ASN+-+Computing+Class

=Additional Support Needs in the Anderson High School - ASN Computing Class=

We spoke to Thelma Robertson, who leads ASN computing classes in the Anderson High. It started out a few years ago with one pupil coming for computer skills, and now it is a fully scheduled part of her timetable. Her lessons are for pupils who are not able to participate in mainstream education due to severe additional needs. She told us that this class offered her the most opportunity for personalised learning not only due to the diverse range of needs; but also because it was less restrictive than her other, curriculum led classes.

//“As far as higher or standard grade, you have a certain amount of stuff to get through and you tend to just do it...I think sometimes our time constraints were too much like that; here’s the information and let’s just get it to them.” **Thelma Robertson**//

With the ASN class, however, there is much more focus on tailoring the task for the individual. Quite often she will set an aim for the entire class but they will have different expectations, and freedom to do the task in their own way. We observed two lessons where the pupils were asked to produce a document on the topic of “leaving Shetland” with autoshaped pictures and text. In the first class, one pupil was asked to do the full assignment (with multiple pictures and descriptions), one was only required to find pictures, one was asked to focus on one picture and description, and another was asked to complete the full assignment with additional spoken help from an auxiliary. One child was at a much earlier stage, and was working on improving his mouse skills through an interactive computer game.

//“They’re never, ever, at the same stage; so you always have to tailor the work for the individual child.” **Thelma Robertson.**//

Thelma spoke about the ASDAM programme, which works towards independence through ICT, and how pupils can receive different types of assistance. For example, Physical Help (PH) or Spoken Help (SH), may be offered depending on the needs of the individual. One example of this was a task where the pupils were asked about their favourite game on the internet; some needed PH to play the game, while others needed SH to find the link. //“They all had to do it but they had different levels of support, and that’s OK for the ASDAN certificate.”// In the two classes we observed, the pupils were also encouraged to include their own interests in the 'Leaving Shetland' task – for example, one pupil incorporated their passion for //Power Rangers!// Thelma noted that for some pupils it was vital to have flexibility in the task set for them.

//“A child with autism has very definite ideas about what they are going to do, and it’s very difficult to change their mind! I have a girl that I know, she doesn’t want to do what’s written on my page, and I know that...so I have to give her a target...that way I can get it so that she can achieve her target and do it the way that she wants.” **Thelma Robertson**.//

The ASN classes provide a good environment for Personalised Learning partly because of the high pupil to teacher ratio. The two classes we observed each had only 5 or 7 pupils, with an almost equal number of auxiliary support staff. Because of this, we saw a high level of interaction within the classroom, a happy atmosphere, and an obvious personal relationship between teacher and pupil. Thelma appreciates the level of freedom she has in the execution of her class, and in the past that has allowed the pupils to engage with impressive creative projects. One example she related to us, was when the ASN students took photographs around Shetland and produced a Calendar which was used for fundraising. They even secured an enterprise grant for the project. Thelma was extremely enthusiastic about the work she has been able to undertake with the ASN pupils, and the impact which it has had on the individuals.

//“The day I went down to the canteen and one of the boys came running because they had been out to the printing works to see it being printed. And when he came running to me, to tell me that he had seen these photos and it was just amazing, I thought ‘this is what it’s about.’ And I can do that with the ASN because...I’m not hemmed in with what I have to do.”//