At the end of the summer term, five primary schools and one secondary school in Ceredigion successfully completed the national ‘Learning with Autism’ project and have gained the national Autism Aware School accreditation.
Ysgol Penweddig, Ysgol Llwyn yr Eos, Ysgol Gynradd Aberaeron, Ysgol Bro Sion Cwilt, Ysgol Craig yr Wylfa and Ysgol Felinfach are now all accredited Autism Aware School. Other schools across Ceredigion have plans in place to work through this project during the next academic year.
The aim of the accreditation, developed by ASDinfo Wales, the national website for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), is to raise awareness of ASD/Autism with all members of the school community.
In addition to the accreditation, training has been delivered to members of support staff in 31 primary schools and the seven secondary schools to become Autism Champions, to further increase a school’s capacity in supporting pupils with autism and provide advice to teachers within their schools. The training course was developed and delivered by representatives from a range of specialist services, including Educational Psychology, Speech and language therapy, Occupational therapy as well as SEN/ALN advisory teachers and specialist teachers from specialist resource centres within Ceredigion.
Additional grant money has been allocated by the Welsh Government via their Additional Learning Needs (ALN) Innovation Project, allowing Ceredigion County Council to develop more innovative ways of providing outreach services in order to further raise schools’ capacity to meet the needs of pupils with ALN. Ceredigion’s SEN/ALN team chose to focus on further increasing schools capacity to meet the needs of pupils with autism more effectively as this specific group of vulnerable learners continues to be a focus in Ceredigion as well as nationally.
Councillor Catrin Miles, Cabinet member for responsibility for Learning Services said, “The ‘Learning with Autism’ programme is a great step towards raising further understanding and awareness of Autism and to ensure that Ceredigion schools are fully equipped with meeting the needs of pupils with autism more effectively. The Council is committed to supporting and providing an inclusive education for all children living in Ceredigion.”
For more information contact the Special Educational Needs Department on 01970633710 or email sen@ceredigion.gov.uk
22/08/2018