Cerebral Palsy and Visual Impairment in Children: Scottish Experience of Multidisciplinary Working
Presented in December, 2003
Summary of Discussions
Strategies to improve experience of children with CPVI in schools
Issues similar for special and mainstream schools.
Harmony between carers and professionals
Personal Passports.
Use of video clips to illustrate specific points to the multidisciplinary
team.
Targeted annual national (across Scotland) plans for every child devised by
parents/professionals to be checked termly.
Social inclusion for child.
Parent support groups.
Open information/communication between all staff involved with
the child to understand child's educational, physical and visual impairment
needs.
Time allocation for staff/staff, staff/pupils (especially important for mainstream).
Consider environment to optimise child's vision and learning potential (individual
basis).
Consider task (need to consider what it is we want from child
- position, vision, education).
Information gathering/history taking on child's needs/abilities.
Closer working together of parents/professionals.
Raised awareness of the range of manifestations of CP and how these interact
to affect the learner.
For accountability named co-ordinators (authority person)/keynote worker (day
to day).
Time identified in school contract. Preparation and support for transitions.
Action Plans to achieve the above
Kids clubs (as in VISCC)
IEPs, Individual Pupil Profiles (IPP), Personal Passports, Proforma with strengths,
difficulties and strategies.
Better information sharing between parents and professionals, eg, in Target
Setting.
Make medical, therapy information available to educators.
Convince headteachers and management of need for support and time.
Use of video for demonstration.
Realistic application of regulations and legislation of manual handling/Health
and Safety.
Involvement of parents in mainstream schools to give good understanding of
child's needs to influence how education is presented to child.
Parent education to help them take part in dialogue.
Web forum for parents and professionals.
Review meetings for sharing information - need confidentiality agreement with
parents.
More multidisciplinary meetings/training days.
More training for SEN auxiliaries.
More concise reports and prioritisation of issues best addressed in smaller
groups.