Care and support

Integration

Hertfordshire’s philosophy on educating children on the autistic
spectrum:

• supports their integration within their peer groups
• holds the belief that children with autistic spectrum disorders benefit socially from being within a group where more advanced social skills are modelled.

Each school has different approaches according to the children
concerned. The integration will be a gradual process with the aim of total inclusion in the main part of the school or into a
mainstream school if this would be in the best interest of the
c h i l d .

Some children initially work entirely within the Base environment with integration gradually introduced when appropriate.

This integration could be functional:

• into small groups dealing with a curricular subject

or social:

• for instance, at playtime.

Other children begin by joining their age-appropriate class in the main part of the school, with Base staff supporting in class or withdrawing children for parts of the day to work on particular areas of need.

Children are accompanied by staff from the Base who are familiar to the children with autism until it is agreed by all staff concerned that they can remain in the integrated situation successfully. Sessions are carefully planned with the class teacher involved and parents are kept fully informed.

Other integration projects may involve visits from children and staff from the main part of the school into the Base. This is a valuable situation for all the children as they meet different adults in different environments within a controlled situation. It is often called reverse integration.