Our provision is supported by an Education Psychologist, Speech and Language and Occupational Therapy teams.

Our Educational Psychologist supports at the request of school staff.  Educational Psychologists work in a number of different ways using a consultation model. Their role includes discussions with school staff however, they will liaise with parents and other professionals to help build a picture of what is needed, where appropriate.  The aim of this work is to help everyone improve their understanding of the difficulties, and positive factors in a situation, and help identify the best way forward to improve the outcomes for your child.

Therapy is an integral part of each pupil’s journey with us striving for neuro-affirming practices. We promote an integrated approach to therapy rather than solely withdrawing pupils for therapy sessions and focus on the importance of building autonomy, regulation and self-advocacy for our children. Our approach includes the teaching of life skills, emotional regulation, communication and social interaction across the school day. We recognise that pupils learn best when they are well regulated which in turn allows them to communicate their needs, ideas and access learning as planned.  

Therapists work with education staff across the Base and, where pupils regularly integrate, with mainstream staff. This collaboration happens in the classrooms, small groups, one to one discussions, planning meetings and training days to actively implement therapies alongside education during the school day. This means our Speech and Language and Occupational Therapists work with us to embed approaches, resources and therapy programmes into our curriculum and learning environment so that pupils receive this input all the time from all members of the Base team.  Examples of this include Sensory Zone sessions, mealtime systems and the embedding of Zones of Regulation.   

At the Cedar Base, we are passionate about providing multi-modal access to communication through supporting and responding to spoken language, signing, gestures, visuals and alternative augmentative communication systems to increase participation, inclusivity and access for our students. Staff are trained in understanding and recognising echolalia and use tailored strategies to support learning language. 

The therapy team are dedicated to using evidence-based interventions tailored to the individual needs of each pupil including:

• Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
• Colourful Semantics
• Emotional Literacy and Regulation sessions
• DIR Floortime
• Intensive Interaction
• Adapted versions of The Zones of Regulation curriculum  

Therapists monitor the application of appropriate therapeutic techniques and interventions. Some interventions are universal, such as access to a visual timetable and the daily Sensory Zone sessions. Other interventions are specific to the pupil, such as targeted regulation work and AAC implementation. These interventions provide support for a particular need or area of skill development. Therapy sessions are often used to introduce and develop new skills, the therapists then support the pupils to generalise these skills throughout the school environment. As a result, pupils flexibly receive specialist, targeted and embedded support throughout their time, dependent on their current needs.

Therapists recognise that all pupils are an important part of their families and aim to work collaboratively with parents and carers. Our aim is to ensure that you, as parents, understand the therapy offer and can implement the strategies and advice in the home. We pride ourselves in providing a diverse parent offering and having regularly planned touch points with therapists throughout the year. We offer a range of both in-person and online lunch time training sessions to support parents' implementation of therapies at home.