uk

YES, I know, where on earth did that Summer go? Some of you have just returned to school and some have already been back a week or two. With holidays annoyingly staggered across the UK, I’mHappy sure many already ahead to the half‐term.

So,are what’s in store overway the Neware year and looking welcome to the firstOctober issue of 2018. We a third of the next few months? Well it’s hard to tell, with the ever changing landscape of educa4on, par4cularly through this academic year and head into 2018 with a new Education Secretary when in comes to Special Educa4onal Needs and Disability.

following the latest shake-up from prime Minister Theresa May and the resignation of Nicky Morgan. Damian Hinds Mp has been named as the new ES so we now wait Recently I was fortunate enough to a5end the launch of ‘Going to Church’, at Lambeth Palace in to seeThe what changes if any from thepublished man from the Mp from Words, East Hampshire. at least latest ‘book without words’

by Books Beyond was co‐authored by London.

Gove didn’t get his old job back so, we have every reason to be more optimistic. the wonderful Ka4e Carpenter, a young lady with Down’s syndrome. More informa4on about this Wecan start a news be off readwith on Page 8. article about Mr Hinds Mp on paGE 8. book Over the last few issues SEND Magazine has supported the pearson/Communication Trust Shine Light 2018 awards.

On paGE 10 we talkand about the announcement of the This month, weahave a packed edi4on with vital informa4on updates to help you through comedian adam Hess whoconsultant will be hosting awardsOBE later this year.the latest SEND coming months.

Leading SEND Lorrainethe Petersen talks about updates on Page 10.

Lorraine will also be speaking at this years’ Needs London in October.

We constantly ask questions about current methods andSpecial practices and on paGE 12 Also speaking at theschool Business Design Centre will be another twoif contributors to agenda SEND Magazine, former special head master Simon Carnell asks the Inclusion is theworking? wonderful Professor Barry Carpenter CBE and the powerful figure of former NASEN CEO Jane Friswell. as our year 11s head toward the end of their school life, we include an article from former NaSEN CEO Jane Friswell who offers help and advice when dealing with teen Professor Barry Carpenter CBE this month talks about behavioural management in his ar4cle anxieties, exams and revision on paGE 14. en4tled ‘Disengaged to Engaged’ on Page 16, and Jane opens a poten4al can of worms as she On paGE 18 we have another article from Simon Carnell. This time he writes about discusses the points of Moderate Learning Difficul4es and “are they really a thing of the past?” on Sensory Integration and what that means for children and young people with special Page 18. educational needs and disability. years we have also supported useAofLight music and by rhythm within SEND. On OnOver Pagethe 14 we publish the winners of the 2017the Shine Awards Pearson Assessment; this paGE 22 we have an article from Caroline Russell who has worked with ‘The Ronnie years’ event was hosted by singer and musical theatre performer Gareth Gates. The Shine A Light Gardiner Method’ and whoofgoes morewith detail aboutand theYoung plasticity ourSpecial own Awards highlight achievements thoseinto working Children Peopleofwith brains and how music and rhythm can aid children and young people within Educa4onal Needs and Disability. Next years’ date is also announced within the ar4cle. SEND. On paGE 24 we look at Downs Syndrome and identification and help for those born One Page with DS.22, Arran Smith talks about Microso$s’ innova4on with technology and Dyslexia, and on Page we looksection at differen4a4on strategies for Heather those with severe learning difficul4es and Downs Our24regular from Local Offer MD Stack this issue looks at the syndrome. importance of early identification on paGE 26. On paGE 32 Colin Redman of SEN Books writes about National Story Telling week and includes some excellent reading Heather Stack writes for about the importance of social and suggestions additional items for your connec4ons bookshelf. with children and young people with SEND on Page 26 and we finish this edi4on with a list of some of the latest books available to Thank you all once again for reading SEND Magazine and thank you for your support!

add to your teaching toolkit on Pages 32‐34.

Finally, I just want to draw your a5en4on to the next SEND Conference in May 2018. This years’ event at the Sketchley Grange Hotel was a big success so we will be running another event with informa4on to follow in the November issue of SEND Magazine. If you would like to register interest in a5ending and get an early bird 4cket discount email me on nick@sendmagazine.co.uk Thank you once again for reading and suppor4ng SEND Magazine.

Nick Clarke Nick Clarke

SEND Consultant Simon Carnell

Office Manager Helen Clarke info@sendmagazine.co.uk

Accounts accounts@sendmagazine.co.uk

Subscriptions subscriptions@sendmagazine.co.uk

Contributors Professor Barry Carpenter CBE, Lorraine Peterson OBE, Arran Smith, Heather Stack, Jane Friswell. ©SEND Magazine is published by SEND (UK) Ltd Managing Director Nick Clarke

The views and opinions expressed in SEND Magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher cannot be held responsible or liable for any incorrect information, opinions of any third parties or omissions.

No part of this publication can be reproduced without prior permission from the publisher.

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CONTENTS P8 NEWS

New education Secretary announced.

P9 NEWS

The National autistic Society welcomes new report on residential special schools.

P10 AWARDS

Comedian adam Hess to host the 2018 Shine a Light awards.

P12 INCLUSION AGENDA Is it working?

P14 REVISION STRESS

Help and advice as the year 11’s head into their final GCSE exams.

P18 SENSORY INTEGRATION What exactly is Sensory Integration?

P22 MUSIC & THE MIND Understanding neural plasticity.

P24 UNDERSTANDING... ... Downs Syndrome.

P26 THE LOCAL OFFER

Founder of The Local Offer Heather Stack writes about the importance of early identification.

P32 UNDERSTANDING... ...Hearing impairments.

P32 BOOK SHOP Latest resources reviews.

6

January 2018

www.sendmagazine.co.uk

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NEWS

All change at Education Department

prime Minister Theresa May appoints Damian Hinds as new Education Secretary

THE prime Minister has this country have the chance now amongst the world’s best appointed Damian Hinds Mp to make the most of their readers and our GCSEs and aas Secretary of State for talents and get on in life. That levels now rank amongst the Education. means more good school world’s best qualifications.

Commenting on his new role, places and giving people the “Working with the teaching the Secretary of State for chance to learn and upskill profession, educational staff, Education Damian Hinds said: throughout their lives with businesses and employers, I “I am honoured to be high-quality degrees, want to continue to build on appointed Education Secretary. apprenticeships and other this fantastic record.

“This Government has a strong technical and vocational “The world economy is record raising education qualifications. changing and it is through standards and offering “Thanks to a hardworking and education, skills and training opportunity, particularly to incredibly talented generation from the early years into those most in need, through Magazine of teachers, alongside our bold ND Magazine September 2017_SEND 12/09/2017 23:07 Page 33adulthood that we will make our nurseries, schools, colleges reforms, there are now sure no one is left behind and world-class universities.

1.9million more children in delivering a modern country “We are here to make sure good or outstanding schools that is globally competitive young people and adults in than in 2010, our pupils are and fit for the future.”

Special RE Conference

Creative RE in special schools

A day for special schools in Gloucestershire / Herefordshire / Worcestershire / South Gloucestershire / Swindon and Bristol /Coventry and Warwickshire, supporting teachers to meet the needs of their pupils and promote their personal development.

9.00am - 3.30pm Tuesday 27th March 2018 Venue: Adhisthana, Coddington, Ledbury, Herefordshire HR8 1JL Arrivals and registration from 8.30 This day conference will include sessions on:  A fresh approach to planning RE: what RE works for our pupils with special needs?

Our local syllabuses refer to Anne’s Five Keys planning model. Here’s a chance to explore how to use it to plan creative and thoughtful RE, how to assess with it, in order to increase teacher confidence and improve pupil progress.  Teaching about Muslims Exploring ways of communicating core knowledge about Muslims in a creative and sensory way.  Experiential activities Tibetan Buddhist, Tsuma-la Choesang explores ways of engaging SEND pupils in reflection and movement, drawing on her experience working with SEND pupils in a variety of settings.  Teachmeet An opportunity to bring a single example of an RE activity that works in your context.

The emphasis will be on sharing practical ways of working in diverse contexts, to support and develop you in teaching excellent, creative, engaging RE with your pupils.

Our main speaker for the day is Anne Krisman, RE subject leader at Little Heath School, London Borough of Redbridge. Her ‘Five Keys’ approach was joint first prize winner of the NATRE-Hockerill Award for Innovation in RE Teaching, 2011 Venue: Adhisthana is a beautiful Buddhist retreat centre west of the Malvern Hills. We will have an opportunity to explore the grounds and make use of one of the shrine rooms for one session.

Feedback from previous Special RE conferences include the following representative comments:       

A well-balanced and focused course It has been useful to talk to other teachers who lead RE – swap ideas etc. It’s given me the confidence that what I have planned and developed is ok!

A good chance to consider RE further and how to make it suitable and relevant to my students Fantastic ideas and resources I can take back and share. Thank you.

Great to have learning and teaching materials specifically which are appropriate for SEN pupils.

Great planning framework from Anne. This will help me when I revise current schemes of work.

Really like the 5 Keys into RE planning sheet.

Pace, range of activities, practical, sensory, visual, interspersed with listening and absorbing information. Made me think in a different way. Lovely atmosphere. Left me wanting more!

To book call 0121 458 3313 or email mark@retoday.org.uk for a booking form To book please call 0121 458 3313 or Email mark@retoday.org.uk for a booking form.

Pearson

Comedian Adam Hess to host 2018 Shine a Light Awards

STaND-Up comedian, actor and TV writer, adam Hess, has been revealed as the host of the 2018 Shine a Light awards which is set to take place in London on 22nd March 2018.

The national awards scheme, run by pearson in partnership with The Communication Trust, celebrates innovative work and excellent practice in supporting children and young people’s speech, language and communication development.

pearson and The Communication Trust, a coalition of over 50 organisations dedicated to supporting children and young people's speech, language and communication, are seeking to recognise the incredible contributions of teams, settings and individuals across England as well as the inspirational journeys of young people living with severe and complex speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). adam Hess, Host of the 2018 Shine a Light awards, said: “as a comedian, I rely on my ability to

10

January 2018

use words and express myself. I was surprised to learn that in the UK today, over one million children and young people have some form of long-term and complex speech, language and communication need that impacts on their ability to make friends, learn and achieve.

"It's heart-warming to know that these awards are raising awareness of the important work that teams and individuals across the country are doing to make a difference. I'm really looking forward to hosting the awards and in particular meeting the inspirational children and young people with SLCN."

The Shine a Light awards feature 11 categories including primary and Secondary School of the year, Special Educational Needs (SEN) School of the year, Early years Setting of the year and Child/young person of the year award.

Chris Hall, Director of Clinical assessment at pearson, said: “We are delighted that adam is part of the Shine a Light awards. adam wouldn’t be able to do his job without the ability to communicate however for many this can be a daily struggle. Being able to speak, use language and communicate are vital skills that are taken for granted.

“The Shine a Light awards recognises the incredible individuals, teams and settings that work so hard to help children and young people with their speech, language and communication needs, giving those often unrecognised the opportunity to be put in the spotlight.”

The deadline for the 2018 Shine a Light awards has been extended to 23rd January 2018 closing at 23.59. For further information or to enter the awards visit www.shinealightawards.co.uk or follow on Twitter #awardsSaL. www.sendmagazine.co.uk

NEW BOOK LAUNCHED ‘Going to Church’ ORDER NOW www.booksbeyondwords.co.uk

Our books all tell a story, but they also let the reader tell their own story – the one they see in the pictures. This can tell you a lot about a person’s inner world and their understanding of situations. There is plenty to talk about and each story explores feelings and relationships as well as giving information.

Visit our website to see our full range of books for children and young people with SEND

“Developed by a commi5ed and dedicated team, Books Beyond Words publish books without words, engaging in the reader and provide a valuable resource for children and young adults with special educa4onal needs & disability (SEND).”

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To order or for further information call

020 7492 2559

Inclusion agenda

The Inclusion Agenda... ... is it working?

Former head of a special school and now operations manager for SENSE, Simon Carnell questions the effectiveness of the current agenda for inclusion.

FOR the past decade, we have seen educators, politicians and medical professionals advocating for a more integrated approach to teaching and learning for individuals with additional needs. While I am in full support of an education system that includes people of all abilities and disabilities to exist symbiotically, I feel we must revisit our approach. We need to create a culture where integration moves not only towards the mainstream but to the specialist centres as well.

Legislation changes in England and the proposed additional Learning Needs Bill in Wales have meant young people and children with additional learning needs are treated in a personcentred way. This has allowed more choice and co-ordinated support from partner organisations to provide inclusion opportunities. While these are all positive steps, the emphasis is placed on the individual integrating into mainstream schools or society.

The previous process of statementing for pupils with Special Educational Needs was an extremely negative process for the child and their family. It involved highlighting a series of failings or inabilities in order for the pupil to receive the support they needed. Only at the very end of this process would the Special School be called to assist. at this point, the child’s selfesteem had deteriorated, and

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they had spent at least a year without the proper support or learning environment. There have been many children and families I have supported, transitioning from a mainstream setting into a specialist school.

They were always surprised at how positive I could be about their future. Many saw moving to Specialist support as giving up on their academic aspirations and placing a cap on their learning. It was a simple sentence that changed their perspective on this and one I

January 2018 SEND MAGAZINE

consider relevant to the Inclusion agenda.

“Would it be appropriate to teach an average 4-year-old in an a-Level Maths Lesson?”

This question is relevant when considering Inclusion at any level. We must first ensure the pupil's learning environment is appropriate and develops their broader Key Skills. We can then assess the areas where inclusion into a different setting would enhance their learning rather

than hinder it. We must also acknowledge that some children and young people do not benefit from integration or inclusion into a mainstream setting.

For integrated learning to work correctly, there must be consideration of all parties involved with movement both ways. as a Headteacher in a Special School, I developed a good working relationship with the local primary school SENCO and Headteacher. after acknowledging our pupils were www.sendmagazine.co.uk

in the correct base setting, we established a referral system for teachers from both schools to request support for individuals in their classes. This enabled the senior leadership to identify appropriate access for integration and inclusion taking into account the issues this program might have on other learners in the group.

Once fully established we saw mainstream children accessing sessions in our Specialist School.

Some with specific learning disabilities attended Literacy and Numeracy lessons. Children with attachment disorder benefitted from accessing Key Skill play sessions with Key Stage 1 children. Some pupils that exhibited challenging behaviour were allowed to spend time in the Sensory room or soft play.

This had a calming effect or became a reward for maintaining acceptable behaviour. year 6 students became buddies supporting and helping Key Stage 1 pupils at break times and lunch.

In return, the pupil’s from the specialist setting accessed mainstream lessons to be challenged in their learning and develop peer friendships. Both schools were proud that a child from the Special School with autistic spectrum disorder (aSD) accessed math lessons for several years when the national National test results were received he achieved the highest mark in year 6. For the children that integration into lessons was inappropriate, we assessed suitability to share social times, assemblies or events. after several years of running separate sports days, we held a joint event. We had the mandatory races, but we also added in some sensory activities.

The first year we didn’t allow the mainstream school to enter the adapted activities. The school council wrote to the Headteacher requesting that www.sendmagazine.co.uk

they should be allowed to experience these the following year. The second year we opened up all events to all pupils.

an environment that is sensory friendly. another school took a work experience pupil with moderate learning difficulties, and this grew into a full placement where she completed her NVQ with assistance from the Special School team.

That was the first time I witnessed true inclusion. There was nothing manufactured about the relationships and experiences that day. There were no pupils with additional learning needs, just children enjoying sports day. Some ran faster than others, some needed help from staff or other pupils, some refused to give the skipping rope back after the race! Everyone achieved success, and we saw their confidence and self-esteem grow.

It is interesting to see how the social care sector is leading on this model of inclusion for people of all ages. Sense is an international charity that supports people with complex communication difficulties. They have introduced a pioneering approach to service delivery at their TouchBases spread throughout the UK.

There are more examples of this type of inclusion taking place, but they are sporadic and tend to be isolated. a few Special Schools have opened sixth form places for students with aSD that wish to complete their a-levels in

The TouchBase model changes the perception of a traditional resource centre. These facilities offer a multi-purpose centre for the whole community. They have a place that brings people together in a welcoming

environment, where everyone can feel connected, included and part of the community. To achieve this, they have familyfriendly cafes, sensory gardens, art exhibitions and performances, Children’s activities, a wide range of rooms and facilities for hire by local groups and community libraries. alongside this, the TouchBases are used to provide day service opportunities for the people they support an inclusive community isn’t one we plan and manage. It is the acceptance of each person’s individual identity and needs within society willing to make the adjustments necessary for everyone to participate. While we need specifically identified settings for some activities, there are many opportunities where we can integrate together in a meaningful and positive way.

SEND MAGAZINE January 2018

13

Exam anxiety

Year 11, final exams, HELP!

Last year we published an article on anxiety and revision.

Written by former NaSEN CEO Jane Friswell, we follow up with more support as the GSCE final exams fast approach.

RESEaRCHERS at the University of Manchester have recently completed an investigation into suicide in children and young people, funded by the Healthcare Quality Improvement partnership. This is the first time experts have studied the contributory factors to suicide in people under 25 on a large scale.

The full report was published in May 2016 and can be downloaded on: http://www.bbmh.manchester.a c.uk/cmhs/research/centreforsui cideprevention/nci/ The findings of the study showed that for young people who committed suicide between January 2014 and april 2015: • 36% had a physical health condition such as acne or asthma • 29% were facing exams or exam results • 28% had been bereaved • 22% had been bullied, mostly face to face With respect to the impact of exams, the study identified that four young people died on the day of an exam or the day after.

The report, the first stage in a UK-wide analysis of suicides in people aged under 25, identified warning signs in some cases, and highlighted the need for proper support to be made available for children and young people at risk.

In response, the Samaritans head of external affairs, Jacqui Morrissey, said: "From the report, Samaritans is concerned that in the majority of cases there were clear warning signs that the young person was struggling to cope."

She added: "The message is

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January 2018

clear, we need to make sure that the right support is in place for all young people, that all parents, carers and teachers understand about suicide risk and that young people are equipped to look after their emotional well-being before life's pressures become overwhelming."

Brian Dow, from Rethink Mental Illness commented, “The report sends a strong message that mental health services for young people need to improve. We must redouble our efforts to support children and young people and ensure that they are getting the help they need.”

HOpELine UK, is a confidential

support and advice service for young people who may be having thoughts of suicide. They have seen a large rise in contacts from young people and parents in recent years, quadrupling since 2013. It reports that most of the calls, texts and emails it receives relate to exam stress.

This is a worrying context for our children and young people with additional needs. However, exams are an important part of school life which we know can be very stressful. Knowing that this particular time of year, students are preparing for the testing times ahead, what can we do to ensure to support our young

people to maximise their success in managing their revision and exam anxieties?

Reducing Exam Stress all school staff have a responsibility to support all pupils in preparing for exams and managing anxiety associated with the assessment process.

This can be achieved through helping pupils to: • To identify factors that give rise to stress • To identify the signs of stress • To identify practical strategies for dealing with stress and promoting student resilience and well-being www.sendmagazine.co.uk

Schools should consider providing some or all of the following: • assemblies or pastoral support sessions to address stress management, time management, self-organisation, exam planning, health lifestyle and developing personal resilience • practical guidance on exam and results arrangements • Drop in sessions, counselling support or access to nurture groups for pupils at risk • Workshop events • Training for staff in recognising the signs of stress and providing guidance on promoting resilience.

• Guidance and advice to parents on supporting their children through the assessment process, especially in primary settings • Ensuring working conditions in exam rooms are suitable, including making water available • For pupils with SEND, ensuring access arrangements are confirmed in good time, allowing pupils to work with designated readers/scribes prior to the actual exams and making visual timetables available if required • In primary settings, modifying the curriculum during assessment periods to provide greater support and more practical activities Exams may well interrupt a www.sendmagazine.co.uk

student’s familiar routine; they can be unpredictable in their content and create extra demands on self-organisation.

For many students with additional needs, executive functioning skills, those cognitive processes – including attentional control, inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, as well as reasoning, problem solving, and preparing for and sitting examinations can be overwhelming.

So, what can we do in school to support our students with SEND – what advice can we offer our staff? planning exam access arrangements well in advance is a must. The Equality act 2010 calls the arrangements that any education provider makes to meet students additional needs ‘reasonable adjustments’.

Examining bodies have access arrangement guidelines.

The Joint Council for Qualifications produces detailed regulations and guidance in a booklet called access arrangements, Reasonable adjustments and Special Consideration. This is available at www.jcq.org.uk The Scottish Qualifications authority (SQa), who set most Scottish national, higher and vocational qualifications,

produces assessment arrangements Explained. This is available online at www.sqa.org.uk or tel: 0345 279 1000 0345 279 1000. planning a revision timetable with students with preferably planned time revision sessions of around 30-45 minutes maximum builds the scaffold of support often needed for many students who may require this. Having a set of resources available eg. pens etc. and a place to store their equipment can promote and reinforce personal organisation and reduce the anxiety of arriving at the exam without the appropriate equipment needed.

For students with aSC, using a social story to explain the examination process can be beneficial. Many pupils with an aSD are academically able, but will have difficulties with exams because: • they feel anxious • they do not understand why they need to sit an exam • they do not understand exam questions • they have sensory issues and may not cope well with, for example a large exam hall • they have difficulty staying ‘on task’.

Many students may struggle with motivation and seeing the point of exams, especially when they

know they have acquired the knowledge but cannot understand why they have to evidence this on paper under exam conditions. Staff can support students by explaining the point behind exams; that having qualifications shows other people, employers, that you have a good level of knowledge about certain subjects and that they have a level of skill in certain areas of learning.

Using Social Stories to explain the exam process to students with aSC can be very helpful to explain what exams are and what pupils need to do during an exam. Here’s an example:

All about exams Sometimes teachers give tests or exams to see what pupils have learnt in lessons. you can be given a test or an exam in any subject you study at school.

When a teacher tells the class they have a test or an exam they often tell pupils what information will be covered. It is helpful to listen to what the teacher says and do some revision. Sometimes pupils feel nervous before or during an exam. It is OK to feel nervous.

During an exam Sometimes teachers give tests or exams for pupils to complete.

During exams, it’s important to January 2018

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try and think about the questions and how to answer them. That way pupils can do their best in exams. Later, when the exam is finished, pupils may want to think about their special interests. It is OK to think about special interests after the exam. I will try to think about exam questions and answers during the exam.

How school can help • Help the pupil to set up the revision/relaxation timetable • practise with past exam papers • Make an exam timetable • Have an exam equipment list written in their planner with their timetable • Role play an exam situation • Visits to the exam area • If appropriate encourage revision with another pupil or study support group • Read the Social Story regularly • Establish good routines supported by ‘rules’ for situations • Keep lines of communication open between home and school • allow and encourage access to a “safe haven” • Use a reward system based on a pupil’s special interests after the exams • Have a named mentor If appropriate the school should provide • a quiet ‘space’ and adult support (if needed) before and after the exam • Revision ‘clubs’ • a learning mentor to support home/school liaison • The use of a laptop • The minimum of change during the exam period Revision and study leave pupils with additional needs may find unstructured time – such as revision time or study leave – difficult. This is because they may not know how to plan their time, or their learning style isn’t suited to more traditional ways of revising. pupils have different learning styles and it helps to consider these when planning revision sessions. Some might learn best by hearing or watching revision material, rather than reading it; others do better when studying at certain times of day, or in a group rather than on their own.

Many people also find memory aids, such as flash cards, helpful.

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There are all sorts of ways for pupils to revise, some of which may be worth investigating.

These include revision clubs, using the school library, practice with past exam papers, revision guides and computer programs, downloading podcasts. you will also find some useful revision resources online.

Visit www.bbc.co.uk/schools/bitesize

unsupervised time, such as study leave. It is always a good idea to include time for exercise, leisure, meals and snacks in a revision timetable.

Revision timetables will be of great help to pupils with an aSD, who may not be able to plan what to revise, when, in order to be ready for their exams. a revision questionnaire can help you understand how someone learns best and this information can be used to plan a revision timetable. See www.nas.org.uk/exams for a useful revision questionnaire template to enable students to better understand how to approach revision according to their particular approach to their learning.

• Draw up a weekly study plan which you give to pupils at the start of the course, so they can see what they will be learning and how they will prepare for exams.

• Draw up a timetable showing when exams are taking place – keep it on display in your classroom.

• Talk about how you’ll be preparing for exams at school, for example revision lessons; practice with old exam papers.

• For the last two to three weeks of a course, do practice papers or look at past papers to work on pupils’ exam technique • Talk about what happens during exams, you could refer to

Revision timetables can be especially useful during

Support from teachers Once the technical aspects of exam preparation are satisfied and you know what courses pupils are taking, teaching and support staff can;

the ‘social story’.

• Try to see pupils at the start of each exam: seeing a familiar face at this time can be comforting.

Support from home Some parents and carers can feel at a loss as to how to provide the best support at home during exam time. Helping our children prepare well is an important part of the support scaffold. Careful planning is essential when planning for exams.

• Teach your child simple relaxation techniques such as taking five deep breaths before entering the exam room.

• Talk to the school about relaxation so that your child can be reminded to use relaxation techniques at the right time.

• Keep items relating to special interests at home as these might distract your child if taken into an exam room.

• If it helps, play relaxing music in the house before your child leaves for an exam.

• Encourage your child to get out and about: physical activity can reduce anxiety.

• Make sure your child has as good a meal as possible before their exam.

• Try to make yourself available during exam times to offer support or talk about concerns.

• Make sure your child has an exam timetable to hand – perhaps put one in the kitchen or their bedroom.

• Does your child know what they need to know…

• What will actually be tested in the exam?

• On what day is the exam?

• When does the exam start and how long does it last?

• Using a social story about exams. These are short stories, often with pictures, that tell your child why they are taking an exam, or what they can expect to happen on the day.

• Help your child to set up a revision/relaxation timetable • Encourage them to revise by TaSK rather than TIME. • Encourage them to see the ‘big picture’ by creating a time or ‘task’ -table • plan timed revision sessions (30-45 minutes maximum) • alternate revision sessions with a favourite relaxation activity e.g. music • Help make an exam timetable. put it on their wall. LOOK aT IT! • Have an exam equipment list written on their timetable. www.sendmagazine.co.uk

• practise with past exam papers • If appropriate encourage revision at home with a friend.

• Establish good routines supported by ‘rules’ for situations.

• Keep lines of communication open between home and school.

• prompt your child to check that they have the right equipment for each exam.

• Try and provide regular healthy meals and snacks.

• Use a reward system based on your child’s special interests during and after the exams to motivate and incentivise when needed.

We learn 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear, 30% of what we see, 40% of what see and hear, 70% of what we have discussed and 95% of what we teach to someone else! This means that the best method of learning is having to explain or teach a topic to someone else. parents you know what to do…… become the learner and enable your child to teach you what they know to support their revision technique.

Most importantly be positive about your child’s attempts to revise. Make an appointment with school if you are concerned about their progress. Be patient!

Help your child to become an independent learner. Explain how to look up information or find a word in a dictionary rather than simply giving them the answer in order to get the task finished. Don’t let working together become a chore. Make it a time that you can both enjoy.

Turn off the television while revision is underway, but do let your child work to music if they find it helpful. agree a place and a time for help - listening while you do another chore can work too. It doesn’t need to be a marathon session; little and often is usually best. Recognise your own emotional state - if you are tense or worrying about something else, it might not be a good time to work with your child.

Don’t be afraid to STOp if it isn’t going well. Try to agree what the difficulty is and when to come back together later. aLWayS end with praise (they’ll feel good, you’ll feel good) It should be enjoyable… for both of you! www.sendmagazine.co.uk

Providing Feedback on Results all staff meeting with pupils to discuss exam results, and the implications for future study, should take account of their knowledge of the young person and personalise the interview as required. parents/carers should be informed that interviews will be taking place and given the opportunity to attend with the student.

School leadership teams should ensure that adequate numbers of staff, including teachers, counsellors and careers guidance personnel are available. In addition, appropriate facilities for confidential interviews should be provided, and a single point of contact for concerns or follow up should be identified.

Students should not attend interviews and then leave the school premises immediately.

This allows a period for informal monitoring of reactions to results feedback.

Staff completing interviews should be provided with the following guidance in advance of any individual interviews:

• Teachers delivering post examination feedback should be aware of the potential ‘warning signs’ that may be evident in a student’s behaviour, thus recognising when an interview needs to be suspended, a student afforded a private ‘break out’ room or be provided with access to an impartial counsellor.

• Similarly, teachers need to be alert to the need to contact a student’s parents immediately if a student becomes very upset.

• Teachers (subject teachers or otherwise) should be aware of how to deal with post examination email communication with students. If relevant, this should be discussed in the post examination interview • Sufficient time should be set aside for post examination interviews. Five minute slots provide insufficient quality time for students and staff. Over running due to tight timescales may create additional stress which could lead to a teacher’s judgment being impaired.

• Consider carrying out the interviews with 2 teachers,

where at least one of the teachers knows (has regularly taught) the student. This provides a greater chance of recognising unusual or strange behaviour in a student which is out of character. appropriate action can then be taken to ensure their safety.

• Where a student is strongly resisting continuing with a recommended subject and this recommendation is causing the student severe distress, teachers must provide the opportunity for discussion with another adult.

• Teachers should not issue timetables for the next academic year to a student, unless the student is in full agreement with the recommendations at that time. This leaves open the opportunity for choice and reflection.

So, as exam season begins once again, be ready to manage the inevitable stress and anxiety examinations can often bring, to provide the practical support needed and celebrate the amazing progress each and every student you are supporting has made to maximize their opportunities for success. Good luck everyone.

January 2018

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SENSORY INTEGRATION

Sensory integration and learning difficulties

Sensory integration plays a vitel part with many children and young people with special educational needs. So, what is sensory integration?

FOR many years sensory integration has been the focus of research for psychologists and neurologists. Studies have shown that sensory integration in a typically developing child will be a combination of brain maturation in accordance with genetic coding and interactions with the physical and social environment. This combination of growth and experience will change the way the nervous system interprets sensory stimulus.

Effective sensory integration is vital in order to function in the most basic of everyday activities. allen and Smith (2011) found that “sensory processing difficulties can influence selfregulation, movement, learning and interactions with others”.

Their finding are supported by Cosby, (2010) and Jasmin (2009) who state difficulties in this area “can interfere with skills that support performance, such as engagement and attention, as well as skills that enable the learning of new motor skills.”

Children and adults with a learning difficulty will very often have dysfunctional sensory processing. In addition, these issues are frequently seen alongside diagnoses of autistic Spectrum Disorders, attention Deficit, Developmental Coordination Disorder and Regulatory Disorder. as practitioners working in the field

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of special educational needs and disabilities it is essential that we address sensory integration difficulties as early as possible in order for inventions in other areas of learning to work effectively.

How do Sensory Processing Difficulties present?

It is very easy to observe the behaviour changes in children and adults that have been overstimulated as a result of sensory overload. “Behaviours such as stereotypic motor movements, aimless running, aggression, and self-injurious behaviours have been correlated with these sensory processing

difficulties.” (Case-Smith & Bryan, 1999; Watling & Dietz, 2007.)

There is a greater challenge to differentiate between learning difficulty traits and reduced sensory processing abilities.

These children and adults often have difficulty regulating responses to sensations and specific stimuli and may use selfstimulation to compensate for limited sensory input. The selfregulatory behaviour will often present as stereotypic motor movements and can be confused with a person being over stimulated. In these cases the practitioner needs to examine

the background information to diagnose the correct response needed to support the young child or adult.

What strategies can I use and when are they appropriate?

It has been suggested that there are over 22 different senses in the body ranging from auditory to a sense of fullness. The most widely researched areas affected by sensory processing difficulties are: • proprioception (Body awareness) • Vestibular (Movement) • auditory (Sound) • Gustatory (Taste) • Tactile (Touch) www.sendmagazine.co.uk

• Visual (Sight) • Olfactory (Smell)

Proprioception Receptors located in muscles and joints are activated by muscle contraction. Stimulation in this area will provide information about where a body part is and how it is moving and can have a calming effect on the whole sensory system. a child or adult with difficulties in this area may display the following behaviours: • Heavy handed or footed • poor judgement and grading of movement • poor posture • Bumps into things, falls frequently • Tip toe walking • Drops things frequently • Tires easily • poor body awareness • May chew on non-food objects or grinds teeth Strategies • Weight blankets • Heavy loads: encourage person to carry the shopping bags • Trampolining • physical play activities www.sendmagazine.co.uk

• Deep pressure vests • Massage • Oral motor chew tools

Vestibular Movement and balance are controlled by receptors in the inner ear, stimulated by head movements and input from other senses. The vestibular sense will provide information about where our body is in space, whether we are moving, standing still and what speed and direction we are going. a child or adult with difficulties in this area may display the following behaviours:

High Sensitivity • poor tolerance to movement • Easily become dizzy when changing body position • Dislike tipping their head back • Overly fearful of heights • May experience motion sickness • May move quite rigidly Low Sensitivity • Seeks fast moving activities • Spins, rocks, bounces and jumps excessively

• always ‘on the go’ • Enjoys being upside down • Slouches and leans, unable to sit upright for long

Strategies • Extra proprioception or pressure helps a child feel more secure.

• Encourage active child propelled movements rather than passive movement.

• Fast movements with changes in direction are alerting, slow rhythmical movements tend to be calming and soothing • allow the person to complete some activities in different positions, e.g. lying on their stomach to read.

• Take small steps towards more challenging activities; break them down so that movement is minimalised.

Tactile Touch receptors are located under the skin and provide information to the brain from the environment or an object (touch, pressure, texture, hard, soft, sharp, dull, heat, cold and pain) a child or adult with difficulties

in this area may display the following behaviours:

High Sensitivity • Sensitive to textures • Dislikes and avoids messy play • Can react aggressively to another’s touch • Feels pain excessively • Very sensitive to temperature changes.

• Distressed at personal care activities, e.g. brushing hair/teeth, cutting nails

Low Sensitivity • Responds only to firm touch • Can invade space or be overly tactile • Can be heavy handed • Grips objects too firmly • Has difficulty responding to pain and temperature.

• May be unaware of food left in their mouth • Frequently seeks the feel of objects in their environment

Strategies • If the person is seeking out tactile experiences inappropriately supply them with a similar more acceptable texture.

• If a person avoids tactile January 2018

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SENSORY INTEGRATION

experiences, incorporate proprioceptive tasks and consider the texture of toys, clothes, towels, etc.

• Light touch can be irritating, replace with a firm and constant pressure • Self-initiated touch produces a less defensive reaction to the sensory system.

• avoid situations of close proximity to others • always watch for signs of overstimulation and discomfort, tactile experiences can be painful for some children.

Auditory Sound is received and interpreted by the inner ear following stimulation by sound air waves. This provides information about sounds in the environment (loud, soft, pitch, near or far) a child or adult with difficulties in this area may display the following behaviours:

High Sensitivity • Reacts as though noise levels are magnified • Dislikes loud noise • Is easily startled • Engages in unusual behaviours in noisy environments • Is anxious before expected noises (school bell) • Holds hands over ears • Highly aware of all environmental noises Low Sensitivity • Enjoys really loud noise • Fails to pick up expected cues.

• Makes unusual noises themselves • Seek out irritable noises, e.g. white noise • May become more engaged in noisier environments

Strategies • prepare the child or adult for noisy environments.

• Use headphones or ear defenders to change the pitch and frequency of the sound.

• Teach the person strategies within noisy environments, e.g. standing close to the door.

• agree methods for the child or adult to tell you there is too much noise, e.g. token exchange, loud gauges or happy/sad faces.

• Encourage the child to attend to sounds by playing games based on auditory cues Visual

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Visual sensory information is processed by the retina in the eye when it is stimulated by light. Information about what we see in the environment is processed and helps us define boundaries as they move in space. a child or adult with difficulties in this area may display the following behaviours: • Difficulty finding what they are looking for unless the item is strongly motivating • Difficulty concentrating in a very bright, visually stimulating room • May become overly focused on visual detail • Display advanced drawing skills • possess a strong visual memory Strategies • Reduce lighting, particularly when the person appears overwhelmed • Reduce the amount of visual distractions • Be aware of visual challenges, e.g. copying from a board,

reading text • present work in visual blocks • Remember it may be difficult for them to look at you and listen to you simultaneously

Olfactory and Gustatory Taste and smell are inter-related.

They provide information about smells that are musty, acrid, putrid, flowery and pungent as well as tastes that are sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and spicy. If one is impaired it will have a similar effect on the other sense but usually at a reduced level. a child or adult with difficulties in this area may display the following behaviours:

High Sensitivity • Dislikes strong tastes, prefers bland • Tastes or smells objects, clothes etc • Likes consistent temperature of food • Over-reacts to common smells • Gags easily at subtle smells Low Sensitivity

• Mouths or smells non-food items • Craves strong tastes and flavours • Under-reacts to strong smell, may seek them.

Strategies • Incorporate foods into messy play • Introduce tastes in a fun way and expand on established tastes i.e. sensory cooking sessions • Use calming scents or scents the person prefers, in small amounts e.g. lavender e.t.c.

• Use scented stickers or pens to assist in desensitising • allow them to chew gum or suck hard sweets • In environments with distinctive smells, e.g. canteen or dentist, have the person’s favoured scent on cotton wool to help calm • Use calming activities when they are overwhelmed, i.e. proprioceptive activities

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Ronnie Gardiner Method & SEND

Understanding neural plasticity

Caroline Russell practitioner of the ‘Ronnie Gardiner Method’ writes about working with children and young people with SEND, using music and rhythm to activate the brain.

THE concepts of working with children and young people with special educational needs are constantly changing as we learn more about the brain’s plastic properties. It is well known that neural plasticity and improved functional outcomes are related to using multimodal (multisensory) stimulation or an enriched environment which help facilitate multiple processes within the brain (Bunketorp Käll et al. 2012). It is becoming more common to use music and rhythm as part of therapy programmes.

So how does music and rhythm activate the brain and how does this work?

When processing the auditory stimulation of music and rhythm (LaGasse & Knight, 2011), it is known that the regions throughout the brain – the cortex, sub-cortex and cerebellum all become engaged.

Listening to a simple rhythmic sequence stimulates regions of the brain, including the dorsal premotor cortex, supplementary motor areas, presupplementary motor areas and parts of the cerebellum. The basal ganglia are also activated, and this activity is increased when you start to move to a beat based sequence (Grahn 2009). If the complexity of the rhythmic sequence is increased, the activity in the superior prefrontal cortex increases. This suggests that short term memory processes may be triggered (Bengtsson et al. 2009). Therefore, the activity by listening and moving to a simple beat has now been

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revealed to show how rhythm can stimulate a network of increased stimulation throughout the brain.

Studies have shown the difference in musicians’ brains to non-musicians suggesting that musical training alters functional brain organisation (Luo et al.

2012). Even short-term training can show a difference in motor, auditory, frontal and occipital regions (Hyde et al. 2009) and also greater perception-action mediation. perception – action mediation occurs when listening to music or rhythm can activate areas of the brain involved in trained motor movement without actual movement (similar to visualisation used by athletes). So, this indicates how

the brain can be changed (plasticity) by engaging with music.

There has been a huge amount of research into motor synchronisation to auditory cues, especially rhythmic cues. The current theory is that the cortex of the brain is stimulated to self correct to synchronise when rhythm is perceived (Mitra et al, 1997), and this can be improved with training. practicing synchronisation tasks have been shown to activate the sub cortex and cerebellum; tapping exercises seem to be becoming particularly important here.

Research with neurological conditions has shown that gait training using rhythmic auditory stimulation (Thaut, 2005) can

result in improved stride symmetry, cadence, stride length and speed. personal musical preference increases participation in tasks and the use of music proves a cost effective and practical method to aid rehabilitation (Hayden et al, 2009). That is just a brief summary of some of the neurophysiology that is used when working with the Ronnie Gardiner Method, another tool available to help develop the full potential of the children and young adults you are working with.

Music is rhythm and rhythm is structure; an aDHD child struggles without structure so we need to provide a therapy that gives structure. a child with www.sendmagazine.co.uk

Introduction course

March 3rd & 4th 2018, Pimlico, Central London.

Cost £250 For further information and an application form, please contact Caroline at info@ronniegardinermethod.org.com

asperger’s takes delight in structure while a child with dyslexia may have problems with phonological skills or timing deficits which relates back to the need for a therapy with structure and rhythm. also, pleasurable music increases dopamine levels in the brain; this neurotransmitter is responsible for regulating attention, working memory and motivation and has been shown to be at lower levels in aDHD brains. So these children can gain focus and self control and improve concentration and memory by using music at school or at home.

The Ronnie Gardiner Method (RGM) can provide this structure; delivering a therapy programme that encourages concentration, attention span, reducing hyperactivity and strengthening social skills.

RGM works to improve balance skills & coordination, increase concentration & memory,

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stimulate left / right brain communication in gross & fine motor skills, promote sensory information processing, assist with space-time orientation (timing, pacing, sequencing, motor planning) encouraging fitness & social skills. The practitioner can control energy levels through the choice & pace of music which is a great option for aDHD. The joy of this method is that there are no limits to the creativity of the practitioner or the class or individual. There is a lot of fun & laughter which encourages social communication in a group especially when working with games. a mixture of visual instructions or memory tests can be used to challenge or give more variety depending on what is required.

Body percussion provides tactile feedback which helps teach & guide levels of physical stimulation. It is an incredibly simple method that has endless possibilities which makes it so

versatile, especially when working with children.

The focus of RGM is on having fun, encouraging laughter, enjoyment and socialisation as much as improving motor skills.

It can be carried out as a full session or just to one track of music used to settle down a class and to help improve concentration at different stages throughout the day. It can be used in standing, walking or in sitting for the less mobile; in

groups or for single participants.

However, it is important to remember that RGM is measurable (unlike some other therapy modalities that use music) so improvements can be recorded easily and efficiently.

With thanks to everyone who joined in so enthusiastically at the workshop at the SEND Conference at Sketchely Grange Hotel. an excellent conference and I look forward to seeing you all again at the next one!

January 2018

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Downs Syndrome 24

Understanding Downs Syndrome

January 2018

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Meet Claire: She is a good reader. She likes football and peanut butter. She has lots of friends. She likes responsibility. She can do jobs around school and at home. Claire understands more than she is able to tell us about and so needs support to express herself.

FaCTS

• Down‘s syndrome is the most common form of learning disability.

• Most but not all children with Downs Syndrome have severe learning difficulties • an extra chromosome gives rise to some shared physical and learning characteristics.

• Children with Down‘s syndrome vary as widely in their development as typically developing children.

• They will make progress given the right opportunities to do so • 80% of children with Down‘s syndrome attend mainstream primary school.

• people with Down‘s syndrome are going to college, living semi independently, working and getting married.

• Children with Down‘s syndrome do better socially and academically when they are immersed in mainstream school and their communities.

WHaT TO BE aWaRE OF LEaRNING pROFILE

• Children with Down‘s syndrome have a specific learning profile.

They are all individuals but have some strengths and limitations in common • It is important that we see the child first, understand the profile of the child and plan and support accordingly- don‘t just provide a diluted curriculum

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STRENGTHS

• Visual learning - all children with Down‘s syndrome navigate the world best through what they see.

Written word, sign, symbol and picture are their key tools.

• Building relationships – engaging people with a strong motivation to communicate • Modelling behaviour – copying others, doing what others do; routine and structure • Kinaesthetic learners - using practical, hands on materials to understand and enjoy different concepts and experiences Limitations • Weak auditory Memory – learning through listening is difficult. Holding on to and processing lots of auditory information is problematic • Communication Difficulties – expressive language skills much weaker than receptive skills. particular difficulties with hearing and reproducing speech sounds and using good, grammatical sentences • Delayed motor skills – fine and gross • auditory and visual impairment – hearing and vision problems common • avoidance strategies – developed early on in response to all of the above.

WHaT TO DO

• Make life visual for the child.

Use visual timetables and workboards. Use lots and lots of picture and symbol in everything the child does.

• Give the child TIME to respond.

Don‘t overload them with

language and instructions.

• ask them to do one thing at a time. Use visual clues and cues when communicating • Reinforce speech with facial expression, gesture or sign • Treat the child age appropriately. Expect them to do all the same things as the other children in terms of structure and routine • Take responsibility for the child‘s learning with support from the teaching assistant.

• Don‘t abdicate responsibility for the child to the Ta, work as a team.

• Ensure the child is not overly supported by adults. Give them space to avoid tiredness and behaviours that can arise from intense one-to-one support • Make sure there is time for planning and preparation of differentiated resources so that the child can be accessing the curriculum as independently as possible.

• Use peers to support child.

• Start with what the child can do unsupervised and build up.

• Ensure that all staff are firm and consistent at all times. Do not allow staff or other students to baby‘ the child.

• Work closely with family.

Communicate successes to them and listen to their expertise.

WHERE TO FIND HELp

School SENCO Educational psychology Service Down‘s Syndrome association Speech and Language Therapy Service The School Nursing Service

January 2018

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The Local Offer

Early Identification of a Child’s Special Educational Needs

Founder of The Local Offer Heather Stack writes about the importance of early identification.

HaVE you begun the New year full of good resolutions and daring-do? and if so, have you experienced that butterfly feeling of nervousness at what you’re putting yourself through?

I have felt that several times as my resolve to push myself out of my comfort zone has lead me to experiment with activities that have left me feeling distinctly nervous. Ice skating, British Military Fitness, adult Ballet, all have had me in paroxysms of acute anxiety.

Imagine that sensation a hundred times over, and not just once, but every school morning and every school day throughout the year. For some children with special educational needs, their discomfort at waking to a school day is felt long before the adults around them recognize and identify a learning, SEMH, communication or other need. and yet if we pay close attention, we might know that the child is suffering, long before the needs manifest themselves in other, more overt and visible ways. young children pick up quickly the subtle clues around them that indicate their difference from others, which may be in single or multiple areas of learning and development. The

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all these behaviours give clues to a child’s state of readiness for the task in hand; their confidence levels; their selfesteem; their optimism about the prospect of success, their motivation and perseverance.

The longer these behaviours go unchecked and unnoticed, the more ingrained they become, so that a default mode of behaviour in a reading related task will be to talk and ask questions, or linger and not follow instructions, or to get distracted and refuse to engage. These distraction activities can be deployed almost without consciousness, and can prevent skills from developing almost as effectively as the emerging difficulty itself. child’s innate sense that something is not right emerges often long before parents are called in to an early years’ setting or school to discuss their child’s SEND, or before SEN Support has begun. What they sense, and we, with a trained eye, can observe, is how their skill set matches up to those around them.

The child with emerging language difficulties may be frustrated more often than their peers, or be prone to angry outbursts, or to doing things

‘their own way’, or not joining in, or withdrawing themselves from group activities.

The child struggling to make sense of early literacy skills, may take an inordinate amount of time to settle to a task involving books and reading, or may talk enthusiastically about anything under the sun, to avoid engagement, or may lose their reading folder time after time, or become distraught and actively disengaged at shared reading tasks at home.

The SEND Code of practice (2015) addresses the issue of early identification of need in Chapters 5: Early years providers & Chapter 6: Schools.

SEN in the Early years 5.15 – 5.38 looks at Early Identification.

“5.15 Where a health body is of the opinion that a young child under compulsory school age has, or probably has, SEN, they must inform the child’s parents and bring the child to the www.sendmagazine.co.uk

attention of the appropriate local authority. The health body must also give the parents the opportunity to discuss their opinion…”

“5.36 It is particularly important in the early years that there is no delay in making any necessary special educational provision.

Delays at this stage can give rise to learning difficulty and subsequently to loss of selfesteem, frustration in learning and to behaviour difficulties.

Early action to address identified needs is crucial to the future progress and improved outcomes that are essential in helping the child to prepare for adult life.”

Schools “6.14 all schools should have a clear approach to identifying and responding to SEN. The benefits of early identification are widely recognised – identifying need at the earliest point and then making effective provision improves long term outcomes for the child or young person.”

“6.15 a pupil has SEN where their learning difficulty or

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disability calls for special educational provision, namely provision different from or additional to that normally available to pupils of the same age.”

The Communication Trust, in their Early Identification Report of 2014, states that, with regards children with Speech, language and communication needs, many children are still being missed in the early years, by schools and at secondary school. “although there has been an increase in identifying children with SLCN, this is not as big an increase as for those of other special educational needs and many children are still being missed. For example, we would expect 5 – 7 % of all children to have SLCN. However, we know primary schools only identify 2.3% of their population as having primary SLCN overall, and secondary schools identify a worrying 0.7%.”

In my role, both as Founder of The Local Offer, and as a SEND consultant working across a range of contexts, it’s possible to

see factors that influence this, and incentives that drive behaviour. as an example, the heightened awareness of autism, especially on television and in social media, can lead many practitioners and parents to consider assessment and diagnosis through autism services as a default response, rather than considering other alternatives, such as language delay or disorder, or other communication needs.

So what can SEND practitioners do to ensure that early identification is firmly embedded in practice, and is achievable on a day to day basis?

1. The SEN Report, produced by all schools, should show what steps are taken to identify and address SEND in children & young people, with particular emphasis on how needs are identified and on positive communications with parents & carers 2. School policies on SEND should clearly state how class teachers and the wider school community are reporting on

early signs of difficulty in a child, to whom they are reporting and what actions are taken as a response to that communication

3. Formal and informal means of reporting concerns should be made known and shared within the whole school context, so that, what may be a staffroom conversation one day (informal communication) is logged and shared with other key people shortly after (formal communication). The two should not operate in isolation, but in conjunction with each other.

4. all settings should be alert to how different kinds of SEND are identified, and what information is gathered that helps make decisions about a child’s primary area of need. The SEND Code of practice gives clear guidance on the four categories of need and their characteristics 5. Ensure that early intervention always involves contact time with the child, including observations and conversations on a one to one basis

6. Communications with parents & carers should be reviewed at January 2018

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least annually to ensure that systems are working, that parents have an ample opportunity to be informed at the earliest stage, involved and engaged in the support process

7. Ensuring that SENCos have time to do their job properly, with allocated time for observations, following up initial concerns and in discussion with parents, is crucial to ensuring that individual needs are identified and addressed early

8. Building up a strong network of specialist support across education, health and social care across the public, private and third sector, will help ensure timely and effective access to information and avoid the dangers of waiting list limbo. parents and carers play a crucial part in ensuring that their child’s needs are identified early, and that their concerns and observations are taken seriously.

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Here are some early indicators of emerging difficulty in children: • Changes in behaviour that spark comment or attention • Changes in sleeping habits and patterns, night time or morning routines • Changes in eating habits and correspondingly, in toilet habits • Nervous or anxious behaviour at specific times of the day or in specific contexts • Clinginess, or increased anxiety about separation from a key carer • Emotionally charged behaviours, including increased crying or other signs of distress or discomfort • Reluctance to dress, or get ready for school or nursery • Volatile behaviours or else withdrawn, reserved behaviours • apathy, lack of interest, or reluctance to engage with usual activities • Less usual or increased reliance on set toys, blankets or other comforters

In support of a school in Worcestershire recently, I was asked to observe and report on a child experiencing acute anxiety at parting from her mother in the morning. She was a year 1 girl coping well academically.

There were concerns about attachment issues.

The school and mother’s concern lay with how they could navigate separating the girl from her mother, so she could enter school happily. The problems all stemmed from the point of parting in the car park, and strategies had been deployed to counter that trigger point.

What had been omitted from the early intervention strategy had been discussions with the child.

During my conversations with this young girl what emerged was a series of incidents with a group of children at playtimes that had impacted on her confidence, willingness to come to school, and on her

concentration in the classroom. as this young child hyper-fixated on the playground, so the adults around her had seen the problem arising from separation from her mother.

The challenge is always to make sense of our observations, and question everything until we come up with probable solutions. In observing the minutia of a child’s behaviour, we must also consider wider environmental factors to fully understand the emerging difficulty, or need.

What steps is your setting taking to ensure that early identification of need is a day to day reality, and not an aspiration for the future? How well do your systems match up to practice?

Heather Stack is Founder of the social enterprise, The Local Offer, and an independent SEND Consultant. She can be contacted on heather@thelocaloffer.co.uk

www.sendmagazine.co.uk

Author:

Available to purchase from:

Marilyn Tucknott M.A (Special Educational Needs)

Secondary Resources Key Stage 3 Live Out Loud Small and discrete enough to t in a blazer pocket, this Journal looks like a used notebook. The images are gra ti and scribble-like, as if someone had been doodling. The pages appear thumbed and ink-stained. In fact, it looks subversive which is entirely in keeping with the polarised behaviour and opinions of this age group. Neuroscience tells us that the teenage brain is going through a pruning process, reworking its pathways. This Journal allows the young person to explore those things to which they are ‘at cause’ and to which they are ‘at e ect’, asking them to take a position of empowerment as they move into being a young adult.

A5

The Journal takes the form of a journey from articulating apparently super cial preferences, to exploring sensitive hopes and fears. It sensitively explores body-image and gender issues, thoughts of death and defeat, normality and di erence. It introduces the language of emotional intelligence and the nal page invites the young person to write an instruction manual as to how to understand them- the end of the journey and a new place to start.

B5

Key Stage 4 It’s all in the Mind Subtitled ‘don’t sweat the small stu ’ the Journal’s starting point is that there is much to be angry about- from personal issues to worldwide concerns. It explains that this high state of arousal has an impact upon the body and upon the clarity of the mind. Aimed at 14-15 year olds, it addresses the young person who is feeling overwhelmed, thinking about things that could go wrong and who has a roller-coaster emotions.

The Journal assumes that the young person has done ‘a lot of living’ which has informed his or her attitudes and expectations. The reader is invited to review the usefulness of their current thinking, to engage in a reality-check and to consider a more meaningful future. And to keep the inner-critic quiet!

Each theme begins with a quote that is in itself a challenge. Prompt questions then invite the young adult to frame their viewpoint and to back it up with life experiences or to discard pre-existing expectations.

©Koa Ltd. www.marilyntucknott.com

Butter y Print Ltd. 01706 817248

When yo quote codu e

SENDMAG 10

butter yprint.co.uk enquiries@butter yprint.co.uk

Hearing impairment

Hearing impairment Meet Sophie: She is bright, ambitious and sociable. But she can‘t hear everything that is being said and needs teachers and pupils to understand how to communicate with her so that she can be included in all that happens in school

FACTS

• 80% of children will experience at least one episode of glue ear by the age of ten. Glue ear is the most common cause of temporary deafness.

• Deafness is described in four levels: mild, moderate, severe and profound. Deafness in one ear only is known as unilateral.

• around 40% of deaf children have additional needs.

• No hearing technology replaces normal hearing.

• Deaf children use a variety of hearing technologies including digital hearing aids, cochlear implants, bone anchored hearing aids, personal FM systems or Soundfield systems.

• Deaf children may use a variety of communication modes including Spoken English (or other languages), Sign Supported English or British Sign Language (BSL). Children may have communication support workers.

• Expectations for deaf children should be as high as those for other children.

WHAT TO LOOk FOR

• Does not respond when called • Watches faces/lips intently • Constantly asks for repetition • Failure to follow instructions straight away or misunderstands/ignores instructions • Watches what the others are

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doing before doing it themselves • Inattentive and ‗daydreaming‘ • Makes little or no contribution to group or classroom discussions • Frequently seeks assistance from peers • Talks either too loud or too soft • Complains of not being able to hear • Tired, frustrated, solitary any concerns should be raised immediately with the child‘s

parents to arrange an appointment with their Gp. all levels of Deafness can impact on: • Listening skills - a deaf child may not hear all the words that are spoken or all the individual sounds in any one word, and may also miss or misinterpret unstressed words in speech (e.g. prepositions).

• Language development and literacy skills - may have a

limited vocabulary as do not hear words being used in conversations around them.

• May also have difficulty with: • words with several meanings (e.g. catch) • word endings (e.g. ‗s‘, ‗ed‘ ) • passive sentences (e.g. the car was stolen by the boys) • idioms (e.g. red herring, over the moon) • verb tenses • phrasal verbs (e.g. put on, look www.sendmagazine.co.uk

into, getaround) • synonyms • complex sentences • attention and concentration – listening/ signing/lipreading for long periods of time can be very tiring.

• Working memory – may have difficulty holding intermediate results in their head whilst thinking (e.g. long multiplication), or with processing new information to store in long-term memory and searching and retrieving information when it needs to be recalled.

• auditory memory - can have difficultly retaining and interpreting large chunks of information or instructions given orally.

• processing time – may need extra time to understand information given.

• Social skills – may not have age appropriate social skills. participating in break time conversations/ games may be difficult.

• Self-esteem – may have low www.sendmagazine.co.uk

self-esteem and lack confidence, especially in larger groups or with new people.

WHAT TO DO

Communication • Make sure you have the child‘s attention before starting to talk, otherwise they may miss the first part of the conversation or instructions.

• Speak clearly, naturally and at a normal rate - shouting distorts lip patterns.

• always face the child when talking to them and allow space between you and the child for signing or lipreading purposes.

• Do not cover your face with your hands or objects and do not walk around while you are speaking, as this will make it difficult for a child to read facial expressions or lipread.

• Repeat what the other pupils say, especially those who are sitting at a distance from a deaf pupil. avoid having your back to a window as this creates a shadow and makes it difficult for a deaf child to read facial

expressions, lipread or understand signing.

• Encourage other children to speak one at a time and raise their hand before speaking so that a deaf child is aware of who is talking.

• Use whole sentences and not single words - if a child does not understand a word, use a different word with the same meaning.

• Be familiar with a child‘s equipment and know how to undertake basic trouble shooting and maintenance.

Learning environment • Do not seat a child near noisy equipment such as computers or projectors.

• Minimise noise levels (both inside and outside the classroom) as all noise, including background noise, is amplified by hearing aids.

• Measures can be taken to improve acoustics and NDCS offers an acoustic toolkit. For more information please contact the free helpline on 0808 800 8880.

LESSONS

• Highlight when there is a new topic of conversation. Use key words, topic headings or visual aids to set context.

• Encourage the child to state if they do not understand.

• It is vital that lesson plans are discussed with support staff.

• Give homework at a quiet time during the lesson.

Remember - no two deaf children are the same.

WHERE TO FIND HELP

The school SENCo/aLNCO. The Hearing Impaired Service

USEFUL WEbSITES

www.ndcs.org.uk - provides free resources specifically developed for mainstream schools, including the ‗Deaf Friendly Teaching‘ booklets www.earfoundation.org.uk Useful Suppliers of Specialist Resources Forest Books www.forestbooks.com January 2018

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Books

National story telling week

The National Storytelling Week is now in its 18th year. This year it runs form January 27th – 3rd February. Primarily it promotes the tradition of oral storytelling and there will be lots of events around the country in clubs, libraries, schools and museums that pupils and teachers can take part in.

For SEND children using stories to illustrate their lives is a powerful way of educating the neuro-typical population what it means to be part of the neurodiverse community of SEND. Many book lovers will have read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time which achieved national acclaim and went on to be a West-End production so powerful was its story. But if you want to gain an insight into our SEND communities, learn something of how SEND children see the world what other books might you read?

First up is a book on hyperactivity for young children.

Winston Wallaby Can’t Stop Bouncing is a story about young children that can’t keep still, chiefly those with a diagnosis of aDHD, SpD and/or aSD. alGhani books are excellent at explaining the sensory needs and support strategies that can be used at home or in school. http://www.senbooks.co.uk/vie w-product/Winston-WallabyCant-Stop-Bouncing

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January 2018

For the young adult market there is M in the Middle which is a novel that discusses secret crushes, mega-anxiety and the people’s Republic of autism. It’s a great page-turner and gives a very honest and insightful picture through the eyes of a wonderful heroine, ‘M’. Given the increased focus on spotting and supporting girls on the autism spectrum it’s an essential addition to any school library. http://www.senbooks.co.uk/vie w-product/M-in-the-Middle If you have not come across Rachael Lucas then hunt down a copy of The State of Grace. Grace has asperger and her own way of looking at the world. She has a horse and a best friend who understands her and that’s pretty much all she need, but

then things start to change when she kisses Gabe, suddenly the world makes less sense than before. It’s a funny story about a young girl trying to work out

where she fits in. Rachael Lucas is an autistic adult and loves telling and writing stories. http://www.senbooks.co.uk/vie w-product/The-State-of-Grace www.sendmagazine.co.uk

What Every autistic Girl Wishes Her parents Knew is an award winning story about the emotional needs and sensitivities of autistic girls. Our copy of this book hasn’t arrived in the shop as yet but it will be here very soon. http://www.senbooks.co.uk/vie w-product/What-Every-autisticGirl-Wishes-Her-parents-Knew

you might be forgiven for thinking that SEND boys are not getting much of a look in, so here are a few others to look out for.

Blue Bottle Mystery: an asperger adventure. This is not a new book but is available now as a graphic novel and it follows the adventures of Ben and his friend andy who discover a blue bottle in the school yard which goes on to unleash mysterious forces. http://www.senbooks.co.uk/vie w-product/Blue-Bottle-Mystery www.sendmagazine.co.uk

Frankie’s Foibles is a story about a boy who worries. He is worried about stepping on the cracks in the pavement and what will happen if he brushes his teeth for two minutes rather than three. Frankie is OCD and has anxiety about a lot of issues in his life so he has to learn to ignore the foibles in his life and the pesky creatures that whisper in his ear. http://www.senbooks.co.uk/vie w-product/Frankies-Foibles

The Reason I Jump is the story of an autistic boy who likes to jump.

The story explains why he talks loudly, repeats questions and has panic attacks. Using a question and answer format this story is packed with information and insight into the world of autism.

Naoki Higashida is a Japanese poet and his story has been translated into English by David Mitchell. http://www.senbooks.co.uk/vie w-product/The-Reason-I-Jump

There is now a follow up to this book called Fall down 7 times, Get up 8 which is a series of essays which looks at his journey into adulthood and amongst many of the revelations is when he tells of not being asked what he wanted to be when he grew up. Naoki didn’t want to continue with schooling, he wanted to be a writer and he was fortunate enough to be able to choose to leave school and pursue that goal. proving that not all children should follow a singular path. http://www.senbooks.co.uk/vie w-product/Fall-Down-7-TimesGet-up-8 Finally, at SEN books we like to promote independent authors and Sammy’s new Food week is a day by day which spans from Monday when he tries broccoli to Sunday when he has Roast Chicken. http://www.senbooks.co.uk/vie w-product/Sammys-New-FoodWeek

Charlotte Olsen has written a series of social stories to illustrate key aspects of life, like Travelling on an airplane; Going to a hairdresser and recently she announced the addition of a new character to her stories, Cruzie. So

look out for more of her stories later this year….

January 2018

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Teachers notes

SEND Abbrevia ons AAC ACE ACfE ACPC ACCAC ADD ADDiS ADHD AEN AENCo AET AfA AfL AGT ALD ALS AoL AQA ARB ARM ASD ASDAN ASN ASL AST AUT AWPU BATOD BDA BDD BECTA BESD BEST BILD BIP BME BSF BSL BSP BST BSU C&FS CA CAF CAFCASS CAMHS CAT CBAC CCEA

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Alterna ve and Augmenta ve Communica on Advisory Centre for Educa on A Curriculum for Excellence Area Child Protec on Commi ee Quali ca ons Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales A en on Defect Disorder A en on De cit Disorder Informa on and Support Service A en on De cit Hyperac vity Disorder Addi onal Educa onal Needs A ddi onal Educa onal Needs Co-ordinator Au sm Educa on Trust Achievement for All Assessment for Learning Able, Gi ed and Talented Adults with Learning Di cul es Addi onal Learning Support Assessment of Learning Assessment and Quali ca ons Alliance Area/Au s c Resource Base Annual Review Mee ng Au s c Spectrum Disorder A ward Scheme Development and Accredita on Network Addi onal Support Need Addi onal Support for Learning Advanced Skills Teacher Au sm Age Weighted Pupil Unit Bri sh Associa on of Teachers of the Deaf Bri sh Dyslexia Associa on Body Dysmorphic Disorder Bri sh Educa onal Communica ons and Technology Agency Behaviour, Emo onal and Social Di cul es B ehaviour and Educa on Support Teams Bri sh Ins tute of Learning Di cul es Behaviour Improvement Programme Black and Minority Ethnic Building Schools for the Future Bri sh Sign Language Behaviour Support Plan Behaviour Support Team Behaviour Support Unit Child and Family Service Classroom Assistant Common Assessment Framework Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service Cogni ve Ability Test Welsh Joint Educa on Commi ee Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum,

SEND MAGAZINE January 2017

CD CDC CF CFS CHEN CLD CP CRE CSCI CSP CoP CRE DAMP DCD DDA DED DEE DELLS DENI DfES DLA DRC DS DSD DSP DVD DYSC DYSL DYSP EAL EAT EBD ECM ELBs EOTAS EP EPi ERA ESA Estyn ESL EWO EYA EYAP EYDCP FLS FLT FRX FSP G & T GLD GTC GTCS

Examina ons and Assessment Conduct Disorders Council for Disabled Children Cys c Fibrosis Chronic Fa gue Syndrome Children with Mental Health and Educa onal Needs Complex Learning Needs Cerebral Palsy Commission for Racial Equality Commission for Social Care Inspec ons Coordinated Support Plan Code of Prac ce Commission for Racial Equality De cits in A en on, Motor Control and Perceptual Abili es Development Co-ordina on Di cul es (Dyspraxia) Disability Discrimina on Act Disability Equality Duty Disability Equality in Educa on Department for Educa on, Learning and Lifelong Skills Department of Educa on for Northern Ireland Department for Educa on and Skills Disability Living Allowance Disability Rights Commission Downs Syndrome Developmental Coordina on Disorder Dedicated Specialist Provision Developmental Verbal Dyspraxia Dyscaculia Dyslexia Dyspraxia English as an Addi onal Language Ea ng Disorders Emo onal and Behavioural Di cul es Every Child Ma ers Educa on and Library Board Educa on Other than at School Educa onal Psychologist Epilepsy Educa on Reform Act Educa onal Support Assistant O ce of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector and Training in Wales English as a Second Language Educa on Welfare O cer Early Years Ac on Early Years Ac on Plus Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership Further Literacy Support Founda on Learning Tier Fragile X Syndrome Founda on Stage Pro le Gi ed and Talented Generic Learning Di cul es General Teaching Council General Teaching Council for Scotland

HI HMCI

Hearing Impairment Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector (of schools) HMI Her Majesty’s Inspectorate HMIE Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Educa on in Scotland Higher Level Teaching HLTA Assistant HSA Home School Agreement IBP Individual Behaviour Plan Individual Educa on Plan IEP Individual Learning Plan ILP INCO Inclusion Co-ordinator IPSEA Independent Panel for Special Educa on Advice IQM Inclusion Quality Mark ISP Individual Support Plan KS Key stage Local Authority LA LAC Looked A er Children LDD Learning Di cul es and Disabili es Learning Mentor LM LSA Learning Support Assistant LSC Learning and Skills Council LSP Learning Support Prac oner LSU Learning Support Unit LTS Learning & Teaching Scotland Mul -Disciplinary Team MDT MLD Moderate Learning Di cul es MD Muscular Dystrophy ME Myalgic Encephalomeli s MND Motor Neurone Disease MSI Mul -Sensory Impairment NAS Na onal Au s c Society NBCS Na onal Blind Children’s Society NDCS Na onal Deaf Children’s Society NEYTCO Na onal Early Years Trainers and Consultants NMSS Non-Maintained Special School NRWS New Rela onship with Schools NSF Na onal Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services NSSEN Non-Statemented Special Educa onal Needs NWRSENP North West Regional Special Educa onal Needs Partnership Ofqual O ce of the Quali ca ons and Examina ons Regulator Ofsted O ce for Standards in Educa on PATOSS Professional Associa on for Teachers Of Students with Speci c Learning Disabili es PCTs Primary Care Trusts PD Physical Di cul es/ Disabili es PDD Pervasive Development Disorder PMLD Profound and Mul ple Di cul es PSP Personal Support Plan OCD Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ODD Opposi onal De ance Disorder OT Occupa onal Therapist PDA Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome

PDD PECs PMD PMLD PNI PRU PPS PSI PT QCA RAD RAISE RAP RoA RoN RNIB S & L SA SA+ SaLT SCD SEAL SEBD SEF SENAG SENATS SENCO SEND SENDA SENDIST SENJIT SLCN SLD SMA SIP SPD SpLCN SpLD SQA SSEN TA TDA TLR TS VI WJEC

Pervasive Development Disorder Picture Exchange Communica on System Physical and Medical Di cul es Profound and Mul ple Learning Di cul es Physical and neurological impairment Pupil Referral Unit Parent Partnership Service Physical and Sensory Impairment Physiotherapist Quali ca ons and Curriculum Authority Rapid A achment Disorder Repor ng and Analysis for Improvement through School Self Evalua on Reasonable Adjustment Project Record of Achievement Record of Need Royal Na onal Ins tute of Blind People Speech and Language School Ac on School Ac on Plus Speech and Language Therapist Speech and Communica on Di cul es Social and Emo onal Aspects of Learning Social, Emo onal and Behaviour Di cul es Self Evalua on Form Special Educa onal Needs Advisory Group SEN Advisory and Teaching Service Special Educa onal Needs Co-ordinator Special Educa onal Needs & Disability Special Educa onal Needs and Disability Act Special Educa onal Needs and Disability Tribunal Special Educa onal Needs Joint Ini a ve for Training S peech, language and Communica on Needs Severe Learning Di cul es Spinal Muscular Atrophy School Improvement Partner Seman c Pragma c Disorder Speci c Language and Communica on Di cul es Speci c Learning Di cul es Sco sh Quali ca ons Authority S tatement of Special Educa onal Needs Teaching Assistant Training and Development Agency Teaching and Learning Responsibility Toure es Syndrome Visual Impairment Welsh Joint Educa on Commi ee

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