Type of service: Day schools, Schools

The TEACCH Department at Heritage House School caters for pupils with significant learning difficulties and communication difficulties including autism aged from 2 to nineteen years. The Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Impaired Children (TEACCH) approach uses physical and visual structure to support pupils to be as independent as possible. Our Skills for Life curriculum consists of six key areas: effective communication; personal, social and emotional development; practical skills of independence; problem solving (the ability to think and to find solutions in real situations); physical fitness; and leisure: sports and arts. The curriculum incorporates appropriate areas of the National Curriculum. Each pupil has work tasks selected for them individually which will ensure achievement and progression. In addition to work sessions we have daily group activities which include music, art, food technology, physical education (PE), swimming and community activities. The school has purpose built art and food technology rooms, a music specialist teacher and a hydrotherapy pool. To assist pupils with their communication the school uses the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). PECS is a visual system which supports any verbal communication and develops the initiation of communication as well as the responding. Student nurses as volunteers may be accepted to work with the pupils. We implement full TEACCH which incorporates the elements of SPELL.

Aimed at: Adolescent , Child

Specialisms: Has autism-specific elements

Other specialisms: Learning disability