Provisions for Autistic students

WQ.186/2018

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR EDUCATION BY DEPUTY C.S. ALVES OF ST. HELIER

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 9th OCTOBER 2018

Question

What provisions are currently in place for students who are diagnosed with Autism both in and out of mainstream schools?

Answer

Autism is a diagnostic condition characterised by a pattern of strengths and difficulties. These exist on a continuum from mild to severe and complex. In addition, some individuals present with a range of needs alongside their autism (leaning difficulties, family dysfunction; sensory needs etc.) and in this respect, individuals with autism present very differently and as such there are different levels of arrangements and support for pupils.

Arrangements at Universal Level

Some children and young people (CYP) with a diagnosis of autism have a special need by nature of their diagnosis but not a special educational need. A special educational need (SEN) is defined in the Jersey Special Educational Needs Code of practice 2017 as:

"A pupil has SEN where their learning difficulty calls for special educational provision, namely provision different from or additional to that normally available to pupils of the same age"

Their needs can be met through access to high quality teaching in a mainstream classroom. Arrangements at SEN Support level

Some CYP with a diagnosis of Autism require provision that is different from or additional to that normally available to pupils of the same age. At SEN Support level this is called ordinarily available provision'. For a CYP with Autism this support may involve considerations of the teaching environment and groupings, adaptations of curriculum and teaching methods and close liaisons with families and external agencies.

All mainstream States schools receive SEN funding to ensure that all pupils have a minimum entitlement to this ordinarily available provision' regardless of which school is attended. There is an expectation that schools plan provision for CYP with Autism and demonstrate the extent to which it is making a difference.

The Autism and Social Communication Team (ASCIT) provide an outreach service to schools to support them with their implementation of ordinarily available provision'.

Arrangements at Specialist Level

A small minority of CYP with a diagnosis of Autism require more specialist arrangements to meet their needs. These can be met via:

1. A Record of Need in any mainstream school. This document details the specialist educational arrangements a mainstream school has to provide the pupil in addition to ordinarily available provision' and states the amount of higher level funding a school will receive to resource this. At this level ASCIT provide support to schools to implement and review these arrangements.

2. A Record of Need with a Specialist Placement in an Additionally Resourced Centre (ARC) forSocial Communication and Autism. There are four ARCS, two in primary schools (St Saviours and Rouge Bouillon) and two in secondary schools (Grainville and Haute Vallée). The Record of Need details the specialist educational arrangements the mainstream school with support of the specialist staffing in the ARC has to provide for the pupil. Typically the aim for a CYP with Autism at this level will be for them to access their mainstream classroom with a level of specialist support for approximately 80 per cent of the timetable and to access specialist interventions for the remaining 20 per cent of the timetable in a dedicated suite of low arousal rooms.
3. A Record of Need with a Specialist Placement in a Special School. The Record of Need details the specialist educational arrangements the special school has to provide the pupil. CYP with Autism at this level access a more specialist environment with high ratios of staff to pupils and a bespoke curriculum tailored to their individual needs.