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Mainstreaming autism: making it work
- Authors:
- MOREWOOD Gareth D., HUMPHREY Neil, SYMES Wendy
- Journal article citation:
- Good Autism Practice, 12(2), October 2011, pp.62-68.
- Publisher:
- British Institute of Learning Disabilities
Incorporating children and young people on the autism spectrum into mainstream schools is acknowledged as one of the most complex areas of education. Research suggests that pupils with autism attending mainstream schools are at an increased risk of a range of negative outcomes. However, there are schools where such children thrive, and an important part of developing practice within this field is to share the approaches taken in these settings. This paper presents a ‘saturation’ model encapsulating the work undertaken at Priestnall School, a mainstream secondary school in the north-west of England. Key elements of this model include having a central ‘agent of change’, creating a positive ethos, developing the school environment, training and development of staff, policy development and embedding practice, peer education and awareness, flexible provision, and direct support and intervention. However, for the model to be successful, the commitment must saturate all aspects of school life and work in conjunction with other models of support.
Achievement for all: national evaluation
- Authors:
- HUMPHREY Neil, SQUIRES Garry
- Publisher:
- Great Britain. Department for Education
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 49p.
- Place of publication:
- London
Achievement for All (AfA) is a whole-school approach to school improvement which is particularly focused on improving the attainment and wider outcomes of pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The aim of this national evaluation project is to examine the impact of AfA on a variety of outcomes for pupils with SEND and to find out what processes and practices in schools are most effective in improving these outcomes. The research comprised: a quantitative strand involving longitudinal assessment of outcomes for approximately 16,000 pupils with SEND (including a comparison group of pupils attending schools that are not involved in AfA) through teacher surveys, parent surveys and academic attainment data; and a qualitative strand involving interviews with key strategic figures, longitudinal case studies of 20 AfA schools, ‘mini-case studies’ of 100 pupils/families, and ad-hoc data collection at a range of events relating to AfA. The report presents the findings from the first year of the project, including the impact on pupils’ progress in English and mathematics. Overall, it finds good evidence to suggest that AfA is having a positive impact on the academic progress of many pupils with SEND. Schools have made considerable progress in implementation and the case study data suggests that parental engagement and confidence and a variety of wider outcomes are also being promoted.