Teaching Resources, Sensory Stories and SEND Information
Flipping the Narrative on Special Educational; Needs and Disabilities. Collated by the inspirational Elly Chapple (visit her site CanDoElla here) this list of top tips for NQTs and those working in education is essential reading. It features contributions from top educational authors, teachers, parents, SENCOs, school governors and caring passionate people. All of the people… Continue reading Top SEND NQT Tips from #TeamSend #FlipTheNarrative
I think I may have found my new favourite book. I have written a lot about the importance of play in learning. I hadn't come across anyone putting forward the arguament as passionately as Peter Gray in his book Free To Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant,… Continue reading Free To Learn: A Child’s Instinct To Play
Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental difference that is characterised by a spectrum, or fruit salad of different elements. These can include difficulty with social interaction and communication. Increasingly this is looked at through the lens of "Double Empathy". You can read more about this in Pia Hämäläinen's book here. However, autism is not a disorder… Continue reading Autism and Behaviour from a Neurodiversity Affirming Perspective
Pre-Verbal Children: What Might Their Behaviour Be Telling Us? I am using the term pre-verbal to encompass pupils who have may be described as non-verbal. Really any child who does not have a communication system that is easily interpreted by others. Understanding the behaviour, or actions, of pre-verbal children can be a challenging yet rewarding… Continue reading Pre-Verbal Children: Understanding Behaviour and Supporting Early Communication
Enhancing Joy and Wellbeing: The School of Joy! Education is the foundation of personal and societal growth. As teachers, it is crucial to ensure that every child, irrespective of their abilities or disabilities, feels included and happy in the school environment. Pupils with special educational needs, often face challenges that can affect their overall wellbeing.… Continue reading Enhancing Joy and Wellbeing for Pupils with Special Educational Needs: Evidence-Informed Approaches
Micro Transitions and Support Strategies for Students with Special Educational Needs For pupils with special educational needs (SEN), the numerous small or micro-transitions that happen throughout the school day can be particularly challenging to navigate. These micro-transitions involve changes in activity, environment, physical state, emotion, companionship and more - and the lack of control or… Continue reading Micro-Transitions and Support Strategies
The Case Against Restraint and Seclusion Restraint and seclusion are controversial practices in the field of behaviour support. Historically, these tactics have been employed as last-resort measures to manage challenging behaviours in individuals with disabilities, mental health issues, or neurodivergent conditions. There is growing opposition to restraint and seclusion. Based on the point that these… Continue reading The Case Against Restraint and Seclusion: Perspectives from Lived Experience and the Neurodivergent Community
How do you ensure your classroom is inclusive? We continue our recruitment and interview tips guide for SEN teachers with a post looking at how to answer the question - How do you ensure your classroom is inclusive?There are many challenges that come with teaching diverse learners in an inclusive classroom. As teachers of SEN,… Continue reading Teaching Interview Question: “How do you ensure your classroom is inclusive?”
This is just a lighthearted post reflecting on some of the possible situations you may encounter when discussing technology used in education. In some cases I speak from experience, but I have learnt from that, I hope. I would love to hear your edtech mistakes experiences. The Gimmick - these seem like a good idea,… Continue reading 6 Education Technology Pitfalls to Avoid
Metacognition, or the ability to think about one's own thinking, holds immense potential in supporting Autistic individuals as they navigate the complexities of our education system. By understanding cognitive load theory and the role of metacognition in managing cognitive load, educators and therapists can harness the power of the EEF favourite - metacognitive strategies to help their pupils overcome… Continue reading Metacognition & Autism: Cognitive Load & Metacognitive Strategies
Why Gaming can be Beneficial for Autistic Children As the parent of an autistic child, I am always on the lookout for activities that will help stimulate and engage my son. He is now really into gaming on his switch. This interest was minecraft. He has now moved onto Fortnite. While many people frown upon… Continue reading Parenting: The Benefits of Gaming
Many children with autism struggle with executive functioning. For these children, initiating tasks and sustaining attention, especially for non-preferred tasks, can be nearly impossible. Many children I have worked with appear to "freeze" and have trouble taking the first step (Mazefsky et al., 2013). Yet once initiated, they are often able to complete tasks or… Continue reading Getting Pupils to Maintain Attention on Non-Preferred Tasks
What is Joint Attention? Joint attention, the ability to share attention with another person towards an object, activity or event, is a crucial skill for social development and learning. For the pupilI work with it is a crucial skill to teach. For some joint attention skills do not develop naturally and needs to be taught… Continue reading Teaching Joint Attention to Children: Evidence-Informed Best Practices
As I come to the end of my NPQH (National Professional Qualification for Headship) I have been reflecting on myself as a leader and the things I am trying to develop. Through the process of reflection I came across a few theories that I think are linked, and possibly affect a lot of leaders (though… Continue reading Imposter Syndrome? or Are You just a Reluctant or Incomplete Leader?
In recent years, we have seen growing awareness regarding the importance of mental health and its impact on overall well-being. As a result, there is an increasing emphasis on understanding the ethical implications of various psychological interventions. One such area of concern is the use of psychological restraint in healthcare, education and other contexts. In… Continue reading Psychological Restraint: A Violation of Human Rights?
How can we maximise Learning for pupils in our classrooms? Research shows that learning is most effective when done in an active, engaging manner that combines behaviour, cognition, and emotion (Immordino-Yang & Damasio, 2007). Recent neuroscience advances explore the links between emotion, social functioning, and decision making, providing new insights into the role of affect… Continue reading Maximise Learning: The Three Essential Ingredients
Inclusion in Education: Multiple Perspectives Inclusion in education is a widely debated topic with various perspectives and approaches. The core concept is the idea of providing equal access to education for all students, regardless of their abilities, backgrounds, and learning needs. The term "inclusive education" can be a bit vague. In general, it is accepted… Continue reading Inclusion in Education: A Comprehensive Overview of Different Perspectives
The letter below was written by a parent of an autistic child who read one of our recent posts on the importance of co-regulation. Too often our schools can be aversive places for children. As parents and teachers, as humans, we want our children to be happy and fulfilled at school. It should be a… Continue reading The Power of Co-Regulation: A Letter from a Parent of an Autistic Child
Our Favourite Books For Play based Learning As parents, we all want to ensure that our children are learning and growing in the best possible way. Using play as a way to promote learning is not only effective, but it's also super fun! Children get to learn new skills, express their creativity, and make new… Continue reading The 4 Top Books About Learning Through Play
Online Safety Here are some more resources to use with students who require symbol support for #SID2016 or general digital citizenship resources. They are in both PPT format and link to the widgit online site if you have a subscription. I have a second post here with a couple more ideas. A Communication/Discussion Board Here… Continue reading Some More Safer Internet Day Resources #SID2016
Implementing Effective Change in Schools This post is taken from a reflection for my NPQH course. School leaders are constantly seeking ways to improve their schools and enhance student outcomes. However, implementing meaningful change is challenging and many school improvement efforts fail to lead to sustained improvements. The Education Endowment Foundation, an independent charity dedicated to breaking the link… Continue reading EEF Guidance on Implementing Effective Change in Schools
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