Communication & Sensory Support
The Communication Team comprises three Specialist Speech and Language Therapists and three Speech and Language Therapy Technicians.
We have two main aims. The first is to support Learners to build on their existing abilities to develop communication skills that are transferable to life outside and after college.
Learners’ communication goals are person centred and generally embedded within creative arts and personal development activities, although opportunities for discrete trialling and practice are available if necessary.
We support our Learners to access the appropriate communication solution to meet their individual needs. This may include access to technology in some cases. We are strongly supported by and work alongside our colleagues in Sensory Support, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and IT when it comes to developing individualised Solutions for our Learners.
The second aim is to ensure that the college environment meets the existing communication needs of each student. We work alongside our teaching colleagues to ensure curriculum delivery is differentiated to meet the needs of all learners and promote a ‘Total Communication’ environment. We deliver a rolling programme of training accessed by all staff to ensure the use of a range of appropriate methods to support understanding and enhance communication opportunities. (These include signs, symbols, Objects of Reference and Intensive Interaction).
Sensory Support
The College is establishing a very positive reputation, in the Northwest of England and beyond, for our effective interdisciplinary promotion and provision of Sensory Impairment Awareness and Sensory Support training programmes.
Our own service to our Learners benefits significantly from this training, as do colleagues from a range of other Educational and Social Care Services who wish to share our accredited specialist knowledge.
Many of our Learners have visual or hearing impairments. Individual sensory support assessments and appropriate adaptation of the learning environment and teaching approaches to suit each Learner’s needs ensure that all of our Learners access the curriculum, thrive and achieve. Successful planning of targeted learning depends on knowing how each Learner perceives his/her world.
