Autistic Spectrum Disorder - ASD Outreach

Supporting the achievement of individual children with a diagnosis of Autism by:

• Providing specialist advice for schools from a range of professionals, including specialist teachers, speech and language therapists, outreach workers and an occupational therapist
• Providing individual children with consultative visits and on-going support, as appropriate
• Providing schools with a range of training opportunities to develop understanding of autism and good educational practice
• Training and supporting staff in the implementation of specialist interventions in school
• Delivering group-based interventions such as social skills and friendship groups
• Ensuring smooth transitions through the provision of a structured programme of support for pupils. For example when children are moving from primary to secondary school
  
  

ASD support for families:

Following diagnosis the child’s family is offered targeted training to assist their understanding and ability to support their child.  ASD outreach staff are licenced trainers of the National Autistic Society Early Bird and Barnado’s Cygnet parent programmes.  

The service also provides on-going support, advice and sign posting for individual families.

Providing support to children pre-diagnosis with a confirmed social communication disorder:

• Delivering targeted support to pupils awaiting a diagnostic assessment where required
• Buy-in service available to purchase for on-going support for children pre-diagnosis

An additional 'buy in' service is available to support children with social communication needs, many of whom will be waiting a diagnostic assessment for ASD. This service would deliver a day a week of a Social Communication Outreach Worker to your school to support the delivery of interventions to this group of children.  For more details please contact us.

Early Years Inclusion Service

We work with parents, carers and professionals to ensure an integrated approach to the planning and support of young children (under statutory school age) by:

• Providing early years consultation sessions; a regular support group to develop reflective thinking and professional development around issues arising in early years
• Offering advice and support to providers for under threes (including those in school settings)
• Ensuring non-school, early years foundation stage providers are inclusive and support the identification and development of children with SEND

Provision of training and support to childcare providers, and early education providers, in the private, voluntary and independent sector (including childminders).  This enables children with disabilities and additional needs to receive appropriate and inclusive childcare and early learning when accessing their setting, including:

• Development of staff skills in understanding and meeting the needs of young children with SEND in their setting
• Understanding and implementation of legislation/guidance related to SEND
• Direct support and training to setting-based SENCOs in their role, including induction and on-going CPD
  
  

Sensory Team for Deaf and Vision Impaired Children

We will work with:

• Pre-school children from the point of diagnosis once referred to us from medical professionals
• Children in local mainstream nurseries and schools (including those home schooled)
• Children and young people with additional needs who attend specialist schools
• Young people who attend post-16 provisions
• Families and carers of children with a sensory loss
  
  

The support we offer children and young people who have received a diagnosis of hearing loss or vision impairment (that cannot be corrected with glasses alone) is:

• Information and advice to parents/carers about their child's diagnosis
• Audiology and Visual Aid support
• Functional assessments for HI and VI
• Language development, including sign language and use of Braille
• Training for professionals and educational settings on HI and VI
• Observations and visits of chidren at home and in educational settings
• Provision of bespoke 1:1 or small group teaching blocks related to agreed targets both at home and in educational settings
• Provision of advice and training to educational settings on the use of specialist equipment
• Provision of specialist equipment to support access to visual and spoken information
• Attendance at review meetings
• Production of professional reports
• Continuous liaison with other professionals and networking
• Habilitation support
• Support and advice on Access Arrangements
  
  

Support Team for Education in Primary and Secondary Schools (STEPS)

STEPS promotes the inclusion of pupils with additional needs by

• Assessing children's needs
• Providing personalised learning programmes
• One-to-one specialist dyslexia assessment and teaching
• Advising school staff on best practice for children with complex needs, including Down syndrome
• Supporting transitions between key phases
• Supporting staff in the implementation of specialist interventions in schools
  
  

 STEPS works with schools to provide

• Outreach support
• A range of training opportunities, to develop understanding of high quality inclusive practice and assessment
• Opportunities to gain the Dyslexia Friendly School quality mark
• Advice and support on creating safe and inclusive learning environments in classrooms