How can a One Page Profile help?

Next week we are launching our #1PPin2015 campaign; empowering families to not just produce a One Page Profile but also to know how they are used and how to introduce them into their school.

There are many uses of a One Page Profile and we wanted to give you a few examples, in addition to using in schools, to inspire you to join in next week. A One Page Profile is a summary of who your child is and how best to support them.

Using a One Page Profile 

In School: These are great if your school has new staff, or when your child moves classes. The new teacher or teaching assistant can see, quickly, what support your child needs and what is important to them. They can also see what people like about your child. School records will show where your child is academically and what support is in place but they don’t tend to focus on your child’s personality or what is important to them. Having a One Page Profile will help people to see your child as the individual they are.

Home to School Transport: This can change annually (or even more frequently), escorts can change even more regularly or sometimes you get a split provision with one driver/escort working 2 days a week and another on 3. Having a One Page Profile for home to school transport is a great way of ensuring the driver and/or escort can see what is important. For example, one family told us they used their One Page Profile to explain if the driver decides to change route then it is really important to their child that the driver tells him what he is doing and why. Yes, that can be a pain (especially if it due to an unexpected diversion) but as the family pointed out, it is better for everyone to have that two minute chat to avoid a meltdown that lasts for much longer than two minutes.

Short Break provider: Having a One Page Profile to hand to a new short break provider is so useful. Often, you will meet the manager or team leader of the provision but not the individual workers. Having a One Page Profile means that the Manager can pass this to the individual workers before they meet your child. It also helps Managers to pair up your child with the most appropriate worker.

New PA/Carer: When interviewing for a new PA or Carer, send them your child’s One Page Profile before the interview and as part of the interview, ask them what activities etc they would consider appropriate for your child and how they would support your child in a variety of scenarios. One family we know asks any new PA/Carer to produce their own One Page Profile so they can show them to their child to ask what they think.

Dentist Appointments: This is something that many children, irrelevant of any additional need, can find challenging. One family recently produced an updated version of a One Page Profile after the dentist they saw insisted on eye contact. The One Page Profile explained the difficulty their child had making eye contact and listening at the same time. Only one was an option. They sent this in prior to the appointment and checked that the dentist had understood that point before any check up or treatment began.

Family visits: Now, some grandparents and Aunts/Uncles are very involved with our children but some see them very infrequently. Having a One Page Profile to send before the visit can help Grandparents to remember the important things. As parents who see our children every day, we often forget the things we now accept as “normal” are not actually all that common. Think of a One Page Profile as a reminder for those who do not see your children regularly. Sometimes issues arise, not because the Grandparent or Aunt doesn’t care, it’s just that they forget. Yes, as a parent, you may wonder how on earth they can forget something to vital but hey, they are human and we all do it. So, help them before the visit by sending them the One Page Profile to remind them that your child has to have round food, or that they must use their name at the beginning of a sentence when speaking to them, not at the end. Supporting our children will often involve the little things that we learn to do without thinking.

What about you?

How about producing your own One Page Profile, one to send to family members. Many family members don’t know how to offer support so tell them.

Join Us

As you can see, a One Page Profile can have so many uses. They can be produced for our children, you can produce one about yourself, your PA can have one, they can be used in education, health and care. So join us next week when we will be looking at the “Appreciation” part of the One Page Profile and giving ideas on how to complete this section. You can do this!

Debs Aspland

Mum to three great kids, each with a different SEN.
Transplanted from the NW to the SE.
Co-founder and Director of Bringing Us Together