Please refer to the document ‘Guidelines Re: A Decision to Request an EHC Statutory Assessment’ before completing a request form.

COMMUNICATION AND INTERACTION – AUTISTIC SPECTRUM DISORDERS

Children and Young People (YP) with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), including Asperger’s and Autism, experience difficulties making sense of the world in the way others can. They have difficulties with communication, social interaction and imagination. They may have additional problems of being easily distracted or upset by certain stimuli, have problems with change to familiar routines or have difficulties with their co-ordination and fine-motor functions.

ASD is characterised by impairments in three areas of development and functioning. These areas, referred to as the ‘triad of impairments’, are:

•social interaction;

•verbal and nonverbal communication;

•restricted and repetitive interests, behaviours, and routines.

These impairments are present before the age of three and features can vary markedly. The child’s age and level of intellectual functioning also impacts on the behavioural presentation. However, almost all children with an ASD will have some of the following features:

•difficulty with the use of eye contact;

•difficulty with the use and understanding of gestures;

•difficulty sharing interests with others;

•difficulties with, or no, verbal language;

•delayed development of receptive and expressive language;

•sensory sensitivities;

•motor impairments;

•restricted symbolic or imaginative play;

•unusual preoccupations and narrow and intense interests;

•stereotyped behaviours;

•a preference for routines;

•impaired social skills; and

•difficulty understanding emotions in self and others.

Children with Asperger’s Disorder differ from children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder in that they may not present with significant delays in the development of intelligence and language before the age of three. However, they do have significant impairments that are often more evident when interacting with other children than when interacting with adults. This inability to interact socially with their peers can become more apparent during adolescence while attending secondary school because of the increased social demands.

Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD-NOS) also have impaired social skills similar to those found in children with Autistic Disorder and Asperger’s Disorder, but are only significantly impaired in either communication or behaviours. They may or may not have cognitive impairment; this is now generally understood to be part of the autism spectrum.

Intellectual disability varies for children with ASD. Children with ASD but no intellectual disability are often referred to as having high-functioning autism. Some of these children demonstrate a high intelligence, with this sometimes occurring in a particular area such as maths, art, music, or computer studies.

In order for a statutory assessment to be considered, there needs to be evidence of significant difficulties in each area of the triad. In general an assessment would not be agreed where a pupil is making progress in mainstream school in response to appropriate intervention

Key Stage / Social Awareness and Imagination / Communication/
Language / Progress / Behaviour / Documentation Required
Foundation
Key Stage 1
Key Stage 2
Key Stage 3
Key Stage 4
Post-16 / Clear difficulty in responding to social situations and adult direction
A total lack of empathy
Child/young person (YP) requires specific teaching of many of the social skills and strategies that other children/YP acquire easily. / Severely impaired social communication requiring intensive programmes and/or highly structured specialist provision
A profound inability to use language appropriately and significant difficulties with verbal and non-verbal understanding
A misunderstanding of communication due to difficulty interpreting social communication signals from others and due to literal interpretation of speech and body language.
A high dependency on visual supports to support communication / Severe difficulties in following instructions, classroom routines and staying on task
Pupils find a full session/day intolerable and need structured support to learn from others
Difficulties in participating in the full curriculum and social environment despite adaptations, assistance
and appropriate structures.
Progress generally slow in many areas of the curriculum but a high level of knowledge in an area of special interest. / Behaviours which may arise from the child/YP’s attempt to cope with the normal demands of school environment and other social situation. This may be either challenging or withdrawn.
High levels of anxiety and frustration.
Intense special interests and lack of motivation in other subject areas.
A severe impairment of the ability to anticipate the emotional responses of others and to link behaviour and consequences.
Concrete/literal responses and difficulties understanding context to an extent which may threaten safety and emotional well-being. / Evidence of involvement of all relevant agencies where the child/ YP continues to make little or no progress despite well founded support.
Records of action taken by the school, early years setting or college, including the use of delegated funding (£6K maximum).
Evidence of school, together with relevant specialists, having considered a range of well-founded and effective teaching approaches, appropriate equipment, strategies and interventions in order to support the child’s/YP’s progress. Outcomes that are achievable and with relevant review dates.
Evidence of how support has been adapted or replaced depending on how effective it has been in achieving the expected outcomes.
Evidence of involvement of child’s parent or YP

1