SEND MAGAZINE SUMMER 2019

ISSUE 26 SUMMER 2019

SEND Special Educational Needs & Disability

Magazine for teachers, parents and carers

ATTACHMENT

Circles of security

SUPPORT STAFF

Garry Freeman offers advice for SEND supply staff

UNDERSTANDING ... ... motor impairments

SENSORY INTEGRATION

Development of engagement and attention skills AlSO I N latest SIDE Book r news WORD eviews S ... and HARK mu more ch

An ESSENTIAl part of the teaching toolkit

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Phone: Fax: Email: Online:

01604 671691 01604 671692 info@cricksoft.com www.cricksoft.com

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• ^ĂǀĞ Ɵ ŵĞ ĂŶĚ ŵŽŶĞLJ ƚŚĂƚ ǁŽƵůĚ otherwise be spent on scribes and readers by using DocsPlus to support ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ǁŚŽ ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞ ĂĚĚŝƟ ŽŶĂů access arrangements in exams.

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5IF *ODMVTJPO 2VBMJUZ .BSLAT *ODMVTJWF 4DIPPM "XBSE What is the Inclusive School Award?

Building Inclusion can never be a finite undertaking or destination. It is the continuum of growing a central belief system that then inevitably guides and directs practice and action. How many times have schools heard the comments:

l “What a wonderful atmosphere!” you so successful?!”

l “What is it that makes l “You just know… as soon as you come in …”

l “The feeling is tangible!”

IQM constructs a process of accountability and evidence of where these positive, tangible, successful atmospheres come from. In the educational climate of targets, goals and numbers, the autonomy

the IQM process gives schools

of rigorous accountability of their own philosophy and pedagogy. Inclusion hears and listens and gives voice to all members of our school organisations. A community building and

and self-determining

society.

growing together is a strong

An all too frequently heard statement in many of our schools is “I don’t feel valued”.

Valuing is a fundamental need of all of us. Without that, all effort and contribution is negated. This so often can feed into a sense of being irrelevant and of fading into a persona of camouflaged ‘school wallpaper’… the person who disappears and goes unnoticed. Gathering the strengths, energies and enthusiasms of ALL members of our communities, builds the unified ‘I CAN’ that makes difficulties assailable and successes tangible. Schools can then move forward with the strengths of unified action, enrolment and understanding.

The process of IQM gives schools the tools of rigorous self-evaluation that ensures a 360-degree review and analysis. It provides clear set categories and then within each category, there are significant definitions and descriptors. These provide the school with a clear framework from which to work. It is a strategic exponential method that enables schools: l to take an in-depth look at their organisations; l to proactively identify voices and practice needing to be both heard and addressed; l to provide comparative data with other schools; l to build developmental, structured pathways and l gives access to an Inclusion Journey that travels across the country!

What are the costs?

Costs are school size dependent and involve access to strategic documentation; online support during processes; onsite assessments and reviews and provision of evaluations, analyses and feedback.

The Inclusion Journey is one of discovery and offers, with humility, the opportunities for celebration and recognition of practice at its very inclusive best.

1-Day Assessment Up to 400 Students £1,150 &YQFOTFT 7"5

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For more information on the IQM Inclusive School Award email: info@iqmaward.com | Tel: 028 7127 7857 or visit: www.iqmaward.com

Welcome to SEND Magazine

SMagazine END

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

Summer is finally here and theSummer long break will soon behave upon This isto the finaland YES, I know, where on earth did that go? Some of you justus. returned school this academic so,oras weWith lookholidays ahead annoyingly to September, SEND magazine edition some have of already been back ayear week two. staggered across the UK,is focus mind andahead help prepare for the new September I’mhere sure to many are your already looking to the October half‐term.

So, what’s start. in store over the next few months? Well it’s hard to tell, with the ever changing landscape of educa4on, par4cularly with news section on pages we have a number of Starting when in comes toour Special Educa4onal Needs and7-11, Disability. announcements from the DfE, including plans to simplify school accountability and

Recently I was fortunate to a5end the launch to Church’, at Lambeth Palace in a recruitment drive enough to encourage more malesofin‘Going to early years roles.

London. The latest ‘book without words’ published by Books Beyond Words, was co‐authored by theOn wonderful Ka4e Carpenter, young lady with system Down’s syndrome.

MoreFreeman informa4on about this page 14, SENDCo andanational SEND leader, Garry writes can be readtoonexpect Page 8.from your school as a supply teacher and on page 18, writes book about what

about attachment issues and the ‘Circles of security’.

This month, we have a packed edi4on with vital informa4on and updates to help you through the coming Leading SEND consultant Petersen OBE talks about the Whatmonths. is sensory integration?

This isLorraine a question we hope to answer onlatest pageSEND 16 as updates on Page 10.

Lorraine will also be speaking at this years’ Special Needs London in October. we look at sensory integration and the development of engagement and attention.

Also speaking the Business Design and Centre will be appropriate another two contributors Looking atatsensory processing offering strategies. to SEND Magazine, the wonderful Professor Barry Carpenter CBE and the powerful figure of former NASEN CEO Jane Friswell.

As we are at the end of this academic year, transition is a leading topic and the

preparation for change. Former special school head, Simon Carnell, talks about

Professor Barry Carpenter CBE this month talksas about behavioural in his ar4cle transition and the next academic steps we prepare ourmanagement pupils for the next stages en4tled ‘Disengaged to Engaged’ on Page 16, and Jane opens a poten4al can of worms as she in school and life on page 24. discusses the points of Moderate Learning Difficul4es and “are they really a thing of the past?” on Page 18. Magazine regular writer and MD of The Local Offer Heather Stack re-visits SEND

self-belief and self-efficacy on pages 26-28. On page 30 we look at understanding

Onmotor Page 14 we publish the winners of the 2017 Shine A Light Awards by Pearson Assessment; this impairments. years’ event was hosted by singer and musical theatre performer Gareth Gates. The Shine A Light Awards achievements of those with Childrenthis and month’s Young People with Special finishhighlight with our bookshop on pageworking 32 which contains suggested reading Educa4onal Needs and Disability.

Next years’ date is also announced within the ar4cle. list from SEN Books.

One Page 22, Arran Smith talks about Microso$s’ innova4on with technology and Dyslexia, and on Thank you for reading SEND Magazine once again and we look forward to seeing Page 24 we look at differen4a4on strategies for those with severe learning difficul4es and Downs you with our Autumn edition and providing you with further support for your SEND syndrome.

toolkit.

Heather Stack writes about the importance of social connec4ons 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 add to your teaching toolkit on Pages 32‐34.

Clarke Finally, I just want to draw your a5en4on to the next SEND Conference in May Nick 2018. This years’ Publisher 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

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.

Postal Address 42 Cumberland Way,Barwell, Leicestershire. LE9 8HX

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Download the Zappar app to your smartphone or tablet device from the App Store or Google play. Open the app and view the page through your device wherever you see the icon, poin1ng toward it. Wait a few seconds and see the page come alive!

Watch your issue of SEND Magazine come alive where you see this symbol.

Specialist Occupational Therapy (OT) and Sensory Integration (SI) Centre providing independent assessments, treatment, and training to parents, carers and other professionals.

Through a wealth of experience and post graduate qualification we are able to offer specialist children and young people’s occupational therapy services to children and young people.

Currently working across the community in homes, schools, clinics we now also have the facility to provide group and individual work across a wide range of needs including Ayres Sensory Integration Therapy as well as Sensory Play sessions in the school holidays.

There is no criteria for referral, assessments and interventions are bespoke for individual need, aiming to provide specialist services for all children / young people including: • Sensory Processing Disorders (Sensory Integration) • ASD and other non-pervasive developmental disorders • Developmental Coordination Disorders (including dyspraxia and sensory based motor disorders) • Hemiplegia, and other neurological conditions • Developmental Delay

For more information, costs and bookings please see our website www.childrenschoicetherapy.co.uk or contact us by email: childrenschoicetherapy@gmail.com Alison Hart, Sarah Sheffield, Samantha Armitage, Jessica Quinn, Sandra Town, Mel Homan, Kiki Matemba-Belli

Understanding Sensory Processing in the Classroom: 5th May 2017 9am – 3pm This course is for education and other professionals and gives practical and interactive learning around understanding how sensory processing works, the impacts on behaviours and learning, and strategies and approaches for the classroom.

Cost: £120 - Lunch provided

Understanding Sensory Processing in the Classroom (2): 23rd May 2017 9am – 3pm This course is for those who would like to build on learning from the first course we offer considering further applying sensory processing understanding in to practical application.

Cost: £150 - Lunch provided Both courses are held at Children’s Choice Therapy and SI centre at Lancaster Park, Needwood, Staffordshire. DE13 9PD. Please note: there are stairs access to the training room, please notify course organisers of relevant difficulties.

CONTENTS P7 NEWS

P12 WORDSHARK

New recruitment drive for men in early years posts.

New spelling specialist software launch for 2019.

DfE simplify school accountability.

Where to go and what to do for SEND supply staff.

P8 NEWS P9 NEWS

Education secretary to work with sector on special needs funding.

P10 NEWS

New guidance on reducing restraint in special schools and services.

P11 NEWS

One of the largest mental health trials launched.

P14 SUPPORT STAFF

P16 SENSORY INTEGRATION The effect on the development of engagement and attention skills.

P18 CIRClES OF SECURITY?

Garry Freeman writes about attachment issues and how you can help your pupils.

P24 All CHANGE

Simon Carnell talks about transition and planning for change.

P26 THE lOCAl OFFER

Heather Stack writes about self-belief and self-efficacy.

P30UNDERSTANDING Motor impairments.

P30 BOOKSHOP Latest book reviews.

P35 SEND ABBREVIATIONS

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SUMMER 2019 SEND MAGAZINE

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NEWS

Calls for more men to work in the early years

New project to challenge stereotypes around men's role in early education.

More men are to be encouraged in to a careers in nurseries and early years settings, in a new project to provide more diverse role models for children before they start school.

With men making up just 3% of early years staff in England, the project aims to break down the barriers that prevent men entering careers in children’s early education, including the myth that men are less suited to caring roles.

Children and Families Minister Nadhim Zahawi has today (24 April) announced a £30,000 grant to support the scheme and help provide more male role models for children in the early years.

The project, run by the Fatherhood Institute, will challenge the stereotypes that exist around men’s roles in early education, using relatable case-studies from men who have left other careers – including an ex-lorry driver and a young art student.

Children and Families Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: Every child needs a rolemodel to guide them – whether that’s a parent, a close family member or friend, or someone at nursery or preschool that makes a difference in their life. The early years staff who support children in the first few years of their education equip them with important skills before they reach the classroom, getting them on track to succeed as they get older.

Just as parenting is a shared responsibility, so is kickstarting a child’s love of learning. I want more men to play a positive role in educating and caring for our next generation. That’s why we’re supporting the Fatherhood Institute to encourage men from all walks of life into early years careers, to give children the best start in life and be a part of this important and rewarding sector.

To support careers advisers and early years employers across the country, the project will spearhead an innovative recruitment drive that

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highlights the positive roles men can play in the crucial first years of a child’s education.

Using the government’s new investment, the Fatherhood Institute will provide practical resources like mythbusters, ‘how-to’ guides and online content to support male recruitment into the profession, as well as online peer support for men already working in the sector.

The project’s ambition is to reflect the diversity of modern Britain within early years settings, where both parents play an increasingly active role in their child’s development.

Dr Jeremy Davies, Head of Communications at the Fatherhood Institute, who will lead the project, said: We are delighted to be leading this work on behalf of the early years sector. Old-fashioned attitudes about caring and education being ‘women’s work’ have no place in modern Britain – the world has moved on, dads are doing more hands-on childcare than ever before, and our nurseries and preschools need to catch up.

We want careers advisers and employers to

reach out and support men into early years work – including dads and other men with experience of looking after children, and those who have the interest and skills to build on. We all understand the importance of helping women into STEM careers; this is the other side of the same coin.

The grant will also help fund a national conference to further promote early years careers to fathers, other men with experience of looking after children and those with an existing interest in improving children’s early education.

The Fatherhood Institute’s project forms part of the government’s wider efforts to give children the best start in life by strengthening the early years workforce, including the Department’s £20 million Professional Development Programme targeted at better training for early years staff working in more deprived areas.

This contributes to the Education Secretary Damian Hinds’ wider ambition to halve the percentage of children who leave reception without early communication or reading skills, through supporting the early years sector and building on the national mission to support children’s learning at home.

SEND MAGAZINE SUMMER 2019

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NEWS

Department for Education confirm plans to simplify school accountability

In a speech to the NAHT conference, Damian Hinds also announced a call for evidence on high needs funding

SPEAkING at the National Association of Head Teachers’ annual conference in Telford today, the Education Secretary Damian Hinds announced a new call for evidence on high needs funding and confirmed plans to remove floor and coasting standards in favour of a single trigger for school support.

Simplifying accountability At last year’s NAHT conference the Secretary of State said he would simplify the accountability system to reduce undue pressure on school leaders, which can lead to excessive workload that distracts teachers from teaching.

Between January and March we consulted on proposals which set out plans to create a new single, transparent method for identifying schools eligible for improvement support.

These proposals removed the floor and coasting standards and instead using Ofsted Requires Improvement as the sole trigger to identify schools for support.

We received 267 responses to the consultation, the majority of which supported the proposals: • 82% of respondents supported the proposal to use Ofsted Requires Improvement judgements to identify schools eligible for these DfE offers of support.

• 82% of respondents agreed that we should remove floor and coasting data standards.

So from September 2019, the DfE will only use Ofsted Requires Improvement judgements as the sole trigger to identify schools for a proactive, optional offer of support.

The outcome of the consultation can be read in full here and the Secretary of State’s speech at the NAHT conference here.

Call for evidence on High Needs Over a quarter of a million pupils with the most complex needs have personalised

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SUMMER 2019 SEND MAGAZINE

Education, Health and Care Plans – following their introduction in 2014 to make sure young people get the tailored support they need to thrive.

Of those students with Education Health and Care Plans almost 120,000 are continuing their education in mainstream schools, while the number of pupils whose needs are being met in special schools has gone up from 94,000 in 2014 to over 112,00 in 2018.

And whilst the the High Needs Budget has risen from £5billion in 2013 to over £6billion today, we need to make sure that we

understand what is driving the costs in the system.

Ahead of the Spending Review, Education Secretary Damian Hinds will ask schools and colleges for their views on how to make funding arrangements for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities more effective.

The department will now work with all those involved in the SEND system to hear directly about how it can work better to improve outcomes for young people and whether funding could be distributed more effectively.

The call for evidence launches today and will run until 31st July.

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NEWS

Education Secretary to work with sector on special needs funding

Damian Hinds asks schools, colleges and local authorities how the funding system for pupils with special needs and disabilities could improve

IN a speech to the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) today (3 May 2019), the Education Secretary will launch a Call for Evidence on the funding arrangements for pupils with complex Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and praise the work of schools, teachers and support workers for enabling those pupils to achieve great outcomes.

Over a quarter of a million pupils with the most complex needs have benefited from personalised Education, Health and Care Plans since 2014, giving them the tailored support they need to thrive. Alongside this the High Needs Budget, money set aside for pupils with SEND and those in alternative provision, has risen from £5 billion in 2013 to over £6 billion today.

But as we approach the Spending Review, Education Secretary Damian Hinds will ask schools and colleges for their views on how to make funding arrangements for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities more effective.

As the needs of children are changing, the support that schools are providing reflects this additional complexity.

There are now almost 120,000 pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans who are continuing their education in mainstream schools, while the number of pupils whose needs are being met in special schools has risen to over 112,000 in the last five years.

The Secretary of State will say: Teachers change lives, we all know this, and nowhere more so than in the incredible work

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they do to support children with special educational needs and disabilities. They have my huge admiration and thanks for that work.

We introduced Education, Health and Care Plans to help that work and thousands of children with the most complex needs are now receiving more tailored support to help their learning. That support needs investment and while we have already hugely increased spending in this area, I recognise that providing for additional complexities can put additional pressures on schools.

Following this huge reform, I want to make sure we have the best understanding of how our system for funding children with high needs is operating on the ground – and whether there are improvements we can make so every pound of public money we spend is building opportunities for young people.

I’ve made clear that I will back head teachers to have the resources they need to provide the best education possible for every child – that ambition is no different for children with SEND, nor should it be. So I hope teachers and leaders will work with me to lead a system that unlocks every child’s potential.

Since bringing in Education, Health and Care plans, the department has continued to invest in provision for children and young people with SEND. In December 2018 the Education Secretary announced that he would provide an extra £250 million up to 2020 to help local authorities manage high

needs cost pressures, as well as £100 million funding to create more SEND places in mainstream schools, colleges and special schools.

An additional £31.6 million has also been invested to train more than 600 new Educational Psychologists, who are critical in identifying special educational needs and carrying out assessments.

These changes have increased the amount of tailored support children and young people with SEND are receiving but it has increased demands on the education sector.

The department will now work with all those involved in the SEND system to hear directly about how it can work better to improve outcomes for young people and whether funding could be distributed more effectively.

The call for evidence launches today and will run until 31st July.

Further information: • We introduced Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans so that support can be tailored to each individual to better prepare young people for adulthood and improve their outcomes.

• In March, we confirmed funding of over £30 million to train more Educational Psychologists to help meet increasing demand for their services. We are launching three new training rounds from 2020 which will see over 600 new Educational Psychologists trained to make sure there is a sufficient supply to be able to help to carry out the EHC plan process.

SEND MAGAZINE SUMMER 2019 9

NEWS

New guidance on reducing restraint in special schools and services

THE Government has today published long-awaited guidance on reducing restraint and restrictive intervention for children and young people whose behaviour is challenging as a result of autism, learning disabilities or mental health difficulties. This guidance applies to special schools and to health and social care services for young people.

It does not apply to mainstream schools – but the Government has also announced today that it is consulting on whether to produce similar guidance for mainstream schools, post-16 settings and alternative provision.

The new guidance states clearly that special schools and other settings should avoid using restraint and restrictive interventions wherever possible.

Children in special schools may struggle to communicate their needs, and schools need to identify what is causing children to behave in ways that challenge and what they are trying to communicate. It says: “Behaviour is a means of communication and

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has a cause and a purpose.

Behaviour that challenges may signal a need for support and it is essential to understand its underlying causes.”

The guidance emphasises the importance of upholding children’s rights, valuing them as members of the community they are in, and respecting their families as partners. It also says that schools and other settings need to ensure they fulfil their duties under the Equality Act 2010, including the duty to think ahead and make reasonable adjustments to avoid discriminating against disabled people.

There are a number of key actions for schools and other settings, including: - Having a clear policy for meeting the needs of individual children and young people and understanding the causes of behaviour.

- knowing the law and having clear accountability arrangements for supporting children and for any use of restraint.

SUMMER 2019 SEND MAGAZINE

- Involving children and their parents or carers in decisions relating to behaviour and the use of restraint.

- Having sound measures in place for training and developing staff.

Recognising the impact on individuals of the environment they are in. This is particularly relevant to autistic children and young people, who may struggle with sensory overload or high levels of anxiety.

Reaction Tim Nicholls, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the National Autistic Society, said: “This guidance is long overdue.

Restraint and restrictive intervention should only ever be a last resort to prevent a child seriously harming themselves or the people around them. We welcome how clearly the guidance states that schools and other services should work to understand what a child’s needs are and why they may behave in particular ways if those needs aren’t understood and met.

“What looks like naughty or disruptive behaviour is often an

indication that an autistic child is overwhelmed, anxious or distressed. This can happen if they’re overcome by the demands being made of them or by their school environment – things like things like bright lights, sudden noises, unclear instructions or other children’s unpredictable behaviour can trigger extreme levels of anxiety.

The guidance describes it as ‘distressed behaviour’, which is a much better way of seeing it.

“It is vital that all staff in specialist and mainstream schools and other services have autism training, so they can understand autistic children and young people and what strategies work best to support them.

“Around 70% of children on the autism spectrum go to mainstream school. So it’s really important that the Government produces similar guidance for mainstream schools, colleges, and alternative provision.

“If any families are looking for any information or advice about schools, we would encourage them to contact our Education Rights Service.” www.sendmagazine.co.uk

NEWS

One of the largest mental health trials launches in schools

Up to 370 schools to join one of the largest trials in the world to boost the evidence about what works to support mental health and wellbeing HUNDREDS of children and young people will learn how to use a range of innovative techniques to promote good mental health through one of the largest studies in the world of its kind.

pilots, also run by the Anna Freud Centre, will look at providing improved mental health assessments for children entering the care system. Currently an estimated half of all children in care meet the criteria for a possible mental health disorder, compared to one in ten children outside the care system, so these pilots – backed by £1 million announced last year - will identify the mental health and broader wellbeing needs of these children, including whether a referral to a more specialist service is needed.

Education Secretary Damian Hinds announced that up to 370 schools in England will take part in a series of trials testing different approaches to supporting young people’s mental health.

Children will benefit from mindfulness exercises, relaxation techniques and breathing exercises to help them regulate their emotions, alongside pupil sessions with mental health experts. The study will run until 2021 and aims to give schools new, robust evidence about what works best for their students’ mental health and wellbeing.

Mr Hinds also confirmed the nine areas across the country that will trial new high-quality mental health assessments for young people entering care, helping them get the support they need to meet their individual needs at a time when they are more vulnerable.

Education Secretary Damian Hinds said: As a society, we are much more open about our mental health than ever before, but the modern world has brought new pressures for children, while potentially making others worse.

Schools and teachers don’t have all the answers, nor could they, but we know they can play a special role which is why we have launched one of the biggest mental health trials in schools.

These trials are key to improving our understanding of how practical, simple advice can help young people cope with the

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pressures they face.

To support this, we’re introducing compulsory health education in all schools, within which children will start to be introduced gradually to issues around mental health, wellbeing and happiness right from the start of primary school.

We are rolling out significant additional resources to schools to improve mental health provision at an earlier stage through the Government’s Green Paper proposals, including awareness of ‘mental health first aid’ techniques and teams of trained mental health staff to work with and in schools.

Led by the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families in partnership with University College London, the school study is now in its second wave and recruiting more primary and secondary schools to join.

The trials are designed to explore the impact of different approaches at school, in recognition of the significant time children spend at school and the important role teachers can play in recognising changes in pupils’ behaviour or mood.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: I want to see all children and young people have the opportunity to flourish – and protecting their mental health is vital to this.

The areas include two of the Government’s Opportunity Areas Doncaster and the North Yorkshire Coast, where the programme will examine which professionals should be involved in the assessment and develop best practice that ensures every child’s individual needs are at the centre of the process.

I’m incredibly excited by this initiative, which will help young people better understand their mental health and identify when they need to ask for help sooner.

To explore what works in schools to support young people’s mental wellbeing, the trials will test five different approaches. These include:

Two approaches focused on increasing awareness in secondary schools through short information sessions either led by a specialist instructor or by trained teachers.

These include a set of tools to increase understanding of mental health and mental disorders among both pupils and teachers.

Three approaches in primary and secondary schools that focus on lighter-touch approaches such as exercises drawn from mindfulness practice, breathing exercises and muscle relaxation techniques and recognising the importance of support networks including among their own peers.

The mental health assessment

Action for Children’s director of policy and campaigns, Imran Hussain, said: Every day our frontline services see children and teenagers struggling to get to grips with how they fit into the increasingly complex modern world contending with things like intense pressure at school, bullying or problems at home, all while being bombarded by social media.

It’s really encouraging to see the Government taking action to tackle the children’s mental health crisis by trialling different approaches in schools. We know from our own school programmes how vital it is to step in early with support to stop problems in their tracks. Crucially, services like these can lessen the anxiety, pain and anguish that some teens go through, but also reduce their need for intensive support further down the line.

SEND MAGAZINE SUMMER 2019 11

W E N For reading and spelling, ages 5-16+

Wordshark, the trusted resource for literacy intervention, SEND and EAL has been rebuilt to go online, allowing access from school and from home.

To request a FREE TRIAL of the pre-launch version of Wordshark Online, email: online@wordshark.co.uk

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SUMMER 2019 SEND MAGAZINE

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Benefits of Wordshark Online

• Accessible 24/7 in the classroom and at home by students and teachers • Accurately places and progresses each student based on their performance • Offers a variety of courses - or create your own word lists • Tracks and reports on mastery and progress • Rewards effort for maximum engagement • Appeals to both young learners and teens

Find out more: www.wordshark.co.uk/online www.sendmagazine.co.uk

SEND MAGAZINE SUMMER 2019

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SEND for supply staff: where to go, what to do What could/should you expect from a school as a supply teacher? Garry Freeman writes.

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SUMMER 2019 SEND MAGAZINE

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PREPARATION for your role in school, whether for just a day or a medium to longer term supply cover, is so important. This is particularly so in the case of the most needy, and possibly also the most disadvantaged, young people with whom you will be working.

Many supply colleagues arrive at school in good time to read the materials they are given and to begin to grasp the wider issues around the school as well as any individual students. If you are unable to do this then it would be useful if at all possible to find some time during the day to acquire some preparatory understanding of your classes. If time really is short, try to make yourself known to leaders/key staff in the department(s) in which you are working. They are undoubtedly the experts on the students you will be taking.

If you are in a longer term supply post, you could see improved understanding of your students’ needs as a personal development opportunity to gain a more detailed and practical understanding of different kinds of SEND.

What basic information is it reasonable to expect?

• A clear list of your classes, the rooms they will be in, and a map of the school.

• Clear unambiguous information for each lesson about the staff you could call on if you have any in-lesson queries or issues.

• Names and possibly photos and the location of key staff from your perspective as a supply teacher: cover coordinator/HR officer, heads of relevant departments, the SENCo, any behaviour support staff, heads of key stages for example.

• Clear information on how to call for support if needed.

• At least a summary of any code of conduct

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and details of any reasonable adjustments the school makes to meet the needs of its SEND students.

• Clear information on the various needs of your students.

What is the clear information and what form could it reasonable take?

The SEND Register Every school will have its own version of a ‘register’ of those students who have special educational needs and disabilities. The best schools will have registers which contain information not only on the relevant SEND of each individual but also on strategies to use with that young person in the classroom. Many schools will now include photos of the young people with the most complex needs as part of the bespoke information pack they can offer supply colleagues. Look for information packs which can also offer you: • Generic advice and guidance on a wide range of special needs and disabilities and what these can mean in respect of a young person’s learning and communication.

• At least a summary of provision and outcomes for any of your students who have a Statement of SEN or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

Additional adult support Always remember that where a lesson is covered by a supply teacher, the additional adult (teaching assistant/learning support assistant/volunteer) can be the difference between a successful, positive experience for everyone, and a lesson where things go wrong, leaving teacher and students with negative emotions. On most occasions the additional adult will have background knowledge and experience of the SEND students (for that

matter on other students too) which can be invaluable to the supply teacher. Deploy them wisely in your classroom: ask them for tips about individual and groups of students, find out what’s worked for the class and anything they may have struggled with recently.

SEND documents which can help If you have time before beginning a placement, or during the day, the SEN Information Report and the school’s SEND Policy are documents which you can find and become acquainted with.

Of these two documents, the SEN Information report is by far the more important and the most pertinent when it comes to working in a classroom with young people who have SEND. The school’s SIR is a working document: it should tell the story of provision at the school.

My advice is to always, wherever and whenever possible, check out the Information Report because it will give you a flavour of how the school addresses and provides for the increasingly complex issue of special needs and disability as a community of learners. It can and should also guide what your approach should be when working with learners who have SEND. Remember also to check out the fuller versions of policies on: - Behaviour/conduct - How the school meets the needs of disadvantaged students and how they are closing the gap for various groups.

Garry Freeman, SENDCo and Assistant Principal, National SEND System Leader, Associate of Leeds Beckett University.

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What is Sensory Integration?

Difficulties with sensory integration can affect the development of engagement and attention skills.

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 of special educational needs and disabilities it is essential that we address sensory integration difficulties as early as possible in order for interventions in

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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.” (CaseSmith & 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 self-stimulation to compensate for limited sensory input. The self-regulatory 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) • 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 • Deep pressure vests • Massage • Oral motor chew tools

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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

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

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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 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

Visual

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 etc.

• 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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Attachment issues:

how can you help your pupils?

Garry Freeman writes about attachment theory and ‘Circles of security’

TWENTY years ago, Glen Cooper, kent Hoffman, and Bert Powell, combined object relations with attachment theory to create a model for supporting families. They reduced complex theory into an elegantly simple yet powerful graphic called the “Circle of Security.” This graphic of parents attending to a child’s needs has two open hands: From the upper hand an arc extending outward, represents the secure base, with the words as if expressed by the child – “I need you to support my exploration,” and more concretely, “I need you to watch over me, delight in me, help me and enjoy with me.” From the lower hand, an arc extending outward, represents the safe haven, with the words as if expressed by the child, “I need you to welcome my coming to you,” and more concretely, “I need you to protect me, comfort me, delight in me and organize my feelings.” The two arcs, from the outstretched hands form one oval supporting exploration away from and welcoming back to comfort and safety.

It is estimated that in the average school classroom, there are 5 pupils with attachment disruption issues: when we are thinking about how best to work with and support pupils who have any attachment difficulties, we need to remind ourselves what the issues are.

• Attachment behaviour is all about survival.

• It’s ingrained in all of us from birth and binds us emotionally to those who are close to us.

• It is a positive bond between two or more individuals that joins them emotionally: this is why children who are looked after more often than not have attachment difficulties.

• Our attachment experiences are crucial and fundamental to our emotional, cognitive, physical and social development.

• Good, positive early attachments will promote resilience in the face of later, possibly traumatic and negative experiences.

• Attachment promotes adaptive development as we go through life.

If a child in my class has an attachment issue, what sort of behaviours might I see?

Remember: Very few children with attachment issues will show ALL of these symptoms.

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Checklist

Do they negotiate appropriately with adults?

Can they identify their own feelings?

Do they understand the thoughts, feelings and needs of others?

Do they trust appropriate adults?

Do they appear to understand ‘normal’ behaviour?

Do they show signs of ‘aloneness’, rejection and anger?

Do they have a façade of being confident and ‘untouchable’?

Do they try to control situations?

Do they send out intensely negative messages in various forms?

Tips There are different types of attachment difficulty or disorder and if we focus on the labels then we could confuse how can help our pupils. It is more productive if we think about the characteristics of positive attachment – and therefore how we can change and adapt our classroom practice to enable our pupils to have those positive experiences in their life.

YES

NO

What does positive attachment look like?

• Child can be separated from parent/carer • Child is able to emotionally self-regulate • Child feels comfortable seeking reassurance from parent/carer when frightened or unsure • Greets the return of parent/carer with positive emotions • Prefers the presence and company of parent/carer to strangers • Child is able to trust appropriate adults such as teachers and friends of parents/carers.

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Checklist:

how can I support and help my pupils who have attachment issues?

Am I realistic about my physical and verbal behaviour towards them?

Do I let them see my feelings and emotions in an appropriate way?

Do I understand any effects the classroom environment can have on them?

Do I consciously try to provide a positive role-model for my pupils?

Do I provide win/win situations for my pupils?

Do I give clear, consistent guidelines and boundaries?

Do I use clear, consistent guidelines and boundaries?

Am I honest and truthful as far as possible with my pupils?

Am I sensitive to my pupils’ feelings?

In confrontational situations, are my responses calm and measured?

Am I clear that it is their behaviour I do not like, not them?

Do I listen to them?

Do I understand that my pupils often communicate in non-verbal ways?

Do I remember that I am responsible for helping my pupils make positive attachments?

Do I offer pupils a safe, secure environment so that they feel able to express their feelings?

Am I nurturing, with soothing, supportive, non-verbal and positive care routines?

Do I help my pupils to understand that as they grow up they can be more positive about attachment?

DO I tell them what behaviours annoy/irritate and why?

Do I try to personalise my support for pupils with attachment issues?

Do I try to anticipate their behaviours?

Do I let them know that I am anticipating their behaviours?

Tips • Behind every child who underperforms or misbehaves there is a story; the story is acted out in the classroom.

• Remember that you might be the only adults who can make a difference in a child’s life.

• You have the emotional skills and the resources to make that difference.

• Powerful emotional experiences are often felt by a teacher who works with and supports a child with attachment issues. They begin to feel the powerlessness, helplessness and the

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rage that some pupils are unable to manage and so project into others.

• Teachers who support pupils with attachment issues need to be supported.

If you consistently monitor any pupil who has attachment issues and adapt your behaviour, verbal and non-verbal, how can it benefit them?

They can: • Learn that these adults are not afraid of them • Understand that these adults accept

Always

Sometimes

him/her as a person • Learn that the world can be safe for them • Learn that they can trust others • Learn that adults do listen

Garry Freeman, SENDCo and Assistant Principal, National SEND System Leader, Associate of Leeds Beckett University.

Circle of security graphic see www.circleof security.net

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B5

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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.

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Time for change

Simon Carnell, former head of Pembroke Special School talks about the preparation for change and transition planning AS Special Education practitioners we spend each day teaching skills vital for our learners to progress in their lives. Our teaching prepares them for their next academic steps, an understanding of the world around them and daily living skills. There has been an increased awareness in recent years that we must also prepare young people emotionally and socially for their adult life.

Through the teaching of Citizenship and Personal and Social Education (PSHE) we are able to address many issues that our learners will face, but all too often we fail to devote enough attention to two of the most important: “Change” and “Transitions”.

Others sectors, particularly psychology and business management have researched and considered these two concepts since the early 1970’s and many of their findings can be used to assist us in Special Education and improve the way we plan and prepare our learners.

We must first understand the difference between the two concepts: "Change is situational: the new site, the new

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boss, the new team roles, and the new policy.

Transition is the psychological process people go through to come to terms with the new situation.

Change is external, transition is internal."

(Addison-Wesley, 1991, p.3)

When considering these distinctions in schools we can look to the work of Lockhart and Young (1995) who observe, “Change is an event, a happening, which may or may not be announced; transition is the process which follows during which individuals or organisations get used to, make sense of, and start to live with the change.”

It is reasonable to conclude that only significant changes will require transition planning in order to support young people with a learning difficulty. We ordinarily define “Significant” as a change in placement or key Stage when we consider “Transition” but we should consider widening this classification to include the following:

• Class or group alterations including peers • Change of location for regular activities • Adjustments in timetabling or duration of lessons • Family events, holidays, births of siblings and moving home.

The principles we apply in planning the learner’s transition process will remain the same but the level of intensity and duration will vary depending on the significance of the change.

Key Principle for a Successful Transition Plan

Time

Perhaps the most important aspect of Transition planning is allowing an appropriate length of time for the work to be completed.

Hopson et Al (1976) produced the “Transition Cycle” while researching an individual’s emotional state following negative life changes particularly bereavement and loss.

Subsequent research has shown that positive life events such as new jobs, marriages and www.sendmagazine.co.uk

moving house have as much potential for psychological disruption as negative ones. If we consider the figure below and the phases of emotion an individual will move through when planning our time scales, we will increase our chances of an efficient plan.

Transition Cycle

Williams (1999) shows that regardless of whether the transition event is perceived as positive or negative the process of adjustment is similar. After an initial period of shock, where either excitement or disbelief will be felt, the learner will approach the change with a more positive outlook. It is essential that at this point we do not become complacent and are prepared for a period of crisis. This period must be handled with care using additional support systems or strategies tailored to the individual learner. If handled correctly the young person will progress to full acceptance of the situation change.

Co-Operation

It has been acknowledged by the government, schools and agencies involved with young people with learning difficulties over the past few years that the transition process has needed improvement. Although an effort to develop higher quality transition planning has taken placed it has yet to become integrated across services and can still represent an “all or nothing” system.

Frequently young people are having several different “transition plans” despite overlaps appearing. The changes in Education Law in England and draft Additional Learning Needs Bill in Wales are taking steps to address these problems. The working practice set out in these documents has yet to become embedded and so as educators we should be leading transition planning. We are best

placed to co-ordinate agencies and placements whilst being able to identify the support needed for our learners.

Individualised

Legislative changes in both England and Wales promote using a “Person Centred”

approach to the program of young people with a learning disability. It is highly recommended that this is also at the heart of all transition planning as it will give an accurate view of the young person’s wishes and needs. The plan should take into account the level of need for each individual and be adapted accordingly as they progress towards their final goal.

When creating a transition plan, thought should be given to all of the principles outlined above. By considering the timescale needed, the views of the young person, parents and professionals you can set out an initial plan that will highlight potential problems. By setting regular reviews with relevant people and introducing support when required the process of “Change” and “Transition” can always end positively.

Further information

The Government has funded a number of programmes over the past few years that have focused on raising aspirations and opportunities at transition. These include: www.transitionsupportprogramme.org.uk www.gettingalife.org.uk www.preparingforadulthood.org.uk Valuing Employment Now (2009-11)

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More specialised work in the area of Transition has been completed by the “Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities”.

Further information can be found at www.learningdisabilities.org.uk

“Young people are having several different transition plans. The changes in Education Law are taking steps to address these problems.”

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Self-belief and self-efficacy:

helping young people believe they can succeed.

Heather Stack writes.

IN June 1995, working as an advisory teacher for a local authority, the team were sent on a 5-day training course, Investment in Excellence by the Pacific Institute. Despite my misgivings about whole team compulsory training, it remains one of a small number of courses that had a profound and significant influence on my life and continues to influence my practice today.

For those unfamiliar with Investment In Excellence, the programme was at the forefront of thinking on themes such as credibility and self-efficacy, how our mind works, the success model, habits and attitudes, comfort zones, the power of self-esteem, the imprinting process, forethought and affirmation.

I’ve been mulling over the SEND crisis campaign which has made an impact across the country, alerting to possible shortfalls in council funding, and to a loss of confidence in local authorities to meet the needs of many thousands of children at SEN Support or with EHC plans. And I wonder how much this highly emotive campaign filters down to what is happening at the chalk-face, in schools and classrooms and homes day by day?

All children need to believe in their own capacity to achieve, to feel successful, to gain in confidence across many contexts of their life.

Where that is problematic at an individual level, it further undermines that capacity when young people are witness to a multitude of media reports and local activity highlighting the many needs of the individuals at the heart of the matter – needs which it may be inferred, will not change whilst the crisis continues.

It seems pertinent to me to address this theme, of how best do we support young people with SEND to feel capable of success, to believe in their own self-efficacy, particularly at this sensitive and challenging time? These are issues that transcend boundaries of the education setting and home, as relevant for parents and carers as for professionals.

vital forces in the subsequent success or failure they attain… These self-efficacy beliefs are the foundation for motivation, well-being and personal accomplishment. Frank Pajares, 2005, Self-efficacy during childhood and adolescence.

Self-efficacy beliefs are people's beliefs about their ability to produce desired outcomes through their own actions. These beliefs are among the most important determinants of the behaviours people choose to engage in and how much they persevere in their efforts in the face of obstacles and challenges. James E Maddox, 2009 Self-efficacy

How do children acquire self-efficacy?

The originator of the theory, Albert Bandura, names four sources of efficacy beliefs.

1. Mastery experiences (Building Block 1) The first and foremost source of self-efficacy is through mastery experiences. Having a success, in whatever field, will build self-belief in that area, whilst failure will undermine that efficacy belief.

2. Vicarious experiences (Building Block 2) The second source of self-efficacy comes from our observation of people around us, including those we consider as role models. Seeing similar people succeed by their sustained effort helps us

Firstly, how do we define self-efficacy?

Self-efficacy is the belief in our ability to cause or bring about (desired change). Lou Tice, The Pacific Institute The beliefs that young people hold about their capability to succeed in their endeavours are

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believe that we can be successful too.

3. Verbal persuasion (Building Block 3) Significant others, parents, educators, friends, support staff, can strengthen a child’s belief in their own ability to succeed. Persuading a child that they can succeed leads to greater and more sustained effort when problems arise.

4. Emotional and physiological states (Building Block 4)

All children experience fluctuations in their mood state. Low mood states, unhappiness and agitation will dampen confidence, whilst joy, excitement and enthusiasm will boost confidence and belief in their own skill.

Psychologist James Maddox promoted a 5th route to self-efficacy through ‘imaginal experiences’ the art of visualising yourself behaving or performing successfully in any given situation.

Case Study 1: Here are the words of a Year 5 pupil who saw her life as a series of daily disappointments.

• I don’t have anyone to play with at break time and after school • I’m always the last one to be chosen for games, especially when we have wet play • What is the point? I can’t see what the point is of anything.

The scenario is familiar, repeated in countless schools, and played out in many homes in those heart-wrenching discussions between parent and child, often as bedtime looms. Before my involvement there were multiple missed opportunities over a protracted period for teachers, support staff including lunch-time supervisors and the girls’ parents to observe acute signs of loneliness and social isolation in this young girl. The rigid demands of a ‘robust academic curriculum’ take its toll on young people’s social, emotional and mental health

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and causes the best of professionals to miss, at times, needs that dominate, or to believe them less significant than academic needs.

Recommendations were made in my assessment advice which included setting the priority focus on SEMH which included the development of self-efficacy, beginning with small steps. What can make a difference to play times and friendships? What would you like to happen tomorrow? Who can you invite to play a game of your choice? What will the change you want look like, sound like, feel like? In visualising this change, the child is encouraged to create a new reality, one that better matches want, needs and aspirations. For those trained in solutionsfocused therapy, the approach will be familiar.

Case Study 2: The mother of a ten-year old boy, with a great enthusiasm for sport, felt her son was becoming increasingly agitated and anxious. She had shared her concerns with the school, and discussions centred around a referral to CAMHS.

The boy couldn’t ‘handle failure’ academically or in a sporting context. He had joined a tennis team at school, an act the mother felt was reckless as he would be ‘quite out of his league’.

In discussing this with her husband, to allay potential embarrassment, they booked their son onto an intensive half-term tennis coaching programme. But his volatile behaviour at the tennis camp caused concern as he erupted into outburst of rage when he played badly.

Who owns the anxiety? Is it the child or the mother or both? What is the trigger for the anxiety? Who is afraid of failure? Who is letting down whom? Conversations, and having time to talk and unpick what is really going on, are invaluable in finding new and better ways forward.

There are mixed elements of self-efficacy here, with the parents, on the one hand, creating opportunities for their son to develop Mastery (Building Block 1).

But that good work is undone by the hidden message that this child has made a poor choice in joining a tennis team because he’s clearly not good enough. So rather than Verbal Persuasion, (Building Block 3) we have the undermining of confidence by both parents.

To add to that, we have a negative experience in Building Block 4, Emotional and Physiological State. Rather than the child becoming more confident, successful and optimistic, this young man has become frustrated at the demands placed on him in a tennis-dominated half term.

The parents were encouraged to value their son’s decision-making and to support and encourage without undermining his sense of competency. Having confidence that the school would not willingly set a child up for failure in matching him against much stronger players, is also a necessary ingredient.

In this way, the need for the anxious, agitated child to develop self-efficacy makes perfect sense. The temptation to wade in and make a referral to mental health services (CAMHS) to assess the child for an anxiety disorder before the problem has been fully understood must be resisted at all costs.

In an article for TES Teacher, January 2005, Steve Voake’s article on Self-Efficacy – Dare to Dream, has value today.

“If we want to build an inclusive society which values creativity and individuality, then we need to do more than just supply the tools. We need to give our children the skills and confidence with which to invent their own future. This is where the teaching of self-efficacy comes in.”

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Pajares’s paper gives advice for teachers, which includes 1. Engage in effective modelling practices 2. Select appropriate peer models 3. Praise effort and persistence, not ability 4. Make a moment memorable 5. Be alert to the unintended messages you send 6. Help young people learn to read their feelings 7. Foster optimism and a positive outlook on life 8. Foster competence and confidence 9. Ask young people about their self-efficacy 10. Make self-regulatory practices automatic and habitual 11. Encourage a proactive sense of personal agency 12. Build and nurture your own self-efficacy I’m closing with a lovely extract from a favourite child’s book – The Little Engine that Could, by Watty Piper (US, 1930).

“Oh, Little Blue Engine,” cried the dolls and toys.

“Will you pull us over the mountain? Our engine has broken down and the good boys and girls on the other side will have no toys to play with unless you help us. Please, please, help us, Little Blue Engine.”

“I’m not very big,” said the Little Blue Engine.

“They use me only for switching in the yard. I have never been over the mountain.”

Then she said, “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.” And she hitched herself to the little train.

She tugged and pulled and pulled and tugged and slowly, slowly, slowly they started off.

“I think I can. I think I can. I think I can. I know I can.”

And the Little Blue Engine smiled and seemed to say as she puffed steadily down the mountain.

“I thought I could. I thought I could. I thought I could.”

What are you doing today to give the children in your care a firm sense of belief in their own abilities? What are you doing to foster selfefficacy, in yourself and in others? How well do you monitor your language to ensure your words and tone match your intentions?

Heather Stack is a SEND Consultant and Founder of The Local Offer, a national independent local offer. She is available for contractual work with local authorities, schools and parents and can be contacted via heather@thelocaloffer.co.uk. The website can be found at www.thelocaloffer.co.uk

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SUMMER 2019 SEND MAGAZINE

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Understanding: Motor impairments

Meet Thomasl: He enjoys being with his friends. He works hard in his lessons and has a support assistant in class and PE lessons. He has visits from his Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist and Speech & Language therapist. But he uses a wheelchair to get about and spends time in a standing frame daily to give him a stretch. He relies on his peers for help both in class and during break times. You need to listen carefully to understand what he‘s saying. Tomas would like to be able to support others.

FACTS

• Motor impairments (MI) are generally defined as a longstanding (chronic) difficulty with movement caused by a physical, genetic or medical condition.

• Movement is a key component of physical, social, emotional and intellectual development so having a motor impairment can have an impact on a pupil‘s overall ability to participate in the school environment.

• MIs are also often associated with other medical, sensory, perceptual, psychological and learning difficulties which can make participation more of an effort for them.

Some Common Conditions affecting Motor Abilities: • Cerebral Palsy (CP) - caused by damage or lack of growth to part of the developing brain either before or during birth or into infancy. It is non-progressive but the effects on posture and movement change as the child grows and develops. There is a range of severity from mild clumsiness to total body involvement. There are 3 main types of Cerebral palsy: - Spasticity (muscles feel stiff and resistant to movement), - Athetosis(frequent involuntary movements) - Ataxia (jerky movements, unsteady walking and hand function and poor spatial awareness).

Depending on the area of the brain damaged, the distribution of the spasticity etc. might be confined to part of one limb (Monoplegia), one side of the body (Hemiplegia), the lower limbs with only some affect in the arms and hands (Diplegia) or total body involvement (Quadriplegia).

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• Duchene Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) – a type of muscular dystrophy due to a fault in the genes causing progressive muscle weakness as muscle cells break down and are gradually lost. The Duchene type affects only boys (with extremely rare exceptions).

Most affected boys develop the first signs of difficulty in walking at the age of 1 to 3 years and they often struggle to climb stairs. As the condition progresses boys with DMD are unable to walk as far or as fast as other children and may occasionally fall down. There may be associated moderate learning and or behavioural difficulties, which may begin to manifest at this stage commonly seen as problems with language and communication. By about 8 to 11 years, boys become unable to

SUMMER 2019 SEND MAGAZINE

walk and need to use a wheelchair. By their late teens or twenties the condition is severe enough to shorten life expectancy.

Most children with DMD cope pretty well in their local infant‘s school and in their first few years at junior school. Manual skills, design sense and imaginativeness are often excellent.

• Spina Bifida (Literally means ‘split spine’) - caused by a fault in the development of the spinal cord and the vertebrae (bones) surrounding it in the very early stages of foetal development. The most serious and common of the type of Spina Bifida is ‘Myelomeningocele‘ (the spinal cord protrudes through the gap in the vertebrae and forms a cyst).

Where this part of the spinal cord is not properly formed or damaged there will be paralysis

and loss of sensation (usually complete numbness) and fragile bones in the body and limbs below. Depending on where the damage is along the spine the impact will vary accordingly. If the lesion is very low, the pupil may be able to walk using crutches but more often than not, a wheelchair is required.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR ...

Pupils with motor impairments can become ‘Dis-abled‘ when access to the curriculum or school environments does not meet their physical, learning, social and emotional needs. This can also include the attitude of staff and pupils to their additional needs (positive, inclusive and nurturing or negative, exclusive and prejudicial). www.sendmagazine.co.uk

Having motor impairments can impact in 3 main areas: 1. Direct Physical Impact e.g.

• additional medical or nursing support to administer medication, toileting and feeding.

• frequent or prolonged absences from school due to illness, surgery or clinic appointments.

• use of special equipment for postural management (prevention of deformities or to enable function) or mobility.

• pain, cold extremities (hands and feet), sleep disorders, constipation or additional epilepsy 2. Participation e.g. involvement in all aspects of school life through INCLUSION. For example; pupils with CP do participate according to the level of their functional impairment but with a reduced intensity.

3. Quality of Life and psychological issues e.g.

• ‘Good days‘ equate to experiencing a sense of belonging, engaging in skilful participation, sharing in the benefits of engagement and participation and having their views and contributions valued.

• ‘Bad days‘ equate to being socially isolated, bullied, competence being questioned and restricted participation and engagement.

WHAT TO DO

• Consult with the SENCO and therapy team about www.sendmagazine.co.uk www.sendmagazine.co.uk

differentiating the curriculum and the need to use different tools and equipment.

• Involve the child and their parents – they are often very knowledgeable about the child‘s condition.

• Making friends is very important so offer opportunities for developing positive relationships with their peers as informal and formal support from them will help throughout their time in school.

• Bullying is a significant issue which can damage self-esteem and confidence. Be aware of any incidents and deal with according to school policy.

• Some disabled pupils feel they are treated differently from nondisabled pupils and that many teachers do not listen or understand their needs. Try to be inclusive with your time, your use of language and actions. Whether there is a longer processing time for movement and/or language when asking questions or giving instructions and WAIT for a response.

• Some disabled pupils have long journeys to and from school which can be tiring. They may also have disrupted sleep at night.

Performance may vary during the day so look for periods of reduced attention or physical ability and adapt lessons as appropriate.

• Transition from primary to secondary and secondary to higher or further education can be a very difficult time so children need more options and more

support at these times.

• Some parents can seem to be too involved in their child‘s education which can lead to occasional frustration and conflict from both sides. Try to remember that they are often faced with practical and emotional difficulties when caring for their child and have often had to ‘battle‘ for the services their child needs.

• If a child has not had a formal diagnosis or is newly diagnosed, the teacher is often the person who will detect changes (improvements and deterioration) and can raise concerns with the SENCO and school medical officer.

Be aware of difficulties getting up and down from the floor, frequent falls or episodes of pain for example.

• There is a high incidence of associated epilepsy amongst children with cerebral palsy in particular so be aware of lapses of attention or changes in behaviour and report them to the parents/carers and school nurse.

• When a pupil in your class has a specific disorder, find time to read up about it and consider how their difficulties might impact on their ability to access learning.

• Pupils may need to use special tools or equipment to enable them to function throughout the day. You need to be aware of these but the Health and support staff will be responsible for them.

Interestingly, many pupils see their mobility aids as an extension of themselves and not as we

might imagine, a barrier.

• Medical Equipment is rarely required but occasionally a pupil may require a portable respirator (for example following a high level spinal cord injury), a suction machine or a nebuliser. The School Nursing Service will be responsible for the care and use of this equipment during the school day.

Where to find help Pupils with MI are often known to a large multi-agency team of professionals. If you have concerns about the pupil‘s ability to access the curriculum you can contact the: • SENCO • Educational Psychology Service • Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist or Speech and Language Therapist

Useful Websites Families with Disabled Children – www.cafamily.org.uk Cerebral Palsy – www.scope.org.uk, www.cerebra.org.uk Muscular Dystrophy www.dfsg.org.uk Spina Bifida - www.asbah.org

Useful Books Allen J. Actively Seeking Inclusion: Pupils withSpecial Needs in Mainstream Schools 1999 Falmer Press London • Fox M. Including children 3-11 with physical disabilities: practical guidance for mainstream schools.

David Fulton Publishers London

January 2018 SEND MAGAZINE SUMMER 2019

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SEND Book shop PDA Paradox Harry Thompson

AN eloquently written insight into the world of PDA, Harry's memoir gives invaluable information to those looking to expand their knowledge of the autism spectrum. It covers his experiences of finishing school, holding down a job and forging meaningful relationships.

Turbulent at times, it ends on a note of hope

and positivity. Harry is now touring the country talking about PDA and explaining how a young adult with PDA might react to situations and what he would be thinking when requests are made of him.

Jessica Kingsley £12.99

Can You See Me? An autistic perspective, expected to fit in, proud to stand out!

Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott

Tally is eleven years old and she's just like her friends. Well, sometimes she is. If she tries really hard to be. Because there's something that makes Tally not the same as her friends. Something she can't cover up, no matter how hard she tries: Tally is autistic. Tally's autism means there are things that bother her even though she wishes they didn't. It means that some people misunderstand, her and feel frustrated by her. People think that because Tally's autistic, she doesn't realise what they're thinking, but Tally sees and hears - and notices - all of it. And, honestly, that's not the easiest thing to live with. This book is based on Libby's diary and she has teamed up with a professional author to turn out a humorous account of her life.

Scholastic £6.99

Assessment for Dyslexia and Learning Differences.

Gavin Reid and Jennie Guise

This is a concise guide aimed at parents and teachers with little SEN experience. By bridging the gap between schools' and parents' perspective on dyslexia assessment, this pocket guide is the perfect reading material for people working with children and young people with dyslexia. Covers practical strategies and useful resources.

Jessica Kingsley Publishers £12.99

Dyslexia & Spelling: Making sense of it all

Kelli Sandman Hurley This guide for parents and professionals gives tried and tested spelling strategies and ideas based on word meanings and roots. It will support dyslexic children’s individual word spelling and help to embed in the learner deeper and longer lasting techniques for improved spelling.

Jessica Kingsley £14.99

Identifying and Supporting Children with Sensory Processing Difficulties Tina Rae, Sarah Fulton and Laura Barton

This practical toolkit of resources will help you to identify and support children with sensory processing and integration difficulties. It provides clear definitions and details of sensory processing issues, as well as observable behaviours and checklists to highlight indicators of difficulties. This easy to implement Assessment will enable appropriate activities and strategies to be identified to provide the best possible support.

The 60 illustrated activities are divided into; - Visual (sight); - Tactile (touch); - Taste (Gustatory); - Smell (Olfactory); - Vestibular (balance)

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- Proprioception (Body awareness) These can be used with groups or individuals at home, school and other settings.

Photocopiable resources include sensespecific activities differentiated for use with individuals and groups; the PowerPoint slides; information sheets; classroom strategies; checklists; and sample OT referral forms. The CDRom includes a PowerPoint training programme for professionals, parents and carers as well as all activity sheets, the handouts & checklists.

Hinton House Publishers £29.99 www.sendmagazine.co.uk

Supporting children with Autism in the Primary Classroom.

Dawn Connor

Offers a wealth of strategies enabling you to support children with autism in the mainstream classroom. Cutting through the jargon and recognising the huge variety of ways in which children’s perceptions, feelings and behaviours may be affected by autism, the text is packed with practical advice to help you create a classroom environment which will meet the needs of the individual child.

The author looks at the most common social, practical and behavioural difficulties that a child with autism may face at school, then sets out tried and tested approaches for improving

their experiences and outcomes in your classroom.

Topics discussed include: - classroom layout, timetables and rules - effective communication - supporting learning and setting targets - breaks, unstructured times and school trips - challenging behaviours Speechmark £34.99

It's a PanDA Thing Rachel Jackson

“It’s a PanDA thing” is the third in a series of short picture stories aimed at supporting those first conversations between parents, carers and their children about an Autism, Aspergers or PDA related diagnosis.

Inspired by her own journey with her now 8yr old boy Leo and his brother Ben, the books do not aim to guide or explain symptoms or what they mean - just to very simply recognise and accept what it might feel like to those on the spectrum and those close to them - especially siblings and loved ones. Beautifully illustrated with the incredible artwork of Zeke Clough you will enjoy the gentle rhyming lilt of Rachel’s

prose and also the easy perspective she provides on her boys. The book also contains parents and carer notes provided by the PDA society and foreword by Harry Thompson.

To read the early part of Leo's journey see: The Thing: a young boy's journey with Asperger Syndrome.

SEN Books £8.50

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

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,

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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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