Services for Children with Additional Support Needs

The Educational Psychology Service

The Educational Psychology Service has a range of duties in respect of children and young people, including those who have, or may have, additional support needs.  The work includes individual assessment, advice and support for parents, consultation and advice to schools, participation in multi-professional assessments, inter-agency liaison and direct support for individual children. Educational Psychologists are also involved in training, research and development activities.

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Inclusion and Support Services

The main aim of the Inclusion and Support Service is to provide an integrated range of education and social work services to children of school age who experience serious social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.   These services are provided within schools by teaching staff and others with additional support provided through a team of outreach staff.   In addition, the Inclusion and Support Service has two specialist centres in Elgin where more individual help is provided to children who have particularly challenging behaviour.

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The Early Years Education Service - Language Support

This peripatetic service covers the whole of Moray and the work involves young children with pronounced learning and communication difficulties.  The Service includes children with autistic spectrum and complex communication disorders within its remit.

The Early Years work covers pre-school children in the age range 3-7 years who have significant learning and/or communication disorders.  A strong emphasis is placed on support for parents and the work includes pre-school home visits.

The Language Support Service covers children in the early years of primary school and the focus is upon specific language and communication problems rather than general learning difficulties.  Supporting the transition into primary school is an important part of the remit.  It is the peripatetic equivalent of language unit provision which has been established in certain other authorities.

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The Sensory Education Service:

• Deaf Education Service:

  This service provides a team of peripatetic Teachers of the Deaf, Communication Assistants, Auxiliary support and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Role models who provide direct teaching and support active learning for Deaf and partially hearing children from diagnosis through to leaving school.  We work closely with teachers, parents, health services and voluntary agencies to ensure the effective contribution of deaf pupils to their school life and the wider community.

  Sign Language classes and Deaf Awareness training are available.  More...

• Visual Education Service:

  This peripatetic service provides support for the visually impaired child in their home, playgroup, nursery or school.  This takes the form of ongoing assessment of functional vision, and the planning and implementation of teaching programmes.  The service is especially involved at critical times in a child’s education, i.e. school start, school transfer and leaving school.  Awareness training is offered to all relevant staff.

  Regular home visits are made to offer advice and information on the education of visually impaired children.  Parents are accompanied to the eye clinics and encouraged to participate in teaching their children essential skills.  Equipment and toys are available for loan.  More...

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English as an Additional Language Service (EAL)

This service aims to facilitate access to the mainstream curriculum for bilingual pupils, and to ensure equality of opportunity within Moray schools.  It aims to enable pupils to take a full part in the life and work of the school and the wider  community, working in partnership with parents.  The service recognises the cultural and linguistic diversity of bilingual pupils as a positive contribution to be recognised by all.

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Specialist Provision for Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder

The needs of pupils on the autistic spectrum are currently catered for within mainstream schools with additional support for learning.  For pupils with the more severe and complex difficulties, provision is usually at a school which can offer enhanced provision.

There is specific provision at Kinloss Primary School for children with autism, which serves the needs of a small number of primary age pupils with significant and pronounced autistic spectrum disorders.

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Liaison with other Agencies

All Central Support Services work closely with other agencies including Paediatrics, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Developmental Groups and Specialist Social Workers

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