Building a Curriculum for Children with Complex Needs

This book provides a clear, user-friendly curriculum designed to support primary aged children with Severe Learning Disabilities (SLD) and Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD). Drawing upon the Communication at the Heart of the School (CATHS) approach, the curriculum is based on the premise that children learn when they are engaged. Building a Curriculum for Children with Complex Needs provides practitioners with the skills and knowledge to personalise and create lessons that will engage children, according to their assessed levels, and considers how activities can be adapted to meet many different learning needs. The book includes: - A quick screening assessment to supplement the complete CATHS assessment - A curriculum framework - Discussions on how to select appropriate curriculum objectives - A long-term activity planning map with National Curriculum links - Advice on how to plan lessons which engage and challenge - Individual topic plans as well as full lesson plans - Guidance on how to resource classrooms Above all, this curriculum is realistic and is based on a practical formative assessment which enables children to be taught in groups and allows teachers to focus on creating both engaging and challenging lessons. It is an essential resource for both mainstream and special school staff, including SENCOs, classroom teachers and senior leadership teams.

Rachel Sawford is a highly specialist speech and language therapist who helps schools to address the challenges of developing communication for children with a learning disability. Rachel believes that speech and language therapists have the biggest impact when they give time to developing good-quality environments where all children can benefit. She recognises that all those around the child have a role to play in supporting their communication. Ann Miles is a special education teacher who spent her career working in schools for children with learning disabilities. Drawing upon her classroom experience and extensive knowledge of early communication, she has packaged up all the elements of CATHS to share with other professionals. Ann is a firm believer that for communication to be successful, it needs to be both natural and meaningful. The development of communication skills should be embedded within all aspects of teaching and the curriculum.

Preface List of Figures and Tables Chapter 1: An Introduction to the CATHS Curriculum - Communication and Cognition Framework - Communication at the Heart of The School Curriculum Chapter 2: Assessment - Screening Assessments - Isolated Skills Chapter 3: Objectives - CATHS Curriculum Objectives - Lateral Progress - Recording Progress - Ambition and Aspirational Teaching - Further Discussion about the Limitations of Smart Targets for Children with SLD And PMLD Chapter 4: Curriculum Guide - The Working Classroom - The Curriculum Guide Explained - Glossary: Explanations of Terms Used in the Guide Chapter 5: National Curriculum Links and Core Subjects - Curriculum Subject Development - Core Subjects Chapter 6: Enhanced Provision and Topics - Topic Map - Stories, Books and Literacy - Topic Plans Chapter 7: Lesson Preparation - How to Prepare Lessons - Continuous Provision Chapter 8: The Influence of Cognition on Learning by Alanna Storey - How Cognitive Processes Shape Learning - The Current Situation in Education - Understanding the Cognitive Barriers that Learners with SLD and PMLD Experience when Accessing the Curriculum - Understanding Starting Points Afterword Index