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Communication and interaction - assess, plan and strategies

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First Concerns - Stage One

Assess

Observed emerging and/or fluctuating difficulties with the following:

Language

  • Limited vocabulary knowledge, learning and using new words
  • Difficulty understanding words that are said to them or verbal instructions
  • Attention and concentration skills
  • Limited spoken language for their age
  • Poor organisation and sequencing
  • Echolalia (repetition of noises or words spoken by another person)
  • Difficulty in understanding abstract concepts and applying prior learning
  • Difficulty with receptive (understanding) and expressive (producing) language

Speech

  • Monotone speech
  • Unclear speech (Speech sound difficulties)
  • Stammer and/or difficulties getting words out
  • Nasal quality to speech in the absence of a cold
  • Unusual accent not linked to environment (what does this mean?)

Relating to others

  • Inability to interpret social cues correctly
  • Poor social timing
  • Lack of social empathy
  • Lack awareness of personal space
  • Difficulty maintaining appropriate eye contact
  • Lack of appropriate social conversational skills
  • Literal use and interpretation of language
  • Inability to see other people’s point of view
  • Resistance to change and difficulties with transitions
  • Removal of self from certain environments
  • Solitary play and unusually focused special interests
  • Difficulties taking part in conversation
  • Inappropriate use of facial expression

Sensory

  • Experiences sensory processing difficulties, which may be observed by the following (this is not an exhaustive list):
  • Actions such as rocking, stroking, flapping and/or hands over ears
  • A self-limiting diet
  • Difficulty with body temperature regulation, e.g. coat on and hood up on a hot day or t shirt with no jumper or coat on a cold day

Other

  • Frustration/anxiety due to social and communication difficulties
  • Poor self-esteem
  • Social and/or behavioural difficulties arising from low self-esteem, frustration, or communication difficultie

Plan

Class teacher liaises with parents/carers and child/young person on a regular basis – minimum of 3 meetings with parents within a 12-month period.

If necessary:

Strategies

Continue with any relevant strategies from initial observation stage, plus:

  • Continue to use the strategies suggested in the initial observation section of this toolkit
  • Ensure that you have a communication friendly environment Blackpool Classrooms That Communicate
  • Differentiated curriculum, resources and success criteria
  • Use a variety of visual supports
  • Create a timetable which is predictable and consistent, and includes unstructured times e.g. lunch
  • Provide quiet area for times
  • Encourage paired work between peers, provide peer to peer support for good role models (talking partners, providing opportunities for structured, purposeful interaction)
  • Adults to be aware of their own use of language and reduce the language demands. Complete the Elklan chat challenge (from Language Builders, only for schools who have completed the training)
  • Encourage child or young person to use gestures to support speech, e.g thumbs up or thumbs down, red/amber/green cards to demonstrate understanding
  • Ensure that preferred methods of communication (as well as level of eye-contact) known by all staff within school (including welfare staff)

First Concerns - Stage Two

Assess

Observed ongoing and/or fluctuating difficulties with the following:

Language

  • Limited vocabulary knowledge, learning and using new words
  • Difficulty understanding words that are said to them or verbal instructions
  • Attention and concentration skills
  • Limited spoken language for their age
  • Poor organisation and sequencing
  • Echolalia (repetition of noises or words spoken by another person)
  • Difficulty in understanding abstract concepts and applying prior learning
  • Difficulty with receptive (understanding) and expressive (producing) language

Speech

  • Monotone speech
  • Unclear speech (Speech sound difficulties)
  • Stammer and/or difficulties getting words out
  • Nasal quality to speech in the absence of a cold
  • Unusual accent not linked to environment (what does this mean?

Relating to others

  • Inability to interpret social cues correctly
  • Poor social timing
  • Lack of social empathy
  • Lack awareness of personal space
  • Difficulty maintaining appropriate eye contact
  • Lack of appropriate social conversational skills
  • Literal use and interpretation of language
  • Inability to see other people’s point of view
  • Resistance to change and difficulties with transitions
  • Removal of self from certain environments
  • Solitary play and unusually focused special interests
  • Difficulties taking part in conversation
  • Inappropriate use of facial expression

Sensory

  • Experiences sensory processing difficulties, which may be observed by the following (this is not an exhaustive list):
  • Actions such as rocking, stroking, flapping and/or hands over ears
  • A self-limiting diet
  • Difficulty with body temperature regulation, e.g. coat on and hood up on a hot day or t shirt with no jumper or coat on a cold day

Other

  • Frustration/anxiety due to social and communication difficulties
  • Poor self-esteem
  • Social and/or behavioural difficulties arising from low self-esteem, frustration, or communication difficulties

Plan

Class teacher liaises with parents/carers and child/young person on a regular basis – minimum of 3 meetings with parents within a 12-month period.

At this time:

  • Obtain and record updated parents’ views
  • Obtain and record updated child or young person’s views
  • Share and discuss the information from the Blackpool Classrooms That Communicate Checklists completed at First Concerns Stage 1

If available and/or appropriate:

  • Request Health Visitor and/or Nursery information
  • Examine Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Data and/or previous school records
  • Consider the completed Early Years WellComm assessment
  • Consider past teacher observations and views
  • Collate current assessments related to area of concern – qualitative, quantitative and summative
  • Consider any relevant health records that have been shared/provided (e.g. school health)
  • Observe and compare potential barriers to learning and participation across a range of contexts
  • Carry out further assessments as necessary. Class teacher to use:

Strategies

Class teacher to discuss findings with the SENCO and plan for interventions

Continue to use the strategies suggested in the Initial Observation and First Concerns Stage 1 of this toolkit

  • Have clearly differentiated success criteria
  • Allow extra time for processing information (10 second rule), formulating a response and completing tasks
  • Allow for frequent practice through recall and repetition
  • Present new information in small chunks, using simple language that is relevant to the child or young person (use the Chunk, Chill, Check rule)
  • Ensure that targets are SMART and achievable
  • Introduce new material in a multi-sensory way – show it, listen to it, look at it, hear it, say it, write it
  • Use visual strategies including task planners, mind maps, word maps, narrative frames and story grids Blackpool Classrooms That Communicate - Visual Support (google.com)
  • Pre-teach and recap relevant vocabulary. Staff to be aware of the vocabulary tiers  Pre-learning of topics and topic vocabulary
  • Make use of direct Playground Game teaching/ Personal, Social (and) Health (Education (PSHE) opportunities. Plan daily opportunities to teach specific skills such as sharing etc.
  • Explain words and phrases that have more than one meaning or may be misconstrued e.g. pull your socks up
  • Encourage discussion and prediction about stories (refer to Pie Corbett's developing story telling skills, 2007)
  • Use a language structured programme such as Colourful Semantics
  • Use a structured phonological awareness programme
  • Use a games approach to support social communication such as turn taking, following social rules and role play for structured interactions

SEN Support - Stage One

Assess

Observed persistent and moderate difficulties with the following:

Language

  • Limited vocabulary knowledge, learning and using new words
  • They don’t understand words that are said to them or verbal instructions
  • Attention and concentration skills
  • Poor organisation and sequencing
  • Limited spoken language for their age
  • Echolalia (repetition of noises or words spoken by another person)
  • Difficulty in understanding abstract concepts and applying prior learning
  • Difficulty with receptive (understanding) and expressive (producing) language

Speech

  • Monotone speech
  • Speech or sound production difficulties and/or differences
  • Stammer, difficulties getting words out and/or dysfluency (i.e. disruptions in forward flow and timing of speech)
  • Nasal quality to speech in the absence of a cold
  • Unusual accent not linked to environment or family influences

Relating to others

  • Inability to interpret social cues correctly
  • Poor social timing
  • Lack of social empathy
  • Unawareness of others’ personal space
  • Difficulty maintaining appropriate eye contact
  • Lack of appropriate social conversational skills
  • Literal use and interpretation of language
  • Rigidity and inflexibility of thought processes
  • Inability to see other people’s point of view
  • Resistance to change and difficulties with transitions
  • Solitary play and unusually focused special interests
  • Difficulties taking part in conversation
  • Inappropriate use of facial expression

Sensory

Sensory needs still affecting learning, for example:

  • Difficulties with large indoor and outdoor spaces (such as assembly/P.E/lunch hall)
  • Issues with background and/or white noise
  • Issues with certain scents and perfumes
  • Aversion to everyday touch
  • May touch/stroke others to self soothe/regulate

Other

  • Poor self-esteem
  • Frustration / anxiety due to social and communication difficulties
  • Social and behavioural difficulties
  • Behavioural difficulties arising from low self- esteem, frustration, communicatio
  • Inconsistent behaviour between home and school

Plan

SENCO, class teacher, parents/carers and child/young person continue to liaise on a regular basis with SENCo taking the lead having a minimum of 3 meetings within a 12 month period.

At this time:

  • Obtain and record updated parents’ views
  • Obtain and record updated child or young person’s views
  • Review strategies used at First Concerns stages
  • Complete (the appropriate support plan e.g. IEP, Pupil Passport etc. and review on a regular basis (e.g. at least termly)
  • Place child or young person on register as SEN Support (Code K)
  • Complete a referral to Speech and Language Therapy (list of SALTs available – link document)
  • Implement strategies (including targeted support and/or resources) up to agreed financial levels: Universal funding (AWPU) plus up to a maximum of £6,000
  • Ensure all staff involved in the teaching of the individual child are aware of their speech, language, social and communication difficulties
  • Ensure class teacher and teaching assistants receive relevant Continuing Professional Development (CPD), including any specific training as advised by Speech and Language Therapy service

Strategies

Continue with any relevant strategies from First Concerns stages, plus:

SEN Support - Stage Two
Speech, language and communication needs

Assess

Observed persistent and moderate difficulties with the following:

Difficulties relating to others

  • Inability to interpret social cues correctly
  • Poor social timing
  • Lack of social empathy
  • Unawareness of others’ personal space
  • Difficulty maintaining appropriate eye contact
  • Lack of appropriate social conversational skills
  • Literal use and interpretation of language
  • Rigidity and inflexibility of thought processes
  • Inability to see other people’s point of view
  • Resistance to change and difficulties with transitions
  • Solitary play and unusually focused special interests
  • Difficulties taking part in conversation
  • Inappropriate use of facial expression

Language

  • Limited vocabulary knowledge, learning and using new words
  • They don’t understand words that are said to them or verbal instructions
  • Attention and concentration skills
  • Poor organisation and sequencing
  • Limited spoken language for their age
  • Echolalia (repetition of noises or words spoken by another person)
  • Difficulty in understanding abstract concepts and applying prior learning
  • Difficulty with receptive (understanding) and expressive (producing) language

Speech

  • Monotone speech
  • Speech or sound production difficulties and/or differences
  • Stammer, difficulties getting words out and/or dysfluency (i.e. disruptions in forward flow and timing of speech)
  • Nasal quality to speech in the absence of a cold
  • Unusual accent not linked to environment or family influences

Sensory

Sensory needs still affecting learning, for example:

  • Difficulties with large indoor and outdoor spaces (such as assembly/P.E/lunch hall)
  • Issues with background and/or white noise
  • Issues with certain scents and perfumes
  • Aversion to everyday touch
  • May touch/stroke others to self soothe/regulate

Other

  • Poor self-esteem
  • Frustration / anxiety due to social and communication difficulties
  • Social and behavioural difficulties
  • Behavioural difficulties arising from low self- esteem, frustration, communication
  • Inconsistent behaviour between home and school

Plan

SENCO, Class teacher, parents/carers and child/young person and any external professionals liaise on a regular basis - minimum of 3 meetings within a 12 month period

  • Place child or young person on register as SEN Support (Code K)

Continue to:

  • Obtain and record updated parents’ views
  • Obtain and record updated child or young person’s views
  • Complete (the appropriate support plan e.g. IEP, Pupil Passport etc. and review on a regular basis (e.g. at least termly)
  • implement advice, strategies and care plan from SALT (as appropriate for individual child or young person)
  • Carry out and review further assessments as required and/or as advised by outside agencies and children’s services to consider the appropriate levels of support for the child or young person and their family
  • Ensure all staff involved in the teaching of the individual child are aware of their speech, language, social and communication difficulties
  • Ensure class teacher and teaching assistants receive relevant Continuing Professional Development (CPD), including any specific training as advised by Speech and Language Therapy service

If necessary:

  • Seek external advice from educational agencies such as the Inclusion Team and Educational Psychologist (EP)
  • Seek external advice from health professionals such as School Health, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) or Learning Disability (LD) CAMHS
  • Complete a referral to Speech and Language Therapy
  • If appropriate, complete initial sensory processing audit (e.g. Autism Education Trust’s Sensory Assessment and environmental audit checklists)
  • Implement strategies (including targeted support and/or resources) up to agreed financial levels: Universal funding (AWPU) plus up to a maximum of £6,000 (this is equivalent to approximately 12 hours of additional support).

Strategies

Continue with any relevant strategies from First Concerns stages and SEN Support Stage 1, plus:

  • Use a variety of strategies for effective communication – e.g. Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), Widget, visual supports
  • Create an individualised timetable which is predictable and consistent, and includes unstructured times e.g. lunch
  • Use individual visual timetables, now and next boards, calendars and task lists to structure activities
  • Use social stories and comic strip conversations to aid understanding of social situations
  • (A quiet area) provided for times of stress or anxiety
  • Adults to use reduced language when the child is hyper-aroused
  • Specific small group interventions
  • Time for daily 1:1 intervention as directed by SALT
  • Implement strategies from outside agencies
  • Ensure that preferred methods of communication (as well as level of eye-contact) known by all staff within school (including welfare staff)
  • Build access to activities which meet the child’s sensory needs into the day, for example: timetabled movement breaks, quiet area to access in classroom, or pop up tent
  • Consider access to a workstation and/or set up a low stimulation workstation, privacy board on group table or personal table with few distractions but informative visual information and support
  • More focused use of individual learning which might include, for example, focused use of Talking Partners principles, Colourful Semantics ELKLAN principles and BLANK language levels.
  • Develop sequencing and narrative skills by using adult modelling, picture sequencing activities and intervention programmes such as:

Black Sheep Press KS1 and KS2 narrative packs

Colourful Stories is a visual support strategy to help a child understand the structure of stories and The Story Maker

  • Support vocabulary development by implementing a personalised approach. Intervention programmes which may be useful include:

Word Aware by Stephen Parsons and Anna Branagan

A programme to assess and develop knowledge of linguistic concepts (descriptive vocabulary)

  • To support the development of a pupil’s receptive vocabulary, intervention programmes which may be useful include:

To develop knowledge of Information Carrying Words see (early years)

A structured approach to develop children’s understanding of questions from concrete to

SEN Support - Stage Two
Autism Spectrum Disorder

Assess

Observed persistent and moderate/significant difficulties with the following:

Language

  • Limited vocabulary knowledge, learning and using new words
  • They don’t understand words that are said to them or verbal instructions
  • Attention and concentration skills
  • Poor organisation and sequencing
  • Limited spoken language for their age
  • Echolalia (repetition of noises or words spoken by another person)
  • Difficulty in understanding abstract concepts and applying prior learning
  • Difficulty with receptive (understanding) and expressive (producing) language

Speech

  • Monotone speech
  • Speech or sound production difficulties and/or differences
  • Stammer, difficulties getting words out and/or dysfluency (i.e. disruptions in forward flow and timing of speech)
  • Nasal quality to speech in the absence of a cold
  • Unusual accent not linked to environment or family influences

Relating to others

  • Inability to interpret social cues correctly
  • Poor social timing
  • Lack of social empathy
  • Unawareness of others’ personal space
  • Difficulty maintaining appropriate eye contact
  • Lack of appropriate social conversational skills
  • Literal use and interpretation of language
  • Rigidity and inflexibility of thought processes
  • Inability to see other people’s point of view
  • Resistance to change and difficulties with transitions
  • Solitary play and unusually focused special interests
  • Difficulties taking part in conversation
  • Inappropriate use of facial expression

Sensory

Sensory needs still affecting learning, for example:

  • Difficulties with large indoor and outdoor spaces (such as assembly/P.E/lunch hall)
  • Issues with background and/or white noise
  • Issues with certain scents and perfumes
  • Aversion to everyday touch
  • May touch/stroke others to self soothe/regulate

Other

  • Poor self-esteem
  • Frustration / anxiety due to social and communication difficulties
  • Social and behavioural difficulties
  • Behavioural difficulties arising from low self- esteem, frustration, communication
  • Inconsistent behaviour between home and school

Plan

Class teacher, SENCO, parents/carers, child/young person and any external professionals liaise on a regular basis – minimum of 3 meetings within a 12-month period

  • Place child or young person on register as SEN Support (Code K)

Continue to:

  • Obtain and record updated parents/carers views
  • Obtain and record updated child or young person’s views
  • Complete (the appropriate support plan e.g. IEP, Pupil Passport etc. and review on a regular basis (e.g. at least termly)
  • Implement advice, strategies and care plan from SALT (as appropriate for individual child or young person)
  • Ensure all staff involved in the teaching of the individual child are aware of their speech, language, social and communication difficulties
  • Ensure class teacher and teaching assistants receive relevant Continuing Professional Development (CPD), including any specific training as advised by Speech and Language Therapy service

If necessary:

  • Seek external advice from educational agencies such as the Inclusion Team and Educational Psychologist (EP)
  • Seek external advice from health professionals such as School Health, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) or Learning Disability (LD)
  • If appropriate, complete initial sensory processing audit (e.g. Autism Education Trust’s Sensory Assessment and environmental audit checklists)
  • Carry out and review further assessments as required and/or as advised by outside agencies and children’s services to consider the appropriate levels of support for the child or young person and their family
  • Implement strategies (including targeted support and/or resources) up to agreed financial levels: Universal funding (AWPU) plus up to a maximum of £6,000

Strategies

Continue with any relevant strategies from First Concerns stages and SEN Support Stage 1, plus:

  • Visual supports, Autism Toolbox – the picture Exchange System https://pecs-unitedkingdom.com/pecs/
  • Consider access to a workstation and/or set up a low stimulation workstation, privacy board on group table or personal table with few distractions but informative visual information and support TEACCH 

Complex
Speech, Language and Communication

Assess

Observed persistent and significant difficulties with the following:

  • The gap in the child or young person’s communication skills continues to widen and is significantly lower than would be expected for children or young people of his/her age
  • The child or young person’s impaired social development, communication, language and speech difficulties, rigidity of behaviour and thought are enduring, consistently impeding his/her learning and leading to significant and complex difficulties in functioning
  • Revision of the differentiated classroom provision for the child or young person’s education has not resulted in the expected progress towards achieving learning, pastoral and social interaction targets
  • In respect of receptive (understanding) and expressive (producing) communication and social interaction, evidence of the child or young person’s need for a systematic programme to develop his/her understanding of verbal and non-verbal communication
  • Evidence of significant difficulties persisting for the child or young person as a result of his/her inflexibility and/or intrusive obsessional thoughts
  • Evidence of a high priority having to be given to the management of the child or young person’s language and communication difficulties in the planning of most classroom activities and the organisation of his/her learning environment

Plan

Class teacher, SENCO, parents/carers and child/young person continue to liaise on a regular basis - minimum of 3 meetings within a 12-month period

If necessary:

  • Obtain and record updated parents/carers views

  • Obtain and record updated child or young person’s views

If EHC Plan is not in place:

  • Review pupil support plan e.g. IEP, Pupil Passport etc. (at least termly)

  • Consider a request for EHC needs assessment (see section on EHC needs assessments)

If EHC Plan is in place:

  • Change code on SEN register to indicate child/young person has EHC plan in place (code E)

  • Refer to described outcomes and provision and implement - the class teacher, SENCo and assistant working with the child should have regular sight of the EHC plan

  • Continue to plan, do, review against the specified outcomes in EHC Plan – the targets on assess plan do review will be broken down into smaller targets as the EHC plan outcomes are usually end of key stage

  • Complete Annual Review of EHC Plan – The annual review process | (IPSEA) Independent Provider of Special Education Advice

  • Continue to act on external advice from educational and health agencies as necessary, including Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) care plan

  • Carry out and review further assessments as advised by outside agencies (and implement their recommendations?)

  • Complete a sensory processing audit (e.g. Autism Education Trust’s Sensory Assessment and environmental audit checklists)

  • Implement strategies (including provision of targeted support and/or resources) up to agreed financial levels: Universal funding (AWPU) plus up to £6,000 and any additional top-up as agreed based on the provision detailed in the EHC Plan

  • Ensure Class teacher and Teaching assistants receive relevant Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Strategies

Continue with any relevant strategies from First Concerns and/or SEN Support levels, plus:

  • Continue to identify gaps in learning
  • See EHCP and/or SALT care plan for specific outcomes
  • Create a personalised curriculum (class teacher with SENCO support)
  • Liaise with support to ensure learning outcomes are facilitated and resources are readily available
  • From the sensory assessment checklist(s) devise a bespoke sensory diet and implement
  • From completion of Autism Education Trust’s environmental audit make environmental changes as appropriate to meet child/young person’s need

Complex
Autism Spectrum Disorder

Assess

Observed persistent and significant difficulties with the following:

  • The gap in the child or young person’s communication skills continues to widen and is significantly lower than would be expected for children or young people of his/her age
  • The child or young person’s impaired social development, communication, language and speech difficulties, rigidity of behaviour and thought are enduring, consistently impeding his/her learning and leading to significant and complex difficulties in functioning
  • Revision of the differentiated classroom provision for the child or young person’s education has not resulted in the expected progress towards achieving learning, pastoral and social interaction targets
  • In respect of receptive (understanding) and expressive (producing) communication and social interaction, evidence of the child or young person’s need for a systematic programme to develop his/her understanding of verbal and non-verbal communication
  • Evidence of significant difficulties persisting for the child or young person as a result of his/her inflexibility and/or intrusive obsessional thoughts
  • Evidence of a high priority having to be given to the management of the child or young person’s language and communication difficulties in the planning of most classroom activities and the organisation of his/her learning environment

Plan

Class teacher, SENCO, parents/carers, child/young person and external professionals continue to liaise on a regular basis (minimum of 3 meetings with parents within a 12-month period)

Continue to:

  • Obtain and record updated parents/carers views
  • Obtain and record updated child or young person’s views
  • Review pupil support plan e.g. IEP, Pupil Passport etc. (at least termly)
  • Act on external advice from educational and health agencies as necessary, including Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) care plan
  • Ensure class teacher and teaching assistants receive relevant and continual professional development including any specific training recommended by SALT and have access to Blackpool Classrooms That Communicate

If EHC Plan is in place:

  • Change code on SEN register to indicate child/young person has EHC plan in place (code E)
  • Refer to described outcomes and provision and implement - the class teacher, SENCo and assistant working with the child should have regular sight of the EHC plan
  • Continue to plan, do, review against the specified outcomes in EHC Plan – the targets on assess plan do review will be broken down into smaller targets as the EHC plan outcomes are usually end of key stage
  • Complete Annual Review of EHC Plan – The annual review process | (IPSEA) Independent Provider of Special Education Advice
  • Continue to act on external advice from educational and health agencies as necessary, including Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) care plan
  • Carry out and review further assessments as advised by outside agencies (and implement their recommendations?)
  • Complete a sensory processing audit (e.g. Autism Education Trust’s Sensory Assessment and environmental audit checklists)
  • Implement strategies (including provision of targeted support and/or resources) up to agreed financial levels: Universal funding (AWPU) plus up to £6,000 and any additional top-up as agreed based on the provision detailed in the EHC Plan
  • Ensure Class teacher and Teaching assistants receive relevant Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Strategies

Continue with any relevant strategies from First Concerns stages and/or SEN Support stages, plus:

  • Continue to identify gaps in learning
  • See EHCP and/or SALT care plan for specific outcomes
  • Create a personalised curriculum (class teacher with SENCO support)
  • Liaise with support to ensure learning outcomes are facilitated and resources are readily available
  • From the sensory assessment checklist(s) devise a bespoke sensory diet and implement
  • From completion of Autism Education Trust’s environmental audit make environmental changes as appropriate to meet child/young person’s need

Specialist
Speech, Language and Communication

Assess

Observed persistent and significant difficulties with the following:

  • Access to the curriculum which may require use of a communication aid(s)
  • Needing a fully inclusive approach across the whole educational setting, including a total communication environment (which may include) a variety of different high-tech communication mediums (e.g. timelines, schedules, AAC apps/devices, eye gaze system)
  • Interaction with others is minimal and inconsistent and impacts on curriculum access. Interactions (may only)occur only when facilitated and/or prompted by an adult. Child or young person would be totally isolated in a mainstream setting
  • Child or young person needs a high level of modification to the learning environment and organisation to their curriculum to avoid challenging behaviours and to keep them engaged in the learning environment
  • High level of social anxiety or profound lack of social engagement may lead to inability to communicate with others without support

Plan

Class teacher, SENCO, parents/carers and child/young person continue to liaise on a regular basis - minimum of 3 meetings with parents within a 12-month period

If necessary:

  • Obtain and record updated parents/carers views
  • Obtain and record updated child or young person’s views
  • Indicate on SEN register that child or young person has an EHC plan in place (code E)
  • Refer to described outcomes and provision in the child or young person’s individual EHC Plan and implement

Continue to plan, do, review against the specified outcomes and provision within the child or young person’s EHC Plan

  • Complete Annual Review of the EHC Plan
  • Liaise with named local authority 0-25 SEND officer for child or young person if needs change
  • Continue to act on advice from internal and external education and health professionals, as necessary
  • Carry out further assessments following advice and guidance from outside agencies, e.g. Speech and Language Therapy (SALT); sensory assessments/audit
  • Implement strategies (including provision of targeted support and/or resources) up to agreed financial levels for specialist provision (see finance section)
  • Ensure all staff receive Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and training as required, including any appropriate training from SALT 

Strategies

Implement and use:

  • Alternative augmentative communication assessment and appropriate aids
  • High tech low tech systems
  • Use a variety of specialist strategies for effective communication – e.g. Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), Widget, visual supports, Makaton, objects of reference, symbols, signs, proloquo2go, switches, voice output communication aids, eye gaze systems
  • Facilitate access to speech and language therapy
  • Carry out sensory assessments/audits and implement appropriate modifications
  • Use social interaction programmes/small group work as an integral part of the curriculum (e.g. Talking Partners, Circle of Friends, buddy systems)
  • Provide specialist communication sessions to develop specific identified skills
  • Put behaviour modification programmes in place, if appropriate 

Specialist
Autism Spectrum Disorder

Assess

Observed persistent and significant difficulties with the following:

  • Access to the curriculum which may require use of a communication aid(s)
  • Needing a fully inclusive approach across the whole educational setting, including a total communication environment (which may include) a variety of different high-tech communication mediums (e.g. timelines, schedules, AAC apps/devices)
  • Interaction with others is minimal and inconsistent and impacts on curriculum access. Interactions (may only)occur only when facilitated and/or prompted by an adult. Child or young person would be totally isolated in a mainstream setting
  • Child or young person needs a high level of modification to the learning environment and organisation to their curriculum to avoid challenging behaviours and to keep them engaged in the learning environment
  • High level of social anxiety or profound lack of social engagement may lead to inability to communicate with others without support

Plan

Class teacher, SENCO, parents/carers, child/young person and external professionals continue to liaise on a regular basis - minimum of 3 meetings with parents within a 12-month period

Continue to plan, do, review against the specified outcomes and provision within the child or young person’s EHC Plan

  • Complete Annual Review of the EHC Plan
  • Obtain and record updated parents/carers views
  • Obtain and record updated child or young person’s views
  • Indicate on SEN register that child or young person has an EHC plan in place (code E)
  • Refer to described outcomes and provision in the child or young person’s individual EHC Plan and implement
  • Liaise with named local authority 0-25 SEND officer for child or young person if needs change
  • Continue to act on advice from internal and external education and health professionals, as necessary
  • Carry out further assessments following advice and guidance from outside agencies, e.g. Speech and Language Therapy (SALT); sensory assessments/audit
  • Implement strategies (including provision of targeted support and/or resources) up to agreed financial levels for specialist provision (see finance section)
  • Ensure all staff receive Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and training as required, including any appropriate training from SALT

Strategies

Implement and use:

  • Alternative augmentative communication assessment and appropriate aids
  • High tech low tech systems
  • Use a variety of specialist strategies for effective communication – e.g. Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), Widget, visual supports, Makaton, objects of reference, symbols, signs, proloquo2go, switches, voice output communication aids, eye gaze systems. For support refer to Blackpool Communication Aids and Assistive Technology Team - FYi Directory
  • Facilitate access to speech and language therapy
  • Carry out sensory assessments/audits and implement appropriate modifications
  • Use social interaction programmes/small group work as an integral part of the curriculum (e.g. Talking Partners, Circle of Friends, buddy systems)
  • Provide specialist communication sessions to develop specific identified skills
  • Put behaviour modification programmes in place, if appropriate 
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