Alison Berry Consultancy aims to work in collaboration to enable ALL students to learn in a meaningful and appropriate manner.

Alison Berry brings with them over thirty years’ of experience in supporting disabled students with a wide range of additional needs.

Their expertise spans across a range of additional needs – Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD), Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD), Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Communication Difficulties, Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD) and students who can display challenging behaviour. Alison is able to offer advice on practical, meaningful, and appropriate teaching material and methods to engage and support the learning of all.

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We believe that through an adaptive teaching approach, educators are best placed to meet student ‘where they are at’. This approach can enable every student as it recognises that -

  • The learning of children has varying starting points

  • Some students will need greater support or scaffolds to access learning

  • Every child’s learning pathway can look slightly or very different depending on their development pathway

As teachers we are encouraged to continuously modify our approach, lesson content and its delivery in real-time, based on how their students are responding during the lesson.

Our evidence-based Services include:

A Deep Understanding of Diverse Needs: including the unique learning styles, challenges, and support requirements associated with each of these areas.

  • Varied Intervention Strategies: familiarity of a wide array of evidence-based strategies and approaches tailored to different educational needs.

  • Assessment and Identification Skills: identification of individual needs and the development of appropriate support plans.

A young boy with glasses smiling and holding a puppet, sitting at a table with a tablet, flashcards, and a plate with paper food items, in a room with a door and a trash can.

Our team prioritises:

  • For disabled students who are home educated, relevant teaching material to support their academic progression, with on going support.

  • Developing and delivering bespoke training programs for educators, support staff, and parents on understanding and supporting specific needs.

  • Providing expert advice and guidance to schools on creating inclusive environments and effective support systems. Including adapting the National Curriculum to enable all students to engage at their level in an appropriate and meaningful manner.

  • Conducting needs assessments and developing individualised education programs (IEPs) or support plans.

  • Facilitating workshops and seminars on specific topics related to MLD, SLD, ASD, communication difficulties, PMLD and strategies to support students who can display challenging behaviour.

  • Supporting the implementation of evidence-based interventions and strategies.

  • Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to ensure a holistic approach to support.

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  • Communication and Collaboration: effective support for students needs, with appropriate communication with families, educators, and other professionals.

  • Training and Capacity Building Skills: the ability to share knowledge and empower others to effectively support these learners.

A visual communication chart with symbols and words representing basic actions and concepts such as 'I, me, my,' 'do,' 'help,' 'play,' 'where,' 'different,' 'you, your,' 'want,' 'eat,' 'look,' 'what,' 'no,' 'Let's,' 'go,' 'stop,' 'turn,' 'there,' 'more,' 'it,' 'is,' 'drink,' 'get,' 'that,' and 'all done.' Each word has corresponding symbols or pictures, organized in a grid with color-coded borders.

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At its core, the main focus of Alison Berry-Consultancy is to provide a space in which students with learning difficulties and communication needs are placed to their best possible advantage. Having worked in the education system and with children with additional needs for over 30 years there were recurring themes which had an impact on my students ability to engage with the material being presented. 

These issues were focused around the stringency of the national curriculum  and the rate at which key aspects were taught. Enabling students to focus on skills that are developmentally appropriate and embedded within their individual educational program is paramount, as is repetition. These can then be applied to elements of the national curriculum so that each student accesses its content in an appropriate manner, in this way we are able to offer a rich and balanced educational experience.

The qualifications I have obtained have enabled me to continually reflect, re-evaluate and remodel my practice. My MA in Disability Studies  has played a key role in evaluating how the systems that we work and function in, impact upon our ability to fulfil our potential. Facilitating  student led perspectives and a ‘strengths based approach’ has enabled my students to  build their confidence, become more resilient and importantly engage in the activities presented. My BA (Hons) in Young Children’s Learning and Development, lay the foundations for better understanding of the complexity of development and its interconnections across our formative years.

Collaboration is paramount if all our students are to make meaningful progress. Engaging with a range of professionals, parents and students will best enable this progress. It is worth noting that progress will look different for each student. Small step progress is vital for all students as we strive to build confidence, maintain motivation and develop a love of learning. 

My practice has taught me that it is through developing meaningful, trustworthy relationships that we are better able to support the varying needs of our student body and I hope that this emphasis of trust, respect and reciprocal relationships will enable us as practitioners to nurture their possibilities as we too, further develop our understanding of educational pedagogy for students with learning difficulties.

I look forward to working with you to better meet the needs of our diverse learners.

Warm regards

Alison

Testimonials

R. F -

Alison uses a ‘variety of techniques, including sensory regulation activities, use of visual timetables, positive reinforcement, clear and consistent routines, de-escalation techniques, and structured rewards systems. Alison also used calm spaces, social stories, and proactive planning to identify and address triggers before behaviours escalated.’

L. G -

“Alison’s approach is student-centred, inclusive, and nurturing, emphasizing the development of independence, confidence, and life skills. Alison is a reflective practitioner who continually adapted her methods in response to individual needs within her classes.

R. L -

“Alison, is a creative teacher who is passionate about supporting pupils to reach their full potential. Alison is kind, supportive and helpful to students, colleagues and parents”

M. M -

Alison is very experienced in supporting students with diverse learning needs. Alison is based in a predominantly SLD class where she designed and delivered personalized learning that fostered both academic progress and emotional well-being. Alison built positive, professional relationships with parents/carers to ensure a holistic approach to each students academic and personal learning journey.

Our Rates for Consultants/Trainers:

Full Day (typically 6 hours)

£550 plus travel costs for extended travel (mileage, rail fares, accommodation) 

Half Day (typically 2.5-3hours)

£300 plus travel costs for extended travel (mileage, rail fares, accommodation) 

Bespoke Packages:

These will be individually negotiated and tailored to the organisation's or parents/guardians needs. 

We are able to accommodate both face to face and virtual support packages to meet the individual needs of our clients,

Twilight Sessions (up to 2 hours)

£250  plus travel costs for extended travel (mileage, rail fares, accommodation) 

Contact Us -

If you have any questions or would like to know more about the services we offer, do get in touch. We offer a free no-obligation phone call to understand the details of your situation and discuss whether our services can meet your needs.