Module 7 – Identification, Assessment and Support of SEN Pupils

Estimated Time: 25 minutes

Student Aims:

·      To learn how to identify pupils with SEN

·      To learn about the support children may require by age group

·      To learn how to assess pupils with SEN

·      To learn how to create a support plan for SEN pupil To learn about the paperwork requirements for identifying, assessing and supporting SEN pupils

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7.1 Introduction

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Children who have complex needs will often be identified early.

During the early stages of development, it is the execution of motor skills which encourages the development of neural pathways in the brain (Portwood, 1999, Developmental Dyspraxia). For some children, however, difficulties are only evident as the child grows, develops and encounters new challenges. In some cases, seeing these needs will require the introduction of different environments.

Then, there are children who have special educational needs that are not developmental but are the result of accidents or illnesses. Because of the variations in SEN pupils, schools need an approach for identifying, assessing and supporting them. In fact, this approach should not be limited to SEN but be included in the school-wide monitoring of pupils from their foundation years all the way through secondary school.

In this module, you will learn how to identify SEN pupils and how to assess the pupils’ needs so that you can create a plan of action to support them.

7.2 Early Years Foundation Stage

The foundation years are all about communication and interaction rather than full-on learning.

Here are some things to look for in children up to five years of age.

Identification

1 Year Old

Does the child have difficulty with any of the following:

· Looking, smiling or moving to respond to interactions

· Responding vocally when spoken to

· Making their own sounds when interacting with familiar adults

· Responding happily to nursery rhymes or stories

· Learning to crawl – and are these movements secure before learning to walk?

· Expressing excitement when voices or other sounds approach them

· Feeding – is he/she contented after a meal

· Purposeful arm and leg movements

2 Year Old

Does the child have difficulty with any of the following:

· Understanding basic instructions given within a context

· Pointing to major body parts (feet, hands, head) when instructed

· Naming objects that they are interested in

· Copying common expressions

· Listening to and joining in with the telling of nursery rhymes

· Being aware of the feelings of those around them

· Participating in a simple conversation with another person

· Drawing attention to things they’re interested in by pointing

· Assisting with dressing – e.g. is able to remove shoes and socks

· Running, and climbing up and down stairs

3 Year Old

Does the child have difficulty with any of the following:

· Making a choice between two things

· Creating simple sentences of two/three words

· Making themselves understood by adults close to them

· Recognising familiar songs and stories and joining in

· Concentrating for a short period of time

· Playing ball games with an adult

· Playing with other children and beginning to form social relationships

· Using language in conjunction with increased activity when excited

· Using their emotions to see a reaction

· Holding a knife and fork

· Copying simple shapes, e.g. a circle or square?

Enjoys looking at books and understands that words convey meaning?

4 Year Old

Does the child have difficulty with any of the following:

· Understanding basic prepositions (in, under, on)

· Answering basic why, where, and what questions

· Discussing ownership

· Understanding simple pronouns

· Making themselves understood by adults not familiar to them

· Talking about what they did or are doing

· Listening to an adult and then going back to a previous activity

· Switching activities at an adult’s request

· Including other children in their play and speaking to them as they play

· Seeking out others for ‘watch me’ experiences

· Participating in creative play

5 Year Old

Does the child have difficulty with any of the following:

· Identifying objects by use

· Talking about past events

· Keeping focused during large group activities

· Expressing their wishes and understanding when those needs are not met

· Using adults as a source of comfort and knowledge

· Enjoying shared playtime

· Legible handwriting – in line with that of his/her peers

· Concentrating and following basic instructions

Appropriate coordination for his/her age, e.g. kicking a football with either foot or using cutlery

Assessment

If a child needs support in one or more of these areas, you will often need to perform an assessment. At this age, assessment is best done by carefully observing the child on their own and at play. Then, create a profile for the child that outlines his/her interests, strengths, sources of stress and challenges. Children and their parents should be included in this process. It may be interesting to note different behaviours at home and at school.

Support

Support at this age will come in modifying the physical environment and through teaching and learning. It may also come in the form of motor-development activities in the case of children who have fine or gross motor skills difficulties, i.e. children who need to be specifically taught how to apply small finger movements (fine motor skills) or whole-body activities, e.g. walking up and down stairs or using a skipping rope. Sometimes, you will need to modify the physical environment to alleviate stressors or sensory issues.

You can support the child by ensuring that they are sitting where they are able to see and hear the adult during activities. You can also support the child’s environment by labelling boxes and toys with both words and pictures so that the child has two options when interpreting the meaning.

Multisensory environments and teaching and learning strategies are important for children of all ages, but especially for children with SEN. In teaching and learning, children can be supported with visual timetables so that they know what is coming next. Using a timer is also a good idea because it keeps the time fixed and gives children a visual prompt.

Expectations should also be kept consistent and clear so that there are few surprises. Stressors can also be kept to a minimum by giving clear verbal and visual prompts when there is going to be a change. Many children with SEN will have difficulties with working memory as this is a characteristic seen across the special needs spectrum.

Instructions must be kept short and a ‘one at a time’ philosophy is crucial. Children can also be taught that pointing is a viable option when they are unable to vocalise what they want or need. Some children will require adults to modify their own language by speaking clearly and succinctly, reducing the number of words they use or avoiding non-literal language. (The latter is especially true of pupils on the autism spectrum).

Children may also benefit from activities that teach them how to play, rather than throwing them straight into play. They may need to be taught how to take turns and how to respond appropriately to their peers. Children may also use role models and buddies from within their peer group to help them learn skills. Structured opportunities for communication are a good place to use this kind of buddy system.

7.3 First and Second Year

Identification

When identifying SEN pupils in Years 1 and 2, consider whether the child needs support for one or more of the following skills:

· Listening in small or large groups

· Keeping their concentration in small or large groups

· Multitasking by listening to instructions and carrying out the instructions

· Focusing on a task initiated by adults for at least five minutes

· Clearly articulating words

· Recalling words they know during conversations

· Being able to make themselves understood by familiar and unfamiliar adults

· Constructing verbal sentences

· Making their wants or needs known in an appropriate manner for their age

· Following instructions with two steps

· Remembering sequences

· Understanding abstract concepts like time, space or numbers

· Interacting with other pupils or adults in an appropriate manner

· Participating in class activities and group activities

· Taking turns when engaging in conversation

· Sharing with their peers

· Understanding the importance of speaking and listening for communication

· Successfully interpreting non-literal language

· Starting and sustaining friendships

· Making choices among options

· Understanding and interpreting non-verbal language

· Handling themselves appropriately during unstructured time

· Handling unanticipated changes

· Dealing with stress

· Managing their sensory responses

· Fine or gross motor skills activities, e.g. playing sports, drawing or handwriting

Assessment

Assessment at this stage is primarily through observation. Assessment should be continuous to see whether the child makes any progress through any intervention and to ensure the support matches the child’s needs.

For learning and cognition assessments, teachers can use summative and formative assessments to create an evidence-based plan. Educators should use initial impressions and assessment results to create an evidence-based profile for individual pupils.

It is essential to include both parents and children in the building of this profile. The profile will then be used for future planning. If little or no progress is made, educators should always involve a specialist at this level. However, the parents of the child must always be involved in the decision to include the specialist and any objections on behalf of the parents must be accounted for by the school.

Some situations will require the involvement of outside health or social care professionals. Parents also need to agree to these specialists, especially if the specialists are not already working in the school. If the specialist believes that circumstances outside the school’s control are affecting the pupil’s needs, a multi-agency approach may be taken to explore the child’s domestic circumstances.

Support

Supporting children during these years will require adaptations to the physical environment as well as the learning and teaching environments. All teachers are required to provide differentiation for pupils with special educational needs. This could involve a different level of work, the use of coloured paper or overlays, or anything that is adapted or created with the needs of a specific pupil in mind.

SEN pupils are supported when educators think ahead when planning lessons. Classroom teachers should know in advance if any specialist resources or additional adult support is required. Seating plans are often used in schools for all pupils. Planning where the child sits can help. Finding a strategic place for them to work might eliminate communication difficulties. Keeping the room organised and keeping resources in the same place can also help keep the focus on learning.

Teachers should also be thinking ahead about what expectations they have for the pupil. They might give the pupil extra time for tasks or create pre-learning opportunities to work on specific areas. Educators can also use timers and task sheets to help pupils complete their work and stay on task. Group or paired activities are also useful for language skills, social skills and preparation for learning.

Finally, teachers can also modify their practice by using an appropriate teaching pace, allowing processing time for their pupils, reinforcing learning using multisensory strategies, using the ‘one at a time’ model and speaking in clear, plain English. Non-literal language must be avoided if it cannot be understood by all pupils.

Fact

The percentage of pupils who have SEN increases with age, reaching a peak of 20% of pupils at age 10. This then steadily declines to 16.3% at age 15.

Source: gov.uk

7.4 Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Year

Identification

SEN pupils may be identified if they require support for one or more of the following:

· Ability to listen in small groups or classroom settings

· Ability to listen to instructions while working on tasks

· Ability to focus on their own on a task set by the teacher for at least 10 minutes

· Ability to pronounce words clearly

· Ability to recall vocabulary during a conversation

· Ability to construct sentences during a conversation

· Ability to make their wants and needs known in an appropriate manner

· Ability to follow instructions

· Ability to remember instructions and recall information

· Ability to understand abstract concepts like time and space

· Ability to comprehend tasks requiring literacy

· Ability to interact with peers and adults according to social rules

· Ability to participate in group and class activities

· Ability to share resources with peers

· Ability to understand the listening and speaking roles in conversation

· Ability to interpret non-literal language

· Ability to establish and maintain friendships with peers

· Ability to make choices when given options

· Ability to interpret non-verbal language

· Ability to handle times that are not structured

· Ability to deal with changes

· Ability to manage stress and anxiety

· Ability to manage sensory responses

· Ability to organise themselves to prepare for learning

Assessment

Assessment should always include further evidence when required. Any further assessments should, again, always include both the parent and the child, as per the SEN Code of Practice. Assessment needs to be ongoing at this level to ensure that the support provided is appropriate and that the pupil is making progress.

If the pupil is not making progress, a reassessment should occur. In some cases, outside specialists will be required. When specialists get involved, it needs to be at the discretion of the child’s parents and the school. All these decisions should be made with the child and the parents in mind.

Support

Support can be provided to pupils through the modification of the environment and teaching practices. Modifying the environment will help the pupil avoid sensory issues so that they can hear and see properly. To further help with these sensory issues, it may be best practice to sit the child in a place where they can always see and hear the teacher when participating in whole-class activities.

It may also be useful to create a quiet, safe space for the child to go to when necessary. Keeping the classroom area clean and organised remains relevant throughout primary school. Keeping items in the same place and storing resources with picture labels can help pupils adjust and prevent friction.

Routines and visual timetables are useful for pupils throughout the school. Routines should be created to keep the daily and weekly expectations consistent and clear for the pupils. Keeping class rules on display will also help with this, along with picture prompts.

Supporting the timetable with timers and task sheets can be helpful for children to concentrate. Group work is also useful at this stage, especially for teaching language skills and social skills. Peer role models continue to be beneficial in these areas as well.

At this age, it is also a good idea to begin exploring alternatives to written instructions or lectures. Using PowerPoint, mind mapping and creating handouts are often useful for supporting children before, during and after class. Speech-to-text software can also help promote personalised learning. At this age, educators should also be helping children foster their special interests in order to help motivate them to learn.

7.5 Beyond the Classroom

SEN support does not begin and end in the classroom.

There are certain things that educators can do to promote support outside of the classroom. These things can also make classroom life easier by promoting a fuller support system. All staff need to be aware of how the child communicates and what their communication needs are so that they can respond appropriately.

Pupils who participate in extra-curricular activities will also need support. These activities may include school clubs, sports and out-of-school trips. The pupil’s information will need to be shared with the appropriate educators to ensure the child participates fully. Parents should always be aware of any information sharing.

Early Help or Early Intervention support provides information for both educators and parents.

Family Hubs are centres which provide children and families with Early Help.

7.6 Keeping Records

Schools have a duty to keep a curricular record for every pupil that attends the school. Records must be kept in line with the requirements of the data protection regulations.

Schools will determine their own approach to recordkeeping, but an accurate, up-to-date and well-organised system is essential because local authorities may ask to see evidence of these records.

Early Years Records

Educators need to keep high-quality records, even in the early years setting. In fact, government reports identified that recordkeeping at this level is a problem across all agencies. These records are especially important for SEN children and for those with a child protection plan. Early years records will be made up of notes, referrals, assessments and SEN identifications.

All records should be kept safe and secure, whether they consist of hard copies or electronic copies. Hard copies need to be placed in a lockable filing system and electronic copies should be backed up regularly.

The SEN Register

If staff members at a school believe that a pupil has special educational needs, this must be discussed with the parents of the child and the child themselves. If the parents agree with the identification, the child will be moved to the SEN Register. Placing the child on this register is only possible with the consent of the child’s parents.

When a child is added to the SEN Register, the school needs to create an individual record for the child listed. This should include all of the basic information about the pupil in the context of the school.

Name, classes and teachers all need to be on the record. The record also needs to include a list of the pupils’ difficulties or the reason for their referral. It could also contain the pupil’s current level of attainment. Their English and Maths performance should be included as well as other relevant subjects. The pupil’s current attainment should be noted along with prior progress so that the two can be compared.

The record also tracks the discussions that take place with parents, support staff and carers. All of the notes, comments and outcomes of these discussions need to be attached to the file. All the dates must also be included. The record will also note whether the pupil has been registered on the SEN register before. This is important because pupils are moved on and off the register as needed. Some pupils will remain on it during their entire time in school. Other pupils may be on the list only for a short while before being removed after a successful intervention.

The record will also include a list of the resources and strategies currently being used to achieve the outcomes for the pupil. The additional support already in place should be noted here. The support the teacher recommends for the pupil should be included and the support the teacher would like to receive should be listed alongside timeframes and outcomes. The objective and outcome as a whole must also be noted on the record.

Pupil views and parent views should always be documented and included in the record. All relevant paperwork should also be attached. If the school used a checklist system for identification or assessment, all this documentation should be kept in the pupil’s file.

Any notes created by the teacher for the teacher’s personal use are not kept within educational records.

Keeping and Storing Records

It is the school’s duty to keep and store records in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018. It is imperative that all staff are trained on the regulations. All administrative records must be kept according to the school retention schedule.

Both paper and electronic records must be kept in a logical order so that the information is easy to access. Restricted access must be applied to confidential information. Records must also be reviewed regularly so the right records can be transferred or destroyed when required.

Conclusion

The best way to identify, assess and support pupils is through observation, the monitoring of progress, good communication with parents and good record keeping.

Educators, parents and pupils will find it easier to assess and support pupils when up-to-date records are kept. However, this is sensitive information, and it must be protected. Thus, it is important that any and all SEN information is kept according to the law to protect the pupil, their family and the school.

In Module 8, we discuss the different factors that can affect a student’s behaviour and the teaching practices that can help.

WELL DONE!

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