Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects learners in different ways. Learners with ASD may experience barriers in certain areas of development which has an effect on their learning. These barriers might include, but are not limited to, delayed or atypical verbal and nonverbal communication, delayed or atypical social interaction, rigid thinking or behaviour patterns and sensory processing difficulties. The degree of difficulty varies greatly from one learner to the next. Some learners may only experience difficulties in certain areas of their development, others may experience difficulties in most areas of their development.

 

Learners with more unobtrusive difficulties and lower support needs might be able to participate and

manage within a mainstream educational setting, others have more severe difficulties and need very specific supports and interventions to help them manage in an educational setting. For these learners the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), as prescribed by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) is difficult to access and keep up with. Learners with severe difficulties often need help with their independence skills in basic daily activities, rather than academic performance. Vera School caters for learners with higher support needs, who are not able to access the CAPS curriculum in its entirety within a mainstream school setting.

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At Vera School each learner receives an Individual Support Plan (ISP) as their learning curriculum, which specifies a learner’s skills to be targeted and supports needed to attain these skills. These learning programmes are formulated in line with CAPS and some learners may access certain aspects of CAPS depending on their abilities.

 

The following learning areas are included in the ISPs:

• Social Interactive Behaviour

• Emotional development

• Communication

• Language, reading and writing

• Imagination and thinking development

• Functional Mathematics

• Daily living and independence skills

• Vocational skills

• Gross motor, fine motor and visual perceptual skills

• Leisure activities

• Sensory processing

 

Each learner’s ISP is drafted during a meeting where the multi-disciplinary team collaborate to ensure that the learner receives an appropriate learning program. The team consists of:

• class teacher

• teacher assistant

• parents/caregivers/guardians

• occupational therapist

• speech therapist

• psychologist

• principal/deputy principal

• any other person who might be a stakeholder in the process, on condition that the parents and school give consent

• where applicable, learners can be involved in the formulation of their own ISP skills

 

A role-sharing model is implemented. Assessments serve to extend our understanding of learners’ strengths and challenges. This knowledge is used to develop functional individualised skills.

The ISP is formulated in positive skills-based terms using the SMART acronym:

• Specific – Skills are specific to the learner

• Measurable – Each skill is broken down into assessment standards

• Attainable– Skills are set at a level which is realistically attainable for the learner

• Relevant – Skills are relevant to the learner’s culture, environment and individual needs

• Time bound – IEDPs are reviewed approximately every 2 years

 

Compulsory teacher-parent meetings occur twice a year. The meetings focus on the learner’s progress relating to the skills on their ISP. The progress of skills on the ISP is tracked using a colour-coding system and is not measured on a report card. New learners to the school will have an ISP meeting approximately one term after admission as the multi-disciplinary team need to get to know the child.

 

Our Outcome-Based curriculum strives to attain the following seven critical skills for our learners:

1. To communicate effectively using whatever mode the learner is capable of

2. To manage activities of daily living as independently as possible

3. To establish and maintain social relationships

4. To manage behaviour and emotions

5. To develop learners’ understanding, thinking and problem solving abilities through a range of activities and experiences

6. To be able to take part in recreational activities and develop skills necessary to work in the community at whatever level possible

7. To manage sensory needs of each learner as it arises