Context

In the school we have two classes of children with autism who are more able than many of the other children in the school.  The children in these two classes are able to read and write but often have difficulty in finding meaning in these activities.  Some of the students are also very resistant to writing.  Everybody Writes provided a way of approaching writing in a very different way that was motivating and relevant to these students.  Due to the severe learning difficulties of the students at this school, this is the first writing initiative we have been involved in.

Aims & principles

• To engage the students in a motivating writing activity in way that is different to anything they have done before
• To enable the students to find meaning in their writing
• To enable the students to connect with one another and communicate something about themselves through their writing

In Practice

All the students in the group have a diagnosis of autism.  It is common for people with autism to have difficulties in knowing and understanding their own identity.  Their social interaction will also be impaired.  They need clear, structured tasks and plenty of visual prompts.

Some of the children in the group strongly dislike writing activities.  Those that willingly engage with writing activities can find it difficult to fully understand or find meaning in writing.  Therefore we chose an activity that would be instantly meaningful for the students.

We decided that the students would make boxes.  On each side of the box they would create something that represented an aspect of themselves.  So, for example, on one side they made a collage and wrote about people and things that they liked.  On another side they used symbols and writing to describe their personalities.  Another side had their favourite colour.  They were each given a device to record a sound on (e.g. them talking / a favourite song) and then stuck this device onto the box.  On the front of the box was a section of clear acetate where the students drew and wrote about things that they were really good at. 

When they had finished they taped the sides of the box together using different coloured tape.  They then hung a glow stick inside their box which shone through the acetate. 
At the end of the day the students were then given time to look at each others’ boxes.  They then took them down to the whole-school assembly where they turned off the lights to show all the staff and students their glowing boxes which represented their personalities. 

The students built a wall from their boxes at the front of the assembly to represent them working together and connecting with one another.

The day was split into five 20 minute activities where the students decorated each face of the box.  This enabled them to have regular breaks which meant that the day was enjoyable and not stressful for them.

Outcomes

Aim: To engage the students in a motivating writing activity in way that is different to anything they have done before.
Outcome:  The students were immediately engaged with the activity as the task was clear, the resources were interesting and colourful and the content was directly relevant to them.  They were interested in the idea of making a box.

Aim: To enable the students to find meaning in their writing. 
Outcome: The students were given a range of pictures, symbols, words qnd colours where they could make choices as to which ones they liked or best represented them.  Through making the boxes they were exploring and defining their own personalities and this seemed to be very meaningful for them.

Aim: To enable the students to connect with one another and communicate something about themselves through their writing.
Outcome: The students were given the opportunity to explore each others’ boxes at the end of the task. Some of the students were able to draw parallels between their box and another person’s box by finding pictures, words or symbols that were the same.  Some of the students listened to each others’ recordings. 

At the end of the task the students built a wall from their boxes in assembly, creating a sense of working together and being connected to one another. The boxes have been displayed outside their classroom for other pupils, staff and visitors to look at.

All pupils were included in the activity.  Some children needed to work outside the classroom and others required higher levels of support or more frequent breaks.  The response of the pupils was very positive.  They felt real ownership of the activity and the boxes and were very proud to share them with the whole school.

Attitudes and attainment after the project

‘I liked making the box.  It is all about myself. I like recording’.

‘I built the wall in assembly.  The lights went off.’

‘My box is good.  It has things I like’.

Legacy

The activity helped them to find some words and images that help to describe who they are.  This growing sense of self will have an impact on every area of their lives.

Resources

Costs for the project were around £200 in terms of teacher time and craft materials.

Final thought

In the planning meetings we had discussed building a room or a space from the boxes.  The students would then enter this space and talk about what it was like or how it made them feel.

Unfortunately we ran out of time and were unable to do this but if we were to do this again it would be very good for the students to have the opportunity to do this.

It would be useful to have more resources for children with Severe Learning Disabilities.  Particularly those that are appropriate for the age of the pupils (teenagers) and also appropriate for their level of understanding and academic ability (generally NC level 1 / 2).

The staff were enthused by this different approach to writing and some have volunteered different ideas as to how we could approach other writing activities, involving making and building.

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