SEN2008

4 November 2008

Contents 

Dysgraphia: still shrouded in mystery
ISC SEN survey: the story so far
ADHD and working memory
Statementing: due process
Introduction to Dramatherapy
The world's greatest underachiever

A pdf of the SEN2008 programme can be downloaded here.

Dysgraphia: still shrouded in mystery

With so little information available about Dysgraphia, even the experts have trouble establishing how best to help those with genuine handwriting problems, writes Hayley Dunlop.

“Pupils’ handwriting ‘increasingly illegible’” screamed the headlines this September, following a report by the Edexcel exam board which found that examiners are struggling to mark many GCSE papers because the quality of pupils’ handwriting is so poor.

The examiners’ report recommended that more adults should be allowed to act as ‘scribes’ for pupils during tests and exams, resulting in criticism from the Campaign for Real Education which said that “youngsters should be spending less time on computers and more on improving their handwriting skills.”

Indeed, problems with handwriting can be all-to-easily blamed on declining standards, an increasing reliance on word processors, or simple laziness. Enlisting ‘ghostwriters’ to help pupils in exams is certainly one solution – and is on the increase. But what about those pupils who genuinely do struggle with their handwriting, regardless of their intellect or academic potential?

A number of pupils could attribute their problems with handwriting to Dysgraphia, a neurological disorder1 which is now recognised as a specific learning difficulty (SpLD) as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act2. However, publicly-available information on Dysgraphia as a SpLD is sparse and, at best, contradictory. A quick Google search for ‘Dyslexia’ produces over eight million results, over half a million hits for ‘Dyspraxia’, but just 156,000 online references to ‘Dysgraphia’. Indeed, we read about Dyslexia in the news all the time, and press coverage of Dyspraxia also shot up earlier this year following Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe’s revelation that he is a sufferer. Dysgraphia has never received the same attention.

In terms of academic research, the most high-profile Dysgraphia study appears to have been conducted by an American neurologist in 1994,3 which divides Dysgraphia into three subtypes:

• Dyslexic dysgraphia
• Dysgraphia due to motor clumsiness
• Dysgraphia due to a defect in the understanding of space.

However, as the National Handwriting Association’s (NHA) Information Officer, Suzanne Tiburtius, points out, this study is very much a medical analysis of handwriting difficulties, and would probably not be of much practical help to teachers understanding of space

However, as the National Handwriting Association’s (NHA) Information Officer, Suzanne Tiburtius, points out, this study is very much a medical analysis of handwriting difficulties, and would probably not be of much practical help to teachers.

“The study by Dr Deuel does not, at any time, suggest that the handwriting of each pupil should be diagnostically assessed by a competent specialist and a programme of remediation followed, to ascertain whether there would be improvement in the pupil’s performance.”

Consequently, to present an ultimate definition of Dysgraphia is therefore extremely difficult, as it appears to most frequently overlap and co-exist with other learning difficulties such as Dyslexia and DCD (Dyspraxia). Carol Owens from Cambridge House Dyslexia Resources explains:

“Strictly speaking, dysgraphic-type problems are usually related to poor kinaesthetic motor skills and poor sequential thinking. This means that not only do students have difficulty with the actual physical process of handwriting in terms of speed, quality and spelling, but they can also have a problem with the expression of thoughts in writing. For dysgraphics, the process of handwriting is so laborious that they tend to lose track of the ideas they want to express. This can all lead to low self esteem, and further difficulties down the line.”

According to some educationalists, Dysgraphia as a SpLD is often missed because of its similarities to other, more-publicised disabilities4. However, some experts debate whether it is even a SpLD.

Tiburtius believes that, if poor handwriting is the sole symptom a pupil is displaying, and they appear to have no other fine motor or coordination issues, their problems with handwriting could possibly be alleviated by an intensive and well-planned teaching programme or, in some cases at least, could perhaps have been prevented by correct early teaching.

What can schools do?
Opinion appears to be divided on the best ways to help pupils with Dysgraphia. Some believe that a structured, cumulative multisensory teaching programme in which reading, spelling and handwriting are taught simultaneously would produce the greatest improvements – and help catch the problem early.

The contrasting viewpoint is that those who have difficulty writing should instead focus on using word processors or enlist the help of adult ‘scribes’, as recommended by the Edexcel examiners. If you have a pupil, or a number of pupils, who are experiencing difficulties with handwriting which do not appear to be aided by your school’s normal remedial exercises, it could be worth enlisting the expertise of a paediatric occupational therapist or educational psychologist to assess their difficulties and come up with a firm diagnosis.

Signs of Dysgraphia

• llegible handwriting (despite appropriate time and attention given the task)
• Slow or laboured copying or writing – even if it is neat and legible
• Inconsistencies: mixtures of print and cursive, upper and lower case, or irregular sizes, shapes, or slant of letters
• Unfinished words or letters, omitted words
• Inconsistent position on page with respect to lines and margins
• Inconsistent spaces between words and letters
• Awkward wrist, body, or paper position, especially holding the writing instrument very close to the paper, or holding thumb over two fingers and writing from the wrist
• Content which does not reflect the student’s other language skills
• Avoiding writing or drawing tasks
• Tiring quickly while writing
• Saying words out loud while writing
• Difficulty organising thoughts on paper
• Difficulty with syntax structure and grammar5

Here are some additional tips from the NHA:

• Always have a positive, encouraging atmosphere when teaching handwriting. Avoid making negative remarks about a child’s writing and avoid words such as ‘messy’ and ‘untidy’ and try to present faults as opportunities for learning. Look at the writing together with the pupil and decide which fault needs to be addressed first. It is then up to the teacher to demonstrate how the weakness should be improved and organise lots of practice for the pupil.
• Give correct letter formation top priority and make sure a child consistently forms all letters correctly before teaching them to join their letters.
• Give praise even for small improvements.
• Do not insist on one particular type of pen. The best pen for the individual is the one which he or she finds most comfortable. If possible, keep a stock of pens in the school for purchase: include fibre tip pens, roller balls, good quality ball points, pens with thick barrels, short pens and pens with a ‘rubberised’ barrel and some of the ‘Europens’ which are especially useful for left-handers.

Admittedly, the shortage of academic research on Dysgraphia has made researching and writing this article extremely difficult, and most of the information and resources available online originate from the USA. Furthermore, the Edexcel news coverage regarding handwriting in September contained no mention of Dysgraphia. However, the general lack of information in the public sphere about this learning difficulty is intriguing in itself, begging the question, ‘why is there such a shortage of information’? Perhaps it is now time to open up the issue to wider debate and consideration. Is Dysgraphia genuinely a specific learning difficulty? If so, how many pupils are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed? If not, then does the UK have a serious issue with the teaching of handwriting?

Hayley Dunlop is Press Officer at ISC.

Further information:
National Handwriting Association
nha-handwriting.org.uk

The British Dyslexia Association
bdadyslexia.org.uk

The Dyspraxia Foundation
dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk

Cambridge House Dyslexia Resources
cambridgehouse-dyslexia.co.uk

Footnotes
1 ninds.nih.gov/disorders/dysgraphia/dysgraphia.htm
2 brooklands.ac.uk/sites/Disability/Downloads/Information/hdbk2_dyspraxia.rtf
3 Developmental Dysgraphia and Motor Skills Disorders', Dr.Ruthmary K. Deuel M.D
4 eideneurolearningblog.blogspot.com/2005/02/dysgraphia-as-isolated-spelling.html
5 Jones, 1998, and National Center for Learning Disabilities, 2003

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ISC SEN survey: the story so far

Although the picture is currently incomplete, the outlook for SEN provision within ISC member schools is encouraging, writes Adele Gilpin

In early 2008, the Independent Schools Council conducted a survey about Special Educational Needs (SEN) in ISC member schools. As the ISC had very little data stored about SEN in schools, it was important to gain as much information and knowledge as possible. A variety of questions were asked, encompassing many areas, including asking schools to specify the variety of provisions for SEN and the number of learning difficulties experienced by pupils. The data we collected would enable us to improve our feedback to parents and champion the work of many of our schools in helping children with SEN. As one in twenty email enquiries to our ‘information & advice service' (ISCias) have mentioned an aspect of SEN, it was important that we gathered school level data in order to advise parents accordingly.

The survey was available on the online ISC dataportal and all schools had the opportunity to enter data. Due to the varied nature of independent schools, capturing the data was a challenge and the questionnaire was designed to show the variety of provision for SEN and enable this data to be analysed. The sample size was not as high as we hoped, however the data received to date is used to highlight the key findings of the survey and illustrate how member schools are making provisions for children with SEN.

SENtence
The first question of the survey asked schools to best describe their approach to children with SEN in one sentence. As illustrated by Figure 1, over half of the schools (51.3%) answered that SEN pupils may be given some time each week for extra support to give them the skills to access the curriculum fully. Schools were also asked if they were happy for responses to be displayed on their pages on the our website. We are pleased to report that most of schools the were happy for this to happen.

SEN School Membership
Schools were asked if they were members of any SEN specific associations. The question asked if the following applied to the schools; ‘347 Approved', ‘CReSTeD' (Council for the Registration of Schools Teaching Dyslexic Pupils), ‘NACE' (National Association for Able Children in Education) or ‘nasen' (National Association for Special Educational Needs).

Schools were also given an opportunity to specify any additional SEN associations of which they were a member. As illustrated by Figure 2, 41% of responding schools are a member of ‘nasen'. From the additional associations it was found that just over 15% were members of the ‘British Dyslexia Association' and most of the associations listed under ‘Other' in Figure 2 were also Dyslexia related.

Pupil Number
Schools were asked how many pupils had statements and how many pupils without statements had ‘School Action' or ‘School Action Plus' provision. To analyse this data, the results were compared with the total number of pupils in the schools. The total number of pupils was collected in the 2008 ISC Census in January and enabled an accurate proportion of pupils in each category to be calculated. Figure 3 therefore shows the percentage of pupils benefiting from the different SEN provisions in schools. According to DCSF figures1, the percentage of pupils with statements in the whole Independent sector has grown from 1.2% in 2004 to 1.4% in 2008. Although our data shows the percentage of pupils with statements to be 0.4%, the low sample size may be a consideration. Just over 8% of pupils without statements took advantage of the ‘School Action' provision and 1.4% of pupils used the ‘School Action Plus' provision.

Pupil Learning Difficulties
Schools were asked to specify exactly what learning difficulty each pupil had. These results are expressed in Figure 4 as a percentage of the total number of children with learning difficulties. If a pupil had more than one learning difficulty, we asked for the most prominent one to be recorded.

As is evident, Dyslexia represents the highest proportion and makes up over half of the learning difficulties recorded (56.6%) among pupils at the participating schools.

Overall, we found that 11% of pupils in the schools that participated in the survey had a learning difficulty. Further to this, 70% of schools that responded had at least one pupil with a learning difficulty listed in Figure 4.

The data also shows the proportion of pupils with a learning difficulty within each school. Using Figure 5, it can be seen that almost 30% of schools had between 5-10% of pupils with learning difficulties. In addition, over 13% of schools had 20% or more pupils with learning difficulties.

Provision Breakdown
Schools were asked to provide details of the provision made for pupils with SEN. Provision ranged from specialist equipment, to offering specialist programmes. A selection of the questions and responses can be seen in Figure 6. A total of 72% of the schools that responded to the survey answered this question.

In addition to the data displayed in Figure 6, it should also be noted that 89% of schools who responded to this question offered specialist staff and 59% offered this question offered specialist staff and 59% offered the use of specialist equipment for pupils with SEN.

Conclusions
From this brief review of the data that was collected by the SEN Survey, it can be seen that ISC schools admit children with special educational needs and make a range of provision for them. Difficulties range from pupils who need just a little extra help to those with a statement of SEN. In all cases ISC schools are concerned that children are helped to develop to the best of their ability and that they do not suffer academically as a consequence of their special needs. Additionally, some of the best specialist schools in the country for pupils with Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and associated difficulties are ISC schools. However, at the moment there are very few ISC member schools specialising in physical disabilities or Autistic Spectrum and related disorders.

If a child has special educational needs, whether or not they have a statement of SEN, we do advise parents to call ISCias (0845 724 6657) to discuss their child's needs. Further details on SEN can be found in the Parent Zone on the ISC website2.

We would like to thank the schools who took the time to fill out the survey to help us gain a better understanding about the SEN provision offered by ISC schools. The survey is still open on the ISC dataportal if your school would like to participate. Please contact the research team if you require your login details (http://www.isc.co.uk/admin/sites/research@isc.co.uk or 0207 766 7076). Although the number of responses obtained so far has not been as high as we hoped, the figures are robust enough to show the commitment of ISC schools to SEN even if statistical analysis is not possible at this stage. All the data we do have is beneficial as it helps us to represent our member schools and to answer parental enquiries.

Adele Gilpin is SQL Developer at ISC.

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ADHD and working memory

Research has shown that children with ADHD are four times more likely to exhibit behaviours associated with working memory impairments, writes Dr Tracy Packiam Alloway

Working Memory: An Introduction
Working memory refers to our ability to remember and process information over a short period. The best way to think of working memory is as the brain's

‘Post-it note'. We make mental scribbles of bits of information we need to remember. This is not only used to remember information but to process or work with that information as well. For example: we use it to remember someone's name and phone number or directions while driving. Without it we would literally be lost: we wouldn't know how to get to that important meeting at a new location and would forget important phone numbers and contacts. Working memory is critical for a variety of activities at school, from complex subjects such as reading comprehension, mental arithmetic, and word problems to simple tasks like copying from the board and navigating around school.

Working memory increases during childhood. Figure 1 shows how much information we can remember as we get older. For example, the average 5 year old can remember two items, while an average 10 year old can remember 3 or 4 items.

Working Memory and Learning
There are three key facts about the impact of working memory on learning.

Working memory is the #1 predictor of learning success. A large number of scientific studies have demonstrated that while cognitive skills such as IQ and phonological skills are important to learning, working memory is the number one factor in predicting learning outcomes in 5 to 16 year olds.

Scientific research shows that 1 in 10 children have a low working memory. In a study of over 4000 children, I found that 10% to 15% of children have working memory impairments that lead to learning difficulties.

A child with a low working memory will not ‘catch up' with their peers. Without intervention, they will continue to struggle in all areas of learning. In a recent study, I found that teenagers who were diagnosed with low working memory two years earlier were still performing very poorly in school compared to their peers.

Working memory is also important in the classroom as children often have to hold information in mind while engaged in an effortful activity. Such activities include writing a sentence while trying to spell the individual words. They could also be a set of instructions they have to remember while completing the individual steps in the task. Children with working memory deficits struggle in these activities because they are unable to hold enough information in mind to complete the task. Losing crucial information from working memory causes them to forget many things: instructions they have to follow, the details of a workbook activity and information they have to write down.

ADHD and Working Memory
As part of a recent government-funded study, 85 children with a clinical diagnosis of combined-type ADHD were tested using two standardised assessments of working memory. The first question I addressed was whether children with ADHD exhibit classroom behaviours that correspond with a working memory impairment. Classroom teachers judged how frequently a child exhibits problem behaviours associated with working memory deficits using the Working Memory Checklist for Children (WMRS). A high score on this checklist indicates that a child is likely to have working memory problems that will affect their academic progress. The items of the WMRS were constructed from descriptions of common classroom behaviours that discriminated against children with low and typical working memory skills. Examples include: ‘The child children with a clinical diagnosis of combined-type ADHD were tested using two standardised assessments of working memory. The first question I addressed was whether children with ADHD exhibit classroom behaviours that correspond with a working memory impairment. Classroom teachers judged how frequently a child exhibits problem behaviours associated with working memory deficits using the Working Memory Checklist for Children (WMRS). A high score on this checklist indicates that a child is likely to have working memory problems that will affect their academic progress. The items of the WMRS were constructed from descriptions of common classroom behaviours that discriminated against children with low and typical working memory skills. Examples include: ‘The child raised his hand but when called upon, he had forgotten his response'; ‘She lost her place in a task with multiple steps'; and ‘The child had difficulty remaining on task'.

There were two groups of children: those with ADHD, and a corresponding group of children with typical working memory functions. Teachers rated how typical each behaviour was of a particular child, using a four-point scale ranging from (0) not typical at all to (1) occasionally to (2) fairly typical to (3) very typical. The results indicated that children with ADHD were four times more likely to exhibit behaviours associated with working memory impairments compared to those without ADHD.

The next issue was to identify the cognitive profile of children with ADHD using the Automated Working Memory Assessment (AWMA). The AWMA is a computer-based assessment of working memory skills developed specifically for educators. This tool requires minimal training as test administration and scoring is fully automated. The testing sequence is pre-set, test scores are calculated by the computer program and the student's learning profile is generated on completion.

Figure 2 illustrates the memory profile of children with ADHD using the AWMA. The y-axis represents standard scores where 100 is the mean and 15 points below that indicates impaired working memory performance as represented by the dotted line.

Children with ADHD performed within the normal range in verbal short-term memory. This corresponds with the view that the verbal shortterm memory problems sometimes found inchildren with ADHD are not fundamental features of the disorder per se, but are likely to be associated with co-morbid disorders such as reading. Children with ADHD did not have any deficits in visuo-spatial short-term memory.

In working memory, children with ADHD had deficits in both verbal and visuo-spatial tasks, with particularly low scores in visuo-spatial working memory. One explanation is that visuo-spatial tasks are less automatic, and so demand more mental effort than verbal ones. This is especially true for dynamic tasks, such as tracking visual sequences and mentally rotating objects. Another explanation is that visuo-spatial memory tasks involve the right hemisphere, which has been implicated as an area of deficit in children with ADHD.

Testing working memory in children with ADHD
As a result of working memory deficits, children with ADHD often perform very poorly in key areas of learning such as reading and maths. Early diagnosis is therefore critical. While ADHD is clinically diagnosed, behavioural and cognitive profiles of working memory can provide reliable and useful early indicators of learning difficulties. Visuo-spatial working memory in particular was found to accurately distinguish those with ADHD from typically developing children. This test from the AWMA takes less than 5 minutes to administer and offers educators an informative first step in supporting a student's learning.

Training working memory in children with ADHD There is exciting research emerging on the benefit of training working memory in children with ADHD. One particular program, JungleMemory is a fun and interactive computer program based on cuttingedge science. The games are scientifically proven to increase working memory in key learning activities, like reading and math. It trains both verbal and visual memory for a complete brain workout, and includes bonus features to motivate the students. It has been featured on a BBC Radio program and is currently being trialled in typically-developing children. Further details can be found at: junglememory.com

Resources
Automated Working Memory Assessment (AWMA),
published by Pearson Assessment
pearson-uk.com/AWMA

Working Memory Rating Scale (WMRS), published
by Pearson Assessment
pearson-uk.com/WMRS

Working Memory Training, published by
Memosyne Ltd.
junglememory.com

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Statementing: due process

Statementing is a detailed process which requires careful consideration if it is to produce the preferred results, writes Sarah McKimm.

How to check a draft Statement of Special Educational Needs
When a child's educational needs cannot be met by a school from their own skills and resources, even with the advice from external specialists, it may be necessary for the child's home Local Authority (LA) to determine the child's special educational provision. This is done by way of a Statement of SEN. It is estimated that this is appropriate for only 2 percent of the population and the incidence may be lower in mainstream independent schools.

The first step on the road to a statement of SEN is a Statutory Assessment. This is a multi-disciplinary assessment of the child's needs. It can be requested by the school or the parents, although only the parents have a right of appeal if the request is declined. The request should be directed to the LA where the child lives rather than where the school is situated. No prescribed form of words is required to start the process but LAs will wish to be convinced that the assessment is genuinely necessary before they commence the process. They should consider the school's assessment of the child's needs, including the input of other professionals such as educational psychologists and specialist support teachers, and the action the school has taken to meet those needs.

If an assessment is undertaken, the advice it generates may be enough in itself to assist a school to meet the child's needs. Alternatively, it may become clear that the LA need to intervene with additional support or funding in which case a Statement will be required.

A Statement is in six parts which cover the child's contact details, his educational and noneducational needs and how these are to be catered for. It is very important to note that there is a considerable difference in legal status between educational and non-educational needs. The law prescribes that local authorities MUST arrange the special educational provision in Parts 3 and 4 (unless the parents have made suitable arrangements) and MAY arrange the noneducational provision in Part 6. In practice this often means that provision must be written into Part 3 (and 4) if it is to have any chance of materialising. Parts 5 and 6 cannot be enforced. Parts 2, 3 and 4 of a statement are, therefore, the areas which will be of most concern to all the parties.

A new statement is first issued in draft for comment. When helping parents to consider the adequacy of the proposed statement, here are some points to consider:

• Statements are formally reviewed every year. In theory, you need only consider what the needs and provision for the pupil for the next year are, not for an indefinite period. However, be aware that once it has been finalised, some LAs will leave a statement un-amended for many years despite the recommendations of schools and parents as the needs of the child change.
• Part 1 Ask the parents to check that the cover details are correct: Name, address, date of birth, parents details and the list of those providing advice is complete.
• Part 2 should describe all the special educational needs of the pupil. The proposed Statement will (or should by law) have been preceded by a Statutory Assessment.
• Does Part 2 mention all the SEN which were noticed in the Statutory Assessment? Sometimes there can be glaring omissions. For example, some LAs will wrongly suggest that a key factor such as Autism or Asperger's Syndrome is a non-educational need and list it only in Part 5.
• Your school, or the pupil's former school, may have provided educational advice as part of the statutory assessment. Have all the educational needs you noted been included in Part 2?
• Are the pupil's SEN correctly summarised at the end of Part 2?
• Part 3 should begin with Objectives.
• Is there an Objective relating to each of the SEN noted in Part 2? Do they make sense? Is there educational provision relating to each and every need and objective? If they are arranged haphazardly, colour-coded highlighter pens can help you to cross refer.
• Part 3 must describe all aspects of the provision which differs from the provision normally made in maintained mainstream schools in the LA's area. The provision should usually be "specific and quantified" with sufficient clarity that a court would be able to enforce it, if necessary.1  
  Also consider...
• Words like "as appropriate", "as required", "regular", "periodic", "Subject to review" are all likely to be too vague to be readily enforceable.
• If the child needs to be taught in small classes - what size (e.g. "no more than 15") and how often (e.g. "across the curriculum")?
• If the child needs to be taken for some subjects in small groups - for which areas (eg "social use of language" or "specialist teaching targeting reading and spelling"), how many in the group, how often? Length of sessions?
• If the pupil needs 1:1 work, length and frequency of sessions and with whom? (E.g. qualified teacher? Specialist teacher?)
• If the child needs support, what should be the qualifications of the supporter? Are they to be a qualified teacher, a learning support assistant, a dyslexia specialist (e.g. British Dyslexia Association accredited, or equivalent)?If therapy2 input is required, which therapy, and how often? Is it to be "direct " therapy provided by a qualified therapist to the child, or is a therapeutic programme to be devised remotely by a therapist and delivered through learning support? If so, how often will the responsible therapist see the child (e.g. "termly" or "annually")? Will time be allowed for the therapist to coach staff and attend the annual review? (e.g. "plus one hour per week of therapist time allowed for liaison with the class teacher and X's support assistant.")
• If there are to be educational "programmes", what programmes, delivered by whom, what resources will be required?
• What type of school does the pupil need to attend? This will not refer to whether or not it is independent but consider, for example: Should it be a small school? Quiet?
• Nurturing? Single sex (may match to vulnerability in some children, especially girls)? Mainstream or special? A school with a specialism, special unit or experience in some particular type of SEN?
• Part 4 will name the school when the statement is finalised but is left blank in the early stages of negotiation in order to allow the parents to "express a preference" (which has a technical legal meaning here). The school named should be the natural result of what has gone before in Parts 2 and 3.  The parents are not entitled to "express a preference" for an independent school but can make representations for an independent school explaining to their Local Authority the educational reasons for their choice. Note, no child is entitled to a "Rolls Royce" education but only to an education that adequately meets their needs. In order to persuade a local authority to name an independent school, the parents will need to present their local authority with cogent reasons as to why the school proposed by the authority would not adequately meet the child's needs, measured against the standards of the maintained sector.
• Parts 5 and 6 relate to non-educational needs. If everything required by the pupil's SEN is listed in the forgoing parts of the statement, there can be less emphasis on checking these parts. Delivery of the provision for noneducational needs in Parts 5 and 6 is not the responsibility of the LA and is effectively discretionary.
• It is not a problem for needs to be listed in both Part 5 and Part 2. However, if an issue which impacts a child's access to the curriculum is listed only in Part 5, there would be a real risk that provision would not materialise.  Check that Part 5 needs are listed also in Part 2, if relevant eg autism, Downs syndrome, Aspergers Syndrome.

In a difficult case, the parents can be advised to seek independent legal advice. Sources of free legal advice can be found on the Parent Zone of the ISC website. Sarah McKimm is Education Counsel at the Independent Schools Council

Footnotes
1 The SEN Code dictates that the provision should be specified in terms of hours (etc) except exceptionally, by reference to the "changing needs of the child".
Any flexibility in the statement should be to meet the needs of the child not the needs of the LEA or school.
2 Speech therapy should be treated as educational (i.e. Part 3) unless there are "exceptional reasons for not doing so": SEN Code of Practice para 8.49

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Introduction to Dramatherapy

Learning through play can prove indispensible when used within the framework of SEN teaching. Here Madeline Andersen-Warren provides a potted guide to Dramatherapy

Dramatherapy is a form of psychotherapy, placed within Tiers 3 and 4 of The Strategic Framework for delivering interventions, to address the mental health and psychological needs of children, as defined in Every Child Matters. It is an inclusive method of engaging clients based on the therapists' in-depth knowledge and expertise, both in the art form and psychotherapy. A minimum of degree level training in drama or a related area means that Dramatherapists have the essential in-depth experiential and theoretical knowledge of their medium.

Further training in psychological therapy at Masters' level provides a sound psychological framework toensure effective practice. Dramatherapists are regulated by The Health Professions Council who, in conjunction with The British Association of Dramatherapists (BADth), The British Association of Art Therapists and The Association of Professional Music Therapists, set the standards of proficiency for practice. The combined title of the three distinct professions is Arts Therapists. Karkou and Sanderson (2006) describe the Arts Therapies as: "The creative use of the artistic media as vehicles for non-verbal and/or symbolic communication, within a holding environment, encouraged by a well-defined client-therapist relationship, in order to achieve personal and/or social therapeutic goals appropriate for the individual." (Arts Therapies: A Research Based Map of the Field, Elsevier, p 46)

The non verbal and symbolic aspects that inform the practice of the Arts Therapies are particularly related to play within Dramatherapy. BADth defines Dramatherapy thus:

"Dramatherapy has as its main forms the intentional use of the healing aspects of drama and theatre within the therapeutic process. It is a method of working and playing which uses action to facilitate creativity, imagination, learning, insight, and growth."

The Health Professions Council Standards of Proficiency for Arts Therapists document (2003) describes Dramatherapy as:"...a unique form of psychotherapy in which creativity, play, movement, voice, storytelling, dramatisation, and the performance arts have a central position within the therapeutic relationship."

The drama- and theatre-based processes have the potential to offer experiences in a safe play space. This can contribute to personal, social, physical and emotional change and development. The indirect and non-verbal qualities of Dramatherapy practice render the form particularly suitable for children who do not have English as their first language, have suffered life experiences which are too traumatic to communicate with words or are unable to communicate with words alone.

Specific Dramatherapy assessments focus on the client's resources and potential, rather than on his or her limitations. Evaluation measures indicate that the methods utilised by Dramatherapists are effective in the following areas:

• enhanced awareness of the body and self image
• enhanced ability to engage with play and
• creative expression
• enhanced ability to relate to others
• increased awareness of roles and boundaries.

Teachers and other staff report considerable improvements in concentration, communication, and physical and psychological wellbeing while parents and carers report substantial improvements in their relationships. The professional approach of Dramatherapists can support and complement other professions involved with a more cognitive approach and provide support and appropriate interventions for the whole family.

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Dramatherapy & SEN

A research project based on a Dramatherapy group, led by Dramatherapist Helen Scott-Danter, was funded by The Mental Health Foundation. The group was held at a special needs school for a period of 24 weeks. The research demonstrated that:Dramatherapy was a successful intervention with children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It was particularly successful with the pupil who was most profoundly affected by ASD.'

Dramatherapy was shown to generally improve the pupils' social interaction, to improve their communication skills and to lessen their anxiety about being on the Spectrum. The principal teacher commented:"Dramatherapy is crucial in helping ASD pupils improve their communication and cooperation skills. Both parents and teachers are often forced to use a reward system to achieve cooperation. What Dramatherapy did was to achieve this co-operation on a voluntary basis. This is the kind of learning that lasts."

A narrative research project recorded in Drama as Therapy: Theory, Practice and Research cites aninstance of a teenager with Autism who was referred to a Dramatherapist because his communication systems had become limited to self injuring behaviour. The client was seen by the Dramatherapist for 29 weekly sessions. During the sessions the client  started to speak in ‘random, repetitive phrases...[with] quickfire, urgent delivery'.

By paying attention to the themes and images in the words, the therapist was able to engage in dramatic play with the client and then engage him in sand play. ‘The involvement in the dramatic process brought together a combination of exploring, thinking, feeling, and creativity, [They] transform the way he relates to another by allowing him to experiment and explore, taking the initiative in relating to another.'

Roya Dooman practises in a state primary school in Lewisham. Her work is with children who are unable to speak due to Autistic disorders. She introduces fairy tales to the children and through the dramatisation of these tales she is able to help them to communicate with signs and sounds, before moving through the developmental stages to forming words. Evaluations of her input also showed an improved tolerance of physical proximity to other people.

Lauraine Leigh also noted improvements in the nonverbal communication when working with a severely autistic child without the capacity for speech, when working in a Special School in Berkshire. The main activities used in the sessions were:

• symbolic play with playdough alongside and then with the therapist
• playing with a ball, the child began to push the ball back
• mirror play. The child begins to notice herself
• paints and paper
• musical instruments. The child engages with sounds.

Following Dramatherapy sessions, the child was able to:

• engage with objects
• communicate with touch (hand to hand and touch materials)
• engage with the therapist
• smile.

The teachers remarked particularly on the child's new-found ability to smile and the child appeared comfortable during classes.Madeline Andersen-Warren is Chairperson of the British Association of Dramatherapists (BADth).For more information about Dramatherapy, please visit badth.org.uk or contact enquiries@badth.org.uk.

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The world's greatest underachiever

Dyslexia campaigner and former Happy Days actor Henry Winkler is passionate about SEN teaching. Hayley Dunlop caught up with the star to find out why

"I think The Fonz is over there" ... Not the phrase I had imagined uttering at the London Teaching Awards in July. My colleagues and I had been expecting an afternoon of celebration and feel-good teaching stories. However, in addition to that, we had a star encounter with American actor Henry Winkler - most famous for his role as ‘the Fonz' in Happy Days.

Winkler is now a high-profile Dyslexia campaigner, having discovered he had Dyslexia as an adult. Growing up undiagnosed has undoubtedly had a profound effect on his life, and means he is a passionate believer in good teaching, having experienced the exact opposite:

"At school I was constantly told that I was ‘slow' and ‘not living up to my potential'. But inside I thought I was trying to live up to my potential. Inside I thought ‘I don't think I am stupid.' A child hearing those around them saying they are not good enough, starts to believe that maybe they are dumb."

Winkler believes the key to unlocking the potential of every child is to instil in them a sense of selfconfidence. When I told him about SEN2008, he was full of praise for SENCos: "Thank goodness they understand and help their students to stay strong. There is nothing more important than that and there isno better gift than their warmth and understanding."

While, for us, Winkler will always be synonymous with Fonzie, today he has a whole new generation of fans thanks to his series of children's books, which follow the adventures of dyslexic character Hank Zipzer - ‘the world's greatest underachiever'.

"In 2002 my agent suggested that I write a children's book about my Dyslexia. Well, that was out of the question: This was a task I absolutely could not do. Two years later he asked me the same question: I don't know why but I said ‘okay'. He introduced me to my co-author, Lin Oliver, over lunch. The fish was horrible but the meeting was good and we quickly came up with the character.

"There are now 15 books and children everywhere react the same way. They relate to Hank's humour and resourcefulness. They love that his friends, who do not have a problem in school, do not judge him.

"Now I tell children that they have no idea about the greatness inside them, and that they must dig down deep, find their gift and give it to the world. Thank goodness there are now teachers out there who also understand this.

"Hayley Dunlop is Press Officer at ISC.

Find out more about Henry Winkler's Hank Zipzer
books at hankzipzer.com
The closing date for the 2009 Teaching Awards is
1 March 2009. More details at teachingawards.com.

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