Disability

New disability identification tool

scameron — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:01:03 +0000

As the DDA and Equality Act broaden the definition of disability and the duties of schools, testing has recently been completed on draft tools for helping schools to identify disability

In order to assist schools in collecting reliable and consistent disability information, a toolkit will soon be released by the Department for Education (DfE).

Is your school fulfilling its disability duties?

scameron — Thu, 27 May 2010 16:13:05 +0100

What are schools’ existing disability duties?

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Are the Disability Discrimination Act obligations too burdensome for schools?

scameron — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:09:23 +0000

What are the obligations under the DDA?
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Disability equality – the duty in schools

scameron — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:26:38 +0100

The law relating to disability discrimination is complex, and an increasing number of schools are finding themselves subject to legal challenge on the grounds of disability discrimination. Susie Roome discusses your responsibilities and obligations towards disabled pupils, and how recent case law may assist in successfully defending these challenges.
What disability equality law applies to the education sector?
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Supporting pupils with asthma and other medical conditions

scameron — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:04:02 +0000

We shall soon be into the hayfever season, when many children suffer from respiratory problems, and those with asthma can find their discomfort increased. Many of us can sympathise with children and young people who suffer with a range of debilitating physical conditions, not only during the spring and summer months but all year round. This e-bulletin we consider how you as a SENCo can implement good policy and practice in school which supports these pupils and minimises the negative effects on their learning and achievement.

Support for SENCos
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Support for augmentative and alternative communication

scameron — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:38:27 +0000

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is the umbrella term used to describe the full range of communication methods that can be used to supplement or substitute for ‘normal’ speech or writing when these are impaired or absent. The term encompasses everything from gestures and signing, to aids, which can be low-tech (such as picture boards) or high-tech (employing the latest technology).
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ADHD: diagnosis and management in schools

scameron — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 12:43:33 +0000

At the end of September, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health published their guideline on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A common behavioural disorder in children and young people, ADHD is estimated to affect up to 3% of school-age children and young people in the UK and about 2% of adults worldwide. It usually starts in early childhood, with some people continuing to have ADHD
into adulthood.
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Speech and communication difficulties: part 2 + Helpsheet 18

scameron — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 10:42:02 +0000

The needs of pupils with SLCN are often widespread and can include any or all of the following areas.
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Provision for pupils with anxiety disorders and depressive disorders

scameron — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:15:46 +0000

The range of anxiety disorders and depressive disorders
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Transforming provision for those with SLCN

scameron — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 11:31:27 +0000

The recently published Bercow Report makes recommendations to the government on how to improve provision for children and young people aged 0-19 with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) and their families. The recommendations are gathered under five key themes, which we summarise below.
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Speech and communication difficulties

scameron — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:04:46 +0000

There are many ways to describe children's speech, language and communication needs, but the most important point to remember is that every child is an individual. Their needs depend on a whole range of factors, including:
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Provision for pupils with conduct disorder

scameron — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:54:33 +0000

Conduct disorder may be among the most challenging that SENCOs encounter. It can include a range of behaviours such as aggression, destroying property, stealing, housebreaking, and truanting and is commonly associated with other disorders including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and substance abuse disorders.
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Fetal alcohol syndrome in children

scameron — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:31:00 +0000

So-called ‘lifestyle illnesses’ are fast becoming the number one concern of politicians and health professionals. Professor Ian Gilmore, of the Royal College of Physicians, recently warned of ‘a tsunami of health-related harm’ if the government failed to take action on issues such as obesity and alcohol-related disease. Information released by the Department of Health in July, based on a new approach to counting alcohol-related hospital admissions, produced a figure of 811,000 in 2006 (accounting for 6% of all admissions) compared with 473,500 in 2002.
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Provision for pupils with speech disorders

scameron — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:33:24 +0000

Thompson (2003, p10) defines speech as ‘the mechanical aspect of communication... the ability to produce the sounds, words and phrases.’ Speech difficulties occur when communication is impaired by the child’s capacity for speech. Speech may be unintelligible owing to: physical difficulties with articulation; and/or difficulties making sound contrasts that convey meaning; and/or problems in controlling pitch. Phonological disorders, the focus of much of this article, relate to differences in speech sounds that carry meaning.
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Support for children with coordination difficulties

scameron — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:27:27 +0000

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which has so far been signed by 129 countries and ratified by 26, marks a milestone in the effort to promote the human rights and inherent dignity of persons with disabilities.
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The recruitment and retention of SENCOs

scameron — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:30:21 +0000

In the 14 years since the role of the SENCO was established there has been limited research into the recruitment, induction and retention of SENCOs. In 2007, the National Association for Special Educational Needs (nasen) commissioned a piece of research into these aspects to inform its own work and influence national policy. The findings offer an intriguing insight into the career trajectories of SENCOs in England, the influences on individuals, and some of the implications for schools and the education system.

Methodology
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Supporting pupils with dyspraxia + Help Sheet 16

scameron — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:25:02 +0000

Dyspraxia, sometimes known as Developmental Coordination Difficulties (DCD) is now much more widely recognised, and there is a greater awareness of its impact on pupils’ achievements in school. Approximately one in 20 children have this condition, with boys affected four times more frequently than girls. Many children with generalised learning difficulties, dyslexia and ADHD also have coordination difficulties, which makes a significant impact on achievements in school, confidence and self-esteem.
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Supporting pupils with physical impairment

scameron — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:08:18 +0000

Many children have to deal with the temporary inconvenience of a broken arm or leg, but for a smaller number of people, physical impairment is a life-long challenge. When difficulties are significant and long-term, children are protected by the Disability Discrimination Act which makes it unlawful to treat them less-favorably than others.
Dyspraxia or Developmental Co-ordination Difficulties (DCD) is an impairment or immaturity of the ‘organisation of movement’ and we will deal with this separately next week.
Support for SENCOs
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Supporting pupils with visual impairment

scameron — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:21:16 +0000

We began our last issue with reference to less-than-perfect hearing being a symptom of ‘advancing years’. Well, failing eyesight is also a common complaint among mature people. Many of you reading this will be wearing specs or contact lenses and may well have your screen settings adjusted to display a larger than usual font, or a coloured background.
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Supporting pupils with impaired hearing

scameron — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:26:59 +0000

Hearing impairment is something with which those of us who are the wrong side of forty will probably be able to empathise. Attending a wedding last weekend, I struggled to hear the quietly spoken man sitting opposite me at the dinner table and was completely unable to have any sort of conversation later, while the disco was in full swing. The very effort of trying to hear what was being said was exhausting and many of my contemporaries soon opted out of any verbal communication.
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Educational neuroscience: where are we?

scameron — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:00:07 +0000

The rise of educational neuroscience
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Supporting SEN pupils during exams

scameron — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:18:49 +0100

Spring and exam time may seem a long way away, but it isn’t too early to begin thinking about pupils who will need special arrangements in order to demonstrate their true abilities. Children and young people with SEN will benefit from careful preparation for any sort of test or exam and there may also be special arrangements to be made in terms of providing readers and amanuenses, for example.
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Supporting pupils with Asperger’s Syndrome

scameron — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:30:04 +0100

Support for SENCOs
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The Changing Role of the SENCO

scameron — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:08:18 +0100

Christopher Robertson summarises some of the policy milestones that have influenced SEN practice in schools and local authorities, and the important changes about to take place.
This supplement was originally sent out with SENCO Update

Supporting students with complex needs

scameron — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:04:16 +0100

St Nicholas School in Canterbury caters for students with profound, severe and complex needs. The therapy team at the school has grown over the last 10 years but our accommodation has not! This has provided an opportunity for joint working. So often we have found ourselves puzzling about how best to support a child only to discover another member of the team just inches away wondering about their role with the same child. Clearly, the way forward was to work together as closely in thought and deed as we were in physical proximity!
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Safeguarding provision for disabled children

scameron — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:39:59 +0100

Safeguarding Disabled Children: A Resource for Local Safeguarding Children Boards was published in February 2006. It was intended as a resource tool for local safeguarding boards facilitating the audit of local service provision in relation to protecting children from abuse and neglect and in planning to ensure disabled children are safeguarded on an equal basis to other children. The more recently published Children’s Plan includes a full section on the needs of disabled children and the expectation that all children are treated on an equal basis.
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Provision for pupils with dyscalculia

scameron — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 17:06:57 +0100

Definition
Mathematics disorder/dyscalculia is defined as, ‘a condition that affects the ability to acquire mathematical skills. Dyscalculic learners may have difficulty understanding simple number concepts, lack an intuitive grasp of numbers, and have problems with learning number facts and procedures. Even if they produce the correct answer or use the correct method, they may do so mechanically and without confidence’ (Department of Education and Skills, 2001).

Curriculum and assessment and organisation
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Practical tips for supporting pupils with mutism

sara — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:28:26 +0100

Steps to develop confidence in speaking

Written by Sue Soan

This resource contains steps to develop pupils' confidence in speaking, especially those pupils that have mutism.

Key characteristics of selective mutism may include:

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An innovative approach to support pupils with profound or complex needs

sara — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:28:26 +0100

Supporting pupils with profound or complex needs

Edited by Mick Archer

This resource describes the Shared Goals Project, an approach implemented by the therapy team at St Nicholas School in Canterbury, to support pupils with profound or complex needs.

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Auditing resources for supporting pupils

sara — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:21:42 +0100
Support for SENCOs

Auditing resources

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Supporting pupils with SEN in music

sara — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:21:40 +0100
Support for SENCOs

Music across the curriculum

Music to 'settle' children entering the hall for assembly is now used in many schools to good effect and can significantly reduce incidences of low-level disruption on such occasions. Teachers have also found it useful as a calming influence in some classrooms and though it certainly can't be claimed to be a 'cure-all', it's certainly worth a try in this respect.

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Supporting pupils with SEN in PE and sport

sara — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:21:39 +0100

Support for SENCOs
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Supporting SEN across the curriculum

sara — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:21:38 +0100
Support for SENCOs

Supporting across the curriculum

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Spotting pupils with numeracy difficulties

sara — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:21:37 +0100

Pupils have difficulties with numbers and numerical operations for a variety of reasons, including inadequate or inappropriate first teaching, absence from school resulting in gaps in mathematics learning, and lack of early 'mathematical' and language experience in the home. Some experience specific difficulties which may lead to a diagnosis of dyscalculia, or be connected to the learner's dyslexia (more on this next week). Whatever the causes, the most common areas of concern involve difficulties with:
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Writing skills: dyslexia and dyspraxia

sara — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:21:36 +0100

Writing skills (part two)

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The mechanics of writing: problems and solutions

sara — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:21:35 +0100

Support for SENCOs

Writing skills

The mechanics of writing are important but easy to take for granted by adults who are proficient. If you are delivering staff INSET on this subject, display a piece of text on the board and ask staff to copy it down, using the hand they don't usually write with (for most people this will be their left hand): alternatively, ask some colleagues to wear a mitten; to give them an idea of what writing feels like for a child with coordination difficulties.

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Supporting pupils with sensory and physical difficulties

sara — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:21:33 +0100
Most children will experience some level of physical or sensory difficulty at some time in their lives - whether it's a broken leg, 'glue ear' or discomfort brought on by a medical condition. Teachers have to be aware of these conditions and how to alleviate any adverse effects on pupils' learning. When difficulties are significant and long term, children are protected by the Disability Discrimination Act which makes it unlawful to treat them less favourably than others.
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One in five children have some sort of hearing impairment + Help Sheet 4

sara — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:21:33 +0100
It's thought that one in five children have some kind of hearing impairment (HI) at some point in their school careers. For many, this will be mild and temporary, for others, it is a permanent condition which they − and their teachers − have to come to terms with. This week we provide information for you to share with colleagues to help them consider the needs of HI learners.

SEN Support

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Characteristics of cognitive and learning difficulties + Help Sheet 2

sara — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:21:32 +0100
Continuing with our overview of the Code of Practice categories, this week we consider children and young people with cognition and learning difficulties. This is a very broad spectrum of need, so we will look at the various types of difficulty this week; strategies next week, and in the following week consider those learners with more significant needs who are working at P levels.

Support for SENCOs

Cognition and learning

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Strategies for cognition and learning difficulties

sara — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:21:32 +0100

Children with cognition and learning difficulties make up the largest group of pupils with special educational needs in mainstream schools. Each is an individual and particular strategies will be valuable, but there are some generic approaches to share with colleagues that may help them to differentiate effectively for children who find it hard to learn.

Support for SENCOs

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Cognition and learning: significant difficulties

sara — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:21:32 +0100

In our third installment looking at Cognition and Learning, we focus on children and young people with more significant difficulties. The level of support needed by these pupils means that they often attend a specialist setting, but increasingly they are welcomed into a mainstream school for at least part of the week: what do teachers need to know?

Support for SENCOs
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Behavioural, emotional and social development (BESD): causes and labels

sara — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:21:32 +0100

Continuing with our review of the categories of need identified in the Code of Practice, we look this week at behavioural, emotional and social development (BESD). For many teachers, this is the area of most concern; how can they meet children's needs in a way that avoids disruption and interference with the learning of others? As SENCO, you may find yourself being asked to deal with 'situations' on a regular basis, so anything you can do to help colleagues develop good practice in this field will be of all-round benefit.

SENCO Support
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Supporting children with visual impairments

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:21:31 +0100

Most children with visual impairments (VI) cope perfectly well in mainstream schools, with appropriate specs, but some have problems that go undetected, and others have significant difficulties that require specialist help.
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Identifying communication and interaction difficulties

sara — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:21:31 +0100

Among those who may take a little longer to settle in to the new school year will be children and young people who have difficulties with communication and interaction. Here we take a look at the kinds of barriers they may encounter and how you as SENCO can support colleagues in identifying and understanding any problems.

See also useful classroom strategies for teachers to take on board.
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Removing barriers to learning

sara — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:21:31 +0100

Support for SENCOs
Removing barriers to learning for pupils with communication and interaction difficulties
Being unable to express yourself and make your needs known must be one of the most frustrating of human experiences. Similarly, trying and failing to understand what someone else is struggling to convey can be extremely disheartening.
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Supporting the child with a hearing difficulty

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:21:30 +0100

'Glue ear' is a by-product of the many colds and flu that circulate in schools. As many as four out of five children have at least one bout of glue ear before their fourth birthday – with a substantial proportion of them experiencing regular recurrence of temporary hearing loss throughout their primary school years. A smaller group go on to experience hearing difficulties in their teenage years.
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Supporting children with autism

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:21:30 +0100

Their difficulties with social interaction and communication mean that they can struggle to understand and cope with many aspects of school life. As reported in a previous issue, more children are being identified as autistic than ever before.

The National Autistic Society (NAS) describes autism as ‘a lifelong developmental disability that affects the way a person communicates and relates to people around them’.
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An investigation into the effects of Seroxat

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:59 +0100
Tim Whattler was just 17 when he hanged himself in February 2006. It wasn’t his first attempt. Diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome and ADHD he had spent much of his short life in a variety of psychiatric units or being cared for by his parents at home. Their story, which appeared in the Telegraph last July, is an unsettling one. Typically, as part of Tim’s treatment he had been prescribed anti-depressants. These included Seroxat (a brand name for paroxetine), which he had been prescribed in his teens.
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Provision for pupils with development coordination disorder/dyspraxia

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:58 +0100

Definition
Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is considered a ‘marked impairment of motor coordination’, which ‘significantly interferes with academic achievement or activities of daily living’ and is ‘not due to a general medical condition’ (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Where the term ‘dyspraxia’ is used, definitions tend to focus on the organisation, planning and organisation of movement (Dixon and Addy, 2004).

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SEN students' views on ECM outcomes

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:57 +0100
A learning project in two Cornish comprehensive schools shows how the views of students with SEN can be listened to and acted on. The project shows both similarities in the positive and negative experiences of students with SEN in the two schools as well as institutional differences. The project involved SEN students acting as researchers to help improve their own learning experiences.

Project context

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