At last week's T&L Carousel, I was lucky enough to go to the session on ASD. With the changes we are currently making to the KS3 curriculum it seemed like perfect timing to find out about ways to resource for all learners including our pupils who work with support from the Croft.
The workshop offered ideas and strategies to support communication and language, with tips about the sensory needs of pupils. There were plenty of fantastic resources and inspiration that have led me to consider several things. Below is a summary of the ideas and the ways I will be bringing them into my classroom.
The workshop offered ideas and strategies to support communication and language, with tips about the sensory needs of pupils. There were plenty of fantastic resources and inspiration that have led me to consider several things. Below is a summary of the ideas and the ways I will be bringing them into my classroom.
1) Social stories for managing change.
The social stories are a brilliant way to offer the details about the change to expect in a clear way. These are clear statements about what to expect on a day when the normal circumstances for the lesson are not going to be happening. If teachers setting cover were able to, the social stories can be a helpful resource to offer a pupil with Autism. I tried one today for a pupil who was going to come along to a lesson as part of their transition.
2) Language and understanding vocabulary
We were shown a really helpful mind map sheet to discuss the understanding of key vocabulary. This breaks down the word by offering a picture and some key information about the use of the word in speech and writing. It was also useful to be reminded that sometimes pupils will lack the understanding of words that we regularly use in lessons. I have added a new box to my lesson schedules to try to aid discussions between pupils and LSAs and to signpost me to any language that is tricky each week.
3) Sensory audit
LBY shared ideas about the sensory needs and challenges for pupils. This prompted the idea of offering pupils a sensory audit to help us to understand the elements of the environment that might make learning more difficult. This is something I might trial with any of the new Year 7 pupils I meet as I have got to know the other pupils in the older year groups. The image (sorry about the poor quality) taken from the slideshow lists the senses to consider.
4) Sensory resources
In a final review lesson with Year 7, I had the opportunity to show one pupil a relief postcard that has bumps to reflect the mountainous landscape. In conversation with this pupil, they expressed how pleasing it was to experience the map in a new sensory way. As a result of this helpful chat, I have ordered more relief post cards to go along with a KS3 topic. This pupil connected really positively, so I have also ordered some of Europe and the whole world for them to use and explore with their new teacher.
Having made such a positive connection from something so simple, I have decided to trial having a sensory toolkit in my room. This will be a box of assorted items that may be pleasing or comforting to handle, Having had the chance to handle lots of the items the Croft have, I developed a better appreciation of the importance of these items to help settle and comfort pupils. So far I have ordered and begun to assemble some items that are stress ball style, plus things like feathers and pine cones that may have an interesting texture. If you are interested I hope to have the toolkit ready for use by the end of the month so feel free to pop to my room to take a look.
Author LWR
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