Therapy and other targeted or specialist intervention

Assess plan do review

For those students taught in small groups with high levels of adult support, therapy provision is embedded within the curriculum as much as possible, using advice and support from specialists. 

Examples would include:

  • Adapting the English curriculum to deliver SALT objectives and outcomes within taught lessons
  • Using the social and communicative curriculum to deliver both SALT and OT self-regulation and social communication strategies
  • Adapting the PE curriculum to reinforce Occupational Therapy objectives, or providing distinct provision for those requiring targeted work
  • Using local trips or visits to practise key skills and decision-making

This, similarly, applies to other input such as Dyslexia or Art Therapy teaching.  The small groups within the base, coupled with high levels of adult support, allows delivery effectively and in a way that embeds the key outcomes more effectively. 

Other specialist input:

However, there are occasions when specialist input is required directly.  This would usually be for a period of time to address or support particular issues that have not responded to the taught curriculum.  Alternatively, this may be to address short term difficulties that need overcoming to maintain access to the small group teaching classes and benefit from the provision.

The base has an overall allocation of time for Educational Psychologists and Therapists that it uses as needed to support students to meet their outcomes as per the Educational Health and Care Plan.  Much of this time is used to support the work described above.  However, specialist support may be required for example:

  • 1-1 or pair work to address particular self-regulation, social or sensory issues
  • Individual strategies to support accessing the provision successfully
  • A “course” of specified length to develop specific skills or coping strategies
  • Work with our ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) staff
  • Work with an Assistant Psychologist under the supervision of an Educational Psychologist

 

Assess Plan Do Review

Horizon will continue to apply the principle of the “Assess, Plan, Do Review” cycle that applies to all SEND processes and thus use a Graduated Approach.This means that where concerns arise in terms of changing needs, the process of response will be as follows:

  • Look at strategies to address or support concern, talking this through with Horizon staff and parents/carers and then implementing and reviewing success.  This will often include input from external specialists (eg EP or therapists) in terms of general advice and support where parents/carers agree.
  • If the above does not resolve the issue, then reviewing strategies and progress, asking for input from Therapists or Educational Psychologists or other specialist if not already done, and then modifying approaches, again talking these through with parents/carers
  • If the issue does not respond to stages 1 or 2 OR the issue is clearly so major that immediate referral to a specialist is required, then referral to the relevant specialist for formal assessment would be usual, subject to parent/carer agreement.