Foundations for learning
Communication adapted from SCERTS
1: I respond to my environment through movements, facial expressions or vocalisations, but I don’t yet realise that my actions can make a change in my environment.
2: My communication requires interpretation from someone who knows me well and might include my body language, facial expressions and vocalisations. I might smile to accept something or turn away to reject something. I recognise familiar people and/or motivating activities.
3: I use my behaviour (body, language, facial expressions or gestures) with communicative intent or use up to 3 words, phrases or scripts but don't always use these to refer to specific objects or people.
4: I can use speech, sign and/or AAC (including Gestalt language processors (echolalic phrases)) but usually in familiar situations or with familiar people. I am beginning to initiate interactions with people who are familiar to me. I will use my communication strategies to tell you something I've seen or want or to make comments. I use between 3-100 words or phrases. I am learning to take turns in a conversations but may get stuck on a topic or conversation pattern.
5: I can talk to you about a range of topics with a range of people. I have strategies to keep a conversation going if there is confusion or change. I am beginning to use longer more complex sentences for a range of purposes and can use creative language for learning and socially. I use more than 100 words and more that 20 combinations or sentences.
6: I can use speech or AAC confidently and have strategies to manage tricky sounds. I adjust my language for the context and can expand on ideas using varied vocabulary. I can tell when someone if being serious of joking.
7: I communicate clearly using spoken language, sign or AAC. I use logical sequencing and am aware of the nuance of tone an vocabulary I choose. I am aware of facial expressions, gestures and tone of others and adjust my response to suit.
Personal care (toileting) adapted from FIM
1: Total Assistance: I require full assistance with all personal care.
2: Maximal Assistance: I require full assistance but demonstrate awareness and participate through 'helping' i.e. lifting leg, body movements etc.
3:Moderate Assistance: I am able to participate in my personal cares by sing modified toileting equipment and some responsibilities are taken on by me i.e. pulling up/down clothing.
4:Minimal Assistance: I can participate with a level of independence with supportive prompts and monitoring.
5: Supervision: I am independent in my personal care, but require supervision.
6: Modified Independence: I can complete most of my personal cares with some adaptations to help my independence.
7: Complete Independence: I can complete all of my daily personal cares independently.
Personal safety/absconding
1: Full Supervision: I require full 1:1 vigilant supervision to be with me at all times to ensure my safety.
2: Partial Supervision: I require a high level of support as I may wander away if doors or outdoor areas are not secure or not supervised – I do not have a sense of my own safety in my environment.
3: Moderate Supervision: I require supervision, I may stay in an environment I don't always understand the boundaries, particularly if something interests me or if I am feeling dysregulated. I might respond and come back when my name is called if the adult is close and I am feeling calm. I do not have a sense of my own safety in my environment.
4: Minimal Supervision: I require support in new an unfamiliar environments . I may require supervision from a distance.
5: Mostly Independent: I require some supervision but can manage myself in most familiar and unfamiliar environments. I have an awareness of my surroundings and have some understanding about keeping safe when faced with hazards/dangers.
6: Fully Independent: I am fully aware of my environment and hazards and can keep myself safe.
Mobility adapted from CPFCS
1: Fully dependent on a adult for mobility: I may use a manual wheelchair.
2: Self Mobility with limitations: I may use a powered wheelchair.
3: Uses a mobility device: I use hand held mobility equipment e.g. a walking frame.
4: Cautiously mobile: I am able to walk and take part at school without equipment but I need support for stability (e.g. rail on the stairs or an adult for uneven surfaces).
5: Independent: I walks and perform activities without limitations.
Hearing and audio processing
1: I’m beginning to notice how I hear and understand in class. I often miss parts of what my teacher says, especially when there is noise or when instructions are given quickly. I find it hard to keep up sometimes.
2: I’m starting to understand more when people talk to me. I understand short instructions when it’s quiet, but I get mixed up if there's background noise or if the speaker talks fast.
3: I understand most things said in class, especially with some help. I usually get what the teacher says, but sometimes I need things repeated or explained another way.
4: I feel confident understanding spoken information most of the time. I follow what’s being said even when it’s a bit noisy. I sometimes ask questions to make sure I got it right.
5: I can understand and respond to spoken information in all classroom settings. I can listen, understand, and respond to what’s said in most situations, even when it’s fast or noisy. I feel confident sharing my thoughts.
Emotional regulation – in relation to their same aged peers
1: Emerging Co-regulator: Skills: Limited ability to recognise or label feelings, minimal strategies for coping. Self-Awareness: I am not yet able to identify or label my feelings. I often struggle to recognize what I'm feeling or why I am upset, anxious, or disappointed. Expression of Emotions: I express strong emotions (e.g., sadness, frustration) through my behavior or verbally but am often unable to communicate exactly what is bothering me. Impact Awareness: While I am upset, I am not aware of how my behaviour affects others around me. Support Needs: I need others to recognise my needs and offer strategies like a break, a calming object, or comfort. Sometimes I am able to self-regulate if given these strategies by someone I trust.
2: Developing Co-regulator: Skills: Slightly more awareness, responds to familiar comforting strategies. Self-Awareness: I am not consistently able to identify or label my feelings but sometimes have an idea when I feel upset, anxious, or disappointed. Expression of Emotions: I continue to express strong feelings through my behavior or words but can sometimes communicate what I need when prompted. Impact Awareness: I am beginning to understand how my behaviour might impact others but can only recognise this after I have calmed down. Support Needs: I actively seek out comfort from familiar people and am better able to regulate with their support, often relying on specific strategies they provide.
3: Emerging Self-Regulator: Skills: Occasional independent identification and management of emotions, improved reliance on strategies. Self-Awareness: I am sometimes able to identify and label my emotions, particularly when they are strong. Expression of Emotions: When upset, I am sometimes able to communicate what is wrong and may use strategies like taking deep breaths or a short break. Impact Awareness: I am increasingly aware of the impact my behaviour has on others and can recognise it when someone helps me reflect afterward. Support Needs: I can use familiar strategies but still need reminders and encouragement to apply them independently.
4: Developing Self-Regulator: Skills: Recognises emotions in self and others, regularly uses strategies independently. Self-Awareness: I am usually able to identify and label my emotions and am getting better at understanding the causes behind them. Expression of Emotions: I can often communicate what is upsetting me and choose from a few coping strategies without much prompting. Impact Awareness: I am aware of how my actions impact others and can adjust my behaviour once reminded. Support Needs: I usually respond well to self-regulation strategies independently but may still rely on prompts from others in unfamiliar or intense situations.
5: Self-regulator: Skills: Consistently independent emotional awareness, proactive use of strategies, minimal external support needed. Self-Awareness: I am able to regularly identify, label, and understand my feelings and can usually identify the cause. Expression of Emotions: I can clearly communicate what I am feeling and why, even in challenging situations. Impact Awareness: I am aware of my emotions’ impact on others and can adjust my behaviour in the moment, minimizing negative effects. Support Needs: I am confident in choosing and using effective self-regulation strategies, applying them with little to no external support.
Mealtimes
1: Enterally fed: I have a feeding plan from my dietician. I will need an adult to feed me through my Mic-key button. Please observe me for signs of discomfort such as reflux of vomiting.
2: Full support: I will have a mealtime plan to guide adults on how to keep me safe during eating and drinking. I can eat and drink orally. I will need an adult to supervise and feed me. I will give you body cues to show if I want more or if I would like you to stop feeding me.
3: Partial support: I eat and drink independently. I may overfill my mouth or have other oral processing difficulties that increase my risk of aspirating or choking. I need adult supervision to ensure I am safe whilst eating and drinking.
4: Partially independent: I eat and drink independently. I may need supervision in a group to ensure my safety. I may have a limited diet or food allergies which mean I need supervision and/or support with my eating.
5: Fully Independent: I eat and drink fully independently without the need for supervision.
Play skills
1: Unoccupied Play: I am not yet playing with people or objects. I move around an environment and make movements that appear to others to be random or without a clear purpose.
2: Solitary Play: I play by myself and am not particularly interested in others around me. I focus on my own play/toys and am generally unaware of or uninterested in what others are doing.
3: Spectator/Onlooker: I might stand or sit near others and observe their play. I may ask questions or talk to others but don’t join in their play.
4: Parallel Play: I play my own game near other children. I may play with similar toys and might show interest in what others are doing but tend to leave or join as I please without much interaction.
5: Associative Play: I enjoy playing with other children and using objects, but I am not yet playing games with rules. I am happy to share or borrow toys and might copy what others are doing.
6: Cooperative Play: I enjoy playing with others and can follow rules for games and activities. I may discuss and negotiate game rules, work with others to solve problems, and have a sense of what is fair and acceptable in a game.
7: Collaborative Play: I not only play with others but also take on specific roles and responsibilities within a group. I work with others toward shared goals, cooperating and communicating to achieve something together, such as building a structure or creating a story.
8: Competitive Play: I play with others in games that include winning and losing, taking turns, and adhering to rules. I understand and respect the competitive aspects of play, such as scoring points and acknowledging winners, while still valuing the fun of playing together.
Fine motor skills
1: Grasp and release: I am able to close my fingers around an object to hold it. I can open my hand to let go of an object intentionally.
2: Manipulation of objects: I can purposefully control an item including grasping, rotating or positioning it) accurately.
3: Pre-writing/Palmer Grip: I hold writing objects with my whole hand.
4: Four Finger and thumb grip: I use my thumb and my four fingers to grasp an item often without isolating the index finger.
5: Tri-pod Grip: I have developed a tri-pod grip on writing tools.
Sensory needs
Tactile/touch
1: Over-responsive: I avoids touching messy textures such as shaving foam and might be particular about the types of clothing worn.
2: Under-responsive: I do not notice when my hands are messy or when my clothes are twisted.
3: Craving: I might seek out experiences to touch things or constantly fidget with an object.
4: Sensory Discrimination: I might constantly run my hands though a certain texture or put non food objects in my mouth.
Proprioceptive
1: Over-responsive: I might be unable to sit for long periods of time as I become uncomfortable or I might avoid jumping or bouncing activities.
2: Under-responsive: I might slouch when sitting on the floor or in a chair or sit in one position for a long period of time.
3: Craving: I seems to be always jumping or bouncing, I might crash into cushions or a bed or mattress at home.
4: Sensory Discrimination: I might fall or bump into objects. I might not use the right amount of force to push/pull/grasp.
Vestibular
1: Over-responsive: I might refuse the swing, slide and spinning activities. I could become anxious when climbing or when my feet leave the ground.
2: Under-responsive: I don't get dizzy when spinning but might wake up with intense movement.
3: Craving: I enjoy climbing or jumping from tall heights. I might be constantly spinning, climbing, rolling or running.
4: Sensory Discrimination: I do not adjust my posture when on a swing to prevent falling off, I might trip when walking up stars or fall when climbing.
Auditory
1: Over-responsive: I might cover my ears in noisy environments or make noises to drown out other sounds.
2: Under-responsive: I do not respond to my name being called.
3: Craving: I request music that is fast and/or loud, I might make noises in quiet environments.
4: Sensory Discrimination: I have a hard time differentiating between words (thing/think). I may not be able to adjust the volume of my voice.
Visual
1: Over-responsive.
2: Under-responsive: I might complain that my eyes are tired when looking at a book and have difficult focusing on a still image.
3: Craving: I might stand in front of reflective surfaces for long periods of time or spin wheels or fans and watch intently.
4: Sensory Discrimination: I may confuse similar looking letters of have difficult finding a specified object in a busy/complex picture.
Gustatory and olfactory
1: Over-responsive: I may eat a limited number of food textures or prefer to eat bland foods.
2: Under-responsive: I may prefer tangy , spicy, sour food. I don't seem to notice strong smells.
3: Craving: I might put too much food in my mouth at once. I am sensitive to the smells of perfume/colognes on other people.
4: Sensory Discrimination: I might put too much food in my mouth at once . I prefer food that are one consistent texture (not mixed together).
Executive functions
Cognitive flexibility
1: Full support: I rely on visible structures and routines with adult support to manage my everyday activities. New activities need to be broken down for me into small steps and I work best when there are clear beginnings and endings to an activity. I can be resistant to change, and changes into my predictable routine need to be communicated ( often visually) so I know what is going to happen and what will happen next. Unexpected change is difficult for me to manage.
2: Partial Support: I prefer routines and rely on a visible structure for new and routines tasks and activities. I may struggle with unexpected changes and I may get upset when I can’t do something the way I planned. I still rely on an adult or a visual structure to tell me that something is going to change and I am learning to adapt to this with time and support.
3: Supported engagement: I am beginning to adapt when plans change, though I still need support. I can switch tasks with reminders but may resist new approaches. I am starting to understand the need for flexibility in certain situations.
4: Minimal support: I can switch between tasks and adjust when things don’t go as planned, but it may take me some time. I still need some support when dealing with unexpected changes or new situations. I am improving at recognising when I need to change my approach, and I try different strategies when faced with difficulties.
5: Independent: I can easily adapt to new situations, shift between tasks or ideas, and adjust my thinking when necessary. I am comfortable with changes and can switch strategies quickly when something isn’t working. I handle unexpected challenges with ease and remain calm when plans change. I can think creatively and problem-solve in flexible ways, without needing support.
Independance
1: Full support: I need the adult working with me (supported by visuals) to guide me through the steps of a task.
2: Partial Support: I am beginning to develop independence and benefit from guidance to start, sustain, and complete tasks. With support, I can follow familiar routines and attempt new tasks. I am learning to manage frustration and build confidence when working alone.
3: Supported engagement: I can begin tasks when prompted and follow routines with reminders. I am becoming more willing to try things on my own and am learning strategies to persist. When I face challenges, I am working on problem-solving and recognising when to ask for help.
4: Minimal support: I can start and finish familiar tasks with increasing confidence and use strategies like checklists or timers to stay on track. I am developing persistence and can work through challenges with occasional support. I recognize when I need help and am learning how to ask for it effectively.
5: Independent: I independently start, sustain, and complete most tasks. I use strategies to manage my time and workload efficiently. I monitor my own progress and make adjustments when needed. I know when to seek support and can balance working independently with collaborating when necessary.