Type of service: Day schools, Schools

The name of the unit for pupils with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) is the Special Support Centre (SSC). We aim to facilitate learning through a wide variety of stimuli ranging from constructive play to keyboard skills. We try to foster social awareness by giving one-to-one and small group sessions and later large group sessions. The class is situated on the site of the mainstream first school and so integration at various levels is available to suit individual need. Once children are admitted to the special class, they will be taught in groups, pairs and individually. Three full time staff, made up of a teacher and two special support assistants, plus a speech and language therapist work on implementing each child's individual education programme alongside all National Curriculum subjects. The children's progress is constantly monitored and assessed and new targets are set. Parents of the special class are kept informed of progress and are given the opportunity to visit the school, formally and informally, to discuss their children's immediate and future needs. Volunteers may be accepted to work with the pupils in mainstream and not the SSC. Other interventions offered by the school are visual timetables/picture cues. The main criteria is for social and communication disorders. Any behaviour disorders experienced by the child will be as a result of the communication difficulty, not a primary disorder.

Aimed at: Child

Specialisms: Has autism-specific elements