According to a report carried out by Ofsted, ‘Inclusion: Does it Matter Where Pupils Are Taught’, there was little differentiation in the quality of provision in primary mainstream and special schools. However, mainstream schools with additionally resourced provision were particularly successful in achieving high outcomes for pupils academically, socially and personally (Ofsted, 2006). High quality, skilled practitioners and a commitment by school leaders are the key to success according to Ofsted (2006). The report (2006) was concerned with the inclusion debate, stating that it has for too long focused on whether children with SEN should be educated in mainstream or special schools as opposed to focusing on the quality of educational provision that the children receive. After the Warnock Report (1978) introduced the term ‘special educational needs’ it propelled more and more children with educational needs into mainstream schools, this resulted in the closure of many special schools (Tutt,2007). A Labour Government policy is to integrate as many children with SEN as possible into mainstream schools, which confirms Tutt’s (2007) statement that including children in mainstream schools has lead to the closure of many special schools. However, according to the Guardian (2006) parents of children with SEN would travel hours in order for their child to attend the new special school located in Essex. This shows that although the integration of children with SEN into mainstream schools can have its positives, some parents with a choice would rather place their child in a specialist school if the option is available. The Independent (2006) states many children have been adequately provided for resulting in a high demand for more special school provisions. This confirms the opening of the new special school in Essex was needed and hopes to be a success.
The inclusion debate shows special schools have been seen as standing outside of inclusion, as opposed to being a part of it. Tutt (2007), states that any school may or may not be inclusive, dependent upon its level of success in making pupils feel as included as they possibly can in their school community, with the need for the widest possible range of provision, which children can be accessed as early as possible allowing them the elasticity to move in and out as their needs change. However, it is clear to see that there is room for development to help children with SEN to develop, learn and participate in the life of their setting, wherever it belongs in the continuum of provision.
According to Farrar (2008) the medical model of disability sees the disabled person as the problem, stating that it is passive and dependent and sees the child as a burden because they may not be able to do certain things for themselves. The medical model looks at aspects of life in which the individual can’t do, such as climb stairs, read written information, walk or talk. Whereas, the social model of disability believes that society creates barriers for the individual. According to Mavtou et al (2000) the social model of disability empowers disabled people to challenge society to remove those barriers.
Wing and Potter (2008) stated that the estimated figure for children experiencing some form of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) was around 134,000. Mikail, a chosen case study, is one of these children. He is four years old and has been diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder by the local Child Development Centre. Mikail as well as having a language problem, his social behaviour is poorly developed: he does not play well with other children and lacks warmth in his relationships with others.
The autism spectrum includes syndromes described by Kanner and Wing but is wider than these two subgroups. Many people have a mixture of features from these two syndromes but do not fit neatly into either. (Walton and Morgan, 2009).
Autism is a severe developmental disorder that begins at birth or within the first two-and-a-half years of life. (Autistic Research Institute, 2008). Autistic Spectrum Disorder is a continuum condition that describes individuals on a spectrum. It is called a spectrum because it ranges from moderate to severe and it will affect every child in a different way.
Autism affects the way a person relates to other people and this can cause confusion with social interaction. Because all people are different, the way autism affects them is also different. Autism west Midlands (2007). Children with ASD experience difficulties in three main areas known as the triad of impairments, they are, difficulty with social communication, both verbal and non verbal, difficulty with social understanding and interaction, and difficulty with imagination and flexible thinking (Sunfield, 2006)
Social communication can relate to children talking and understanding. Difficulties in these areas can emerge in many forms on the Autistic Spectrum and according to Autism West Midlands (2007) language difficulties range from having no speech at all; conceivably relying on alternative ways of communicating such as signing or using flash cards, to having fluent speech, that is often repetitive and not generally true conversation. Children with ASD can find it difficult to understand spoken language as well as facial expressions, body language, tone of voice and gesture.
Social interaction can relate to children getting along with other children and adults. For children with ASD, socialising is not a natural procedure for them and can have difficulty in understanding social other people’s behaviour and feelings and therefore can struggle to form friendships (Autism West Midlands, 2007).
The final part of the triad that autism West Midlands (2007) describe is social imagination and this can relate to children’s thinking and behaviour. For children with ASD, there may be a lack of imaginative and theoretical skills and they may have difficulties in making sense of the world.
Children with ASD may have many varying learning difficulties that may affect all aspects of their lives. For example The National Autistic Society (NAS) is the leading charity for people affected by autism believes that other conditions, such as Attention Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Dyslexia and Dyspraxia can all be associated with ASD. Sensory issues are often a characteristic of Autistic Spectrum conditions. One or more of the senses could be affected and individuals can be hypersensitive, which means the senses are intensified, or hyposensitive, referring t the senses being less sensitive. (Walton and Morgan, 2009).
According to NHS (2009) the number of diagnosed cases of ASD has increased over the past two decades, but this does not necessarily mean that the condition is becoming more widespread. Some campaigners believe that the rise in cases is due to the MMR childhood vaccination; however, the National Autistic Society (2009) released a statement supporting the claim that there is no link between MMR and ASD. Although, some experts argue that the rise in diagnosed cases may be due to health professionals getting better at diagnosing cases correctly (NHS, 2009).
The outlook for children with ASD usually depends on how severe their symptoms are for example children with mild to moderate symptoms often grow up to be independent adults who have jobs, long-term relationships and children. Children with more severe symptoms are unlikely to be able to live as independent adults and may need additional care and assistance for the rest of their lives. However, there is no reason why they cannot enjoy a good quality of life. NHS (2009)
ASD is a continuum condition and in order for practitioners to support children with ASD, a continuum of provision is required. Multi-agency collaboration is essential in the deliverance of high-quality services for children with ASD and in some cases a family may have seen an excess of 20 professionals by the time their child is five. (NAS, 2009)
Usually if a parent has concerns about their child having ASD, then the family GP or health visitor will be the first to hear about it. Plimley et al (2007) states this may then lead to involving other professionals such as occupational therapists, psychologists and speech and language therapists. In Mikail’s case, because he is approaching school age, more educational professionals may wish to become involved and at this phase the team of practitioners in Mikail’s setting, which would include the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO), would follow the pre-early years/pre-school action stage set out by the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (DfES, 2002). The SENCO will gather information about Mikail from things such as previous observations and also examine any records kept from his previous setting.
The SEN Code of Practice recommends the use of Individual Education Plans (IEPs) as a teaching and planning tool. The Code suggests that IEPs should be purposefully written and focus on three or four individual targets. For Mikail it is likely that the IEP will concentrate on targets to do with the development of communication, social understanding and elasticity of thought and behaviour. The IEP might also include some important targets for developing independence skills and widening the child's range of activities and experiences. Ways should be found enabling the full participation of parents and children in drawing up IEPs. (DCSF, 2009)
NAC (2009) states that if no progress has been shown after an IEP has been put into place, then an early years/school action plan will be implemented and the child will be in contact with other professionals at an advisory level. Some strategies that might be used at this stage are different learning materials special equipment, extra individual or group support, staff training, access to local authority support services for advice. If not enough progress is made on the school action plan then the child would pass onto the early years/school action plan plus and At this stage the SENCO will ask for help from one or more other professionals, such as an educational psychologist, a specialist teacher (e.g. an autism outreach teacher), a health professional such as a speech and language therapist and a new IEP would be creating with the help of outside specialists, the SENCO, the parents and the child. (NAC, 2009) Bristol City Council (2008) state that some children with ASD will require provision above what these earlier stages involve and this will require the child obtaining a statuary assessment and a Statement of Special Educational Needs.
The scope of provision available for children with ASD will differ across LEA’s and what is essential for the child will depend on the needs of the individual. Many children with ASD can have their needs appropriately met by attending a mainstream school regarding that IEP’s are reviewed as well as adapting the environment to the individual’s needs. In Mikail’s case, consideration must be given to resources available as he struggles with social interaction and therefore requires large amount of personal space to prevent him from becoming anxious. Some mainstream schools offer learning support assistants, if Mikail is to attend a mainstream school, this would be beneficial regarding the development of his language and communication. Learning support assistants allow the other children within the class to be made aware of the individuals differences. Some mainstream primary schools have specialist attached units which have been approved by the LEA for children with complex needs as they require a more structured approach to education. In some cases, not all LEA’s have access to these resources and provision, therefore meaning parents and children must travel and be educated out of their local area. These specialist units supply specific curriculum and environment in which each individual with ASD are helped to reach their full potential. The majority of special schools have a high number to a small number of children as opposed to mainstream, although this could be seen as beneficial on many levels, not all practitioners may be specifically trained in the area of ASD. This is due to the wide range of the continuum of needs in special schools. All special schools have either on site professionals or professionals who are associated with the setting. However, the integration of children with SEN into mainstream provision allows children the opportunity of the development of social and communication interaction as well as suitable peer role models empowering children to know how to become part of a social community. Available within the some LEA’s are special schools which provide residential provision, however according to Wing and Potter (2008), due to the small number of such provision, schools maybe situated far away from the child’s home again separating them from their local community.
For Mikail, there is no rigid approach to the optimum learning environment. This is because every child on the Autistic Spectrum is different. To repeat the outlook of Ofsted (2006), emphasis should be placed on high quality service providers. The optimum learning environment for Mikail should be one which considers his uniqueness and that structures involvement that is based on his needs but also his family’s needs in order to provide them with a sense of security. Mikail’s personal and academic advancement should be confronted and challenged, wherever it lies on the continuum of provision. On recent visit to a setting, it was observed that children with SEN have been referred to the school including some pupils on the autistic spectrum. It was witnessed that the school allowed the children to achieve physical, social and emotional growth in an environment where this has been made possible. The inclusion of both special schools and mainstream schools allowed pupils with moderate SEN to attend both, this was present in the policy and practice of the setting visited.
Audit Commission (2002) asserts that a continuum of provision provides children and their parents with generous choices and a greater likelihood of satisfaction. However, the implications for this are that it may result in inconsistent practice and a lack of consistent multi-agency working. With the emphasis placed on including as many children as achievable into mainstream schools, appears the challenge of effectively providing for more complex and diverse needs of all children. Paton (2008) believes that teachers are finding it progressively more difficult to support children with special needs in mainstream primary schools. He believed that special schools were sometimes seen as standing outside inclusion as opposed to being a part of it.
Looking at the future for Mikail there are many provisions available to date. For example, special schools, special mainstream units and learning assistants. According to Practice Nurse (2010), the adult autism strategy, which will be published in early 2010, will set out the government’s plans to tackle the isolation, discrimination and inequality, routinely experienced by many adults with autism. This will help Mikail when he reaches adulthood to look forward to experiencing life without having to face these situations.
To conclude, this essay has explored how the individual learning needs of young children are reflected in today’s education system. The essay looked at policy and legislation that has influenced current practice and has focused on the inclusion debate. It has discussed the continuum of need and provision specifically relating to Mikail, who has been diagnosed with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder, critically analysing the provision available for him. The essay also critically reflected on the optimum learning environment that would best meet Mikail’s needs and also reflected on examples from a setting visited. It has examined the implications for practice within the continuum of provision also considering the parents and families of children with SEN.
Word Count – 3,264
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