Page 78 - SEN114 September/October 2021

SCERTS
Making the SCERTS
Model easy
Jemma Ive shares her experience of using SCERTS as a SEN teacher.
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The SCERTS (Social Communication, Emotional Regulation, and Transactional Support) model can offer a brilliant framework for creating consistent approaches to help children and young people with autism make progress – ensuring that teachers, families and educational therapists are all working well together as a team.
It’s important to state that SCERTS does not exclude alternative educational approaches. In fact, its flexibility makes it compatible with a variety of SEN and autism-focused teaching practices.
I loved using SCERTS when I was teaching: as a child- centred approach that incorporates all goals and therapies, its framework always helped staff and families keep track of what they were working on. When so many targets and professionals are involved, it can be a great relief to create an easy-to-follow programme.
Take Student A, who came to me aged two, with a social worker, occupational therapist, speech and language specialist and paediatricians involved in their long-term care. The speech and language therapist wanted to see Student A start to use the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), and improve their swallowing reflex; the occupational therapist wanted us to work on motor skills including posture and balance; the parents wanted to target sleep, and create a tailored sleep schedule – and this was just a taster of the goals being made to support the child.
It would have been impossible to address everything everyday within the three hours that Student A spent in my care. But with SCERTS I could blend targets, and give a holistic approach that still gave space for Student A to be a child.
Of course, approaching any ‘new’ educational framework can be a daunting prospect – especially if you’re already
“Compatible with a variety of SEN and autism-focused teaching practices”
overwhelmed with a sizeable workload, as the vast majority working in the sector currently are! With that in mind, I’ve condensed some key points and top tips for SCERTS below, to help give you a bite-sized breakdown.
Top tips for success with
the SCERTS Model
• Ensure everyone in the student’s life is on board, from family to staff members;
• Set aside planning and team meeting time;
• Ensure all essential resources are made available to those involved;
• Adopt a child-centred approach that is manageable for home life too;
• Provide home support for the family;
• Invest in continued training for staff; and
• Most of all, keep working forward with consistency and dedication!
Social Communication
Social Communication involves the development of functional communication, the ability to express emotion, and the capacity to build trusting relationships with others.
The following are SCERTS’ sequential steps towards achieving effective Social Communication.
Joint attention.
To lay effective foundations, first we must understand the reason WHY a child with autism initiates and responds to communication attempts and also understand their ability to share attention, emotion and intention with others.
At the social partner stage the pupil shifts their gaze between objects and people, engages in interaction with others and initiates games, routines or interactions.
At language partner stage, the pupil shares experiences, comments on events or actions and can use words to express their emotions.
At the conversation language partner stage, the pupil shares experiences in interactions, can understand and discuss past
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