Janet O'Keefe

Effective therapeutic interventions, in any discipline, have always depended on a careful identification of the factors comprising the presenting problem; the systemic processes shaping, and shaped by, the child; and the information and belief structures supporting the coping strategies developed as a result. For the Speech and Language Therapist, difficulties in the acquisition of social communication skills frequently signals the presence of a wider range of language, emotional and educational issues, all of which could be impacting on the child`s potential for independence, integration in society, educational attainment and long- term mental health. As a result, social communication work is often an integral part of programme delivery, and much time and energy has been devoted to the development of the many excellent resources available to address social communication needs in a range of settings and client- groups.
Shapwick School is a specialist day and boarding school for pupils (8yrs – 19yrs) with dyslexia, DCD, ADHD, developmental verbal dyspraxia, sensory processing difficulties and other related disorders. Approximately 70% of our pupils attend weekly individual and/or group Occupational and Speech and Language Therapy sessions and all new students are screened by both therapies on entry. The Therapies are seen as an integral part of the school`s multi-disciplinary approach to the educational process and are involved in all aspects of the school`s functioning. We take the view that, while language and sensory processing difficulties impact on every aspect of our students` lives, they can be remediated or compensated for most effectively when a unified approach is applied by the whole system- school/ college, parents, students and their peer group. Systemic thinking is by no means new in education or therapy, but its application often presents a thornier issue as daily life interferes with theory! I feel it is vital that we at least acknowledge that every decision or action we take, as teachers, clinicians or parents, will have a knock-on effect on every other aspect of our children’s provision, and ultimately the child’s decision- making. As social communication is about making decisions which affect oneself and others, the ability to recognise chains of reaction is a cornerstone of the SCAEP approach.
The Social Competence and Enhancement Programme (SCAEP) was formally introduced about 8 years ago as a weekly group session for students with identified social skills difficulties. It drew on a range of materials from published social skills, emotional literacy and pragmatics programmes and ran for two terms every year. Other forms of medium and short- term interventions (e.g. Circle of Friends; “Pitstop” ) were also regularly used in the rest of the school in response to perceived need, but varied from year to year and were often driven by the needs of specific pupils or contexts.
However, over the last 5 years I have become increasingly aware of three important factors which seem to be impacting on the long- term carryover that our students achieve in real- life situations, when trying to apply the principles they have worked on in SCAEP group viz. 1) In many cases the severity of their sensory processing problems, literacy, working memory and language needs interferes with their access to language- based social skills interventions. Co-working between Occupational Therapy and Speech and Language is becoming increasingly vital in laying the sensory processing groundwork to support our social communication work across the school. 2) Our students have marked difficulties in connecting the ideas and concepts contained in social skills programmes with their own understanding of how the world works. Many of them have difficulties with theory of mind, but also with basic semantic issues such as categorisation, so that identifying social similarities and differences becomes a language test rather than a coping strategy. These difficulties appear to have a particular impact in Yrs 8/9, when the opinions of the peer group assume primary importance, and has resulted in the complete reworking of SCAEP delivery at Shapwick School. 3) At the same time, there is an increasingly alarming body of research emerging from different clinical, psychiatric, educational and criminological fields indicating a significantly high incidence of literacy, social communication and language difficulties amongst young people with severe mental health problems and in the justice system. My concern is that if the sensory processing problems of our students have such a fundamental effect on the development of their cognitive constructs, and if many of our students cannot fully access remediation programmes on offer because of language difficulties, then they are also prevented from accessing the mainstream talking therapies on offer in the NHS. This raises the issue of where our students will go for support as adults.
In the current climate of continuous cost- led reform, there is a temptation to sit tight, rely on existing resources and protect our personal fields of influence. It is vital that we do not lose sight of the fact that our disciplines exist as a result of need, and that meeting those needs continues to rely on an expanding knowledge- base and willingness to share, adapt and apply principles from related fields in order to fine- tune our work and counteract some of the effects of continuous instability in the systems we live and work in.
My workshop will outline the key features of the SCAEP programme and describe an attempt (in progress!) to design a multidisciplinary intervention which serves three purposes: 1)Taking students back through the sensory building blocks of basic social communication concepts e.g. personal space, in order to construct more complete concepts /schemas based on sensory processing of, and shared attention to, key sensory characteristics; 2) The development of sensory and language correlates (shared code) needed to describe participants’ experiences of (mis)communication and to develop verbal problem- solving strategies and an understanding of chain reactions; 3) The core language and sensory building blocks to understand analogy and metaphor, allowing students to compare how a situation appears to them and someone else, and improving our students` potential use of talking therapies e.g. CBT, family therapy etc.

Educational psychologist warns that young vulnerable people miss out under present system

A new foundation which will enable practitioners to join together to provide multi-disciplinary specialist services for children with special educational needs is being launched next month – and could transform the present fragmented and bureaucratic system.

 The Clarity Foundation hopes to attract health and social care providers, as well as education specialists, to join as members who can be referred to families and local authorities as approved providers meeting statutory guidelines. 

 The foundation is the brainchild of speech and language therapist Janet O’Keefe and Robert Ashton, best selling business author, social entrepreneur and campaigner, who are passionate about providing a new joined-up efficient system which supports children and their families with educational support, while at the same time eliminating unnecessary duplication and bureaucracy.

 It will be launched at a conference entitled, Towards a Positive Future, aimed at parents and professionals, to inspire, share experiences and discover how they can achieve more for children with special needs. The conference is being held on October 14-15 at Arlington Arts Centre, Newbury, which is based at the Mary Hare School for deaf children.

 There are currently 1.7 million children with special educational needs in England who require support for wide ranging conditions, from dyslexia, dyspraxia and Down’s syndrome, to autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

 Janet says: “We believe that having a one-stop shop is the best way to enable parents and local authorities find all the support services desperately needed by children with special needs, and that our foundation is the most practical and efficient way of ensuring that those services are integrated and coordinated.  We need to bring practitioners from health, education and social care together and plan for the future while the present guidelines for new contract arrangements is under review.  Our foundation will be a valuable database of all heath and social care providers, as well as education specialists.

 “Additionally, we can streamline time consuming and expensive administrative processes. For example, we can help with criminal bureau checks and professional indemnity insurance.  At the moment, if a practitioner is not directly employed by a school or local authority, every school they visit should conduct its own CRB check.  Many practitioners regularly visit 20 schools a week sometimes in several different counties and are therefore checked 20 times.”

 Robert says it makes good sense to become more efficient during the present changes:

 He says: “However you feel about the Government’s “Big Society” agenda, the fact is that the worlds of education, health and social care are undergoing massive change. The Clarity Foundation is being formed to help parents make sense of those changes, and in parallel to help practitioners create their own enterprises. That way both groups can connect, create opportunities and meet the needs of young people striving to overcome disadvantage.”

 Specialist speakers include educational psychologist and former head teacher Charlie Mead, who has worked with children with severe emotional and behavioural problems and special needs for 20 years. He has grave concerns about the present system and highlights failures he has observed, leading to neglect in some cases for vulnerable young people.

 He says: “Charities are afraid to stand up for their clients in case their funding is withdrawn. Academies are afraid of further failure by taking on exactly those students who would benefit most from their resources. Children and Family Services have neglected the vulnerable due to bureaucratic inertia and a lack of consistency. All these situations can be changed if the interests of the child are put first.

 “When working with highly vulnerable children in care, many of whom have been sectioned, it is clear that the recession is having a considerable impact on the young people and their families – especially those who cannot cope emotionally, are addicts, are sexualized early and have been abused.  They need expert consistent provision – not piecemeal services from organisations who are threatened by lack of funding.”

 Other key speakers are Kevin Geeson, CEO of Dyslexia Action, who will highlight the impact of the SEN Green Paper; speech and language specialist Prof Heather van der Lely, who will highlight her simple test for an early diagnosis of specific language impairment; and both Sandy Burbach and Alex Kelly, who will describe the importance of developing social skills and self esteem in children.

 Janet is also launching a book she has edited at the conference also called Towards a Positive Future which includes stories, ideas and inspiration from children with special educational needs, their families and professionals.

 Full details about the conference can be found at their website, Towards a Positive Future: http://towardsapositivefuture.wordpress.com/

 There is a range of ticket prices: parent £90 (one day) £155 (both days); second parent £60 (one day) £120 (both days); professionals £200 (one day) £385 (both days).

 Media requests can be made to press consultant Ellee Seymour on 07939 811961, email ellee.seymour@btopenworld.com

“Update on Special Educational Needs and DISability Tribunal Regulations”

28th July 2009 at 9.30am – 4pm

Location: Anthony Collins Solicitors, 134 Edmund Street, Birmingham, B3 2ES, (within walking distance of New Street Train Station)

Speaking will be:

John Friel, Barrister of Hardwicke Building

“…good technical knowledge.” – Chambers UK (2009)

“…achieves success in cases that may not appear so strong on paper.” – The Legal 500 (2008)

John is featured in Legal 500 and Chambers UK as an Education Law specialist.

Inez Brown, Solicitor of Anthony Collins

Inez leads on the educational support for individuals. She has vast experience in educational matters providing support on statutory assessment of children with special educational needs and admission/exclusion issues arising from maintained schools.

Melinda Nettleton, Solicitor of SEN Legal

Melinda qualified as a solicitor in 1980 working initially for a local authority and then for the Crown Prosecution Service. She specialized in litigation (evidence and advocacy).  Melinda has three children, one of whom has dyslexia, dyspraxia, and a severe language disorder.

Janet O’Keefe, Speech and Language Therapist, Wordswell Ltd and Chair of the MLSIG

 Janet has specialised in working with children and adults with hearing impairment, autistic spectrum disorder and dyslexia.

If you would like to attend, please email MLSIG@wordswell.co.uk to register your interest.

  You can pay in advance by posting a cheque for £25, made payable to “MLSIG” to Wordswell, 82 Cannon Street, Little Downham, Ely, Cambs, CB6 2SS.

For further information, please do not hesitate to get in contact.