the island project
Meriden
The Island Project School was set up to provide a school for children and young
people with autism. It was founded by parents whose children had previously been
taught at home using Applied Behaviour Analysis ("ABA"). Without functional
communication, adults with autism can be isolated from their family, community
and even carers. Without clear and early intervention, children and young people
may grow into adults with no communication or independence skills meaning that
they become the most dependent, and sadly most vulnerable group whilst needing
the largest amount of support. If, as a school, we can give young people a means
of communication plus independence skills, we can give them a better quality of
life, whilst reducing their long term dependence upon their community.
Unfortunately, whilst Local Authorities have a legal obligation to provide
appropriate education for all children, they do not have the space, funding, or
expertise to provide appropriate education for all pupils, particularly those
with complex communication needs and associated difficulties, or for those who
have ABA on their EHC Plans In the West Midlands, there were no ABA schools when
the Island Project was founded, and this remains largely the case. The School
was founded using the principles of ABA, and the Pyramid Approach to Education
which gives pupils an effective means of communication using the Picture
Exchange System. The School recognises that having an effective means of
communication, putting in place strategies around managing sensory difficulties,
and the development of independence skills are key to enabling children and
young people to successfully access education and a better quality of life in
the future. In recognition of this, all pupils at the School have input from a
Multi Disciplinary Team which includes Behaviour Analysts, Speech and Language
Therapists and Occupational Therapists specialising in Sensory Integration. The
School originated with three pupils in a small unit in Balsall Common. The Schoo
was founded as a charity, and within a few years, had outgrown its original
building and moved to new premises at Diddington Hall in Meriden.
