Autism

Preventing Exclusions For Children On The Autism Spectrum

Exclusions are a common theme for children with some form of Autism. Catriona Moore says the shocking figures can be reversed with some considered reforms to school practice

“Inclusion is not simply about physical proximity. It is about intentionally planning for the success of all students (1).”

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      string(369) "... correct provision is in place.For more information, autism education training and for practical resources please visit www.autismeducationtrust.org.uk.A special thanks to our contributing editor, Dr Glenys Jones, Autism Centre for Education and Research, University of Birmingham.Bob Lowndes is the Director of the Autism Education Trust."
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      string(4141) "settling to any activity or toy, pre-verbal and prone to collapsing to the floor and screaming. Another child who was more verbal but had limited comprehension and speech relating only to the here and now, would bite, kick and hit, had sensory needs and would empty every drawer and cupboard. For our staff, finding strategies to support each of the children and to manage the behaviour was initially problematic as they attempted to do the best for every child in the group. The day-to-day management, ensuring that the children all reached their potential was not easy, particularly with a number of children who also had additional needs, including some complex medical needs.Additionally, staff were aware that there was a conflict between what was expected at that time for a classroom to be bright and stimulating for the majority of the children, while those children with autism were disadvantaged by the ‘clutter’ of a busy environment. Communication was also problematic and staff felt that they were struggling at times to understand what the children needed and how they could make their expectations and instructions clear to the children.Why did you choose the Autism Education Trust training programme?Our school has always had an ethos which valued every child and family and aimed to offer high-quality experiences to ensure that pupils made good progress. We were aware that we had high expectations but that we generally sometimes needed guidance to effect change in practice. As the number of pupils with autism joining the school grew, there was an even greater need to seek out appropriate training.Our staff have always been very reflective and evaluate their practice and pupil engagement regularly and we all recognised that training was needed to develop further.What changed since the training?There has definitely been an increase in pupil progress with attainment often remaining lower than expected levels for the age group but with accelerated progress from a very low starting point, particularly in PSED, PD and often in Communication and Language. Overall, the pupils show an increased enjoyment in school life and want to attend. Over time, there is also an improvement in behaviour and compliance as anxiety decreases and understanding of expectations improves. There is generally also an improvement in play skills and in the development of relationships with adults.What is the one thing that you took away with you from the training and use in your practice?As a head teacher, the training reinforced for me the need to make support for pupils with autism a whole school issue, developing a shared awareness and understanding and developing a provision which is led by senior staff and embedded in the school’s inclusive ethos. This influenced the content of the SDP, appraisal, standards of teaching, learning and development, engagement of children, trust and satisfaction of parents and a general increase in the effectiveness of what we offer.What message do you have for other school leaders wishing to support children with autism?I feel that any significant change to provision and practice has to be a whole school commitment, led by senior members of the school leadership team and delivered passionately in order to engage all staff.Providing the right support is sometimes thought to be difficult and time-consuming and staff are often anxious about the impact on other pupils that children with autism may have.  With the correct support in place, staff should see that their lives become a little easier as pupils are happier, less anxious, show greater engagement and have fewer behaviour concerns. It seems sensible to ensure, therefore, that the correct provision is in place.For more information, autism education training and for practical resources please visit www.autismeducationtrust.org.uk.A special thanks to our contributing editor, Dr Glenys Jones, Autism Centre for Education and Research, University of Birmingham.Bob Lowndes is the Director of the Autism Education Trust."
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Leadership

Autism Difference, not Deficit

13 Nov 2018

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Special Needs

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      string(5050) "ResourceAUTISM AND EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT: UK POLICY AND PRACTICEOriginal DocumentAutism And Educational Assessment: UK Policy And Practice. Over the past two decades UK government legislation has led to an increased focus on inclusive education. This research, funded by NFER, investigated UK assessment policy and practice for mainstream-educated pupils who are diagnosed with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The report considers the role of educational assessment in relation to inclusive education in mainstream settings, with a specific focus on the assessment of pupils with ASD.KeywordsAutistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), legislation, policy, practice, mainstream-educated pupilsSummaryOver the past two decades, UK government legislation has led to an increased focus on inclusive education. This is primarily through an emphasis on inclusive mainstream schools where all pupils with special needs and disabilities are welcomed and provided for.This report considers the role of assessment in relation to inclusive education in mainstream settings, with a specific focus on the assessment of pupils diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Recognition of this disorder is rapidly increasing and educators are beginning to focus their attention on the educational needs of this growing population.Research into policy and practice regarding schools’ responsibility for the selection of test accommodations for pupils in public examinations raises questions about the need for more focused guidance and teacher training to enable fair and confident decisions to be made. The advent of Assessment for Learning (AfL), whereby teachers carry out assessments of pupils within the classroom, should, in theory, enable greater variety and individuality of assessment, thus benefiting those with special educational needs (SEN). However, there is currently no specific guidance and little research investigating the impact and effect of AfL strategies on the inclusion and assessment of pupils on the autistic spectrum.This report discusses current assessment and related education policy in relation to the inclusion of pupils on the autistic spectrum in mainstream schools. Research and reports of practice in the UK are also examined and discussed in the light of the changing assessment environment. The conclusion identifies gaps in the research literature and makes recommendations for future assessment policy and practice.Findings.Research into policy and practice revealed:· Higher school exclusion rates and greater gaps in attainment for ASD pupils compared with their typically developing peers, demonstrating a need for improvements in educational provision.· A need for clearer evidence-based guidance and increased teacher training to enable teachers to make confident and consistent accommodation judgements for summative assessments, specific to pupils on the autistic spectrum.· A lack of specific guidance and little research investigating the impact and effect of Assessment for Learning strategies on the assessment and inclusion of pupils on the autistic spectrum. Teachers need to know how best to practically implement these strategies with autistic pupils in their classrooms if inclusive educational practice is to be achieved.· Further research and more specific guidance are needed to ensure that education assessment policy supports a system that is inclusive of all learners.Conclusions:· Despite best endeavours, it appears that efforts towards achieving mainstream educational inclusion of pupils identified with ASD still have some way to go. In practice, higher school exclusion rates and greater gaps in attainment for ASD pupils compared with their typically-developing peers demonstrate a need for improvements in educational provisions for these pupils.· Formal accommodations for summative assessments do not relate specifically to the needs of pupils on the autistic spectrum.· There is an obvious need for clearer evidence-based guidance and increased teacher training to enable confident and consistent assessment accommodation judgements.· In terms of formative assessment, there is currently no research linking the assessment of pupils with ASD and the implementation of AfL strategies. Whilst, in theory, the underlying principles of AfL may enable a more comprehensive assessment of ASD pupils’ skills and abilities, in practice teachers need to know how best to implement the strategies with these pupils.· In order to promote equal opportunities and achieve a truly inclusive educational environment, teachers, therefore, require a level of knowledge about the specific educational and assessment needs of ASD pupils. In conclusion, this report underlines the importance of further investigation into the potential of the AfL approach for use with ASD pupils who are educated in mainstream classrooms.ActionNotesAuthorRaspal Chima, Imaginative MindsDate CreatedOctober 2010Enquiries to:raspal.chima@yahoo.co.uk (Authoring Unit)Month / YearPage 1 of 1©Birmingham City Council"
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Leadership

Autism And Educational Assessment: UK Policy And Practice

7 Oct 2010

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      string(3287) "ResourceAUTISM, EDUCATION AND ETHNICITYOriginal DocumentMissing Out?  Autism, education and ethnicity: the reality for families today. This report looks at the experiences of black or minority ethnic families with children with ASD.KeywordsAutistism, black, minority ethnic, (BME) childrenSummaryChildren with autism need support and appropriate provision at school to help them make friends, participate in class and integrate into school life.  All autistic people share the triad of impairments, which are difficulties with social interaction, social communication and social imagination. Black or minority ethnic (BME) children who have autism experience discrimination not just because of their disability but also their ethnicity, and can become isolated from the education system. The authors of this report estimate there are 11,000 children with autism from BME backgrounds in England and Wales. In 2006 the National Autistic Society carried out a survey of autism and education in the UK, which informed their report Make school make sense. The survey found that 40 per cent of children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) had been bullied and 20 per cent had been excluded, and that the experiences of BME families were consistently worse than for those who were White British. There are currently almost no ASD services specifically targeting BME families.Key findings:· There is inconsistent evidence about the prevalence of autism in various communities and its impact on family life.· Communities are not always aware of autism, their rights and the services available.· Services that are available do not always meet the needs of BME families.· Thirty one per cent of parents of BME children felt as if they had a choice of school for their child compared to 41 per cent of parents of White British children.· Thirty one per cent of BME families thought that teachers had the professional training required to meet the needs of children with autism, and rated the quality of training of all professionals in their child’s school as 10 per cent lower than their White British counterparts did.· Parents from BME communities felt less satisfied with their child’s social and academic progress than their White British counterparts.Action· Local authorities, PCTs and local health boards must ensure that generic autism services are available for families from all ethnic backgrounds, and should help raise awareness about ASD and the support available amongst BME communities.· Local authorities must ensure that every child with autism can access a range of both mainstream and specialised services locally and that their individual needs are met.· Professionals working with children with autism from BME communities need training in autism as well as in cultural awareness to meet the needs of different communities.· Speech and language therapists working with children from bi- or multilingual families need to be aware of strategies to teach communication skills to these children.NotesAuthorRaspal Chima, Questions PublishingDate CreatedJune 2007Enquiries to:rchima@qiis.co.uk (Authoring Unit)Month / YearPage 1 of 1©Birmingham City Council"
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Leadership

Autism, Education & Ethnicity

24 Jun 2007

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      string(4940) "Leadership BriefingLeadership Briefing – www.teachingtimes.comReports Summaries – a weeklyservice of essential summaries,in-depth reports and criticalanalysis that’s new and relevantto education, linked to originalsource documents.THE AUTISM DIVIDEND: REAPING THEREWARDS OF BETTER INVESTMENTKeywordsAutism,investment,policy, practices,support, autisticindividuals,poor outcomes,poor healthcare,autonomy,supportstructuresSummaryThis major report, authored by LSE researchers, has been launched in the House of Lords toaddress the £32 billion annual cost of failing to support autistic people adequately in the UK.The report identifies major weaknesses in current policy and practices to support autisticindividuals and improve their lives.Poor support for autistic people results in poor choices, leading in turn to poorer outcomes – andthe impacts on autistic people and their families can be highly damaging. Autistic people are morelikely to be excluded from schools, suffer poor healthcare and have a high risk of premature death.In addition, only 16 percent of diagnosed autistic adults in England are in full-time employment, andtwo-thirds are not working at all.Key Findings:Consistent themes or principles that underlie both our recommendations and the challenges mostcommonly faced by autistic people are: ■ Principle 1: Personalised actions Recognising people’s individual characteristics andcircumstances, different needs and individual preferences. ■ Principle 2: choice and control Balancing the wish of many autistic people for greater autonomywith effective support structures to meet their needs. ■ Principle 3: addressing inequalities Providing support and building better understandingand tolerance of difference to address inequalities in access to healthcare, education andemployment. ■ Principle 4: a life-long perspective  Ensuring early identification and evidence-based interventionsduring childhood or adolescence, and at all stages of life.Recommendations: ■ A number of research areas emerged from the analysis of the evidence-base where knowledgeis currently weak. With stronger supporting evidence though, these areas could have significantimpact on the lives of autistic people.1. Ensure timely identification and diagnosis2. Provide evidence-supported interventions3. Make the economic case for intervention4. Remove barriers to access5. Tackle environmental and other stressorsWeek Commencing 30th January 2017http://nationalautismproject.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/autism-dividend-report.pdfhttp://nationalautismproject.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/autism-dividend-report.pdfLeadership BriefingLeadership Briefing – www.teachingtimes.comReports Summaries – a weeklyservice of essential summaries,in-depth reports and criticalanalysis that’s new and relevantto education, linked to originalsource documents.6. Fight stigma and discrimination7. Ensure better transitions (for example between child and adult services)8. Coordinate action across sectors9. Build better information systemsResearch Recommendations: ■ The many gaps encountered in the evidence base suggest themselves as potential topics forresearch:1. Development of new gender- and age-appropriate diagnostic tools and interventions.2. Basic and applied research to support personalised actions.3. Basic and applied research on the conditions that co-occur with autism and strategies to preventor ameliorate their frequency, severity and consequences.4. High-quality, ideally long-term, studies of interventions of all kinds and across all relevant systems– education, health, social care, housing, employment, criminal justice and beyond – to establishtheir acceptability, effectiveness and contribution to wellbeing, especially in adults.5. High-quality studies on the real-world implementation of emerging interventions to establishtheir feasibility, generalisability, affordability and cost-effectiveness; and development of tools toconduct such studies (such as routine measurement of service utilisation, economic effects onparents, and autism-sensitive measures for health-related quality of life).6. Research into ways to change social attitudes, prevent bullying and stop discrimination.7. Studies to find the best ways to coordinate actions and interventions across different systems anddifferent professional groups to stop autistic people falling through the gaps, especially duringperiods of transition in their lives.8. Concerted efforts to ensure that research on autism is co-produced with autistic people.9. Investment in the collection of data on autistic people so as to build information systems thatunderpin the other recommendations of this report.WEB LINKThe Autism Dividend: Reaping the Rewards of Better Investmenthttp://nationalautismproject.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/autism-dividend-report.pdf"
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Leadership

The Autism Dividend: Reaping the Rewards of Better Investment

26 Jan 2017

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