Type of service: Day schools, Outreach - education, Schools

Website: http://www.counthill.org.uk

The name of the resource provision for pupils with special needs is the Complex Communication Difficulties (CCD). The resource base is situated in Blue block and is accessed via a ramp. The ability range is wide, from level 1 to level 6 across the curriculum. All pupils who attend the resourced provision have statements of Special Educational Needs (SEN). They attend mainstream lessons, some independently and some with support. Most pupils are withdrawn for work on specific skills for one or two lessons per week. All CCD pupils receive speech and language therapy from the paediatric specialist therapist, who visits the base for half a day a week. Medical advice is provided by consultants at Oldham National Health Service (NHS) Trust and there is close liaison with the Educational Psychology department. The severity and complexity of the pupils' needs means that they are considered to have a disability and are therefore subject to the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). All pupils who attend the base have difficulties with understanding spoken and written language. Some pupils also have noticeable speech articulation difficulties. Pupils with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been diagnosed by consultants as having autism or Asperger syndrome. These are lifelong neurological disabilities which impair social skills and communication. All pupils have a widely distributed Individual Education Plan (IEP). Volunteers may be accepted to work with the pupils.

Aimed at: Adolescent , Child

Gender: All genders

Specialisms: Has autism-specific elements