Therapy support

The Speech and Language Therapy Team support students to maximise their speech, language, and communication abilities in order to develop independence and engagement in activities of daily living.

We promote a total communication approach which values all forms of communication. An important part of each and every young person’s development is the growth of the ability to communicate with others, both verbally and non-verbally. Communication underpins many aspects of learning and in a school setting provides access to the curriculum.

The Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT) Team has a critical role to play in the implementation of programmes designed to develop each pupil’s communication skills. The best practice is encouraged in which speech and language therapists and teaching staff actively collaborate in the development of communication programmes. 

All students have an assigned speech and language therapist at Inscape House School following referral. All our Speech and Language Therapists are members of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) and are registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

The Occupational Therapy Team at Inscape House School aim to support students’ academic learning, behaviour and independence skills in an individualised, developmental way.

An important part of a young person’s development is the ability to make sense of the world in which they live. This is done through the sensory systems – the foundation skills to learning and emotional regulation. A pupil’s sensory, motor and perceptual processing abilities are identified by the Occupational Therapy Team. From this, therapy planning can be most effectively targeted to facilitate learning at the appropriate level.

Occupational therapy support is totally individualised and embedded into the school curriculum, with all occupational therapists working closely with families, carers, other members of the Therapy and Additional Support team and the pupil’s educational team.

All students have an assigned occupational therapist at Inscape House School following referral. All our Occupational Therapists are members of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) and are registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Our school counsellors are on hand to support young people with emotional or psychological needs. We take a flexible approach, with timetabled sessions as well as reactive support. So we’re there whenever students need us most.

Please click here if you wish to make a referral for counselling support

Our approach is positive and proactive, never punitive. Challenging behaviour usually happens for a reason. We take time to understand what’s going on and how we can better meet someone’s needs. We also help students learn individual coping strategies to handle all kinds of situations.

Play is a powerful therapeutic tool for children and young people. Our play therapists use a variety of approaches, including intensive interaction, floor therapy, creative workshops, lunchtime groups and daily drop-in sessions.

Animal-assisted Intervention can improve young people’s mental, physical, social and emotional functioning. Depending on the needs of the child it many include different animals used in the session, including horses (also called equine-assisted therapy), dogs (also called canine-assisted therapy), guinea pigs, rabbits and reptiles to name but a few.

It is more than simply spending time with an animal, animal-assisted intervention involves specific therapeutic goals, strategies and outcomes measures. Therapeutic experiences can include walking, brushing, petting and caring for an animal, as well as processing the experience of trying to achieve a given task. 

There is a strong bond between animals and people. Animals are accepting, non-threatening and non-judgmental, making it easier for people to open up. Some of the benefits of animal-assisted therapy include:

• Improved fine motor skills
• Improved balance
• Increased focus, engagement and attention
• Increased self-esteem and ability to care for oneself
• Reduced anxiety, grief and isolation
• Reduced blood pressure, depression, and risk of heart attack or stroke
• Improved willingness to be involved in a therapeutic program or group activity
• Increased trust, empathy and teamwork
• Emotional understanding and strategies 
• Greater self-control
• Enhanced problem-solving skills
• Reduced behaviour
• Improved social skills
• Learning 
• Speech and Language

Because many children and teens enjoy working with animals, animal-assisted interventions can be particularly beneficial for individuals who have difficulty accessing their emotions or expressing themselves in social situations and environments.

Inscape has an in-house AAI section at Inscape where our students have weekly sessions led by Danielle, our AAI Practitioner. She ensures the safety and wellbeing of our animals while delivering enriching AAI sessions to target the area of development with our students.

Meet all of the support animals at Inscape AAI here