School leading the way to better future for autistic pupils

THE Scottish Executive's school- building programme has not been without its critics.

Although the plans to rebuild or refurbish 300 schools by 2009 may, on the face of it, seem good news, the use by many local authorities of public-private partnerships to fund the work has proved controversial.

But one example of the project's success, where it is helping to improve the lives of many autistic children, is at Carlibar Primary School in Barrhead, East Renfrewshire.

Nearly 50 children from across the local authority area attend its communication centre, which opened ten years ago at the school's former campus.

In August, however, the school moved to a new site, giving the centre's staff more room and improved facilities with which to carry out their work.

According to Moira Park, one of the school's deputy heads, who has the job of managing the centre, the move has given a major boost to everyone involved.

She said: "We use a variety of approaches within the centre. Some of them are behavioural, and for that the environment is important. That is where the new school has come into its own.

"All of the services we provide were available in the old school, but the move has produced real benefits, from the structures within the classroom to the environment of the school itself.

"We have two types of classroom - one for children who may have difficulty working in a mainstream setting, and another where the pupils can learn in a group.

"The school also has a calming decor, which is beneficial for autistic pupils, while the corridors are wide and the sound-proofing is excellent. All of these things make a big difference."

Perhaps the biggest advantage of the move has been the centre's creation of a state-of-the-art sensory room, which combines light and sound to enhance pupils' learning experience.

Among the facilities in the room are a wall of light, a bubble tube and a wall of sound, which lets the pupils see how loud their voice is when they talk.

Mrs Park said: "The room can be used as a reward for the pupils as well as a teaching tool. They can even choose the music that is played when they are in there."

Mixing with other children in the playground can also prove stressful for autistic youngsters, so they have access to their own play area if required.

Lunchtime in the school canteen can be a traumatic experience for autistic pupils, but Mrs Park said many of the pupils with autism were more than willing to get involved.

"They have their lunch in the school canteen, which is as noisy and busy as you might expect," she said.

In all, 47 children who have an autism diagnosis or who have similar difficulties to those with the condition visit the communication centre each week.

Fifteen are full-time pupils, with the rest attending for part of the week.

The majority go for four afternoons a week, having spent the mornings in their own mainstream school. They also spend all day Friday at Carlibar.

A handful of primary seven pupils attend on a Friday only, when they are given help to prepare for the move to secondary school.

The "Friday group" has been running for five years and, according to Mrs Park, has been a big success.

"Moving to the high school is going to be a big step for those pupils, so it's an opportunity to work with them and prepare them for the transition," she said.

Although the centre is a self-contained facility, it is also very much part of the school community, so the autistic youngsters never feel as if they are removed from their fellow pupils.

"We have the opportunity to support children who find inclusion difficult, but we also emphasise the fact that the centre is part of the school," said Mrs Park.

"Last week, for instance, the majority of the pupils took part in the school's Burns Supper, which was a great opportunity for them to mix."

But while the centre's eight teaching staff dedicate themselves to providing expert support and education for their pupils, they take care to ensure that the youngsters do not become too reliant on their help.

"We want to develop the children's confidence, respond to their needs and support their independence," Mrs Park said.

"They can become too reliant on support, and one of our aims is to make them as independent as possible so they can cope as far as possible in mainstream settings."

As The Scotsman reported earlier this week, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education has been extremely critical of the standard of education provided for autistic pupils in Scotland.

Examples such as Carlibar Primary, and others like it around the country, demonstrate that while there is still much to do, the outlook is not completely bleak.

TREATMENT OF PHYSICAL CONDITIONS ESSENTIAL

TUCKED away in a basement property in Edinburgh's New Town, the Autism Treatment Trust is providing hope for families around the world.

In just under a year, the clinic has assessed more than 100 autistic youngsters from as far afield as Saudi Arabia, Iceland and Brazil.

The trust believes that as well as the communication problems associated with autism, the condition can also lead to biomedical symptoms such as gastrointestinal disturbances and defects in the immune system.

Dr Lorene Amet, the clinic's principal scientist, said treating these problems was vital.

"It is only through thorough examination and biomedical testing that the individual child's symptoms can be understood and treatments tailored accordingly," she said.

Parents tend to hear about the trust through word of mouth or on the internet.

At the first appointment, parents come to discuss their child's individual situation and to learn about the help that the clinic may be able to provide.

The child comes to the next appointment, when a series of tests starts to establish exactly how the autism manifests itself and whether any biomedical problems are also present.

The tests include the taking of blood samples and are designed to measure heavy-metal toxicity, gastrointestinal problems, diet and food intolerance, nutrient deficiency and the strength of the immune system.

Treatments can include the prescribing of supplements to boost vitamin, magnesium and zinc levels, as well as changes to the child's diet.

But the medical treatments are combined with educational support designed specifically to meet the needs of the child.

Dr Amet, whose son Lloyd is autistic, said: "It is the combination of biomedical interventions and innovative education that is so important.

"We work together to create an opportunity for these children to blossom."