Developed by Rachel Sawford and Ann Miles and based on their extensive experience working with children with learning disabilities. Designed to be used in schools by speech and language therapists and teachers working together.

 

• A practical approach to teaching children with complex learning disabilities

• Shows how to embed communication and interaction within education

• Shows how to create communication friendly environments

• Supports speech and language therapists to be effective

• Inclusive of other approaches with similar philosophies

ATHS in more detail

CATHS includes:

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COMMUNICATION AND COGNITIVE FRAMEWORK

The framework is the foundation for the CATHS model. It provides a shared reference point for both speech and language therapists and education practitioners. The framework is developmental, breaking down communication and cognition into six broad bands. Band 1 is pre-formal communication, it has 3 levels, pre-intentional, emerging intentional and intentional. Band 2 is where formal communication develops, for example, speech or sign. At Band 3 children start to join words or signs together. At Band 4, communication and cognition start to work together to enable further learning to happen.

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ASSESSMENT

There are two screening assessments to help quickly assign children into the correct developmental band and start the full assessment.

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The full communication assessment is based on the framework.  There are six assessments for different developmental levels. It is completed in the first instance by the team around the child. In most cases, this is the education staff, parent/carers and speech and language therapist. This is a formative assessment which leads to a clear future plan which can be agreed by everybody.

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FUTURE PLANS FOR INDIVIDUALS

The future plan includes the approaches and resources required for each child to be able to make progress in communication skills.  This impacts the learning environment and guides  practitioners in supporting the individual child.

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EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan in the UK) goals are formulated from the results of the assessment and documented in the future plan.

 

CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENTAL PACKAGE

The majority of children will have their needs met in their own classroom through the classroom environmental package. This consists of creating a classroom environment where teaching styles, resources and activities are planned with the aim of developing natural communication skills.

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COMMUNICATION PATHWAY

Following assessment, speech and language therapists use the Communication Pathway as a guide to the most effective interventions or packages of support for each child.

 

PACKAGES OF SUPPORT

Some children will require extra support to access learning. These specialist packages are identified through following the CATHS Pathways. The packages include overall aims, how to deliver therapy, and a therapy example. The specialist packages are delivered by the speech and language therapist or trained communication assistants overseen by the speech and language therapist.

 

THE CATHS CURRICULUM (CATHS-C)

The CATHS-C is a developmental curriculum based on assessment. It focuses on the key milestones required for further learning. CATHS-C takes a cross curricular approach which places engaging activities at the centre of planning.

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CATHS-C includes:

• Foundation objectives

• Curriculum guide

• Subject area development showing National Curriculum Links

• ​Topics

• Lesson plans