KS3/4 Communication & Interaction

Intent

Communication and Interaction are at the heart of our learning environment. Our aims are to enable, equip and empower all of our students with the understanding of how to communicate and interact clearly, to develop spontaneous functional communication skills and good relationships with others. Students within our school are taught the vital life skills in order to effectively communicate and interact with all members of the community.

Implementation

The communication and Interaction policy has been created to ensure that all students are given the best opportunity to communicate effectively with those around them. These taught communication skills prepare our students to maintain a well-regulated emotional state when conversing and interacting with others.

Communication and Interaction is embedded throughout our school and offers a more bespoke programme through; accessible learning environments, enabling a range of engagement tools, and opportunities for additional personalised support.

Our dedicated school team work in conjunction with the NHS Speech and Language Therapy service and student’s families to improve students’ communication skills.

At Broadfield Specialist School, we embrace all forms of Communication and Interaction engagement within a Total Communication Environment.

Communication & Interaction Approaches:

 Intensive Interaction

This approach is designed to help students at early levels of development, students who have autism, students who have severe, profound or complex learning difficulties. Intensive Interaction works on early interaction abilities – how to enjoy being with other people – to relate, interact, know, understand and practice communication routines.

 AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication)

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is a range of strategies and tools to help students who struggle with speech. These may be simple letter or picture boards or sophisticated computer-based systems. AAC helps students communicate as effectively as possible, in as many situations as possible.

Tactile Body Signs

This is a system of touch – speech cues to promote effective communication with students who have profound and complex learning disabilities, and who may also have a visual impairment and or hearing impairment. This system utilises touch to promote meaningful interaction by communicating what is going to happen next and prepare learners for change. This allows the student to be involved in their own routine and offers comfort, nurture and respect.

Signing

Makaton is a communication tool with speech, signs, and symbols to enable students with disabilities or learning disabilities to communicate.  Makaton is designed to reinforce spoken language and reduce barriers to learning for all. Makaton supports the development of essential communication skills such as attention, listening, comprehension, memory and expressive speech and language. Makaton can be easily integrated into everyday life and develops communication between staff, peers and families.

BSL is a visual way of communicating using gestures, facial expressions and body language. BSL is used by students who may have a hearing impairment or who are Deaf.

Focus Attention

The aim is to help students develop attention and communication skills, and to improve joint attention, engage, develop shared enjoyment, develop spontaneous verbal and non- verbal communication and build vocabulary through the use of highly visual, engaging and motivating activities.

Lego Therapy

A social development programme for students with social communication difficulties to develop their communication and social skills. It can be used to target goals around social skills, language and motor skills. Lego Therapy promotes social interaction, turn taking, sharing, problem-solving, and learning of concepts

Equine Therapy

Improves communication, Interpersonal skills, develops self-awareness and empathy. It gives skills for coping with emotions and high stress levels.

 External sensory cues

To process information from the outside world using our senses (hearing, smell, sight, touch) including sense of movement and balance, we process different information from within ourselves through internal awareness and this helps students to retain more information and access learning in a way that suits them.

Touch – Type

Learning to touch-type is a useful skill for students who have a visual impairment or are blind. This system allows them to transfer their thoughts easily and automatically onto a screen and provides them with an invaluable tool for working independently and to communicate.

Braille

This is a reading and writing tactile system that is made up of raised dots that can be read by touch for blind and visually impaired students. The ability to understand braille means that students with a visual impairment/sight loss have the same access to written words as sighted students and are able to enjoy reading for life.

Impact

Each student is given the communication tools to be able to achieve their greatest potential. Continual assessment of students EHCPs and B Squared targets ensure that all of our students are given the best support and also challenges their independent learning further.

Every student has a voice at Broadfield Specialist School.