PAGE 83

Inter-professional/Parent Partnership for Pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Why was this partnership activity necessary - concerns, aims, difficulties etc?
Pupils with ASD need a 24-hour curriculum to provide the necessary continuity in order to optimise their learning potential. The triad of impairments is an inherent lifelong difficulty, experienced by each individual. Working in partnership with parents and other professionals is essential to scaffold appropriate learning/social experiences in different situations.

Where does this partnership operate?
Within the school - with Autistic Provision/mainstream staff/parents. Within and outwith the school, working in partnership with other agencies and in collaboration with other autistic provisions

When does this work happen?
Daily contact with parents/staff. Regular contact with other agencies.

How does the scheme work? How is it maintained, sustained and evaluated?
By regular ongoing consultation with parents, mainstream staff and other agencies to ensure a continuity of care. This is co-ordinated by ourselves. In March of this year, we took part in the Autism Services Accreditation Programme, run by the National Autistic Society. We had to prepare a portfolio to provide evidence of good practice under thirty performance indicators, where emphasis was placed on sound partnerships. Subsequently, as a school, we have been put forward for Accreditation for services to Autism. We are the first mainstream secondary school in Britain to have been recommended for this award.

What are the benefits? What difference does this partnership make?
The pupils' learning is well scaffolded. They are given the structures and routines they need to minimise their anxiety and fulfil their learning potential. Working in partnership enhances their life by making life more predictable.

4.7 Harris Academy, Dundee