Education & Recreation
Guidelines for Schools receiving a
pupil with the
November 2006
MOVING ON
PASSPORT WORKBOOK GUIDELINES
Supporting Pupils with autistic spectrum disorder transferring from P7 – S1
Information for Senior Management Team and Support Staff
This should be used with the transition passport workbook “Moving On”
Introduction
All children find transitions challenging, particularly when moving from the relative
security of primary school to the very different world of secondary. Many networks
have bridging programmes in place to ease transition, especially for more vulnerable
children. Pupils with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) or difficulties which are
similar to those of ASD, have particular difficulty because of their pervasive
resistance to all change, however small. It is therefore, essential that any
arrangements made in the passport, however small in detail, are adhered to, to avoid
anxiety.
It is inevitable that every secondary school will have pupils whose needs fall on the
autistic spectrum. Current research suggests 1 in every 100.

As part of Aberdeenshire’s strategy for supporting young people with autistic
spectrum disorder, guidelines have been issued to support the development of an
“autism friendly” environment and a staged procedure for identifying and
documenting intervention. These are accompanied by information about autism
with specific management suggestions. Training is available through the CPD
planning cycle, the network autism support team currently piloted in Banchory,
Fraserburgh, Ellon and Inverurie and the Educational Psychology Service.

Pupils reaching secondary transfer will have the opportunity to develop a “Moving
On” passport workbook containing as much information as possible about the
youngster and how best to manage their learning environment to the benefit of
pupil, classmates and teaching staff. It will be important to maintain the “Moving
On” workbook throughout secondary school in preparation for the important
transition to adult services.

Networks will receive a resource bank of useful materials and contacts, e.g.
website information. It will be open to networks to develop this resource and
manage it appropriately. Information will be available on the Aberdeenshire
website.

Responsibility for pupil transfer lies ultimately with secondary staff. The “Moving
On” passport workbook outlines the nature of bridging support necessary for a
particular pupil. It will be very important for all staff working with the pupil to have
autism awareness training in advance of the pupil arriving and opportunity to
discuss specific management strategies once the pupil is known as an individual.
The anxiety experienced by teachers when working with a pupil with ASD for the
first time can be alleviated by following the procedures outlined and by a team
approach.
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PASSPORT WORKBOOK GUIDELINES
For induction day, it is important to specify only what will definitely happen.
What is Autistic spectrum disorder?
Autism is a complex lifelong developmental disability, which affects how a person
thinks and makes sense of their world. Autistic spectrum is an umbrella term
covering a wide range of issues affecting cognitive and behavioural development.
It also includes terms such as Asperger syndrome, semantic pragmatic disorder and
Tourettes syndrome.
As autism is not a physical disability it can be invisible to the person who has no
awareness or understanding of the condition. Some children with autism have an
accompanying learning disability and may need to spend at least some of their
education in a sheltered environment such as a special school or unit. As their
developmental difficulties become obvious at an earlier age, usually around 2 years,
diagnosis and placement is also likely to be earlier. There is, however, a significant
group of children with ASD who are cognitively able, some exceptionally so. This
group, referred to as having Asperger syndrome (AS) are less obvious and may be
well through primary school without being identified and supported. Inappropriate
behaviour, in response to what they find stressful, is often the presenting factor, e.g.
hiding under the desk; screaming in a supermarket; not wanting to go out at
playtime; antisocial behaviour such as biting or kicking. As a result, such children
can be construed as “naughty” before a full picture leading to diagnosis is built up.
There is as yet not cure but schools with an awareness of how a young person with
ASD thinks and perceives his/her world can do much to manage the school
environment in a way that alleviates barriers to learning. It is important to note that
while there are core difficulties common to all, every interaction between pupil and
school will be different and specific to that particular pupil and situation.
People with autism demonstrate, to a greater or lesser extent, difficulties in three key
areas, referred to as the “triad of impairments”:

Social interaction: with initiating and maintaining appropriate relationships and
with understanding the rules of two-way social interaction, e.g. appearing aloof
because they don’t know how to join in, poor turn taking skills, invading ‘personal
space’.

Social communication: difficulty with verbal and non-verbal communication both
in terms of expressing themselves and in understanding what others are
communicating. There is often delay in the development of language, even in the
most able.

Imagination: inflexibility of behaviour and thought. People with ASD have a rigid
unique way of thinking leading to a resistance to change, an insistence of set
routines and repetitive behaviour.
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Associated characteristics:

Sensory difficulties:
people with ASD can be overly or under sensitive to sensory input, e.g. smells in
a science room; a pat on the back for good work; the buzz of a strip light. There
can also be a difficulty sifting out unnecessary information, e.g. the noise of a
digger outside the classroom cannot be ignored.

Motor difficulties:
there may be physical difficulties such as posture. PE can be inadvisable. There
are frequently difficulties with motor planning and organisation, e.g. getting
homework in on time; bringing the right materials. Handwriting is often a weak
area impacting across the curriculum.

Specific learning difficulties:
dyslexic features are often present, particularly in relation to committing ideas to
paper. Young people with Asperger syndrome are, however, often avid readers.

Sense of balance and sense of self in space:
may be impaired, e.g. John hates it if you come too close but will, himself come
too close to others.

Ritualistic behaviour:
in order to alleviate the stress caused by dealing with the three key impairments,
rituals are common and need to be tolerated, e.g. lining up pencil case contents
before starting a task.
It will be clear that individuals with ASD are going to have great difficulty with
change. They have a strong need for sameness and routine to support their
understanding of daily events. Such children cannot see the whole picture. Small
changes in the big picture can, therefore, upset stability, e.g. morning routine: line
up; hang coat on peg; leave lunch box in tub; enter classroom and sit in seat. If any
one of these routine moves is changed without prior warning and explanation, the
pupil with ASD may not cope whereas everyone else will take change in their stride.
At secondary level, the arrival of a supply teacher can be a major problem.
In order to manage change successfully, young people with ASD need the changes
clearly explained in ways that they understand. As children with ASD are visual
thinkers, verbal explanation should be accompanied by visual support, e.g. a visual
timetable or checklist of the order in which to do things. It is also very important to
indicate the start and finish of any process. In order to move to secondary school,
for example, there needs to be a clear finish to primary.
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Strategies for managing change for pupils with ASD
Whole School Strategies
When planning to welcome a pupil with ASD, it is important that there is a whole
school understanding and awareness of the implications of ASD. A minimal
requirement for all staff is a basic knowledge of the triad of impairments and their
educational implications. This understanding will inform management generally, e.g.
accommodation; environment; interventions and timetable. All staff members
including non-teaching should have this awareness.
Classroom Strategies
Pupils with ASD feel more confident and secure when a classroom is structured with
a predictable daily routine. It is important that teacher behaviour is also predictable.
Warning should be given of any change in classroom routine, e.g. supply teacher;
change in seating plan; change in lesson delivery etc. The classroom should be as
distraction free as possible and the pupil allowed to sit in a position with minimal
disruption, either physically or visually (near the door is often a chosen spot to allow
an easy exit if anxious). Many pupils with ASD need to have a personal work space.
Individual Supports
When preparing for transfer, the pupil with ASD may need a personalised induction
with access to the following:

school times

school personnel – digital photos of key staff

school routines, e.g. entrance door; lunchtime routine; lunchtime activities;
toilets; lockers etc

school visits

visits for secondary staff to primary

personalised school planner

a quiet space for respite

a buddy

a personalised map of the school with key places clearly marked

personalised timetable with more detail than usual

visual checklist for particular activities

prior warning of any unexpected change, e.g. a supply teacher; a change
of seating; a new wall display

a personalised curriculum
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Visual supports are
particularly important
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
supported study for key areas, e.g. imaginative writing

interval arrangements

Homework arrangements: young people with ASD invariably have
difficulty with homework. As schoolwork belongs in school, it can be
difficult to transfer schoolwork to home. It may be necessary to make
homework arrangements in school or to find a way of bridging the gap.
Discussion between home, school and relevant staff such as the
educational psychologist may help to establish guidelines.
When management is appropriate pupils with ASD will succeed both academically
and socially. It is their right to be as well prepared as possible for the intellectual and
social demands of life beyond school.
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