The Inclusive Schools and ASDs Whole School Training and

Research ProjectAutism Cymru in partnership with

LEAs and TES Cymru

Working In Partnership With LEAs and TES Cymru

The Inclusive Schools and ASDs Whole School Training and Research Programme was first piloted in RCT following discussions with LEA officers.

The first cohort of schools were presented with their certificates by the Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning and Skills, Jane Davidson in March 2006

What does the project entail?

• 2 days training

• At least a term of whole school activity relating to ASDs e.g. training, using a self evaluation tool to address short, medium and long term plans

• ½ day for feedback and to discuss the way forward

What does the project aim to do?

• Have a long-term impact on schools and the way they cater for pupils with ASDs

• Impact on schools is measurable

• Make ASDs a whole school responsibility- involving not only teaching staff and LSAs but lunch time staff, caretaker, governors etc

What do schools say about the project?

• An informative course which has certainly clarified issues regarding my knowledge and understanding of ASDs

• I feel a big impact has been made on me. I feel more confident to support the pupils with ASDs in my school

• Every school should be made more aware. Project should be compulsory.

What issues does the Project cover?

• Living with ASDs

• The Triad of Impairment

• Sensory Issues

• Educational Implications of ASDs

• Behaviour Management

• Common strategies

• Creating an Enabling Environment

Task 1:Raising Staff Awareness

• Building up a bank of resources- videos, user friendly books, examples of resources etc

• Training in Staff meetings and on CPD days using power point, videos, DVD, interactive CD Rom, posters and quizzes

• ASDs section on the staff notice board

Staff Awareness

• Using pupils with ASDs and parents to give presentations to whole school

• Dedicated INSET for LSAs and lunch time supervisors

• Using the Power points provided and Autism NI Toolkit

• Having a film night with cheese and wine- ‘Snow Cake’.

Staff Awareness

• Large portable notice board with facts about ASDs

• Using true/false Quiz and How ASD Friendly Are You? Questionnaire

• Books such as ‘Blue Bottle Mystery’ and Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night’ circulated around all staff

• A is for Autism

Self-Evaluation Tool

• Ensures that schools can assess where they are in relation to ASDs

• They can use it to plan, monitor and review their approach to pupils with ASDs

• Encourages them to think creatively e.g. the provision of a ‘safe haven’, arrangements at lunch and break times, using strategies to remove barriers to communication etc

Impact on Practice

• Providing ‘safe havens’ and considering arrangements for lunch and break times

• Audit of timetable to consider times which are likely to cause the most stress

• Considering the sensory environment of the school

• Information leaflets for all staff• Visual timetables and use of structure for

all pupils

Impact on Practice

• Traffic light system introduced so that pupils with ASDs can indicate stress levels

• Re writing policies- behaviour, inclusion, homework, DES etc

• Using range of strategies to prepare for change

• Audit of staff development needs• Pupil passports• Colour coded books and Timetables

Impact on Practice

• Buddy System introduced

• Looking closely at Assembly

• Not insisting upon eye contact and giving time to process

• Thinking about language

• Recognising that ASD is a ‘hidden disability’ and so there is a need for flexibility.

Moving Inclusion Forward

The project has helped other pupils with additional learning needs:

• Structure and visual cues can be useful to a number of pupils

• Looking for triggers for inappropriate behaviour

• Relaxation exercises and sensory gardens

The Future?

• Lot of interest in Project across Wales

• LEAs who have participated to date plan a rolling programme across their authorities

• All Wales Steering Group to continually revise and up date the content of the project in the light of Welsh legislation

• To avoid the Post Code Lottery!

Maggie Bowen – maggie@autismcymru.orgLynn Plimley – lynn@autismcymru.org

Co-authors of

•Autistic Spectrum Disorders in Secondary school •Social skills and Autistic Spectrum Disorders •Autistic Spectrum Disorders in the Early Years•Supporting pupils with autistic spectrum disorders•The Autism Inclusion Toolkit to be published in 2008