I often get asked for ideas to better support young people “with SEND” in their PE lessons and sports activities. Whilst I am always happy to help, my first question is always “what do you mean by SEND?” because with is always such a wide umbrella term, used to describe a huge variety or people. This article is to be the first in a series that is intended to support practitioners in creating an inclusive PE/School Sport experience for their participants, with a more targeted approach .
STEP
First of all, I’d like to introduce the use of STEP as an effective tool to allow us to reflect on how to make our activities inclusive and is what I will generally be using to help structure these articles. I have written about this in the past (Inclusive Practice in PE) and for those unfamiliar with it, there are some excellent resources our there, including this video from the Youth Sports Trust explaining how it can be used:
When using STEP, it is important to recognise that this is only a tool to reflect on what we can adapt, in order to best support our participants. This is only ever as good as our understanding of our participants and should always be driven by what they are able to share with us. Always ask them for their input, as this will always be the most powerful information you can gather. There are a number of effective strategies to achieve this but always consult their “key workers”, EHCP or Equality of Access to find the best way for the individual.
Autism in PE
A PE lesson can be a really challenging environment for autistic students and whilst it can be difficult to address some of the issues that they face, it is important to do what we can to minimise their effects. The key areas to consider are (but not limited to): sensory input, routines and familiarity, anxieties and the demands of social interactions. To break these down and come up with some potential solutions, we are going to use STEP to support our thinking.
When thinking about the Space you are using for your session, you should consider lots of elements that can have an effect. As well as the usual size and shape of the space that you would usually adapt, you should also ask yourself:
- What sensory inputs do we need to consider? What can the students see/hear/feel/smell/taste?
- What surface is the lesson on? Does it squeak under trainers? Is it rough? Smooth? Sandy?
- Does the room echo? Is there a fan/air conditioning in the room? Is it windy? Cold? Hot? Is it bright? Dark? Are the lights flickering? On? Off?
- Are there windows in the room? Are the windows open? What is outside of the window that might be distracting? What is on the walls? Is it textured? What happens when something hits the walls? Is it loud?
- Is there a smell to the room? Is the room also used for lunches or next to the school kitchens?
- How does everyone transition to where they are going? Do you use a familiar entrance/route? Are any changes to the environment communicated e.g. if a lesson is outside today, are they given prior warning? Do they know where to go at the start of the lesson? Do they sit/stand in a particular place for certain parts of the lesson e.g. to listen to the teacher or to cool down? Also think about changing rooms as these can be massively sensory environments (think smells and sounds in particular) and consider whether this will lead to a positive experience before/at the start of the lesson. Is there an alternative changing space?
- Is there somewhere to go, in case they need to self-regulate or take a break?
When setting a Task:
- Are the instructions clear? How many instructions can they process at one time?
- Could we use visuals to structure the lesson or remind participants of what they need to do next? For examples, visit: https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/communication/communication-tools/visual-supports
- Have the skills or tasks been broken down into manageable components? Is there enough/too much challenge?
- What is the structure to the lesson? Is the lesson split up into various tasks? Is it free flow? Is there any pre-warning before moving onto a new task?
- Are there games within the lesson? How can participants be successful as part of a game? Can they compete successfully? Can the cope with competition? Can they take on different roles e.g. referee or a coach?
- Think about where you want students to gather to listen to instructions or watch a demo. Do you have a fixed place where this always happens? A familiar spot will take away from thinking about this and could help to remove distractions of things around and behind you whilst you speak.
Thinking about the Equipment:
- Does it offer sensory feedback in any way? How does it feel in your hand? Does it make a sound? Does it light up? Do your participants want sensory feedback from the equipment or prefer it without? Is the equipment a certain colour and is that something to be aware of?
- Where is the equipment? Is it readily available or do they need to go and get it? This may be another step to the instructions, so has that been included?
Finally, when looking at the People involved in the lesson:
- Are activities completed as individuals/pairs/teams? Are your participants comfortable as part of a group? Could the groups be smaller to lessen the social demands?
- Do they need/prefer to have visual cues to support social interactions? Do they have a communication aide with them? Is this set up for a PE environment e.g. does it have the correct language/symbols/pictures available to them?
- Can group/pairs be worked so that they are with familiar/predictable peers? Could a supporting adult be placed on a team to model interactions?
Reflection
As with all education and especially working with SEND, nobody has all of the answers and this article is aimed at giving the opportunity to reflect on our practices and create a more inclusive PE experience for Autistic participant in activities. If this article has made you ask a question of yourself or of the young people that you work with, then I consider that a success. However, I will reiterate how important it is to communicate with the people you are working with as they are always the best person to tell you about their interests, likes, dislikes, goals, challenges and the language that they prefer to use. A cooperative approach is always the most inclusive and gives us the best chance of being successful.
If you have any feedback or questions following on from reading, please get in touch.
For more information on Autism https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/what-is-autism
SEND in PE 