SPOTLIGHT ON SEND Helping girls with autism
This month, in Education Today’s new series of articles on SEND, London Grid for Learning’s JO DILWORTH returns to the theme of girls with autism with a series of pointers for teachers looking to support autistic girls in their classrooms.
When I’m chatting to other parents and carers, I hear too often about teenage girls with autism struggling to cope and only getting specialist intervention in the current climate when their mental health has deteriorated to an appalling degree. Whilst there is little we can individually do to decrease waiting lists for underfunded services, which I have found are often full of really committed staff, there are so many things we can do to support girls with autism. Here are some suggestions for staff from some of the girls with autism that I know; worth mentioning that 50% of them involve being told off:
• Explain things more than once. Don't expect us to always understand what you mean first time. And show us what you want us to do rather than tell us.
• Take the time to find out what we are interested in. So, for example, I like cooking and learn a lot through Food Tech, like maths and science and written work.
• A teacher telling us what they are thinking and feeling (i.e. labelling their emotions for the children) before they say something means that we get less confused about what they are actually saying.
• Teachers often try and joke with the class. Children with ASD take this seriously; for example, saying that if children don’t get changed quickly, the teacher will cut their ears off. The child with ASD might think this is true. Think about what you say even if it is a joke.
• When teachers tell the whole class off, the kid with ASD thinks they have done something wrong. Please just speak to the ones who have done wrong.
• Teachers should try not shout at the girls, because imagine if you are really sensitive to noise then you get really anxious.
• Don't be too strict and critical because if the girls think they are often being told off (and wrong) that will reduce their confidence
• Teachers need to understand that a student having an outburst may be to do with other students being mean in a way that the teacher doesn’t see. The teachers always tell off the child with autism for being rude – sometimes they don’t look at the bigger picture.
• We had a chart in Year 2 where you could stick faces which showed different emotions under your name to show the teacher if you can feel sad or lonely and they can sort it out. I still have a picture I show when I need help, but I wish we still had a chart like that.
• It is really important we sit next to someone who we like and don’t find annoying. I sat next to someone who used my space all the time and I could not concentrate on anything.
It’s also really helpful to hear from other girls and women with
autism. Alis Rowe, for example, has created some fantastic resources at
https://thegirlwiththecurlyhair.co.uk/ and is just one of an increasing number of #actuallyautistic voices who speak clearly and articulately about women and the need for more support and understanding.
April 2018
Using TAs effectively to take the load off
specialist SEND teachers This month, regular Education Today contributor, acting head teacher and former SENCO KATE SARGINSON takes a look at the way Teaching Assistants can complement the specialist SEND teacher in the classroom.
The employment of Teaching Assistants (TAs) has been a model of classroom support which has existed for decades. Most TAs are linked to individual children with special educational needs in receipt of funding, as well as TAs representing the single biggest investment of pupil premium. £4 billion a year is spent on Teaching Assistants intended to support the most vulnerable pupils. With this sum equating to approximately 10% of the total education budget, it is not surprising that in these days of increasing financial constraints, questions are being asked about the effectiveness of this spending. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) produces a toolkit
which summarises research evidence evaluating a range of teaching and learning strategies, and judges them. Shockingly, pupils in classes with a TA do not make any more academic progress than those in one where only a teacher is present. The EEF concludes that Teaching Assistants have low impact, for a high cost. If schools consult the toolkit, the EEF’s findings cast doubt on the value of the TAs and their long assumed necessity. However, it may not be so simple. Firstly the EEF acknowledges a
lack of research studies on which their findings are based. The negative conclusions make the headlines, but research has also shown how TAs are developed and deployed makes a difference to their effectiveness. Pupil’s achievements rise where TAs have been specifically trained to deliver structured support programmes with individuals or small groups, and there is also evidence that pupils’ attitudes to learning and self-confidence can improve. Additionally, the presence of another adult in the classroom can help to improve behaviour. Secondly, the EEF does not conduct research into why the TA role
may be ineffective. Individual personalities and competencies aside, there are contributing factors which could be seen to set TAs up to fail. For a start, there is a bewildering dearth of any instructional input
about TA usage in the classroom. During their training, beginning teachers are not specifically taught about the role of the TA. It is uncommon to receive any on-going support for practising teachers in deploying additional adults in the classroom. The structure of the school day, combined with the hierarchical
nature of an educational setting means that communication before the lesson between teachers and TAs is limited at best; most likely non-existent. Without clear knowledge of the teacher’s expectations, many TAs play a guessing game, lesson by lesson, of what they can and can’t do, all whilst having to quickly grasp subject content and understand the tasks given to the pupils. Thought should be given to an alternative model of in-class support
where TAs can also be directed to work with children of other abilities in order for the teacher, who is the more highly trained subject specialist, to focus on those with special educational needs. Wider responsibility for the success of the TA role needs to be taken.
Working with TAs needs to be a key part of initial teacher training. Teachers need to understand their responsibility to all ability levels in the classroom so that TAs support learning, not supplement their teaching. Time has to be made available for teachers and TAs to engage in joint planning and build a professional working relationship. If these steps were taken the research findings may prove better than low impact for high cost.
www.education-today.co.uk 19
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