Ordinarily Available Provision (Leicestershire)

Ordinarily Available Provision

Contents of Document

The document is separated into the four main areas of need

1. Communication and Language.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

2. Cognition and Learning.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

3. Social, Emotional and Mental Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

4. Physical and/or Sensory.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Please note, this document is designed to be used electronically

Introduction and Overview

Early identification and early intervention of SEND is vital to prevent escalation of needs. This document will support you to ensure children get the right support at the right time.

The term ‘ordinarily available provision’ comes from the SEND Code of Practice and refers to the support that mainstream settings should be able to provide for a child through their agreed funding and resource arrangements.

The Ordinarily Available Provision describes a wide range of activities, opportunities and approaches that are offered as basic good practice to meet a range of additional needs without the need for formal diagnosis or specialist support. This document cannot describe every intervention or strategy but indicates the type of arrangement that should be typically available.

A child or young person has special educational needs if he or she has a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision

Ordinarily Available Provision falls into the ‘universal’ offer as special educational provisions are made ‘ordinarily available’ by Early Years Providers. For some children their Special Educational Needs and Disabilities will be provided for through high quality, differentiated teaching. Non-statutory guidance Birth to 5 Matters and DfE Development Matters detail universal inclusive practice.

Ordinarily Available Provision is not about treating everyone the same, but it is about making adaptations and small changes, so all children get the same opportunities.

For details of services and support please visit Leicestershire County Council SEND Local Offer

Early Years providers should read this document in the context of their responsibility to operate a Graduated Approach to assessing, planning for, providing for, and reviewing most children’s needs in their setting. The Graduated Approach Booklet for children with SEND in the early years is available.

Communication and Language

SEND Code of Practice (2015)

6.28 Children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) have difficulty in communicating with others. This may be because they have difficulty saying what they want to, understanding what is being said to them or they do not understand or use social rules of communication. The profile for every child with SLCN is different and their needs may change over time. They may have difficulty with one, some or all of the different aspects of speech, language or social communication at different times of their lives.

6.29 Children and young people with ASD, including Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism, are likely to have particular difficulties with social interaction. They may also experience difficulties with language, communication and imagination, which can impact on how they relate to others.

NB. This section is linked to the ‘Speech, Language and Communication Needs’ chapter and the ‘Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC)’ chapter in the Graduated Approach Booklet

What does it look like? Ordinarily Available Provision Resources Available Attention and listening

X People play

Environment:

X Social communication

Child may have no or poor eye contact and may not respond to their name

X Use calm colours to reduce distractions, support attention and

groups

concentration – all useful aspects to effective communication

X Sensory circuits and

X Carefully plan where areas are placed in the room. For example, have the book

sensory breaks

area in a corner away from the outside door. Be aware of throughfares Child may be easily distracted, find attending to activities difficult and flit between one thing and another

X Safe space

X Use of natural resources e.g. wood, metal, real leaves, mud can offer opportunities for more language to be used, sensory engagement to support listening & attention & something more interesting to talk about than plastic equipment

X Positive language and

praising

X Every Child a Talker Child

Child may not be able to listen and do something at the same time

X Be aware of noise levels in the setting e.g. the use of soft furnishing or monitoring tool creating cosy areas.

X Ensure appropriate daily routines are in place to support the child.

Child may appear to be in their own world or on their own agenda and it may be difficult to get them to engage in adult led interactions

Experiences and Opportunities:

X Know about and follow the child’s current interests or motivators X Offer a range of sensory experiences to engage the child X The outdoor provision can be an experience that relaxes children and Child may engage in a limited range of activities supports their communication

Strategies:

X Identify the child’s attention levels X Use the child’s name before communicating with them X Use eye contact, gestures, tone of voice and nonverbal communications X Get down to the child’s level X Organise small groups or paired work X Play high interest games e.g. bubble, balloon or ready steady go games.

X Use visuals or objects of reference to support attention skills X Share key strategies with parents and carers to ensure a consistent approach X Sing songs and rhymes

What does it look like? Ordinarily Available Provision Resources Available Receptive language (understanding)

X Choice boards

Environment

X Use visual support strategies

X Communication friendly

environments

X Use quiet spaces to support concentration Child may struggle to understand language and could mimic with no understanding (out of context) X Purposeful displays X Reduce distractions in the environment X Use real objects to generate new vocabulary and make learning more X Tents meaningful X Tables covered with cloths

Experiences and Opportunities:

Over reliance on non-verbal communication

X Book Nooks X Provide opportunities for real life, first-hand experiences (cultural capital) to X Sofas and bean bags facilitate new vocabulary through a multi-sensory approach Struggles to follow simple instructions X Ideas and activities to X Utilise all daily routines as opportunities to interact support X Re-visit words and experiences to embed vocabulary in a variety of contexts Not responsive to their name

X Speaking and listening

X Children need a reason to communicate, plan resources and opportunities

X Every child a talker (ECAT)

Difficulty making choices to support this X Modelling/instructions/ May have high levels of anxiety, withdrawal, challenging behaviour, low levels of wellbeing

Strategies:

commentary X Simplify language when necessary to aid understanding

X Creating opportunities to

X Use objects of reference, photos or visuals to support the child’s understanding

communicate

X Intentionally plan new words to introduce and share these words with parents to encourage use at home too.

Avoids tasks and activities where there is a reliance on understanding language

X Follow the child’s lead, comment on their play or interests.

X Avoid asking too many questions. Adults should ask one question to every four comments made. X Offer choices with a visual support even when you may already know what Struggles to follow routines without support – waits and copies what others do they want e.g. ‘do you want an apple or banana?’ X All practitioners try to use the same word/phrase rather than using a range Children may find following verbal instructions difficult of words to describe the same activity e.g. Dinner time; Decide whether it will be called ‘dinner’, ‘lunch’, or ‘sandwiches’.

X As receptive and expressive skills develop, ask open-ended questions to encourage conversation e.g. “What did you do on holiday?” rather than “Did you go to the seaside?” X Story sacks, props, puppets, nursery rhyme bags all add meaningful context to words

What does it look like? Ordinarily Available Provision Resources Available Social Communication

X Language Support

Environment:

X Social communication

Child may avoid situations where language is involved

X When children feel comfortable and safe, they are more likely to communicate.

groups

X Be aware that different cultures may have different social rules. Make sure X Listen and learn: you speak to parents about what is expected in their culture Child may demonstrate aspects of solitary play Speech, language and communication strategy X Be aware that a child with EAL may present as having SEND but just needs time to immerse in the new language Child may find emotional vocabulary learning a challenge X Minimise visual distractions and background noise.

Experiences and Opportunities:

X Small group work with the child for short and regular interventions X Use co-operative play and adult led or child-initiated tasks involving turn taking X Interact in the child-initiated moments as they arise to support and model language Strategies: X Routines are very important for children with social interaction difficulties.

Make the routine clear (e.g. by using a visual) and warn children in advance of any changes during the session

X Ensure you are face-to-face when communicating and use children’s names to gain attention.

X Children may find it challenging to stay in the group for a long period of time so have realistic expectations for individual children.

X Follow the child’s lead and make the context and reason for communication motivating and interesting X Use high interest toys like bubbles, noisy or pop-up toys to encourage simple interaction and turn taking.

X Praise the child for ‘good listening’ or ‘good looking’ or for taking turns in an activity.

X Repeat and revisit activities particularly in small groups as this can offer reassurance and build confidence X Value and recognise all forms of communication including non-verbal.

Cognition and Learning

SEND Code of Practice (2015)

6.30 Support for learning difficulties may be required when children and young people learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation. Learning difficulties cover a wide range of needs, including moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD), where children are likely to need support in all areas of the curriculum and associated difficulties with mobility and communication, through to profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), where children are likely to have severe and complex learning difficulties as well as a physical disability or sensory impairment.

6.31 Specific learning difficulties (SpLD), affect one or more specific aspects of learning. This encompasses a range of conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia.

NB. This section is linked to the ‘Learning Disability’ chapter in the Graduated Approach Booklet

Social, Emotional and Mental Health

SEND Code of Practice (2015)

6.32 Children and young people may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which manifest themselves in many ways. These may include becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour. These behaviours may reflect underlying mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression, self-harming, substance misuse, eating disorders or physical symptoms that are medically unexplained. Other children and young people may have disorders such as attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder or attachment disorder.

6.33 Schools and colleges should have clear processes to support children and young people, including how they will manage the effect of any disruptive behaviour so it does not adversely affect other pupils. The Department for Education publishes guidance on managing pupils’ mental health and behaviour difficulties in schools.

NB. This section is linked to the ‘Social, Emotional and Mental Health’ chapter in the Graduated Approach Booklet

Physical and/or Sensory

SEND Code of Practice (2015)

6.34 Some children and young people require special educational provision because they have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities generally provided. These difficulties can be age related and may fluctuate over time. Many children and young people with vision impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI) or a multi-sensory impairment (MSI) will require specialist support and/or equipment to access their learning, or habilitation support. Children and young people with an MSI have a combination of vision and hearing difficulties. Information on how to provide services for deafblind children and young people is available through the Social Care for Deafblind Children and Adults guidance published by the Department of Health

6.35 Some children and young people with a physical disability (PD) require additional ongoing support and equipment to access all the opportunities available to their peers.

NB. This section is linked to the ‘Physical Disability’, ‘Hearing Impairment’, ‘Vision Impairment’, ‘Medical Needs’ and ‘Sensory Needs’ chapters in the Graduated Approach Booklet

Special thanks to the following for supporting the design and review of the Ordinarily Available Provision

X Staff from the Early Years, Inclusion and Childcare Service and Education Psychology Service X Council for Disabled Children X Cadeby Lane Stepping Stones X Heather Pre-School X Little Explorers Playgroup X Tiddleypeeps Pre-School X Pop Up Care Clubs, Thorpe Astley