Specialist: Cognition and Learning

Attainment and Progress

• There is evidence of significant and enduring difference in meeting expected milestones for multiple areas of cognition and learning.
• The child may have difficulty maintaining previously learnt skills.
• Progress is in small steps in-line with developmental stage.

 0-11 months

• The child may not show interest in new experiences – for example, when you show a new toy or make an interesting sound with a musical instrument. There may be limited to no response to this.
• The child may not repeat actions that have an effect – for example, kicking or batting a mobile to create movement, including actions to make a sound again, for example, shaking a rattle.
• The child may not show anticipation and enjoyment of familiar caring routines and simple games – for example, not sucking or licking lips in response to sounds of preparation for feeding or does not get excited upon seeing a spoon or familiar toy. There may be no evidence of this.

 8-20 months

• The child may not attempt to access objects that are out of reach for example, they will not pull a mat towards them to make a toy or object come closer.
• The child may not engage in simple pretend play with toys – for example, hugs and kisses teddy or pretends to be asleep (covers self with a blanket and closes eyes).

 16-26 months

• The child may be unable to organise and categorise objects – for example, putting all red things and all blue things in separate piles.
• The child may be unable to match shape of pieces to a hole – for example in a shape sorter. There may be no understanding of the concept of how to complete such actions, despite repeated modelling from an adult.

 22-36 months

• The child may be unable to operate mechanical toys – for example, turning the knob on a wind-up toy, pulling back on a friction car, pushing a button to open a flap.
• There may be no sign of the child understanding a concept despite repeated modelling from an adult.
• The child may be unable to complete very simple puzzle games or have understanding of the concept.
• The child may be unable to demonstrate skills in organisation such as gathering together the toys they want to play with before starting play. For example, getting the doll and the tea set before starting to play tea-parties or getting the train and tracks and setting them out before playing trains.

 

 Curriculum Access

• The child may have difficulty participating and engaging in their session.
• Learning difficulties may co-exist with a medical condition and/or physical or sensory difficulties.
• The child requires high levels of support to access learning opportunities.

Attainment and Progress

• There is evidence of significant and enduring difference in meeting age related expectations for multiple areas of cognition and learning.
• Cognition and learning remain within earlier developmental levels despite targeted plus support and long-term intervention.
• Progress is in very small steps in line with developmental stage

• The learner may show evidence of some of the following:

Word reading and spelling:

Key Stage One

 ➢ Limited awareness of early print concept

 ➢ Difficulty matching phonemes to graphemes and forming letters in response to a sound

Key Stage 2

 ➢ Severe difficulties in acquiring early literacy skills
 ➢ Early phonic skills not secured for example, working within or below phase 2
 ➢ Very limited recall of early sight words for reading and spelling
 ➢ Some children may be developing good reading skills with the aid of evidence-based interventions
 ➢ Reading comprehension is still likely to be behind the ability to read the words

 Maths:

 ➢ Severe and persistent difficulty in acquiring basic arithmetic skills and number sense despite ongoing one to one intervention based on secure assessment, delivered by trained staff using research or evidence-based interventions.

 

Curriculum Access

• The child may have a medical diagnosis of Global Developmental Delay (GDD) including:

 ➢ Delay in gross motor skills
 ➢ Limited reasoning or conceptual abilities
 ➢ Fine/gross motor difficulties
 ➢ Poor social skills/judgment
 ➢ Aggressive behaviour as a coping skill
 ➢ Communication difficulties

• The child may have a medical diagnosis of developmental disabilities, for example, brain disorder, Down syndrome, foetal alcohol syndrome, spina bifida, fragile x, which are life-long and require ongoing multi-disciplinary support.
• The learner’s cognitive ability may affect other areas of development including:

 ➢ independence
 ➢ play and leisure
 ➢ understanding physical and emotional wellbeing
 ➢ understanding the world around them

• The learner may experience consistent and persistent long-term difficulties with cognitive processing skills:

 ➢ phonological processing
 ➢ verbal short-term memory
 ➢ verbal processing speed
 ➢ problem solving
 ➢ sequencing and organising the steps needed to complete simple tasks

• The child may require high levels of support to access learning activities
• The child may have continuing emotional difficulties stemming from their learning difficulties. (Refer to social, emotional and mental health descriptors).
• There are likely to be identified speech, language and communication difficulties including memory, processing, organising and co-ordinating spoken language to aid cognition. (Refer to speech and language descriptors).
• The child may have fine and gross motor competencies, which impede access to the curriculum.
• The child may have difficulty understanding experiences when information cannot be gained through first-hand sensory or physical experiences.

Attainment and Progress

• There is evidence of significant and enduring difference in meeting age related expectations for multiple areas of cognition and learning.
• Cognition and learning remain within earlier developmental levels despite targeted plus support and long-term intervention.
• Progress is in very small steps in line with developmental stage
• The young person is working in the very low range for attainment and skills compared to age-related expectations.
• The young person will show evidence of some of the following:

Word reading and spelling Key stages 3 and 4

 ➢ Substantial gaps in phonics phases 2-3
 ➢ Significant gaps (50% +) with reading and spelling of first hundred words
 ➢ Significant co-occurring difficulties with phonology, processing speed and/or working memory
 ➢ Reading and/or spelling age equivalent using standardised assessments less than half chronological age

 Maths Key stage 3 and 4

 ➢ Severe and persistent difficulty in acquiring basic arithmetic skills and number sense despite ongoing targeted intervention based on secure assessment, delivered by trained staff using research or evidence-based interventions.

 

 Curriculum Access

• The young person may have a medical diagnosis of Global Developmental Delay (GDD) including:

 ➢ Delay in sitting up, crawling, walking
 ➢ Limited reasoning or conceptual abilities
 ➢ Fine/gross motor difficulties
 ➢ Poor social skills/judgment
 ➢ Aggressive behaviour as a coping skill
 ➢ Communication difficulties

• The young person may have a medical diagnosis of developmental disabilities, for example, brain disorder, Down syndrome, foetal alcohol syndrome, spina bifida, fragile x, which are life-long and require ongoing multi-disciplinary support.
• The young person’s cognitive ability may affect other areas of development including:

 ➢ independence
 ➢ leisure
 ➢ understanding physical and emotional wellbeing
 ➢ understanding the world around them

• The young person may experience consistent and persistent long-term difficulties with cognitive processing skills:

 ➢ phonological processing
 ➢ verbal short-term memory
 ➢ verbal processing speed
 ➢ problem solving
 ➢ sequencing and organising the steps needed to complete simple tasks

• The young person may require high levels of support to access learning activities.
• The young person may have continuing emotional difficulties stemming from their learning difficulties. (Refer to social, emotional and mental health descriptors).
• There are likely to be identified speech, language and communication difficulties including memory, processing, organising and co-ordinating spoken language to aid cognition. (Refer to speech and language descriptors).
• The young person may have fine and gross motor competencies, which impede access to the curriculum.
• The young person may have difficulty understanding experiences when information cannot be gained through first-hand sensory or physical experiences.