Interdisciplinary Team
We are extremely proud of the expertise that we have in our interdisciplinary team. To find out about the different roles and how they interact with each other, click on the links below.
Behaviour Analysis Professionals
All staff use the principles of Behaviour Analysis to teach pupils appropriate and functional skills. Staff take data on all targets to track skills and inform decision making. Staff receive ongoing training in all aspects of Behaviour Analysis including 'prompting', 'reinforcement' and 'extinction'.
Each pupil has an assigned Teaching and Learning Practitioner. The Practitioners are in charge of the day-to-day running of the programmes for the pupils. They are a main component of the team who work with the pupils and deliver their programmes. Each class also has an allocated ASP and a Behaviour Analyst. The role of the ASP includes general class management, training for Practitioners and supporting the Behaviour Analyst to monitor pupil progress. Many of our ASPs are working towards gaining a Masters in ABA. The Behaviour Analysts oversee the pupil’s learning programmes, develop Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and behaviour plans that are bespoke to the pupils and carry out ongoing data analysis to ensure progress. They are all qualified Board Certified Behaviour Analysts or are working towards their qualification.
Board Certified Behaviour Analysts
We are committed to using specialised and up to date Behaviour Analysis principles in our teaching approach. We employ Board Certified Behaviour Analysts (BCBAs)to assess our pupils, analyse their behaviour and create individualised education plans which teach them both academic and functional life skills.
We are committed to offering a programme of training and supervision to increase the expertise within our schools. BCBAs work alongside our school staff team and external professionals to ensure our pupils are accessing a rounded education which reduces behaviours that challenge and teaches important life skills such as social, vocational, and self-help skills.
All of our BCBAs attend conferences and workshops to maintain their certifications within the guidelines of the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board (BACB). They adopt best practices and the sharing of ideas is encouraged with weekly meetings among those in supervisory roles to ensure we work collaboratively, ethically and use current research to help our pupils achieve their full potential.
Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT)
SaLTs are responsible for setting and monitoring communication targets in collaboration with Behaviour Analysts, parents and Occupational Therapists. Communication targets may include key forms of interaction such as eye contact, turn taking, developing peer relationships and maintaining attention.
Targets may also include the pupils’ understanding of language and their ability to follow instructions. We set expressive language targets to maximize the pupils' current skills and further develop a functional communication system.
Pupils who attend the schools use a variety of ways to communicate including verbal communication, Makaton signs, PECS (picture exchange) or Proloquo (iPad app). SaLTs will work alongside the team to assess which way of communicating would be beneficial and achievable for the pupil. The SaLT will also work on developing a pupil’s use of speech sounds or stammering intervention when appropriate. The frequency of sessions is determined by statemented time on the pupils’ Education Health Care Plan and each session lasts around 15 minutes. Sessions can consist of 1:1 therapy, the SaLT modelling to the Teaching and Learning Practitioner how to complete the targets, group therapy or therapy with a peer, as well as discussing progress and offering advice and guidance. Programmes and targets are run by Teaching and Learning Practitioners on a daily basis and monitored by the SaLTs within the pupils’ sessions.
Senior Leadership Team
Our Senior Leadership Teams (SLT) work across both sites, leading the strategic direction of the schools with ambitious vision and the highest expectations. We work closely as a team to recognise the schools’ strengths and where to build on these sustainably. We also use a range of information through triangulation to identify what we need to do to continuously improve key areas of our Outstanding schools.
Our SLT is highly experienced, skilled and knowledgeable and use this to enhance the learning opportunities throughout the school and beyond; for pupils, staff and parents as well as sharing our Outstanding practice with our strategic partners. Our partnership working is key to enable us to learn from other stakeholders and share our expertise and best practice.
Our SLT views each individual holistically and works with all professionals to develop practice around each pupil to enable them to avoid behaviours that would be a barrier to their learning. Understanding each pupil’s learning journey towards their destinations, the SLT strive to equip each pupil with the functional skills they need as they prepare for adulthood.
Teachers
Qualified Teachers lead the group teaching sessions that all pupils attend. All lessons are planned, resourced and evaluated specifically for the schools’ current cohort of pupils.
These lessons range from teaching skills necessary to be able to learn in a group setting, to pupils learning a full range of National Curriculum subjects: including Maths, English, PSHE, Science, Art and Food technology.
On top of the core curriculum pupils are introduced to additional subjects like Geography, History and Religious Studies through special events and assemblies held throughout the academic year.
Our curricula are designed to meet the range of abilities of all our pupils. They are based on the National Curriculum and have been developed with functional skills in mind.
Each subject has half-termly themes which are created in order to devise a well-rounded curriculum. Within these themes, targets are devised from assessment grids which are geared to functional skills still to be acquired.
Assessments are updated by Qualified Teachers half-termly and new targets are agreed with Behaviour Analysts.
Occupational Therapy (OT)
"Takes a 'whole-person approach' to both mental and physical health and wellbeing and enables individuals to achieve their full potential" (Royal College Occupational Therapists definition). OT is based on the premise that our ability to function in our environment is also affected by our health. OTs focus on ways to support a pupil’s ability to do what they need or want to do in the context of their daily lives. The emphasis is mainly at school but also at home when this is requested by the parents and/or the interdisciplinary team.
OTs work in partnership with Behaviour Analysts, Teachers and other relevant professionals to develop pupils’ functional skills in the areas of self-care, life-skills, school work and play. The OT service at BeyondAutism provides assessment, direct 1:1 therapy sessions, group therapy and OT programmes; as well as training to staff and parents/carers. Group therapy varies in focus and the participants are selected based on their needs at that time. OT group themes range from sensory integration to promoting body awareness - learning through movement to emotional regulation - teaching emotional literacy, social skills and peer interactions.