Our therapies are embedded throughout all areas of the school and the team play a key role in the environmental design, curriculum development and the use of supportive tools to promote learning and success for individual students.
At Al Karamah School and Training Institute, all staff work together to support our students in accessing their education and developing their independence and life skills. All students are encouraged to build on their strengths and are supported with their individual needs. Our team of therapists works with students, teachers, and support staff to ensure that the needs of every student are met in the classroom and wider school environment. The therapy team provides support within classrooms, in group settings, or through individual sessions to help students develop their skills and to ensure that the provision they require is embedded in their daily lives.
We have a team of Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, and Behaviour Therapists.
Therapy support and input are allocated based on need and delivered across three tiers:
Tier 1: Universal
All students receive therapy support at Tier 1. This includes whole-class support, as well as universal programmes where therapists and therapy assistants work with students and teachers in the classroom. Students and class-based staff are also supported with necessary modifications, such as seating arrangements, pencil grips, and individualised communication and regulation approaches.
All students also have access to multisensory rooms and sensory circuits.
Tier 2: Targeted
At Tier 2, therapists and therapy assistants provide focused interventions and adaptations, identified through baseline assessments and classroom-based work. These interventions address specific student needs and are delivered in small group settings.
Tier 3: Specialist
At Tier 3, students receive specialist input from a therapist on a one-to-one or small group basis.
The following therapy services are available to students:
Speech and Language Therapy
A Speech and Language Therapist is a trained specialist who supports students with their communication skills and helps them use these skills to engage with the world around them. Communication covers a wide range of everyday skills, including attention, understanding, expressing needs/wants/ideas, social interaction, using clear speech sounds, problem-solving through language, and reading and writing. Individuals on the autism spectrum often benefit from support in developing communication skills to fully participate in learning and community life.
At Al Karamah School and Training Institute, the Speech and Language Therapy team works closely with teachers to make classrooms highly accessible for students with communication difficulties — for example, by implementing visual timetables and ensuring a variety of communication methods are available. Speech and Language Therapists also help plan lessons with embedded therapy strategies and set individualised communication targets for students. The team provides training in functional communication skills through workshops, particularly those required for personal wellbeing and success in the workplace. Therapists work closely with vocational staff to ensure students are using their communication skills effectively in real-life contexts.
Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapists support students in developing their daily living skills — from fine and gross motor movement and coordination, to addressing sensory needs and promoting independence in tasks such as dressing. The team supports students in building the skills required for learning, self-care, and independent living.
Behaviour Support
The Behaviour Support team works to ensure all students feel safe in school and are supported in developing social understanding and emotional regulation. These skills are essential for independence and successful inclusion in the community through positive and socially appropriate behaviours. Using a Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) framework, therapists help students in situations where challenging behaviour is present or at risk of occurring.
All therapists work collaboratively with teachers and teaching assistants to support the development and progress of every student at Al Karamah School and Training Institute.
