Supporting children and young people with special educational needs

Outline of session DES supports

Key features of new model

NEPS role – Continuum of Support

NEPS role – Three-step process

Conclusion

DES Supports

• NCSE Support Service – SESS, NBSS, VISITING TEACHER SERVICE, SENOs

-Leading the inclusive school

-Assessment and educational planning

• Inspectorate

• PDST advisory teams/Junior Cycle Team

• Education Centre Network

• NCCA

• Needs based model • Resources frontloaded • Greater emphasis on: - whole-school approach - planning cycle - collaborative action • Validation of teacher skills and

knowledge and school led change

• Focus on Continuum of Support • Innovative practice • Support from outside professionals • Using resources based on needs-

GAM • Focus on assessment and diagnosis

as appropriate- as a road map to inform interventions

New Allocation Model

Strengths of new model? What is not new?

Experience of the pilot

• Overall experience was positive for schools

• School already using resources flexibly

• Valued the professional autonomy to allocate resources based on need

• Enabled to intervene early

• Were using the Continuum of Support to identify needs and to plan interventions

• Used the opportunity to review their approach to identifying and responding to the needs of students with SEN

• Drew on the support services to strengthen their practices

NEPS Model of Service

• Support and development work

- Early Intervention Programmes/ Guidance on Policy and Practice

- Team and Individual

- 20 % of time approx.

• Casework: to respond to individual needs,

- across CoS

- Consultation based problem-solving

model

- 80% of time approx.

Continuum of Services

Clients/Focus of Service

Core Practices

Time allocation model

• Time allocation based on size of school, DEIS status, Gender, Primary/Post-Primary

• Planning meeting with your psychologist, and discuss your needs in relation to the new allocation model

• Variety of ways in which NEPS can support the new allocation model

• Schools to prioritise key actions with their NEPS psychologist

Consultation

• Consultation is a structured problem-solving approach with a focus on improving educational and well-being outcomes of pupils

• Recognises the expertise and knowledge of

teachers, parents and others

• A collaborative 4 step-problem -solving process where there is joint exploration, information gathering, analysis, intervention and review.

• Supported by data/information from multiple

sources- individual pupil, classroom and school

What is the concern?

Why is it happening?

Joint problem

analysis What can we do to

help?

Joint planning

Did it work?

Monitoring and Evaluation

Consultation

Data-Informed Decision Making

•Who is concerned? •Problem clarification •Background information •Initial guiding hypotheses •Agree further data gathering •Roles and responsibilities

Assessment of •cognitive, •affective, •personal and •environmental factors Analysis of data In light of initial concerns & to inform intervention

•Select evidence-based intervention •Implementation planning •Target setting •Progress monitoring

•Progress records •Targets achieved? •What’s working well? •What needs to be modified?

School

Support Plus (for a Few)

School Support (for Some)

Classroom Structures and

Support/Classroom Support

Whole-School Framework

Promoting and Supporting Academic & Social/Emotional Competence

2-5%

10-20%

80-90%

A Continuum of Support

Dr. Christine Chapple 2017

A Continuum of Support

• The process is underpinned by a response to intervention approach

- Evidence informed interventions

- Careful monitoring of outcomes

- If not successful more intensive supports are provided

Milder Needs More Complex Needs

Classroom based support for Individualised support for more

Mild and/or transient needs complex and /or enduring needs

Dr. Christine Chapple 2017

Whole School/ Classroom Support for All

Support schools to intervene early to promote academic success and social/ emotional/behavioural competence for all:

How?

• Consultation/Guidance with management team/SEN team on policy/good practice relating to education of children with SEN

• Training/CPD

Whole School Framework

Whole School/ Classroom Support for All: Consultation around practices, policies, programmes

• Consultation re whole-school processes with your assigned psychologist as part of planning meeting

- Implementing a Continuum of Support

- Assessment approaches

- Transition

- Educational Planning/target setting

- Monitoring outcomes

- Parent involvement

- Pupil involvement

- Care teams

• Response could be consultation unique to your school

and/or

• Training organised through the education centre

and/or

• Group consultation

An example, Pupil participation

• Many children with complex SEN come through the education system

reliant on adults to make decisions for them

• Pupils need to be involved in identifying own needs and setting their

own goals, in making choices

• Shift in focus to assets and strengths

• Person Centred Planning offers a range of tools and guidance on how

to do this.

PCP Tools Ref Helen Sanderson Associates

Absent

Informed

Considered

Represented

Consulted

Participant

Partner

Planner

Pupil participation Reference: Personalising Education by Sanderson, Goodwin and Kinsella

One page profiles Ref It’s all about me, Wolverhampton City Council

Promoting Academic Success: NEPS resources

Prevention and Intervention: • Continuum of Support • A Balanced Approach to Literacy

Development in the Early Years • Effective Interventions for Struggling Readers

Promoting Social/Emotional/Behavioural Competence

Prevention and Intervention

• Behavioural, Emotional & Social

Difficulties: A Continuum of Support

• Specific programmes – Incredible

Years Teacher Classroom

Management programme, FRIENDS

for life

• Critical Incident Guidelines

Promoting well-being

• Well-being about promoting social and emotional competence

• An important lens for looking at the needs of children with SEN

- looks at developing social, emotional skills

- promoting supportive environments

- promoting positive relationships

Well-being and special educational needs

Also, children with SEN can experience a variety of challenges to their well-being:

• More isolated from peers/more rejection

• More bullying

• Less engaged with learning

• Lower belonging and connectedness

• Less likely to say they enjoy schools

• Less involved in extra-curricular activities

Promoting well-being

• Guidelines emphasise the need for a whole-school approach

• Building sense of connectedness and sense of belonging

• Process model: Establish a representative group

-Do a needs analysis

-Put interventions in place

-Review

School Support/Support for Some

• Support schools in responding to Some students/groups of students in need of more intensive support:

• How? • Consultation with individual teachers

to provide advice/support re identification of needs and evidence-informed interventions

• Group Consultation – with groups of teachers – to provide advice/support

• Training/CPD

• Some assessment/identification

Whole School Framework

School Support Plus/Support for Few

Support schools in responding to the Few students with complex need, including:

How? • Case work

• Consultation/assessment • Interview/observation/checklists/psychologic

al assessment

• Liaise with other professionals (e.g. SLTs, OTs, Multi-disciplinary teams)

Whole School Framework

Step 1. Identifying Needs

• Schools are already ‘data rich’

• Attendance records

• Teacher Observation and assessment

• Screening test results

• Samples of work

• The Continuum of Support. (All, Some, Few)

• Collaboration in assembling evidence (including pupil and parents)

• Part of a problem‐solving process • Identify priority needs

Post Primary - Circular Letter 0035/2017

• Assessment Instruments (including tests and web-based resources) approved for use for guidance and/or learning support teachers in post-primary schools from May 2017 until further notice Circular Letter 0035/2017

• https://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0035_2017.pdf

Neps psychologists may be involved in identification of need At whole school level as part of Support and Development work identified by the school:

Support with reviewing school’s approach to identifying and responding to the needs of students with SEN

Training in Early Intervention Programmes (such as Friends for Life / Incredible Years programmes

Guidance on Policy and Practice

At school support level:

Consultation with teachers to provide advice/support re identification and evidence-informed interventions

Group Consultation – with groups of teachers – to provide advice /support

Training/CPD

Case work

Consultation about individual pupils / students – involving parents, teachers

Some assessment/identification

Interview/observation/checklists/psychological assessment

Liaise with other professionals (e.g. SLTs, OTs, Multi-disciplinary teams)

Identification of Need for Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties (BESD)

Key Resource: Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties: A Continuum of Support (DES, 2010)

Where to Start: • Schools should first reflect on BESD at a whole school level. - What is happening in your school that is going well and what is a cause for concern? - What needs do certain classes, groups or individual children have? - Is there a need for staff CPD in certain areas? - If so, which services could assist us in meeting this CPD need? (e.g. NEPS, NCSE Support Service)

Next Steps: Where existing whole school approaches are insufficient to meet a child’s needs a Continuum of Support plan may need to implemented. In line with the Problem-Solving Process outlined in the Continuum of Support schools need to consider why the difficulties are happening for this child, at this time. This involves information gathering and assessment to identify specific needs. • Basic Needs Checklist (Page 65): Physiological, Safety, Belonging, Esteem, etc. • Learning Environment Checklist (Pages 66 & 67): Environment, Social, Teaching & Learning, Classroom

Routines, Classroom Rules, etc. • Teacher Checklist for Whole-Class Structures & Supports (Pages: 81 & 82) • Classroom Support Checklist (Pages 68 & 69): Parents Consulted, Hearing, Vision, Medical, Observation,

Pupil Interview, etc.

For more individualised assessment the following resources may be helpful to identify need: • Behaviour Checklist (Pages 83-86) • Guidelines for Observations (Pages 87-95) • My Thoughts About School Checklist (Pages 95-98) • How Do You Feel? (Page 99 & 100) • Social Skills Observation Profile (Pages 101 & 102) • Functional Analysis of Behaviour – ABC (Pages 103-105)

Step 2. Meeting Needs

Once needs have been identified:

Set targets, identify personnel and resources needed

Look at possible models for delivery of support:-

Classroom support, in-class support, small group or individual support

Agree time – frame for intervention and review

Teaching approaches may include a combination of:

team‐teaching initiatives

co‐operative teaching, early interventions and

small group or individual withdrawal

differentiation within mainstream classrooms

At whole school level: Target the promotion of language, literacy and numeracy skills in junior classes Using evidence‐based interventions to prevent and address learning difficulties. Early intervention and prevention programmes to ensure that learning, social and emotional difficulties do not become entrenched for pupils. • Interventions to promote the social and emotional competence.

Step 3 Monitor & Record Outcomes

• Monitoring outcomes and review of support

plans are part of a dynamic process

• The Student Support File is central to the process

• Support Review Record

• Monitoring progress is a key driver of effective practice.

What will we see?

• Evidence of progression and skills development over time through:

• Use of checklists, teacher measures,

observations, standardised tests,

screening tests, rating scales etc.

• Include measures of attainment,

well-being, communication,

independence, attendance and social inclusion etc.

Identification of need

Balanced Literacy Framework

Review / checklist

Drumcondra early screening tests,

Information from home, samples of work,

Screening of phonological awareness using

checklist from the NEPS ‘A Balanced Approach

to Literacy Development in the Early Years’

Additional Resources for schools on the NEPS website

• Guidelines, Tips and Handouts for Parents and Teachers

• NEPS are producing some very useful guidelines, hand-outs and tips for teachers and parents. The latest topics in this series are in relation to Listening to young people and promoting dialogue.

• Guidelines, Handouts and Tips includes:

• Reading and Dyslexia

• Organisational and Motor Skills

• Language Skills

• Cognitive Skills

• Transfer from Primary to Post-primary

• School Refusal

• Social Skills Groups

• Listening to young people and promoting dialogue

• A Guide for Children and Young People

Deployment of resources

• Effective deployment when Continuum of Support is well embedded

• Difficulties best resolved through educational planning process, through good identification of needs, matched to interventions and careful monitoring of outcomes.

• Consult NEPS around CoS processes: Identification, Intervention, Review

• Consult with NEPS on complex cases, through normal planning process

The Role of NEPS- Summary NEPS psychologists, using a problem-solving framework, will continue to provide support and guidance to schools:

• On the identification of pupils with special educational needs across the Continuum of Support

• On appropriate, evidence-informed interventions for individual pupils or groups and the monitoring of the outcomes of these interventions

• On evidence-informed early-intervention/prevention approaches/programmes

• On policies and practices that promote effective provision for children with SEN

The Role of NEPS What will be a little different?

• Much of this is well-established • A greater focus on consultation

• More involvement in promoting early intervention

• More involvement in promoting effective whole-school processes and practices • Remain involved in casework

From assessment to determine eligibility for resource teaching hours

To assessment to identify need, to inform intervention, look at what we can do better

Next steps re engagement with NEPS • Review Guidelines

• Use the reflective questionnaire to identify strengths and areas for development in your practice

• Engage with your NEPS psychologist and plan and agree a collaborative response

- NEPS training programme i.e. FRIENDS, Incredible Years, Support with Literacy, target setting etc.

- Training on identified needs through the Education Centre

- In-school consultation

• Prioritise NEPS involvement with individual pupils- casework

• Access NEPS on-line resources