ASD Curriculum

Resource Provision Curriculum

Essex Primary School has worked hard to create a curriculum that supports, stimulates and challenges the children with ASD in our care. Throughout the ASD curriculum, pupils are encouraged to:

  • Develop their joint attention and listening for learning
  • Develop language, communication and interaction skills which includes learning and practising fundamentals of communication such as eye contact, waiting, watching, listening and turn taking (through intensive interaction)
  • Develop their emotional regulation
  • Develop life skills which enable them to become as independent as possible
  • Engage in subject specific learning e.g. Maths, English, Science

We understand that each child has different needs, and these are taken into account when planning for their curriculum. All children attend teacher-led sessions, participate in lessons in their mainstream class, and take part in assemblies and performances as far as they are able.

The Resource Provision has a personalised approach that enables pupils to follow routines and structure, and work with their preferences and learning targets. This helps pupils to manage independent choices.

Resource Provision teachers have shared their expertise and resources with teachers and TAs to improve provision for pupils in the mainstream.

Some of the areas we cover are as follows:

Life SkillsCookeryScienceAttention AutismSensory sessionsShoppingFood ExplorationSensory Circuit/Motor GroupsSwimming

Life Skills

The aim of Life Skills sessions is to develop pupils’ independence in daily life activities, such as brushing teeth, face washing, combing/brushing hair, toileting, eating and crossing the road safely. We also role-play shopping trips to practise the exchange of money for goods.

Cookery

In these sessions, pupils are made aware of hygiene routines. They wash their hands before beginning food preparation, which leads on to such skills as cutting, peeling, mixing and rolling. Our pupils enjoy eating the food they prepare: because of this, we make sure we work with a range of different tastes and textures. Finally, at the end of each session, pupils help with tidying up by washing dishes and cleaning tables.

Science

Our science topics include light and dark; heavy and light; sinking and floating; and planting, where the children can participate in the practical care of plants. These sessions are designed to be hands-on, and encourage the children to manipulate a range of resources.

Attention Autism

Attention Autism sessions focus on engaging attention, developing joint attention, develop shared enjoyment in group activities, and increase attention in adult-led activities.

An attention bucket, full of high-interest and exciting toys and gadgets, is used to motivate the children to maintain attention.

Sensory sessions

These sessions may take place in our dedicated Sensory Room which is equipped with a range of resources to stimulating and soothe or within classrooms.

Children explore a variety of resources to focus on a sense; for example, we explore ‘touch’ by providing different media for the children to introduce to a variety of surfaces, and for ‘sound’ we link music to the individual sounds of sensory objects to relax or alert pupils.

These sessions may be linked to the topic book currently being used.

Shopping

We take pupils on trips to the shops as part of their Life Skills education. This activity encourages the children to follow directions, become familiar with new places and activities, and to be more confident when travelling by public transport.

In the shops, children have the opportunity to practise money-handling and transaction making.

Food Exploration

Tasks such as eating can distress some children with special educational needs. Some children may have a limited diet.

Approaching such tasks as play and using children’s senses to engage them can help children to discover, learn and accept new foods.

Sensory Circuit/Motor Groups

These are sensory motor skills sessions which help to set children up for a school day. They enable children to reach the level of alertness needed to concentrate during lessons.

Aims of the sessions include:

  • Energise and settle children into the school day
  • Focus concentration in readiness for the day’s learning
  • Development of the child’s sensory processing skills
  • Calm and organise children for the day ahead ready for learning to occur
  • Development of physical skills
  • Opportunities to engage in specific learning
  • Improve communication skills.

Swimming

We take our children swimming.

The aim of the sessions are for children to become more confident with, and in, water. We travel to a the London Aquatic Centre, which encourages children to become comfortable with a new routine and setting.

Once inside, pupils are supported in their enjoyment of water-based activities, including lessons on how to float or swim.