Bradford Schools Online

Autism

0-25 Specialist Teaching & Support Service

Social, Communication, Interaction & Learning (SCIL) Team

Communication & Interaction

Key documents

Ten Top Tips.	Top Tips (Early Years and Primary)
Sensory Profile (Primary)	Sensory Profile (Secondary)
Wellbeing Profile (Primary)	Wellbeing Profile (Secondary)
STAR Analysis	Adapting Language Help sheet

Seasonal Celebrations

The Winter seasons are filled with beautiful colours, cultures and festivals. Children look forward to the changes in the curriculum; the assembles, decorations, parties and presents.

However, for some children change can be a highly anxious time. Children with Autism can be hypo or hyper sensitive to environmental changes.

The SCIL Team have put together a bank of resources to help parents and schools prepare their children for seasonal changes and to equip them with the tools they need to cope so that they can enjoy seasonal Celebrations.

First /Then		This resource can be used to encourage children to complete an adult direct task followed by an activity of their choice. It can also be used to explain the sequence in which activities are going to take place.
Visual timetables		Visual timetables are an excellent visual representation of the sequence in which activities are going to place during the morning/afternoon/day. They are used to prepare children for the day or part of the day and also prepare them for changes in routines.
Social Stories		Social Stories are used to introduce change to children’s normal routine and prepare them for a particular event. This could range from an everyday event such as going to the supermarket to seasonal events such as a visit from Santa, a Diwali assembly or even a planned hospital appointment.
Sensory profile		This document is a tool to assess children’s sensory needs. It helps you understand a child's sensory processing patterns and identify the effect that this has on their participation at home, in school, and in the community. Your child may present with hyper sensitivities from e.g. light, sound, the feel of certain textures to smells and tastes.
Primary	Secondary
STAR Analysis		Is a useful method of assessing what happens before, during and after an episode of unacceptable behaviour and allows you to see a pattern in behaviour which can then be addressed.
Zones of Regulation		This strategy allows adults to teach children a variety of social-emotional skills, from early emotional skills to self-regulation and navigating social situations.

Restricted Diets

Children with autism may have a restricted diet. This is due to their sensory processing issues making them over or under-sensitive to smells, tastes and textures of different foods. This may affect their relationship with food and lead to meal times being a highly anxious time. The environment in which they eat their food can also be overwhelming for example a noisy school diner hall.

The SCIL Team have put together some resources to support parents and teachers to identify children’s sensitivities towards food, help reduce anxieties and making mealtimes a more pleasurable experience.

Sensory Profile		This assessment tool helps adults identify children’s hypo and hyper sensitivities including sensitivities around food.
Primary	Secondary
Talking Mats		Talking Mats can be used to enable children express their feelings towards different aspects of their life including food
Visual Timetables		This strategy is used to help children prepare for daily routines, changes in routines, one off events etc. Visual timetables can help children prepare for mealtimes
Zones of Regulation		This strategy allows adults to teach children a variety of social-emotional skills, from early emotional skills to self-regulation and navigating social situations.
Top Tips		Quick ideas and strategies to put into place to prepare and reduce anxieties.
STAR Analysis		Is a useful method of assessing what happens before, during and after an episode of unacceptable behaviour and allows you to see a pattern in behaviour which can then be addressed.

Resources To Support Transition

The move from one setting to another could be a daunting time for children. These transition packs are designed to support children make the transition from Nursery to Primary school and from Primary to Secondary school. The packs are interactive booklets which provide opportunities for children to familiarise themselves with their new settings by learning key information such as important places, key adults, daily routines and expectations. The transition packs are aimed at children but are also informative for parents/carers.

Helpsheets (Click the title and download)

Website (click on the link)

Transition toolkit: resources for starting, changing or leaving school or college Source: www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk

Page owned by Lynda Hitchen, last updated on 10/01/2022. This page has been viewed 11,906 times.