Scenarios

In the following three scenarios the items to be included in an Individual Education Plan (IEP) are shown emphasized.

Pupil portrait 1 – Paul

Nature of special needs

Paul is just starting the reception year at his local mainstream primary school. He is already a statemented pupil who has a range of complex special needs resulting from his cerebral palsy (in Scotland a pupil like Paul is likely to have a Record of Needs). Paul has excellent, age-appropriate understanding of language. However, he has severe difficulties in speaking (dysarthria). While he sees himself as a speaking person, much of his speech is unintelligible, even to his parents. They only understand a few words he says and then only in context and within a quiet environment. Paul vocalizes ‘word and phrase sounds’, which for him are linguistically meaningful. This assists him in constructing the form and content of a phrase or sentence.

Paul relies on a sophisticated ‘communication book’ made up of symbols (PCS), pictures and photographs to enrich his expressive communication. This book, which he has used since he was three, goes everywhere with him.

It was designed and implemented by his speech and language therapist, although responsibility for extending it has been largely taken up by his parents. He now has approximately 500 symbols and words in it. These are divided into sections of topically related vocabulary with 30 symbols and words per page, an alphabet and number page, a Contents Page and an Introduction to his communication system for new conversation partners.

Paul tries to initiate conversations, ask simple questions and construct between two and four ‘symbol phrases’. He can also spell a few familiar words (for example, ‘Paul’, ‘mum’, ‘dad’, ‘drink’, ‘TV’) and choose the initial letter of a few other common words. However, his communication is inevitably abbreviated, and pressured by time constraints and his reliance on his communication book to get complex messages across. Paul has to be patient with his conversation partners, most of whom are inexperienced in talking to pupils with very limited speech production. This has delayed the development of Paul’s expressive vocabulary and syntax.

In addition, Paul has severe physical difficulties. As a result he is in a wheelchair and finds grasping and releasing small objects, such as Lego bricks, very difficult. Paul cannot control a pencil or use crayons and felt tips purposefully. This prevents him drawing shapes and figurative pictures or developing any meaningful, pre-handwriting skills such as tracing, patterning or colouring in.

Despite these difficulties, everyone agrees that Paul should be able to follow a normal curriculum within a mainstream school setting. Some allowances and modifications will have to be made to suit his individual needs and slower pace. Paul will be dependent on sophisticated computer-based technology for writing and recording his work. If he is to fulfil his undoubted intellectual and educational potential, Paul will need increasing access to multimedia curricular resources via CD-ROMs and the Web. Although it is hoped that Paul’s ‘fluent vocalizations’ will one day evolve into intelligible speech, there is no guarantee that this will happen.

Contingency plans to augment his existing communication strategies have, therefore, been made. These include the extension of his communication book, particularly for school use, and the purchase of an electronic communication aid.

Prerequisites for ICT success

The following prerequisites are essential if Paul is to make full use of his ICT equipment and communication system. These prerequisites need to be understood and implemented by all those working with Paul, because they are essential for the successful delivery of his learning and communication.

1. Seating and positioning
Paul has recently had his seating reassessed by his wheelchair service. His recent growth spurt has led to some significant adjustments being made to the chair he uses at school. The correctly adjusted seating will enable him to concentrate on the ICT activities he is engaged in. Similarly having a height-adjustable table will ensure that the work surface and computer monitor are at the correct height for Paul. Consequently, his energies and concentration will be focused on the movements required to operate his input devices (see below) accurately, rather than on maintaining balance and position. The correct seating will also ensure good a postural position throughout the ICT activity, thereby reducing long-term damage to his spine and hips. It is essential that Paul use his wheelchair whenever he accesses his computer or communication system. Otherwise, his control and accuracy will deteriorate and he will tire quickly. Discussion and review of Paul’s seating and positioning will be on-going but will receive particular attention at all his Annual Reviews.

2. Multidisciplinary ICT assessment
Paul attended a regional multidisciplinary ICT assessment at a specialist centre six months before he started school and while he was still at his pre-school nursery. The assessment team included his parents, an ICT adviser, his new class teacher and LSA, the school SENCO, his physiotherapist, and his speech and language therapist. The assessment team recommended that Paul should be equipped with his own laptop computer, a modified joystick (Penny & Giles Joystick Plus) with an external Buddy Button switch to activate the ‘mouse click’, and a compact QWERTY keyboard (Cherry) and a keyguard for occasional access to letters and other keyboard characters. To complement this hardware, an initial core of software (My World, Clicker 3, Oxford Reading Tree Talking Books) was also recommended. This will enable Paul to access more independently some important areas of early primary school learning.

(For information on joysticks and switches, see Units 7 and 8. For information on the related software, see Units 1, 2 and 3)

The assessment team also agreed that consideration of a powerful Windows-compatible communication aid to complement Paul’s low-tech communication system would be deferred until the second Annual Review. If by then Paul’s speech had not improved, this option would be reconsidered. Meanwhile, the purchase and use of a simple, digitized communication aid would provide sufficient augmentative support for extending his communication opportunities.

After trying a number of digitized devices, Paul and his team felt that the robust MessageMate 40 would suit him and the environment best (the MessageMate 40 is a small, robust, digitized communication aid – see Unit 3). This device would be used for specific activities within the school day, for example during literacy and numeracy activities or at lunchtime.

It was stressed that this communication aid would not replace Paul’s numerous modes and strategies for ‘getting his message across’ – his use of some limited speech, vocalization, gestures, and above all his well structured and versatile communication book.

3. Access
The positioning of all Paul’s ICT equipment was thoroughly explored in order to reach the best solutions. This included optimal location of the joystick and switches in relation to his body position as well as the height and distance of the computer monitor in relation to his head and eye movements. A Polaroid photograph of these positions was taken as a visual record and reminder of what worked best on the day of the assessment. This will help to ensure a consistent pattern of intervention and an attention to detail.

4. Teamwork
Paul’s multidisciplinary team also discussed in detail ‘where’, ‘when’ and ‘how’ ICT would be used during the school day and at home. A team co-ordinator was nominated to ensure that everyone working with Paul would adopt a consistent approach. Where important changes were desirable or necessary, these would be communicated to everyone (including Paul’s parents) by the team co-ordinator. It was agreed that significant changes to his ICT use would also be recorded and attached to Paul’s IEP for attention at the next Annual Review. The team co-ordinator will also be responsible for encouraging team members to attend subsequent Annual Reviews where key decisions will be made. A timetable for the team to plan and prepare the details of ICT within Paul’s learning goals was outlined.

Access to the curriculum

This section of Paul’s ‘portrait’ offers one approach to the task of embedding meaningful ICT activities within specific curricular objectives and targets. By way of illustration, the example focuses on incorporating his objectives into the Literacy Strategy used in England and Wales (‘The National Literacy Strategy’ – DfEE). These targets can be easily translated into literacy activities where the Literacy Hour is not an integral part of the curriculum.

WHAT? Targets in literacy (Reception)

Paul’s inability to speak means that the focus of attention should be placed on his expressive language and communication over and above other considerations and priorities. It is crucial that his early and emergent literacy skills should be accelerated. Literacy will become a pivotal tool for face-to-face social, as well as written communication. Within one year Paul should:

• be able to take an active part in the Literacy Hour
• have a basic sight vocabulary of 50+ words (without symbolic embellishments) embedded within familiar print contexts
• have an understanding of simple sentence construction in the form of ‘Subject, Verb, Object’ together with simple conjunctions (‘and’, ‘because’, ‘but’) and prepositions (‘on’, ‘in’, ‘under’) and to use these in his writing
• have a basic understanding of rhyme, letter sounds and spelling patterns and be able to spell a few personal and familiar words
• be able to write commonly used letters in response to letter sounds and names
• be able to compose simple, meaningful sentences within the context of retelling familiar stories, recounting personal experiences or imaginative stories, or writing simple letters and greeting cards

HOW? – ICT can help to meet these specific targets

(i) Be able to take an active part in a typical Reception Literacy Hour

Shared text work (reading and writing) – whole-class session.

Paul and his LSA will work together to prepare, in advance of the Literacy Hour, messages and overlays for his MessageMate 40. These messages will relate to the books (for example ‘Big Books’) and various shared texts that will be read and written by the whole class. This structured use of Paul’s communication device will enable him to participate on more equal terms alongside his speaking peers.

Shared word work (vocabulary extension, phonics, spelling and grammar) – whole-class session.

Use of Paul’s ICT equipment will be of little value within this whole class component of the Literacy Hour. Instead Paul should use his communication book and alphabet board to actively participate in these sessions.

Guided group and independent work (reading and writing) – small group or individual session.

Here Paul has excellent opportunities to develop and consolidate independent skills in reading and writing. Given the complexity of his needs and the time it takes him to complete a task, this session should be planned to link to other literacy opportunities beyond the Literacy Hour. Paul should use his adapted resources and specialist ICT tools, in the form of Clicker grids, to assist his independent reading and writing.

Reviewing, reflecting, consolidating – whole class session.

Paul and his LSA will decide what should be programmed into his MessageMate 40 so that he can contribute during this session.

(ii) Have a basic sight vocabulary embedded within familiar print contexts

Use Clicker (or similar) and appropriate My World (or similar) language resources to provide cloze procedure and other structured activities by which Paul’s basic sight vocabulary can be consolidated and extended within a linguistic framework. Symbolic (PCS) or pictorial representations of words should only be used to embellish new and unfamiliar vocabulary. Once learnt, these should be removed to leave only auditory cueing as an optional prompt. Paul also needs extension reading opportunities to consolidate his basic sight vocabulary. Here he will gain from the electronic versions of The Oxford Reading Tree scheme. He can access this reading scheme independently of his LSA when this is appropriate.

(iii) Have an understanding of simple sentence constructions and to use these in his writing

This is a crucial area of learning for Paul, as a pupil with poorly articulated speech whose understanding and experience of language and sentence structure is delayed. Use personalized Clicker templates with auditory cueing and, where appropriate, PCS symbols, to construct simple sentences from whole words listed within the Clicker grids. Use a colour-coded ‘Subject, Verb, Object’ framework initially, before extending this to include common prepositions and conjunctions.

(iv) Have a basic understanding of rhyme, letter sounds and spelling patterns and be able to spell a few personal and familiar words

Paul’s limited speech deprives him of opportunities to use and practise sound patterns. Compensation for this must be made. Clicker templates consisting of sound patterns linked to phonemes (for example, initial ‘a–z’ letter sounds, ‘ch’, ‘sh’, and ‘th’), rhymes and simple alliteration can be used to achieve this. Auditory cueing should be digitized (recorded via the computer microphone) as synthesized sounds are ambiguous in this context. The occasional use of rote-based spelling software in the form of Talking Starspell Plus could also be considered. Use could be made of Paul’s modified keyboard or a Clicker alphabet grid to build up further understanding of spelling, based on the high frequency words being taught at Reception.

(v) Be able to hand write

Paul’s physical difficulties preclude his ability to hand write. Exercises and activities specifically related to the acquisition of this fine motor skill should be replaced by keyboard familiarity and spelling activities that are either contextually meaningful or, if rote-based, fun to do! This will pay dividends later when the use of a ‘QWERTY’ keyboard (as opposed to the joystick with on-screen grids of letters and words) will become more important as a computer input device.

(vi) Be able to compose simple and meaningful sentences within the context of retelling familiar stories, recounting personal experiences, or writing simple letters and greeting cards.

Use whole word based Clicker grid and Clicker document templates to compose short letters and greeting cards to friends and relatives, or produce labels and captions for My World ‘collage pictures’. Such ICT-based activities will increase Paul’s overall independence and enrich his creative writing and linguistic skills. Published Clicker resources (some of which can be freely downloaded from the Clicker Web site) can be also used or modified to extend his independent reading and writing opportunities.

WHO? – responsibility for ICT

Paul’s ICT support will be mainly the responsibility of his LSA and parents, who will need specialist training in its use and potential. Initial familiarization training should, therefore, be consolidated by biannual, on-site training sessions from the LEA’s ICT adviser. As Paul’s team co-ordinator, the school SENCO will be responsible for planning, supervising and monitoring the framework, content and delivery of his ICT activities. In doing this, he will be supported by Paul’s multidisciplinary team (see above).

WHEN? – to use ICT

To begin with, Paul’s use of his computer will be ‘little but often’. His computer should be used primarily to deliver or enrich activities for which it is best designed – activities such as those described above. Likewise, his digitized communication aid should be used sparingly but with real impact and in situations and contexts for which it is most appropriate (see above). ICT equipment should be used only when Paul is mentally fresh and physically relaxed. In his mind’s eye it should always be associated with quality time and successful outcomes. A positive perception of ICT at this formative stage is crucial and will pay dividends at Key Stage Two and beyond.

Learning objectives (learning objectives for Paul are set for a half-term).

(Only those specifically involving ICT, and communication and literacy are itemized below.)

• Paul to spontaneously use his MessageMate to get his message across in pre-planned situations
• Paul to answer and ask questions in the Literacy Hour
• Using Clicker grids with whole words, auditory feedback and colour coding, Paul to write simple sentences independently, from a ‘Subject, Verb, Object’ framework

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