Reducing behavioural barriers

JP joined Tram House Sixth Form in 2022 after being out of education for over a year. Upon his arrival, JP would frequently exhibit behaviours that challenge, particularly when in need of attention or in response to environmental interruptions and transitions. Behavioural barriers also prevented JP and his brother from being in the same room which posed significant challenges at home for his parents.

As JP now prepares for Post-19 education, it is clear that the support provided at Tram House Sixth Form has had a transformative impact on him. He has made remarkable progress in his behaviour and communication, which has not only enhanced his ability to engage in educational activities but has also transformed his home life.

Implementing support strategies

To support JP and address these challenges, a behaviour support plan was implemented focusing on developing communication and outlets to share his emotions as well as finding calming activities to use when frustration was building. The behaviour support plan included:

A visual timetable: Providing JP with a clear structure of his day and any changes to help him understand and anticipate activities.
A rules board: Ensuring JP was aware of expectations.
A Zones of Regulation board: Offering a range of strategies for JP to use when feeling unsettled.
Fidget toys: Keeping his hands occupied during transitions to reduce anxiety.
Regular movement breaks: Allowing JP to manage his energy and focus.
Token board: Encouraging engagement with table-based activities.

An Individualised Education Plan was also created to help JP develop essential skills such as the ability to request attention appropriately, communicate with staff using short sentences, ask to leave noisy environments, participate in peer play sessions, and learn to identify emotions in others.

“We are very pleased with the progress JP is making since he joined BeyondAutism. The development set for his achieving targets clearly fit his needs.”

JP’s father

Demonstrating progress

Since implementing these strategies, JP has shown excellent progress. There has been a significant reduction in behaviours that challenge, which has greatly improved his ability to engage in educational activities. He can now participate in peer sessions and academic groups for up to 30 minutes, where he has started to engage socially and cooperate much more with his classmates. Moreover, the positive changes in JP’s behaviour have had a profound impact on his family dynamics, as he can now comfortably be in the same room as his brother, greatly alleviating the challenges his parents previously faced.

JP can now request his needs and wants independently with familiar adults giving him more choice and control over his day. He is currently working on extending this to communicating with unfamiliar adults.

A recent highlight of JP’s progress has been his lead role in the school production, where he confidently read his lines on stage in front of a large audience.

Ongoing development

Adopting a tailored approach to supporting JP has meant that behavioural incidents are now a rare occurrence for him, and he has now been able to remain in the same educational setting for almost 2 years having previously missed a full year of education.

Moving forward, the goal is to further reduce any remaining behavioural barriers, enhance JP’s ability to self-regulate, and provide more work experience opportunities to prepare him for Post-19 education, ultimately setting him up for a future full of choice, independence and opportunity.