Scottish Autism Toolbox: Policy Overview

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Scottish Autism ToolboxPolicy Overview
Robin McKendrick Support for Learning
Division Schools Directorate Scottish
Government May 2009
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Scottish Governments five strategic objectives

• a wealthier and fairer Scotland
• to be achieved by enabling businesses and people
  to increase their wealth and more people to share
  fairly in that wealth
• a healthier Scotland
• to be pursued by helping people to sustain and
  improve their health, especially in disadvantaged
  communities, and by ensuring better, local and
  faster access to health care
• a safer and stronger Scotland
• delivered by helping communities to flourish,
  becoming stronger, safer places to live, through
  offering improved opportunity for a better
  quality of life
• a Smarter Scotland
• achieved by expanding opportunities for Scots to
  succeed, from nurture through to lifelong
  learning, ensuring higher and more widely shared
  achievements, and,
• a greener Scotland,
• seeing improvements in Scotland's natural and
  built environment and the sustainable use and
  enjoyment of it by all.

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National Outcomes

• investing in effective services for all children
  to ensure every child gets off to the best start
  in life
• having an international perspective to promote an
  understanding of Scotland and our place in the
  world and challenging our ambitions against the
  achievements of other countries
• having high aspirations and challenging all to
  aim high
• being egalitarian and embracing the Scottish
  tradition of the democratic intellect as part of
  our approach to learning
• ensuring education and learning are at the heart
  of the community, supporting communities and
  promoting community self-reliance, focussing on
  the child and the learner, providing support and
  learning journeys that respond to individuals
  needs and potential.

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Inclusion Legislative context

• Part 3 Section 7 of the Toolbox
• Standards in Scotlands Schools Act 2000.
• Disability Discrimination Acts 1995 (as amended).
• Education (Disability Strategies and Pupils
  Educational Records) (Scotland ) Act 2002.
• Disability Equality duty as from 4 Dec 2006.
• Additional Support for Learning (Scotland) (Act)
  2004.
• The Equality Act 2006.

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ASL Bill 2009

• it clarifies the definition of 'additional
  support' by specifying that it is not limited to
  support provided in an educational environment.
• it extends the rights of parents and young people
  to enable them to request a specific assessment,
  such as an educational, psychological or medical
  assessment, at any time.

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Standards in Scotlands Schools etc. Act 2000

• Came into effect on 1 August 2003
• Duty on EAs to provide education in a school
  other than a special school unless such provision
  would
• not be suited to the ability or aptitude of the
  child
• be incompatible with the provision of efficient
  education for the children with whom the child
  would be educated or
• would result unreasonable public expenditure
  being incurred which would not ordinarily be
  incurred

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• Mainstreaming presumption is simply a
  presumptionit is not an inflexible rule.
• The right balance must be struck between
  children's rights to be educated in a mainstream
  environment, which can bring the educational and
  social benefits and
• Need to respond sensitively in the cases of
  children who require a form of specialist
  provision.

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Disability Discrimination Act

• Unlawful to discriminate against disabled pupils
  and prospective pupils in the provision of
• admissions and exclusions,
• education and
• associated services in schools.

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DDA Education Associated Services

• Includes
• Curriculum
• Teaching
• Classroom organisation
• Grouping of pupils
• Homework
• Access to school facilities
• School trips
• Breaks and lunch
• Interaction with other pupils
• Exclusion procedures.

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DDA

• In particular the Act requires providers of
  education
• Not to treat disable pupils less favourably.
• To make reasonable adjustments.
• Definition of Disability
• physical impairment includes sensory
  impairment
• mental impairment includes learning
  difficulties and an impairment resulting from or
  consisting of a mental illness.
• Definition can include a wide range of
  impairments, including hidden impairments such as
  dyslexia, autism, speech and language impairments
  and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
  (ADHD).
• An impairment does not of itself mean that a
  pupil is disabled. It is the effect on a pupils
  ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities
  that has to be considered.

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Inclusion Policy context

• Early Years strategy.
• Curriculum for Excellence
• More Choices More Chances.
• GIRFEC.
• Happy Safe and Achieving Their Potential Harm
• Domestic Abuse.
• Young Cares.
• Looked After Children.
• The Equality Act 2006 guidance for schools
• Race Equality Statement

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Curriculum for Excellence

• Curriculum for Excellence - seeks to enable all
  to become
• successful learners,
• confident individuals,
• effective contributors, and
• responsible citizens.

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Overview
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Inclusion

• ASL/GIRGEC Interface
• What is GIRFEC?
• Meets the needs and promotes the well-being and
  potential of all children.
• What is the ASL Act?
• Aims to ensure that all children and young
  people with additional support needs receive the
  necessary help to ensure they benefit from school
  education.

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Inclusion

• ASL/GIRGEC Interface
• Seek to enable all to become
• successful learners,
• confident individuals,
• effective contributors, and
• responsible citizens.
• Curriculum for Excellence -

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Inclusion

• ASL/GIRGEC Interface
• Do the Principles of ASL and GIRFEC fit together?
• GIRFEC Principles
• Meet the needs of all children in a proportionate
  and timely way.
• ASL
• Focus on childrens learning in the broadest
  sense.
• Sits within the overall GIRFEC approach

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Autism Toolkit The origins

• Education for Pupils with Autism Spectrum
  Disorders HMIE
• make school make sense - Scotland NAS
• Both published October 2006
• Formation of Working Group announced.

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Working Group

• Consultant and service user
• NAS/SSA
• HMIE
• Professional Services Manager/Psychological
  Service/Head teachers
• EIS
• National Centre for Autism Studies
• Chair of Social and Educational Inclusion at
  Aberdeen University

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Possible Structure

• Set the context
• What is autism?
• What information do parents and families need?
• What good practice looks like
• How can we maximise inclusion?
• Continuing professional development
• Planning to meet additional support needs

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The Toolbox

• Policy and Legislative Context
• Autism in Practice
• Guidance and Support
• Support for Parents and Families
• Working with other Agencies
• Overview of Interventions
• Resources
• Building on the Legislative context
• Directory
• Practice Grids and Posters

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References/information

• Learning and Teaching Scotland Website
• http//www.ltscotland.org.uk/
• Inclusive Education Website
• http//www.ltscotland.org.uk/inclusiveeducation/
• Happy, safe and achieving their potential
• www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/hsaps-00.as
  p
• Enquire - The Scottish Advice Service for
  Additional Support for Learning
• http//www.enquire.org.uk
• Code of Practice
• http//www.ltscotland.org.uk/inclusiveeducation/ad
  ditionalsupportforlearning/ codeofpractice.asp
• Additional Support Needs Tribunals for Scotland
• http//www.asntscotland.gov.uk/
• Disability Equality Duty
• http//www.drc-gb.org/pdf/Schools_education_scotla
  nd_august_06.pdf