Specialist and Outreach Teams: Autism, Social Communication, Education and Training Service (ASCETS)

The ASCETS team consists of specialist teachers and support officers who specialise in supporting schools, children and young people and their families to enhance the learning outcomes for autistic learners or learners with social communication differences. The current age range ASCETS work with is 5 years old (in Reception class) to 25 years old when an adult may still be attending college.

About the Service

 ASCETS is an education support service, which works primarily within schools to support them to provide appropriate provision for pupils with autism or social communication differences. This work is done on a consultation basis and each school can meet termly with their allocated specialist teacher to plan for their future involvement.

The work within schools varies widely according to the needs of the school and the pupils. This work is focused on the ways in which we can contribute to the assessment, planning, delivery and review of pupils’ achievements and progress. It can include, but is not limited to;

  • Specialist support advice and guidance to schools specifically around supporting pupils with a primary need of ASD/SLCN.
  • Planning and delivering bespoke training
  • Autism Awareness sessions for pupils with a diagnosis of ASC
  • Observations of pupils and advice following on from this
  • Coaching and supporting staff
  • Contributing to the writing of targets and outcomes on SEND plans
  • Working collaboratively with other agencies to support pupils including Pyramid Planning Meetings.
  • Bespoke pieces of work with children to support them in their mainstream setting.

The name and contact details of your allocated ASCETS specialist teacher can be found in the specialist schools directory.

The ASCETS team has been working collaboratively with Doncaster Council, NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board and Doncaster Parents’ Voice to provide a new service called DAS (Doncaster Autism Service) to provide workshops for parents.

Contact Information

For up to date information please check the DAS Facebook page or contact Doncaster Parents’ Voice

  • Telephone: 07536455292

    Email: das@doncastercarers.org.uk

    Address: Doncaster Carers Centre, 2 Regent Terrace, South Parade, Doncaster, DN1 2EE

    Facebook: Doncaster Autism Service

Resources

In this section of this Toolkit you will find a range of recommended resources for settings to use at the Universal and Universal + levels of The Graduated Approach.

The resources can be used by settings to gather evidence that can be shared in meetings with the ASCETS team to inform future outcomes and interventions for children and young people with autism or social communication differences.

Social Communication Differences Tracker

This document can be used to identify potential social communication differences in children / young people.

ASCETS SCD Tracker
Download (63KB - DOCX)

Sensory profile questionnaire

This questionnaire can help you identify specific sensory differences for individual children / young people. This information can inform the development of a sensory profile and sensory diet schedule.

ASCETS Sensory Profile Questionnaire
Download (90KB - DOCX)

Sensory profile

A template to create an individual sensory profile based on the outcome of the sensory profile questionnaire.

ASCETS Individual Sensory Profile
Download (84KB - DOCX)

Environmental audit

A tool that can be used to reflect on the sensory environments that children / young people access in school.

ASCETS Environmental Audit
Download (88KB - DOCX)

Iceberg and STAR Behaviour Tools

Iceberg and STAR behaviour tools – examples of frameworks that can be used to unpick the specific behaviours displayed by children with autism / social communication differences in order to identify triggers and the function of behaviours to inform future intervention / strategies.

ASCETS STAR Behaviour Tool
Download (61KB - DOCX)
ASCETS Iceberg Behaviour Tool
Download (83KB - DOCX)

Sensory Differences Resources

Websites

Links

Training

The ASCETS Autism Essentials training courses are the primary vehicles through which Autism training is delivered to Doncaster school professionals.

The first course is aimed at SENDCOs and School Leaders. The two-day training focuses on how to develop and lead high quality provision for Autism across your school. It provides a sound theoretical underpinning of Autism and covers various aspects such as working with the GDA referral process, maintaining an ongoing high staff skillset and quality assurance of Universal and Universal Plus provision across school. 

The second course is aimed at classroom staff and equips them to implement a wide range of interventions which go beyond Universal classroom provision. These include Social Scripts, Comic Strip Conversations, Lego(R)-based Therapy, Emotion Scales, Sensory Circuits and Now / Next work schedules.

 Both courses are delivered on a termly basis. You can find dates and book places on the BuyDoncaster website.

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