Swindon Autism Support Service

Core Purpose:   To support learning settings to support CYP affected by ASC/SCID  Our brief: Help schools, the LA and other agencies to identify whether a child’s presenting behaviours may relate to an underlying difference in the way they communicate and interact in social situations. To support schools and staff to make whatever changes to the environment necessary to enable the child to engage with learning, make progress and feel safe and happy in school.

These are the two circumstances:- When to Make a Referral ? These are the two circumstances:- School staff need another opinion to help them to understand if a child’s presenting behaviours could relate to an underlying difference in the way they communicate and interact in social situations. A referral in these circumstances may support school and family to proceed to explore formal assessment through the ASD diagnostic pathway. A child’s needs are known – i.e. they already have a diagnosis of ASD or a profile of need associated with social communication but at this time despite school staff following all the available ASC friendly and ASC best practice around accommodating ASC/SCID need, the child is nonetheless experiencing a particular period of difficulty or distress relating to their ability to function in school. A diagnosis of ASC per se does not automatically require school or other professional to refer to the ASC service for support unless there are clear reasons where additional advice and guidance is necessary. We can also be contacted in advance of a referral by telephone if staff are unsure of the best route to take.

Autism Resource Centre ARC facilities offer an enhanced education programme of social communication and therapeutic learning activity for pupils between the ages of 4 and 16. Currently the different ARCs are: ARC Central: 4-13 ARC Second Sight: ages 8-12 ARC Aid- Bespoke Package (any age CYP) ARC Liberty- Girls Group 12-18 ARC Underground: generally boys aged 13-19 These will be pupils with a core difficulty around social communication and interaction who may or may not have a diagnosis of autism. They may be on a reduced timetable, undergoing gradual integration/re- integration to school or perhaps at risk of exclusion where school staff and parents are looking to be proactive in managing difficult times. More schools supported by the LA are seeking to be creative with the ‘package’ of support they put around their pupils with many of these Bespoke Packages making provision for the CYP offsite from the main school. ARC can support schools to craft these programmes to include ARC sessions tailored to meet the needs of the young person. Please contact Bill Rigg for further information.

Paperwork Paperwork ! Where you can please email electronic referrals to Gaby ASCadmin@swindon.gov.uk The parental/guardian signature is still essential so this can be scanned in from school’s end and sent with the electronic version or posted through internal mail as a hard copy to ASC Admin at the Salt Way Centre Our ASC pupil reports, ARC reports and other information for schools will be sent by email only using ***********Egress. Copies of reports to parents/carers will continue to be posted out unless we receive request that other methods of communication are preferred. Where possible ALL reports on pupils from schools, professionals, SENAT and all should be sent electronically to ASCadmin@swindon.gov.uk password protected or using other security if systems not secure. If hard copies are received by us, we will scan these for our data base and then destroy the originals.

Please see contact list for :- Contact Us ! Please see contact list for :- School Response Team ARC Team

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