Communication and Interaction
Strategies to support additional needs related to social communication and interaction.
Strategies
- Provision of targeted support if necessary e.g. to check comprehension or for unstructured times
- Provision of separate workspace if appropriate, to help pupil to concentrate and complete activities
- Individualised arrangements put in place for enhanced transition to secondary school e.g. extra visits for Year 5 and 6 pupils
- Individualised arrangements put in place for transitions e.g. from year to year, from Key Stage 3 to 4 etc.
- Early and additional careers planning for Year 9 pupils as may lack understanding of opportunities or have limited life experience
- Explicit teaching of important skills and rules of social interaction, with modelling and use of key phrases, e.g. "First my turn, then your turn". This may be best taught in a small social skills group with support to transfer the skill to other contexts
- Buddy/befriender system at break and lunchtimes and safe-haven to use when necessary
- Positive reinforcement of good behaviour, with individualised motivators
- Use of visual support to define areas, structure play and enable choices, e.g. choice boards, boxes labelled with pictures, cues for number of pupils allowed in an area, language jigs, social stories, emotional thermometers
- Opportunities to "show and tell" using a framework as appropriate
- Give pupil a specific role in group work and support the interaction with peers or consider providing and alternative individual task to complete if group work is proving too difficult
- Opportunities to experience all types of play, supporting with modelling/role play if needed
- Understand and manage health and safety considerations, e.g. interest in sockets/fans with lack of awareness of danger
- Support for interpersonal problem-solving to promote assertiveness and negotiation e.g. categorising the relative importance of problems, visual supports to express feelings, comic strip conversations
- Develop pupils' awareness of situations that may be difficult and encourage pupil to use appropriate strategies
- Ensure all staff are aware of pupil's difficulties and support rather than sanction e.g. if pupil inadvertently uses the wrong tone of voice
- Small group nurturing for specific issues, e.g. Year 7 discussion re: transition, identified adults to talk to
- Support with understanding the views of others and developing tolerance e.g. may hold extreme or non-age appropriate views
- Use of pupil's name and, if appropriate, physical prompts to gain attention e.g. touch arm
- Use of visual support/noise such as a shaker and simple language to gain class attention e.g. "Stop!" showing palm of hand and waiting for attention before speaking
- Establish clear expectations of activities with visual cues
- Specific activities to encourage attention and listening skills, e.g. Sound Lotto
- Use of specific positive reinforcement for good listening behaviour e.g. "good sitting still" rather than "Good boy". Use visual supports to back up good listening e.g. widget symbols
- Use of a reward system if necessary which is clear, visual and consistent
- Anticipation of and planning for difficulties when listening to and understanding instructions or stories
- Use of visual support for indicating when has/hasn't understood e.g. traffic light system
- Regular checks of understanding by asking the pupil to show you or explain the instructions in their own words
- Encourage pupil to indicate when they have not understood and model how to do this if necessary
- Allow processing time e.g. give the pupils more time to respond
- If the pupil is unable to respond, offer an alternative e.g. "Is it... or...?"
- Use multi-sensory approaches to teach new vocabulary and concepts and opportunities for repetition and reinforcement
- Use of clear, concise language with information given in small "chunks"
- Explanation of expressions e.g. "Up you hop", "Bright as a button"
- Relating aspects of work to the pupil's direct experience whenever possible
- Differentiate level of questioning to suit individual children e.g. "what/where" questions easier than "when/why"
- Build confidence through specific praise and support where needed e.g. prompting with first word, encouragement to re-order ideas, visual support
- Expand language e.g. pupil says "ball gone", adult says "the ball's gone in the box"
- Ensure different uses of language with the pupil such as comments, instructions and questions e.g. "You've built a big tower" "Sit down now" "What are you making?"
- Provide opportunities to talk without interruption, practice new vocabulary and talk to adults/in small group rather than in whole class
- Model use of language in social contexts e.g. "My turn... your turn", "Yes please", "No, thanks", "Good morning!"
- Consistent practice of one developmentally appropriate error e.g. -ed endings such as "walked" through reading, talking and at home
- Explicit teaching of new vocabulary e.g. subject-based word banks
- Model back language and respond to the pupils message regardless of any mistakes with pronunciation, e.g. if pupil asks "Where's the dup (cup)?" responding "The cup is here"
- Build confidence through specific praise e.g. for successful pronunciation or good attempts
- Don't pretend to understand - can the pupil tell you/show you in another way?
- Preparation for changes to routine and activity
- Provide structured environment with clear routines and expectations and visual support and/or timetable e.g. for entering the room, group work/snack time
- Extra support and identified strategies to manage time limited tasks, transitions and unexpected events e.g. use of timer, additional time, surprise card, first-next board
- Teach strategies to deal with stressful events and identify strategy if pupil needs to be withdrawn e.g. a selection of anxiety reducing activities
- Reduce choice to two positive options
- Knowledge of the pupil's sensory profile and possible triggers
- Anticipation of impending sensory overload in order to intervene at an early stage
- Discussion with parents/carers about how sensory overload is managed at home
- Prepare pupil for new or unusual sensory experiences
- Adapt the classroom to reduce visual or auditory distraction if necessary
- Provide alternative acceptable items to meet pupils' sensory needs
- Provide an appropriate calm space for time out
Resources
| Title | Author | Description | Intended audience | Link to purchase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cool Connections with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy | Laurie Seilor | Cool Connections is a fun, engaging workbook that provides a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) approach to positively modifying the everyday thoughts and behaviours of children and young people aged 9 to 14. Combining a summary of CBT principles and step-by-step guidelines on how to use the materials appropriately with a mixture of games, handouts, home activities and therapeutic exercises, "Cool Connections" is designed to encourage resilience and self-esteem and reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. Fully photocopiable, fully illustrated and easy to use, this structured workbook is an effective tool for professionals working to improve the general wellbeing of children and young people, including psychologists, psychiatrists, counsellors, social workers, and child and adolescent mental health services, as well as professionals in residential care settings and educational professionals in child/youth services. | 9 - 14 years | Jessica Kingsley Publishers: Cool Connections with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (opens new window) |
| Panicosaurus | K. I. Al-Ghani | That might be the Panicosaurus coming out to play. Sometimes the Panicosaurus tricks Mabel's brain into panicking about certain challenges, such as walking past a big dog on the street or when her favourite teacher is not at school. With the help of Smartosaurus, who lets her know there is really nothing to be afraid of, Mabel discovers different ways to manage Panicosaurus, and defeat the challenges he creates for her. This fun, easy-to-read and fully illustrated storybook will inspire children who experience anxiety, and encourage them to banish their own Panicosauruses with help from Mabel's strategies. Parents and carers will like the helpful introduction, explaining anxiety in children, and the list of techniques for lessening anxiety at the end of the book. | 4 - 6 years | Jessica Kingsley Publishers: The Panicosaurus (opens new window) |
| When the Adults Change, Everything Changes | Paul Dix | You can buy in the best behaviour tracking software, introduce 24/7 detentions or scream NO EXCUSES as often as you want but ultimately the solution lies with the behaviour of the adults. It is the only behaviour over which we have absolute control. Drawing on anecdotal case studies, scripted interventions and approaches which have been tried and tested in a range of contexts, from the most challenging urban comprehensives to the most privileged international schools, behaviour training expert and Pivotal Education director Paul Dix advocates an inclusive approach that is practical, transformative and rippling with respect for staff and learners. An approach in which behavioural expectations and boundaries are exemplified by people, not by a thousand rules that nobody can recall. When the Adults Change, Everything Changes illustrates how, with their traditional sanction- and exclusion-led methods, the punishment brigade are losing the argument. It outlines how each school can build authentic practice on a stable platform, resulting in shifts in daily rules and routines, in how we deal with the angriest learners, in restorative practice and in how we appreciate positive behaviour. | Adults | |
| Homunculi approach CBT for ASD emotional and behavioural difficulties | Anna Greig and Tommy McCay | The Homunculi are miniature agents with problem-solving missions and special gadgets who live inside the brain and help out with distressing thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Through inventing their own Homunculi characters and stories, participants in the activity learn to cope with their real-life social problems. Complete with a large-format skull poster, character and storyboard templates, and photocopiable record sheets, this unique resource includes everything needed to get started on making Homunculi stories, cartoons or videos. | All ages | Jessica Kingsley Publishers: The Homunculi Approach To Social And Emotional Wellbeing (opens new window) |
| Stories that explain | Lynne McCann | Stories that explain is a one-stop support guide to helping children understand social situations through stories. This practical book is packed full of support, advice and tips for teachers, teaching assistants, SENCos and parents to help support children in gaining a better understanding of common primary school experiences that can cause misunderstanding or stress. This resource provides a concise explanation of the use of stories, why they are important, and advice on how to write/edit stories, including tips on how to present them. The accompanying CD includes a comprehensive and editable bank of stories to share with children to aid their understanding of social situations. | Adults | LDA: Stories That Explain Book (opens new window) |
| Talkabout | Alex Kelly | This hugely popular photocopiable manual provides professionals with a framework for the development of social skills. Initially piloted on adolescents with mild learning difficulties, it can be used with a variety of client groups, both children and adults. Beginning with a basic assessment procedure to evaluate the client's self-awareness, as well as the awareness of others, it is divided into six levels: improving the awareness of self and others, including physical appearance, likes, dislikes and problem-solving; allowing clients to assess their own communication skills; taking the client through eight levels of body language; 'Talkabout the way we talk' improving paralinguistic skills; taking the client through the processes needed to improve conversational and listening skills; and awareness and use of assertiveness skills. Practical and user-friendly, this comprehensive workbook is an essential resource for therapists running social skills groups. Alex Kelly (ne Hitchings) qualified from the Central School of Speech and Drama in 1985 and spent six years working in Islington, primarily in adult learning disability. She then worked in Redbridge for four years with both adults and children with a learning disability and also in a school for children with a physical disability. | All ages | Routledge: Talkabout - A Social Communication Skills Package (opens new window) |
| Black Sheep | Various | Resources for teachers and speech and language therapists working with children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) #DevLangDis and speech, language & communication needs (SLCN), that's our business. | All ages | Black Sheep Press (opens new window) |
| LEGO based therapy | Simon Baron-Cohen, Daniel B. LeGoff, Gina Gómez de la Cuesta, GW Krauss | This complete guide to LEGO® Therapy contains everything you need to know in order to set up and run a LEGO® Club for children with autism spectrum disorders or related social communication difficulties and anxiety conditions. By providing a joint interest and goal, LEGO® building can become a medium for social development such as sharing, turn-taking, making eye-contact, and following social rules. This book outlines the theory and research base of the approach and gives advice on all practical considerations including space, the physical layout of the room and choosing and maintaining materials, as well as strategies for managing behaviour, further skill development, and how to assess progress. Written by the pioneer of the approach alongside those who helped form it through their research and evaluation, this evidence-based manual is essential reading for professionals working with autism who are interested in running a LEGO® Club or learning more about the therapy. | Professionals | Jessica Kingsley Publishers: LEGO®-Based Therapy (opens new window) National Autistic Society: Using Lego therapy with autistic pupils (opens new window) |
| Website | Description | Intended audience | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| EMTAS service | Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service Resource page. Wiltshire EMTAS is a Wiltshire Council service, supporting schools to meet the needs of learners of English as an Additional Language (EAL) and other minority ethnic children and young people, including Travellers. Please see Our Service page for further information, contact details and information on how young people can be referred to the service. | Adults | Right Choice: EMTAS resource page (opens new window)
|
| EMTAS APPEAL - Assessment and Pupil Profiling for EAL Pupils | The APPEAL Tool is the result of a collaborative project between Wiltshire EMTAS, Wiltshire Educational Psychology and Wiltshire Specialist SEN Service. | Professionals | Right Choice: APPEAL - Assessment and Pupil Profiling for EAL Pupils (opens new window) |
| Behaviour Support Service | The Behaviour Support Service comprises a team of specialist teachers and trained behaviour support assistants with extensive skills and experience of working with Wiltshire maintained schools, academies and independent schools to develop and maintain a positive behaviour support ethos and to promote pro social pupil behaviour and emotional wellbeing. | Professionals | Right Choice: Behaviour Support Information (opens new window) |
| Widgit online | Create visual, communication and learning supports in your web browser using over 20,000 Widgit Symbols and hundreds of easy-to-use templates. | Adults | Widgit Online (opens new window) |
| Wiltshire Parent and Carer Council (WPCC) | Founded in 2008, the WPCC is an independent organisation which is managed and run by parent carers, for parent carers. We strongly believe that our children and young people should have
We have a membership in excess of 3000 parent carers across Wiltshire whose children range in age (0-25yrs) and in the type of special educational needs and/or disabilities they have. These include mental health, physical, sensory, learning,communication, challenging behaviour, autistic spectrum disorders and health conditions that require complex care. | Parents and carers | WPCC website (opens new window) |
| Social Communication Intervention Programme (SCIP) | The Social Communication Intervention Programme (SCIP) is a speech and language therapy programme for children who have social communication disorder (SCD). | Professionals | The University of Manchester: Social Communication Intervention Programme Research (SCIP) (opens new window) |
| Reachout ASC | Reachout ASC was set up by Lynn McCann in January 2014, after working as a primary teacher for many years and then for eight years in an all age specialist autism school. Lynn had set up an outreach service at the specialist school and realised that there was a great need for good, practical autism support and training in mainstream schools. | Professionals | Reachout ASC (opens new window) |
| Talkabout | Talkabout is a structured programme for teaching and measuring social skills. It is a whole scheme of work which helps you assess, teach and measure your work easily. It uses a hierarchical method of teaching social skills which means that having assessed the child using the Talkabout assessment, teachers will choose the appropriate level or book to start work at. This means that you may start by developing a child's self-awareness and self-esteem before progressing onto body language. You will then move onto conversation skills and then onto friendship skills and assertiveness. | Professionals | Alex Kelly Ltd: What is Talkabout? (opens new window) |
| Konfident Kidz | 12 week ASD programme for professionals, children, and parents. Our Konnect Social Skills classes give children and young people opportunities to explore their own communication, make new friends and learn how to advocate for themselves and to interpret non-autistic language and culture. These classes are run online for people around the world. | All | Konfident Kidz (opens new window) |
| Letters and Sounds phonics programme | Whether you are a parent or teacher, you can use these free resources to help support the DfES Letters and Sounds phonics programme. If you are new to Letters and Sounds and want to find out what it's all about, you can visit Letters and Sounds: What is Letters and Sounds? (opens new window). | Adults | Letters and Sounds (opens new window) |
| Sounds Write phonics programme | Sounds-Write is a quality first phonics programme. Its purpose is to provide classroom professionals with a comprehensive system with which to teach reading, spelling and writing. Ideally it will be introduced in YR, taught in KS1 and fine-tuned throughout the rest of Key Stage 2. In addition, it also serves very successfully as an intervention or catch-up programme. | Professionals | Sounds-Write (opens new window) |
| Read Write Inc. | Oxford Owl for Home: Read Write Inc. – A guide for parents (opens new window) | Adults | Ruth Miskin Literacy: Read Write Inc. Phonics (opens new window) |
| Twinkl SALT resources | SALT stands for Speech and Language Therapy. We provide SALT resources that support children and young people with speech, language and communication needs. We have a range of speech and language activities that offer targeted support in attention and listening, social interaction and play skills, understanding language, expressive language and speech pronunciation. We also have several adult guidance sheets that support professional development and knowledge within this area. All speech and language activities for Reception to KS2 are written by a highly-specialised speech and language therapist. This ensures the SALT advice included in our resources is in line with what you would receive from other speech and language therapy providers. | Professionals | Twinkl: Speech, Language and Communication (SALT) (opens new window) |
| Name | Type | Description | Intended audience | Sensory profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sensory profiles | Video | Heidi Alexander (Deputy Head) and Belinda Brookes (Assistant Head) of John Grant School) present this seminar for education professionals involved in the education of pupils with Autism and/or Sensory Processing Disorder. The sensory profiling and toolkit implemented at John Grant School has provided teachers with a practical, accessible resource to identify and meet the needs of pupils for whom sensory processing impacts on their educational experience - often presenting as 'difficult' behaviour be this passive or more disruptive. Sensory Processing Disorder now forms part of the diagnostic criteria for autism. It is estimated that up to 90% of people with autism will experience differences with sensory processing, impacting on their ability to receive, process and respond to sensory input. The majority of school and classroom environments are rich sources of sensory input and the challenge for individuals of managing this and attending to educational input can impact significantly on both educational and emotional well being. | Professionals | YouTube: Challenge Partners-Sensory, Profiling in Schools (opens new window) |
| Precision Teaching | Video | Precision teaching is a structured teaching method that's designed to improve the accuracy and fluency of reading, spelling and maths. The main goal of precision teaching is to help ensure that students become fluent and accurate in using their words. | Adults | YouTube: Department of Education-Precision Teaching (opens new window) |
| Observations - ABCC Charts | Free tool download | Asks teachers and other staff to reflect upon an observed behaviour to unpick the purpose / intent of the behaviour. Explore what happened before, during and after but also to explore the possible intended communication. | Adults | Tes: Lesson Resources (opens new window) |
| Support in Wiltshire fo Autism Setting Strategies (SWASS) | PDF document | Strategies for staff and parents of children with ASD | Adults | Download the SWASS document (PDF, 1 MB)(opens new window) |
| Talking and Drawing therapy | Programme | A brief introduction to Drawing and Talking, working with the child or young person's inner world needs to be carried out safely and non-intrusively, with respect for the child or young person's own pace and state of being. This is why anyone using Drawing and Talking learns to stay in the world of the child or young person's drawing. The child or young person sets the pace and decides what to bring to the session. | Professionals | |
| Language of choice | Article | Language of choice is about giving the child some control over the outcomes but, as an adult, being in charge of the process and the structure within which you work. The adult also sets the choices and the boundaries.It is far more successful for a challenging student to have made their own decisions, arrived at their own conclusion and be faced with a known outcome, rather than simply telling them what to do -- the ability to comply is much easier and leads to far less resentment. | Adults | Supportive Behaviour Management: Language of choice (opens new window) |
| Thrive | Website | Thrive® promotes children's and young people's positive mental health by helping adults know how to be and what to do in response to their differing and sometimes distressed behaviour. The Thrive Approach® is appropriate for anyone working with children and young people - such as in education (early years settings through to primary schools, secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units), social care, healthcare, local authorities and community groups, as well as for parents and carers. | Professionals | Help every child Thrive (thriveapproach.com) (opens new window) |
| SWAPP Autism Parent Programme | Programme | SWAPP is for families of children and young people with autism or who are on the autistic spectrum from preschool age to school year 13. The child or young person must have a formal written diagnosis before a family can attend the programme. A member of staff from the child or young person's setting/school is encouraged to attend whenever possible in order to develop a consistent approach around the child or young person. Children and young people themselves do not attend sessions. | Adults | Supporting My Neurodivergent Young Person (SMNYP) |
| Preschool communication tracker | Tool | A tool for identifying, monitoring and referring preschool children in Wiltshire with speech, language and communication needs. | Professionals | Download the Preschool communication tracker (PDF, 721 KB)(opens new window) |
| LEGO therapy for communication | Article | Using LEGO therapy with autistic pupils | Adults | National Autistic Society: Using Lego therapy with autistic pupils (opens new window) |
| Narrative therapy | Approach | Wikipedia®: Narrative therapy (opens new window) | Professionals | Narrative Therapy (goodtherapy.org) (opens new window) |
| Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) | Website and resources | The Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) is an evidence-based oral language intervention for children in nursery and reception who show weakness in their oral language skills and who are therefore at risk of experiencing difficulty with reading. It is delivered over 30 weeks by teaching assistants in groups of three to four children. The intervention was developed by a team from the University of York, who subsequently carried out a randomised control trial in 15 schools and feeder-nurseries across Yorkshire. After 30 weeks, the children who had received the intervention had improved expressive language skills, including the use of vocabulary and grammar. Their letter-sound knowledge and spelling also improved, indicating the foundations of phonics were in place. | Professionals | Nuffield NELI (teachneli.org) (opens new window) Nuffield Foundation: Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) (opens new window) |
Share this page
