Communication Model

We are fortunate to be able to employ a Speech and Language Therapist one day a week and a fulltime Communication Support Assistant in the school. Their role is to support the school in ensuring classrooms and the wider school environment are communication friendly and the staff have the necessary skills and resources to provide a communication rich environment and curriculum that focuses on communication and language development. Their main role is focussed on the ‘universal’ level of support. NHS Speech and Language therapists also play a significant role in developing the communication skills for those pupils that are on the NHS caseloads.

Communication - 3 Tiers of Support

As outlined above, we offer three levels of support for pupil’s communication skills. Most pupils will fall into the ‘universal’ level of support, which means their speech and language needs can be met within our specialist school environment. The diagram below outlines the three tiers of support. 

Specialist

• Enhanced personalised advice and strategies provided to home and school for an identified individual.
• AAC Implementation, PECS, communication boards/books, PODD.Support from CASEE TEAM for an individual

Targeted

• Packages of support by NHS speech and language therapist (see attached document below on packages of support).
• Personalised advice and strategies provided to home and school.
• Access to targeted training for school and / or parents
• Collaboration planning with school staff to embed communication goals into the curriculum for individual pupils
• Targeted communication intervention for identified groups e.g Attention Autism, Dance Massage, TACPAC

Universal

• Total communication approach used throughout the school
• Communication and Language is a prime area of the curriculum and is integrated into the curriculum
• Classroom environment is ‘communication friendly’ and support communication development
• Colourful semantics and Blanks Level questioning used across the school
• Range of approaches to support communication integrated throughout the day in classes e.g. intervention, zones of regulation