EDUCATION NETWORK 19 TH MARCH 2014 Introductions Is it all right - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

EDUCATION NETWORK 19TH MARCH 2014

Introductions

• ‘Is it all right if….?’ Building communication friendly schools:peer education in St

Stephen’s High School, Port Glasgow Mags Goldthorp, Inverclyde Autism Outreach and St Stephen’s staff Short break

• Outdoor Learning at Grangemouth High

Fiona Hutt, Teacher Grangemouth High base 12.30 – 1.30 LUNCH

• Using Technology in SQA Literacy Assessments

Paul Nisbet, CALL Scotland and provisionally SQA representative

• TOOLBOX update

The Autism Toolbox A Resource for Scottish Schools

Presentation Overview

• Autism Toolbox

Background to development of Toolbox The Autism Strategy Development of website Web content and features Future development

• Web content online
• Q & A
• Resources / local initiatives

Ministerial message

“It is well-recognised that people with autism and their families need to be supported by a wide range of services such as education, social care, housing, employment and other community based services. The Scottish Strategy for Autism aims to build on improvements to autism services and help more people access these. “The strategy details our goals to help ensure that all the recommendations have been addressed by the time the strategy concludes in 2021. Through it we have provided Scottish Autism with funding to enhance the Autism Toolbox. This will deliver an updated and improved online national tool to encourage and disseminate good practice to all education staff in schools to support children and young people with autism.”

Michael Matheson MSP (2013) Minister for Public Health

www.scotland.gov.uk

Personal perspectives drawn from a range of contributors in:

Sainsbury (2000) The Martian in the Playground: Understanding the Schoolchild with Asperger's Syndrome

“ School causes a lot of anxiety for me. There might be a new rule of …event I would not be able to know how to handle. I can never understand the point of these rules ( probably because there isn’t one). I would be constantly paranoid and worried about what I have to do, and had no clue what to do. Things like this caused me not to want to go to school.”

“ …we do things in different ways but we are of the same worth and value and we are not broken and we do not need to be “fixed” or “cured”.” “ My social deficit is quite distinct and significant and yet no remediation was provided in this area” “I think I might have been an alien who has been put on this planet by mistake; I hope that this is so, because this means that there might be other people out there in the universe like me.”

Aims of the Toolbox

• Addressing feelings of alienation, isolation, frustration is

fundamental to inclusion

• Recognition of strengths, cognitive styles and motivation
• Importance of consistency

To support staff

• Reflect on attitudes, understanding & empathy
• Be aware of the importance of the social curriculum
• Access training/CPD
• Signpost acknowledged good information and practice
• Overwhelming amount of info and ‘advice’ , but is not regulated or

may be contradictory. (14.800.000 in seconds)

• Aware of knowledge base of others
• Have a range of professionals are observing and advising on their

practice .

Part 1 - The Policy and Legislative Context Part 2 - The Toolbox – Autism in Practice Section 1 - Knowing about Autism Section 2 - Guidance and Support for Pre-Schools, Primary Schools and Secondary Schools Section 3 – Support for Parents and Families Section 4 – Working with Other Agencies CD ROM – Interventions and Approaches Resources Local Authority Guidance Directory Practice grids and Posters

Autism Toolbox 2009

The Scottish Strategy for Autism 2011

10 year strategy Autism Reference Group - 6 times a year 6 working Sub-groups

Group 1 Achieving Best Value for Services Group 2 Cross Agency Value for Services Group 3 Diagnosis, Intervention & Support Group 4 Wider Opportunities and Access to Work Group 5 Research Group 6 Users and Carers

53 local and national projects funded through the Autism Development Fund - £13.4 million over four years until March 2015

www.scotland.gov.uk

The Scottish Strategy for Autism More accessible

Questionnaires Do you have a copy of the Autism Toolbox in School?

Yes - 124 No - 22 Don't know - 23 No response - 8

Do you use the Autism Toolbox as a reference?

Questionnaires

Often - 17 Sometimes - 73 Rarely - 35 Never - 41 No response - 11

Do you use the Autism Toolbox for staff development?

Questionnaires

Often - 9 Sometimes - 58 Rarely - 35 Never - 68 No response - 7

Comments

Practical advice on strategies through video, podcasts, direct links to resources More visual format, less wordy, easy to negotiate Staff training resources Secondary specific Links to support networks/ local contacts Topic specific information

• Owned and evaluated by a wide group of

practitioners

• Accessible to all
• Support inclusive practices
• Focus on the principles and capacities of

Curriculum for Excellence and GIRFEC

• Provide a forum for continually

updating and disseminating good practice.

A website to support school staff to ‘raise the bar’ for pupils with autism in Scottish schools

Glow Learning Community – #Autism

Glow Learning Community – #Autism

National Site National PL Community

Using the Website

THEMES Understanding autism Supporting Pupils Whole School Planning Supporting Wellbeing Partnership with Families Working with others Resources

Link to original Toolbox Link to Glow Learning Community : #autism What’s new?

Think about

Toolbox of references and signposting Information specific to Age Groups Opportunity to share

Look out for:

Links to Curriculum for Excellence and other resources

• n Education Scotland website

Continuing Development of Website

• Sourcing new material and current practice e.g.

English as Additional Language Girls on the Spectrum Sector specific resources – profiles? Sensory issues - case studies? Nurture group in Secondary CALL Centre and Education Scotland input

Using the Toolbox

Whole School – audit, plan staff development, examples from other settings Individual or groups of Staff – raise awareness, personal development, in service days Support for individual pupil – consider wellbeing factors, consistency from staff, sharing information

Recent Questions

How to develop peer awareness. Anxiety and stress Working with other professionals Using a particular approach to support sensory issues Possible indicators of autism Autism awareness cards for young people Accepting help Sharing information with families Transitions Toilet training

Practical resources and case studies

10th March Partnership with Families 17th March Working with other agencies 24/31March Supporting Wellbeing 7 April Whole School Planning 14 April Understanding Autism 21 April Supporting pupils 28 April Resources and contributors

Timeline Sept – December 2013 Pilot resource Dec 2013 – Feb 2014 Review resource Jan – March 2014 Authority CPD Launch 29th April 2014

And finally . . .

‘Don’t assume you know what the child is like if you have read a manual about autism. There are as many brands of autism as there are autistic people. Look and listen to the individual person…’

Cited in Sainsbury, (2000 p130)

moira.park@scottishautism.org jayne.porter@strath.ac.uk

Other resources you may find useful...

Education Network Days at

• Specialist day and residential

school for young people with autism based in Alloa

• Part of national charity

Scottish Autism

• Hosts National Education

Network Days

National Education Network Key Dates 2014 New Struan School

• Wednesday 19th March 2014 – Secondary focus

'Is it alright if...? Building communication-friendly schools: peer education in St Stephen's High School, Port Glasgow“ Mags Goldthorp, Inverclyde Autism Outreach and St Stephen’s staff Outdoor Learning at Grangemouth High, Fiona Hutt Using Technology in SQA Literacy Assessments Paul Nisbet, CALL Scotland and provisionally SQA representative

• Wednesday 21st May 2014 – Outreach focus

Emotion Works update on approach and resources Claire Murray Sheena Rogerson, Dumfries and Galloway : Team Talk, a look at how to gather information from all agencies supporting a pupil. Any staff are welcome to attend either or both sessions £40 per session Contact Moira Park moira.park@scottishautism.org

Online Support Programme for Parents and Carers

Two Programmes:

Child Programme Teen Programme

(Eating, Sleeping, Toileting ) (Independent Living, Relationships)

• 5 week programme with new content for the first four weeks and

a final week to review all material

• Content is mainly videos made up by our Autism Support Team
• n topics that parents are likely to find most challenging. Also

some supporting documents that can be downloaded.

• Access is free and parents can sign up at

www.scottishautism.org

Programme Dates Right Click runs throughout the year. The next intake is: Wed 16th April – Wed 21st May Right Click is not for professionals, but professionals can

preview the programme with a view to recommending it to families they are working with. Email rightclick@scottishautism.org to arrange this

“It helped me understand autism through my son’s eyes.”

“Right Click gave me the confidence to try things again like PECS in the home.” “The programme has helped me reinforce skills and strategies.”

“It made me feel less alienated”

“For parents who haven’t tried this programme, I would definitely say give it a go!”

Feedback from Parents/Carers

Glasgow - ARC Edinburgh - No 6 Fife Lanarkshire Inverness Perth Aberdeen Ayrshire

One Stop Shops

Experienced and friendly one stop shop teams provide: Support to access the services you need, whether they are in the community or autism specific. Guidance to overcome barriers such as an unaddressed diagnosis and delayed intervention of support. Access to a library of information and resources about autism. A safe and friendly place to speak confidentially to someone who understands autism. One-to-one sessions, workshops, training days and group activities for children, families and professionals

www.autismnetworkscotland.org.uk www.facebook.com/AutismNetworkScotland Twitter: @Autism_Network

Network History

• Autism Network Scotland (ANS) is

funded by the Scottish Government and is based within Strathclyde University.

• The network began as Scottish

Autism Services Network in 2005.

• Autism Network Scotland funded until

2015 to support the implementation of range of recommendations

• To be a hub of impartial and reliable

information about autism services across Scotland.

• To identify gaps in service.
• To signpost practitioners, individuals on the

autistic spectrum and their families and carers to the range of services available at both a local and national level.

• To facilitate networks across Scotland to support

knowledge exchange and promote awareness

• f autism.
• To develop networking opportunities for

individuals on the autism spectrum.

Autism Network Scotland Aims include:

What we do: sharing information.

Website Newsletters Social Media

• Face to Face Networks
• Virtual Networks
• Learning events
• Research networks & events
• Consultations with local authorities

What we do: Knowledge Exchange

• Resources

Advanced Training Material

Education and Early Years Virtual Networks By joining our Virtual Networks you can become part of a community for sharing good practice, knowledge and information across Scotland.

“If you have worked with one person with autism, you have worked with one person with autism.”

moira.park@scottishautism.org jayne.porter@strath.ac.uk