Pathway Two

Below, you can find a list of the strategies and interventions we use to support children’s learning within this curriculum. 

Speech and Language Therapy

We work closely with speech and language therapists, who provide guidance on supporting each child individually using a range of strategies, which are listed below.

Intensive Interaction

Intensive Interaction is an approach that helps children develop early communication and social skills through natural, playful interactions. It focuses on building trust, attention, enjoyment, and shared understanding by following the child’s lead and responding to their signals.

In practice, this might involve copying the sounds a child makes, mirroring their movements, smiling in response to gestures, or joining in their play. Teachers may also use turn-taking games, gentle eye contact, or shared attention on a toy or activity to encourage engagement. These activities help children learn to communicate, understand social cues, and build positive relationships with adults and peers. Intensive Interaction is always tailored to each child’s interests and abilities, making learning fun, meaningful, and supportive of their individual development.

R.O.C.K (Repeat, Opportunity, Child, Key)

R.O.C.K. is a speech and language approach designed to help children develop their communication and interaction skills in a way that is fun, meaningful, and tailored to them. It focuses on four key ideas:

• Repeat – giving children repeated chances to practise words, sounds, or actions so they can become confident.
• Opportunity – creating moments throughout the day for children to communicate, respond, and make choices.
• Child – following the child’s interests, strengths, and pace to make learning motivating and relevant.
• Key – identifying the key skills or words each child needs to focus on next, building their progress step by step.

By using this approach, children are encouraged to explore gesture and language, express themselves, and interact with others, helping them build confidence, understanding, and essential communication skills in a supportive and engaging way.

Supporting Gestalt Learners 

At our school, we understand that Gestalt learners understand language better in meaningful chunks, such as whole phrases, sentences, or familiar expressions, rather than individual words. For example, they might learn “Time to wash your hands” more easily than learning “wash” and “hands” separately.

To support Gestalt Learners at school, we use consistent phrases, repeat them in context, and show what they mean through actions or visuals. This helps children understand instructions, follow routines, and use language confidently in everyday situations.

Objects and Songs of Reference

Objects and Songs of Reference are tools we use to help children understand routines, anticipate activities, and communicate. Objects of Reference are real items that represent a person, place, or activity, such as a cup for snack time or a book for story time. Songs of Reference use familiar songs or tunes to signal what is happening next, like a good morning song to start the day or a tidy-up song to show it’s time to clear up.

By using these consistently, children learn to recognise routines, understand what is happening, and take part in activities with confidence. This approach supports children in communicating, making choices, and feeling secure in their day, especially for those who find spoken language or symbols difficult to understand.

PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System)

PECS is a communication system that helps some children express their needs, choices, and ideas using pictures. Children learn to point to or give a picture of something they want to an adult to communicate, which is a first step in developing functional language. Over time, PECS helps children build sentences, make requests, and share thoughts.

Visual Supports

Some pupils may use visual strategies to support their communication at school. Each classroom is carefully set up with photos, symbols, and Now/Next boards to help children understand routines, make choices, and know what is happening throughout the day. For example, a Now/Next board shows what a child is doing now and what will happen next, while photos and symbols illustrate tasks, activities, or personal routines and aid understanding. These supports ensure that every child has clear ways to communicate and participate fully in learning, whatever their abilities.

Makaton

Makaton is a language program that uses signs, symbols, and speech to help children communicate, understand, and express themselves. It is used to support children who may have difficulties with speaking, but it can also help any child develop confidence in communication.

At school, we use Makaton to model signs alongside spoken words during routines, activities, and play. For example, a teacher might sign “drink” while saying it aloud to help a child understand and ask for a drink. Using Makaton consistently across the day helps children build language, make choices, interact with others, and take part in learning in a way that is clear, meaningful, and motivating.

Curiosity Programme

The Curiosity Programme is a child-centred approach designed to support children by following their interests and natural motivation to learn. It focuses on building attention, communication, emotional regulation, and engagement through playful, meaningful interactions rather than formal lessons. Adults carefully observe what captures a child’s interest and use this to create positive learning experiences that feel safe, enjoyable, and motivating. By nurturing curiosity, the programme helps children develop confidence, relationships, and a love of learning at their own pace.

For example, if a child shows a strong interest in water, an adult might set up a simple water-play activity using cups, sponges, and pouring bottles. The adult joins the play, commenting gently, copying the child’s actions, and waiting for responses, rather than directing the activity. Over time, this shared experience helps the child build attention, communication, turn-taking, and emotional regulation, while feeling safe, successful, and engaged.

Attention Autism

Attention Autism is a fun, highly motivating approach that helps children develop shared attention, listening, and engagement with others. Sessions are carefully structured and use exciting, visually engaging activities to capture children’s interest and encourage them to focus as part of a group.

Attention Autism is taught in four clear phases, which gradually build a child’s ability to engage, share attention, and learn alongside others:

Stage 1 – The Bucket
The adult presents highly motivating, visually exciting items (often from a bucket) to capture attention. Children are not expected to speak or respond—just to watch and enjoy. The focus is on shared attention and enjoyment.

Stage 2 – The Attention Builder
Children watch an engaging activity or demonstration, such as a simple experiment or cause-and-effect activity. The aim is to help children sustain attention for a little longer while remaining relaxed and interested.

Stage 3 – Interactive Game
Children are encouraged to join in a simple, structured activity together, such as copying an action, rolling a ball, or taking turns. Participation is supported, and communication may be through actions, sounds, or gestures.

Stage 4 – Table Activity
Children move to a table to complete a short, independent or supported activity linked to what they have just seen. This stage helps develop readiness for more formal learning, while keeping the experience positive and motivating.

Each stage builds carefully on the last, always prioritising enjoyment, success, and shared engagement. Over time, Attention Autism helps children build confidence, social understanding, and readiness for learning in a positive and supportive way.

Sensory Integration

At our school, we recognise that many children with complex needs experience the world in unique ways through their senses. Sensory integration is about helping children make sense of what they feel, see, hear, taste, smell, and how they move or feel their bodies. Some children may be easily overwhelmed by lights, sounds, or touch, while others may seek extra sensory input to help them feel calm and focused.

We use a range of structured sensory activities throughout the day, such as sensory circuits, swings or trampolines for movement, textured play with sand or clay for touch, calming music or sound activities for auditory needs, visual patterns or lights for visual input, rolling and stretching exercises for body awareness, and safe taste or smell activities to help children feel calm, alert, and ready to engage. We encourage co-regulation and work alongside each child to help them understand and manage their own sensory needs, so they can feel calm, focused, and confident in learning and everyday activities.

Zones of Regulation

At our school, we use the Zones of Regulation to help children understand and manage their emotions and energy levels. The Zones use four colours—blue, green, yellow, and red—to describe how a child might be feeling, from calm and focused to frustrated or overwhelmed.

The goal is not to label feelings as “good” or “bad,” but to give children a common language to recognise their emotions and understand how their body is feeling. Staff work with children to notice which zone they are in and teach them strategies to move toward a calm, ready-to-learn state.

For example, a child in the yellow zone (feeling anxious or restless) might use a quiet space, a sensory activity, or a short walk to help them calm down and return to the green zone, where they feel alert and ready to engage.