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An Autism Resource for Scottish Local Authorities & Schools
We are pleased to provide advance notice of the publication of "The Autism Toolbox." Commissioned by the Scottish Government and authored by a multi-professional writing team from The National Centre for Autism Studies, University of Strathclyde, this resource will be made available by the Scottish Government and through the Scottish Autism Network website. This resource has been developed to support the recommendations of the HMIE report Education for Pupils with Autism Spectrum Disorders and the National Autistic Society's report make school make sense. The aim of this resource will be to draw on a range of practice experience, literature and research to offer guidance for schools providing for children and young people with autism spectrum disorders.
Members of the Autism Spectrum Working group, set up by the Scottish Government to advise on taking forward the recommendations in the above two reports, come from a range of experience in the field of autism and include education professionals, individuals on the autism spectrum and academics from across Scotland. Their collective experience has informed the need for, and shaped, the content of the resource. The Autism Spectrum Toolbox will be published at the end of June 2008.
Indicative contents
The contents of the Autism Resource will include
Guidance for Local Authorities - Issues such as leadership, working with parents, support issues from pre-school to secondary education, a critical overview of known interventions and the current legislative context will be addressed.
Guidance for Schools - this section will provide a practical 'toolbox'. Drawing on illustrative practice examples, autism specific guidance will be given on the impact of Autism Spectrum Disorder ( ASD) on teaching and learning, classroom organisation and strategies that can be applied across a range of environments.
Support for Parents is a key issue in promoting the inclusion of children with ASD. Specific challenges will be explored along with guidance as to how appropriate support and engagement with parents may be achieved.
Working with Other Agencies and professional collaboration are embedded in the current legislative framework and policy documentation. Examples of collaborative working will be available as well as guidance on effective collaborative processes. The roles of different professionals will be addressed.
A Resource Index linked to the Scottish Autism Network website will be included to lead authorities and schools to further information on a range of topics. The core content will be brought to life by the use of exemplars that will be drawn from across Scotland. The resource therefore has the potential to connect practitioners who may wish to contact each other to share and discuss challenges and common areas of interest, through the Scottish Autism Network.
Guidance for schools: the toolbox in practice
This section will offer sets of guidance on a range of topics,including
- Recognising ASD
- Strengths and challenges of an autism profile
- Assessment
- Impact on teaching and learning
- Classroom organisation / strategies
- Differentiation - principles and practicalities
- Individualised educational planning
- Social curriculum (skills / life skills)
- Pupils involvement in all matters which affect them
- Whole school approaches / understanding
- Transitions
- Bullying and playground management
- Pupil passports
- Recognising wider achievement
- Sharing interesting practice
- Networking for autism
Photocopiable sets of guidance will be downloadable from the networks website.
Scottish Autism Service Network
The Scottish Autism Service Network ( SASN) provides a hub for information and aims to support the sharing of good practice through networking for autism. The current Network groups are -
Education
Clinical
Commissioning
Employment and occupational activities
Information sharing
Local Autism area coordinators
Transitions
The SHARP group
Other services provided by the network include:-
Network information library
Books and resources
Glossary
The Toolbox Team
Aline-Wendy Dunlop - editorial
Charlene Tait - writer
Helen Marwick - writer
Lisa Glashan - writer
Anna Robinson - writer
Dawn Larman - information search
Alison Leask - information search and writer
Tommy MacKay - external reader
Andy Soares - web support
Lindsey Watson - secretarial support
Acknowledgements
Maggie Smith - LT Scotland
Staff in practice situations
Wider writing team
www.scottishautismnetwork.org.uk
0141 950 3072
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