SEND Support and Provision – Graduated Response

The Graduated Response, or Graduated Approach, is the process which must be carried out when there are concerns about a possible special educational need.

The Equality Act (2010) and The SEND Code of Practice (2015) places strong emphasis on reasonable adjustments and early intervention.

It states that to enable the child and young person to participate, learn and make progress, we should:

• remove barriers to learning, and
• put effective special educational provision in place.
• High quality adaptive teaching (including differentiation) should be the first reaction to any possible special educational need.

Torbay’s Graduated Response will ensure all partners work together to get the “right support in the right place at the right time” by the right people for every child or young person with special educational needs and disabilities.

Our commitment is to:

• Work with families in partnership to identify needs early and act collaboratively (across education, health and social care) in order to provide the right help and support at the right time
• Regularly revisit the additional support in place for a child/young person making sure that all organisations are accountable for the services they deliver.
• Make available a Graduated Response toolkit which is easy to find and uses clear and shared language so that everyone can understand what support is available.

Universal provision means the support and provision which is ordinarily available to every child or young person in every educational setting in Torbay.

Some children and young people need more support – this is called targeted and specialist provision. This support is needs led which means that the child or young person gets the right support in the right place and at the right time. The support may be needed right away or at a point in the future, for short or for extended periods of time.

For children and young people in Torbay to thrive we know that every setting should have in place:

• Quality first teaching and differentiation recognising that every teacher is a teacher of special educational need
• SEND-focused Continuing Professional Development for teachers
• Opportunities for the development of the understanding and resources to identify specific learning needs

We believe our children and young people can thrive when quality first teaching is accessible to all.

The SEND Code of Practice 2015 is a statutory document and is very clear in setting out the responsibilities of educational settings in identifying and meeting the needs of all children and young people.

The Children and Families Act 2014, The Equality Act 2010 and the SEND regulations 2014 underpin the principles within The Code of Practice 2015.

These key principles are:

• Having regard for the views, wishes and feelings of the children and young people and their parent and carers.
• Children and young people and parent carers participate in partnership as fully as possible in decision making and are supported to participate
• early identification of children and young peoples’ needs and intervention to support them
• Greater choice over and control for children and young people and parent carers over support
• Collaboration between education, health and social care services
• High quality provision to meet the needs of children and young people and a focus on inclusive practice and removing barriers to learning
• Successful preparation for adulthood, including independent living and employment.

Every school is required to not only identify the SEN of the children and young people, but also address it. Section 6 of the Code of Practice (2015) clearly sets out the statutory duties of mainstream schools (including, maintained schools and academies that are not special schools, maintained nursery schools, 16-19 years academies, alternative provision academies and Pupil Referral Units). You can find how your child or young person’s school supports SEND by viewing the SEN Information Report on the school’s website.

No, you do not need a diagnosis to access support.

Support and Inclusion is needs led and not determined by any formal diagnosis. This means your child or young person can be supported through the Graduated Response toolkits as soon as a need is identified.

These needs may be identified by anyone working or knowing your child or young person. For example; a parent carer, a teacher, a health visitor or a support worker.

Once identified, needs will be supported using the Assess, Plan, Do Review cycle below.

The Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle is how the Graduated Response is put in place. It can be repeated as many times as needed to help the child or young person progress.

If a child or young person is not making the expected progress, the first step is to collect the right information and find the right people to be able to plan support. This will include the views of the child or young person and their family, information from their teachers and the views from any other service or organisation involved in the life of the child or young person. This is the Assess stage of the cycle.

The second step is the Plan stage of the cycle where the child or young person and their family agree, with their teachers and the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO), on the new interventions and support that will be put in place. They will also agree the expected outcomes. The agreement will be recorded on the school’s systems and explained to the involved teaching staff.

The Plan stage of the cycle is when the plan is put into practice with the child or young person’s class or subject teachers being responsible for checking that the plan is working on a daily basis.

The impact of the plan is reviewed by the child or young person and their family, teachers and the SENCO. This is the Review stage of the cycle.

At this stage, progress may have been made which means the child or young person no longer requires special educational needs support. In this case the child or young person will continue to receive Universal Provision.

This cycle is reviewed continuously which means some children and young people no longer require support and some may continue with different or additional support and provision.

The five Graduated Response toolkits are:

• Cognition and learning – Cognition and learning difficulties cover a wide range of needs and abilities. Cognition and learning difficulties may affect all areas of the curriculum, as with pupils with Moderate Learning Difficulties or Severe Learning Difficulties. However, cognition and learning difficulties may only impact on specific areas such as reading, writing, spelling and/or numeracy.

• Speech, Language and Communication – Speech, Language and communication needs cover a range of difficulties such as: producing speech sounds accurately, stammering, voice problems, such as hoarseness and loss of voice, understanding language (i.e., making sense of what people say), using language including words and sentences and interacting with others (e.g., difficulties understanding and using the non-verbal rules of good communication, using language in different ways to question, clarify or describe things, or taking into account other people’s perspectives)

• Social, Emotional and Mental Health  – Social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs are a type of special educational needs in which children and young people have difficulties in managing their emotions and behaviour. They may often show inappropriate responses and feelings to situations.This means that they may have trouble in building and maintaining relationships with peers and adults; they may also struggle to engage with learning and to cope in the classroom without additional strategies and interventions. Children with SEMH will often feel anxious, scared and misunderstood.

• Physical & Sensory – Sensory impairments can be defined as an impairment that affects a child or young person’s ability to access auditory or visual information. Physical impairments usually originate from neurological or metabolic causes and can require specific intervention.

• Neurodiversity – All human beings can be described as neurodiverse. We vary in the way our brains work. We take in information in different ways. We process it in different ways and therefore, we behave in different ways. When we talk about neurodivergence, this covers a wide range of neurological differences which may either enhance or be a barrier to learning. These differences can affect a number of developmental areas and be observed as characteristic that are indicative of autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, Classic Tic disorders, developmental coordination disorder, intellectual disability and Developmental Language Disorder (DLD).

For children under 5 years old an Early Years toolkit has been developed.

Many children and young people will have needs that do not fit in just one toolkit. Therefore, it may be necessary to refer to more than one toolkit to support the child or young person.

The Torbay Belonging Strategy has been created to support children and young people to maintain their school places by recognising and meeting need.

Please find information about funding for children and young people with additional needs here.

SEN funding for Children and Young people in mainstream Schools, Academies and Free Schools

For the majority of children and young people, their needs can be met through the Graduated Response at SEN Support.

A small number of children and young people may need an Education, Health and Care Plan to ensure their inclusion. This may be in a mainstream setting or more specialised provision – to find out more visit the Torbay Council SEN Provision pages to find some helpful leaflets on EHCPs.

You might feel that even with the support or provision provided, your child or young person’s needs are not being met. In the first instance, arrange to contact the SENDCo (Special Educational Needs & Disability Coordinator) at your child or young person’s educational setting. You can find out their contact details by visiting the website for the educational setting.

For guidance on resolving disagreements about SEND provision see: Resolving disagreements about Special Educational Needs or Disability (SEND) provision

For free impartial support contact: HOMEPAGE – Sendiass Torbay

To find out more about how our SEND local area partners (e.g health, education and social care) work with parents and carers, contact SEND Family Voice Torbay (SFVT), our Parent Carer forum.

Cognition and learning difficulties cover a wide range of needs and abilities. Cognition and learning difficulties may affect all areas of the curriculum, as with pupils with Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD) or Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD). However, cognition and learning difficulties may only impact on specific areas such as reading, writing, spelling and/or numeracy.

Every school, health setting, social worker and community support worker will:

• Consider the broad context of a child’s circumstances when they are identified as having difficulties with cognition and learning.
• Consider the social and emotional factors which may also play a part in learning difficulties, alongside underlying cognition.
• Focus on the importance of early language/reading with parents and provide training, workshops, and materials to refer to at home regarding phonics, schemes and reading expectations
• Provide appropriate reading materials to all children
• Provide access to the outreach service from Mayfield School which can be accessed through the differentiated approach (i.e., there is no need to have a plan)
• Involve parents, discuss barriers to learning and share strategies/training for parents to understand cognition and learning skills and how to develop these.
• Provide holistic assessments including home, mental health, wellbeing etc.
• Undertake baseline (starting) assessments so we know where we are starting from.

Here are some ways that teachers and other school staff can help students learn and succeed in the classroom:

• Make learning fun through play: Playing with blocks, for example, can help children develop spatial reasoning and problem-solving skills.
• Provide materials to support learning such as coloured overlays and pencil grips.
• Use technology to enhance learning: Ensure students can access technology and apps to help them learn and provide a recommended list of resources.
• Adjust the learning environment: Organise the classroom to minimise distractions and maximise engagement, use multimedia resources to enhance learning, and display pictures or posters to help students remember important information.
• Provide alternative ways to record work: Students can use word processing programs, presentation software, or educational apps to create and submit work. They can also create visual representations of their learning, such as posters or diagrams.
• Use manipulatives and a consistent approach across schools: The “Concrete – Pictorial – Abstract” approach can help students learn.
• Use visuals: Visual aids like photographs, graphs, charts, and diagrams can help students understand complex information.
• Make tasks manageable: Shortening tasks and providing additional time to complete them can reduce stress and improve performance.
• Break down tasks: Chunking information into smaller, more manageable pieces can improve learning and memory.
• Use repetition: Repeating information, such as reciting multiplication tables or spelling words, can help students memorise information and improve their recall and confidence.
• Use experiential learning: Hands-on experiences like science experiments or field trips can make learning more engaging and memorable.
• Play games: Interactive games can be used to reinforce skills and knowledge.
• Use precision teaching: Breaking down complex skills or behaviours into smaller components and tracking progress through repeated measurements.
• Use paired reading: Two people, usually a more skilled reader and a less skilled reader, read a text together and support each other to improve their reading skills.
• Look at interventions already in school and adapt teaching strategies: Small group support within the classroom can be used with the adaptations above, and all teaching staff can use whole class strategies.
• Pre-teach material: Introducing material before it is taught in the classroom can build confidence, reduce anxiety, and increase understanding.
• See specific toolkits for Slower Paced Learners, Moderate Learning Difficulties, Specific Learning Difficulties, Complex Learning Difficulties, Early Years and Post 16 learners.

• Observe – allows the SENCo to gather information about the young person’s abilities, strengths, and areas of difficulty in different contexts and activities. The SENCo can identify patterns and make informed decisions about supporting young people’s learning and development.
• Consider other factors impacting learning:
  • Safeguarding – a young person may struggle to concentrate or feel anxious in school. A young person may also be absent from school due to safeguarding concerns. Additionally, the emotional and psychological impact of safeguarding concerns can affect a young person’s mental health and wellbeing, impacting their ability to learn and succeed in school.
    A temporary change in the home situation can affect a young person’s learning by causing stress, anxiety, disruption to their routine and access to resources.
  • Underlying health issues.Mental health issues can affect a young person’s learning by causing attention, concentration, memory, motivation, and emotional regulation difficulties.
  • Sensory needs can affect a young person’s learning by either under or overstimulating their senses, leading to difficulties with attention, processing information, and regulating emotions.
• Seek training opportunities (e.g., through the Educational Psychology service).
• Conduct assessments (e.g., Dyslexia screener or British Picture Vocabulary Scale).
• Work with staff on how progress is being assessed and recorded.
• Provide and organise training for staff on specific topics if required (e.g. specific learning difficulties, memory etc.).
• If needed, keep evidence for Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) processes and get further advice/assessment.

Resources:

• NASEN Whole School SEND document
• Greg Brooks – What works for literacy difficulties
• John Hattie – Visible learning

Specific Toolkits for SENDCos:

• Specific Toolkits for SENDCos: Slower paced learners
• Specific Toolkits for SENDCos: Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD)
• Specific Toolkits for SENDCos: Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD)
• Specific Toolkits for SENDCos: Complex Learning Difficulties
• Specific Toolkits for SENDCos: Post 16

Steve Butnik’s article Understanding, Diagnosing, and Coping with Slow Processing Speed offers an overview of ideas but also focuses on the fact that sometimes slow learning is a result of something undiagnosed. That said, if you are simply teaching the child in front of you, it shouldn’t really matter what their diagnosis is, you just need to adapt teaching to meet their needs.

Type of Problem: Activation

Examples of Interventions for Activation:

Investigate the cause. For example, see if the student:

• Is engrosed in another activity
• Is confused about what to do
• Hasmissed the instructions
• Is anxious about failing

Type of problem: Emotional factors (i.e, “It’s too much …”)

Examples of Interventions for Emotional factors:

• Encourage
• Support
• Provide help getting started

Type of Problem: Cognitive factors (i.e., “I don’t even know where to begin.”)

Examples of Intervention for Cognitive factors:

• Develop a plan
• Break a task down into smaller chunks
• Use graphc organisers

Type of Problem: Focus / attention

Examples of Intervention for Focus / attention:

• Reduce distractions
• Provide white noise
• Recognise on-task behaviour
• Prompt the student when he/she drifts
• Provide incentives for completion of work

Type of Problem: Working memory

Examples of Intervention for Working memory:

• Repeat directions
• Encourage questions
• Give gentle reminders
• Provide templates of completed work, written copies of directions, word banks, etc.

Type of Problem: Handwriting

Examples of Interventions for Handwriting:

• Determine if dysgraphia is present
• Give advance copies of teacher notes
• Provide access to word processing and/or speech-to-text software (such as Dragon’s Naturally Speaking)
• Have another student share copies of notes

Nicola Jones-Ford wrote an interesting article which outlines different ways to identify students as well as some strategies to support them. This, however, refers to slow processing rather than just learning at a slower pace.
Hawthorne School District, California, have created a very simple document outlining what a slow learner is as well as some easy strategies to follow. These approaches would by no means inhibit others in the classroom from making progress so may be very useful. [broken link]

Cognition and Learning Toolkit for Specific Learning Difficulties

Area of Need: Specific learning difficulties

For most specific learning difficulties, there are likely to be:

• Indications of frustration, poor motivation, and low self-esteem.
• Difficulties in areas of speech and language.
• Difficulties with motor organisation, motor skills and persistent restlessness.
• Difficulties with executive functions, including working memory, personal organisation, verbal processing, managing emotions, impulsivity, task initiation, completion, and inhibition.
• Noticeable variations in performance in learning tasks.
• Difficulties with attention control and sensory sensitivities.

Provision for children or young people with Specific learning difficulties

• Teachers and TAs are well-informed regarding learners’ strengths and needs.
• Teaching strategies to support learners’ metacognition and academic self-esteem.
• Setting personal targets, celebrating ‘personal best’ outcomes.
• Monitoring cognitive load and working memory demands of lessons; chunking learning, providing checklists, and modifying teacher talk. Using a graduated approach to tasks starting at a level where the young person can achieve success.
• Opportunities for overlearning or repetition. Lessons are structured to include clear signposting and previewing of learning content.
• Multi-sensory lessons.
• Enhanced access to resources such as highlighters, study aids, post-its, word banks and laptops, and differentiated reading materials.
• Teaching uses visual materials presented in a clutter-free way using accessible fonts.
• Additional time for differentiated homework and in-class tasks.
• Peer reading.
• Flexible grouping: allowing learners may be able to understand concepts but have difficulties with recording or speed of processing.
• The support staff will be trained and deployed to promote independence through appropriate.
• Additional differentiated literacy teaching, with modified pace and additional reinforcement.
• Small group or individualised spelling support programme, spelling buddies.
• Additional opportunities to read and be read to, rehearse decoding skills, and develop vocabulary and comprehension.
• Interventions to support and scaffold weak attention and listening skills.
• Study skills support and training.
• Touch typing tuition.
• There is a transition plan at the end of the learner’s programme of study to plan for further or higher education or employment and transition into independent adult life.
• Referral for parents for support or interventions such as 123 Magic for parents of a young person with ADHD-type challenges.
• Structured activities at break times.
• Access to independent, impartial career advice to support learners’ aspirations and progress towards adult destinations.
• Teacher, tutor, or SENCO time for skills assessments related to reading and spelling and cognitive skills.
• For instance, additional training or advice for those delivering intervention programmes is available through AfC CPD online.
• Additional TA or specialist teacher or tutor time to
  deliver specific interventions.
• Additional pastoral support or mentoring. Checking in on workload, progress, and emotional health.
• The software includes typing tutors, predictive spell checkers, word processors, speech-to-text, and reading pens.
• Opportunities to complete off-site learning in college and support to develop independent study skills

Area of Need: Dyslexia

• Dyslexia is a learning disorder that causes difficulty with reading.
• It is important to encourage children to recognise and pursue the areas in which they excel (do more of what they enjoy) and support them with the difficult areas.

Provision for children or young people with Dyslexia

• Allow children to use a word processor to complete some written tasks. These highlight spelling errors and offers alternatives. If they can’t type, encourage them to learn so that they can use a Word Processor with more speed and fluency.
• Play games to support memory and retention, e.g., pairs, Go Fish etc. (see resource links for more ideas)
• Enable children to access age-related audiobooks to develop a love of reading. Encourage (don’t force or push) them to share what’s happening in the story and share their excitement, wondering aloud what will happen next. This will also develop their vocabulary and comprehension without realising that they are learning.
• Don’t make reading a fight. Encourage children to read one page, and you read the next page. Read some books to them for pleasure and invite them to read a section if they want to (don’t push if they don’t want to). Children will naturally want to learn how to read by developing a love of books and stories, so make the experience as pleasurable as possible.

• How can I support my child? – British Dyslexia Association (bdadyslexia.org.uk)
• How to Improve Working Memory in Kids (understood.org)
• Dance Mat Typing for 7 – 11 year olds – BBC Bitesize – free beginner typing course for children.
• Free Phonics games – PhonicsPlay
• 5 Activities To Help Students Improve Their Working Memory – We Are Teachers
• How to Improve Working Memory in Kids (understood.org)
• Free audio stories – Audible UK | Free Audiobook with 30-Day Trial

Area of Need: Dyscalculia

Dyscalculia is a difficulty in understanding numbers.

Provision for children or young people with Dyscalculia

• Concentrate on one problem at a time.
• Use lots of visuals and physical resources that the children can move around.
• Include children supporting you with everyday maths problems, e.g., cooking, measuring, money etc.

• 5 Strategies for Managing Dyscalculia (brainbalancecenters.com)
• Classroom Accommodations for Dyscalculia (understood.org)
• Maths home learning | Home learning | White Rose Maths (whiteroseeducation.com)
• 10ticks maths | Award Winning Practice & Resources.
• Strategies for Learning and Teaching | National Council for Special Education – CPD and In-School Support (sess.ie)
• Dyscalculia – British Dyslexia Association (bdadyslexia.org.uk)

Cognition and Learning Toolkit for MLD learners

Area of Need: Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD)

• The learner is working below age-related expectations across most subjects and skills.
• Progress may be slower than that of their peers, despite intervention.
• Difficulties may include misconceptions, failing to follow teacher input, understanding the task, or taking longer to understand new concepts.
• Difficulties are persistent over time.
• There may be indications of frustration, impulsivity, poor motivation, inattention, and low self-esteem.
• Speech and language skills may be moderately delayed in line with delays in other areas.
• Moderate difficulties with concept development and logical thought limit access to the curriculum.
• Moderate difficulties with transferring general information onto paper – independent study takes excessively long, fails to start, stays on task, and completes tasks promptly.
• Difficulties with motor organisation, motor skills and persistent restlessness
  Difficulties with executive functions, including working memory, personal organisation, verbal processing, managing emotions, impulsivity task initiation, completion and inhibition.
• Noticeable variations in performance in learning tasks.
• Difficulties with attention control and sensory sensitivities.
• These difficulties affect the academic progress and attainment of the learner and their social integration.

Provision for children or young people with Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD)

• ‘One page profiles’ documenting how I learn and what I need, e.g. written lists rather than verbal requests.
• Positive behaviour plans created to ensure engagement and interactions within learning.
• Collaborative working with parents to ensure clear, consistent expectations, setting of progress targets, use of language and behaviour.
• Referral for parents for support or interventions.
• Standardisation of resources, to ensure familiarity when transitioning between classes, rather than relearning, e.g. visual prompts, timetables.
• Use of visual schedules, lists, timetables, now, next, then, task breakdowns, visual prompts.
• Having clear achievable, success criteria.
• Pre-teaching
• Differentiation of tasks, through level of support provided, task outcome, resourcing or format.
• Access to personal toolkit and resources required for individual learner needs and provision, e.g. pencil case prepared, access to a fidget, ear-defenders, laptop for writing, visual prompt cards, alphabet line, letter list, word bank, reminder fans.
• Pupil positioning within the classroom, e.g. near the front for visual/hearing needs, at the side or back for those who are hypervigilant, so they have a clear view of the room.
• Seating required, wobble chair/cushion
• Repetition and consolidation to ensure transfer of knowledge into the long-term memory.
• ‘Get out of class’ card, so can leave early from sessions to avoid the sensory overload of the busy corridors, increased anxiety caused by these situations.
• Key adult relationships, talking to a familiar adult, both around work expectations and feelings.
• Having clear choice options, to provide shared control over activities and learning.
• Clear modelling and upskilling of staff through everyday practice and classroom opportunities.
• Clear language, not ambiguous.
• Recommendations from external professionals are included in lesson plans and learners’ support plans.
• Blank level questions, ensuring questioning is at an appropriate receptive language level.
• School systems to assess pupil learning through smaller steps and tasks, e.g. portage for younger learners, EYFS for KS1 etc.
• Allowing processing time for tasks, requests, interactions.
• Positive communication approach, link to restorative language, listening and hearing the pupil voice.
• Requests of what to do, rather than what not to do, e.g. feet on the floor, rather than, don’t stand on the table.
• Communication devices available throughout the day rather than at selected times. This is the child’s voice and they should always have access to it.
• Supported timetable (as well as when required) opportunities to meet sensory needs, e.g. daily mile, wake up songs, bouncing, gym balls.
• Engaging activities with a variety of resources, to include all learning styles, e.g. practical or visual, recording.
• Ensuring appropriate equipment is provided or activities modified where an access to learning through physical impairment may be present.
• Ensuring that pupils are not negatively impacted through interventions by reduced self-esteem or emotional development.
• Ensuring emotional needs are met through a team around the pupil, e.g. familiar adults, nurture, pastoral sessions etc.
• Celebrating achievements, success for everyone, not just academic achievements.
• Professional school reports worded in a truthful but positive light.
• Quality first teaching meets the needs of all learners and includes:
  • flexible grouping arrangements
  • one task at a time, then report to the teacher
  • check that lesson notes are complete (peer checking)
  • differentiated questioning
  • use of multi-sensory approaches
  • learning feedback to learners
  • differentiated tasks
  • support for metacognition and independence
  • additional time to complete some tasks
  • differentiated independent study tasks
  • strategies to remove sensory or distraction overload (earphones, quiet study spaces)
• Environmental considerations are made to meet the needs of all learners displays and signage.
• Intervention is evidence-based, carefully selected, and informed by assessments.
• Small group provision to enhance the core programme of teaching addresses gaps and misconceptions in learning.
• Emphasis on developing automaticity, skill proficiency and generalisation of skills.
• Withdrawal where necessary for specific skills teaching with further reinforcement in whole class sessions.
• A regularly evaluated provision map sets out interventions, provisions, and outcomes. Intervention is adapted as necessary because of this evaluation.
• There is a transition plan at the end of each year, between classes, subjects, teachers etc.
• Teacher, tutor and SENDCO time for assessment, standardised testing, and diagnostic work.
• Additional TA or teacher tutor time for direct teaching with support offered from SENDCO.
• All staff are trained in core skills, sensory profiles, MLD and other needs. For example, online training packages such as the inclusion development programme and other CPD.
• TAs, LSAs and support staff will be appropriately trained and deployed to promote independence through scaffolding techniques. They will be used to support rather than replace the teacher.

Cognition and Learning Toolkit for Complex Learning Difficulties (Including FSAD. and prematurity)

Area of Need: Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)

Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) can lead to memory problems, impulsivity, disorganisation, difficulty with abstract concepts, slow information processing, developmental delays, and an inability to understand the consequences of their actions.

Provision for children or young people who experience difficulties arising from Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) 

• FASD may result in underdeveloped parts of the brain and difficulties in learning, especially in maths.
• Useful strategies for supporting FASD students include keeping instructions short and simple, using visuals, playing to their strengths, teaching them how to communicate their feelings, helping them to become organised, consistently presenting tasks, working on social and life skills, and involving families.
• Schools should provide support, stability, and encouragement to FASD students and work collaboratively with their families.

Area of Need: Premature birth

Premature birth can lead to difficulties in various areas, such as learning, behaviour, memory, planning, and language. Supporting preterm birth learners requires appropriate resources, staff training, specialist knowledge, and guidance for families. Preterm birth can also increase the risk of cerebral palsy, behaviour, emotional and social difficulties, ADHD, delayed physical development, hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, health problems, and difficulties with daily living skills.

Provision for children or young people who experience difficulties arising from Premature birth

• Appropriate resources should be provided to meet preterm birth learners’ unique and complex needs.
• Social relationships influence learning, so educational interventions should consider the child’s developmental and social situation.
• Staff should be trained to recognise possible learning disabilities and difficulties associated with preterm birth and provide support accordingly.
• Specialised support from professionals such as educational psychologists, SENCOs, and local authority SEN advisory and support teams should be sought to develop a transdisciplinary approach to assessing and planning individual learning pathways for preterm birth learners.
• Families should receive support and guidance to help them meet the needs of their complex preterm birth children.

Area of Need: Information Processing

Provision for children or young people who experience difficulties with Information Processing

• Give extra time to complete tasks and make a response.
• Provide written / pictorial directions and speak slowly when giving oral instructions.
• Practice skills that are needed regularly – repeating a task helps it become more automatic and quicker to process.
• The young person struggles with written work as their processing speed is weak.
• Accuracy may be sacrificed as young people try to keep up with their peers. Encourage and allow the young person to check their work, examining tasks and instructions.
• Compensatory techniques for managing the young person’s weaker processing speed include assessing using multiple choice questions and getting a photocopy of another student’s work to complete if it is important.

Area of Need: Response inhibition

Provision for children or young people who experience difficulties with Response inhibition

• Provide adult supervision, which can cue young people around behaviours they find difficult to control.
• Teach the young person a skill to replace the disinhibited response. For example, teach to raise a hand if the young person calls out in class. Avoid shame in this process; instead, name the feelings / potential reasons behind the behaviour. “I think you call out because you are looking for recognition from me or your classmates. We’re working on putting your hand up before you speak”. Make sure the skills being taught meets the same need.
• Make a special effort to note and praise/reward ‘on-task’ behaviour.
• Provide a highly organised, routine, and predictable classroom environment.
• Try to reduce visual distractions and noise.
• Establish a clear set of rules with well-understood and consistent consequences.

Area of Need: Working memory

Provision for children or young people who experience difficulties with Working memory

• Use short instructions.
• Keep information brief.
• Refrain from overloading young people with too much information at a time.
• Use visual reminders and checklists to highlight key information.
• Encourage mind mapping/notetaking to reduce the load on the memory.
• Give extra time to process information and think.
• Activities to help develop memory skills could include:
  • A pairs game emphasises remembering where particular cards are placed, gradually increasing the number of cards used in the games.
  • Listening to stories and remembering the characters, order of events, etc.
    Repeating musical rhythms/patterns.
  • Verbal recall games in a small group – e.g., playing games involving taking turns remembering items on a list and adding another item.
  • “Kim’s game” – remembering which object has been removed from an array of objects, gradually increasing the number of objects presented and the number of items removed.
  • Game in which messages are relayed.
• Staff should know the young person’s memory and information-processing difficulties. A multi-sensory approach involving auditory, visual, tactile, and kinaesthetic stimuli will help the young person encode new information more effectively. Instructions should be short and given in the order they should be carried out, with frequent prompts and reminders. The young person will need greater opportunities to rehearse and revisit new learning to ensure their learning is consolidated.

See the guide by Gathercole & Alloway for further details:
WM-classroom-guide.pdf (cam.ac.UK) [link broken]

Area of Need: Emotional control

The ability to manage emotions to achieve goals, complete tasks, control, and direct behaviour

Provision for children or young people who experience difficulties with Emotional control

• Adults anticipate difficult situations and prepare young people for them.
• Teach the young person coping strategies (e.g., relaxation techniques for anxiety).
• Give the young person scripts they can use in target situations.
  Structure the environment to enable avoidance of problem situations or early intervention.
• Break tasks into smaller steps to make them more manageable.
• Using his interests in his learning.
• Including The young person in the planning, decision-making and review of his learning, in not only areas of concern but also areas of strength, setting him targets. The targets should be specific and small enough for the young person to see some success quickly. The use of the precision teaching approach may help support these skills.
• Help the young person to plan how to manage difficult situations. Slowly reduce adult supervision and prompting to use such a plan.
• Use social stories to teach emotional language/control.

Area of Need: Cognitive flexibility

Provision for children or young people who experience difficulties with Cognitive flexibility

• Reduce novelty by providing information/rehearsal before an activity.
• Present change in small doses.
• Use social stories to help reframe situations for the young person and how they will cope or find a solution.
• Specific activities aimed at developing problem-solving and thinking skills, working on inferential reasoning, problem-solving, determining causality and generalising.
• Encouraging The young person to reflect on his learning and to become aware of the processes of learning as well as the outcomes.

Area of Need: Sustained attention

Provision for children or young people who experience difficulties with Sustained attention

• Consider seating arrangements in the classroom (e.g., near the teacher and away from windows and doors to reduce distraction).
• Give the most difficult tasks at the time of the day the young person is most alert.
• Provide supervision – frequent feedback and reinforcement of task requirements by an adult.
• Provide a quiet area free of distractions.
• Use a timer to show the young person their period for a task.
• Take short breaks after a period of sustained thinking.
• Using a concentration-tracking sheet for short periods. This could involve self-recording, target setting and a reward system. Such as the ‘Concentration cockpit’.
• Plan Talking- Self Instructional Technique – see Educational Psychology & Specialist Teaching Service (TEPATS) | Torbay FIS Directory

Area of Need: Task initiation

Provision for children or young people who experience difficulties with Task initiation

• Cue the young person to get started – it can be verbal and include a visual if language skills are also of concern.
• Talk through the first part of a task / how to get started.
• Note start and stop times for when tasks are started and completed.
• Thinking through the task – what is this task asking me to do? What can I do easily? Where might I need help, and where might I get this help from – can I get the help for myself, or will I need to involve someone else? (e.g., book, wall display, looking at past work, asking another pupil or adult, etc.).
• Work with him to list the things that lead to a task being well done (e.g., understanding instructions, planning work before starting, checking and proof-reading, careful handwriting and layout, etc.) and use this to evaluate pieces of work (e.g., “how well did I …. understand the instructions”)
• Ask the young person when they will begin a task and cue them when that time arrives. Gradually fade this level of prompt and supervision.

Area of Need: Planning and prioritising

Provision for children or young people who experience difficulties with Planning and prioritising

• Break larger tasks into clearly defined subtasks.
• Teach the young person about having a plan/strategy for how to approach a task.
• Thinking through the task – what is this task asking me to do? What can I do easily? Where might I need help, and where might I get this help from – can I get the help for myself, or will I need to involve someone else? (e.g., book, wall display, looking at past work, asking another pupil or adult, etc.).
• Work with him to list the things that lead to a task being well done (e.g., understanding instructions, planning work before starting, checking and proof-reading, careful handwriting and layout, etc.) and use this to evaluate pieces of work (e.g., “how well did I …. understand the instructions”)
• Ask questions related to planning, such as:
  • What do you need to do for this task?
  • What are the steps involved?
  • What did you do last time? Did it work?
  • What does the finished task look like?
  • How can you check your work to see if it is right?

Area of Need: Organisation

Provision for children or young people who experience difficulties with Organisation

• Visual timetable.
• Equipment list/homework diary management.
• Timetabled personal organisation time.
  Adults should provide a check-in at the start and end of the day (or each learning session initially) to support materials management.
• Provide short, timed tasks using a sand timer to denote the time given.
• Organisational skills can be improved in several ways, but working with the young person will be necessary to find the most appropriate strategies for them. They should be prompted to verbalise the routines or strategies they are trying to use. Work on developing organisational skills will be supported by close home-school liaison so strategies can be developed at home and in school.

Area of Need: Time management

Provision for children or young people who experience difficulties with Time management

• Give the young person a schedule to follow and prompt at each step.
• Impose time limits and provide reminders for how much time is left.
• Use devices to cue the young person, e.g., a sand timer, alarm, or clock.
• Use this first approach, drawing attention to time in the process.
• Practice time estimation alongside the young person for tasks given.

Area of Need: Goal-directed persistence

Provision for children or young people who experience difficulties with Goal-directed persistence

• Goals set should be ones that the young person has some motivation to work toward.
• Give choices about what they may want to work toward if they need help establishing their goals.
• Use smaller objectives for longer-term goals.
• Make the goal and progress towards it as visible as possible. (See also the time management section).

Area of Need: Metacognition

Provision for children or young people who experience difficulties with Metacognition

• Ask questions such as “How did you solve that problem?” “Can you think of another way of doing that?” “What can you do to help remember that information?”
• Build error monitoring into tasks – ask the young person to check their computations or that they have checked their frequent spellings list.

Cognition and learning: general learning difficulties

SEND support: needs to be met from core funding for learners aged 16 to 19+ with general learning difficulties

Descriptor: barriers to learning for general learning difficulties of learners aged 16 – 19+ at SEND support:

• Learner is working approximately three to four years below agerelated expectations across most subjects and/or in skills.
• Progress may be considerably slower than that of their peers, despite intervention.
• Progress may be in line with that of peers, but attainment will be significantly lower.
• Difficulties may include misconceptions, failing to follow teacher input, understanding the task or taking longer to understand new concepts.
  Difficulties are persistent over time.
• There may be immature social and emotional development.
  There may be indications of frustration, impulsivity, poor motivation, inattention and low self esteem.
• Speech and language skills may be moderately delayed in line with delays in other areas.
• Moderate difficulties with concept development and logical thought which limits access to the curriculum.
• Moderate difficulties with transferring known information onto paper – independent study takes excessively long, fails to start and stay on task, fails to complete tasks in a timely manner.

Assess, plan, do, review

Assessment of needs for general learning difficulties of learners aged 16 – 19+ at SEND support:

• Routine college and class formative and summative assessments are used to tailor lesson objectives and teaching methods to needs. Parents and young person are involved in co-production.
• Evaluating learner progress as a response to intervention, progress against SMART targets and outcomes as written into SEND support plans.
  Robust whole college moderation systems ensure accuracy of all teacher assessment.
• Assessment will use previous assessments to inform judgements.
• Strengths and weaknesses will be analysed using curriculum related assessment and may be supplemented by standardised tests and/or diagnostic tests.
• Consultation and advice from external agencies as appropriate with evidence of implementation and review.
• Assessment results in differentiated lesson plans.
• A careful review of needs is undertaken with young person, parents and professionals in good time to plan for next key transitions.
• Speech and language therapy strategies may sometimes be useful in the school or college setting.
• Occupational therapy strategies may sometimes be useful in the school or college setting.

Quality first teaching: Minimum expectations for meeting needs for general learning difficulties of learners aged 16 – 19+ at SEN support:

• Recommendations from external professionals are included in lesson plans and learner’s support plan.
• Learning needs are well managed in the class with appropriate differentiation of learning objective or task and teaching method.
• There will be a variety of practical materials and activities and equipment to support learners’ learning.
• Quality first teaching meets the needs of all learners and includes:
  • flexible grouping arrangements
  • one task at a time then report to teacher
  • check lesson notes are complete (peer checking)
  • differentiated questioning
  • use of multi-sensory approaches
  • learning feedback to learners
  • differentiated tasks
  • support for metacognition and independence
  • additional time to complete some tasks
  • differentiated independent study tasks
  • strategies to remove sensory or distraction overload (earphones, quiet study spaces)
• Environmental considerations are made to meet the needs of all learners such as seating positions, classroom layout, displays and signage.
• Pre-tutoring and revision or practice is used effectively.
• Alternative forms of recording are routinely offered.

Interventions and specific support for meeting needs for general learning difficulties of learners aged 16 – 19+ at SEND support:

• Intervention is evidence based, carefully selected and informed by assessments.
• Opportunities provided for overlearning of key concepts, skill reinforcement, revision, transfer and generalisation.
• Small group provision to enhance the core programme of teaching addresses gaps and misconceptions in learning.
• Emphasis on developing automaticity, skill mastery and generalisation of skills.
• Withdrawal where necessary for specific skills teaching with further reinforcement in whole class sessions.

Resources for meeting needs for general learning difficulties of learners aged 16 – 19+ at SEN support:

• Teacher, tutor and/or SENDCO time for assessment, standardised testing and diagnostic work.
• Additional TA or teacher, tutor time for direct teaching with support offered from SENDCO.
• Additional training or advice for those delivering intervention programmes for instance that available through AfC CPD online.
• Learner has access to additional break or lunchtime structured activities.
• Laptop, software and low tech devices to support learning such as supportive word processing, timers, recording devices.

Statutory action: these needs to be met with additional top up for general learning difficulties of learners aged 16 – 19+ as described in the EHCP

Descriptor: barriers to learning for general learning difficulties of learners aged 16 – 19+ as described within thier EHCP:

• Despite intervention and support at SEND Support level, the learner fails to make expected progress over a sustained period of time.
• Extreme differences of five or more years in subject or skills attainments.
  Extreme difficulty in accessing the curriculum.
• Significant additional or co-occurring difficulties such as with speech and language, attention, anxiety, reasoning or working memory and processing.
• There is evidence of an increasing, rather than narrowing gap between the learner and their peers.
• Significant difficulties with organisational skills and independent learning.
• Self-esteem is likely to have suffered and behaviour problems linked to frustration and motivation may have resulted.
• A deterioration in mental health may have started to emerge.

Assess, plan, do, review

Assessment of needs for general learning difficulties of learners aged 16 – 19+ as described within thier EHCP:

• In addition to the assessment approaches at SEND support:
  • Specialist assessment, monitoring and advice from appropriate professionals may be useful.
  • Long term involvement of educational professionals as in line with the code of practice.
  • Assessment, including statutory assessment leads to a detailed learner profile being developed.
  • Provision map and support plans set out individualised interventions, outcomes and a system of careful review over time.
  • Multi-professional assessment is carried out and parents and learner coproduce outcomes, reviews and planning with these professionals.

Quality first teaching: Minimum expectations for meeting needs for general learning difficulties of learners aged 16 – 19+ as described within thier EHCP:

• In addition to the approaches at SEND support:
  • A high level of differentiation across all relevant areas of the curriculum.
  • Lesson planning makes use of assessment information and promotes inclusion in the whole class learning as far as possible.
  • Teaching carefully takes into account the additional needs and allows for preferential seating and time table adaptation as necessary.
  • A high level of differentiated expectations for off-site learning and independent study.

Interventions and specific support for meeting needs for general learning difficulties of learners aged 16 – 19+ as described within thier EHCP:

• In addition to the strategies at SEND support:
  • Presentation and delivery will require modification and support through the use of real objects, visual supports and additional scaffolding.
  • Alternative or adapted curriculum.
    Activities may be adapted to mimic real life experiences and may concentrate on acquisition of learning and life skills.
  • Qualified and experienced teachers and support staff deliver aspects of the programme including advice from external specialists.
  • Daily opportunity to work on specific and individual targets identified through thorough assessment.
  • Exam access arrangements will be needed and learner will require additional exam method coaching.

Resources for meeting needs for general learning difficulties of learners aged 16 – 19+ as described within thier EHCP:

• In addition to the resources at SEND support:
  • Additional SENDCO time for paperwork preparation, annual review and monitoring of progress against outcomes.
  • Significant additional in class support under the direction of the teacher or tutor to ensure access to an individualised broad and balanced curriculum.
    Joint planning and liaison between staff supporting learner.
  • Access to specialist teacher or tutor advice and support.
  • Learner may require a package of external support including input from other professionals.
  • Additional adult support may be required at break and lunchtimes to support with pastoral need.
  • Learner may require access to specialist technology or equipment.
  • Higher level training for some staff offering direct support.

Cognition and learning: specific learning difficulties (Including, but not limited to, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia)

SEND support: needs to be met from core funding for learners aged 16 to 19+ with specific learning difficulties

Descriptor: barriers to learning for specific learning difficulties of learners aged 16 – 19+ at SEN support:

• For most specific learning difficulties there are likely to be:
  • Indications of frustration, poor motivation and low self-esteem.
  • Difficulties in areas of speech and language
  • Difficulties with motor organisation, motor skills and/or persistent restlessness
  • Difficulties with executive functions including working memory, personal organisation, verbal processing, managing emotions, impulsivity task initiation, completion and inhibition.
  • Noticeable variations in performance in learning tasks.
  • Difficulties with attention control and sensory sensitivities.
• These difficulties have a negative impact on the academic progress and attainment of the learner and their social integration into the life of the college.
• In addition to needs above for learners with specific literacy difficulties:
  • Attainment in reading accuracy and/or spelling is likely to be in the lower end of the expected range (below standardised score of 85).
  • Difficulties with specific skills such as phonics limit effective progress in some curriculum areas despite carefully planned interventions.

Assess, plan, do, review

Assessment of needs for specific learning difficulties of learners aged 16 – 19+ at SEND support:

• Evaluating learner progress as a response to intervention. Progress against SMART targets and outcomes. Parents and learners are involved in coproduction.
• Observations to support identification of difficulties such as those with working memory or motor difficulties.
• Speech and language therapy strategies may sometimes be useful in the school or college setting.
• Access arrangements for national assessments and exams if learner meets requirements of AQA/JCQ.
• Occupational therapy strategies may sometimes be useful in the school or college setting.
• STAR (situation, triggers, action, response) assessments of behavioural challenges.
• Reading assessments that give a standardised score.
• Spelling assessments that give a standardised score.
• NB: ‘diagnosis’ of any particular specific learning difficulty such as and not limited to dyslexia or ADHD is not necessary to establish
  requirement for intervention or level of support. It is rather the detailed assessment of needs and response to intervention that is important.

Quality first teaching: Minimum expectations for meeting needs for specific learning difficulties of learners aged 16 – 19+ at SEN support:

• Teachers and TAs well informed re learner’s strengths and needs.
• Teaching strategies to support learner’s metacognition and academic self-esteem.
• Setting personal targets, celebrating ‘personal best’ outcomes.
• Monitoring cognitive load and working memory demands of lessons; chunking learning, providing checklists and modifying teacher talk. Using a graduated approach to tasks starting at a level where the child can achieve success.
• Opportunities for overlearning or repetition. Lessons structured to include clear signposting and previewing of learning content.
• Multi-sensory lessons.
• Enhanced access to resources such as highlighters, study aids, post-its, word banks and laptops, differentiated reading materials.
• Teaching uses visual materials presented in a clutter-free way using accessible fonts.
• Additional time for differentiated homework and in class tasks.
  Peer reading.
• Flexible grouping: allowing that learners may be able to understand concepts but have difficulties with recording or speed of processing.
• Support staff will be trained and deployed so as to promote independence through appropriate scaffolding techniques. They will be used to support rather than replace the subject teacher.
• Alternative methods of recording using for eg, mind maps, card sorts, scribe, recording devices or ICT.
• Brain breaks, movement breaks and fidget toy/stress ball.
  Opportunities to work in distraction reduced areas, seating plans, earphones, ear defenders for individual work.
• Whole college and individualised SEND specific anti-bullying support.
  Positive behaviour management strategies and modified application of whole college behaviour policy.
• Off-site visits planned and risk assessed well in advance taking into consideration the needs of the learner. Guidance is available on the AfC local offer webpages.

Interventions and specific support for meeting needs for specific learning difficulties of learners aged 16 – 19+ at SEND support:

• Additional differentiated literacy teaching, with modified pace and additional reinforcement.
• Small group or individualised spelling support programme, spelling buddies.
  Additional opportunities to read and be read to, rehearsing decoding skills and developing vocabulary and comprehension.
• Interventions to support and scaffold weak attention and listening skills.
  Social and emotional skills training.
• Study skills support and training.
• Touch typing tuition.
• There is a transition plan at the end of the learner’s programme of study to plan for further or higher education or employment and transition into an independent adult life.
• Referral for parents for support or interventions such as 123 Magic for parents of children with ADHD type challenges. Details can be found on the AfC local offer.
• Structured activities at break times.
• Access to independent, impartial careers advice to support learners’ aspirations and progress towards adult destinations.

Resources for meeting needs for specific learning difficulties of learners aged 16 – 19+ at SEN support:

• Teacher, tutor or SENDCO time for skills assessments related to reading and spelling and/or cognitive skills.
• Additional training or advice for those delivering intervention programmes for instance that available through AfC CPD online.
• All staff are trained in core skills, using free online training packages for example, www.derby.ac.uk/online/mo oc/understanding-autismaspergers-adhd [link broken]
• Additional TA or specialist teacher or tutor time to deliver specific interventions.
• Additional pastoral support or mentoring. Checking in on workload, progress and emotional health.
• Software such as typing tutors, predictive spell checkers, word processors, speech to text, reading pens.
• Opportunities to complete off site learning in college and support to develop independent study skills.

Statutory action: these needs to be met with additional top up for specific learning difficulties of learners aged 16 – 19+ as described in the EHCP

Descriptor: barriers to learning for specific learning difficulties of learners aged 16 – 19+ as described within thier EHCP:

• Despite support and intervention at SEND support, the learner requires more specialist resourcing to access the full curriculum.
• For most specific learning difficulties there are likely to be:
  • Significant and persistent difficulties with, for example, but not limited to speech and language, anxiety, and executive functions such as working memory.
• Pupils may exhibit extremely challenging behaviours related to difficulties with attention, managing frustration, hyperactivity, impulsivity or sensory sensitivities. These challenges may include severe anger, aggression or defiance.
• These difficulties result in significantly poor academic attainment and very slow or no progress. Extreme differences of three or more years in attainments in subject areas are likely.
• For learners with specific literacy difficulties:
  • Reading accuracy and/or spelling assessments give standardised scores of well below 80.
  • Extreme difficulties in accessing the curriculum through written materials or through written recording despite the use of a range of alternative methods of access.
  • Significant difficulties with independent studies and homework tasks take much longer

Assess, plan, do, review

Assessment of needs for general specific difficulties of learners aged 16 – 19+ as described within thier EHCP:

• In addition to the assessment approaches at SEND support:
  • Specialist assessment, monitoring and advice from appropriate professionals may be useful.
  • Annual review of progress against outcomes agreed in EHCP.
    Learners with specific literacy difficulties may require assessment monitoring and advice from a specialist teacher with appropriate experience and/or qualifications.
  • External professionals and agencies, including CAMHS, may have been consulted and advice is consistently followed at college and home.
  • The college keeps comprehensive records of response to intervention in order to enable analysis of what strategies work for the learner.
  • Exam access arrangements such as extra time, reader, rest breaks or prompter if learner meets requirements of AQA/JCQ, learner may require additional exam method coaching.
  • NB: ‘diagnosis’ of any particular specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia or ADHD is not necessary to establish requirement for intervention or level of support. It is rather the detailed assessment of needs and response to intervention that is important.

Quality first teaching: Minimum expectations for meeting needs for specific learning difficulties of learners aged 16 – 19+ as described within thier EHCP:

• In addition to the QFT approaches at SEND support:
  • Considerable opportunities for overlearning and consolidation, reduced learning load as needed.
  • A high level of differentiated tasks and expectations for off-site learning.
  • Individual workstation.
  • A high level of differentiation for reading or writing based tasks.

Interventions and specific support for meeting needs for specific learning difficulties of learners aged 16 – 19+ as described within thier EHCP:

• In addition to the strategies at SEND support:
  • An intensive and personalised programme, delivered at least three times per week, addressing the learner’s particular areas of difficulty in reading and/or spelling or any other difficulties such as those with oral language, study skills, attention and listening and managing emotions.
  • Further pastoral support and personalised mentoring.
  • Support to enable the learner to stay on task and complete tasks.
  • At college, a modified timetable and/or reduced exam options to ensure that personal priority learning such as skills of reading and spelling or attention and listening continue to develop and that workload is realistic.
  • Exam access arrangements will be necessary. In addition learners will need extra exam method coaching.
  • Highly personalised positive behaviour management plans are consistently in place and carefully monitored for impact.

Resources for meeting needs for specific learning difficulties of learners aged 16 – 19+ as described within thier EHCP:

• In addition to the resources at SEND support:
  • Significant additional in class support under the direction of the tutor or subject teacher to ensure access to the full curriculum. This should include opportunities for pre-teaching and revision.
  • Joint planning and liaison between staff supporting learner.
  • Access to specialist teacher or tutor advice for learners with specific literacy difficulties.
  • Higher level training for some staff offering specific support.
  • Accredited staff training, such as colourful semantics and team teach and basic skills teaching.

• Dyslexia screener tools
• Reading/spelling measures
• British Picture Vocabulary Scales (BPVS)
• Boxall
• School’s assessment system

• The Educational Psychology service can offer a consultation to discuss what this means and the alternative ways to move forward.
• Continuing Professional Development for staff

Sensory impairments can be defined as an impairment that affects a child or young person’s ability to access auditory or visual information. Visual and hearing impairments can sometimes be corrected by hearing aids or glasses. When this is not possible, there can be an impact on the child or young person’s learning and development.

Sensory impairments can be present at birth or develop over time. A child or young person can have a multi-sensory impairment (MSI) which is a combined visual and hearing impairment and will affect communication and mobility and the child or young person will require specific support.

Physical impairments usually originate from neurological or metabolic causes and can require specific intervention. This can include mobility aids, postural management, or support with self-care skills such as dressing or toileting. Physical impairments are medically diagnosed, and can affect all aspects of daily living, learning and social needs.

Every school, health setting, social worker and community support worker will:

• Have an ethos of inclusivity, where reasonable adjustments are made to support the inclusion of children and young people who have sensory or physical impairments.
• Have staff who understand sensory and/or physical needs or access to professionals who can provide support. This support is available from:
  • Health professionals
  • Advisory Teachers
  • Educational psychologists
  • Outreach services
• Have designated time to make adjustments and have resources that support accessing the curriculum.
• Be skilled at gaining the child’s voice and adapting practice to support their needs. The child or young person will be able to identify what they need to be successfully supported.
• Always promote independence for the child or young person.
• Have systems in place to record information that can inform changes of need in the young person and be given time to liaise with colleagues to provide an holistic approach in meeting the child or young person’s needs.
• Feel supported in delivering any self-care or intimate care to young people who require support in this area.
• Take a multi-agency approach to supporting children and young people with sensory or visual impairments and consider the family’s social care needs.

General advice for all the needs in this category:

• Talk to the child/young person to find out what they feel is best for them
• Consistent routines, provide pictures, symbols or photos to support understanding.
• Multi-sensory approach to learning, this could be in the form of visuals, actions and movement to support learning.
• Small group work when required
• Manage fatigue, not just with rest breaks it could be a movement break/brain break.
• Risk assessment without being risk adverse – young people with physical disabilities can experience some risk taking.
• Promote independence
• Accommodate equipment for posture, there needs to be adequate space within the classroom to use and access equipment easily.
• Reasonable adjustments to the environment and facilities – ramps, handles, height adjustable furniture, technology
• Adapted resources – scissors, writing equipment, wobble cushions, writing slopes
• Flexible delivery of the curriculum, this can include pre and post teaching of new subjects, chunking information.
• Prompts for organisation for the child which will support their independence, for example prompt sheets on desks or on bags of what the young person requires.
• Additional time for processing, learning and responding to instructions and requests.
• Opportunities to develop social and emotional relationships.
• Movement breaks
• Supervision at unstructured times when required.
• Ensure that, in conjunction with health professionals, any individual health care plan is maintained and arrangements for any specific training from health professionals are put in place, this can include epilepsy, bladder and bowel, gastrostomy feeding, diabetes, manual handling for example.

• Use the Child and Family Health Devon website to gain information on:
  • Balance
  • Walking difficulties
  • Normal movement in babies
  • Playing in different positions
  • Fatigue
  • Developmental milestones
  • Fine motor development
  • Functional skills
  • Posture
• Mobilisation around school. Review if access to classrooms could be easier; time to move to different areas of the school.
• Leaving lessons before or after peers to avoid busy corridors.
• Access arrangements: are there stairs, ramps, heavy doors?
• Avoiding falls, considering trip hazards, moving between different surfaces.
• Risk assessment without being risk adverse; children and young people can attempt things for themselves.
• Changing and intimate care environment needs to be appropriate, consider the disposal of sanitary products, does there need to be an area for changing or can toileting take place in the toilet.
• School-based manual handling training can be provided by the physiotherapy team.
• Daily tasks such as dressing, toileting and eating and changing for PE needs to be considered. Does the young person need access to different dining facilities?
• Play. All types of play can be beneficial for supporting co-ordination, balance, fine and gross motor skills. Ideas on different play activities can be found on the Children and Family Health Devon website. If there is a therapy programme in place, then discuss play opportunities to support the therapy with the Physiotherapist.
• Access to activities that support gross and fine motor development can be found on the Children and Family Health Devon Website.
• Classroom equipment and tools should be adapted to so that a child/ young person can access learning more easily; for example tablet/laptop for recording information instead of writing.

• Follow programmes delivered by the hearing impairment (HI) advisory team. Referrals are usually suggested by the audiology service, advice for the HI service is available on the local offer. Torbay hearing support service
• Positioning in class, please consider if the impairment is on the left or right and position the child/young person accordingly.
• Accessing learning: Can learning be presented differently with more visual prompts?
• Social opportunities are important; support the child/young person in unstructured times.
• Background noise can be distracting so be aware of any environmental noises.

• Visual impairment Advisory Teacher is available for advice. Referrals can be made directly or generated through the ophthalmology service when the child/young person has appointments.
• The Habilitation service supports a child or young person who has a visual impairment with a range of skills which includes mobility, self-care skills, independent living skills. Referral is made through the MASH referral and the Children with Disability Team.
• Positioning in the classroom; a child with a visual impairment should ideally sit at the front of the class.
• Lighting, consider if the sun shines in a window at certain times of the day. If the lighting in the class is causing glare, some lights can have a flicker which a child/young person with a visual impairment might find distracting.
• Adaptions to text – can text be made bigger to make it easier to read?
• Use of technology which can include laptops, iPad. They can be linked to the class whiteboard to allow the young person to access the class learning and digital books. The Advisory teacher for Visual Impairment will be able to advise and support with this.
• Use of coloured paper/overlays
• Audio descriptions and immersive readers (with headphones) can support when there is a high emphasis on reading text.
• Awareness of reflections and glare: Some laminating pouches can add glare to a document therefore using matt pouches will reduce that glare.

Habilitation training programmes and advice including:

• Habilitation provide specific assessment
• Advice for parents and professionals
• Visual impairment specific orientation strategies
• Safe movement and travel including public transport
• Age-appropriate independent living skills
• Equipment recommendations for practical subjects
• Environmental advice for setting
• Staff training
• Peer awareness training

Sensory integration is based on the concept of how the brain organises and interprets sensory information. Sensory-based interventions are activities that occur in the child/ young person’s natural environment and aim to have an effect on self-regulation, attention or behavioural organisation.

Utilise the Children and Family Health Devon website amongst others to consider sensory differences for each of the senses below:

• Tactile
• Movement (planning and balance)
• Auditory
• Visual
• Taste
• Olfactory

Children and young people can have needs in more than one area of the Code of Practice and therefore it is important to consider the other toolkits:

• Neurodiversity
• Cognition and Learning
• Communication and Interaction

It is understood that some children and young people will have restrictive eating behaviours associated with their sensory needs, therefore advice can be sought from the Neurodiversity toolkit.

• Have up to date information from all agencies and support plans that are in place. This information can be gained during multi-agency education meetings. If a child or young person has attended appointments, then ask for copies of the clinic letters and recommendations. By having regular meetings with parents’ school will be fully informed of any changes. Having regular ISP/IEP’s will provide a plan, do review cycle, when other agencies are part of this cycle outcomes and recommendations can be made which can reflect a child/young person’s need.
• Understand when the child is ready to learn and any strategies, they need to support their preparedness. Some children may need time before learning to organise themselves, move into a position that they are comfortable, or they may require breaks between learning.
• Consider timetables and the transitions that have to be managed. If there are many transitions a child may have to follow a rigid routine with each transition. Is there anyway way transitions can be reduced. If there are multiple transitions a child/young person with physical disabilities may become fatigued with changes of rooms.
• Consider the science class environment – dangers, seating, moving around. This is relevant for many disabilities, but can the environment be more spacious for wheelchair users or those who have canes for visual impairments. There can be many trip hazards in some classroom environments.
• Use enabling language when writing documents and reports.
• Use information from national associations websites.
• Seek support from primary outreach services. Outreach Services – Torbay Council
• Seek support from your educational psychology service as they can provide relevant training to support children with disabilities in accessing education.
• Habilitation will support with environmental advice, orientation and mobility development, independent living skills for students with visual impairment.
• The Visual Impairment advisory teacher provides advice regarding accessing the curriculum and classroom management for students with visual impairment
• Provide time to observe the child/young person to monitor the impact of interventions as part of the plan do review cycle.
• There should be plans in place for those with disabilities on an evacuation plan in emergency situations.
• Training is available from services mentioned in this document as well as physiotherapy and occupational therapy. Use the Child and Family health Devon website resources to support your understanding of physical disabilities.
• For any complex health conditions ensure SENCO has confidence in being able to contact and discuss with relevant health professionals via CFHD SPA Tel: 0330 024 5321 email: chfd.DevonSPA@nhs.net
• Team around the pupil meetings/handovers for transitions to the next year group are just as important as enhanced transitions as part of phase transfers. It is important to share information with the child/young person’s next teacher/tutor. They will have a wealth of information to offer on what has worked for them.

• Enhanced transitions between schools and year groups are especially important for this area of need as often the diagnosis will be specific to the individual and often advice is being updated as needs may change
• Ensure choice and independence for the child/young person, ask them what works for them, what support do they require.
• Where possible provide a continuation of support already in place, this will support any transition and provide familiarity for the child/young person.
• Transition fairs and events of choices available when moving into adulthood will allow the young person to explore their own aspirations.
• Travel Training (specialist provision and habilitation)
• Physio/Occupational Therapy access to adult services (individual to the young person)
• Ready Steady Go document for moving into adulthood.

• Colour screening
• IGF (information Gathering Form) – Occupational Therapy will send out to complement information on the referral
• Occupational Therapy Sensory Pathway Booklet with diary sheets
• If you have concerns regarding a medical need for a child/young person you can contact CFHD SPA Tel: 0330 024 5321 email: cfhd.DevonSPA@nhs.net and they will be able to support you in next steps.

• Visual impairment and hearing impairment advisory teacher support is usually requested at identification of need, information can be found on the Torbay Local Offer. https://www.torbay.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/send/send-services/hearing-support-service/ and https://www.torbay.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/send/send-services/visual-impairment-service/
• Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Child and Mental Health Services advice can be accessed through the SPA and CFHD, schools will be asked to follow guidance before referral
• Mayfield outreach can be requested if you require support with physical and sensory needs. Outreach Services – Torbay Council

• Children and Family Health Devon (CFHD)
  Provides resources to support physical and sensory needs for all ages.
• Occupational Therapy – Children and Family Health
  Provides Early Years toolkit, advice and resources.
• Children’s physiotherapy – Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
  information provided on referrals.
• Physical & Sensory (SEN Early Years Resources)
• Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions

Speech, language and communication needs describes difficulties with:

• producing speech sounds accurately
• stammering
• voice problems, such as hoarseness and loss of voice
• understanding language (i.e., making sense of what people say)
• using language including words and sentences
• interacting with others (e.g., difficulties understanding and using the non-verbal rules of good communication, using language in different ways to question, clarify or describe things, or taking into account other people’s perspectives)

Everyone with speech, language and communication needs is different and may have difficulty with one, some or all of the different aspects of speech, language or communication at different times of their lives. Find out more about the common features of speech, language and communication needs.
Some difficulties are short-term but others will be more permanent and remain throughout childhood and adult life.

• Over 10% of children/young people have some form of speech, language and communication needs that persists and impacts on social, emotional, mental health as well as educational functioning.
  • 2.34% of these children/young people have a language disorder that is in addition to a biomedical condition such as autism, hearing loss, cleft palate, learning disability, neurodegenerative conditions and genetic conditions – for example, cerebral palsy or Down’s syndrome.
  • 7.58% of these children/young people have language difficulties are not associated with another condition. This is known as Developmental Language Disorder.
• In addition, in areas of high social deprivation in the United Kingdom between approximately 56% of children start school with below age-related language skills.

It is important to understand that Speech, Language and Communication Needs is known to be a significant risk factor for poor life chances and outcomes which is why it is vital that language and communication are understood as EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY. This video provides details of the impact language disorder, including DLD, can have on a child/young person and adult:  SLCN and life chances

Difficulties may include:
Speech:

• sounds used to build up words
• saying sounds accurately and in the right places
• speaking fluently, without hesitating, prolonging or repeating words or sounds
• speaking with expression and a clear voice, using pitch, volume and intonation to support meaning

Language:

• understanding words (vocabulary) and their meaning
• knowing how words go together to form phrases and sentences
• understanding and using grammar
• joining sentences together
• using higher level skills such as reasoning, inference

Expressive language:

Having words to describe objects, actions and attributes, using these words to build up sentences, using these sentences to build up conversations and narratives, following the rules of grammar, so that things make sense

Receptive language:

Processing and making sense of what people say, understanding words being spoken, understanding the rules of grammar used

Communication:

• the way in which language is used to interact with others
• using language in different ways; to question, clarify, describe and debate
• using non-verbal rules of communication: listening, looking, knowing how to take verbal turns and how to change language use to suit the situation
• the ability to take into account other people’s perspectives, intentions and wider context

Every education setting, health setting, social worker and community support worker will:

• Have a supportive ethos and environment which promotes speech, language, communication and respect, and values diversity
• Have clear processes in place to:
  • capture each child and young person’s voice
  • respond to concerns raised by parents/carers/children and young people/professionals
  • share appropriate information with partners as part of a multi-disciplinary team approach (e.g., Early Help Assessment partnership enquiries)
• Have a lead professional for communication (e.g. Communication Champion) and ensure that they have access to appropriate training to enhance their competency levels
• Have systems in place to ensure that all relevant members of staff have a clear understanding of needs of all children and young people including the adaptations required for groups/individuals (e.g., Child Protection Online Management System, provision maps, pupil profiles)
• Have systems in place to review whether an environment is ‘communication friendly’ and make reasonable adjustments as necessary
• Make consistent use of visuals to:
  • enable access
  • support understanding
  • support independence
  • reinforce key routines and expectations
  • enable a child/young person to access and contribute to their learning
  • enable an individual to express themselves
• Have processes in place to enable parents/carers and staff to understand typical speech, language and communication development
• Have access to recommended screening tools to enable professionals to identify need and plan provision
• Have systems to implement a whole school/setting/workplace approach
• Provide opportunities for all workforces to audit the key skills and knowledge needed to support the speech, language and communication development of all children and young people
• Provide training for all staff to develop understanding and confidence around supporting speech, language and communication needs that is relevant to their role
• Support parents/carers and professionals by signposting to resources and sources of information

For information and resources to support the implementation of these please see appendix 1.

Appendix 1:

• Free evidenced based resources to enable parents/carers and staff to understand typical speech, language and communication development
  • Ages and stages (0-17years) (speechandlanguage.org.uk)
  • Universally Speaking (0-18yrs) (speechandlanguage.org.uk)
• Screening and assessment tools
  • Speech and Language Link Screeners
  • Autism progress tracking tool for education professionals | Autism Education Trust
• Implementing a whole school/setting/workplace approach
  • Communication Commitment
  • Balanced System for Schools and Settings
  • Framework Documents | Autism Education Trust
  • Communication Access UK – Inclusive communication for all (communication-access.co.uk)
• Evidenced based audits related to the key skills and knowledge needed to support the speech, language and communication development of all children and young people
  • Speech, Language and Communication framework (aimed at all workforces)
  • IPAACKS competency levels (AAC) (aimed at all workforces working with children/young people who are AAC users)
  • NAPLIC | DLD Friendly audit (aimed at speech and language therapists and specialist teachers)
  • Framework Documents | Autism Education Trust (aimed at school/setting staff)
• Free online universal training
  • Mind Your Words – SLCN and mental health e-learning course | RCSLT
  • Communication Access UK (communication-access.co.uk)
  • Webinar SLCN and DLD: what every teacher needs to know
  • Webinar- introduction to DLD for Primary School​
  • AET autism-training
  • Selective Mutism Training Courses – SMIRA (selectivemutism.org.uk)
  • Speech Sound Development (childrenandfamilyhealthdevon.nhs.uk) Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) – an introduction.
• Supporting early identification and intervention
  Early identification is crucial in order to provide appropriate and timely support. If you think a child might have speech, language and communication needs, you should first talk to the parents/carers and professionals involved with the child/young person. This could be, for example:
  • health visitor
  • GP
  • pre-school staff member
  • school staff member/SENCO
  • speech and language therapist
  • educational psychologist
  • community paediatrician

It is also important to note that many children and young people may have needs across more than one category and certain conditions may not fall neatly into one area of need. When reviewing and managing special educational provision all four broad areas of need must be considered to ensure you can provide holistic support for the child/young person.

With a multidisciplinary approach many children and young people’s needs can be met at universal and targeted support so they can make progress therefore, not all children/young people with SLCN will require a referral to Speech and Language Therapy for a specialist assessment.  To help inform this process a series of factsheets are available to help professionals/parents/carers plan the decision-making process for making referrals, what to consider about the child or young person, and how to build a speech, language and communication profile.

All adults to:

• prepare the child/young person for experiences and learning opportunities.
• help the child/young person to understand and name their needs and emotions
• consider and make reasonable adjustments to the environment including sensory needs
• give careful consideration to all transitions
• support friendships, interactions, social-emotional wellbeing and self-advocacy.
• listen to and engage with the child/young person
• use language that is appropriate to the child/young person’s level of understanding
• provide time for the child/young person to process information and respond
• value the child/young person’s response

Prepare the child/young person for experiences and learning opportunities.
Help the child/young person to understand and name their needs and emotions

• Create a ‘one-page profile’ involving parents/carers and the child/young person to identify and record how best to support
• Ensure there is good communication across settings and other support agencies eg home/school/GP/social care. Sharing information will help everyone to have a shared understanding of the child/young person’s strengths, ways to support to help the child/young person be prepared for new experiences so they can thrive and succeed.
• Ensure that routines are visually augmented and referred to explicitly (e.g., whole class or personalised visual timetables)
• Incorporate time for learning breaks as children/young people with speech, language and communication needs often tire easily. Learning breaks may be appropriate for the whole class not just individual children with speech, language and communication needs
• Begin work on a new topic by building on the child/young person’s existing knowledge and experiences (i.e., start with what they know and understand)
• Actively teach strategies for what to say and do when they do not understand. This resource can help to structure this.
• Be aware that the child/young person may have difficulty understanding gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice and jokes
• Explicitly explain the meaning behind irony, sarcasm, figurative language, rhetorical questions and idioms (e.g., “pull your socks up”, “it’s raining cats and dogs”, “in a minute”)
• Explicitly teach and link physiological feelings to vocabulary related to emotions (e.g. focus on physical feelings in a body and then build up to using an approach. Here is an example.

Consider and make reasonable adjustments to the environment including sensory needs
Give careful consideration to all transitions
Support friendships, interactions, social-emotional wellbeing and self-advocacy

• Consider and adapt environmental aspects (e.g. level of noise, seating, space to move around). For more information please see the ‘Communication Friendly’ section below
• Consider the use of distraction/focus toys, individual workstations and the use of timers to increase awareness of transitions and expectations
• Support oral presentations and explanations with pictures, real objects, symbols or actions
• Use visual aids, scaffolding and repetition, and give extra time to process and rehearse
• Provide ‘scaffolding’ for talking (e.g., talk prompts, key phrases) and writing (e.g., writing frames, word mats)
• Explicitly highlight and teach vocabulary for a particular topic, stories, concepts or lessons – this includes pre/post-teaching of key words and concepts (see Resources section)
• Implement supportive strategies for all forms of transition including within a lesson, lesson-lesson, class-class, year group-year group, school-school and preparing for adulthood (see Resources section)
• Encourage social interaction by supporting the organisation of structured lunchtime clubs, focusing on shared interests or by using a buddy system​

Listen to and engage with the child/young person
Use language that is appropriate to the child/young person’s level of understanding

• Meet the child/young person’s eye level​
• Use the child/young person’s name before asking a question or giving an instruction​
• Keep verbal instructions simple and use them in the order you want them carried out
• Use signing and symbols to support spoken language and text (see Resources section)
• Give time for the child/young person to rehearse their answer with a trusted adult before expecting them to engage in partner talk or answering a question in a large group​
• Check for understanding – ask the child/young person to tell you what they have to do
• Use repetition to support understanding
• Teach the child/young person how to use visual aids and scaffolding to support understanding and use of language
• Cue the child/young person into a change of topic of conversation/presentation – say “Now we are going to talk about
• When asking questions, consider the Blanks Levels of Questions framework (see Resources section)

Provide time for the child/young person to process information and respond
Value the child/young person’s response

• Provide opportunities for alternative methods of communication/recording (e.g., scribe, use of ICT, drawing, drama, art, symbols, signing)
• Give the child/young person at least 10 seconds of thinking time to respond
• Use visual support such as mind maps, flow charts, diagrams, social stories, now/next boards, comic strip format, symbols, Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) (see Resources section)

Communication Friendly Environments

A Communication Friendly Environment enables learners (pupils) to develop their social, emotional and academic potential by reducing or removing barriers to communication. The following resources can help to review whether the environment is communication friendly and what reasonable adjustments may be necessary.

School and education settings

• Widgit Communication Friendly Environment guide
• Autism Education Trust (AET) School Autism Standards (5-19)

Wider workforce environments

• Communication Access UK – Inclusive communication for all

Supporting organisational skills

• Organising yourself 5-11yrs
• Organising yourself 11-18yrs

Developing understanding and use of vocabulary

• Word Aware by Stephen Parsons – Youtube
• Widgit- preteaching vocabulary guidance
• Vocabulary Enrichment Intervention Programme by V Joffe (KS3)
• Understanding and vocabulary
• Concept word Free online training (CFHD)

Supporting transitions

• Supporting children with change
• Kate going through ways to understand time – YouTube
• Using photos and first/then boards (childrenandfamilyhealthdevon.nhs.uk)
• Council for Disabled Children – transition from Early Years
• NASEN Transition in EYS Webcast
• Supporting-learners-with-autism-during-transition AET
• Transition-employment-toolkit AET
• School Resources to Help With Transitions

Use of visuals including objects of reference, signing and symbols

• Online symbols
• Pyramid Educational Consultants UK
• Objects of Reference video
• Use of visuals video
• What is PECS

Asking questions

• Blank level questioning- online free training
• Blank Level questioning

Social stories and comic strip conversations

• Social stories and comic strip conversations

Managing Emotions, Zones of Regulation and Incredible 5 point Scale

• Learn More about the Zones
• THE INCREDIBLE 5-POINT SCALE
• The Red Beast by KI AI-Ghani
• The Panicosaurus: Managing Anxiety in Children Including Those with Asperger syndrome by KI AI – Ghani
• The Disappointment Dragon: Learning to Cope with Disappointment (for All Children and Dragon Tamers, Including Those with Asperger syndrome) by KI AI-Ghani
• My Hidden Chimp by Steve Peters

• Support staff/parents/carers to identify need:
  • enable parents/carers and staff to understand typical speech, language and communication development
  • provide access to recommended screening tools to enable professionals to identify need and plan provision
• Plan and implement targeted support, seeking advice from external services as necessary (e.g., Speech and Language Therapists, Educational Psychologists, Early Language Consultants and/or Advisory Teachers)
• Ensure that appropriate targeted interventions are explicitly planned for and delivered on a rolling programme
  • These should be a minimum of twice a week and measure impact, prior to considering a referral to external specialists. Not all children/young people with speech, language and communication needs will require a referral to Speech and Language Therapy for a specialist assessment.
• Monitor the impact of intervention using a recommended screening tool and recording system: Speech, Language and Communication intervention record
• Identify training requirements and provide training for all relevant members of staff to ensure interventions and approaches are effectively delivered
  • Use an evidenced-based audit the key skills and knowledge needed to support the speech, language and communication development of all children and young people
• Continue the cycle of support (assess, plan, do, review)
• Consider the link with wider agencies supporting the child/young person/family (e.g., Children’s Centres)
• Consider referral to Early Help/Family Hubs: www.torbay.gov.uk/early-help
• Consider outreach advisory support (e.g. Mayfield)
• Signpost parents/carers to the Local Offer
• Signpost parents/carers to SENDIASS
• Seek advice on specialist arrangements for examinations and assessments
• Use resources to aid transition, such as those mentioned above

Parents/carers and professionals:

• Child’s progress checker

Public Health Nursing:

• Mandated developmental checks by 1 year and 2.6 years using ASQ and ASQ-SE assessments
• ELIM – an evidenced based assessment and intervention tool for 2- 2½ year olds to support children and young people/families/professionals and service development
• Use of SLC Monitoring Tool

Early Years Practitioners:

• Early Communication and Language monitoring tool (developed in partnership by parents/carers and professionals across the Integrated Care System)
• Progression tools early years set

Practitioners within education settings:

• The Progression Tools aim to support staff to identify children/young people who may be struggling to develop their speech, language and communication skills. They can also be used to track progression of these skills over time of following interventions.
  • SpeechLink
  • Specific to autism

Youth Justice professionals:

• Screening tool

• Children and Family Health Devon- SLT Referrals – Children and Family Health (childrenandfamilyhealthdevon.nhs.uk)
• AAC West is commissioned by NHS England to provide an AAC service to the South West of England. AAC West Referral | North Bristol NHS Trust (nbt.nhs.uk)
• Refer to Educational Psychology service through planning meeting with link Educational Psychologist. The Educational Psychology service can offer an assessment of cognition and learning needs, observation, and consultation to discuss what this means and the ways to move forward.

Social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs are a type of special educational needs in which children and young people have difficulties in managing their emotions and behaviour. They may often show inappropriate responses and feelings to situations.

This means that they may have trouble in building and maintaining relationships with peers and adults; they may also struggle to engage with learning and to cope in the classroom without additional strategies and interventions. Children with SEMH will often feel anxious, scared and misunderstood.

Typical characteristics of children with SEMH can include:

• Disruptive, antisocial and uncooperative behaviour
• Temper tantrums
• Frustration, anger and verbal and physical threats/aggression
• Withdrawn and depressed attitudes
• Anxiety and self-harm
• Stealing
• Truancy
• Vandalism
• Drug abuse
• Setting fires

SEMH does not have to be a lifelong condition. With appropriate support children and young people can move forward and live successful lives.

Key Principles for supporting SEMH:

• Adults should show curiosity and wondering aloud about the presenting behaviour and
  should model the use of restorative language, problem solving and behaviours we want to
  see.
• A team of families and professionals should work together to support the child/young
  person at school, in the community and at home.
• Provide positive role modelling and implement the SEND Pledge Values to support
  preparing for adulthood at the earliest opportunity.
• Engage parents/ carers in regular dialogue and support home school agreements.
• All children and young people should be greeted/welcomed into the setting.
• Behaviour to be often seen as communication.

Strategic leadership will support SEMH needs by:

• Senior leaders across the partnership to identify patterns and themes with curiosity so that
  changes can be made to better support this needs.
• Senior leaders to review and monitor curriculum offered in terms of quality of teaching and
  appropriateness of the curriculum.
• School leaders should ensure that all staff are given time to read and plan for the identified
  needs of children and young people within their setting.
• School leaders designate roles and responsibilities within the school for SEMH, giving an
  equal balance to all aspects of Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs. This includes
  sharing knowledge and training for staff as appropriate.
• A chronology must be created of low-level presenting concerns. This should contribute to
  systemic analysis, planning and action for children and young people.
• Making reasonable adjustments to the implementation of school policies and procedures to
  support the young person; communicating and monitoring this to the wider staff team.
• Behavioural expectations and responses must be subject to adaptation and reasonable
  adjustment (Equalities Act) in line with the child/young person’s SEND and with contextual
  safeguarding in mind.

Every school, health setting, social worker and community support worker will:

• Adapt and adjust behavioural expectations and responses to meet the child/young person’s SEND and contextual safeguarding in mind.
• Provide positive role modelling and implementation of the Pledge to support preparing for adulthood at the earliest opportunity.
• Engage parents/carers in regular dialogue and support all partners’ work.
• Welcome all children and young people into their settings and services.
• Provide emotional check-in before the formal start of the day and repeat this when needed.
• Recognise that children and young people with SEMH may find all transition points challenging and will need support to regulate (moving between classes, beginning and end of the day, change of teacher).
• Identify the push and pull factors – those factors that may lead to or discourage presenting behaviours. These may include previous interactions, anxiety, peer responses, environmental and other factors.
• Support children to plan with their families and professionals how best to support their needs.
• Ensure all staff are aware of the pupil, their needs and appropriate strategies and responses.
• Clearly identify what may have contributed to the presenting behaviour, showing curiosity and wondering aloud.
• Review and monitor the curriculum offered in terms of quality of teaching and appropriateness.
• Leaders should ensure that all staff are given time to read and plan for the identified needs of children and young people within their setting.
• Where appropriate children and young people to emotionally check in with a trusted adult before the formal start of the day and understand how to do that when needed. An example of an emotional check-in could be going through their visual timetable, preparing them for any changes in the day,
• Staff in schools will need to recognise that children and young people with social, emotional and mental health needs (SEMH) may find transition points challenging and will need support to regulate (moving between classes, beginning and end of the day, change of teacher)
• Identify the push and pull factors (to include in a possible support plan). (Those factors that may lead to or discourage presenting behaviours) These may include previous interactions, anxiety, peer responses, environmental and other factors.
• Every child with identified SEMH needs should have a ‘live’ child centred one-page profile/passport document to support all staff in understanding their need. With senior staff/SENCO/DSL/all teaching and learning staff having a working knowledge of the pupil, their needs and appropriate strategies and responses in their one-page profile/passport.
• Support by appropriate adults to implement the strategies in their plan.
• All adults in the setting will work with the child/young person to identify and improve provision as part of proactive rather than reactive intervention.
• Short term adaptations may need to be made to accommodate emerging needs e.g. check ins/out throughout the day, structured support at lunch time and social time, reflection time, calming start of day.
• Effectively promoting peer support systems which is safe and effective for all involved. e.g. peer mentors, playground friends etc.
• Reflection and restorative repair to be offered to allow adults and the child or young person to learn from the behaviours.
• Use of restorative language. Avoidance of shaming behaviours and language.
• Supportive recognition and monitoring of attendance through the school attendance support team.

The needs of some children/young people may require…

Positive Support Plan

• Draw up a Positive Support Plan (PSP) that meets the needs of children and young people, helping them to independently recognise and manage their own challenges with positive strategies along with their parents/carers.
• Identification of trigger points/challenges where possible and plan so they can be supported and managed.
• Consideration of adaptations to curriculum provision and timetable
• Identifying tools and strategies relevant for the child/young person.
• Individual support programmes of strategies/support and intervention co-produced with children/young people, families and colleagues which is monitored and reviewed and applied across all environments consistently.
• Delivery of small group interventions as appropriate.
• Include any Safe Holding support the child or young person may need in consultation with parents/carers.
• Implementing the recommendations into the positive behaviour support plan
• Seeking external advice from health, social care and education outreach through referral.
• Informal discussions with external agencies to consider options/ next steps.

• Ensure increased dialogue with parents/ carers.
• Create family transition plans to ensure families can support transition.
• Assess, plan, do, review.
• Monitoring the impact of intervention.
• Identifying those early SEMH needs when they show early signs of escalating
• Schools should have regular involvement of external agencies. Make referrals to appropriate external agencies and act on recommendations (ideally with consent).
• Include parents/carers in the creation of the relational care plan
• Ensure key record keeping is in place (and connected to other support plans) to support the child or young person e.g., ABC records, Personalised Learning Plans.
• Organise interventions (e.g., anger management, CBT, draw and talk) for a specific and measurable period and then monitor and review impact.
• Organise resources and identify training needs
• Upskill staff in the needs of SEMH young people
• Ensure appropriate level of involvement of specialist pastoral staff e.g. Intervention for Thrive, SEAL, ELSA.
• Implement effective transition programmes between phases and providers.
• Consider individualised programme of work based on child’s interests
• Consider partnership provision with alternative curriculum providers
• Organise individualised programmes e.g., adapted timetables, added provision outside the classroom, etc.
• Consider the appropriateness of a managed move or Section 29 direction
• Bring case for peer support at the relevant risk of exclusion meeting

There is a wide range of assessment tools and devices. The list below is not exhaustive but is indicative. Settings should use a consistent set of tools.

• Boxall, Motional, Thrive
• Reach to Teach, SDQ
• Talk about assessment, GL – emotional resilience tool
• Qualitative assessment measures and pupil voice measures.

• Outreach or Early Help referral
• Health services – consider a referral to GP or Neurodiversity pathway
• Family support worker Early Help Service /Targeted Help
• Young carers Young Carers
• Parenting programmes Early Help Service /Targeted Help
• Extended opportunities beyond the school day, e.g., holiday clubs etc.
• Attendance Improvement Service attendance@torbay.gov.uk
• External holiday activities such as the HAF (Holiday, Activities and Food) provisions. Holiday activities and food programme 2022 (HAF)
• Secondary Behaviour Assessment
• CAMHS Torbay Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
• 0 to 19 school nursing team School Nursing
• Family Hubs Early Help Service /Targeted Help
• Mental Health in Schools Team
• Alternative Provision Torbay SEND Local Offer (Services, Information & Guidance)
• Torbay Education Psychology Service Educational Psychology
• Torbay Education Safeguarding Service
• Youth Justice Service Preventative Referral
• Outreach referral to the Mayfield School Outreach (KS1 & KS2)
• The Early Help Team Early Help Service /Targeted Help
• Family Group Conference Family Group Conferences
• Parenting training from Early Help or Voluntary and community sector Early Help Service /Targeted Help
• Accessing school training and advice
• Family Information Service (Local Offer) Local Offer – Torbay

All human beings can be described as neurodiverse. We vary in the way our brains work. We take in information in different ways. We process it in different ways and therefore, we behave in different ways.

When we talk about neurodivergence, this covers a wide range of neurological differences which may either enhance or be a barrier to learning. These differences can affect a number of developmental areas and be observed as characteristic that are indicative of autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, Classic Tic disorders, developmental coordination disorder, intellectual disability and Developmental Language Disorder (DLD).

These differences can affect a number of developmental areas. The young person may or may not choose to self-describe in this way.

Having a common understanding of neurodiversity among education and health and social care staff working with children and young people is important, as well as acknowledging how it is integral across all areas of the Graduated Response.

Therefore, this section on neurodiversity should not be read on its own. Education and health and social care staff working with neurodivergence should read the Graduated Response for cognition and learning; speech, language and communication needs; social, emotional and mental health; and sensory and physical needs.

It is important that all professionals refer to the other need toolkits of the Graduated Response for detailed strategies and interventions related to key areas of need.

Parents and carers should be seen as the experts in their own Child or Young person’s needs.

Every school, health setting, social worker and community support worker will:

• Have a supportive ethos and environment which promotes neurodiversity
• Have clear processes in place to:
  • capture each child and young person’s voice
  • respond to concerns raised by parents/carers/children and young
    people/professionals
• Involve parents, discuss barriers to learning and share strategies/training for parents to
  understand neurodiversity
• Share appropriate information with partners as part of a multi-disciplinary team approach to
  understand the child/young person’s strengths and needs
• Have systems in place to review whether an environment is ‘neurodiverse friendly’ and
  make reasonable adjustments as necessary
• Have systems to implement a whole school/setting/workplace approach
• Provide opportunities for all workforces to audit the key skills and knowledge needed to
  support the neurodiverse needs of children and young people
• Provide training for all staff to develop understanding and confidence around supporting
  neurodiverse needs that is relevant to their role
• Support parents/carers and professionals by signposting to resources and sources of
  information
• Adapt teaching and learning styles (e.g., online vs face to face). Wider theories of
  neurodivergence suggests monitoring students’ progress and adapting to their preferred
  approaches for future lessons accordingly.

1) Executive Functioning Skills

Executive function can include many developmental areas. Three core areas include:

• inhibition (which includes selective attention, and self-control)
• working memory
• flexibility of thought (included metacognition). Find out more

Inhibition

• Selective attention (concentration) and self control
• Organised and clutter free resources, workspaces and classrooms
• Planned movement breaks
• Adjust activities to use special interest as a tool to engage and maintain concentration
• Use simple verbal or visual reminders to re-engage
• Personal Organisation / Independence Skills
• Use visual timetables, prompts and checklists – these can support a young person to
  develop routines in school and support welfare
• Break tasks down into manageable chunks. Post-it notes can be sequenced and moved around so all parts of an activity are crossed off as they are completed.
• Identify safe care and self-awareness needs (e.g not knowing when your face is dirty). Instigate routines to support this in the young person’s plan. Checklists or social stories may help here.

Working memory

• Break tasks down into manageable chunks. Post-it notes can be sequenced and moved around so all parts of an activity are crossed off as they are completed.
• Use visual timetables and prompts.
• Reduce the information a young person has to ‘hold in mind’ – use mind maps, give additional processing time, use lists, post-it notes and highlighting text instead of writing notes.

Flexibility of thought

• Learning materials that are adapted and personalised with pupil’s special interests

Regulation

• Set and communicate clear classroom code of conduct.
• Introduce a personal energy level plan.
• Have a relational support plan to support the young person with regulation; this will ensure the young person has a safe space and known routine to re-regulate.

Masking (when young people camouflage their level of need for periods of time)

• Introduce a personal energy level plan which considers sensory and regulation needs.

Managing Change/Transition (this can be both vertical (e.g one year group to another, primary to secondary, preparation for adulthood) and horizontal (e.g lesson to lesson, breaktime to learning time, playtime to bedtime)

• Use visual timetables and prompts, use of calendars explaining changes i.e term time / holiday time.
• Visual timers / count downs
• Social stories to explain change
• Consistent routines for beginnings and endings of days
• Use Now, Next, Then prompts so pupil knows what they need to do, how long for and what they can do after the activity has been completed.
• Treat transitions as a separate learning activity. Plan transitions carefully with the young person and parent/carer (and other professionals who might be supporting the young person), perhaps creating a personal transition plan.

2) Sensory Processing differences & Motor Skills

• Organised and clutter free resources, workspaces and classrooms
• Choice of learning spaces alongside peers within class based on sensory preferences as well as dedicated quiet learning spaces away from peers to be accessed for a short period of time
• Planned movement breaks
• Consider the different sensory perception or sensitivity the child may be experiencing. Ask children to consider how an activity may be felt in different parts of their bodies.
• Introduce a personal energy level plan.
• Timetabled sensory diet throughout the day
• Have a designated safe space(s) for a young person to use when required.
• Identify safe care and self-awareness needs (e.g. not knowing when your face is dirty). Instigate routines to support this in the young person’s plan. Checklists or social stories may help here.

3) Communication & Interaction

• Verbal / Communication & Interaction
• Social Communication & Social Meaning
• Set and communicate clear classroom code of conduct.
• Have knowledge of a pupil’s special interests to gain their attention, motivate engagement, regulate or re-direct focus.
• Provide an action or resource that makes unhelpful or undesirable behaviours difficult for the child to perform. Plan times for when a child can do these things alongside this.

• Ensure all members of staff understand neurodiversity and neurodivergence and the range of needs and conditions that this includes.
• Ensure that all relevant adults have a shared understanding of individual strengths and needs.
• Ensure that appropriate targeted interventions are planned for and delivered using the ‘Assess, Plan, Do Review’ model.
• Consider referrals to parent programmes listed under referral section

Please note that the following list of need is not exhaustive:

Autism

• Autism Education Trust (AET) School Autism Standards (5-19)
• National Autistic Society – Autism Accreditation
• Autism progress tracking tool for education professionals
• Framework Documents
• AET autism-training
• National Autistic Society online training
• Raising a child with autism: Carrie and David
• Girls and Autism: Flying under the radar
• Autism and Tics – Support for schools and settings
• Tips for helping communication
• Parent Guide for Working Together with Your Child’s School

Please note that the following list of need is not exhaustive:

ADHD

• ADDISS – ADHD Information Service
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• The ADHD Foundation Neurodiversity Charity provide materials for ADHD as well as wider neurological differences

FASD – Foetal alcohol spectrum disorders

• FASD South West – Fasd | Fasdsouthwest.org

Please note that the following list of need is not exhaustive:

Dyslexia

• What is dyslexia? – British Dyslexia Association
• SEN Support Resources for Pupils/Students with Dyslexia

Dyspraxia/Developmental Coordination Disorder

• Dyspraxia Foundation
• Dyspraxia at a glance
• Developmental co-ordination disorder (dyspraxia) in children
• Dyspraxia – developmental dyspraxia programme

Dyscalculia

• Dyscalculia – British Dyslexia Association
• What is Dyscalculia? – The Dyslexia Association
• Dyscalculia – The Brain Charity

Classic Tic Disorders

• Tics – NHS
  Video – What are the differences between Tourette Syndrome, classic tics and functional tics

Please note that the following list of need is not exhaustive:

Intellectual Disability

• Learning Disabilities – Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
• Children’s Learning Disability Health Team (CLDT) | Torbay FIS Directory
• Learning disabilities – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
• What Is A Learning Disability? See Our Definition | Mencap
• Learning disabilities: applying All Our Health – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Please note that the following list of need is not exhaustive:

Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)

• Clinical information on developmental language disorder (DLD) | RCSLT
• RADLD | Raising Awareness of Developmental Language Disorder
• Understanding Developmental Language Disorder (speechandlanguage.org.uk)
• ICAN webinar SLCN and DLD: what every teacher needs to know
• ICAN webinar- introduction to DLD for Primary School​
• ICAN webinar building effective practice to support CYPs with DLD
• Mind Your Words – SLCN and mental health e-learning course | RCSLT

• Autism Education Trust – The Autism Standards Framework can be used by education setting leaders/leadership team to support the implementation of Good Autism Practice across a whole organisation
• The Speech, Language and Communication framework – Framework aimed at workforces to support the speech, language and communication development of all children and young people
• IPAACKS – A profiling tool and framework for workers in health, education, social care and third sectors to identify knowledge, skills, values and commitments required to deliver a quality service to children/young people and adults who use augmented and alternative communication (AAC)
• Communication Access Symbol – Free training package and standards to help businesses and organisations support people with communication difficulties. Communication Access UK Register – Communication Access UK (communication-access.co.uk)
• Mayfield Outreach Service – Can be accessed through the differential approach (i.e. there is no need to have a plan).
• Chestnut – including SEMH accessed through Mayfield
• Educational Psychology – Educational Psychology & Specialist Teaching Service (TEPATS)
• LEANS – A teaching module for teachers to teach children the concept of neurodiversity. It teaches children that the classroom/education setting is a place where the different needs of all children should and can be respected. Large time commitment. The whole programme can be downloaded for free to look at
• SEMH – Trauma Informed Schools training (planned adaptations through a Relationships Care Plan) and ELSA interventions.
• South West Family Values – Offer Draw and Talk interventions, Timid to Tiger and Incredible Years parent courses.

It is important that all professionals refer to the sections of the graduated response for assessment tools related to key areas of need:

• Cognition and learning
• Speech, language and communication needs
• Social, emotional and mental health needs
• Physical and sensory

Professionals need to take the ‘team around child’ approach, capturing the voice and experiences of child and family.

‘First Steps’ Multi-Disciplinary Drop-in – For education settings held online every month (Child Health and Children and Family Health Devon). This is available for education staff and any professional working with a child or young person (e.g., Early Help team) with a focus on the wider environment as well as individual children.

Child and Family Health Devon – Telephone advice line (0330 024 5321) for referrers and families wanting information about Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), therapies (Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Speech and Language Therapy) and Community Nursing services for children.

• Speech and Language Therapy
• CFHD All age Advice line 0333 321 9448 (Mon-Fri 2pm-4.30pm)
• CFHD Facebook preschool
• CFHD Facebook School Age
• CFHD Toolkits
• CFHD Drop In Sessions 0-3 yr olds
• Access to Speech and Language Therapy Service – advice and support provided as well as referral into assessment and intervention

Devon Partnership NHS Trust (DPT) – For adult autism and ADHD and learning disability services (for those 18+). Access to evidence-based competency frameworks and training resources specific to areas of SEND and/or types of need.

0 to 19 Torbay Small Steps (formerly FIPCAN) – A group run by the Portage Team to give parents information and play opportunities with children with additional needs or a disability. A weekly booking, however, you can book in advance of up to four weeks. Free for under-fives: Torbay Portage Service
Consider referral to Early Help/Family Hubs: Torbay Early Help Hubs
Refer to Education Psychology service through planning meeting with link educational psychologist
Children and Family Health Devon-provided parent programmes offered for families with a diagnosed child as well as education staff:

• Early Bird +
• Early Communicators
• VERVE
• DLD and me

0 to 19 Torbay have a free online course: ‘Understanding your child with additional needs’. This can be accessed via In Our Place Free access code ‘Tamar’.

0 to 19 Torbay Sleep Workshop for low level sleep issues both for under 11’s and over 11’s
Bisnet/ CEDA – parenting courses and support for young people who have been newly diagnosed.

Access to Mayfield Outreach service which can be accessed through the differential approach (i.e., there is no need to have a plan)

Access to Chestnut – including SEMH accessed through Mayfield

Access to Educational Psychology – Educational Psychology & Specialist Teaching Service (TEPATS) | Torbay FIS Directory

Torbay and South Devon Foundation NHS Trust Community Paediatrics – The First steps Handbook is given to all families on the waiting list.

Torbay Council – Portage service Torbay Portage Service | Torbay FIS Directory (openobjects.com)
Torbay Council – Attention Builders for Early Years – delivered by the Torbay Council Early Years team alongside speech and language therapists. This can be delivered as a whole class approach rather than child specific. 

View and/or download and print these toolkits.

Torbay Early Years Graduated Approach Toolkit (TEYGAT) aims to provide a one-stop-shop, for all early years providers to promote inclusive practice and support the additional needs of early years children at a targeted level. For some children universal provision may not meet all of their needs. The importance of early identification and intervention with appropriate multi agency support is key to addressing young children’s needs.

The Torbay Early Years Graduated Approach Toolkit highlights the importance of a quality adaptive approach, which addresses the needs of all children. In these cases, the graduated approach of assess, plan, do, and review cycle, will be put into action. The TEYGAT can support the identification of strategies and resources documented through an Individual Learning and Development Plan (ILDP). This plan will be developed jointly with the child’s family to promote consistent support at both home and at the setting.

Click on the ‘Visit Site’ button below – this flyer lists all current SEND and graduated response training available to Torbay practitioners. You can also view a calendar of practitioner training available by clicking on the link to our Practitioner Training Calendar, here.

You can search for any specific terms or Graduated Response categories (Neurodiversity, SEMH, Physical & Sensory, Cognition & Learning, SLCN) on the page by holding down ‘Control+F’.

For any queries about the information listed regarding SEND and graduated response practitioner training, please email: Learning&DevelopmentHub@torbay.gov.uk.