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New resource Severe and Profound Learning Needs

Posted by 4 on the 31st August, 2015

 

The South Lanarkshire Framework for Supporting Pupils with Severe and Profound Learning Needs is an interesting and useful document aimed at supporting teachers and support assistants.

Although a new term, 'Severe and Profound Learning Difficulties' is helpfully descriptive and should have a familiar ring to many teachers and support assistants. The authors note the lack of consensus about a precise definition - mentioning such as 'severe learning difficulties', profound and multiple learning difficulties' used in England; while in Scotland the terms 'severe and complex learning difficulties', 'complex additional support needs' and others have offered varying degrees of precision. The authors’ colours are nailed firmly to the mast with this definition and they go on to make clear who they are talking about.

More than that though they discuss approaches to learning and to identifying possible targets and outcomes while offering many practical suggestions. They do so in a way that dovetails into Curriculum for Excellence Experiences and Outcomes with examples of experiences, outcomes and possible targets for each area of Curriculum for Excellence.

Many useful appendices are included for example on Structured Observation, Solution focused Learning, Behaviour Support Plan, and Initial Assessment Form for early-years in nursery settings. Its core though is useful practical examples.

The materials are based on sound evidence based approaches to learning, drawing on a range of sources e.g. Routes for Learning, Quest from N. Ireland, Coupe & Goldbart's work on Effective Communication Before Speech, Intensive Interaction and more.

With Sage publishing a book in March 2016 based on St. Crispin’s School in Edinburgh’s Learning Tracks document, it is encouraging to find new approaches continuing to emerge that strive to embrace Curriculum for Excellence.

The team that produced the document for SLC - bringing together Psychological Services and the Inclusive Education Service with several schools contributing - are to be congratulated on producing such a polished and useful resource. Although the team don't include their names (you know who you are) it is excellent that they have made it available both as a free download and as a paid for resource.

Online course - £30

Empowering Autistic Learners through the use of Assistive Technology

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