Multi-Disciplinary Working Teaching Mathematical Vocabulary Using FM with Teenagers Conversational Research

Cover - OBC and OFC - Sept14 v2 24/07/2014 16:23 Page 1

British Association of Teachers of the Deaf

MAGAZINE • September 2014 • ISSN 1336-0799 • www.batod.org.uk Multi-disciplinary working Teaching mathematical vocabulary Using FM with teenagers Conversational research

Join BATOD to get THE Magazine for professionals working with deaf children 01-03 Intro bits contents Sept2014 v3 24/07/2014 16:34 Page 72

Hamilton Lodge School & College - Primary to FE Our Child Centred Communication approach supports the development of both English & BSL

Duke of Edinburgh Awards The majority of our pupils achieve their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award with some achieving Silver and a few now taking Gold. Picture: The Lord Lieutenant presents our students with awards at this year’s ceremony.

Lucy Spraggan, former X factor ﬁ nalist and successful singer song writer, volunteers for Hamilton Lodge Lucy Spraggan said; “I have been so overwhelmed and inspired by both the students and teachers; there’s a real sense of community and such a lovely atmosphere at Hamilton Lodge. “So many friendly faces and such a fantastic place to have available for deaf students to learn and grow whilst gaining independence from the support offered. I’m going to be learning British Sign Language with all of the great people at Hamilton lodge and helping students with song writing and learning to play music—I can’t wait to be part of it.”

Lots more news on our website, facebook and twitter

www.hamiltonlsc.co.uk | @hamiltonlodge | 01273 682362 | hamiltonlodgesc 01-03 Intro bits contents Sept2014 v3 24/07/2014 16:35 Page 1

Contents From your editor Multi-disciplinary working Teachers of the Deaf have been working in multi-disciplinary Multi-professional working: ways for many years. Children’s do we know what it looks like? 4 Hearing Services Working Legislative overview 7 Groups (CHSWGs) are a good Whitefield 9 example of one such system of Multi-disciplinary working between cooperative interagency health and education services 13 working and these have been running successfully, Clare at Seashell 15 bringing a range of professional and voluntary NDCS Family officer 17 agencies together, for some years. Multi-Agency Workshops for Parents 19 As is often the case our profession has been at the Sensory Support Practitioners (SSPs) 22 forefront of initiatives which are then accepted Short Breaks in Norfolk 23 more widely. In England, the new Children and Families Act and the supporting revised Code of Working with social care 25 Practice (and BATOD has made contributions to WHSS and AIP inter-agency working 32 their development) place a great deal of weight on Key Working Service 30 the importance of joint working – from the Multi-disciplinary working in 6 commissioning of services across education, Northern Ireland 32 health and care to joint assessment and the drawing up of Education, Health and Care plans. General features This edition of the magazine contains a range of articles about different aspects of collaborative Welcome to Rwanda – from working. Reading them may lead you to think of Bury St Edmunds to Kigali!! 34 others which have not been included. As always History of the Dept of Audiology and Deaf an article about the advertised theme (see below) Education at the University of Manchester 37 is always welcome. You will have noted that the Exploring the impact of direct teaching second section of all our magazines contains a of mathematical vocabulary 38 range of articles on subjects which are different NatSIP’s Better Assessment resource 40 from the theme and these are also always Using iPads for communicating welcome so you don’t have to wait for months for and interpreting 43 your theme to come up! Developing Effective Practice on Any article which you would like to be FM use with Deaf Teenagers 45 considered for submission should be sent to NDCS social care leaflets 47 [email protected] EF conference 48 The immediate forthcoming issues have the Conversational research 50 34 following themes: Forthcoming topics Association business November Supporting deaf children in the mainstream What went on at NEC on June 14th 2014 52 January 2015 Bone anchored hearing systems Appeal for Midlands committee members 53 March Early Years Abbreviations and acronyms 59 May Conference edition Officers of Nations and Regions IBC 53 September Deaf children with additional difficulties November FE and HE Regulars January 2016 Career paths for Teachers of the Audiology updates 54 Deaf ICT News: ICT and Multidisciplinary Working 55 This and that... 57 Reviews 58 54

Magazine Editor

Need to contact BATOD Cover Photograph: about other matters? We are grateful to Stephanie Halder Talk to Executive Officer Paul Simpson for this photograph email: [email protected] answerphone/fax: 0845 6435181 For information on advertising rates see www.batod.org.uk 01-03 Intro bits contents Sept2014 v3 25/07/2014 07:40 Page 2

ReSound Up with Mini Microphone

+Ř H D U L Q J DJ L G V with built in digital eceiverreceiver L0Ř L0LQ F U HQRKSR with built in digital transmitter O&Ř DFLQL D O O S\ U R Y H Q YLXTH L DY 0)RWWQHOD TToo ﬁnd outo more email [email protected] or visit www.gnr esound.co.uk ReSound 01-03 Intro bits contents Sept2014 v3 25/07/2014 07:38 Page 3

Association businessKicker

Online... and up to date Andrea Baker has been considering what difference the new Code will make to Teachers of the Deaf as well as looking forward to the next BATOD Conference

After months of speculation and consultation the Code We know that the best services already do this, is finally published and it is reassuring to see that it observing children in the classroom, modelling good specifically cites Teachers of the Deaf as key practice, creating detailed learning profiles using professionals who need to be involved in the education thorough and specialist assessments and liaising of deaf children. This is something which we, of course, closely with SENCOs and class teachers. With the help have always known but after several years of significant of BATOD we are able to keep up to date with the change and threat this feels like something of a latest policy and guidance and provide valuable revelation! And it is a message that seems to be gaining information and updates to schools on the issues that momentum. affect deaf children. BATOD has recently been invited by nasen to create a I am conscious when writing this that much of the presentation which will be hosted on the SEND Gateway national guidance that we often mention refers only to (an online depository of resources and advice on England but the message that comes through from the SEND – www.sendgateway.org.uk) to raise awareness of research – that teachers value and depend on the the needs of deaf children. Whilst giving a flavour of the support of specialists – is pertinent to all of us. It is varied and various needs of deaf children our central important to consider the type of information that message will be 'Contact your local HI Service and work mainstream teachers value and ensure that we are with your ToD'. It is good to see this reinforced in the providing them with the support and strategies which will Code. Hopefully the publication of the Local Offer will help them make a real difference for deaf children. make the whole process of finding whom to contact and With this in mind I am really pleased with the progress what support is available so much easier than it has we have made towards planning the next BATOD been in the past, for both families and schools. Conference on March 14th 2015. The theme sits well On the train home from the last NEC meeting I was with my musings above: Supporting Deaf Children and reading through a SEN Research Forum Policy Paper Young People in the 21st Century. The venue is on inclusive practice which highlighted some research Edinburgh – this is not only a fantastic city to visit, and commissioned by the NASUWT into the impact of policy well worth making a whole weekend of, but also enables change on teachers in schools. This raised some Scotland to host the event. With trains and flights booked interesting points which have implications for the work in advance the city is easy to get to and our 'early bird' we do: rates will make it well worthwhile to book in advance, so get the date in your diary! l They found that fewer than 15% of teachers felt that any specific national policy or guidance documents And so a new academic year has started. The year on SEN had been particularly influential on their ahead will bring challenges – it always does – but there school’s practice. is much to feel enthusiastic about. Stay positive and stay l Only 17% felt that guidance was clear to implement in touch with colleagues, through the website, the and they relied on Local Authority bulletins, briefing newsletter, through the Magazine and Journal, and by events and advisory/support service staff to gain attending BATOD events. Contribute to the development knowledge of key developments. of the profession which is valued by the people we work with. And consider joining NEC – there is a nomination l There was a general view that policy and guidance form in this issue of the Magazine. I have always found it was likely to be of limited practical value... Hopefully a pleasure working with such a supportive group of this will not include the Code. people and it has contributed enormously to my Many of the teachers voiced concerns about their knowledge and professional development. You would be knowledge of how to teach children with SEN in whole very welcome. class settings and felt that time and greater access to specialist teachers who work directly with these children and know them well was of much greater value than 'more knowledge about SEN' per se. What they wanted was training and advice focused on how to teach and support these children within the classroom.

Multi-disciplinary working

Multi-professional working: do we know what it looks like? Sue Archbold considers the challenges and benefits of multi-professional working and the importance of ensuring that the child is always the focus regardless of the number of professionals involved

We seem to have been talking about multi-professional Rob Paton, of the Open University Business School working for rather a long time.... and we are still (2010), suggested that we shouldn’t mistake the map for discussing what terminology to use. Is it the territory, where the map is the measurement multi-professional working, multi-disciplinary working, systems and frameworks and the territory is the messy inter-professional working, inter-disciplinary or and evolving organisations, the contexts in which we are inter-agency working? I suggest that parents and working. Very often, we return to our organisational children and young people may not care what we call hierarchies, to our known frameworks and our it, as long as we do it. respective roles where we feel secure, rather than move forward with others taking risks. Sir John Harvey Jones, Collaborative leadership and co-delivery who was chairman of large corporate organisations, said We are not alone in looking for new ways of working. ‘When creating a team we need to encourage creativity, Businesses and large organisations are looking closely risk-taking, and the removal of a control system. Then at different ways of working and about the need for we have to communicate, communicate, communicate.’ collaborative leadership. A Google search of co-leadership or shared leadership will bring up some As Teachers of the Deaf, we should be able to fascinating reading which may inspire you to think a little communicate... differently about multi-professional teams. In fast moving Why should we aim for multi-professional working? To worlds where decisions need to be made quickly and be a parent is to be scared ( , 1999) and for a parent the influence felt, people are required to effect change diagnosis of deafness is likely to add to this feeling, and beyond their roles in their organisations, and also to may bring about feelings of confusion and inadequacy. work with others outside their organisations. For the With over 90% of deaf children born to hearing parents, interested reader, there are lots of valuable resources to families are not likely to have even considered the stimulate new ways of thinking about organisational possibility of deafness in their baby, and will not have management. any experience of childhood deafness. What happens

Specialist Educ. social worker The parent Psych.

Teacher of S & L the Deaf Therapist The child

Clinical Psych. Paediatrician

Audiologist Surgeon

4 • ©BATOD Magazine • September 2014 04-33 - Multi-disciplinary Sept14 v4 25/07/2014 07:35 Page 5

Multi-disciplinary working

following diagnosis? They meet a number of l ultimate responsibility for care professionals they are unlikely to have heard of l time and means of communication within and without before.... including audiologists, electro-physiologists, the team. speech and language therapists, Teachers of the Deaf. How this is handled is crucial for the well-being of the How to do it? parents and hence the child. There are well documented Ultimately, decisions need to be owned. In our litigious examples of where team work has gone wrong; society, how is the evidence on which decisions are however, team work doesn’t usually go wrong because made collated? The evidence may be written or oral, people set out to be deliberately obstructive. For and both have their place. For written evidence: example, The Bristol Royal Infirmary Enquiry into the l more care is taken with what is written care of children with complex cardiac issues (2001, l it forms part of the record of process accessed on nationalarchives.gov.uk) highlighted ‘poor l it is a formal record of what has taken place organisation, lack of leadership... and a failure to put l patients at the centre of care.’ However, it also said... it can be easily disseminated to others – it is open ‘Nor is it an account of people who did not care, nor of to all. people who wilfully harmed patients …. It is an account However, discussion is important, where the evidence of people who cared greatly about human suffering, and leading to a decision may be oral, and more informal: were dedicated and well-motivated...’, but there was a l informal evidence may be produced in more open lack of leadership, and of teamwork and communication. discussion How does this happen? Do competent and caring l there is interactive discussion and decision-making professionals fail to work together to provide seamless l oral evidence enables team members to learn from support for deaf children and families? If so, why? It others would appear that there are enough examples of a lack l it is not open to all, and may be changed in the of multi-professional team working to concern BATOD relaying... enough to dedicate this edition to the topic... and to give space to looking at examples of good practice. l it rarely forms part of the record. Multi-agency work – parent-shaped It is sometimes suggested that a key worker may be the Multi-professional working can be seen as ‘problem answer to multi-professional working – and this may be solving’, with the child as the problem and hence the helpful. However, one person cannot have the whole child becomes a problem. Meetings held may involve picture, and it may be that differing key workers or professional differences visited on the parent, and in the leaders of the team may be appropriate at different hope of parental empowerment, involving them in the times, as is suggested in the shared leadership meetings, the result is actual parental disempowerment, literature. with confusion. What are the benefits for the family of What are the challenges of multi-professional multi-professional working? working? It should provide consistent, shared advice and l Differing use of terminology, different languages and information with a complete package of care from one the difficulty in understanding what each other is team, rather than viewing the child only from one saying – and meaning perspective. For example, a significant proportion of l Differing perspectives of what is important – all may deaf children are likely to have another learning difficulty be at different times! of some kind which may be overlooked by one professional, working in isolation, and only seeing their l Differing ways of working and cultures specialist area. The child and family should not fall l Management by a different professional between professionals, and have to retell their story. l Conflict of roles and responsibilities With effective team communication, parents are not l Differing perspectives and knowledge base. ‘go-betweens’ from one professional to another, presented with conflicting views, to sort out for Where teams are brought together with those from themselves where reality lies. different professions, there may be further difficulties in working in differing locations, differing pay and What about the benefits for the professionals? management structures, and access to support from Personally, when I worked as part of a cochlear implant one’s own professional area. We do need to address the programme, and working much more closely with ‘map’ and further process difficulties include: audiologists than ever before, I wished I had had the l managing paperwork – confidentiality and storage knowledge and insights gained working alongside them l collation and sharing of reports when I had been working in the classroom with deaf children previously. Multi-professional working enables l co-ordination of decisions ongoing shared continuing professional development, l management and ownership of data with the opportunity for learning from colleagues. l managing and articulating decisions Multi-professional training provides an opportunity to l responsibility for the budget learn together and we can learn to share differing views

Multi-disciplinary working

in a non-threatening situation and carry this into our as to our professional colleagues. The recognition of working relationships. We gain the opportunity to benefit what parents and children bring to the team validates from the insights of others, crossing professional their experiences; parents are experts in their family and boundaries. Most of all, it provides the opportunity for children are experts in their own lives. Putting them at providing a more satisfying complete care package for the centre and bringing their experience to the team, the child and family. with that of the professionals, will make the team stronger and decisions more relevant. To share personal For Teachers of the Deaf what are the current perspectives is at the cornerstone of today’s challenges... and opportunities? What does effective developments in social media and it’s not an accident team work require? that blogs of personal journeys are so popular. So... to A system looks different depending where you are, your really make multi-professional working a reality, we need experiences and professional background. It is well to listen and not necessarily to judge. As an interesting known that you see what you understand. What you see exercise, over the next two weeks listen to yourself, and determines what you do; and this is a major challenge to your team... and note judgmental comments which for multi-professional working. Others will see the child may not be helpful to team work or reflect understanding and family differently, depending on their experience and of the realities of the situation, and which may in fact get understanding. To move forward requires trust, mutual in the way of really understanding what is going on, and respect, and an ability to look at the bigger picture with a of making sound multi-professional working happen. willingness to learn from others. For teachers to function Remember, it’s not about YOU....! effectively as part of a team, they also need to be able to articulate their specialism and what they can contribute ‘A team of brilliant individuals can often be less effective and be able to share it. It also means taking than a brilliant team of individuals.’ responsibility for keeping up-to-date and well informed in Sue Archbold is the Chief Executive Officer of the Ear today’s fast moving world, and recognising what we Foundation. don’t know, and where to get it. This is our professional responsibility... one person can’t know it all. References Putting parents, children and young people at the Luterman D (1987). Deafness in the Family. Boston. Little: Brown centre... People rarely change if they do not feel they are Margerison C, McCann R (1995). Team Management http://www.tmsdi.com understood. This applies to children and families as well

6 • ©BATOD Magazine • September 2014 04-33 - Multi-disciplinary Sept14 v4 24/07/2014 16:39 Page 7

Multi-disciplinary working Legislative overview Brian Lamb looks at what impact the new Children and Families Act 2014 may have on the education, health and social care of children and young people with SEN or disabilities

In a shared house nobody does the washing up. social care) need to ensure that education, health and I am indebted to the ex-Communications Champion social care departments for children and young people Jean Gross whom I once heard use this analogy to point with SEN or disabilities must make joint commissioning to one of the fundamental challenges of the current arrangements for education, health and care provision SEND framework. Despite existing duties to co-operate, for these children and young people. Joint most parents, young people and professionals commissioning arrangements must cover services for experience a disjointed system where education, health children and young people with and without an EHC and social care services do not routinely co-ordinate plan from 0-25. There are very clear requirements for provision but often seek to pass responsibility onto other joint arrangements within the context of the EHC plan agencies. For too long parents, often supported by framework for securing the plans, securing joint teachers, are left trying to source and join up the various provision and agreeing personal budgets. components of provision from education, health and social care for themselves, whether in receipt of a As with other sections of the Code the focus is very statement or not. It is parents who are sorting out the much on the intended aim of the legislation – improved washing up yet they have the least power and capacity outcomes and aspirations. It makes clear that if children in the system to do so. It is a state of affairs that was and young people with SEN or disabilities are to achieve challenged by most recent reports on the SEND their ambitions and the best possible educational and framework, including my own, when I argued that other outcomes, including getting a job and living as parents should not be left policing the system. independently as possible, local education, health and social care services should work together to ensure they The new Children and Families Act 2014 seeks to get the right support. change this by building on, but also radically recasting, the joint duties between education, health and social The draft guidance makes clear that this covers a wide care to work together. The requirements for joint range of services including specialist support and co-operation and commissioning in the new legislation therapies, speech and language therapy, Child and go further than anything currently required even where Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and they build on and incorporate pre-existing obligations support and specialist equipment of the sort that might and powers. Yet these duties have been less focused in be used by deaf children. discussions about the impact of the legislation. If the The ambitions envisaged for joint working are broad. joint duties can be made to work and there are lingering The Code of Practice makes clear (Chapter 3 Section doubts about the effectiveness and enforceability of the 3.7) that partners should aim to deliver ‘personalised, strategic duties, then they could make a big difference integrated support that delivers positive outcomes for to how services are delivered for deaf children, who children and young people, bringing together support often will depend on a mixture of provision across all across education, health and social care from early three agencies. childhood through to adult life and improves planning What does the new legislation require? for transition points such as between early years, The Children and Families Act 2014 pulls together school and colleges, between children’s and adult existing duties to co-operate and strengthens these but social care services, or between paediatric and adult also introduces a new joint commissioning duty for health services.’ commissioning services as part of an EHC plan and also In making these commissioning arrangements partners more broadly. This also interfaces with the new Care Act must engage children and young people with SEN and 2014 in respect of new social care duties to co-operate. disabilities and children’s parents in commissioning Section 25 of the Act places a duty on local Authorities decisions, to give useful insights into how to improve to ensure integration between educational provision services and outcomes. and training provision, health and social care provision, The crucial point is that any of the partners in a joint where this would promote wellbeing and improve the service arrangement must also be clear about who is quality of provision for disabled young people and responsible for delivering what, who the decision makers those with SEN. are in education, health and social care, and how Local authorities working with partner organisations partners will hold each other to account in the event of a (commissioning bodies across education, health and disagreement. The partners must be able to make a

Multi-disciplinary working

decision on how they will meet the needs of children and Support Assistants, Specialist Speech and Language young people with SEN and disability in every case. Therapists In terms of ensuring that the washing up does get done l partnership working with Hospital Audiology, Health the Code is also very clear that the buck stops with the services including Community Paediatricians and commissioners not the service users. This is achieved community nursing teams and voluntary agencies. by requiring that commissioners have in place The promotion of good mental health and well-being processes for ensuring that through: l information is in place about the education, health l Specialist sensory social workers and social care provision which is available and there l Respite and short breaks is a large interface between these responsibilities and l Clear pathways to Specialist CAMHS the local offer l Appropriate role models and access to appropriate l it is clearly understood how complaints are made and peer group through extended/out of school activities handled in respect of education, health and care eg. Deaf youth groups services and l Access to a suitably qualified mental health l procedures are in place for ensuring that any disputes professional eg. a qualified psychotherapeutic between providers are resolved as quickly as possible. counsellor who is also a Teacher of the Deaf who is At the more strategic planning level there are equivalent able to work with these children in close liaison with responsibilities on the Health and Wellbeing Board to the Deaf CAMHS teams nationally ensures that promote integration and the Board should rely on the children with a serious mental health problem can be Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) when quickly referred to the appropriate Tier 3 and 4 commissioning services, having had the needs identified professionals. through the EHC planning process and local offer and Access to high quality training and development feed through to the board and the JSNA. The Local opportunities by ensuring that families have access to Authority also has to review its provision as part of the settings and other professionals to improve the quality of development of the local offer. support for deaf children to make good or better What does this all mean for specialist support progress and achieve through services and Teachers of the Deaf in terms of l targeted specialist parent courses eg Parents as changing practice and support? Partners In part the answer to this will rely on how integrated l accredited courses for Specialist Teaching Assistants health and social care services were before the reforms l in the area in which you work. But assuming the new deaf awareness training for generalist social care requirements bring about the required changes some of practitioners the areas in which you could hope to see change would l joint training for education in making learning include:1 environments accessible eg deaf friendly teaching strategies. Following on from new born screening and the two year health check there should be more integrated support For children with EHC plans it is likely that joint co- starting sooner and certainly by the time of transition to operation will take place as the statutory imperatives to nursery and early years provision. do so are clear and represent one of the clear innovations in the new requirements. However there Greater integration of services to meet needs remains continuing scepticism that the more general including integrated working between Qualified Teachers duties will not be so easily applied. Some of the of the Deaf and of Vision Impairment and Multi-Sensory experiences of the pathfinders and some of the work Impaired Teachers, (with the specialist mandatory being done by other local authorities have shown that qualification), professionals from audiology and the culture change envisaged by these arrangements in ophthalmology, Specialist Speech and Language the way services should be working together to deliver Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, better outcomes is beginning to come about. Teachers Social Workers for the Sensory Impaired, and health of the Deaf can help this by being as clear as possible in and voluntary services e.g. effective Children’s Hearing ensuring that through the local offer and schools’ SEN Services Working Groups information report they are supporting the LA and Access to Learning, communication skills and schools to be clear about where joint working will deliver associated technology to support learning and better outcomes. independence eg access to sign language training, radio Brian Lamb chaired The Lamb Inquiry into Parental aid/sound field equipment through Confidence in SEN and was Director of Advocacy for l assessment, training and additionally supported by Action on Hearing Loss before becoming an ICT Technicians, ICT Specialist Trainers, Specialist consultant with a focus on SEND.

1 This section is based on the NatSIP publication ‘Key Information to support joint commissioning of services for children and young people with sensory impairments. June 2014.’ www.natsip.org.uk

8 • ©BATOD Magazine • September 2014 04-33 - Multi-disciplinary Sept14 v4 24/07/2014 16:39 Page 9

Multi-disciplinary working Whitefield Laura Pease takes a detailed look at how multi-disciplinary working at Whitefield Schools and Centre builds a comprehensive system to help children with severe and profound learning difficulties to achieve the best outcomes

Whitefield Schools and Centre is the lead school in the l Three Occupational Therapists – respectively Whitefield Academy Trust. It became a Teaching School responsible for seating, wheelchairs and orthotics in September 2012. It has been judged ‘outstanding’ by l The school nurses – giving medication and advising Ofsted on its last three inspections. The school offers on tube feeding and other medical issues. They have education to 340 pupils including a group whose trained the classroom staff to manage feeding and complex needs include sensory impairment and severe give emergency medication to profound learning difficulties. Whitefield has l The school’s ‘Key Movers’ (accredited trainers in developed a specialism in multisensory impairment, moving and handling) – assessing and minimising risk creating the ‘Reaching Out’ curriculum for pupils who in moving and handling respond best to a sensory approach and providing l The music therapist – prioritising the development of specialist training for all staff, including the mandatory communication through music qualification in MSI and an advanced diploma in l The ICT teacher – identifying appropriate hardware complex needs. This article explores multidisciplinary and software. working through the experience of a class following the ‘Reaching Out’ curriculum. Julie welcomes the expertise available within the school and the Healthcare Trust. Her current priorities for the There is always a warm welcome for visitors in Class 3 class are for them to learn through play, to grow in from Julie the class teacher and from an increasingly confidence and develop a sense of autonomy, to communicative group of children who are beginning to communicate through whichever system works for them use gesture, voice, eye contact and sign to say 'hello'. and to move independently, and each of the The seven members of the class have all been professionals who comes through the door can diagnosed with pervasive medical syndromes contribute towards these goals. Julie is also conscious associated with severe to profound developmental of the issues in managing multi-disciplinary input. The delay. Four are deaf and four visually impaired. All have children need a consistent approach from a relatively physical impairment. All have significant medical needs small group of people who are skilled in communication including epilepsy, dysphagia and respiratory problems. and – equally important – know them well enough to be All work at an early developmental level. sensitive to what they are saying and help them to The children's complex needs necessitate communicate effectively. They need to integrate new multidisciplinary working. As well as the classroom team skills into familiar activities which are meaningful and of teacher, 2.5 teaching assistants and a Midday interesting to them. Thus it is essential to establish a Assistant, 16 other professionals support Class 3: model which brings together the available expertise into a ‘joined up’ experience for the children. l A Qualified Teacher of the Deaf from the Whitefield service – prioritising listening skills and the Whitefield's model of multidisciplinary working involves introduction/use of hearing aids three features: l An audiology technician from the Whitefield service l a bespoke curriculum which brings together the – troubleshooting and maintaining hearing aids strategies and learning objectives which teachers and l A Qualified Teacher of Visual Impairment – therapists recognise as important for children with prioritising visual assessment sensory impairment and complex needs. For l A Speech and Language Therapist – prioritising the example, listening skills and the use of amplification use of switch operated devices for communication, are addressed within the school’s Programme of and reviewing eating and drinking programmes for Study for ‘Exploring and Ordering the World’ whilst children with dysphagia positioning programmes form part of the ‘Physical l A Speech and Language Therapy Assistant – Development’ programme of study supporting the use of switch operated devices l high quality training for staff so that both teachers and l A second Speech and Language Therapist (funded teaching assistants develop the expertise and by the pupil premium) – prioritising intensive confidence to personalise teaching and learning. Julie interaction has completed the Advanced Diploma in MSI and l A physiotherapist – prioritising positioning, active Uzma, Class 3’s learning support assistant, recently movement and independent mobility graduated with a foundation degree in SEN

Multi-disciplinary working

l a clear understanding of the teacher's role as physiotherapist’s advice has equipped her to use gatekeeper and planner, working in partnership with positioning equipment and to incorporate stretches all members of the multidisciplinary team. Julie meets and mobility exercises within a range of lessons and with members of the team to agree the ratio between because she has a relationship with the assessment, direct input (supported by a member of physiotherapist which allows her to call on support as the class team) and integrated working where needed. teaching and therapy goals are integrated into the What does this look like in practice? class programme and used to inform learning It is Monday morning and Class 3 are ready for their activities across the curriculum programmes. Julie music lesson. The table below shows the link gives as an example that the children receive a between Julie’s planning and the work of the ‘massive amount of physio work’ because the multidisciplinary team.

What you will see Links to support and advice from In preparation Some children are wearing hearing aids set at Qualified Teacher of the Deaf appropriate levels, checked daily and maintained audiology technician regularly MSI qualification School curriculum Exploring and Ordering the World (EOW) Some children are moved safely into standing Key Movers frames or classroom chairs physiotherapist occupational therapist School curriculum Physical Development Children are positioned where they can use their Qualified Teacher of the Deaf hearing and vision most effectively Qualified Teacher of Visual Impairment MSI qualification School curriculum EOW Children are seated securely, with support to use physiotherapist their hands effectively occupational therapist

One child is being tube fed School nurses

Within the lesson Children listen to music and songs and respond Qualified Teacher of the Deaf through facial expressions, vocalisation and gesture music therapist MSI qualification School curriculum Creative Development, EOW Children use actions and signs in songs, developing Qualified Teacher of the Deaf control of arms, hands and fingers Speech and Language Therapists Physiotherapist Occupational therapist MSI qualification School curriculum Communication and Interaction Children hold and manipulate musical instruments Physiotherapist using a range of exploratory procedures MSI qualification School curriculum EOW, Physical Development, Creative Development Children interact with adults, signalling a response Speech and Language Therapists to adult communication Physiotherapist MSI qualification School curriculum Communication and Interaction Children show anticipation of adults’ movement and Speech and Language Therapists actions School curriculum Communication and Interaction

Children make choices between songs and music therapist instruments and ask for favourite songs to continue, Qualified Teacher of the Deaf using sign and non-symbolic communication MSI qualification Speech and Language Therapists School curriculum Communication and Interaction, Creative Development Children recognise and anticipate songs and actions MSI qualification in a familiar sequence. They recognise the end of School curriculum Communication and Interaction, Creative the session, signing ‘finish’ or using a ‘finished box’ Development

10 • ©BATOD Magazine • September 2014 04-33 - Multi-disciplinary Sept14 v4 24/07/2014 16:39 Page 11

Multi-disciplinary working

How the Reaching Out curriculum links to the National Curriculum

All activities address learning objectives which link to the school’s curriculum and to the work of the multidisciplinary team. Julie may sometimes feel that she is cramming a quart into a pint pot, but she has the confidence to prioritise and to design an overall programme delivered by people who know the children well. Two dilemmas have been brought into focus in writing this article. Mandatory qualifications Whitefield is committed to the mandatory qualification, believing strongly that children for whom sensory impairment(s) interact with profound or complex disabilities require an education which addresses their needs as deaf or visually impaired learners as much as young people working towards A levels. As pupils present with ever more complex needs, teachers need ever wider knowledge in order to deliver outstanding teaching which will enable them to fulfil their potential. How can the mandatory qualifications keep pace? Is One finger, one thumb there a way to further personalise the mandatory

Multi-disciplinary working

qualifications so that teachers who choose to work with how other maintained schools in a similar situation are the most complex pupils continue to meet their needs? responding. Therapy input and funding It was encouraging to hear Edward Timpson (Minister for Whitefield’s local Healthcare Trust is increasingly Children and Families), speaking at nasen live, saying challenged and therapy input is being reduced. The that the Government’s main aim in introducing the school recognises the perspective in the SEND reforms SEND reforms was ‘to enable all members of the team that what matters is ‘outcomes not hours’ and already working with children and their families to work together seeks to maximise outcomes by working in the way so that children can achieve.’ Teachers and their outlined above. However, when the number of hours colleagues from other disciplines will surely agree and (however ‘creatively’ used) is no longer adequate to will continue to develop effective models of partnership. deliver the necessary outcomes, there is a gap to be It is to be hoped that funding and training will evolve in filled and the indication is that the buck will stop with the ways which support this aspiration. school. The Senior Leadership Team waits to see With thanks to Julie Cooper for giving generously of her whether Education, Health and Care Plans will come time in preparing this article, and with acknowledgement with ‘teeth’ sharp enough to bring renewed funding for of the expertise which all members of the classroom and local services. Meanwhile, the school has ‘bought in’ multidisciplinary teams bring to the school. additional services for the first time, commissioning additional occupational therapy time and spending Laura Pease is Vice Principal, Whitefield Schools and precious pupil premium funding on an additional speech Centre, and lead tutor for the Whitefield School/Kingston and language therapist. It would be interesting to know University MSI Diploma.

Watching adult models

12 • ©BATOD Magazine • September 2014 04-33 - Multi-disciplinary Sept14 v4 24/07/2014 16:39 Page 13

Multi-disciplinary working

Multi-disciplinary working between health and education services Families come first in Berkshire from the initial diagnosis, Hannah Cooper and Cate Statham describes how the joint working between education and health help to create a holistic approach

Background Good communication is the key to successful multi-agency Multi-agency working between the Berkshire Sensory working and this is promoted by developing positive Consortium Service and Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation relationships between professionals. Education colleagues Trust audiology department provides a holistic service to the provide training for clinical practitioners and vice versa. As families we support. Our way of working has led to both well as the CHSWG, multi-disciplinary team meetings are successes and challenges. Good relationships have been held once a month in order to discuss both individual cases built and maintained in order to share in achievements and and the broader service. Written information about hearing overcome difficulties so that we are able to provide the best loss and hearing aids is jointly produced by clinical and educational audiology. possible service to families. A collaborative project between Royal Berkshire audiology Historically, a joint clinic for children with permanent hearing and the Berkshire Sensory Consortium Service assessing loss has been run by a clinical audiologist and an the use of FM systems with babies and toddlers has been educational audiologist. The clinic was strengthened by the running for several years. This has resulted in greater introduction of the Newborn Hearing Screening Programme integration of health and education and a deeper which gave the opportunity for early intervention and understanding of each team’s working practices. support for babies diagnosed with hearing loss. Multidisciplinary working across audiology, education, Challenges speech and language therapy, ENT and paediatrics is now Knowledge of equipment presents a training need for embedded within our service. teams. Traditionally, it has been the Teacher of the Deaf who manages a child’s radio aid but during our FM project, What we do this equipment has been provided and maintained by the A family’s first experience of joint working between hospital and fitted jointly by education and health. education and health will begin when their child is Therefore, all paediatric audiologists required training in FM diagnosed with a permanent hearing loss. An educational systems to ensure that hearing aid repairs were successful audiologist will be present at diagnosis wherever possible, and that integrated systems were not overlooked. and this usually takes place in the family’s home when their baby is just a few weeks old. Home visits continue with Positive electronic communication can make a real professionals visiting individually or together depending on difference to relationships and workflow; however it is the needs of the family. Use of the Early Monitoring Protocol sometimes frustrated by incompatible systems. An initiative is encouraged and reviewed by both health and education to allow Teachers of the Deaf access to the clinical team members. audiology department’s electronic patient records system was initially successful allowing teachers to instantly see A clinical audiologist and an educational audiologist jointly what had happened in clinic and to add their own reports. run our clinics for children under five years at the hospital, However, subsequent changes in software prevented the with input from a speech and language therapist when system from working and attempts to resolve this problem appropriate. Families are able to discuss their child’s are ongoing. needs and development with professionals, and gather both educational and clinical information at the same Conclusions appointment. Although professionals from both education Multi-disciplinary working ensures that children with hearing and health have clearly defined roles, each profession is loss and their families are effectively and appropriately mutually supported by shared goals and common ground. supported. The necessary investment of time to build This leads to consistency and continuity for families and relationships and develop integrated systems of working, any misunderstandings can quickly be identified and re- leads to increased satisfaction, creative ventures and explained. improved outcomes. Trust is fundamentally important for developing understanding of how roles complement each The education service runs a pre-school group for children other and identifying common goals. With commitment to with hearing loss and their families, and an audiologist is multi-disciplinary working from all individuals in the team, a always present at this group. The audiologist is available to more holistic approach to care can be implemented leading take impressions for earmoulds and to discuss audiological to the best possible outcomes for children with hearing loss. questions as they arise in a relaxed setting. The two services also jointly organise a transition day for young Hannah Cooper is a Clinical Scientist (Audiology) at the people as they prepare to leave secondary education and Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust Audiology. move from paediatric to adult audiology, ensuring that support and information are effectively delivered without Cate Statham is an Educational Audiologist working for the duplication or omission. Berkshire Sensory Consortium Service.

HdjcYcjdH Yc SuccessSuccec ss™ CommunicateCCoommunicate winica withth ease and conﬁdence

FForor hearhearinging aid users and cochlear implant candidacandidates,tes, SSoundSuccessoundSuccess is a ffun,un, motmotivatingivating online rehabilirehabilitationtation resource designed to help improve your papatients:tients:

XdcÄYZcXZjh^c\i]Z^g]ZVg^c\iZX]cdad\ndX g^Z]i\c^hjZXcZYÄcd n\dadc]XZi\c^gVZ] ease of jcYZghiVcY^c\Y^[[ZgZciheZV`Zgh\c^YcVihgZYcj ^Y [[[[ hgZ`VZehicZgZ ease ofa^hiZc^c\^ccd^hnZck^gdcbZcihh^dcc^\c^cZih^a hicZbcdg^kcZnh

FForor more inforinformation,mation, email [email protected]@AdvvaancedBionicsancedBionics.com.com

Multi-disciplinary working Clare at Seashell Jane Douglas and Laura Thompson present the case study of Clare, who is autistic and didn’t take to her cochlear implant until a multi-disciplinary programme changed her mind

A 13-year old girl running around a sports pitch wearing a cochlear implant may not be an unexpected sight, but for this youngster it is an inspiring testimony to many hours of slow and patient multi-disciplinary team effort. Clare was born with CMV which resulted in profound deafness and severe learning difficulties. She was fitted with a Nucleus 24 cochlear implant in 2004 and after wearing it in her primary school initially, she started to reject it and then only wore it occasionally for short sessions, and by about 2009 she would generally only tolerate the coil and speech processor for about 10 minutes. Once at Seashell Trust she was observed closely to assess when and why she would not tolerate using the cochlear implant. It became clear that her use of the implant was linked to her ‘compartmentalisation’ behaviours, associated with her autism, and that the implant was only acceptable to her for a dedicated session with a clear start and finish. The use of the implant did not seem to be associated with ambient noise and auditory overload. After any session had ended she would remove the speech processor and coil and place them in a box and put it on a shelf in her room. A Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) programme was Teddy jump. After a few goes swap round and give planned for her (which included input from the Teddy to Clare – we play the instrument and Clare Audiologist, Teacher of the Deaf (ToD), Speech and makes Teddy jump. Language Therapist (SaLT) and Learning Support Hide dolly – similar to above; cover dolly with a scarf Assistant (LSA)) in order to extend her listening through and sign ‘sssh’ and ‘sleep’; when Clare plays the the implant by incorporating a range of motivating instrument pull the scarf off dolly and make her jump up. sounds and auditory stimuli. Her local Auditory Implant As above, after a few turns swap and let Clare make Programme also gave her four programmes in the dolly jump up when the instrument plays. speech processor with gradual increments from a quiet level to her full MAP. Clare then attended weekly auditory listening sessions to develop her listening skills and auditory discrimination For Clare to agree to wear her implant and engage in when wearing her speech processor and cochlear activities there had to be an element of fun so we implant. The listening programme is delivered in a very developed some interactive and engaging listening bland ‘listening room’ which has been designed games. The MDT programme focussed on three aims: specifically to minimise any visual distractions and a) to encourage Clare to listen to sounds, b) to facilitate competing sensory stimuli. the recognition that sounds are different and c) to help her understand that different sounds have different Clare has demonstrated that she is able to listen and meanings. It was felt that Clare would be become more attend to sounds and the sessions focussed on Clare familiar with sounds (including Ling sounds) than with discriminating and choosing between musical words. Rapidly we discovered that the ‘deal’ had to instruments and sung music, and identifying tempo and involve activities and sounds that Clare found sound levels through symbols. Clare remains very interesting; otherwise she finished the session and motivated by these sessions and enjoys listening and handed over her speech processor. interacting with the musicians and singer and often becomes very vocal herself. Examples of initial listening games Make Teddy jump to the sound – Hold Teddy and A modified listening programme was simultaneously when Clare plays a percussion instrument make introduced in the classroom, matching animal pictures to

Multi-disciplinary working

vocalised animal sounds, adapted for one to one proved invaluable in the transferring of her listening delivery with the support of either her teacher or key skills. Regular multi-disciplinary team meetings provided worker. The programme was delivered daily over many an opportunity for an action plan to be developed to weeks with an identical format each time so that Clare overcome Clare’s compartmentalising of her cochlear could build up her auditory memory and understand implant use. This was only addressed once she was what was expected of her. Initially each sound was also confident in her listening programme and having some supported by a lip pattern and a sign, whilst being success with the sounds that she was focusing on. reinforced with the matching picture card. Modelling was Audiological training was provided for the staff that crucial in the early stages of this process and provided supported Clare both in residence and school in order to Clare with the information she needed to be confident in confidently and consistently manage the speech her listening skills. Gradually the cues were removed. processor and coil. Initially her school key worker Once modelled, the accompanying sign was taken delivered her listening programme in both school and away, so that she was matching a sound and a lip also to residence both to ensure continuity of carer and pattern to the corresponding picture. The lip pattern was minimise the transition changes. This transfer then also removed and she was ‘listening’ and programme was reduced over time and she was able to accurately able to identify and distinguish between up to complete her programme in residence with the support six different sounds with no visual cues. She would work of her residential key worker. Again as the session using a motivational reward system which gave her a finished she would remove her implant and ask for it to reason to listen. We also tailored the sounds that were be put away, out of sight. used to include transport sounds as these are highly Targets around Clare’s use of her implant needed to be motivating to her. extended to exceed simply wearing it for her listening At this time Clare was confident wearing her implant for programme. Initially she was encouraged to wear it to discrete listening sessions but as the session came to move from one area of the classroom to another before an end she would immediately remove her implant and taking it off. This was all explained in sign and with some ask for it to be put away, out of sight. This inflexibility in modelling and role play by staff. As this was successful the use of her cochlear implant was a barrier that would the targets were extended in small increments and over need to be overcome to transfer her listening skills to time she was confident wearing her implant throughout a any real life situations ensuring that they were a full hour session. Opportunities for incidental listening valuable life skill rather than a trick she was able to were sought and sounds created when Clare was perform in a staged situation. wearing her implant. These targets were again extended to the point where she would ask for her implant on Clare is a student who benefits from some respite at arriving at school and take it off at the end of the day. Seashell Trust. This link with the onsite residence This demonstrated a real difference in her attitude towards her implant as she was requesting it rather than COCHLEAR IMPLANT USE SCHEDULE it being staff led. Use of her implant in the taxi on her l Prior to being offered her cochlear implant way home was the next step but wearing her implant at (speech processor) Clare will be shown a PECS home proved to be a bigger hurdle. Clare has very symbol and simultaneous sign for her speech supportive parents who understand the importance of processor to cue her into the process of wearing her wearing her speech processor and they worked hard her implant. She should not have her implant at home to encourage Clare to comply. This was a real placed on her head whilst she is engaged in an struggle and Clare seemed adamant that her implant activity without prior warning/information. was for use at school, residence and even out in the l Clare initially is to be offered her cochlear community but not at home. However, it seemed that implant (speech processor) twice a day. she slowly began to recognise the benefits of listening, and unexpectedly, one evening she wore her implant at l Implant only to be offered in a controlled, quiet, home whilst she ate her evening meal. This was the low stimulation environment but in a ‘no fuss’ breakthrough we had all been working towards. and ‘no big deal’ manner. l Clare needs to be engaged in a highly She now uses iPads and ‘choose it’ programmes motivating, quiet activity. designed specifically for her to increase her ability to discriminate between real life noises that she may l Clare may benefit from a star chart for encounter and also on identifying the Ling sounds. As a successful CI use. multi-disciplinary team we are very proud of Clare and l Start with programme 1 sensitivity 12. her achievements with regards to her listening and she l If Clare takes her implant off this should be is now a confident implant user on a full MAP. honoured and a period of time should elapse before she is re-offered it. It would be helpful to Jane Douglas (Audiologist) BSc (Hons) MSc Audiology. note the situations when she removes her Laura Thompson (Class teacher) BSc (Hons), PGCE, speech processor. PG Dip Deaf Education.

16 • ©BATOD Magazine • September 2014 04-33 - Multi-disciplinary Sept14 v4 24/07/2014 16:39 Page 17

Multi-disciplinary working NDCS Family officer Wendy Westgarth looks at the invaluable support that the NDCS can offer to families of babies who have been newly identified as deaf and how Family Officers and Teachers of the Deaf can work together

How Family Officers make a difference to the lives diagnosis can attend to meet other families of deaf of deaf children and families children, take part in activities and learn more about The National Deaf Children’s Society has Family deafness. The Helpline can also link families up with Officers working across the UK, and I have been local and community activities, such as parenting working with the charity for 10 years. With the right workshops, which are designed to meet the needs of support, deaf children can achieve anything other parents with deaf children, and sign language classes, children can. Family Officers work to ensure families of or we can signpost them to their local deaf children’s deaf children are equipped from the start to support their society – local groups that are affiliated to the National child to reach their full potential. They offer a one to one Deaf Children’s Society. service to families of deaf children and provide impartial Families who require a Family Officer are referred via information, advocacy and support on a range of topics the Helpline. A home visit or initial phone call will then be including: Disability Living Allowance and other benefits; arranged to talk to the family about what support can be their rights according to Education and Equality Law; provided and what their priorities are. Parents of deaf and funding for equipment and activities for their child children worry about the same things as all parents do that are not available from statutory sources. and Family Officers encourage them to share anything In addition Family Officers work closely with National that is on their mind. Over the years I have received a Deaf Children’s Society Regional and Country Directors variety of questions, including ‘will my deaf son/daughter on wider strategic issues facing decision makers and learn to speak?’, ‘will they learn to drive?’, ‘will they get a commissioners of services for deaf children. This could job?’ and/or ‘get married?’ include challenging spending cuts to services for deaf Supporting families through multi-disciplinary work children and young people. Another aspect of a Family Officer’s role is to ensure the Family Officers also work with a variety of other family knows what support is available to them from agencies in their area and can attend multi-agency Teachers of the Deaf and other professionals involved meetings, such as Children Hearing Service Working with their child from the very beginning and to support Groups (CHSWGs) and annual review meetings with them to make contact. I prioritise listening to a family’s families and other professionals working with them. As specific needs and ensure they understand how a well as providing one to one support for families, Family particular professional can help them. Some families Officers network locally with education, health and social could have four or five different professionals working care colleagues and other voluntary agencies, keeping with them and it can be a struggle to know who is there them up to speed with what support is available for to support them and in what ways. It is important that families of deaf children and to share insight from their Family Officers develop a strong working relationship own practice. with the other professionals involved in a particular family’s case and support the parent or carer to develop Supporting families of newly identified deaf babies good relationships. Family Officers prove invaluable when a family has received a diagnosis of deafness for their baby. 90 per It goes without saying that through the support they cent of deaf children are born to hearing parents and provide, Teachers of the Deaf are vital in helping a newly they often have little or no knowledge of deafness. As identified deaf child to grow up to reach his or her full Teachers of the Deaf already know, early potential. I used to be a Teacher of the Deaf myself and communication within the family is the strongest appreciate how important the role is in supporting deaf influence on language development for a deaf child, and children and young people throughout their education. it is vital that families have access to information about Teachers of the Deaf can help close the education the various support and communication options attainment gap that exists between deaf young people available to them as soon as possible. and other children. I’ve also learnt a lot from the Teachers of the Deaf I have worked with, and equally When a family first gets in touch with the National Deaf they can approach me with questions. In the past I have Children’s Society, the organisation’s Helpline can been asked about topics such as special educational support them to find out about the full range of services needs support in school for an individual child, or how to that are suitable for them, such as Family Weekends. arrange deaf awareness events in the local community. This includes Newly Identified Family Weekends, which are free events that families who have just received a As a Family Officer, it is also my role to help families

Multi-disciplinary working

prepare for meetings, with their child’s school for Children’s Society’s Supporting Achievement resources, example, by encouraging them to list the key points they which are aimed at mainstream staff working with deaf would like to raise. Understandably there are occasions children to help them make the required adjustments. when these meetings can become very emotional, so Working together where it does get too much for them, I relay the key As you can see, a Family Officer’s role is incredibly points the family wishes to make. It’s so rewarding to varied and, as with Teachers of the Deaf, we never know receive feedback from a family after you’ve provided what each day will bring. Family Officers work to ensure them with support. A father of a profoundly deaf boy told families of deaf children are informed and feel confident me that he now actually enjoys attending meetings with in making their own decisions about what is best for their the professionals working with his son, as he feels able child, and to include their child in making these to take control and knows what he is doing, thanks to my decisions. A family recently told me that they now feel previous advice and support. their child will have the best possible start in education School placement is another area families frequently ask and they are more hopeful than ever that they will Family Officers about. Family Officers encourage achieve their potential. families to discuss placements with their Teacher of the Family Officers work collaboratively with Teachers of the Deaf, who will have knowledge and expertise with Deaf to support deaf children, young people and their regards to the school environment and deaf awareness families. Teachers of the Deaf already do a great job of of staff. In addition, families are supported to look at all telling the families they are working with about Family options within and outside their area in order to make an Officers and how we can help, so please continue to informed choice. The National Deaf Children’s Society spread the word. Working together we can support as has a factsheet Which Schools? that has a useful check many families as possible. list that can help families when making their decision. For more information about how the National Deaf Given that many deaf children are to be educated in Children’s Society and Teachers of the Deaf can work mainstream placements – with support from peripatetic together, and the support we can provide families in your Teachers of the Deaf – Family Officers can work with area, please visit ndcs.org.uk or contact the National Teachers of the Deaf to help support schools in ensuring Deaf Children’s Society’s Freephone Helpline on 0808 they are making the required adjustments for deaf 800 8880 or email [email protected] children in line with the 2010 Equality Act or the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act in Northern Ireland. Family Wendy Westgarth is a Family Officer at the Officers can also refer professionals to key resources National Deaf Children’s Society; she covers the that could inform their work, such as the National Deaf North East region.

ToD email forum G L A D E Need an answer or some advice? Greater London Affiliation Ask your fellow Teachers of the Deaf… This open email forum has been used to for Deaf Education ♦ share information about research projects Never heard of it? ♦ ask for ideas for presenting curriculum information That’s because it’s new! ♦ get help from colleagues across the UK Membership is open to staff working in ♦ discuss resource provisions and other settings for – buying and using radio aids for use at deaf children in Greater London (and home, neighbouring areas). – issues relating to pay and conditions of Teachers of the Deaf We offer termly meetings on themes – speech discrimination testing chosen by members with time for discussion, guest speakers and shared Find out more visit experiences, plus an annual conference. www.batod.org.uk ► home page Please contact Reminder for current and future members: Joyce Sewell-Rutter, Ewing Foundation BATOD manages this forum which is hosted by if you are interested in being a part of this group: the Department for Education. Any information about changes of email address or other [email protected] enquiries should be sent to [email protected]

18 • ©BATOD Magazine • September 2014 04-33 - Multi-disciplinary Sept14 v4 25/07/2014 07:31 Page 19

Multi-disciplinary working Multi-Agency Workshops for Parents Shirley Cleaton talks about the workshops that help parents of deaf children understand not only what the professionals can offer their families but also how they too can make a contribution to the success of their children For any parent, keeping up with the ever-evolving changes in education can be challenging; for the parents of a deaf child these challenges may be magnified. The additional responsibility of dealing with a variety of other agencies, for example speech and language therapy, cochlear implant teams and audiology, can be onerous for parents. Sometimes parents feel ill-equipped to see the links between the different agencies and sometimes they may feel overwhelmed with information and are not always clear about how the messages dovetail into clear programmes of support. They are often under pressure to cope with the ever- increasing demands of technology – sometimes preferring to ‘leave it to the professionals’, not always realising the valuable contribution they can make to the success of their own children. The need to bring professionals from different agencies and parents together in a friendly and less formal environment than the usual hospital or classroom is a powerful one. This approach has worked successfully in our secondary Resource Base in Birmingham, under the direction of Sensory Support, Access to Education. Pooling the expertise and knowledge under one roof enabled parents to explore and encouraged questions which may never have been asked under different circumstances. Parents united in their quest for understanding as professionals united in their delivery of information, creating a cauldron of excitement and awareness in which the impersonal became personal and obstacles were removed, replaced by bridges leading to appreciation and communication. Each term we have set up a morning of workshops which parents were able to visit in turn. These were led by a Speech and Language Therapist, a therapist from the Cochlear Implant Team, an Audiologist, a representative from BID Services for Deaf People, a Family Officer from the NDCS and a Teacher of the Deaf. The workshops were short, informal and presented in a variety of different ways, giving all parents the opportunity to dictate the pace and, to some extent, the direction the workshop took. It was a ‘hands on’ experience as they handled the resources and equipment and looked in some detail at the assessments carried out on their children. The sessions allowed

Multi-disciplinary working

opportunity to meet with the parents: ‘Regarding the carousel, it was good to do this jointly with a ToD. This hopefully helped parents realise that we don’t necessarily use different resources, just that we use them differently some times. Parents reported that they felt more knowledgeable and confident about things they can do with their daughters.’ When discussing the possibility of future events the representatives from the Cochlear Implant Team said: professionals to address the confusing and, at times, ‘We would really like to support this valuable initiative, conflicting, information parents have picked up from the and coming along last time was a very positive different agencies. Parents were also given insight into experience.’ how voluntary agencies can support their deaf child and what activities are available in the area. To date this has been the start of a journey that looks promising but one we all need to take part in. Together The morning ran smoothly as each group of parents we can allow a more holistic approach to the education visited each workshop allowing them the freedom to of deaf students and with the parents on board it is one question and take notes. Coffee breaks were slightly the children will most certainly benefit from. We hope longer than normal – thirty minutes – and held after the that this will lead to greater parental involvement in introduction to the morning’s events. This had the dual future events. With parents on board a great deal more benefit of allowing staff to finalise the workshops and the can be achieved, both in school and at home. By parents time to relax and socialise, which they did to acquiring a deeper understanding of the issues their great effect. children face on a daily basis they are far more likely to The evaluation at the end highlighted the need for more encourage the use of equipment and support the workshops. intervention of outside agencies. When asked: ‘What would you like to see in the future?’ The most recent Parents’ Workshop had a 90% comments included: attendance, the goal remains 100%. l New information regarding hearing impairment Shirley Cleaton is a Teaching Assistant at Bordesley l Regular workshops Green Girls and Small Heath Resource Base for Hearing-Impaired Children and Young People. l Further information on how deaf children learn l More about audiology l Something similar to see how deaf children learn/progress. It was very apparent that parents were not only interested but had a genuine desire to learn as much as they could from the professionals. It was an event to bring parents and professionals closer and to empower the parents to take a more active role. The presenters also reported the event as being valuable experience. The Speech and Language Therapist welcomed the idea of the carousel and the

20 • ©BATOD Magazine • September 2014 04-33 - Multi-disciplinary Sept14 v4 24/07/2014 16:40 Page 21 School Soundfield NEW! Swift Digital

The Swift Digital brings the latest in top quality sound to your classroom.

Phil says: This single wall-mounted unit gives excellent sound quality suitable for most classrooms; it is easy to install and also has the lowest price tag when The first Soundfield system from Connevans Stylish the cost of installation featuring Digital audio processing which looks with is considered allows your classroom to benefit from the technical latest advancements in technology. excellence! SwiftConnect Also new this year is the SwiftConnect. Used in conjunction with the Swift Digital, the SwiftConnect is the perfect way of wirelessly connecting your laptop, iPod or interactive whiteboard to your Soundfield system.

What’s more, if your interactive Another clever feature of whiteboard already has speakers, the SwiftConnect is the SwiftConnect will allow that it allows you you to connect them to to connect in a the Swift Digital, recording device creating a and record part or multi-speaker all of your lesson soundfield. ‒ great for Ofsted and storing examples of student participation.

[email protected] Connevans www.SchoolSoundfield.co.uk Suppliers to local authorities, health authorities Bridge House, 1 Nutfield Road, Merstham, Surrey RH1 3EB and the audiological professional since 1961 Telephone: 01737 247571 Minicom: 01737 644016 04-33 - Multi-disciplinary Sept14 v4 24/07/2014 16:40 Page 22

Multi-disciplinary working Sensory Support Practitioners (SSPs) Alison Berry discusses how the use of SSPs has been funded and how they help families and Zoe Allen gives an account of how it works in practice

In Suffolk we have a number of Sensory Support child/young person and the family and then agrees with Practitioners who have discrete but flexible roles across other members of the team about an appropriate the Sensory and Communication service. They may package of support; this is then filtered to the support the early years children and their families in their appropriate members of staff; once in place it is homes or at our local HICCUPS (0-3 pre-school group) monitored closely and adapted as necessary creating a and LEGUPS (Language Enrichment) sessions. Our tailor-made service. deaf SSP supports the use of BSL in a variety of settings From my own experience I understand the importance – homes, early years groups and schools – he keeps a of early invention and communication in the home watchful eye on the skills within the service too! We also setting, as a mother of a son with a hearing impairment have Braillists and Intervenors who target a very specific and autism. I believe that my experience gives me group of children and others who support technology. valuable insight into the difficulties of raising a child with The funding of SSPs has been at the expense of a sensory loss, and lots of knowledge I can use to reducing a number of teaching posts – it was felt, within lessen those difficulties for others. In the 16 years since the service, that we needed ‘more bodies’ to reach the his diagnosis I have benefited directly from the multi- number of cases being diagnosed and that the skills of disciplinary approach of this service. Both I and my the teachers were best used in managing programmes family have been supported by all parts of the service, of support and providing frontline intervention and from Teachers of the Deaf to Social care workers. guidance with the SSPs following up with family support As a trained SSP/Intervenor I provide support to and ‘hands on’ interaction with the children. For the loss deaf/blind children, some with physical disabilities and of one teaching post we were able to appoint two SSPs. developmental delays, in the home setting, the local The SSP/Intervenors are paid for by the schools that community, or the educational setting – or a combination need their particular skills. We appoint and train the staff of all. With specialist training the aim is to help the child and allocate them as required to the schools that have or young person to experience and join in the world deaf/blind children. This enables us to ensure equity of around them as much as possible. We work to promote skills across the county and the staff themselves have a personal and social development, encourage line manager and a peer group to support them. independence and support communication. Under the guidance of the Advisory Teacher for MSI we provide The SSPs work across the Education/Social Care support and advice to the teachers and parents, spheres and are directed by the professional managing adapting resources and providing communication a particular case. For example an SSP can be asked to methods that are accessible to the child. do a home visit with an early years toddler in the morning by an Advisory Teacher then in the afternoon Suffolk County Council has encouraged me to further support a Social Worker with a family coping with my professional development and has enrolled me on a challenging behaviour. This access to experiences number of courses which enable me to provide the best across the professional range has enabled the team possible service for the children I support. I enjoy my job to appreciate the diverse skills necessary to support and am proud to be part of the team.’ children and young people across the 0-19 (soon to Alison Berry is the County Manager for Sensory and be 25) age range. Communication Service, Suffolk County Council and It is hoped that out of the current cohort of SSPs a Zoe Allen is a Sensory Support Practitioner/Intervenor, number could well go on to become specialist Teachers Suffolk County Council. of the Deaf or social workers in the future – especially as we anticipate a number of staff moving on or retiring. Please don’t share your Zoe Allen, one of our SSPs, gives her own account: BATOD membership... ‘Within my role as SSP I work with the families of Encourage your colleagues, SENCO children and young people with hearing loss providing and classroom assistants to join BATOD BSL sessions to aid communication within the home to enjoy the benefits of membership. environment. The Advisory Teacher or the Specialist Social Care Practitioner assesses the needs of the ...get them to join!

22 • ©BATOD Magazine • September 2014 04-33 - Multi-disciplinary Sept14 v4 24/07/2014 16:40 Page 23

Multi-disciplinary working Short Breaks in Norfolk Gaining Short Breaks Pathfinder Status has allowed Norfolk to offer a wide variety of activities to sensory impaired children. Amanda Kenny describes how collaborative working and professionalism has been integral to their success

Collaboration, Collaboration, Collaboration! creating a suite of rooms suitable for children. Meeting In 2008, Norfolk became one of the 21 Local Areas to be regularly, the members of the consortium worked closely awarded Short Breaks Pathfinder Status. There was an together, sharing good practice and developing the expectation that as a Pathfinder Local Area, Norfolk service. An eclectic group of organisations, the would develop a delivery programme to transform the consortium went from strength to strength sharing ideas quality and quantity of Short Break provision in the area. and working closely together to support each other and A programme was developed to ensure that by working make sure that as many sensory impaired children and with local partners the needs of specific groups of their families as possible were able to access the short disabled children, who commonly fail to access Short breaks on offer. Breaks provision because of a shortage of appropriate Activities were and continue to be delivered across the services, would be met. county and include days out to a variety of venues such Unlike some other Local Areas, Norfolk included sensory as theme parks, zoos and outdoor activity centres, in- impaired children and invited organisations supporting house days with crafting, cooking and pampering this group of young people to apply for funding to sessions and sporting opportunities covering just about establish a service. Interested parties met and agreed to every sport you can imagine including skiing, karting and work together as a consortium; these organisations were white water rafting. Events are staffed by a mixture of Children’s Services, Sensory Support (now Virtual employed staff, sessional workers and volunteers. All School Sensory Support) as the lead partner, Norfolk receive deaf awareness training and most have had Deaf Children’s Society, West Norfolk Deaf Association experience working with deaf children or are deaf and Deaftastics Multisports Club. Significant revenue themselves. Many are fluent in BSL; however, for certain funding was secured for the consortium for an initial activities, registered interpreters are booked. To be period of two years along with capital funding for West eligible for the short breaks we offer, deaf children must Norfolk Deaf Association to transform its building have a significant bilateral hearing loss. Activities are usually charged at £5; however, for more elaborate events this may be higher. To ensure that all children meeting the criteria have full access we provide transport for some children and waive fees if necessary. A fundamental key to the success of the project is the close working we have with the Teachers of the Deaf. Being the first point of contact with the children and families, they encourage children to attend the events and support parents in applying for an allocation of hours. The initial form filling can be overwhelming and in many instances this would not happen without the ToD. They also accompany anxious children and their equally concerned parents on the first activity when necessary. This is reassuring for the families as it means there is a well-known person, with whom they feel comfortable, to make the first introduction. The ToDs are also very keen to hear feedback from both us and the children and this generates a point of discussion during their school visits. At the end of the initial contract the funder was impressed by the collaborative working and professionalism of the consortium and they encouraged us to tender for ongoing funding as part of the Aiming High agenda. We decided to broaden our horizons and new members were invited to join the consortium. These were Action for Blind People and Sense. Our tender application was successful enabling the consortium to

Multi-disciplinary working

additional information about their character and likes and dislikes. As always, documenting outcomes can be laborious and time-consuming; however, it is really satisfying to see the finished schedules and look back at the feedback from both the parents and children. Feedback to date includes: From parents: l ‘My child has made new friends and experienced things he wouldn’t normally get the chance to do. Mixed with other deaf children’ l ‘My child has gained confidence and has better social skills and shared experiences’ l ‘What a super, super job you all do and it is very much appreciated’. From children and young people (likes and dislikes): l ‘The thing I liked was when we play in Farmer Fred’s. I didn’t like seeing the pigs because they smell’ l ‘I liked seeing ‘S’ and friends and everything. Things I didn’t like: I am terrible at archery’ l ‘I liked holding the very cute, adorable and beautiful rat! I didn’t like the scary spiders’. Last year the two newer members of the consortium decided to opt out to work on other projects, leaving the original members to continue providing services. The funding shortfall was then offered to the other partners, WNDA successfully applied for additional funding to start offer a wide range of services for a further three years, a Deaf Teens club which is due to start shortly. This new to 31 March 2015. group has a committee of deaf young people and will We have developed systems and shared feedback and cater for those aged 16 to 21. Further funding has also ideas and now feel that we have everything in place to been secured for young people not meeting the criteria. take our ideas forward and to expand the range of To date, the consortium continues to work well and is services we offer. We have a newsletter that publicises expanding and developing the services it provides. We forthcoming activities and features a different have developed strong working relationships which we organisation each time, highlighting one of their know will stand us in good stead for future joint projects successful activities. We have representation on the and be of long-lasting benefit to deaf children in Norfolk. Children Hearing Support Working Group and Norfolk Council on Deafness and work closely with local Amanda Kenny is the Manager of West Norfolk Deaf hospitals’ audiology departments. Partners meet Association and the parent of a deaf son aged 16. quarterly to discuss events, feedback and outcomes and this collaborative working has enabled us to develop comprehensive systems to ensure we meet the needs of individual children and families. Our booking forms not only detail the child’s hearing loss, method of communication and other disabilities, but also provide

24 • ©BATOD Magazine • September 2014 04-33 - Multi-disciplinary Sept14 v4 24/07/2014 16:40 Page 25

Multi-disciplinary working Working with social care Rory McDonnell and Amanda Challinor are proud to show how fourteen years of multi-disciplinary working has worked in Bexley to deliver a flexible and effective service to children in their care

When parents are told that their child has a hearing made formally using an Interagency Referral Form and loss, there are understandably many questions. Most always with the consent of parents/guardians. revolve around hearing aids, communication and The partnership our teams have formed is not simply perhaps future education. At this time, parents might joined up working for its own sake. It is a way of have any number of health, education or social care complementing the skills of our respective professionals professionals visiting to discuss these issues. However, to provide the best possible service to deaf children it could be argued, it is only when these professionals and, just as importantly, their families. Staff from the work closely together as a team, that parents and education and sensory teams meet formally at least children receive the full benefit of their skills. once a term to discuss practice and casework, fuelled Our teams have worked together very happily and by a generous amount of cake and coffee! successfully for over fourteen years. Within Bexley The serious side to these meetings is that we learn a borough, we have an education based Advisory Service great deal from each other, and this translates into well for Sensory Impairment, a social care Disabled informed joint interventions. The other valuable Children’s Service, and a partner organisation called outcome from this work is that families understand that Inspire Community Trust, which has a specialist they have a formidable combination of education and Sensory Support Team, providing social care support social care professionals behind them to provide for deaf children and adults. This service was once part support from diagnosis. of the local authority but devolved nine years ago One example of how this team work brings positive following a best value review. outcomes for children is in supporting communication The Advisory Service for Sensory Impairment provides choices. British Sign Language is a priority in Bexley, educational and language support for deaf children from and all parents have access to free BSL learning at all birth to nineteen. The service is centrally managed by levels. Children and their families are supported by the local authority and is part of a broader AEN/SEN assistants from the education team, and this is Support Service that includes educational psychology reinforced by the work of the sensory team. There are and education welfare. three full time members of staff in the team fluent in BSL, as well as a deaf role model who can visit families The disabled children's service is generic and works to give them an insight into what can be achieved by with all disabled children up to the age of 18, providing deaf adults. information and packages of support to meet assessed needs, as well as contributing to safeguarding and care Forming good relationships with deaf children of all proceedings when necessary. The DCS works in ages is something in which both teams take pride. partnership with education, Inspire, and other Whenever we visit families, both separately or jointly, professional agencies involved with the young person. we know that we can communicate and build a relationship with children no matter what their Inspire's sensory service is one of the few lifelong communication method. However, partnership working teams, providing services to anyone of any age living has other, more practical, advantages for families within the borough of Bexley. This means that a baby besides promoting educational achievement. referred to the team can be supported throughout school, college, and towards independence as an adult. Another priority for our teams is supporting families Having no age limits also means that the sensory team with the financial implications of having a deaf child. can build on the work of education and support deaf There might be hospital appointments out of the area, young people to access training and work. involving travel and parking costs, and parents might need to reduce their working hours to care for a deaf The majority of referrals are from education to the child with additional needs. The cost of buying suitable sensory team following the established referral toys, and even replacing a broken appliance, can all pathway from newborn hearing screening through add to an already stressful time. We work together to education and social care. Occasionally, the sensory guide parents through the minefield of DLA and benefit team will refer a child to education, for example if a entitlement. The sensory team has a qualified benefit new family moves into the borough. All referrals are adviser, able to support parents through application,

Multi-disciplinary working

appeal and benefit tribunals. We also refer children for that the partnership we have between our teams is both direct payments, Family Fund and other areas of appreciated by parents, and strengthens the practice of charitable funding. all professionals involved. We are aware that perhaps the secret of the successful relationship between our The strength in combining the skills and knowledge of teams is the flexibility and broad scope of our remit. our teams is that we are able to be less conventional The surprising thing is that it is not more prevalent. and more ambitious in our support for parents and children. One of the advantages of sensory services Amanda Challinor is Sensory Team Manager, Inspire being based in a not-for-profit organisation is that it Community Trust, and Rory McDonnell is Advisory allows a flexibility of service provision which is not Teacher for HI, Bexley. always possible within a local authority. Sensory team members have, for example, worked closely with a deaf child with additional needs and their family, as key www.batod.org.uk workers and have added a helpful perspective to the process of creating draft and final statements and EHC BATOD represents you at various meetings and plans (our authority is one of the pathfinders). we may be asked for demographic information. If you provide these details and keep them up- Working together enables both teams to be child and to-date it will help us to help you. Log into the family centred, increasing the opportunities for good BATOD website and then ► My Details practice. It also means that the school and home environment can be connected in a way which might not be otherwise possible. Both teams participate in school reviews as much as possible, especially at transition. It is also common for staff from both teams to discuss strategies to support children experiencing difficulties in their home life, which might affect their progress at school. An example of how both teams bring the home and school environments closer together is in the use of technology. Having a deaf child brings many changes to a family. Subtitles and loop systems for televisions, doorbells which flash or vibrate, and getting used to caring for hearing aids, can all have their challenges. Everyone in our combined teams realises that technology can be a very steep learning curve. Our teams support parents with their children's hearing aid use and compliance, both in and out of school. We also support parents through the cochlear implant assessment process. The sensory team works with children and parents to provide assistive technology for the home, addressing concerns about when to allow the child to answer the door or the telephone. Staff also address the impact technology has on the daily routine of the family, for example providing pager systems rather than visual doorbell systems. The education team ensures all assistive equipment is available in schools, and provides training and encouragement to school staff in its use. What are the benefits? There have been many grateful comments from families over the years. They are happy that we work together in the best interests of the children, and reassured knowing that there is a range of professional help and expertise they can access when they need it. What has been described above is a good news story, outlining how close working with education and social care can produce positive outcomes for deaf children and their families. No intervention is perfect, and there is always room for improvement. However, there is no doubt

26 • ©BATOD Magazine • September 2014 04-33 - Multi-disciplinary Sept14 v4 24/07/2014 16:40 Page 27

COMING SOON

The sky is the limit with Phonak Sky Q

Phonak Sky Q is our new dedicated family of peadiatric hearing aids featuring state-of-the-art Binaural VoiceStream Technology™. What are the benefits? Binaural VoiceStream Technology™ features: • StereoZoom - The only technology capable of sufficiently narrowing the focus on the voice the listener wants to hear to provide significant SNR improvements of up to 2.5 dB in noisy environments.1 This can help a child to hear the teacher speaking in a noisy classroom environment. • DuoPhone - Streams the caller’s voice from the side where the phone is held to the hearing aid on the other side – allowing a child to hear the conversation in both ears. The average benefit is a 3.1 dB SNR improvement compared to a monaural telephone program.1 • ZoomControl - Ideal for those times when a youngster cannot face the teacher, such as group work or on day trips. Once activated, ZoomControl identifies the source of loudest speech and focuses in that direction. Even at -10 dB SNR, 80% speech intelligibility is achieved.3

1Improved speech understanding even with open fittings. Phonak Field Study News, April 2011. 2Easier telephone conversations with both ears. Phonak Field Study News, February 2010. 3Automatic change of focus to speech signals of interest. Phonak Field Study News, September 2010. 04-33 - Multi-disciplinary Sept14 v4 24/07/2014 16:40 Page 28

Multi-disciplinary working WHSS and AIP inter-agency working Stephanie Halder and Deborah Rix talk about how close collaboration and mutual working has given rise to the unique Auditory Implant Programme partnership in Wandsworth

Historical context At a recent event Pauline Hughes, now CEO of the Ewing Foundation and Dr Ewa Raglan, Consultant Audiological Physician at St George’s Hospital shared with those present the story of their partnership forged over 25 years ago, the legacy of which is the exceptional interagency working between the Wandsworth Hearing Support Service (WHSS) and their colleagues at St. George’s Hospital. The close collaboration and mutual working has given rise to today’s unique Auditory Implant Programme (AIP) partnership. Dr Raglan described ‘a strong organisation For some children the team is extensive, perhaps of dedicated people enabled to preserve services for involving 17 professionals. Partnership working is every child ....I have always felt the model provides the always the key to ensure professionals feel equally best care for children.’ valued and involved, using Team Around the Child Almost 10 years ago the ENT department at the hospital meetings where possible. Identifying the professional approached the Service to ask whether they would network is a joint process between parent and lead provide the Teacher of the Deaf assessment and professional. The Service has introduced innovative habilitation for the CI programme. They had witnessed training for parents to work in partnership with the close working partnership between the teachers and professionals. Audiology staff and wanted to incorporate this ethos into Synergy the programme. Sue Archbold of the Ear Foundation While working within two different systems – the facilitated strategic planning to bring the departments uniqueness of St. George’s ICToD team is that they are together to create a cohesive and streamlined structure. employed by Education and work within honorary Gill Tapson, a ToD who had worked on the GOSH contracts for Health – being aware of and following the implant programme, used her experience and expertise codes of conduct and policies held within both fields. to create a comprehensive assessment and habilitation This requires clear management of the two different schedule. Whilst constantly refined to ensure it remains systems and procedures which must be rigorously fit for purpose, the original plan underpins the present applied. Transparency and trust are key – all members way of working. of the team are mutually accountable. A very close St. George’s Auditory Implant Programme working relationship is maintained between the AIP Implant Centre Teachers of the Deaf (ICToDs) on the Manager and the Lead ICToD. ‘Transparent interactions Auditory Implant Programme (AIP) at St. George’s between professionals has led to improved Hospital work by way of the ‘Outreach consultation, communication and an increase in cross boundary teaching and training’ model of working as described in working at all levels as well as the development of the ICToD Guidelines. Whenever possible they make support networks and training for the extended local their visits jointly with the local ToD. The value of this is team,’ explains Sharmila Patel, AIP Manager, adding, stated by a local ToD ‘I believe that families benefit from ‘Our team has mutual respect for one another.’ visits made jointly and are confident in the support they The energy created by the partnership has meant that are getting when professionals work together.’ challenges which might block other inter-agency teams The ICToD is the key link between families, education and lead to conflict are jointly addressed in regular services and the Cochlear Implant Programme. A parent strategy meetings. The sharing of information amongst reflects, ‘We had and still have the greatest support and teams in different locations has been addressed via the collaborative nature of both teams ensured that our robust and flexible use of hospital electronic transfer son had all the correct support which enabled him to be systems. The processes have an almost military independent, and his education and transition to having precision. This means not only that there is no wastage cochlear implants ran simultaneously and smoothly.’ but there is also transparency and full accountability

28 • ©BATOD Magazine • September 2014 04-33 - Multi-disciplinary Sept14 v4 24/07/2014 16:40 Page 29

Multi-disciplinary working

regarding the teams’ activities and input. Five Teachers of the Deaf work on the programme and whilst they have their individual styles, they follow exactly the same protocols and procedures. Benefits to the teams involved are many and varied. The Teachers of the Deaf on the programme enjoy the variety and challenge and the opportunity to remain at the cutting edge of some of the most exciting technological advancements. Teachers elect to work on the programme and it is completely voluntary. Despite the challenge of multiple roles those teachers who have worked on the programme since its start still do so today. A key aspect of successful inter- agency working is to retain clear boundaries and understand role Professor Clarke on a visit to St. George’s AIP demarcation and overlap. This is further developed as a concept by the understand different viewpoints and reach a consensus team as WHSS Teachers of the Deaf perceive and that is mutually beneficial. present their work on the programme as totally separate What of the future? The relationship between the from their work for the Service. Whilst they employ many Hearing Support Service and St George’s Hospital is set of the same skills, they ensure families and other to grow and prosper. Joint working is an achievable professionals are clear it is the St Georges AIP team reality but it takes relationships to build and sustain it, who are visiting and not WHSS. This approach is not just protocols. supported by the highly structured protocols of the AIP. The final word is from the parent of a deafblind child: Mr David Selvadurai, the Programme’s Director, The Teachers of the Deaf from Wandsworth who have comments: worked with our daughter always demonstrate a The collaboration between St George's and WHSS strong ability to work across multiple agencies. Their has been a tremendous success. The benefits have open and inclusive practice has helped us, and, been seen by the patients, the staff and the service I believe, other professionals, to realise the importance managers. For patients the value of regular contact of integrated working and how that holistic approach is with an experienced ToD cannot be underestimated. just what we need to help our daughter achieve. I have They provide a friendly, consistent and non-medical learned a lot through the service. contact point. By tying into the WHSS network we enable closer Stephanie Halder is Peripatetic Teacher of the Deaf for integration with ToD input, often seamlessly with the Wandsworth Hearing Support Service and Lead Teacher actual locally delivered ToD service. of the Deaf on the St. George's Auditory Implant Programme. Staff on both the ToD and NHS side of the service benefit from each other's expertise and bringing Deborah Rix is Head of Wandsworth Hearing Support teachers into our clinical meetings has enhanced Service and Educational Audiologist. discussions and decision making. WHSS Ethos and the Future Like us on Facebook WHSS is characterised by its commitment to the Family British Association of Teachers Partnership Model of working. This approach of the Deaf emphasises the mutual trust, respect and listening found in parents and professionals engaged in authentic partnership working. The same principles are applied to all aspects of inter-agency working that the team engage Why not follow us on Twitter? in, including the AIP. One reason for the success of the @BATOD_UK collaboration is the emphasis on taking time to explore,

Multi-disciplinary working Key Working Service Claire Draper and Elizabeth Reed-Beadle show how this service gives parents/carers the chance to work in partnership with their Key Worker and to be confident they are getting the best from all the professionals involved in the care of their children

Families of disabled children and young people with high children’s services, charities, hospitals, providers of and/or complex needs often need to see a whole range of short break care, schools and GPs, to ensure that they different health and care professionals at different stages are working together to meet the needs of the child and of the child’s life. Some families and carers can feel family. overwhelmed by the many different agencies, organisations Families can ask any professional to refer them into the or people they may come into contact with; others may not NCH&C Key Worker Service for further advice and be aware of all the services and support on offer to them. support, or they can ‘self refer’. The Key Worker is ‘non The main aim of the Norfolk Community Health and designated’; so is one of the professionals already Care (NCH&C) Key Worker Service is to work together working with the child and known to the family and with families to ensure that they can access all the parents/carers are consulted about their choice of Key support and services they need by providing a single Worker and that person is allocated, wherever possible. point of contact and continuity through key working. Key The real experts about a child’s or young person’s care working is included in one of the 10 principles of the needs are their parents/carers. A Key Worker does not Early Support way of working, which aims to improve take over that role; they are there to work in partnership the delivery of services for disabled children, young with families, as part of a trusting relationship, to identify people and their families and is now enshrined in the the strengths and needs of family members and to enable Children and Families Act 2014. The service provided by and empower. NCH&C has been developed in line with the Early Support approach. Key working can be thought of as a set of functions. The Key Worker is the central point of contact for a family but The Key Worker Service works closely with all of the these functions will also, at times, be undertaken by other organisations families may have contact with, including professionals or members of the family. How a Key Worker works will change to suit the needs of the child and family, and the Key Workers agree this with the family and the service. Having a Multiagency Key Worker Meeting involving everyone in the team around the child can be a good way to share information, to make sure that everyone understands what everyone else’s role is and ensure a coordinated plan is agreed. If the family would like a meeting, this is organised according to the wishes and needs of the family, but they are not required to have one if they don’t feel that this would help. It is a chance to discuss what the most important issues are and to think about possible solutions to any problems and provides a regular opportunity to ensure that the child’s complex needs are being met and to look ahead to plan the next steps. This might include planning for school or nursery, moving into adult services or looking at short breaks choices. To limit the number of meetings families and professionals have to attend, the Key Worker Service will invite professionals to use the Key Worker meeting to carry out reviews, such as for a Statement of Educational Needs or short breaks services, wherever possible. A Family Service Plan captures all the decisions made at the meeting, so that everyone knows what the next steps are, what needs to be done, who will do this and, where possible, how long it will take.

30 • ©BATOD Magazine • September 2014 04-33 - Multi-disciplinary Sept14 v4 24/07/2014 16:40 Page 31

Multi-disciplinary working

Parents have told us about the following benefits of key professionals the current situation with one of the twins. working: The family wanted the Teacher of the Deaf to be the Key Worker. ‘Letting someone else take the stress giving us more time to spend together having fun.’ For this twin, the system has been in operation now for two years and it is working. The advantage for the family ‘These meetings are the only way that my child’s needs get attended to by the people involved. They have the is that they can inform their Key Worker of any time to actually sit and listen to my thoughts as well as information they need to disseminate to other other professionals.’ professionals and the key worker can pass on this information. The regular meetings are organised at the ‘Having some help and advice from someone that is convenience of the parents and, for this child, they involved with various organisations that is usually take place at 4pm on a Friday when the father knowledgeable. Having someone to help takes the has finished work. This timing may not always be pressure off of me when there’s so much going on.’ convenient for professionals but, if the system is to work One such example of working with the key working for the benefit of the child and family, then allowances service is ‘Have my diary and tell all the other people have to be made. what is happening’ said one parent ‘I can’t keep telling As this twin progresses onto school the key worker them all.’ This was the parent of premature twins; my service and Family Service Plan can be maintained and role as the Teacher of the Deaf was to support one of the there might be a change of Key Worker. The system twins who has complex needs which included a sensori- would not work without there being a Key Worker neural hearing loss associated with ANSD. coordinator in post to ensure the necessary The first 18 months of life for these twins was a round of administration is completed. regular hospital appointments and emergency admissions For the parents of these twins, the Key Worker Service for various conditions. The professional stability was has provided a valuable and useful service. provided by the Teacher of the Deaf who visited the family at home, at times when both parents were available. Claire Draper is a Norfolk Key Worker Service manager. After a discussion with the parents about the key working Elizabeth Reed-Beadle is Educational Audiologist/ service they felt this would be a way forward to avoid the Teacher of the Deaf, Virtual School Sensory Support confusion which often happened when telling different Norfolk.

Digisystem More Attention. Less Distraction.

Digisystem is the world's first digital "personal FM" system. Transmitting sound directly between teacher and student the Digisystem way means sound bypasses any intervening noise. For your student it's as if you are talking directly beside them. In this way you are heard, students are less distracted and understand more. And because Digisystem is totally modular, it keeps pace with your student's emerging needs as their education progresses. All-Digital Long Range With/Without Hearing Aids Modular & Expandable ini ExpertstsExperts oout Our b s r ) A esses Mifer09/14 in sound for education Offoses 30/ Ask AboutAWirelessWiWirreless Our MiniMi(Closes(Cl 30/09/14) [email protected] www.soundforschools.co.ukwww.soundforschools.co.ukPAP OfferOff +44 (0)20 8772 2700

Multi-disciplinary working

Multi-disciplinary working in Northern Ireland Margaret-Anne Christie and Karen Pearson understand the importance of sharing information and professional collaboration

Margaret-Anne Christie: It was during my time in primary and secondary, peripatetic Teachers of the Deaf, mainstream school when I first taught a child with a audiologists, the team from the audiological implant hearing impairment and had to work with the peripatetic centre, Speech and Language therapists, social workers Teachers of the Deaf in Belfast. This led to me being and various charities. (If we’ve left someone out, we’re lucky enough to work at a Hearing Impairment Unit at sorry, we’re new, we’ll need you soon!) The most Ballygolan Primary School for two years and gain great important people involved in our teams are the parents experience; but I did not have the opportunity to train as and children. Parents see everyone and at times have to a ToD as the school closed its doors in 2013. When the communicate information from one set of professionals post arose for a Teacher of the Deaf at Cregagh Primary to another before a report is sent out/arrives. This can be School, I jumped at the chance. This appointment a lot of additional pressure on parents, having to seemed to be a logical step as I had always had an remember details about so many different things, so we interest in special educational needs. For me it was the as professionals are continuously trying to be ahead of perfect opportunity to train in a job I was passionate about. the game and keep everyone up to date as soon as Karen Pearson: A number of years ago, whilst starting possible but unfortunately it doesn’t always work like that out as a SENCO in a mainstream secondary school, in the real world. I came across a quote from Helen Keller which has We all work in different settings and have to manage always stuck in my head ‘to treat everyone the same, we time effectively to attend meetings, both formal and must treat them differently’. For me, this philosophy has informal, as well as working on the actual caseload of always been central when working with children with children. The diverse needs of each individual child special educational needs. I have always wanted to means that it is efficient to maintain the multi-disciplinary make a difference to children’s education and in turn team around each one to ensure they thrive. hopefully have a positive impact on their lives. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team with a collaborative Working with others lets us develop our independent ethos has been key to raising SEN standards and skills and collaboration allows us to play to our strengths helping children realise they can achieve anything they whereby everyone wins. want to. Roll on a few years, I am now working as a We are delighted to work alongside such talented and teacher in a hearing impairment unit and completing my knowledgeable people, who freely offer their time, ToD qualification. This job is a perfect opportunity to use opinions and ideas on how to cope with the things our all my skills and experience as a SENCO. daily life throws at us (and often help us figure out how to As you can imagine, it can be a little intimidating taking fix equipment when it plays up). The whole idea of multi- on a new specialism (especially one so dependent on disciplinary teams only works when there are people who rapidly advancing technology!). As a training ToD, the are willing to listen to others and actively participate in need for multi-agency working is imperative in the exchange of information for the good of the child. supporting deaf children within a mainstream unit. Being able to work together to ensure our children have Creating an effective partnership is mainly through good the necessary skills and equipment whether that is coordination and sharing information. Working on such technology or personal fortitude to go out into the world a large scale with so many professionals can be a little and be the best they can at whatever they choose is key daunting; there is frequently an overlap in in our jobs. We all want what is best for the child, to ideas/styles/opinions but this is incredibly beneficial. achieve his or her own greatness and participate in As we are so new, we often feel bombarded with society as a fully rounded individual. Each member of the information but the upside to this is that when we’re multi-disciplinary team aids this development through stuck, we know there’s always someone who can help their interactions with the child but also their communication us. Yes, it’s difficult sometimes having to manage the with each other to ensure a smooth transition from one lines of communication, between ensuring the discipline to another. It is vital that good relationship paperwork goes to all the relevant parties and returning management exists between all stakeholders in order calls and checking equipment and talking to parents to attain the best results for the child. – and we also have to find time to teach in there somewhere! Margaret-Anne Christie is a Foundation/Key Stage One Hearing Impairment Unit Teacher. Although we are in a primary school setting, we work alongside a huge list of professionals, many of whom Karen Pearson is a Key stage Two Hearing Impairment also work with adults: mainstream colleagues both Unit Teacher.

32 • ©BATOD Magazine • September 2014 820iR 4-speaker system EVEN BETTER VALUE FOR 2014 £799 per class including installation*

Due to the roaring success of all-in-one soundfield, we are pleased to announce that the price of the 820 4-wall speaker installed system is reduced to just £799 INCLUDING INSTALLATION until the end of 2014. For more details call Andy, Graham, Sarah or Melissa on 0845-643-5971

Introducing and Lightspeed is pleased to announce a major new development for 2014 – our

group teaching. The Flexcat is built around the Redcat Access – our new digital wireless portable soundfield. We need schools to pilot this groundbreaking new product – please call for more information!

● Now with two Radio Aid (Personal FM) outputs ● Now with four audio inputs for DVD player, PC, whiteboard, etc. ● Choose from standard wall, ceiling or flat panel speakers

Also available:

Up to 12 speakers for larger classrooms and partitioned rooms

Industry first in-ceiling wireless soundfield

Sets the standard in portable soundfield. Experience soundfield: Free Redcat Trial system for any school or service

Why Choose Lightspeed: ● Our unique no audio drop-out or blackspots guarantee. ● Our unique 5-year next day replacement warranty ● Our unique 5-year battery replacement programme ● Free training for LIFE with every system

Free training:

for any school or service.

All prices subject to VAT (mainland only) E & OE *Extended or remote area charge may apply to certain areas.

0845 643 5971 or visit us online at www.schoolaudio.co.uk 34-51 - General Sept14 v3 24/07/2014 17:00 Page 34

Feature Welcome to Rwanda – from Bury St Edmunds to Kigali!! Isobel Blakeley on beginning a two year project with Voluntary Service Overseas as a Teacher of the Deaf

In January 2014, I started my two year placement with I have now been in Rwanda for four months, and find Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) in Rwanda. I had that my role basically consists of three separate parts. recently retired as an Advisory Teacher for Hearing My “Main Partner”. Impaired in Suffolk, and decided that I wasn’t ready for Every VSO volunteer is attached to a ‘Partner’. the allotment and dog walking yet, and wanted to do My Partner is ‘Friends of Handicap’, a group set up by something for deaf children in less privileged places Dominique and Elevanie, who run the Umutara than Suffolk. Residential School for the Deaf in the North East of So I found myself going to Rwanda. Rwanda on the edge of a village, 45 minutes by moto Background (motor scooter taxi) from Nyagatare, which is itself a The Rwandan government now provides free three hour bus journey from the capital Kigali. It is in mainstream education for all children, but there are no quite a remote area, with amazingly beautiful views over state run provisions for disabled children, so if they the rolling hills of the Eastern Province. The school was cannot manage in the mainstream schools, they stay at set up in 2006 with 15 children and now there are 107. home. Therefore, all organisations providing education Rwandan sign language is the main means of for any disabled group are run on funds from donors of communication in the school, which uses the American some kind. Most of the primary classes in the alphabet and has a unique vocabulary. Some challenges mainstream schools have around 60 children in them, for me in communication there! with one teacher, so any child with a special need is Elevanie became interested in the education of the deaf easily lost. In addition, within Rwanda, disabled people through her uncle, who became deaf at the age of 15 are generally regarded as of less value than the able after contracting meningitis. In the Genocide, which was bodied, and mostly stay at home in the villages and help 20 years ago, Elevanie lost her parents and five with farming, carrying water etc. Attempting to educate brothers. She would have been about 15 then. She and disabled or deaf children is not seen by many families as two younger sisters were taken in by this uncle, who a priority. Much of the country is very poor. 80% of the brought them up in his own family with his own children. population is engaged in subsistence farming and the He was living in the Congo at the time and had started a majority live in poverty. Against this background school for deaf children there. She decided she wanted education becomes a low priority. Even for the deaf to do something similar in Rwanda. children who are identified, there are no hearing aids or effective assessment of hearing and there can be school My official role here is to encourage and support fees that are prohibitive to families who would otherwise change in teaching methodology. So I have spent consider schooling. In the short time I have been here, one of the things I have found most difficult to come to terms with is the children with ear infections and middle ear disease that in the UK would have been treated by antibiotics. In Rwanda, however, these children get no medical intervention and often lose some of their hearing; addressing this is something we are beginning to consider alongside the remit of my main projects. There is a lot to be done! Me, with the red shoulder bag, with some of my colleagues in Rwanda.

34 • ©BATOD Magazine • September 2014 34-51 - General Sept14 v3 24/07/2014 17:00 Page 35

Feature

and also to train the team of Rwandans in the project, so that when we leave, they are able to carry on doing the work independently. We are also involved in training a group of Teaching Assistants (a new concept in Rwanda) who will be assigned to some of the schools where there are children who have been identified by the project. If we find profoundly deaf children on our way round (and we have found two so far – see my blog for more information on their stories...) they will be signposted to another school for the deaf in Nyange, a ten minute bus drive from Musanze, which is similar to the one in Umutara, but has 58 children. Part of my role also is to improve teaching practices in this school. This is a really interesting project, with many challenges. We have visited some very remote villages, where children have never seen white people. Their reaction is amazing! Some are scared and run away from us, others just want to touch our skin and hair, and others want to practise their English. Many of these mainstream primary schools have well over 2000 children in them. Trying to identify hearing loss, visual problems, learning difficulty, speech and language A profoundly deaf boy we found in a mainstream class of 60. After our recommendations it is hoped he will be funded for two years to attend one of the schools for the deaf. When this period ends more funding to pay for his school place will need to be found.

much of my time observing classes, working alongside some of the teachers and engaging them in training. However, it is difficult not to get involved in the daily running of the school, and I rapidly became aware that there were many practical problems that the managers of the school were facing. It is difficult to advise on the theory of education practice, when they are worried about water supply, theft of the children’s food, and how to pay the electricity bill. So, I became involved The two six year olds we found who had no language and no (with encouragement and support from former experience of school, exploring and building with stones. colleagues in Suffolk) in trying to raise some money for a second water tank for the school. If they had this, then it would fill with water in the rainy season and be a reserve for the dry season. The school does have access to mains water (which of course they have to pay for) but in the dry season, this is often off for days if not weeks at a time and 100 children and the staff need quite a lot of water! Second Role As well as this, I am ‘contracted’ to a research project in the Musanze area. This is in the North West Province, very near where tourists go to visit the gorillas! This project has already been running for 18 months, and will run for another two and a half years. Its aim is to identify disabled children who are either not in school, or who are in mainstream school and not succeeding in some of the more remote areas of the country. Once identified, we then try to assess what the child’s main issue is and offer advice on meeting the child’s needs in the local school, or by signposting them to more appropriate provision. There are several VSO workers involved in The two six year olds, happier once I found them a doll each the project, helping to identify different special needs, from the back of a cupboard.

Feature

disorder, autism, lack of stimulation or just fear of white people in a child who speaks a different language is quite interesting! Or maybe some combination of these! Other Provisions in the Country Thirdly, I am also tasked with supporting some other provisions in the country where there are Deaf children. West of Musanze, there is another school for Deaf Children in Nyabihu, run by a man called Louis. He has about 58 children in his school. He is a great communicator, and is passionate about helping these children. It is impossible not to admire him and what he has achieved in a country which has yet to fully explore inclusive approaches. He has managed to persuade the local primary school and the secondary school to accept some of his children in their classes. To facilitate this, he has one teacher who goes into the school with these children to act as their interpreter. This poor man has to run from one class to the next trying to decide where he is needed most. However, much of the mainstream education in Rwanda involves copying information from the blackboard, so when the children are engaged in this, he can go to a different room! When they get back colleagues have decided to support my work and the to the school in the afternoon, the children then go VSO projects by organising and co-ordinating a variety through their notes, and the teacher tries to explain the of fundraising schemes. To date these have included a main points of the lesson. Not exactly the ideal water bottle cash collection where children and their “post-tutoring” scenario or support arrangement but families were asked to take a water bottle and put some nevertheless a real achievement by Louis to have made loose change into it, leading to the installation of a water this happen and a testament to what can happen when tank at one of my schools. A staggering £600 towards someone is both passionate and able to use this to this was raised at Westgate Primary in Bury St Edmunds persuade others what deaf children can achieve. where there is also an HIU specialist provision. The local audiology department at West Suffolk Hospital had a In Rusizi, which is in the south west of the country there cake sale and raffle and again raised over £600 and are two centres which educate children with Special most recently the Hearing Care Centre in Ipswich held a Needs, and I understand there are many children in quiz night and also raised just over £600. Two former these whose main problem is deafness. My role there is colleagues sold a variety of products made by children to act in an advisory capacity. I have not been to this at a recent HOSSER event and raised over £200. There region yet, but am timetabled to go in May. These have been other fundraising events on smaller scales centres are a six hour bus journey from Kigali, and a two and the current sub-total is just under £3,000 with more day journey from my base in Umutara. So it will not be events planned. My colleagues in Rwanda are currently possible to visit very often. providing me with suggestions on how this money can Summing up best support Rwandan children’s needs. I hope that this gives you some idea of the scope of my I am grateful for the interest and support of former placement – rather large! I have a blog: colleagues, Teachers of the Deaf, audiologists, friends iblakeley.wordpress.com which will give you more and family back in the UK. Bringing about real change information and regular updates on my work. for deaf children in Rwanda will be a longer-term project In many ways Rwanda is a modern country, but in but is one I am glad to be offering my services to and it others it is almost back in an English pre-industrial is touching to know that those back in the UK are doing revolution era. You can have good internet access, what they can to support our work. If anyone out there but no water; a very nice latte in Kigali, but children has ideas for fundraising projects or is interested in whose families don’t send them to school because they supporting the work of VSO please feel free to get in cannot afford to buy an exercise book, and a pen; an touch. international airport offering access to the rest of the iblakeley.wordpress.com – to read my blog from Rwanda world, but children who have to walk for half an hour to get to school. The education of deaf children is in the To learn more about the Suffolk fundraising projects latter category. There is much to do here. It can feel like please contact Sara Brierton or Trina Rankin – Teachers trying to move a mountain with a trowel. of the Deaf in Suffolk Fundraising Spin-offs back in the UK [email protected] Since I have arrived in Rwanda, several former [email protected]

36 • ©BATOD Magazine • September 2014 34-51 - General Sept14 v3 24/07/2014 17:00 Page 37

Feature

History of the Department of Audiology and Deaf Education at the University of Manchester Laura Dawes has been writing the history of the 100 years of this department

In 2019, Manchester University’s Audiology and on the fundamental importance of speaking has been Deafness Group will celebrate its centenary. To mark the part of the highly contested oralist v. manualist occasion, the Ewing Foundation has generously funded educational mêlée and censured by the Deaf the preparation of a history of the department. The Community. Although originally a bastion of oralism, history will be available as a hard copy booklet and on since the mid-1990s, the Manchester department’s deaf Manchester University’s website. education program has taken an approach based on informed choice. There is still a strong emphasis on The Scheme for the Training of Teachers of the Deaf, as audiology and all students must have some competence it was called when it was first established, was set up in in sign language. 1919 with funds donated by Manchester cotton magnate James Jones. Jones’ son, Ellis, had been deaf from birth Today, the Audiology and Deafness Group is headed by and educated by Susanna Hull – matriarch of oralism in Kevin Munro, the Ewing Professor of Audiology, with Britain. Ellis had gone on to study at Oxford and joined Chris Plack, the Ellis Llwyd Jones Professor, and Wendy his father’s business, but died following an illness picked McCracken the department’s Professor of Deaf up in France during World War I. James Jones was a Education. Over its history, Manchester has been board member of the Royal Schools for the Deaf at Old involved in developing the Medresco hearing aid, Trafford, and he decided to donate Ellis’ estate to the investigating occupational hearing loss, undertaking university to set up the first university-based training research into educational practice, providing hearing programme for Teachers of the Deaf. The inaugural equipment for schools, running audiological and cochlear head of the department – the Ellis Llwyd Jones Lecturer implant clinical services, early childhood hearing in Education of the Deaf – was Irene Goldsack. screening and diagnostic testing, and the national Goldsack had been the headmistress of the Worral newborn screening programme… a considerable list of School (the nursery school section of the Royal achievements for a small department. It continues to Schools). At the Worral School, she had already started uphold its traditional strengths in childhood audiology, to develop an approach to early childhood education for research excellence, and service to the community. deaf children that combined playful activity, aimed at From its origins in one room with one lecturer, it has encouraging children to use and enjoy using their grown into a thriving, vibrant department of 12 staff, voices, to build foundations for lip-reading and speaking, along with postgraduate researchers and students. with parent guidance. Happy centenary, Manchester! Irene Goldsack set up the teacher training programme at Dr Laura Dawes is a historian of medicine Victoria (later Manchester) University with the first four [email protected] www.lauradawes.net graduates receiving their certificates in 1920. In 1922, she married one of the graduates from the programme, Alexander Ewing. Together “the Ewings”, as their collaboration was known, would develop one of the most New email address? influential approaches of the 20th century to audiology and deaf education. With their collaborator, acoustic If you change your email address physicist Thomas Littler, Irene and Alex Ewing’s please do not forget to go to the research and teaching emphasised early detection of website, click on MY DETAILS and then deafness (they developed the Distraction Test which make the change. There is no need to lowered the potential age of diagnosis from two to three years to seven months), the use of hearing aids and re-register. other hearing equipment to leverage residual hearing, and the importance of playful, engaging activities for This way you will be sure to receive children in both deaf education and hearing testing. future editions of the newsletter and The Ewings’ legacy has been a complex one – their also your region/nation will be able to audiological work has achieved the status of “basic contact you with information about principles”; the child-centred approach to education, forthcoming events. aimed at finding and promoting the child’s own interests ► was progressive for its time; but their oralist emphasis www.batod.org.uk MY DETAILS

Feature

Exploring the impact of direct teaching of mathematical vocabulary A BATOD member shares the findings of her Master's degree dissertation

In 2002, Terezinha Nunes and her colleague Constanza not appropriate nor practical due to the nature of the Moreno published an article on an intervention needs of many of the children and the general number at programme to support deaf children’s learning of the school. Therefore convenience sampling was used. mathematics. In this article, Nunes and Moreno I chose a pupil who had no known additional needs, had a described how specific instruction of vocabulary moderate hearing loss in the better ear, and had, until significantly helped mathematical understanding. On first recently, been making good progress in maths; however, reading the article was interesting to me, not only as a according to her progress data and teacher assessments, mathematics Teacher of the Deaf but as a general she was not due to make good progress that year. This educator; how could something so simple have such an pupil (her name is not being used), as well as her parents, impact, and yet is not overtly focused on? This question were then asked for the usual permissions to take part in may seem rather harsh. I can almost hear many of my the project. own colleagues gasping at such a statement. But this At this point, identifying what vocabulary to teach became was one of the findings from my own research carried the next step. Being a master’s degree dissertation, and out over the last year during which I completed a not a PhD, (although it could quite have easily developed dissertation looking at the impact of direct teaching of into one!), I had to remain highly focused and cover just vocabulary on mathematical understanding. The project one topic from the scheme of work, and had only a limited was a single person case study and took this form time in which to complete any observations. In order to because Nunes and Moreno had already proved work within these constraints, I developed a five point statistical significance of the impact of direct teaching by Likert Scale questionnaire listing all of the topics covered studying over 100 children. I was interested in how during Key Stage 3 Mathematics. The pupil had to state teaching mathematical vocabulary worked at ground how confident she was with each of these topics, selecting level. How can you remain focused, and how much from ‘Really hard’, ‘Difficult, but understandable’, ‘OK, not teaching of other vocab is required to support this easy, not hard’, ‘Easy, but I need to concentrate’ and understanding, and, most importantly, how can the ‘Really easy’. The pupil completed this independently, needs of individuals affect such a teaching programme? except when requests for explanations were needed. The Setting the scene results of the questionnaire showed that fractions, among The dissertation was completed as a Practice Based other topics, was an area she felt she needed most help Research Project and as such was completed in my with; thus it was mutually agreed that fractions would be current setting: a school for the deaf. Consequently, the topic to focus on. However, fractions is still a vast topic, selecting a pupil posed a challenge; random sampling was with a rich and varied vocabulary to support it. Just a few

Node diagram of the nodes and codes used to analyse the transcripts

38 • ©BATOD Magazine • September 2014 34-51 - General Sept14 v3 24/07/2014 17:00 Page 39

Feature

words would have to be selected to focus on. A list of Table 1: Ten most frequent words shown as a mathematical words associated with the topic was drawn percentage up. This list originated from the ‘word bank’ which the Over all school provides to each pupil for each topic in an Session 1 Session 2 Session 3 endeavour to help the pupils to familiarise themselves with session the vocabulary they will come across. At this point, Equivalent Whole Times Equivalent I decided that three taught sessions would provide enough 1.81 1.11 2.40 1.14 information to analyse and would be the most efficient Number Equivalent Fraction Times given the time limitations. Therefore, from this list of words, 1.67 1.04 1.20 1.08 three words were selected – one for each of the sessions Think Proportion Table Fraction that would be delivered. These were ‘equivalent’, 1.53 0.97 1.12 0.93 ‘proportion’ and ‘simplify’. These words were chosen by me Write Think Divide Fractions having evaluated her class and homework, and identified 1.25 0.83 1.03 0.90 areas where she had struggled. Divided Fractions Fractions Think 1.11 0.76 1.03 0.87 The three sessions were planned, with the foci of each Fractions Fifths Number v to understand what the target word was and what it 1.11 0.69 0.84 meant in terms of fractions. The overall objective was to Fraction Divided Saved Divided establish a better understanding of fractions by 0.97 0.62 0.77 0.72 understanding the vocabulary used. Means Fraction Actually Whole Each session lasted between 20 and 35 minutes, with a 0.97 0.62 0.60 0.69 short five minute evaluation at the end. They were all Bottom Number Describe Going video recorded. 0.84 0.62 0.60 0.54 The sessions themselves were delivered through Picture Another Divided Divide 0.70 0.55 0.60 0.51 ‘conversation’ with a few teaching aids. As the purpose was to understand the target words, I decided not to the sessions, the target word appeared to be used introduce too many resources as I was concerned frequently for both sessions 1 and 2, but ‘simplify’ for these would detract from the very specific focus of the sessions 3 did not appear in the top ten words. session. The sessions therefore followed the structure of starting with questioning current understanding of the A second query of who was using mathematical words word, then moving to examples of where it could be was also run. The results of these showed that I, as used generally and then where it could be used during would be expected, used more mathematical words – maths. Once this had been established, examples of both my use and the pupil’s use of target words declined questions were completed together and then by the over the three sessions. pupil alone. Once the pupil was confident that she Does the pupil’s confidence improve over the course understood the questions in which the target word was of the sessions? used, she was asked to create questions herself. After Throughout the pilot questionnaire phase of the project, this, an evaluation of the session would take place. it was clear the pupil lacked self-confidence. Displays of Results poor self-esteem were then coded on to the transcript In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the sessions, and a query of frequency was then run to establish if several different questions were asked: instances of lack of confidence were consistent throughout the sessions or were increasing or l Does the pupil’s use of mathematical language decreasing. The results of the query identified that within increase/improve over the course of sessions? each session there is a rise and fall of these instances; l Does the pupil’s confidence improve over the course of however, the number of instances across all three the sessions? sessions indicated that the pupil’s low self-confidence l Does the pupil’s understanding appear to improve over was decreasing. the course of the sessions? Does the pupil’s understanding appear to improve Each of these questions was answered through themed over the course of the sessions? analysis of the sessions. Transcripts of the sessions were In the same manner that confidence was analysed, so created, read through and then coded according to too were indications of good understanding, including different themes (see Node diagram). answering questions correctly, finishing sentences or Once the transcripts had been coded, queries could be explanations and giving appropriate explanations or run on the data to answer the above questions. examples as well as good body language such as nodding, and smiling. The number of these instances Does the pupil’s use of mathematical language was queried, and again, similar to confidence, within increase/improve over the course of sessions? each session there was a rise over the introduction and A simple word frequency, amended to only include words development stage and then a fall over the extension of more than five letters (as this would remove the phase and then a rise at the end. However, over the paralanguage such as um, and OK) was completed. The results shown in the table indicate that for each of ►Continued at bottom of next page

Feature NatSIP’s Better Assessment resource Lilias Reary introduces the Better Assessment, Better Plans, Better Outcomes resource and explains how Teachers of the Deaf can make the best use of it

The National Deaf Children’s Society has worked with Plans developed are based on comprehensive the National Sensory Impairment Partnership (NatSIP) information on the child or young person and a thorough to develop the Better Assessment, Better Plans, Better assessment of their needs. Outcomes resource. The resource aims to support The resource provides a practical, web-based, multi- practitioners in carrying out Education, Health and Care (EHC) Needs Assessments – required by the new disciplinary framework for the assessment of the needs Special Educational Needs Code of Practice in England of a child or young person with sensory impairment. It is – to inform the drafting of EHC Plans. Lilias Reary, an presented in three separate parts – hearing impairment Education Policy Consultant at the National Deaf (HI); vision impairment (VI) and multi-sensory Children’s Society introduces the resource and explains impairment (MSI). how Teachers of the Deaf can make the best use of it. Each part contains the same general information Background covering the purpose of the document and the EHC Needs Assessments and EHC Plans will replace importance of rigorous assessment. This is followed by all new statutory assessments from September 2014 a framework table which identifies the range of and over a (yet to be) prescribed time period, will information and assessment required to underpin the gradually replace all existing Statements of Special writing of a plan for the specific impairment. Educational Needs. EHC Plans are designed to have a Format and content of the framework tables much stronger focus on identifying and improving The first column in the table outlines the information that outcomes for children and young people across needs to be gathered in the following areas: education, health and social care. l history and current status of hearing and/or vision In 2010 Ofsted stated clearly that ‘a focus on the quality of assessment will improve the quality of outcomes (for l any other medical information the pupil).’ 1 l level of competence in speech, language and communication The resource explained If you are involved in the EHC Needs Assessment for an l level of cognitive functioning EHC Plan, the resource will help you ensure that all l performance in the educational setting (attendance,

►Continued from bottom of previous page something to be mindful of when teaching in the three sessions, the number of instances of good classroom – that even the introduction of one or two new understanding rose. words can be enough to detract from previously learned words and cause confusion. In addition, it is important to Final testing note that while ToD practices state that we should model At the end of the sessions, the pupil was given two the vocabulary and repeat words often, it is surprising questions to answer from a Key Stage 3 SATs paper. how little this may actually happen and that this should be The first question was completed easily and quickly by the monitored regularly to ensure that repetition of key words pupil. Although she did not use the word equivalent, it was is happening enough in lessons. clear from her explanation that she had recognised that 7 1 /12 is not equivalent to /2, but is indeed greater. As a consequence of this study, it is the ambition of the The second question was more difficult and required a author that a further study take place to identify the greater understanding of fractions in general as well as importance of a consistent vocabulary across subjects. exam style questions. The pupil was unable to answer If a cross-curricular consistent vocabulary can be this question correctly without my input. introduced that prevents the children from being overwhelmed with different words of the same meaning, Conclusions until such time as they are comfortable with their concept, Through analysis of the sessions, it was found that an improved conceptual understanding will be developed understanding of the target words increased over the into which synonyms can be introduced – a rich and sessions, as did the pupil’s confidence. Her use, however, of the words did not increase, but actually varied vocabulary, but one which is understood. decreased as more words were introduced. This is Anonymous as the child might be identified.

40 • ©BATOD Magazine • September 2014 34-51 - General Sept14 v3 24/07/2014 17:00 Page 41

Feature

exclusions, levels of attainment and progress) l it enables the collation and comparison of information l emotional and social functioning from many different professionals who will generally have a range of reporting formats. This is important l level of independence. for the drafting of an informed, effective EHC Plan The first column also identifies possible sources for and also in multi-agency meetings with children or supporting information, sometimes going beyond the young people and parents or carers. obvious in order to obtain a complete picture of the child How can Teachers of the Deaf make best use of the or young person. For example, in speech, language and resource? communication, the results of formal assessments As a Teacher of the Deaf, you may be asked to submit carried out by a speech and language therapist would information for an EHC Plan. If this is the case, there are be the obvious source. However it would also be a number of ways you can make best use of the important to know about performance in the educational resource: and home settings, and to know how the child and his/her parents or carers felt about any successes or 1. Look at the relevant table for Hearing Impairment challenges in this area. 2. From the information column, note the information The second, third and fourth columns suggest the and assessments that are still current and relevant for questions that need to be asked to inform the writing of the child or young person and identify any the education, health and social care components of assessments or information required the plan. 3. Scan the other columns in the table to ensure your The Assessment and Information Gathering planned actions will be sufficient to cover the relevant Pro forma questions. If not, modify your plan of action The resource also contains an Assessment and 4. Carry out the assessments and information gathering Information Gathering Pro forma. It is suggested that all professionals submitting information for the EHC 5. Complete the ‘Assessment and Information Gathering Plan should complete this when they have carried out Pro forma’. their assessments and gathered all the information To download the resources, visit www.bit.ly/BABPBO required. Contact us The headings within the pro forma reflect the information We want this resource to be as useful as possible and required for the EHC Plan and so the use of the pro so if you have suggestions for improving it, please forma has the following advantages: contact us at [email protected] l it ensures that each professional has submitted the Lilias Reary is an Education Policy Consultant at required information the National Deaf Children’s Society. l it ensures, due to the use of a universal format across all professionals, that no important information is 1 The Special Educational Needs and Disability Review: A Statement overlooked is not enough. Ofsted 2010

Now available Updated Calling ALL BATOD £10.00 Northern Ireland members! BATOD Please consider joining the NI BATOD member committee and using your expertise rate to keep our BATOD afloat! £5.00 We NEED a Chair, a Chair Elect and a Treasurer!! ► This is YOUR chance to have your say! ► What kind of meetings would you like? ► What kind of events and topics are we neglecting? ► Did you enjoy our August Training Day? Order your electronic copy from YOUR committee needs YOU! [email protected] Please quote your membership Please help! Contact: [email protected] number

Get the latest copy of the Better Hearing Initiative Brochure and order your favourite TODAY!

Exclusively available from: 0500 262131 01635 569346

ARLINGTON LABORATORIES 34-51 - General Sept14 v3 24/07/2014 17:00 Page 43

Feature Using iPads for communicating and interpreting Sandra Dowe and Linda Squelch describe their use of iPads whilst working at Central Bedfordshire College and think this might be useful in schools where teachers could link remotely with deaf pupils or communicators when they have queries in mainstream classes

We work at a local college: Linda as a teacher of British Sometimes Alison Sign Language and Sandra, a retired Teacher of the would point to the Deaf, as a volunteer contractor. We work together screen for Linda planning courses and producing resources for students to locate quickly of BSL. Linda is the expert on BSL and it is her first what was to be language. Sandra assists with ideas for handouts for clicked, otherwise children and with written English. Sandra signed Alison’s Unfortunately staff in college are unable to sign yet, so instructions to translation between spoken English and BSL is required Linda. The at meetings and at in-service courses. Linda positions exercise lasted Sandra so that she can sign for speakers and voice over about 40 minutes. for Linda when she signs to other staff on courses. Sandra in the study at home: Linda and Alison on the screen of the mini iPad The outcomes of Recently Linda was instructed to follow an on-line working from college Photo by Peter Bradley the exercise: safeguarding course designed for hearing people. An HR officer, Alison Dewdney, offered to show Linda l Linda assessed the online course as needing how to log on to the course to access text and subtitles adaptions to make it deaf-friendly. to videos clips. The meeting was planned within two l Alison would contact the producers of the course to days for Friday 28th February. Linda and Sandra had see if the text and subtitles could be signed. an idea to experiment using their iPads to save Sandra l Sandra would assess with Linda the effectiveness of having to drive to college on a Friday afternoon when using this method for communication. traffic is heavy. Relay interpreting systems using computers and At 2pm we set up our iPads, Linda at college with Alison qualified interpreters have been established. They are and Sandra in the study at home using a mini iPad. quite costly. Where deaf and hearing professionals work We switched on and clicked onto Facetime. Eureka! in a team, in educational establishments, it seems the It worked! Sandra could hear Alison well and could sign use of iPads and Facetime is simple and cheap in one to what she said to Linda with the iPad and also voice over one or very small group situations. for Linda as she signed to Sandra so that Alison could hear Sandra’s spoken translation. We hope to experiment further to see how else we can use this method of communicating. This is how the situation looked: From Sandra’s point of view it saved a return journey of 10 miles, 40 minutes travel time and the cost of petrol and wear and tear on the car; ideal for volunteer communicators, like her who are retired. From Linda’s point of view it saved time and stress waiting to greet a communicator/interpreter, introducing them to the hearing member of staff and explaining how to use the

Feature

Linda demonstrates the direction for COMEDIAN Linda and Sandra find ‘direction’ in the booklet

Linda demonstrates INFORMATION to show hand orientation Linda and Sandra check the reference for the incorrect and in the booklet correct hand orientation interpreter and then bidding farewell. Alison was able to on her main computer as Linda had signed them to her, see how to converse using the iPad without needing checked with her by holding the iPad to the screen to much explanation. show the written explanation for Linda to check, and then emailed the written English wording for Linda to Working together on resources and students’ work transfer to the student’s feedback form. We often need just a five minute chat about college work. For example we might need to discuss signed and We think there may be other ways of using this method written English vocabulary. Although we meet for longer to work with Deaf colleagues and this is the beginning of discussions, for short items we can save time by using finding ways to save time and using techniques that will FaceTime to quickly sort out details. help with the preparation, teaching and using resources more effectively in college. We will try out the use of the On one occasion Linda needed to show Sandra how a iPad in larger meetings and assess its value. student had signed COMEDIAN using an anti-clockwise movement instead of a clockwise direction so that Our experience may be useful in schools where Sandra could write the explanation as briefly as possible teachers can link remotely with deaf pupils or in English. Sandra understood much better when Linda communicators when they have queries in mainstream produced the sign showing the two different directions classes. on the screen. Sandra Dowe is a volunteer contractor for Central On the same occasion Sandra needed to see how a Bedfordshire College and Executive Officer of Deaf student had used the wrong hand orientation for support voluntary organisation. INFORMATION and Linda was able to show her on the Linda Squelch teaches BSL level 3 at Central screen. We then discussed how to remind the student Bedfordshire College, is an assessor for BSL levels 1 & 2 about the importance of orientation by referring to our for Signature and co-author of London and South East booklet, ‘Sign linguistics in a Nutshell’. Regional Signs. Sandra quickly put the corrections into written English Both can be contacted on [email protected]

44 • ©BATOD Magazine • September 2014 34-51 - General Sept14 v3 24/07/2014 17:00 Page 45

Feature

Developing Effective Practice on FM use with Deaf Teenagers Imran Mulla considers the use of FM systems both inside and outside the classroom

There have been many studies exploring signal to noise Four main themes and 19 sub-themes were identified in ratio (SNR) and reverberation effects on classroom the participants’ accounts which describe their learning for young people which highlight the importance experiences and views on FM technology use. Example of minimising these factors to create a good learning quotes from the young people have been included to environment especially with deaf children. However, illustrate the concepts being discussed: there is a lack of research exploring the practical benefits/challenges of FM device use for young people Phase 2: Follow-up field study of Remote Microphone in and out of school. (Radio Aid: Phonak Roger System) use outdoors. Videos and field notes were collected from young At the Ear Foundation we recently conducted a two people and users of transmitters during outdoor phase project exploring the views and experiences of activities. The videos and field notes were teenagers with cochlear implants and hearing aids using qualitatively analysed to identify the perspectives of FM technology systems. The two phases to this Teachers of the Deaf, teaching assistants, activity research project were: leads and young people. Based on the young people's Phase 1: Teenagers’ Perspectives on FM Technology lack of use of the FM systems at home, outdoors and Use. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews during Physical Education (PE) lessons (Phase 1), we from 20 young people (11-19 years of age) using FM were interested in looking at a set of activities that devices with their hearing aids (n=7) or cochlear implants were identified as not typical scenarios where FM (n=13). Interviews were transcribed and thematic content systems were used. These included rock scrambling, analysis was used to interrogate the data. canoeing and a trip to a museum.

Main Themes

Consideration FM in educational Difficulties associated Suggested enhancements to of personal/home use settings with FM use future FM technology of FM

Usage: Usage: Interference intermittent: Less interference: "I use it in all the "Sometimes my dad wears it "Sometimes it gets a bit fuzzy, "I would say change some of the lessons, so I can hear for the bike so I can hear like crackles. (S6) stuff inside so it would stop what the teachers say." him because I am in front of crackling" (S2) (S1) him." (S9) User error: "If they have it round their neck, Size: Perceived benefits: No perceived especially the ladies they wear a "I would like it to be a little bit "Because when I am not need/benefit: big necklace and it bashes on smaller." (S16) Easier controls: looking I can hear ... It's "I don't need it at home that them." (S9) "Make the controls easier. A like they are standing much. I take my dog for a remote" (S9) right next to you." (S4) walk and then when I get Unwanted attention/ back home I go to bed. I am Embarrassment: More secure/robust: Non-use: tired from the day time." "The way you have to give it to "Try making it waterproof and "Yes, sometimes I just (S 11) teachers and they say 'all right, windproof so I can hear and use watch a movie and I all right' so I stopped using that, I it outside and something to hold it don't have to give the Potential use: was good without it." (S19) in while I am doing PE" (S15) FM to the teacher." "It would be easy to listen to (S12) the TV Maybe the TV, and to Management/Responsibility: Colour/Personalisation listen to my family because "Every morning I had to pick it up options: Sub Themes P.E.: sometimes my family talk and sometimes I would forget... it "Change colours. Like brown and "I don't use it in PE no. very quietly." (SB) is boring giving it to your teachers gold ... You could put stickers It's quite dangerous and everything. " (S 14) on." (S13) actually when you use it Ownership: in PE." (S15) "Because it's not my radio Inability to hear peers: Automatic switch off/Alert: aid. You know my old "It's good for people but .. I can't "and when the teacher goes out it school, they had one hear the children .. only the would turn off then when she because they bought it from teachers." (S 17) comes back in it would turn back audiology and they lent it so on, it could have an alert." (S2) it's not really ours." (S10)

Feature

One of the teaching assistants, who led a group during this activity, explained: ‘It was a noisy place, because there were all sorts of other people going round the house. Again there was lots of language and vocabulary which we could input, questions we could ask them, we could get their attention, for those children using Roger, so I observed again that the children using Roger definitely stayed interested in their activities round the stately home for longer than those children who didn’t who got bored quicker... and again when we were trying to set them up it was very easy to connect and we Rock scrambling: This activity involved rock could check with them as they were going along – scrambling over, up and through rock tunnels and ‘do you still hear me, can you hear me?’, so in terms boulder outcrops. It was managed and run by an of the set-up and the usability as you were going outward bound instructor with support from Teachers of through the stately home it was very good.’ the Deaf and other professionals looking after the young Conclusions: Participants in phase 1 of the study people. Feedback from the young people during the identified the benefits provided by FM technology in rock scrambling activity was positive: educational settings but many reported challenges ‘It was really good because it blocked out the wind. associated with FM device use. The use of FM outside Whereas the old one because it was on the side of educational settings was not common and very few would always, it would always get the wind... and were able to discuss the potential for this. Phase 2 even if there was like a wall or anything in between focused on the use of radio aids outside the typical the person and the other one it would still work, school setting. Findings highlighted the different views of because I went caving/rock scrambling and I could those using transmitters and the young people using the hear the instructor really nice and clearly’ receivers. An initial reluctance was observed by some to trial the transmitters in the given situations where it may Canoeing: During the canoeing activity using the Roger be considered difficult to manage the technology. system meant that the young person was able to hear However, after using the device both the users of the the instructor in a separate boat up to 20 metres away. transmitters and the young people identified the benefits This enabled the young person to take on a leadership in communication the remote microphones provided. role, as they were given instructions for the rest of the The experienced Teacher of the Deaf leading the group. It directly improved the communication residential group explained how using the radio aid in environment and access to information for the teenager what would routinely be considered challenging using it. The activity lead identified the usefulness of situations changed her opinion: having the system during the activity: ‘I’ve had an education actually because yesterday ‘It’s been very good... Very useful, I’ve been able to clearly with the canoeing it was a fantastic advantage speak to [young person] when she’s been 20 metres to be able to connect the two boats, between the in front of me, which has been great and she can children and the staff member who was in the other follow the instructions.’ one. It would have worked fantastically on a climbing Museum/stately home: The final group activity in which wall. So at school I am, we are inclined to say 'We’re we trialled the remote microphone technology was a tour going a trip we’ll not bother with the radio aid'. But and treasure hunt round a stately home/museum. This I’m going to definitely be re-thinking it because involved small groups of up to six children going with a actually it’s the time you definitely need a radio’. leader who pointed out information and initiated Overall, both phases of this study identified a need to conversations along the way. There were at least two improve awareness and knowledge on the optimal use teenagers wearing the FM systems in each group. of FM/RM technologies. The activity was full of opportunities for language and general knowledge enrichment but a lot of background Imran Mulla is Head of Research and Clinical Services noise was present. at the Ear Foundation.

Feature NDCS social care leaflets Chris Kang-Mullen explains how Teachers of the Deaf can support the families they work with to access children’s social care services in their area

Deaf children and social care: New factsheets from the services for disabled children National Deaf Children’s Society without requiring a social NDCS has produced a set of factsheets, Deaf children and care assessment, for social care: your children’s rights to provide parents and example play-schemes. carers of deaf children with information about their social Local authority or Trust care rights. websites should also have family information services What is social care? to signpost parents and Social care is personal and practical support which carers to local services. promotes children’s welfare and helps parents and carers to meet their child’s specific needs. The provision of Right to an assessment children’s social care varies across the UK. Financial Parents and carers do have a right to have their child’s pressures on local authorities are also leading to needs assessed if they ask children’s social care to do increasing restrictions in accessing children’s social care in this. Some local authorities will do this automatically, whilst some areas, or the introduction of charges for services. others may need this in writing and a reminder of their legal duties. The National Deaf Children’s Society Many families of deaf children are not aware of their social factsheet includes a template letter to help parents and care rights. Working together, Teachers of the Deaf and carers request an assessment. the National Deaf Children’s Society can help ensure these families are provided with all the information they require Carers of disabled children in all four countries also have a to find out more about children’s social care services and statutory right to have their own needs assessed. how they can access them if they would like to. Disability Discrimination legislation What support can deaf children and their families If a local authority decides that a deaf child is not eligible access through social care? for children’s social care services, there should still be As Teachers of the Deaf know, deaf children and young other local authority services available to disabled children people want to participate in activities and develop their and young people, such as leisure opportunities. independence in the same way as hearing children. All UK countries are covered by anti-discrimination However, in order to watch television, use a mobile, wake legislation which states that all local authority services up independently as part of their school routine, or be should not discriminate against certain defined groups, for alerted to the fire alarm going off, deaf children and young example disabled people, including children, in the access people may need additional support. It is useful to know and delivery of services. Local authorities should, where that assistive devices and technology can be accessed possible, promote equality of opportunity between disabled through children’s social care services, under the people and non-disabled people and involve disabled Chronically Sick and Disabled Person’s Act, which covers people (including children) in the planning of services all four UK countries. which they may benefit from. Many assistive technology devices can also be borrowed Working in partnership through the National Deaf Children’s Society’s Technology The Deaf children and social care: your children’s rights Test Drive Service. factsheets cover all four UK countries and are free to Further support is available through children’s social care, download from the National Deaf Children’s Society’s including: website ndcs.org.uk. You must become a National Deaf l covering the costs of a British Sign Language course for Children’s Society member first as a parent, carer or a the family professional, but membership is free and it is quick to register. l covering the costs of a short break for parents and carers from their caring role The National Deaf Children’s Society welcomes feedback l from Teachers of the Deaf on the factsheets, including offering financial support to attend audiology clinics. examples of best practice of how families have been Legal responsibilities of local authorities to support effectively supported by services. Please email deaf children and families [email protected] Whilst there is no automatic right for children and families For more information about the National Deaf Children’s to receive children’s social care services, the Children Act Society, including about our Technology Test Drive 1989 (England and Wales) and the equivalent legislation in Service, please contact our Helpline on 0808 800 8880 or Scotland and Northern Ireland, all state that local email [email protected] authorities (or Trusts in Northern Ireland) should provide Alternatively visit ndcs.org.uk and https://www.gov.uk/help- social care services to support parents and carers of for-disabled-child/overview disabled children in order to minimise the effect of their to find out more. disability on their lives. Chris Kang-Mullen is the Social Care Policy Adviser at the In many areas local authorities or Trusts provide some National Deaf Children’s Society.

Feature EF conference Paul Simpson attended the Ear Foundation conference in June and enjoyed a range of speakers from Europe and America, workshops and plenty of networking

I attended the Ear Foundation’s conference on the theme of listening and literacy in June this year and found it a stimulating and enjoyable day. One of my roles as National Executive Officer of BATOD is Magazine editor and I view these opportunities as ideal for finding new articles for forthcoming magazines as well as materials for review – this is in addition to the excellent richness of networking contacts which can be made at such events. I am delighted to say that I secured a special article from the internationally renowned Connie Mayer, who has already contributed some excellent articles to our magazine in recent years, about her writing workshops which are designed to stimulate enjoyment and a positive approach to writing in deaf children and young people. An interesting range of speakers had been assembled for Anneke Vermeulen, Connie Mayer and John Atkins the day from the UK, Europe and across the Atlantic. (Ear Foundation Chair) Connie Mayer introduced the day, stressing the fact that However, good speech reading alone was not enough. literacy gives equal access to everything else – illiteracy A longitudinal study found that speech reading skills and is a disability. An important question is whether improved a wide knowledge of English vocabulary were technology has led and will lead to improved literacy essentials. Currently research is looking into how rates and what impact is this having on policy and reading skills have developed in the 10 years following practice in the literacy development of deaf children? neonatal screening and improved technology. The conference would shed light on this. Connie Mayer then looked at whether better listening The first contribution was from Josephine Marriage, an leads to better language and thus to better literacy. audiologist who addressed the theme of knowing the She shared with us findings from a large study of 64 deaf speech sounds of home. students of a range of ages, all with cochlear implants, mainly oral and with IQs within normal limits. She highlighted the fact that typically developing babies recognise all possible speech sounds at birth and then at There was a significant block of readers with age six months begin to narrow them down to only those in appropriate reading scores. Their phonological skills their own language. Deaf babies often experience less were still not up to the level of their hearing peers but interaction so these vital very early sounds can be they were good enough to develop good reading. It is to missed. She spoke of the value of using ABR results to be hoped that such improvements will continue as target amplification in order to gain maximum technology progresses particularly with the advent of discrimination of sounds by babies. The role in bilateral implantation. supporting this of Teachers of the Deaf in working closely The next presentation was by Penny Roy who spoke with audiologists was strongly stressed. about her research into reading and dyslexia in oral The next speaker was Margaret Harris who spoke about deaf children. She spoke about developments in the the essentials of literacy reminding us that reading is assessment of dyslexia. She raised the point that both decoding and comprehending and we need both there was no mention of deaf children in the seminal and that means phonological skills and vocabulary. She report into reading: the Rose report. She reported on a wondered whether deaf children can learn to read in two study involving 79 deaf students who were compared different ways – the oral route – and using signs; but with 20 hearing dyslexic students. There was no how does the sign route enable the child to deal with difference in results between those with CIs and HAs. unfamiliar words? We know that there are very good Overall the deaf sample did substantially worse but on deaf readers – research needs to look into what makes spelling both groups were about the same. Deaf them good readers and try to replicate those factors. children were far worse in vocabulary and in reading Margaret referred to a number of studies. One had comprehension. In naming digits there was a normal found that deaf children's intelligibility was not a factor distribution for deaf students. The conclusion was that between good and poor readers but all good readers some measures which indicate dyslexia in hearing were good at speech reading including signing children. children are also able to discriminate deaf readers and

Feature

Zellweger who spoke about her work on the literacy development of her own deaf son. She explained how she developed his interest in books even though he didn’t take to them initially. In the early stages books were made based on outings they had been on and reflected both the language and experiences of life. Subtitles on TV were a boon and he voraciously devoured a children’s newspaper on a weekly basis. He is now a competent and engaged reader. Leo de Raeve from Belgium was the next speaker. The research he was sharing was based on the effects of bilateral cochlear implantation. The research showed clearly that early bilateral implantation led to more vocal turns being taken by the age of 12 months and there was Jackie Salter (Leeds University), Joanne Zellweger an increased in non-looking vocal turns allowing books to and Paul Simpson be shared in a conventional way without the child having that profiling the least successful readers can have to look at the parents all the time. Other advantages significant value for intervention. were increased incidental learning and better localisation of sound. Best results followed specific training. The workshops came next and I attended firstly one run by Connie Mayer about her writing workshop – effectively The next presentation was given by Anneke Vermeulen cramming a day’s workshop material into about 40 from the Netherlands again looking at bilateral minutes! Her key opening message was clear – you can’t implantation and its results. Her research showed that a write what is not in your linguistic knowledge ie. writing is combination of mainstream education and two CIs gave not a vehicle for language development. Her workshop better results. Incidental learning was enhanced and for children involves a range of activities including verbal IQ strongly correlated with the presence of two planning, drafting, revising and publishing. Writing is a implants. vital aspect of literacy learning and should be allocated at Brian Gale produced some fascinating statistics from the least 90 minutes a week. Often it is not. The other key DfE and NatSIP. The DfE figures looked in quite some message was that to be meaningful to the learner written detail at different aspects of national testing. Although the language must be used for authentic purposes. These official statistics only look at the performance of children range from simple shopping lists to apologies, for whom deafness is the primary need and who are complaints, requests, explanations and reports. A useful statemented or on School Action Plus (in the current activity is dictation and scribing – from teacher to learner, terminology), nevertheless they show slow but steady learner to teacher and learner to learner; each has its improvement over recent years. The gap is still evident place and allows the language to be honed through but the direction of travel is good. The role of the Teacher reading it aloud, listening to it and discussing it. This is of the Deaf further to advance that progress is clear. not dictating in BSL and scribing in English – that is NatSIP results look at all deaf children (and those with translation and not dictation. VI and MSI) and are available in summary form on the The second workshop I attended was delivered by Claire NatSIP website. They produce interesting results which Allen looking at “LEAPing into language”. This is a product need further analysis including that in some cases I hope to see reviewed in a future magazine. The purpose moderately deaf pupils are doing less well than those of this web-based resource is to support children in with severe and profound hearing impairment. accelerating towards complex and abstract language use The final presentation was a fast-paced review by Chris including language for negotiation and thinking. Rocca, Director of the Mary Hare Music Therapy Unit, The LEAP acronym refers to listening and having a of the strong links between literacy and music conversation, expanding the building blocks of interspersed with some excellent clips of deaf babies, language, grammar, vocabulary and speech, achieving children and young people of different levels of ability social communication pragmatics and promoting and achievement – all enjoying their music making. The oneself. A key message from Claire was that language is importance of developing skills to listen in noise and to best learned in context with real life experiences and start from the earliest moment was a key theme as was through everyday recurring events. She emphasised the the vital importance of the best technology. importance, when working with families, of coaching not Finally Sue Archbold sent us on our way with a clear telling. An interesting statistic she shared was that in an summary of the day and an encouragement to look at average day a child hears 12000 words and takes 500 the research, build on it and move forwards. Great turns. It is important to bear that in mind. Good listening progress has been made but there is a lot still to do. leads to exposure to incidental language which is a key We were inspired by the day’s presentations to move factor in language development. forward. Onwards and upwards! After lunch there were more plenary contributions Paul Simpson is the National Executive Officer including one from ToD and BATOD member Joanne of BATOD.

Feature Conversational research Gary Morgan shares the findings of some of his recent research into the ways that hearing impairment impacts on the conversational skills of deaf children

This research was carried out following our findings on Understanding others’ thinking is an important skill for delayed ‘Theory of Mind’ (ToM) development in deaf many areas of children’s lives especially mental health, children with hearing parents. We were interested if we academic progression, understanding of complex could see origins of this delay in the conversations language and pragmatics. Therefore any delays are parents had with the two year old deaf children. We did problematic. Once a deaf child demonstrates atypical indeed find that both the quality and connectedness of development of social understanding this can lead to conversations differed in the groups we sampled. Early consequences in other areas of his/her development interventions should include social-cognitive ingredients. e.g. appreciation of complex mental state dilemmas in narratives and being able to monitor and regulate one’s The research paper was co-authored with Marek own emotions. Meristo, Wolfgang Mann, Erland Hjelmquist, Luca Surian and Michael Siegal and was entitled “Mental Explanations for ToM difficulties in deaf children have state language and quality of conversational experience been based on vocabulary acquisition delay, syntactic in deaf and hearing children”. It appeared in the Journal delays and interaction problems especially of Cognitive Development, Volume 29, January-March conversations. Many studies of deaf children of hearing 2014, Pages 41-49 parents have reported that young deaf children have http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2013.10.002 delays in establishing and using joint attention with their parents. Connected to the idea that early Many studies have noted that deaf children with hearing conversations play a role in the development of ToM parents have persistent delays in passing explicit false skills is work on the importance of the input to young belief tests and this has been argued to show they are children from their caregivers containing certain mental delayed in Theory of Mind (Meristo et al 2012). state words and conversation styles. Taumoepeau & Ruffman, (2006) showed that maternal mental state talk to hearing 15-month-olds correlated with later d SpeSpeeCu hced mental state language and emotion understanding at lanenkospesakm lebisivegauglan 24 months age. Furthermore mothers’ reference to others’ thoughts and knowledge at 24 months was the DVWQHUDSHKWR' R\VODQRLVVHIRUSUHKWRGQD NURZXR strongest predictor of children’s mental state language XREDZRQNKWLZ "KFHHS6GHX&W at 33 months. RIQL\OSSXVQDFH: HVXVWLWXREDQRLWDPUR x VHLOLPDIKWL: GRRK\EDEPRUIGQD In a new study published in Cognitive Development, x WLZ\OODXJQLOL% /6%KW Morgan et al (2014) carried out an analysis of x HJDXJQDOUR) ORRKFVQL\FDUHWLOGQDVVHFFD conversational experience of deaf and hearing x UDHOKFRFKWL: VWQDOSPLU children aged 17-35 months. The majority of the :HFDQ SURYLGH WUDLQLQJ YLD 6N\SH RQ-OLQH RU IDFH-WR-IDFH children tested had spoken and signed language although levels varied between children. All deaf children had hearing parents who had minimal familiarity with BSL. The children’s language scores were assessed using the BSL and English MacArthur Bates CDI (Woolfe et al., 2010). Language scores in BSL ranged from 20 to 481 signs in comprehension and from 8 to 372 signs in production. Participants’ English scores ranged from 4 to 393 words in comprehension and from 3 to 316 words in production. This massive individual variation was also reported for similar aged children in Woll (2013). 77 &RQWDFWXV IRU IUHH Morgan et al (2014) asked parents to describe (LQIR#FXHGVSHHFKFRXN :FXHGVSHHFKFRXN LQIRUPDWLRQDQG GHWDLOV pictures that elicit mental and emotional state OHDUQWRFXHFRXN RIIUHHWUDLQLQJIRU language to their children following the Taumoepeau

&KDULW\UHJLVWHUHG LQ (QJODQG DQG :DOHV IDPLOLHV and Ruffman (2006) methodology. The input to the

1R deaf children from their hearing care-givers differed

Feature

greatly in terms of mental state labels compared with very differently to their two children depending on the hearing mothers talking to their hearing same age hearing status of each child. When they described children. Parents of hearing infants referred to pictures to hearing off-spring they used appropriate cognitions ie. using words like ‘think’, ‘know’ or levels of mental state language (as compared with data ‘remember’, significantly more often than did those of reported in Taumoepeau and Ruffman, 2006) but they deaf infants. There were no differences between drastically reduced this input when describing pictures groups in references to desires or emotions. to their deaf children instead using descriptions of colour, sizes and labelling. For conversation connectedness the parents with a hearing child produced significantly more connected In the hearing child-parent dyads only 2-5% of turns overall than did the parents with a deaf child. interaction concerned references to cognitive and Among parents with a hearing child, turns were mental states. Yet this will be sufficient to trigger ToM significantly more likely to be connected than initiated development. This point highlights how important early and more likely to be connected than failed. But for the intervention in nursery schools and other settings is for parents with a deaf child, turns were both more likely to deaf children but that training might not need to be a be failed than connected and more likely to be initiated. large amount of adaptation. Parents with a deaf child thus have a difficulty Gary Morgan is Professor of Psychology at City maintaining a conversation and initiate turns more. University London and Deputy Director of the DCAL This suggests conversations are more parent led when research centre. a deaf child takes part. Morgan et al (2014) also examined the data for language as a variable in a References correlation analysis and found no consistent patterns. Meristo M, Hjelmquist E, & Morgan G (2012). How access to Thus language itself as measured by vocabulary was language affects theory of mind in deaf children. In M. Siegal not predicting how rich in mental state language these & L. Surian (Eds.). Access to language and cognitive deaf children’s interaction was with their parents. There development. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 44-61. are other things in language especially pragmatics that Gary Morgan, Marek Meristo, Wolfgang Mann, Erland facilitate how interaction develops in deaf children. Hjelmquist, Luca Surian, Michael Siegal (2014). Mental state language and quality of conversational experience in deaf This is also reported recently in an Italian study (Rinaldi and hearing children. Cognitive Development, Volume 29, et al, 2013). The findings from Morgan et al (2014) January-March 2014, Pages 41-49. have consequences therefore for how we think about Rinaldi P, Baruffaldi F, Burdo S and Caselli MC (2013). early language intervention with young deaf children Linguistic and pragmatic skills in toddlers with cochlear and their caregivers. implant. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 48: 715-725. doi: 10.1111/1460- An interesting finding came from an analysis of a 6984.12046 subgroup of the parents with deaf children who had sets Taumoepeau M & Ruffman T (2006). Mother and infant talk of twins (one deaf and one hearing). Parents talked about mental states relates to desire language and emotion understanding. Child Development, 77, 465-481. Woll B (2013). Sign language and spoken language development in young children: Measuring vocabulary by means of the CDI. In Meurant L, Sinte A, van Herreweghe M, & Vermeerbergen M (Eds) Sign Language Research, Uses and Practices: Crossing Views on Theoretical and Applied Sign Language Linguistics. Berlin: deGruyter Have you registered yet? Mouton & Ishara Press. Woolfe T, Herman R, Roy P & Woll B (2010). Early Make sure you can access the members’ vocabulary development in deaf native signers: a British information and ‘hidden’ files for members only? Sign Language adaptation of the communicative development inventories. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 51, 322-331.

Increase your skills Check the BATOD website calendar for courses that expand your knowledge On your first visit you need your BATOD and skills as a ToD or audiologist. membership number (on the label sheet in the Magazine mailing), the post code your Links to many of the provider magazine comes to and an email address websites. that you will need to quote when you log in. Click REGISTER and follow the instructions. www.batod.org.uk► EVENTS

Association business

What went on at NEC on June 14th 2014 Sandy Goler updates us on what happened at the latest meeting of the BATOD NEC

The meeting took place in London at the NCVO, near information to the regions and nations and it is hoped that King's Cross. The meeting started with Andrea this can thereby continue to be updated. Members are welcoming the 21 members present, including a new reminded that: member from the South region, Steph Halder. Following l if they forget their password there is a lost password link the introduction, we immediately broke into three groups, on the website working until lunchtime to discuss: l membership numbers are on the magazine label Communication policy and the role of the ToD l email addresses can be changed in 'my details’. This group looked at and updated information on the website. Changes were mainly made to communication In the reports section of the meeting Andrea explained that modes and methods and the role of the ToD. There will be the Steering Group had recommended a change in the a comprehensive list of communication modes and honoraria paid for such jobs as treasurer, minuting methods, but if anything has been missed, please let secretary and consultant. David Couch know. Maney’s, the Journal publisher, had recommended that the Apps and Resources number of issues a year should be increased from four to The iPad/Android heading on the website is to be made five as a large number of high quality articles are being into one which would include apps featured in the BATOD received which cannot be published quickly enough and a magazine and others. Apps are to be put under different backlog is developing. It was agreed that this would raise headings – e.g. Communication, Literacy, Social and the profile of BATOD, but as it would cost the association Emotional Well Being. There could possibly be a Wheel approx £3000 a year a time limited option should be similar to the autism wheel but for deaf CYP. investigated. nasen gateway The magazine needs a new commissioning editor – The nasen gateway is a web resource collating for volunteers are needed and it is not necessary to be on the teachers information about SEN. This group looked at the NEC. information BATOD should put on the website. It was David Couch, the conference organiser, told the meeting agreed that it was vital to maintain understanding about that the arrangements for the 2015 conference on March the specialist position of ToDs. 14th in Edinburgh are under way. The title will be Powerpoint slides were drafted, covering the difficulties a “Supporting Deaf Children in the 21st Century“. Following deaf child may have and these highlighted communication, previous evaluations the workshops may be longer but the role of the ToD, how to contact a ToD and where deaf with fewer options. CYP are being educated with links to other websites and Income/expenditure information was presented by Carol resources. These should be ready to go on the nasen Thomson, the Treasurer, for the period up to the end of website in the autumn. May. The documents showed a healthy balance, but there After lunchtime, the groups fed back to the meeting and are still bills to be paid. then we moved on to Association business, ensuring that There is now a Consultant’s section on the website which actions decided at previous meetings had been members are encouraged to consult. progressed: Reports from regions and nations showed that some l regions and nations could put on more in-depth study regions and nations were having difficulty attracting days in the areas where the conference had only been members – all members are urged to support their local able to provide 'tasters' BATOD groups. l the resources area on the website needs to be built up – After a productive day, the meeting closed at 4.30 with a regular supply of new resources is needed. Members members looking forward to the next meeting in are encouraged to submit resources they use Birmingham in September. l a business case for using BATOD for advertising Sandy Goler represents BATOD North on the ToD vacancies is to be sent to HoSS BATOD NEC. l more work is to be done on the Local Offer exemplar materials. There was a discussion about strategies to engage more Batod AGM Minutes of the membership. Areas of responsibility on the website The unconfirmed minutes of the AGM held in are to be identified for individuals to be responsible for to London on March 8th 2014 can be found on ensure they are user friendly, up to date and that external our website by following links work. A major problem is contacting members as The Association ► Conferences email addresses are often invalid. A guidance sheet to help ►Past Conferences ► National Conference 2014 regions and nations is to be produced. Paul is to send the Developing Effective Practice directory of schools, services and resource bases for

Association business

Appeal for Midlands committee members

In this photo BATOD President, Andrea Baker, thanks would need to shadow this post for a year before Robert our Chair Cate Latchford for her dedication to the also stands down. We need new and passionate BATOD Midlands region and our Treasurer, Rob Miller, members to support the region and bring their for his support and sterling work over 20 years enthusiasm and ideas to the committee. Please promoting BATOD. Cate will be standing down as Chair consider whether you could be your area representative. of BATOD Midland from the end of this academic year Meetings are held every two months at the University of and Robert is also due for re-election. A new officer Birmingham, on a Wednesday evening at 6.30pm.

BATOD Scotland BATOD North Save the date Study Day Saturday November 22nd 2014 Thursday November 13th 2014 at the Falkirk Sensory Centre More details to be confirmed. Supporting and Details on the website or contact Challenging [email protected] Deaf Children Huddersfield Textile Centre As the Magazine went to press we were sorry to of Excellence, Red Doles Lane learn of the death of Harry Kernohan. Huddersfield, West Yorkshire We hope that an obituary will be on our website in HD2 1YF due course. Visit: Home ► The Association Details on the website or contact ► News of members [email protected]

Regulars Audiology updates This page features innovations and discussions of what is happening in real-world educational audiology and gives readers the opportunity to highlight issues that they encounter in the workplace

Update: The experts* say: The new academic year means it’s time to prepare for There are many variables, such as whether soundfield is the changes our older learners will be facing. Whether being used or just the standard whiteboard speakers. they are Year 11 pupils, sixth formers/FE students or Let’s assume there is no soundfield and we are simply soon-to-be graduates, they should be investigating the connecting the whiteboard speakers to the headphone support needed for the next step in their journey. socket on the laptop/PC etc. The only solution is to have Leaving aside the different funding mechanisms, there are a splitter in order to connect the FM transmitter to the some common issues for them to explore with your help: headphone socket (unless the laptop has two headphone sockets of course). l Audiology. When will they transfer from paediatric to There are different splitters adult services and how do they differ? If they leave available, solid or cable. Our home, do they need to register at a new clinic? Can experience is that cable splitters they carry out routine checks and maintenance are much more reliable, as solid independently and recognise problems that require splitters tend to put pressure on referral to the clinic? How can they get a radio aid or the headphone socket and Solid splitter other devices? damage them fairly quickly, l Learning support. Often students only know about leading to poor or intermittent the support they have received in their school/college, sound quality. It is also so it is important to investigate what else is available. important that the audio Do they know about booking interpreters, electronic (headphone) settings on the note-taking, remote captioning and devices to help laptop have been set Cable splitter them live independently? Can they trial some options appropriately: if the laptop before deciding? Do they know about Disabled audio level is low it may be compensated for on Students’ Allowances and Access to Work? Can they whiteboard speakers that have their own volume control, make informed decisions about the level and type of but the level going into the FM transmitter may be too technical support they need? low. It should be set so that the level into the FM Now is the time to explore the NDCS website and transmitter is sufficient and then the whiteboard publications, contact Assessment Centres, gather speakers can be set accordingly. information on funding, visit the BETT exhibition and Remember: approach manufacturers/suppliers to find out what’s out l The connectors (jacks and sockets) can become there – don’t leave it until the summer term!. tarnished over time, so clean them regularly. A reader asked: l Position the FM transmitter so that the antenna is What is the best solution when you have one child in a hanging free. classroom using FM and the whole class is watching l The microphone should be either manually muted or and listening to something via the whiteboard? We have set to mute automatically when audio is connected. been told that the ‘splitter’ is not very effective. We want the whole class to be able to hear the audio at the same Some transmitters have Bluetooth facilities, but this time as it is being transmitted to the child using the FM could cause more confusion in the classroom setting. ie we do not want to eliminate sound for the whole class. Soundfield would be different again – indeed, the many possible combinations mean there are far too many You say: variables to be covered in this brief response. I use the splitter without any problems. The HI student can access information through the radio aid without A reader asks: blocking the sound to the other students: What strategies would you suggest for whole-school assemblies in a primary school? Our deaf children sit in l Look at the back of the computer attached to the their class groups with a TA (younger children on the floor whiteboard and find the sound lead plugged into the at the front; older ones on forms at the back). How do you green socket. manage radio aid transmitters when there are activities l Unplug the sound lead from the computer and plug on stage involving exchanges between several people? this into the empty socket on the splitter. At present, there is no soundfield system in the hall. l Plug the splitter into the green sound socket on the If you can suggest a solution, or would like to pose a back of the computer. question for our readers and experts, please contact l Plug the other end of the transmitter lead into the ‘Aux Stevie Mayhook: [email protected] in’ socket of the transmitter (or aerial socket on the * Information provided by members of the Ewing Foundation: Tx3 if in use). www.ewing-foundation.org.uk l Ensure that the transmitter is on. (Photographs provided by Connevans)

Regulars ICT News: ICT and Multidisciplinary Working Louie Ruck aims to generate discussion on whether Information Communication Technology is proving a barrier to the progress of deaf children or is a help

At face value the two aspects of the above title would one-point-of-entry system for a number of years. appear to have very little in common. This was certainly The NHS Speech and Language Therapy teams are my own reaction when given the theme of this month’s currently in the process of rolling out ‘System1’, issue, and that of several colleagues whom I happened a paperless, mobile working system that allows them to to mention it to; what on earth could I write in the ICT access NHS networks and enter their reports instantly. column about multidisciplinary working? However, once Previously, SaLT staff, unless they had access to the given some thought, there is a great deal to write about, NHS network, had to write up their reports on paper and especially when you consider their convoluted and then send it to a typist to type into the system, or do it conflicting needs. This article, rather than the normal themselves. Not very time efficient. In theory, once on reporting on existing products and technological the system, any health professional would have access advances, aims to pose some important questions and to that information, but it takes time to get it there. generate discussion. The questions posed are certainly System1 aims to overcome the time inefficiencies. not answered, they are just reflections of my own Training is still being carried out for SaLT staff but in the experience. The questions being asked are "are the future, System1 could become a powerful tool in the conflicting needs of ICT and multidisciplinary working sharing of data intra-agency, but it doesn’t solve the necessary?” and “is it possible that they may be one of problem of information sharing between agencies. More the barriers to ensuring that deaf children make or on this later. exceed expected progress?” These are potentially Considering deaf education then, what impact can ICT contentious and controversial questions, but as I said, have on the ability of multidisciplinary teams to work they are just for discussion, not for preaching. together more effectively? In researching this article, Embrace the idea of what ICT is: Information I started by identifying those services and disciplines Communication Technology. So what is this? It could be, that we work with. Working in a specialist school for the and for the purpose of this article is, thought of as deaf, access to these services is easy for myself, but technology that improves our ability to communicate information effectively. Essentially, being able to ‘work smarter’. This is something that we as professionals Tablet ♦ smartphone ♦ PC ♦ laptop have always done, and continue to strive to achieve. No matter how you access it, the BATOD But how do we do this? Establishing who all the teams website provides members with a wealth of around the child are is a start. This may well be a information, advice and materials to support familiar phrase to many; however, this article is not professionals working in deaf education specifically related to the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) other than in the fact that it also considers the needs of the development of the child and who has input into the child. Then asking, how can we all work together more effectively? Any person with management and/or industry experience will be able to say that one of the biggest barriers to a project being delivered on time and on budget is communication. The same applies to our situation of ensuring progress; being able to communicate effectively across the EXPLORE!! agencies is essential in making sure the needs of the child are being met. However, the ability to communicate freely and instantly has always been an issue, not just in industry or education, but also in life. Situations move on and change while paperwork is sitting in in-trays and in- boxes. Thus, there is a huge need to address the ability of teams and services around the child to be able to communicate well. As previously said, this isn’t specific news ♦ events ♦ resources ♦ jobs to deaf children or deaf education, it’s a philosophy that can be applied to almost any profession, or any industry. Explore the fantastic resource that is Changes are however being made. The NHS for www.batod.org.uk example has been trying to move toward a paperless

Regulars

what about others who are not in this fortunate question of who has the passwords and how appropriate situation? The key point has been mentioned: ‘access’. is it to have your ‘life’ stored on computer? This is partly what ICT can offer, if utilised well. Within The discussion above has barely scratched the surface my own setting we have access to Speech and on the rights and wrongs of sharing data. But through all Language therapists, qualified ToDs and Educational this, another series of questions evolves. Where is the Audiologists as well as good links with careers and drive to push children’s development coming from? As clinics and the Local Authorities. To support all of the educators, we absolutely want to see the children in our above, the school also has a good culture of contact care reach their full potential. That is the whole point of with parents and families of the children. This is our role as teachers. But is the incessant, continual push currently being developed further by the introduction of to be better and better actually proving beneficial? Achievement for All and Structured Conversations. Would having all possible data about a child actually The Achievement for All scheme will, no doubt, make an make us better teachers? Would we be able to support appearance as an article in its own right in the future. them better, or would there be too much information and As I said, I’m fortunate that I have relatively easy the expectation to use it? In addition, would we be access to information, be it paper-based, electronic or moving away from focusing on the child as a person and verbal. In other settings, it’s the same services, more toward another mountain of endless paperwork, professionals and teams working together to help spreadsheet and analysis? support the pupil. Yet not all the information is available either in one or two sensible locations, or indeed at all. These questions are certainly not going to be answered The question is why not? So begins the argument of here, in a 1400 word article in a niche professionals’ ‘right to access’. We work in an information-rich society. magazine. But it does offer some thoughts as to how We are expected to have information at our fingertips and why our communication is sometimes left wanting. and to be able to use that information to make a If ICT can be used to help ensure that children make difference. So why, with all the technology that is progress then that’s good, but we rely heavily on currently available, is it not possible to access this computers and the ability to have data instantly. information instantly and prevent delay in supporting a Perhaps we are a victim of our own technological child? The reason itself is a whole new argument. success? A need to know basis; perhaps this is the way it has to work? Firstly, the assumption being made is that there is a ‘right’ to have this information when in reality consideration has to be given to the morality of sharing information. Questions such as ‘is that information Deaf Education history actually needed?’ and if so ‘what permissions must be obtained?’ need to be answered. This does not mean on the BATOD website just the parents, but also the wishes of the child, if Gillick Plans are going ahead for the BATOD competent. This in itself can create a barrier. Deaf Education section of the website. Protection of the child is, of course, paramount; therefore, other questions must be asked such as ‘is This will there possibility of harm occurring as a result of sharing focus on this information?’ That of course depends on the case the years and content of the information. Ensuring appropriate, from 1960 professional access to the data could/would be to 2010. beneficial, but if not properly monitored it could also be harmful, putting the child at risk. The ‘need to know’ culture has embedded itself within our agencies, and for all the right reasons, but could this also be a barrier? Have we fallen into a trap of culture of confidentiality We will be inviting contributions for our making data more complicated to access than first topics ‘The education of deaf necessary? children in mainstream schools’ and There is a difference between communication and data. ‘Schools for the Deaf’ in the November Data may well be personal and private and therefore BATOD Magazine; so if you have personal protected from public exhibition. Communication, experience in either or both of these however, is cultural. It is perhaps the culture that needs areas please start thinking about what addressing rather than the tools, i.e. the ICT. Perhaps. you might want to write. But computerisation may not be the answer either. Storing data has huge implications; even more so when We will be putting more information storing personal data such as medical records. The about how to contribute and what topics need to have sufficient passwords and encryption is we hope to cover on the website so regularly in the news because of its distinct lack of please keep checking. We fully expect to presence, but instilling this in everyday practice is a go live early in 2015. cultural shift. Furthermore, you then are back to the

Regulars This and that... Email news to [email protected] Save the date – conference 2015 The 2015 annual BATOD national conference and study day will take place in Edinburgh on Saturday March 14th 2015. The topic will be “Supporting deaf children and young people in the 21st century” and the keynote speaker will be Professor Wendy McCracken of Manchester University.

See Hear and Horizon See Hear recently devoted a programme to a Horizon ADEPT programme which was broadcast in 1974. It can be found here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0439vxn has come into being The original Horizon programme, called “Curtain of Silence” is here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01z4xk NATED and ACSW have Both programmes are well worth watching and show how formally things have changed in the world of deaf education over recent decades. come together to form a new Updated NDCS organisation which is factsheet called NDCS has updated its factsheet about deaf children ADEPT. and speech and language therapy for parents and carers – it is available on the NDCS website Their website is adeptuk.co.uk www.ndcs.org.uk by following Home►Family Support►Order and view our publications The resource can be downloaded after you have signed Revision of the or logged in. It can also be ordered free of charge from the NDCS Freephone Helpline at 0808 800 8880. Code of Practice Following the recent consultation on the revised Code of Practice to accompany the Children and Changes to DSA Families Act the DfE has issued the final version which can be seen by going to the Government – NDCS response website www.gov.uk and putting SEND Code of The Government is proposing to make some changes to the Practice in the search engine. Disabled Students’ Allowance and there is concern about the possible impact on deaf university students. BATOD is working with the Deaf Education Support Forum on this. BATOD Consultant NDCS has followed up these concerns with the Department From time to time members contact our for Business Innovation and Skills. It has also published a Consultant with a range of queries. Recently short news story and briefing about this for its members. these have included questions about transport, It can be read on the NDCS website by following teaching in the mainstream, resource provision About us►Campaign with us►England and support for non-statemented deaf children. ►Campaign news A selection of these questions and the Consultant's replies can now be found on our website – anonymised of course! You can read Like us on Facebook them by following British Association of Teachers The Association ► BATOD Work of the Deaf ►The work of the Consultant

Regulars Reviews

Animals from Africa descriptions at the back tell you why a certain animal sign is used and that helps you to remember the sign. I Author Sula Gleeson really like the illustrations too. This book would be good Publisher Turpin FSG Publishing for both deaf and hearing children who want to learn Published December 2013 some animal signs, and I would definitely ask my mum ISBN 0957 320 337 to buy other books in the series for me. Reviewer Barnaby Albiston (aged 9 years) Barnaby’s Mum (Diana) comments I like this book. It has useful facts on what male, female, On the whole this is a lovely book but I’m not quite sure baby and groups of different what age group it is aimed at. animals are called, and I would Young children wouldn’t really use this as a reference book. be interested in what a male or The map near the beginning is female animal is called, yet they useful so you can see where are referred to as “mummy” and Africa is in the world. The BSL “daddy” rather than male or signs are clear, especially the female. Also, I was bewildered arrows, and I like the fact that as to why only five animals are the BSL fingerspell alphabet is featured, and those on the at the beginning so that you cover aren’t featured in the can refer back. The sign for book! For the price I would “daddy” is different from the expect more animals and I one normally used in the south wouldn’t have necessarily of England – it’s the one we chosen this book to teach use for “daughter”. The written Barnaby animal signs.

BATOD was there representing you... Between the NEC meetings, members of BATOD attend various meetings that are of particular interest to Teachers of the Deaf. This list is not exhaustive. Your representatives at the meetings listed included: Andrea Baker, Sue Denny, Nicki Harris, Paul Simpson, Carol Thomson

Date External participants Purpose of meeting Venue May 13 Communication Trust Regular meeting The Lift, Islington 16 DESF Regular meeting AoHL, London 22 DCAMHS Open Day Maidstone, Kent Jun 4 NatSIP Working Day Hamilton House, London 11 Scottish Parliament All Party Group on Deafness Holyrood 12 Ofqual Access Consultation Forum Coventry 17 Ofqual Consultation about GCSE reforms Aston University 18 SEC Working party on reform of DSA NCB, London 25 NDCS Contact meeting London July 3 NatSIP HOSS conference University of Birmingham 9 FLSE Regular meeting of the SEND forum Engine Rooms, London 10 CRIDE Regular meeting Chandler House, London 18 VIEW Executive meeting Maidenhead 22 Communication Trust Regular meeting The Lift, Islington

Please inform the National Executive Officer, Paul Simpson, if you know of any meetings where you feel representation on behalf of Teachers of the Deaf would be of benefit. Although there is no guarantee that BATOD would be able to attend every meeting, situations could be monitored and the interests of ToDs represented.

Association business

Abbreviations and acronyms used in this Magazine

AAST Adaptive Auditory Speech Test LA Local Authority AEN Additional Educational Needs LEGUPS Language Enrichment Group for Upper ANSD Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder Preschool (3 – 5) AoHL Action on Hearing Loss LSA Learning Support Assistant BATOD British Association of Teachers of the Deaf LTASS Long Term Average Speech Spectrum BETT Education technology exhibition MAP Another word for programme with respect to cochlear implants BID Deaf cultural centre in Birmingham MDT Multi-Disciplinary Team B Sc Bachelor of Science degree M Sc Master of Science degree BSL British Sign Language MSI Multi Sensory Impairment CAF Common Assessment Framework nasen SEN organisation CAMHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service NASUWT Teachers’ trade union CDI Communicative Development Inventory NatSIP National Sensory Impairment Partnership CHSWG Children’s Hearing Services Working Group(s NCB National Children’s Bureau CI Cochlear Implant NCHC Norfolk Community Health and Care CMV Cytomegalovirus NCVO National Council for Voluntary CRIDE Consortium for Research In Deaf Education Organisations CYP Children and Young People NDCS National Deaf Children’s Society dB decibel NEC National Executive Council DCAMHS Deaf Child and Adolescent Mental Health NHS National Health Service Services PC Personal Computer DESF Deaf Education Support Forum PECS Picture Exchange Communication DfE Department for Education System DLA Disability Living Allowance PGCE Post-Graduate Certificate in Education EHC Education, Health and Care PG Dip Post-Graduate Diploma ENT Ear, Nose and Throat PhD Doctor of Philosophy EOW Exploring and Ordering the World QTVI Qualified Teacher of the Vision Impaired FE Further Education SaLT Speech and Language Therapist FLSE Federation of Leaders in Special Education SEC Special Education Consortium FM Frequency Modulation = radio SEN Special Educational Needs FSG Farrar, Straus and Giroux (publishers) SENCo Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator GP General Practitioner SEND Special Educational Needs and Disability HR Human Resources SPL Sound Pressure Level HI Hearing-Impaired SRT Speech Reception Threshold HICCUPS Hearing Impaired Children Coming up to SSP Sensory Support Practitioners Preschool (0 – 3) TA Teaching Assistant HIU Hearing-Impaired Unit ToD Teacher of the Deaf Hons Honours ToM Theory of Mind HOSS Heads of Sensory Support (services) UK United Kingdom HOSSER Heads of Sensory Services Eastern Region VI Vision Impairment ICT Information Communication Technology VIEW Professional association of teachers of IFFM International Female Fluctuating Masker vision-impaired children IQ Intelligence Quotient VSO Voluntary Service Overseas JSNA Joint Strategic Needs Assessment WNDA West Norfolk Deaf Association If you have found an acronym in the Magazine that isn’t explained in this list, then use www.acronymfinder.com to help you to work it out.

BATOD membership BATOD activities are funded from your membership fee and some advertising income. Colleagues who share your Magazine and Journal also benefit from BATOD negotiations with government and other influential bodies ‒ but they are not contributing! Persuade your colleagues to join BATOD and you will receive 10% of their membership fee as an ‘introduction fee’. Full details of membership plus membership form are available at www.batod.org.uk ► The Association ► BATOD Membership ToDs in training will be entitled to a £20 reduction in annual membership fee when the Course Tutor countersigns the membership application form for those paying by Direct Debit (applies for up to 2 years; payable at the end of the year). The BATOD Membership Secretary may be contacted via [email protected] The BATOD Treasurer may be contacted via [email protected]

Regulars

Meetings and training Calendar

This page is an extract from the Calendar to be found on the BATOD website. Please note that it is not exhaustive. Items noted on this Calendar may have been advertised within the Magazine or the information reported by telephone. BATOD is not necessarily the organising body. Please contact the organising body (column 2) for details of conferences, not the Editor of this Magazine.

Date Organisation Meeting topic Venue

September European Society for Mental Health and Deafness in collaboration with 16 - 19 6th World Congress on Mental Health & Deafness Riddel Hall, Queen's University Belfast The Queen’s University, Belfast and The Royal College of Psychiatrists 27 BATOD NEC Association Business Hilton Garden Inn, Birmingham Babies and Toddlers with Cochlear Implants: The Ear Foundation Marjorie Sherman House, 30 Ear Foundation A Sound Start 83 Sherwin Road, Lenton, Nottingham NG7 2FB

October 1 Ear Foundation Children with Cochlear Implants: Slow to Progress The Ear Foundation, Marjorie Sherman House James Wolfe Primary School, Randall Place, 1 James Wolfe PS Open mornings for deaf professionals Greenwich, London SE10 9LA Developing Spoken Language Using Daily Routines: 3 Ear Foundation The Ear Foundation, Marjorie Sherman House Leave the bag of toys in the car! 15 Ear Foundation Speech Acoustics: Plain English The Ear Foundation, Marjorie Sherman House Let me tell you! Story and narrative development 16 Ear Foundation The Ear Foundation, Marjorie Sherman House for pre-school children Developing Listening and Language through 24 Ear Foundation Phonak HQ, Warrington Primary Classroom Routines

November 3 Ear Foundation CMV: Cytomegalovirus Resource for London, Holloway Road, London 9th Annual conference: Implantable Devices 2014: National College for School Leadership, 7 Ear Foundation The State of the Art Nottingham UK 8 BATOD Steering Group Association Business NCVO, London Complex Children with Cochlear Implants: 12 Ear Foundation The Ear Foundation, Marjorie Sherman House for Teaching Assistants Huddersfield Textile Centre of Excellence, 13 BATOD North Study Day – Supporting and Challenging Deaf Children Red Doles Lane, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD2 1YF Supporting People with Cochlear Implants for 14 Ear Foundation The Ear Foundation, Marjorie Sherman House Communication Support Workers Words are not Enough: The development of pragmatic 25 Ear Foundation The Ear Foundation, Marjorie Sherman House communication skills in children with hearing loss Professionals learning to listen: 25 Ear Foundation Resource for London, Holloway Road, London counselling, coaching & collaborating

December

Expectations & Challenges: Supporting children 3 Ear Foundation The Ear Foundation, Marjorie Sherman House who were born very premature Why so Wobbly? Balance and what you can do 5 Ear Foundation Resource for London, Holloway Road, London about it for children

6 BATOD NEC Association Business NCVO, London

Building Vocabulary in the Primary Years: When? Why? 8 Ear Foundation The Ear Foundation, Marjorie Sherman House How? Radio aids and wireless technology workshop: 9 Ear Foundation The Ear Foundation, Marjorie Sherman House Understanding the potential and building confidence

10 Ear Foundation ACE: Assessment of Comprehension & Expression The Ear Foundation, Marjorie Sherman House

January 2015

24 BATOD Steering Group Association Business London

The Calendar on the BATOD website is edited as soon as we know about meetings. Additional information about courses and registration forms may also be linked to the calendar entries.

Association business Officers of Nations and Regions BATOD contacts and Magazine Distribution

Northern Ireland [email protected] Midland [email protected] Chairperson: Rebecca Millar Chairperson: Cate Latchford Secretary: Valerie McCreedy Secretary: Angie Wootten Treasurer: Antonette Burns Treasurer: Robert Miller

Scotland [email protected] North [email protected] Chairperson: Catherine Finestone Chairperson: Sue Denny Secretary: Jean McAllister Secretary: Trish Cope Treasurer: Elaine Harris Treasurer: Sandy Goler

Wales [email protected] South [email protected] Chairperson: Revolving post Chairperson: Meryl Hunt (contact Sally Davies) Secretary: Stevie Mayhook Secretary: Lisa Whitney Treasurer: Meryl Hunt Treasurer: Rhian Gibbins South West [email protected] East [email protected] Chairperson: Post vacant Chairperson: Jo Sayers Secretary: Hazel Sutherland Secretary: Trina Rankin Treasurer: Post vacant Treasurer: Joanne Hughes

Articles, information and contributions for the Full guidelines for submissions and abstracts of Association Magazine should be sent to: papers published in the Journal ‘Deafness & Education International’ are to be found at BATOD National Executive Officer www.maney.co.uk/instructions_for_authors/dei Mr Paul Simpson Enquiries related to the Journal to: tel/fax 0845 6435181 Dr Linda Watson email [email protected] email [email protected] ...as should Association information and general queries. Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.editorialmanager.com/dei Advertisements for the Association Magazine should be sent to: Mrs Elizabeth Reed-Beadle DISCLAIMER BATOD Advertising Manager The Editors and the Association do not necessarily endorse 142 New Road items or the contents of advertisements Hethersett published in the Magazine and cannot accept NR9 3HG responsibility for any inaccuracies. tel 01603 812111 Please note that items from this Magazine may not be reproduced without the consent of BATOD email [email protected] and the source must be acknowledged. Photocopying items may breach copyright.

BATOD Magazine distribution from: The Seashell Trust, Stanley Road, Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire SK8 6RQ Association Magazine ISSN 1366-0799 Published by: The British Association of Teachers of the Deaf, 21, Keating Close, Rochester, Kent ME1 1EQ Printed by: Berforts Information Press Ltd, Southfield Road, Eynsham, Oxford OX29 4JB Magazine Project Manager: Rosi Hearnshaw Cover - OBC and OFC - Sept14 v2 24/07/2014 16:22 Page 64

Do youy u knowknooDo w a deaf chilchildd who…who

Is struggling in their current educational environment because of issues such as: back r og und noise, the pace of the lesson, the vocabularbul y used, the r of deatthe verlie y or the number of pupils in lessons? Has a significant languag de y or disorale disorder and r uireq es an enriched anguaganguagl pr amme ttogre o meet their needs? W u loW d benefit from weekly speech and languag therape y sessions? W u loW d benefit from the oppor to otunity ptimise their listening and spo lkspo anguagen e skills using their amplification? Needs constant and consis ent audiolt ogical monitoring and su t?ppor Struggles socially at school? W u loW d benefit from a deaf peer gr p and ruo r e modeolp ls? W u loW d benefit from additional adapt resoed ureso ces, visual aids, prompts and a good audit y enor en onment?viry PerhapsPerhaps it’s time ttoo think aaboutt whatwubo w ht a t Mary M a r y Hare H a era Primary, rP mi yram SecondaryradnoceS, or Sixyr Sixth F Formorm hath havehave totorm o offer?

u knooIf y u knoknooIf w a deaf child who would beneﬁt from Mary Hare School, why not suggest that they k on ttboo o one of our events: YearYYeear 7 EntryEntry InformationInfy ormation DaDay - FFridayriday y 26th SeSeptember 20empt 201414ber Sixth FormFSix InformationInth form ormation AftAfternoonernoon - ThursdaThursdayy 16th OctOctober 20o 201414ber TToo book a place, please visit our websitur e: www.maryhareschool.org.uk/events oOr if yoOr aro unau tble make e oo ur events and w t arrant angango e a visit, please contact: borDe ah Benson, Marketing & Pupil Recruitment Manager TTeel: 01635 244 215 Email: d.benson@maryhar g.uke.oryhar g.uk

Seccuuurinngg the futtuurree of deaf cchhildrreen and younngg p pleo l ep