SELF EVALUATION TOOLS FOR ASDs

1. SELF EVALUATION TOOLS FOR ASDs Or No not more paperwork!

2. Why ASDs? ASDs is often referred to as the ‘hidden disability’. Like every other disability, careful thought and consideration needs to be given to services provided for individuals on the spectrum.

3. Why is Self-Evaluation Important? Self- evaluation helps schools to look at their evidence base for a set of targets in order to improve provision

4. Pupils with ASDs- what should you consider in any evaluation? • Is there someone in school/service with experience of and responsibility for ASDs? • Are all staff aware of the educational implications of the Triad of Impairment i.e how much awareness raising/CPD has taken place? • Are timetables and activities differentiated to meet the needs of pupils with ASDs

5. ASDs issues continued • Does the school provide opportunities for skills to be generalised from one setting to another? • Has anyone examined the setting in relation to sensory issues? • What information/support do you offer parents? • What are your lines of communication with other agencies/people involved with pupils?

6. ASDs issues continued • Are there opportunities to share information with other schools/services? • Are staff aware of the impact of the Triad and sensory issues on behaviour? Is this information included in a policy? • Are strategies in place to warn about possible changes in routines/activities? • Are pupils given the opportunity to follow or discuss a ‘special interest’?

7. ASDs issues continued • Does the school provide opportunities for pupils to develop their social skills as part of the curriculum? • Are information booklets on ASDs available for new staff and visitors ? • Are alternatives on offer at break and lunch times to avoid stress overload and possible bullying?

8. Every School is Different! It is important to emphasise to schools that the audit is there to help not hinder. Each will be at a different starting point and have different experience and knowledge of ASDs. The following slides show that targets need to be SMART.

9. Priorities for School 1 • Continue to modify the school environment to take account of sensory issues • Staff will share information on ASDs in a formal way when they attend a training event • There will be an up to date bank of resources on ASDs • The school will develop a specific policy

10. Priorities for School 2 • To develop a policy document with outside agencies and the voluntary sector • Pupils with ASDs will be more involved in decision making • Time will be allocated to follow a special interest • A section of the library will be used as a ‘safe haven’

11. Priorities for School 3 • To develop a policy document with outside agencies • To have a whole school training day on ASDs • To create a resource bank of materials • To put posters up in strategic placesin school explaining how everyone can help pupils with ASDs • To examine noise levels in the environment • To consider arrangements at break and lunch times

12. Priorities for School 4 • Introduce a buddy system at break and lunch times • Create a bank of ‘relaxing’ resources for pupils with ASDs • Use more visual cues throughout the school- visual timetables for everyone! • Place pupils with ASDs in position of responsibility e.g. a monitor during transition times to alleviate stress • SENCo to visit other schools in the authority to examine best practice

13. School Access Plan and Disability Equality Duty Evidence from the Self-Evaluation Tool can be used to inform the School’s Access and Inclusion Plan and provide evidence that duties are being met under the Disability Equality Duty (2006)

14. School Environment • Is there access to a quiet area at break and lunch times away from the main hub of activity? • Have you considered heating, lighting, noise levels in and around school? • Is there a ‘safe haven’ indoors? • What safety and security does the environment offer?

15. School Environment • Are resources/materials durable and how is seating and furniture arranged ? • How are classrooms/corridors decorated-are they over stimulating? • Are signs and visual cues in place to help pupils move around school and from activity to activity with ease? • What issues need addressing in the hall at dinner times and Assembly?

16. Curriculum- Points to Consider • Language and Communication • Audits of timetables to ascertain times/subjects that are likely to cause stress • Use of visual timetables and other clues to assist learning e.g. colour coded books, use of picture symbols

17. Curriculum-Points to Consider • Opportunities are provided to follow a special interest • There is access to a safe haven during times of stress- the opportunity to indicate when stress levels at all time high. • Arrangements at break and lunch times to relax or follow an interest • The use of sensory experiences to understand different times and cultures • There are opportunities to generalize skills across subjects and in different settings

18. Information- Points to Consider • Information given to pupils especially pre transition is clearly written, unambiguous and visual • Information for reviews is written in friendly format and is jargon free • Parents have information about the school’s provision for pupils with ASDs and a list of relevant support groups and contacts

19. Information- Points to Consider • Production of accessible leaflets for parents and pupils about the school’s arrangements/timetable for that year group • There is a resource bank of materials on ASD for staff • Information on ASDs is available to new staff and visitors to the school • Awareness raising takes place in a number of ways

20. Disability Equality Duty Examine your school’s plan. Are the needs of pupils with ASDs addressed under the duties? Remember ASDs is a disability and so the school has a legal obligation to consider and meet the needs of pupils with ASDs.

21. Workshop Activity (in 2s or 3s) • Is there someone in your setting with responsibility for individuals with ASDs? • What support/information do you give to parents/carers during and following a diagnosis? • What ASD specific strategies are in place to manage transition? • How do you involve individuals with ASDs in policy and planning?

22. The Inclusive Schools and ASDs Whole School research and Training Programme • Offered to Local Authorities • Who select schools and staff to participate • Run for 2 days intensive CPD • Follow up a term later for half a day • Up to 40 delegates per LA – teachers, managers, support assistants from mainstream primary & secondary

23. Local authority take up • Swansea • Monmouth • Rhondda Cynon Taff – 3 programmes • Bridgend – 2 programmes • Conwy – 2 programmes • Wrexham • Gwynedd and Mon

24. Statistics Through our work directly with 8 Local Authorities we have trained staff representatives from around150 schools.

25. The 2 day Programme • Aims to recognise and build on knowledge of ASDs • To attain an understanding of the condition • Its key characteristics • The view of the individual • The challenges of being at school • Sensory anomalies • Making schools and staff more ASD friendly

26. Day 1 • Focus on what people with ASD tell us about their lives • Look at the school experience of the individual • Relate this to the Triad of impairments • Examine the impact of sensory differences • Explore the common curriculum difficulties across 3 Key stages

27. Day 1 • Look at universal strategies that can help in schools • Focus on looking at the messages underlying episodes of inappropriate behaviours Use of multimedia presentation including DVD & video footage; small group discussion; CD ROM materials; books

28. Day 2 • Reflection on key messages from Day 1 • The concept of what makes a school ASD friendly • Whole school issues • Useful strategies in the school environment – TEACCH; PECs and Social Stories • Use of multimedia presentation as Day 1 and checklists and a quiz.

29. Disseminating the Training • Delegates are asked to fulfil the following tasks on their return to school : • Build up a bank of resources on ASDs for staff • Disseminate the training to staff group/s • Conduct a whole school audit which will then lead to • Identification of strengths • Short, medium and long-term target planning

30. Feedback on the Training • On the final half day of the training package, delegates are invited to feedback on how they have fulfilled the 3 dissemination activities and the response of staff

31. Resource Bank ideas • Looked at school resources and we’re returning them all to one place • Resource shelf for all staff – games; box of stress relief “calmers”; maths games; story sacks; books; documentation; library facility for borrowing • Laminated coloured symbols for every type of activity • Labelling areas of the school • Using visual timetables • Creating a safe haven – maybe just a corner of the room

32. Training of school staff • Most of staff have a good idea of how to work with children; school visits to Plas Brondyffryn and Wargrave House school in Merseyside reinforced what we are doing in school; • Questionnaire for all staff on their knowledge of ASDs, collated and fed back in staff meeting • Welsh presentation (Wenglish); True and false quiz; staff reported more knowledge as a result; more confident; social story books in Welsh; staff training for 2 LSAs

33. Teacher meeting held, sheet produced for all staff • Audit given to year groups; action plan drawn up • Departmental SENCo meeting; awareness raised; True or false quiz raise discussion; staff feel school is ASD friendly; Audit tool given out to staff; talk to NQT teachers • Staff meeting held; everyone is now talking about autism; S4C programme with Carol Parry-Jones helped staff to answer quiz; joint planning begun with paired school rep

34. Reported Impact on schools • Play co-ordinators targeted for information; Buddy system at break times has started to pay off • Updating SEN handbook • Awareness raising for pupils in PSE lessons and with cross curricular themes in the coming academic year • Strategies found useful with other children, including young children • Friday Award celebration needed toning down • Adoption of 3 or 4 strategies by whole school – visual timetables; benches and quiet areas created in playground; Circle time to raise issues with all children • Staff more cautious about what behaviours to pick up on; give more time to process; other children so accepting; acceptance is praised by staff

35. Workshop held; turn taking daily schedule for places in the line; visual timetable very helpful for staff, including supply teachers too !; spin off for other children • Outreach support service has accessed further Unlocking potential funding – mainstream support service developed; examples & strategies taken into schools – SAMS referral and response service • School is post-Inspection; looked at using GP audit and developed an Action Plan instead of awareness raising; 10 things a child with autism wished you knew given to school by a Mum; head on LEA Outreach committee; we’re looking at ALL children in a different light; • Moving from Year 2 to Year 3 - transition well prepared for; booklet (Passport) for each child to take out with them so all staff know about their preferences and dislikes • Summer care workers invited into school and also informed about the PECs system

36. Plan to improve communication – PECs training to be given to new staff, timetabled member of staff to support others and for her to be Makaton trainer • Professional development plans for members of staff re ASDs • Ways to bring parents into school and involve them in their child’s learning • Child is not the same person he was before Christmas 2005 • All ASD training has been very relevant to other children • Staff are now aware that there are children in school who may have associated ASD issues and strategies could be used for all children • There is an interest and a staff need to know more; it has got people talking together in departments • Everyone wants to learn more; “Curious incident” copies are circulating around the staff • Idea of having a “film night” - Snowcake; What’s eating Gilbert Grape ?; Rainman; As good as it gets; • Staff more aware of the hidden disabilities and more prepared to consider their needs

37. If you are interested in learning more about this training programme or want to pass on contact details – We are Maggie Bowen – maggie@autismcymru.org & Lynn Plimley - lynn@autismcymru.org