Inclusion in the secondary school: support materials for children with autistic spectrum disorders Author: Joy Beaney and Penny Kershaw ISBN: 978 1 90572 202 0 Code: NAS 658 £10.99 excl. vat £10.99 incl. vat

Packed with useful strategies and work materials, including lots of the visual supports which pupils with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) need - all photocopiable. Penny and Joy both work in schools in south east England with children on the autism spectrum. They bring a wealth of hands-on experience to this book. They have also written a book for younger pupils with ASDs, Inclusion in the primary classroom: also published by NAS Publications. 

Published by The National Autistic Society, 2006, 64pp, A4, pbk, illustrated

Read an extract from this book online

Review

Working in a secondary school with children who have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) I know all too well the problems that some children have in lessons.

This book is very well written, with clear tables and diagrams, and is suitable for all staff who have work with children who have an ASD. Teachers can use this book in their planning and, as a teaching assistant, I particularly liked the making a balanced decision and the argument tables. I would use these in group work to help children who have an ASD obtain structure while organizing their thoughts in a discussion.

Parents would also benefit from this book. It may help them when they are helping their child with homework, eg using the story planner table.

The book packs in a wide range of topics, making it an excellent resource for schools and very good value for money. The suggestions for IEP target sheets are also excellent. They are broken into very simple targets and cover not only lessons but also break times. Lunch time staff could be consulted on targets for a pupil who finds this unstructured time difficult and the books behaviour chart would also be very helpful.

The transition checklist is invaluable. Putting the effort into this crucial time can really smooth the entry into secondary school.

All in all, a concise guide packed with good practical advice.

Judith Colley
SEN teaching assistant, County Durham
Author of Going on trips with an Asperger pupil and Working with an Asperger pupil in secondary schools, both published by The National Autistic Society.  

This book is aimed at all mainstream staff working with pupils who have autistic spectrum disorders. It contains a very reader-friendly guide to autism and Asperger syndrome and very practical support materials to help the pupil to organise their work, knowledge and ideas.

For example, the book gives a homework diary sheet to photo-copy. This is divided into sections:
 - subject and member of staff
 - topic
 - resources
 - what to do
 - hand it in on time!!!
This type of information is structured in a set format to enable the pupil to understand exactly what is needed and expected. In time, it could be adapted again, always remembering that all pupils are different and so are their needs.

Although the book is aimed for pupils at secondary school, it can be used in primary school. Also, in my opinion, it could be used to help pupils with other special needs, such as dyslexia, learning difficulties or poor memory skills. 

There is a wealth of theories, strategies and approaches which make this book an excellent resource for teaching assistants, teachers and SENCOS. 

Patricia Thorpe
Teaching assistant in Norfolk and author of Moving from primary school to secondary school, Understanding difficulties at break time and lunchtime and Bullying and how to deal with it, all published by The National Autistic Society. 
 

This book is written for classroom teachers who have a student with ASD in their class. However. its also useful for SENCOs, teaching assistants and parents. It is well laid out, with colour coded chapters, clear headings and bullet pointed paragraphs.

The first chapter simply explains the strengths and weaknesses of autism, which is useful for teachers who are unfamiliar with ASD.  This is followed by practical advice for teachers on how to make the school day easier for the student with autism. The second chapter discusses visual learning. Some excellent visual planning templates are provided.  These would be useful both at school, and at home, to help the student plan their schoolwork and homework.

The book explains how to present learning tasks clearly, develop social relationships, and promote positive behaviour. Some visual symbols and a visual timetable are provided. Social stories, mind maps, a behaviour chart and other useful strategies are discussed. There is a guide to writing an IEP that contains over 100 sample target behaviours. There is also a transition checklist for the student moving from primary school into secondary school.

Ideas range from a simple things-to-remember checklist to a complex behaviour support plan. The student's point of view is humourously illustrated in a series of cartoons, drawn by Haitham Al-Ghani, a young man who has an ASD. 

I liked the positive tone and practical ideas. At only 60 pages long, it's a great resource for teachers and parents and one I'll be dipping into for ideas for my boys.

Julie Ellis

Teacher, mother of two boys with ASDs and author of How Joshua learned, also published by The National Autistic Society  

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in mainstream schools need to be taught by staff who are confident and well informed so that they can provide for their special educational needs.  There has been a determined move in primary schools to provide the right environment and resources for these children to ensure successful inclusion.  However, this same determination is often lacking at the secondary school level.

SENCOs, teachers and teaching assistants can find information, strategies and resources to help them in this excellent book. It covers a wide range of potential problems together with tried and tested methods of working with and helping children with ASDs in the mainstream setting.

Parents will also find this a useful resource and they may even want to give this book to the childs secondary school to ensure that staff are well informed and ready to meet the demands of their children.

The section on IEP targets is particularly good and user-friendly diagrams and resources make it good value for money. The application of this book can be extended to help all children with learning difficulties, not only those with ASDs. Professionals and parents will be empowered by its practical suggestions and by its wealth of information.

Kay Al-Ghani
Kay has been a special educational needs teacher for 30 years in the field of education and is involved with training professionals, students and parents in aspects of ASD. She is mother of an adult son with an ASD and author of Making the move and The red beast, both available from NAS Publications.