The SENDcast

In this week's podcast, Dale Pickles from B Squared is joined by Angharad Welch to discuss Speech and Language in children with Down Syndrome. Angharad Welch is a Speech and Language Therapist who runs Find the Key Speech and Language Therapy. Angharad has worked with a number of organisations including NASEN and ourselves at B Squared, she also speaks at various events. Children and young people with Down syndrome have a variety of traits that can effect speech and language, including working memory, hearing, speech-motor difficulties as well as slow vocabulary acquisition and speech-motor effects. Useful Links Down Syndrome International https://www.down-syndrome.org/en-gb/ Down Syndrome Association https://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/ Contact Angharad Welch Website – www.findthekeyslt.co.uk Facebook Page – www.facebook.com/findthekeyslt Email – findthekeyslt@hotmail.com Twitter – @FindthekeySLT For more podcast episodes from the SENDcast click below… https://www.thesendcast.com/sendcast-episodes/

In this week's podcast Dale Pickles from B Squared is joined by Carol Allen and John Galloway to discuss CPD for Inclusion. Apart from this obviously amazing podcast, we are discussing where can teachers go to access the information and support they need in order to improve their inclusive practice. Carol is an education advisor for ICT and Inclusion in particular supporting the London Grid For Learning and Hartlepool LA. She was named one of the top ten educators for 2018 in the field of educational technology. This was down to all her amazing work on inclusion. John is a specialist in the use of technology to improve educational opportunities for children and young people with special educational needs. He spends the majority of his time working with Tower Hamlets LA, but also does lots of working as a writer, consultant and trainer. Teaching is one of the professions that is always changing and there is always a need to continue to learn and develop. As well as CPD directed by schools, many teachers will find their own ways to learn and keep up to date with the latest changes and information. There needs to be a lot more CPD around SEND for all teachers, not just for SENCOs and those working in special schools. With pressures on time and money, it is not easy to achieve. In the podcast we discuss ways teachers can access CPD around SEND, including informal training like Teachmeets. We also discuss the impact COVID will have on CPD going forward and how schools will need to adapt. Useful Links TES SEN Show - https://www.tessenshow.co.uk/ Training for Education - https://www.trainingforeducation.com/ Teachmeets - http://teachmeet.pbworks.com/w/page/19975349/FrontPage To TeachMeet or not? - https://thirdspacelearning.com/blog/teachmeet-not-teachmeet-networking-essential-good-teaching-practice/ Carol Allen on Twitter - @caroljallen John Galloway on Twitter - @Johngalloway

In this week's podcast, Dale Pickles from B Squared is joined by Angharad Welch who is giving us an introduction to Augmentative and Alternative Communication, more commonly referred to as its acronym AAC. When people think about AAC they often think of high tech solutions, but there is lots of low-tech options which can be very effective. Angharad Welch is a Speech and Language Therapist who runs Find the Key Speech and Language Therapy. Angharad has worked with a number of organisations including NASEN and ourselves at B Squared, she also speaks at various events. Angharad Welch is a Speech and Language Therapist who runs Find the Key Speech and Language Therapy. Angharad has worked with a number of organisations including NASEN and ourselves at B Squared, she also speaks at various events. Useful Links PrAACtial AAC - https://praacticalaac.org/ Contact Angharad Welch Website – www.findthekeyslt.co.uk Facebook Page – www.facebook.com/findthekeyslt Email – findthekeyslt@hotmail.com Twitter – @FindthekeySLT For more podcast episodes from the SENDcast click below… https://www.thesendcast.com/sendcast-episodes/

In this week's podcast Dale Pickles from B Squared is joined by Angharad Welch to discuss communication friendly environments, also referred to language rich environment or communication friendly spaces. Angharad Welch isa Speech and Language Therapist who runs Find the Key Speech and Language Therapy. Angharad has worked with a number of organisations including NASEN and ourselves at B Squared, she also speaks at various events. A communication friendly environment is something that supports all pupils, but especially for pupils struggling with speech, language or communication needs. It is not always big changes, but by making these changes you are removing some of the barriers that prevent or limit children's development. When we are talking about a communication friendly environment, it isn't just what is in the classroom, it is how we structure the day and the opportunities we give children. Useful Links Communication Trust www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk Elklan Training 'Communication Friendly Settings' https://www.elklan.co.uk/information/commissioners-schools/communication-friendly-settings Contact Angharad Welch Website – www.findthekeyslt.co.uk Facebook Page – www.facebook.com/findthekeyslt Email – findthekeyslt@hotmail.com Twitter – @FindthekeySLT For more podcast episodes from the SENDcast click below… https://www.thesendcast.com/sendcast-episodes/

In this week's podcast Dale Pickles from B Squared is joined by Carol Allen and John Galloway to discuss education technology and how to do it for low cost or no cost. Carol is an education advisor for ICT and Inclusion in particular supporting the London Grid For Learning and Hartlepool LA. She was named one of the top ten educators for 2018 in the field of educational technology. This was down to all her amazing work on inclusion. John is a specialist in the use of technology to improve educational opportunities for children and young people with special educational needs. He spends the majority of his time working with Tower Hamlets LA, but also does lots of working as a writer, consultant and trainer. Technology is amazing, but also expensive which means schools don't always have a lot of tech. The first step when thinking about using technology is to understand what you have. This sounds simple, but it isn't always. You might be able to list all the equipment you have and all the software/apps you have, but do you know what they are all capable of? Software like Microsoft Office has been continually developed over the last 20 years. Office 365 has lots of amazing features around accessibility, including speech to text and text to speech. There are new features every year. Microsoft aren't alone, Google and lots of other companies are doing the same. In the podcast we discuss how you can use tech better, understand what you have and find out how to get more out what you have. There are also lots of free tools out there to help. Useful Links Clicker - https://www.cricksoft.com/uk/clicker/8 Microsoft Accessibility Information - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/office?activetab=pivot_1:primaryr2 Google Accessibility Information - https://www.google.co.uk/accessibility/ Carol Allen on Twitter - @caroljallen John Galloway on Twitter - @Johngalloway

In this week's podcast Dale Pickles from B Squared is joined by Angharad Welch to discuss verbal reasoning and how to use questions to help extend these skills. Angharad Welch isa Speech and Language Therapist who runs Find the Key Speech and Language Therapy. Angharad has worked with a number of organisations including NASEN and ourselves at B Squared, she also speaks at various events. Verbal reasoning is understanding what has been said. Verbal reasoning is similar to comprehension, it is what phonology is to phonics. If a pupil is struggling to understand the world around them or make predictions, this will have a huge impact on their development. A pupil needs to be able to observe, then compare and then use expressive language. There is a lot going on, there is a lot to unpick and questions are key to this development. You can use questions to help support a pupils understanding, but not all questions are equal. Useful Links Blank Questions – https://www.thesendcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Blank-Questions.jpg Contact Angharad Welch Website – www.findthekeyslt.co.uk Facebook Page – www.facebook.com/findthekeyslt Email – findthekeyslt@hotmail.com Twitter – @FindthekeySLT

In this week's podcast Dale Pickles from B Squared is joined by Lorraine Petersen OBE to discuss how schools can support transition from primary to secondary school. A significant number of young people, especially those identified with SEND will encounter difficulties in the transition to a new school if not properly supported. During this session Lorraine will give practical examples of how to manage transition from primary to secondary school. The number of pupils who are either excluded or are not in school due to anxiety is rising in Years 7 and 8. This is often due to a poor transition process for these pupils moving from primary to secondary. For transition to work effectively, it needs to be a partnership between the primary school, secondary school, parents and carers and the pupil. Useful Links 100 Ideas for Primary teachers – transition to Secondary School – Bloomsbury Press - https://www.amazon.co.uk/100-Ideas-Primary-Teachers-Transition/dp/1472910702#ace-g0832847424 Nasen mini-guide – Transition - https://nasen.org.uk/uploads/assets/d120f943-7f8b-48c6-bc5b0d2ab448c54d/transition.pdf

In this week's podcast Dale Pickles from B Squared is joined by Sarah Jane Critchley to discuss school refusals, school phobia and illness. Sarah-Jane has the benefit of both a professional AND personal perspective. Sarah-Jane was previously the Programme Manager for over 10 years at the Autism Education Trust. Pupils with autism often struggle with attending school for a number of reasons. Her daughter Beth has autism and also suffers from migraines which meant from Year 3 onwards she missed a lot of school and missed over 50% of her GCSE classes, eventually dropping out of school in year 12. Schools are struggling with an increase in mental health issues in pupils, with escalating numbers of young people unable to attend school as a result. As many as 1:10 pupils were recorded as absent from school in 2016/17. Children not in school, unless they are electively home educated, get offered less education at a lower level with a knock-on effect on their long-term outcomes. If children are unable to attend school it has a catastrophic effect on the family, often resulting in parents being unable to maintain employment and tipping the family into economic disadvantage. Where a child's needs are clearly not being met in school, attendance is often impacted, their educational and life outcomes are seriously affected. Some parents have children who are so anxious they are unable to attend school. In some cases this has led to families being taken to court when the school has made little attempt to work with the family. School refusal is an odd term. It implies they are simply deciding not to go to school. For lots of pupils it is not a choice, they cannot cope with school. In this podcast we discuss a variety of reasons a pupil doesn't/cannot attend school. We discuss how a school's attitude to a pupils attendance can make a big difference. A child may present themselves as being happy at school, but present themselves very differently at home. They may use all their energy coping with school life and run out of energy when they get home. Schools and parents have to work in partnership to move forward. There are also a number of options for pupils who are unable to attend school full time. We explore dual registration, flexi-schooling, hospital schools, online schools, home education and visiting tutors. There are a number of options, some may be short term, others could be longer. Useful Links DfE Attendance Guidance https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-attendance Not Fine in School website for parents and professionals https://notfineinschool.org.uk/home Emotional Distress Detector Toolkit https://differentjoy.krtra.com/t/DMZtVGKHe1Za How to contact Sarah-Jane: Twitter: @SarahJaneCritch Instagram: www.instagram.com/sarahjanecritchley/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/differentjoy/

In this week's podcast Dale Pickles from B Squared is joined by Wendy Lee to discuss the language and literacy link, the impact a pupil's language difficulties has on their literacy. Wendy is a speech and language therapist for over 30 years, with a wealth of experience. Wendy was a professional director of the Communications Trust until 2015, being involved in a range of projects as well as inputting on national policy and research. Wendy is currently the director of LINGO which provides consultancy, professional development, resources and speech and language therapy. The Language and Literacy link is the link between a pupil's language difficulties and their literacy difficulties. It seems obvious when you think about it, if a pupils struggles with speaking an listening, they will probably be lacking skills when it comes to reading and writing. Many children with SEN have poor spoken language skills. It is estimated that at least 10% of all children have some difficulties with speech, language and communication, will have SLCN; this may be a primary need, as with Developmental Language Disorder or it may be a Language Disorder linked to another condition, such as cognition and learning or autism. Limited language impacts on literacy. Sometimes, it is language that is the foundation of literacy difficulties, though rarely is this the focus of literacy teaching or support. The podcast will explore how a focus on language could support those children with limited literacy skills. Useful Links Who are poor comprehenders? - https://readoxford.org/who-are-poor-comprehenders Improving literacy in key stage 1 - https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/tools/guidance-reports/literacy-ks-1/ Improving literacy in key stage 2 - https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/tools/guidance-reports/literacy-ks-2/ IPEELL: Using self-regulation to improve writing https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects-and-evaluation/projects/ipeell/ Westerveld and Gillon Oral Narrative Program 2007 - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275017556_Westerveld-and-Gillon-Oral-Narrative-Program-2007 Lingo - www.lingospeech.co.uk How to contact Wendy Lee Twitter - @Lingo_speech Email - wendy@lingospeech.co.uk

In this week's podcast Dale Pickles from B Squared is joined by Sarah Jane Critchley to discuss Exclusions, how legal are they and why isn't more being done to prevent them. The statistics are shocking and terrible and more needs to be done. In this episode we discuss the different types of exclusion, when are exclusions are illegal, the two way link between mental health and exclusion and that there are alternatives. Sarah-Jane Critchley is passionate about helping autistic people, their families, friends and supporters live happier lives of their own choosing. She is the internationally recognised author of 'A Different Joy: The Parents' Guide to Living Better with Autism, Dyslexia, ADHD and More...'. and contributor to two titles on autism and girls. Sarah-Jane spent 10 years as Programme Manager of the AET. Whilst there she commissioned the AET's guides to exclusions. She also spoke at the NAHT 2019 SEND and the NAS 2019 Professional Conference on exclusions, and what schools can do to avoid them and to parents' groups on Exclusions, Absences and Illness. Exclusions continue to increase, nearly 8,000 pupils permanently excluded from school. One of the limited bits of good news is, that is only a small percentage of schools that are excluding pupils, 85% of schools excluded NO pupils at all in 2016-17. Sadly 78% of exclusions were pupils with SEND, Children in need or on Free school meals. Exclusions have a big lifelong effect on a child. Exclusions can cause a "collision course with failure" (Robert Halpern MP – Chair of the Education Select Committee). Gang members are 5.5 times more likely to have been excluded than the rest of the population. 85% of children in Young Offender Institutions have been excluded. Useful Links: DfE SEND Code of Practice https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25 DfE Exclusions Guidance https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-exclusion Autism Education Trust exclusions materials https://www.autismeducationtrust.org.uk/exclusions/ Timpson Review of exclusions 2019. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/edward-timpson-publishes-landmark-exclusions-review How to contact Sarah-Jane: Twitter: @SarahJaneCritch Instagram: www.instagram.com/sarahjanecritchley/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/differentjoy/ Email: sarah-jane@differentjoy.com For more podcast episodes from the SENDcast click below… https://www.thesendcast.com/sendcast-episodes/