Picture the scene: a group of toddlers sitting in a circle watching as an adult climbs some steps and pours a milk bottle full of coloured water over a white shower curtain on the floor, and asks the children if they want a go. Naturally, everyone does. Although these toddlers all have autistic spectrum disorders (ASD), they find a way to communicate their enthusiasm to take a turn.
This sort of exciting visual activity is used by 'the little group', an acclaimed nursery for children with autism. The guiding principle behind 'the little group' approach is simple: as children with autism have difficulty communicating verbally, they will be shut out of a verbal curriculum, but as they have excellent visual skills they can engage in a curriculum delivered using a very visual approach. Communication and curriculum are interwoven.
'One of our catchphrases is "irresistible opportunity to learn",' says head teacher Judy Gilham. 'If children are engaging with a curriculum and enjoying it, the challenging behaviours reduce. They are less frustrated and anxious.'
This outstanding nursery was started with just two children in Epsom in 1992 by Gina Davies and Jan Chamberlain, who recognised the benefit of early intervention for children with autism and how it would improve the outlook for their futures.
The setting now takes around 70 children with autism, aged two to six years, from a very wide catchment area. It is in the process of moving to bigger premises to provide more space for the children and to enable its training courses for parents and practitioners to be offered on site.
'The approach is now embedded in everything we do,' says Ms Gilham. 'We are now looking at our literacy practice to see how we can make it more accessible. We are constantly trying to move forward.'
The team has devised its own baseline profile, incorporating the developmental steps of a typical child and the developmental steps associated with a child with an ASD, including communication and sensory development. Each child is assessed on entry, again after six weeks and then half-yearly. The information is presented as a graph, so it is easy to see progress.
VISUAL APPROACH
The setting uses parts of the American programme TEACCH (Teaching and Education of Autistic and related Communication-handicapped Children), Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) and some signing for those children who need it.
Ms Gilham says, 'Our aim is to improve the children's communication skills whether they have words or not, because they are always communicating - the verbal side is only about 10 per cent of communication.
'An adult always demonstrates the activity first and then invites the children in turn to have a go. It is a social thing as they are watching each other and may clap each other. If they really want a turn, they use every bit of their body to communicate "give me a turn".
'There are lots of activities, such as bursting balloons you have filled with glitter over a sheet of black paper. It is very visual and you can use key words and can count the balloons and name the colours.
'Sometimes we replicate a game in miniature format so the children can go to the table and play the game again. Having had the physical experience, they can play it over again with the same coloured water and a piece of white plastic and a small bottle. This helps develop their imaginative play, because they have been motivated by the social experience.
FAMILY WORK
The staff work to encourage the children to try new things and to be more flexible so they will be less worried and anxious about new experiences.
The setting follows the EYFS in essence, but its emphasis on child-initiated learning presents problems for practitioners working with children with autism, says Ms Gilham.
'Our children tend to do their own thing, honing skills they already have and being unwilling to take the risk of trying something new. In a child-led environment, where there are choices to make, children with an ASD find it difficult to move from one activity to another.
'If a family comes to us they don't want to wait six months for a place - they need us now. If we have a space, we use it. We have a policy of stretching as much as we can. We appoint extra staff, in addition to the core team, in order to take another child.
'We work closely with our parents. It means they can adopt the same approach at home, which gives a consistency and continuity. Every year we have a siblings' workshop day, where siblings of children at the nursery come and do activities and, with the parents' permission, practitioners will answer children's questions about autism.
'Part of our curriculum is to go out and about around Epsom with the children. We do it in a very structured way and use a communication system that shows each child what they are going to do and in what order. Each child has a picture script and if somebody is not sure about what is happening, you can show them on their script.'
MORE INFORMATION
CASE STUDY
Roddy, his twin sister and parents left their home and travelled half way round the world so he could enrol with 'the little group' last November.
The family returned to the UK from New Zealand after hearing from a speech therapist about the nursery's innovative approach. Roddy, now aged three and a quarter years, was taking part in a social communication group and seeing a speech therapist before the family moved to the UK, but he was non-verbal in his communication.
'He was beginning to have some vowel sounds, so he was trying to use his voice, but a lot of his communication was through his behaviour - crying and throwing himself on the floor,' says Judy Gilham.
'He found it difficult to separate, but we found after the first two weeks there was quite a change. He stopped crying and was able to go about the classroom and take part in things. He had suddenly realised this could be quite fun.
'He had intensive interaction therapy and there was a lot of support. We used objects to communicate with him. Then we were able to transfer to photographs and we are now working towards using symbols. Now he has got some words and will say "banana" at snack time.
'He has moved forward with his eating, which was limited to pureed food taken with a spoon. He ate at a set time of 11am, but he is now able to have food at different times, and we have him trying finger foods.
'He is a lot more flexible now. Things have not got to be at a set time. He is much happier and we are seeing his sense of humour and his personality emerging as his anxiety has reduced.'
