Welcome to ABLe - The ‘one-stop shop’ for improving inclusive practice in educational settings.
The ABLe material is based on two mindmaps – The Classroom Map, and the Learner Map. You can find these under the resources tab. These maps are used to help the adult (often the teacher) to think about ways of adapting their approach to meet the needs of everyone in their group or class
There are also a range of supporting assessment materials and strategies, called 'taking a closer look' and ‘ideas for’. These can also be found in the resources section.
ABLe was developed by Dundee’s Educational Psychology Service in collaboration with colleagues in schools and nurseries; staff from Dundeeās Accessibility and Inclusion Service; NHS Tayside Occupational Therapists and Speech and Language Therapists.
It is a reflective and practical tool to help education staff understand and meet the wide range of learner needs that can be seen in most mainstream classrooms and early years settings. The information in ABLe is based on evidence-based practice or research.
In an ABLe School or Nursery,
Any adjustments to the learning environment become part of what is routinely available for everyone, rather than being something 'special' for just one person.
Over time, the learning environment is adapted to fit with all learners’ needs as much as possible.
The use of diagnostic labels is minimised. The focus is much more on what can be seen in the classroom, not what condition a child might have – as even learners with the same diagnosis may present differently in school or nursery.
Staff, children and parents have a common framework for addressing learner needs that they can use collaboratively.
For more information about the ABLe approach, contact us at dundee.eps@dundeecity.gov.uk
"(ABLe) has helped us to kind of have a deeper understanding of what kind of need the children have and it also has led us on to think about the best way that we can really support these children."
"... a very empowering tool for people."
"And it’s helped me to kind of get back to basics with my thinking about children and their needs......it’s enabled us to have very good discussions about children and to begin to put things into place."
"I’ve found ABLe absolutely fabulous."
"I have used ABLe with two of my colleagues who have children with severe behavioural problems here in the primary school and it’s amazing how that has helped me change how I react to these children, when they come to me or if I have to go and remove them from class. It has totally changed how I react with them."
"I feel that it’s difficult to go too far wrong because the basic information is in front of you and if you need to go further in depth you can then go as far as you like with a particular area you can research that so I feel quite empowered and I feel quite well informed."
"The whole thing is so practical, it’s exactly what we’re needing."