Published On: October 3, 2024|859 words|4.3 min read|
Breaking Barriers: Empowering students with Autism through personalised career guidance

Background

Robert Ogden is a small specialist school in South Yorkshire, who cater for students with an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) that refers to a diagnosis of Autism. Working with the student’s additional needs, Robert Ogden’s offer children with Autism the education they need to develop their self-confidence, their academic skills and their life skills.

Their career lead explained that Robert Ogden’s initial challenge was to find an independent career guidance provider who was suitable for their specific needs. Their students have a diverse range of individual needs, and they found it difficult to procure a provider who was flexible enough and could offer personalised advice with each student in mind.

“Each pupil needs a bespoke programme and specific advice that suits their needs” stated Robert Ogden’s Career Lead.

The Partnership

After partnering with Progress Careers, not only did Robert Ogden’s career provision improve significantly, but their career lead also said, “working with Progress Careers has helped me as careers lead immensely”. With the shared goal of enabling students to positively progress post-16, we provide a comprehensive career provision that covers all areas, from 1:1 sessions to providing up -to-date LMI. By delivering a robust career provision, Robert Ogden are meeting Gatsby Benchmark 8 by offering their students personalised guidance.

Richard Jones, one of our incredible career advisers, is based at Robert Ogden. The school’s career lead said,

“Richard who works with our students, caters for the many specific needs of each student. He differentiates his guidance, resources and communication techniques to help our young people who have ASD.”

The Progress Careers solution

At Progress Careers, we prioritise the student and build a relationship with them based on trust to allow them to feel at ease and open up. Recently, our career adviser met with a year 12 student who was extremely shy and avoided eye contact, relying on her Teaching Assistant to speak for her. Richard engaged with the student through talking about her soft toy, which she relied on for comfort. By talking about the teddy and asking about its likes and dislikes, the student was able to open up and use the teddy as a way to discuss her own feelings. Through the teddy, Richard was able to find out the student’s likes and dislikes, how she found school and what she would like to do when she was older.

This is one of many examples of how impactful these interviews are for students with SEND. Allowing the Career Adviser the right amount of time with the student to allow them to open up is important. These sessions often are dependent on the student and the extent of their needs, there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach. In this example, because Richard took the time at the start of the meeting to get to know teddy, the student was able to talk about her passion for drawing and was even comfortable enough to show him her work. This allowed Richard to look at next steps and example courses related to her passion for drawing. The impact made was clear after only one session, as the TA said,

“This was such a big moment for her as she hadn’t had the courage to show her work to anybody before. Although it seemed like a small event, it was a massive jump forward in the student’s development in school.”

The Outcome

The outcome of a clear career provision has allowed the students at Robert Ogden the time to look forward to their futures and the many opportunities available to them. SEND students are at high risk of becoming NEET, as recent research found, “Five risk factors were most strongly associated with NEET status among young people – not having an academic qualification above level 1, having a limiting disability, having a child, having poor mental health, and having special educational needs (SEN),” according to National Centre for Social Research. Through the provision of a robust career programme, we can reduce this risk and support students to successfully transition into post-16 provision that is right for them. This is evident from Robert Ogden as their career lead said,

“By the end of this year, several students have had successful applications and transitions to their future placements.”

Conclusion

In conclusion, through teamwork between ourselves and Robert Ogden, we were able to formulate a robust career programme to effectively support each student. By tailoring career guidance to the unique needs of each individual, we have successfully challenged the barriers faced by SEND students in transitioning to post-16 education or employment.

The case of the year 12 student exemplifies the profound impact of personalised support. Her journey from shyness to expressing her artistic passion is a testament to the power of our expert career adviser’s approach. Through collaborative efforts and a deep understanding of student needs, we have not only improved career outcomes but also encouraged personal growth and confidence.

This case study demonstrates that with the right support, students can achieve their full potential. Progress Careers is committed to continuing this vital work, empowering young people with the skills and knowledge to build successful futures.

Does your school need a careers partner?

Are you looking for a friendly Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance partner? Well look no further. Drop our team a line and we can arrange a suitable date and time to discuss your specific school needs.