Communication and interaction​

To help manage this need you can:

• allow time for children and young people to process and respond (10 second rule)
• model language – reflect and reframe correct speech or grammar rather than correcting
• repeat what the child or young person has said and add one word
• organise small group or individual target language sessions - to facilitate this, adults have phonological awareness and understand the impact that processing difficulties may have on phonics acquisition - adapt teaching accordingly
• teach in a way that links with language programmes devised by a speech and language therapist 
• introduce a variety of language through rhymes and songs
• support and encourage the child or young person to communicate verbally
• use alternative methods of communication where appropriate, for example, Makaton, technology, communication books and boards - you may also want to consider the use of a symbol communication system, speak to your special educational needs (SENCO) for further advice
• use visual choice boards to enable the child or young person to communicate, for example if they need the toilet or a break 

To help manage this need you can:

• provide the child with a good model for correct speech, for example, if your child or young person says "dun" instead of 'sun', simply say, "yes, there's the sun" and repeat this often so that the child has multiple opportunities to hear correct speech
• emphasise the sounds that are difficult for the child or young person, for example "sss-sun"
• get down to the child or young person’s level before you model speech
• ensure that the child or young person’s hearing has been checked - they will struggle to produce sounds that they are not hearing if this is the case
• avoid telling the child to say a word which you know they find difficult (for example, "say fish") - children or young people tend to just repeat their incorrect way of saying the word and may become upset or frustrated if you put them under pressure
• avoid saying "no" when correcting the child or young person's speech, as this can be frustrating or can put them off trying again, especially when they think they are already saying it the right way
• don't talk above background noise - children are more easily distracted by noises that adults can more easily ignore or tune out, for example, turn off the television when you want to focus on talking; find a quieter space to speak
• develop phonological awareness skills such as rhyme identification, syllable awareness and identifying the first and last sounds in a word

To help manage this need you can:

• consider how many information carrying words a child or young person can manage when giving instructions
• adapt the use of language and method, for example, by giving simple choices, or by reducing complexity and sentence length  
• provide visual prompts if necessary, including:
  • key vocabulary
  • visual timetables
  • now and next
  • gestures
  • labelling equipment with pictures
• ensure the adult is physically at the child or and young person’s level
• give extra or allow take up time for the child or young person to process what has been said
• audit the environment and limit any distractions, in line with the child or young person’s needs
• check you have engaged the child’s attention before talking to them, by using their name
• check that hearing has been tested
• pre-teach topic vocabulary and provide opportunities to re-visit understanding and use of words
• introduce new language through a structured, repetitive approach - use visuals and phonological awareness to support
• use a ‘first, then, now, next’ visual framework
• use an aided language board to support the child or young person’s understanding - adults may need to model this approach, with access to the aided language board at all times
• ensure access to an oral language modifier for assessments

To help manage this need you can:

• acknowledge and value all forms of communication, for example vocalisations, body movements and eye gaze
• use intensive interaction strategies to develop shared communication
• before giving an instruction, use the child or young person’s name to draw their attention, followed by key word instructions, for example, “Jamie, break time”
• give simple, single step instructions - avoid the use of unnecessary or complex description
• use literal language (avoiding sarcasm, idiom, and figures of speech) 
• use a total communication approach - this could include:
  • objects of reference
  • photos
  • symbols
  • drawings
  • signs
  • words to support pre-verbal communication
• use symbol communication such as Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) or similar
• use communication libraries to try out a variety of resources, which can be accessed through the library service
• be aware of body language: a high percentage of what we communicate is non-verbal
• use an appropriate tone of voice (calm, not too loud)
• be aware of environmental factors that may impact upon communication (noise, temperature, lighting, layout)
• support verbal communication with gestures and signs, which may include Makaton

To help manage this need you can:

• use role play and drama, starting with re-telling familiar stories -  progress to changing one or two parts of a well-known story
• use props, for example puppets 
• model imaginative storytelling (both adults and peers)
• support storytelling with visual cues or actions  
• use photos to talk through what might be happening  
• harness the use of the child or young person’s interests when considering your approach

To help manage this need you can:

• plan supportive class groupings and opportunities for children and young people to work with different peers
• plan explicit opportunities to develop social understanding and inference - use photos to talk through what might be happening or what people might be feeling
• plan group work and use this flexibly to promote independence from adults
• organise small group or one to one tasks and activities, for example Lego based therapy or social skills groups 
• promote a calm learning environment 
• be clear in your communication of expectations - model positive interactions and be specific about feedback provided to children and young people 
• ensure that staff or play leaders monitor at break and lunchtime and intervene with strategies to support peer interactions, for example through teaching structured games

To help manage this need you can:

• use role play or comic strip conversations to gain insights into a situation, where a child or young person needs support to develop social understanding  
• use structured problem solving to unpick social misunderstandings or concerns
• be aware of the possibility that double empathy may be impacting upon a child or young person
• use small interest-based peer support sessions, for example Circle of Friends or Lego-based therapy
• use social stories for specific situations where social understanding needs development, for example, turn taking
• give prompts, for example, symbols or gestures
• use visual supports for routines, for example, now (you are doing this) and next (you are going to be doing that) boards - work towards the child or young person using this independently
• use modelling to rehearse and practise social situations 

To help manage this need you can:

• prepare for change of activity or routines and use visual or concrete resources and objects of reference
• organise small group activities and use flexible grouping to build relationships with a range of peers
• ensure that there is a calm learning environment or access to a low arousal space - collect the child or young person’s views about the environment and low arousal space to ensure that this is impactful 
• communicate expectations clearly, both verbally and visually
• provide regular mentor support, including key adults and peers 
• use a visual timetable or ‘now and next’ cards - keep these up to date and explicitly explain what is the same or different if the child or young person needs this
• monitor key transition points, for example, home and school, break and lunchtime with strategies and resources to reduce anxiety 
• provide a ‘get out’ option or a way of asking for help and alerting adults to dysregulation
• provide a soft start or end to lessons, allowing children or young people to arrive or leave a few minutes early to avoid busy corridors

To help manage this need you can:

• provide sensory, physical or movement breaks - these may be scheduled or used flexibly depending on the child or young person’s needs
• allow snacks to aid regulation at suitable intervals in the day 
• be aware of the significance of sensory processing needs on eating, this can include:
• food colour
• texture
• taste
• meal size
• mixing of food on plates and so on
• be flexible with the uniform policy when necessary 
• consider the environment: noise, room temperature, visual stimuli, proximity - use an audit tool to make suitable adjustments   
• have a flexible approach to transitions - explicitly prepare children and young people to manage foreseen changes 
• provide access to a calming or low arousal space, if needed and collect the child or young person’s views about the environment and low arousal space to ensure that this is impactful
• develop a sensory profile for individual children and young people, to better understand their areas of sensory need

To help manage this need you can:

• ensure that policies and practice follow a trauma-informed approach and prioritise relational practice 
• explicitly teach and support the development of emotional literacy - some settings use programmes such as zones of regulation, others have emotional literacy planned into their curriculum - some children need more repeats and opportunities to develop emotional literacy
• use wondering aloud approaches to support children and young people to recognise their emotions, for example, “I wonder if you are tired today? You are yawning”
• communicate with parent carers to find out what helps and what may trigger dysregulation - work with the family to ensure consistency for the child or young person
• develop two-way communication with families - this could include changes within the family (for example, divorce, bereavement, illness) - ensure this information is shared with all staff
• risk assess and proactively plan to mitigate the risk of harm to the child or young person, staff, or the peer group - ensure that this is kept up to date and is shared with all staff and parent carers - co-produce risk management plans with the child or young person, if possible
• implement a clear plan of action, agreed with parent carers regarding positive handling (if necessary - a risk assessment must be in place if the child or young person is at risk, or dysregulated behaviours pose a risk to others
• ensure that staff are trained to use an approved positive handling approach, where necessary, to support a dysregulated child or young person and update this training accordingly and proactively plan to train new members of staff (educators do not need parental permission to use reasonable force on children and young people)
• implement a risk management plan which includes proactive strategies and early interventions to reduce anxiety and the risk of harm - use this to de-escalate by intervening at the earliest opportunity, with methods that the child or young person responds positively to
• ensure appropriate de-escalation strategies are in place (for example, a time out card) - all staff should know about these if they work with the child or young person
• use a consistent approach, with reasonable adjustments made to the behaviour policy as required by individuals
• continue to implement strategies that are reassuring - collect the child or young person’s views about these strategies to ensure that support is impactful
• give clear guidance, using clear language to provide explicit messages and make expectations clear, with visual support if required - ensure that rules and expectations are explicitly taught and revisited whilst the child or young person is regulated
• provide a ‘get out with dignity’ choice, allowing the child or young person to leave the situation whilst managing self-esteem
• develop understanding of the frequency and location of triggers: monitor using frequency charts; situation, trigger, action, response (STAR) observation sheet and antecedent, behaviour, consequence, communication (ABCC) observation sheet
• use informal observations to analyse incidents, develop understanding and plan for adjustments accordingly 
• put preventative strategies in place, for example, by avoiding high arousal situations such as busy corridors 
• arrange a low arousal area, chosen in agreement with the child or young person and collect the child or young person’s views about this space to ensure that provision is impactful
• devise and implement a pastoral support plan (PSP) in co-production with parent carers and the child or young person - ensure this is read and consistently implemented by relevant staff, and feedback given to pastoral lead
• use a script which is understood and used by all appropriate adults, to ensure a consistent approach to supporting regulation
• change the adult supporting the child or young person as part of a planned approach and ensure that this is seen as a positive and effective strategy
• ensure all adults are aware of the need for the child or young person to process and respond before any type of discussion or reflection takes place - children and young people need to regulate before they reflect
• consider suspension a ‘last resort’ whilst referring to West Sussex guidance and follow any suspensions with robust reintegration planning alongside parent carers, to support the child or young person returning to full time education 
• assess whether a reduced or part time timetable is in the best interest of the child or young person and work in partnership with parent carers to support the child or young person returning to full time education - refer to West Sussex guidance for reduced or part time timetabling arrangements

To help manage this need you can:

• use the child or young person’s interests as a motivator and to extend engagement    
• implement regular breaks as required  
• further adapt teaching and learning opportunities to promote accessibility of the curriculum, in line with the child or young person’s development 
• use chunking and scaffolding to break tasks down into smaller, manageable steps
• use visual timetables or now and next boards to focus attention
• use backward chaining and break the overall task down into smaller steps - the adult helps the child or young person with all but that last step, with the child or young person being taught to do the last step themselves - once the last step is learnt, the child or young person and adult work backwards learning other steps of the sequence until they can do the entire task
• plan opportunities for repetition and reinforcement, so that fluency and confidence grow over time 
• plan to gradually fade out support appropriately over time, to promote independence
• use the child’s or young person’s name when giving instructions to ensure that they are attending  
• ask the child or young person to repeat back what activity they are going to do to check their understanding  
• support the child or young person to create a ‘to do list’, which they can use to keep themselves on track with increasing independence 
• explicitly teach and model active listening strategies
• use timers, so children and young people know they must focus for a finite and comfortable amount of time  
• plan individualised timetables as required to promote access in line with the child or young person’s developmental stage