West Sussex County Council s1

Policy for Working with Students with ASC

1 Introduction

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that students with autism have the best opportunities for personal, social, intellectual and physical learning that we can provide. It seeks to provide staff with practical information about specific strategies that can support students with ASC and the expectation is that staff will use them to support learners as and when it is appropriate.

This policy should be read in conjunction with:  Learning  Equal Opportunities Policy  Appendix B to Learning: Learning and Teaching Guidance for students with specific needs  Accessibility Policy

2 Principles

At Oak Grove College we recognise the distinctiveness, needs and rights of the individual and this policy should be read within this context. We are a school that is inclusive and holistic in approach, where everyone:  Is valued and values others  Takes part in the life of the school  Can make the most of their abilities and qualities  Develops skills essential to life (as far as is individually possible)  Develops confidence, personal strength and self-belief: through choice making, ability to manage change and the opportunity to develop Our curriculum is planned to be dynamic and we believe that learning should be a holistic, flexible process that focuses on individuals and allows students to develop according to their individual priorities. As pupils’ needs are diverse our aim is to offer opportunities and access for all pupils through the wide range and flexibility of our provision.

The starting point for intervention is the individual needs of the student, which establishes a culture of pupil-centred planning and a continuing commitment to review and revise provision and opportunities for learning and progress. Barriers to accessing the curriculum, environment or written information that become apparent are tackled to enable every pupil to progress successfully through the school.

At Oak Grove College we aim to provide the means by which students can develop self- advocacy and worth, and we encourage the development of understanding and tolerance of others. We recognise that successful learning is achieved through fun and positive experiences. Our school is a community in which everyone works happily and purposefully together. We provide a stimulating, safe, structured and caring environment in which pupils with autism can develop spiritually, socially, morally and culturally as individuals.

June 2010 1 of 8 Within this context our vision for pupils with ASC at Oak Grove College is that they will have a sense of achievement and raised self-esteem, that their contribution is valued and that we will prepare them effectively for life after school.

3 Aims We aim to provide our students with autistic spectrum conditions and / or social and communication difficulties with:

. Learning opportunities that are motivating, rewarding and purposeful for each individual . To provide a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum, including the National Curriculum, tailored to the individual needs and abilities of each pupil and young person, enabling them to develop in preparation for adult life. . To provide a total communication environment that supports the communication needs of each pupil and young person. . To provide an environment that promotes and supports the development of choice, independence, self-esteem, confidence and self-advocacy for each young person specifically through our competency programme. . To foster mutual respect and enable each pupil and young person to make a positive contribution within the school and the community. . To maintain effective links for each pupil and young person with parents, funding authorities, local services and other professionals, to ensure appropriate high quality provision and a smooth transition to lifelong placements.

Specifically, we believe that for children with ASC to learn there need to be:  Clear expectations  Opportunities for them to develop independence  Clear classroom routines so students can predict the order of events  A clear start and finish to activities  Rewards for achievement – ‘more work’ is not a reward for achievement  Increased physical exercise to enhance learning

4 How students with autism learn

We recognise that for our students with autistic spectrum condition and / or social and communication difficulties the following strategies and ways of working will support their learning processes:

 The provision of an environment that is both familiar and routine, this promotes a sense of security within which effective learning takes place  The opportunity to learn through concrete experiences designed to meet their individual needs  The use of simple, direct instructions which are used in context and as part of their routine throughout the day  The opportunity for regular practice and continual reinforcement of skills learnt  Through the use and stimulation of their senses  Through physical participation and involvement in all activities  By following a combination of simple verbal and/or physical prompts and visual/symbolic cues  By using a variety of approaches, choosing the most effective for each pupil  By providing the opportunity to generalise skills outside of the classroom environment

It is an expectation that all students with autism will be taught with this context.

June 2010 2 of 8 5 Strategies for effective learning and teaching when working with students with ASC

This section of this policy provides detailed guidance on specific strategies that can support students with ASC in learning.

 It is not our intention that every strategy will be used in all classes in the school for all students.  However, it is an expectation that staff will think about the needs of the individuals they work with and use the strategies that seem most effective for them.

5.1 STRUCTURED TEACHING

This is a strategy which helps students to organise and structure their environment so they can respond appropriately. Although originally developed for students with ASC in the form of the TEACCH approach, the basic principles are applicable to many students with learning disabilities.

Visual Structure of the Environment The use of visual structure enables students to understand what is expected of them and to predict what is going to happen next.

It is expected that classrooms will be clearly laid out. It can be helpful for some students if defined areas are used for different activities and these areas may be constructed by using marks on the floor, furniture or clear labelling. Where areas are used for many different activities visual cues can still be incorporated e.g. a tablecloth for TUCK.

For some classes it may be appropriate to have within the classroom: o A general teaching area for whole class / small group teaching / 1:1 work o Work stations – these are to support students in developing independent work skills and should be used in a planned way. For some students this will need to be a distraction free area possibly in a partitioned space, facing a wall without display and separated from the main teaching area. For others it may be enough that they have their ‘own desk’ or there is a line down the table signifying the separation of their work. The long term aim of using workstations is to promote independent work and, therefore, ultimately the goal is that students who initially need this kind of support work towards working alongside their peers and coping with increasing distractions. Work stations can be used for 1:1 work if no other space is available but students will need a visual cue to reinforce this is different from independent work time. o A leisure area: some students will need short periods of time where they complete something they enjoy as a reward for achievement. This will further emphasise the concept of ‘finished.’ In the long term the aim with an individual student would be to use this time to teach the skills of choice making and independent play.

Visual structure of work Students find it useful to know what is expected of them when completing a learning activity: “What will I have to do?” “How much will I have to do?” “Am I making progress within the activity?” “When will I have finished?” “What happens next?”

A number of strategies are helpful here:

What’s next? Helping students to understand this can take the following forms:  Students may simply require a symbol that they take to the next activity and match with a symbol that is already there e.g. they take a symbol of a computer and match it to another one permanently left next to the computer they work at to signify it is time for computer work

June 2010 3 of 8  A what’s next board: at a basic level this tells the student what they are doing now and what they will be doing next  A task list – this can be a numbered list of activities (written and symbolised or just written for more able and older students) that can be crossed out as they are completed

Worksheets These should be:  Clear and well spaced – two well spaced pages are better than 1 cluttered page  Instructions should be precise and well ordered – highlighting the instructions in a different colour from information and signifying clearly where answers go can help  When appropriate, symbols should be used for the key words which support the learning activity – symbols for every word make pages too cluttered and inaccessible  Knowing how many pages there will be before a student starts work is helpful

Physical organisation of work For some students physically moving work from a starting point to a finishing point is effective. This could mean having work to be completed on the left side of the table and then moving it to the right. When all the work from the left is gone work is finished. Students may progress from this to putting work in a finished tray or will understand work is finished when it is put away or put on the teacher’s table.

Visual structure and whole class timetables All students at Oak Grove College should have a visual individual timetable that is visible in their tutor groups and in their planners.

In tutor time a visual timetable should be used to outline the day for all students for whom this is necessary. A member of staff should go through this with students at appropriate intervals in the day to support students in knowing what is next and organising themselves for learning.

In classes that stay together the timetable should be used throughout the day to reinforce that activities have finished, what activity is about to start and that the day is progressing. It is good practice to take off the cue for the finished activity as you go in order to visually re- enforce that an activity is complete. For some students it may be more appropriate to only display part of the day at a time.

Timetables need to be constructed as is most appropriate for the group / individual. They can take the following format:  Objects of reference  Photographs  Symbols  Written word cards  Tactile / auditory cues for the visually impaired

Timetables can be written in either top to bottom or left to right format.

For students who move about the school to different groups, it may be appropriate for them to have a what’s next board or a small diary page with their timetable on it or a daily tick sheet where they can cross off lessons as they finish. It will then be the responsibility of the subject teacher to use whatever system is most appropriate for the student to support them in their particular class e.g. a tick sheet of tasks / activities within the lesson

June 2010 4 of 8 Introducing Change Once routine has been established and students feel comfortable with the routine and structure of their day, flexibility and change can be managed effectively with the use of a change or surprise card on the timetable.

It is expected that in every class where there are non-readers and / or students with autism symbols and signing will be used to support communication.

Work Systems A work system is the structure a student uses when completing individual work. It tells them what work to do and in what order and what they will do next. It should answer the following:  What work?  How much work?  Concept of ‘finished’ and progress  What happens next?

Work systems can involve:  Table top organisation – tasks to be completed are on the left, finished work is but in a finished box or the right  Visual sequence cue - this provides a sequence to the required activities and finishes with the visual cue for the next activity. The student matches the cue to the identical cue on the activity and works through the cues and activities until complete. This can be simple using numbers to order the work which can also help the student to understand the quantity of expected work.  A list – this may be instructions for one lesson, or even one piece of work. The student records completed items with a tick (so ensuring the concepts of finished and what’s next remain intact)

For students at the earliest stages of using work systems, who still need to be taught how to work independently the aim of the task is that they should learn to do it independently and therefore the activity should be based around skills already learnt, that the student can do. To start with, a prompt may still be necessary, and this is better if it is physical rather than oral. Visual cues will be especially important here as this will show the student what to do without a prompt.

Examples could be:

Product sample Put a counter on a specific number of circles (aim to teach 1-1 correspondence) – a completed one is provided as an example and the student follows the pattern Produce a finished item The student would be provided with a completed model and the pieces with which to make it and would create it by looking at the finished item Pictured instructions A photo could be provided of the intended finished product t that the student then copies Written instructions For more able students it may be that a worksheet is provided where the instructions are clearly differentiated from other writing on the sheet. This enables the student to understand what it expected of them and work through without needing verbal prompts

5.2 SOCIAL SKILL DEVELOPMENT

It is important that students with autism have the opportunity to develop, practice and generalise social skills as this can be an area in which they often experience difficulties. The following should guide all our work in this area:

June 2010 5 of 8  Students with autism should be helped to understand that other people will have thoughts and feelings that may be different to their own  Be explicit – they may not focus on what you consider to be obvious  Students with autism may need time out from the demands of social interaction; plan for this  Model and prompt appropriate social behaviour once you have learnt what social cues an individual student particularly has difficulty interpreting

The following strategies will be useful with some students with autism and these should be used as appropriate.

Comic Strip Conversations These provide a visual representation of the different levels of communication that take place in a conversation. Stick figure drawings and / or colour and symbols are used to visually show what happens in a conversation e.g. that someone is feeling something whilst talking or that there is an intention behind what they are saying. By visually representing them these abstract concepts are made more concrete and are therefore easier for students with autism to understand.

Social Stories These teach students with autism to cope in different situations by explaining in words and pictures, step by step what will happen in situations where they may feel anxious and how they should behave and cope e.g. how to cope with sharing a ball at break time

Circle of Friends This encourages the development of a support network for a child 1st in a structured setting that can then be extended to unstructured times. 6 -8 volunteers are recruited to form the circle of friends and through a series of meetings they help the focus child to express their feelings and decrease their anxiety levels so improving social integration and increasing levels of peer contact with the ultimate aim that the focus child may build better and closer relationships.

5.3 COMMUNICATION DEVELOPMENT

Students with autism can find communication difficult. The following strategies are considered to be good practice and should be evidenced across the school as they will also support effective participation across the general school population:

 Use simple language and remember some students will interpret it literally  Use one instruction at a time so as not to overload the student  Metaphors, irony and sarcasm can confuse; avoid  When talking to an individual, preface what you are saying with their name in order to cue them into the fact you are talking to them  Allow time for students to respond (this may take longer for a student with ASC)  Although you may want to encourage eye contact don’t insist as this can cause anxiety  Remember that your facial expressions and gestures may cause confusion or be misinterpreted  Use visual cues to support your communication

The following are specific strategies that will be useful when working with some students. They will usually have been discussed with parents / other professionals prior to use.

The Picture Communication Exchange System (PECS) This approach is most useful with students who have limited language. Teachers use pictures / symbols to teach students the names of different objects. Gradually the student is taught to exchange a picture for the object he or she wants and to construct simple

June 2010 6 of 8 sentences using the symbols. They can indicate choices between objects. Staff who have students in their class who are using the system and require training should contact the training manager in order that the system which is taught in a specific manner is used accurately and therefore to greatest effect.

Intensive Interaction This approach can be effective with students whose unresponsiveness and / or mannerisms may hinder or prevent the development of a close relationship with other people. This approach draws on the ‘natural’ course of child development and starts with a process similar to baby / parent interaction. The purpose is to try and establish communication with someone rather than alter behaviour and therefore involves ‘playing’ with the student, imitating noises and gestures in a way both enjoy so building up a relationship. The process develops through 4 stages: Stage 1 Awareness The individual becomes aware of the person they are working with Stage 2 Anticipation The individual anticipates that the person working with them is going to engage with them before they actually do. Peek a boo type games or a repetitive action which can be paused so the pupil looks for it. Stage 3 Pre-emption The individual actively anticipates showing clearer signals e.g. leads a staff member to something Stage 4 Voluntary Signals At this stage pre-emptive actions change to deliberate acts to engage the carer in particular activities

The ‘play’ should develop from the prompts of the individual rather than being initiated by staff. If the student indicates they no longer wish to participate, the adult stops and waits for them to instigate again. In this way the student becomes aware they have some power to control their world. This technique helps students to develop trust, eye contact, and physical contact and turn taking which are requirements of communication development.

6 Behaviour

Students with autism can exhibit challenging behaviour at times. At Oak Grove College we believe that challenging behaviour especially amongst our students with autism is nearly always and attempt to communicate rather then that the student is ‘being naughty.’ Staff should refer to the Oak Grove Behaviour for Learning policy for detailed guidance on how to manage challenging behaviour but the following strategies are considered to be particularly useful when dealing with students with ASC who exhibit challenging behaviour:

 Try to identify the trigger for the behaviour – keep a log identifying what was happening before, what behaviour occurred and what the consequence of the behaviour was. Do this for a set time and then look at the evidence to work out the triggers. The resulting behaviour management plan can therefore be more effective as it will deal directly with the causes of the behaviour  Be consistent and make sure all who work with the student are consistent  Stick to well defined and predictable routines so the student knows what to expect and what is expected of them each day  Give advance warning of changes in routine  Don’t try to stop odd or repetitive behaviour unless it interferes with learning or threatens the wellbeing of the student. Work towards modifying the behaviour  Use the student’s obsession / preferred interest in play and learning activities  Monitor the student in the playground / at lunch – do they find it hard to cope? Will they need some time to unwind from it? .

June 2010 7 of 8 Mind Mapping For students with some literacy skills, mind mapping can be used to provide a visual representation of actions and consequences. Starting with a simple linear strand, you can map with the student a sequence which has gone wrong and use that to explore alternative actions and choices that could be taken. For some students, mind mapping can develop as a pattern of social rules to tackle inappropriate attention to others, minimise over-reaction and develop greater appreciation of consequences of their behaviour to others. For the most able students, mind mapping gives them a tool to self review. Mind mapping software such as Inspiration may improve motivation for some students and aids on-going development of social strategies through an expanding and more detailed map.

7 Monitoring, Evaluation and Review

How we monitor and evaluate the teaching and learning of pupils with ASC

Individual level  Pupils will be encouraged to self evaluate and reflect and give feedback  ICLPs, competency portfolios and CASPA data will be used to monitor the progress of indiviudals  Through a continuous process of teacher/assisitant observation based on students prior attainments.

Class level:  Through evidence from planning and module assessment information  Through evidence gathered in module reports, photographic evidence, work samples portfolio evidence, ICLPs and CASPA data

Whole school level  PLCs / Lead Teachers receive a copy of each termly plan and monitor and review in accordance with school guidelines  Lead teachers/ PLCs monitor the overall quality of learning and teaching in their area of responsiblity / specialism in accordance with the school’s monitoring and self-evaluation procedures  Lesson observations

How we develop the skills of staff to work increasingly effectievly with students with ASC  Lead Teachers distribute relevant general information & feedback from courses  Lead Teachers develop resources where possible  Lead Teachers keep up to date with the subject & INSET opportunities are taken to develop the curriculum and learning opportunites for students with ASC  Lead Teachers provide a forum for staff to share good practice and support one another’s skill development  Lead Teachers provide INSET for staff

Useful Information  National Autistic Society: www.nas.org.uk  The autism toolbox: an autism resource for Scottish schools www.scotland.gov.uk  Primary and secondary inclusion development programme (IDP) supporting pupils on the autistic spectrum http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk

Review This policy will be reviewed in accordance with the school’s self review cycle.

June 2010 8 of 8