| Autistic Spectrum Disorders |
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ASD / Communication Support Pent Valley Technology College is committed to supporting all of our students in the best way possible. A very few of our students at times struggle with social communication and can find coming into school daunting. Students that have a diagnosis of ASD or indeed any child that suffers with anxiety or a need associated with speech, language and communication, can at some point struggle.It is, as always our intention to offer as much support for both parent/carer and child as possible. You should already be aware that within the ASD/ Communication support provision, students are invited in from 8:30- 8:50am and 3:20- 4:00pm to discuss any difficulty they may be having with either me as ASD Coordinator or one of our mini school lead teaching assistants. You may also contact me direct should you or your child need any advice. We are now also trialing a parent support, where parents/carers of students with communication difficulties can meet and share their experiences. Our next meeting will be held on October 12th 2011 and you are welcome to come along and join us. How can you help? Organisation Encourage your child to become organised at home i.e. 1) Packing school bags the night before. 2) Ensure any communication is taken out of bags on return from school 3) Use check sheets to encourage them to become independent. 4) Help to plan a homework timetable for the independent learning. Set a start and finish time. Independence It is hoped that eventually all students that attend Pent Valley Technology College will one day become independent. It is our aim to encourage this from the outset. 1) Travelling to and from school- encourage children to use public transport. Practise routes and eventually allow them to travel unescorted. ( if necessary meet them at the other end until competent) 2) Managing finances - Encourage students to manage money and learn how to budget -send them into shops to purchase items and check their change. 3) Speaking out – Encourage students to request things in school independently e.g. New timetable, stationery, (if they have forgotten theirs) appointments about school work with teachers etc. Being able to communicate with others and ask for support when needed is something that we all have to do at times. Although for obvious reasons it is sometimes easier to make the call for our children, thus ensuring the request is relayed. We need to recognise that eventually they will leave school and have to do things for themselves. This is not to say that we do not want to hear about any difficulties your child may be having from you, as it is crucial that we are kept informed. Home School Liaison Students that have ASD can have adverse reactions when things aren’t going well. If there has been a change to either their routine or to a family situation, please let us know as soon as possible. This will enable us to be prepared for any unusual behaviour that they may present in school. It is much better for us to be aware and to try to prevent a crisis rather than have to deal with a larger issue that has already been allowed to fester. Minor issues to do with school routine can generally be sorted out quite quickly and will thus alleviate the thought of school refusal crossing their mind. If I can be of any help at all, please feel free to contact me in school via your child’s Head of Mini school. Mrs Su Phillipps ASD Coordinator
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