Supporting Neurodivergent Needs in Prisons
March 22, 2023Posted by:
Artwork created by a prisoner at HMP Drake Hall about dyslexia
We currently have 43 Inclusion Support Coordinators across our 22 prison sites. Our Inclusion Support Coordinators are part of the identification and screening process and use the outcomes of rapid and in-depth screeners to identify strategies that can be used to support the learner. Since April 2022 10, 817 prisoners have completed a rapid screener and 2,406 prisoners have completed an in-depth screener.
We provide support to learners accessing Education in class and through outreach and also to those who are employed in Prison Industries.
Here are some of the ways our Inclusion Support Coordinators support our learners.
- Working with learners to create individualised revision note for upcoming exams.
- Provision of reader pens and other assistive technology.
- Helping learners to focus on tasks when completing workbooks on vocational courses.
- Applications for Access Arrangements for learners sitting examinations.
- Looking at new methods to support processing of information.
- Providing a quiet area to support concentration.
- Practical exercises to make learning visual.
- Providing resources to support visual stress and concentration.
- Settings on the computer changed to be user friendly to the learner (colour veil, font size).
- Enlarged font of text on worksheets to support visual stress.
- Liaising with mental health team to support mental health in and out of education.
- Use of smart board in the classroom, encouraging use of life skills while learning.
- Use of smart board to play maths antics lessons.
- Additional paper sent for the purpose of drafting and planning answers.
- Face to face conversations to discuss strategies and how we can best support the learner E.g., chunking / taking rest breaks.
- Material printed on specified colours, PowerPoints presented on a different colour background and overlays provided to learners who are completing their work in cell.
- Face to face 1:1 support to clarify meaning, provide specialised equipment i.e., highlighter and overlay, and ensure that the learner takes frequent rest breaks.
- Providing learners with a fidget toy or stress ball to help aid concentration.
- Practical tasks given to learners to aid concentration.
- Support from class assistants in class, directed by the tutor and the ISC.
- Provide written step by step instructions as well as verbal instructions.
- Provide brain breaks.
- Dual coding – providing a picture as well as text.
- Create resources for learners for 1-1 support sessions or in class.
March 22, 2023Posted by:
