In Spring Term 2016, Queensmill School launched the ‘SoSafe’ programme.
SoSafe is designed to help young people with autism understand and communicate social relationships. We know that young people with autism often find it difficult to understand the many people in their lives and the role that they play. As well as being confusing, this can make them especially vulnerable.
Our aim is to provide our pupils with a resource that tells them not only who the various people in their life are but the level of verbal and physical intimacy that is appropriate for that relationship. For example, we know that many of our pupils find it difficult to understand the concept of friendship or who they can, and should, communicate with if they are hurt or upset. The ‘SoSafe’ programme is a great help with this.
All our pupils in the Secondary and Post 16 department are provided with a ‘My People and Relationship’ book. This book has photos of the people that are in the young person’s life, both at school, at home and other settings. The book helps to categorise these groups of people and help our pupils understand the appropriate physical or verbal intimacy.
Depending on pupils’ abilities the teachers deliver weekly one to one or group sessions in classes using a variety of age appropriate resources to support pupils to understand different interactions with different groups of people.