The document discusses developing a responsive social and learning environment. It argues that the environment determines how children interact with and understand the world, and influences their social skills, security, and anxiety. It recommends adapting the environment to ensure all children can access it, including giving them more control and independence. Specific strategies mentioned include: organizing clearly defined areas with labels and visual cues; using physical prompts, labeling, schedules, and communication systems; and considering sensory needs.

1. Developing a responsive social and learning environment

5. The environment and language development Understanding of your environment is fundamental to the way you interact and access it: determines they way you behave helps you make sense of your world how you adapt your social skills from setting to setting increases security and reduces anxiety The way you interpret your environment determines how you interact with it and manipulate it for your own benefit environmental cues exist within all level s of society

6. Introducing an analogy for language development . The way we have made sense of our environment depends on our perceived reality Soil = environment

7. A compatible environment? Very often we put students in an environment which, by its very nature they can’t access We can make environmental adaptations to ensure understanding across a range of settings

8. What are we aiming to achieve? Adults relinquishing control – giving children more control over their environment Increasing children’s independence and problem solving skills Increasing security, understanding of role and expectations within a routine Providing a stable,secure, predictable and meaningful environment A decrease in ‘ negative communicative behaviours ’ An environment that children need, and want , to interact with

9. Connecting with your environment Relationship with your physical environment Relationship with your symbolic environment Relationship with your social environment How you respond to environmental prompts Ability to attach meaning to symbols Awareness of how time is represented Understanding of your role within a given setting

10. - TEACCH: Organising the environment into clearly defined areas -play, ‘office’, work, putting down mats to indicate where students should sit etc. - Physical prompting and backward chaining - Labelling the environment - Written/symbol commands - Base boards - Floor markings - Menu boards - Accessible communication systems (AAC) - Routines - Social Stories Comic Strip Conversations Power Stories - Scripts - All about me books - Generic ‘All about me books’ - Preparation Books, ‘Guide books’ - ‘Visual/Interactive’ nursery rhymes - Daily schedules - Weekly timetables - Task schedules - Calendars - Clocks - Check lists - Diary Adapting the environment Physical Symbolic Social

11. Setting Up The Classroom: 8 Areas Designated learning areas Labelling the school with Baseboards Differentiating between similar areas, such as work stations Refining learning areas to support contextual understanding Integrating communication systems within the classroom Setting up schedules Labelling the classroom to support independence Considering the sensory environment

12. 1. Setting up designated learning areas

13. 2. Labelling Learning Areas with Base Boards

14. 3. Differentiating between similar areas

15. 4. Refining Learning Areas to support contextual Understanding

16. 5. Accessible Communication Systems

17. 6. Supporting Time concepts / Transition Schedules

18. 7. Labelling the classroom

19. 8. The sensory Environment