This will be an ongoing post where I upload the scavenger hunt AAC communication boards and other activity sheets I make. I hope you find these useful and please share if you like them. We also have a post outlining 150 sensory learning activities you may be interested in. All the boards are fully editable … Read more
Using Snack Time at School to Enhance Communication Snack time at school can be a great opportunity to develop a number of key skills for our pupils. Given the regular nature of mealtimes in school settings and the inherent positive nature of mealtimes for most children, this activity is an outstanding context for social communication … Read more
Year Six into Year Seven Every secondary school runs a year 6 to year 7 transition programme of some sort, comprising a few visits, summer holiday events and open evenings. Children with EHCPs and on the SEN register generally get something extra. Fran from Square Peg shares her thoughts and led an SENexchange discussion. The extent … Read more
Frustration is a classic game that one of my classes chose to buy with their pocket money (Residential school). The one we have is the slamtastic version. It is brilliant for developing a range of skills. The flip paddles add a brilliant tactile element to the game. The class was a mixed group of 6 … Read more
Monitoring wellbeing using a food and mood chart We developed this food and mood chart when working with a non-verbal young man who had multiple but unclear food intolerances. This led to a highly limited diet that felt unethical. It was also felt this led to behaviours i.e the child will take food from others, … Read more
AAC Games for Communication Our next review for a game suitable for AAC users is Shark Bite. I bought this reduced at a supermarket. Shark does does tick the boxes for being suitable for use in communication and interaction sessions. It has a surprise movement to make you jump. The game has multicoloured accessories and … Read more
This post on sensory processing was inspired by a talk I attended by Olga Bogdishana. You can find the slides from her presentation on “Making sense of Sensory Needs and Challenging Behaviour” here. She has also written this book which gives a deeper insight into sensory perceptual issues. Sensory processing is a key part of … Read more
I couldn’t resist this for £7 at Wilko. A fun little AAC game especially for children that find anything to do with Poo hilarious. This requires 2 aaa batteries for the moo or fart noises. The premise of the game is that each player chooses a boot colour. You then spin the spinner to decide … Read more
This winter themed Sensory Story has been written for our “Time” topic where we are exploring the seasons. Snow Bear provides plenty of opportunities for exploring the cold of the Arctic. I have included a subtle message about climate change which depending on the age group you use it with may be useful to tie … Read more
The UK SEND Policy Guide This document captures the discussion between, parents, carers, educators and people with SEND about the state of special education in Britain in 2019 and the messages they want to send to politicians. We asked 6 questions to include in the #SENexchange SEND Political Manifesto. The answers to which we have … Read more
AAC and Interaction Games There are many ways to inspire and motivate children to communicate. One way I have found effective is structuring a game/play session. It is important to enable reluctant communicators or those who rely on AAC to fully engage with their peers. AAC means Augmentative and Alternative Communication and can range from … Read more
When I was younger I was enraptured by a storytelling by Tony Robinson. The story was that of Odysseus. Told solely by Tony running around old ruins and weaving the narrative between ancient blocks of stone. My memory is as worn as the ruins but it was this that I wanted to relive (Not even … Read more
An Autumn Sensory Story This is due to be the first in a series of 4 stories (1 for each season). Check out he winter sensory story – Snow Bear. Please take a few minutes to watch the video of my daughter reading it! The idea that each sensory story will have a unique feel … Read more
My second sensory story is about the human body. This was written for the “Body, burps and bile” topic and delivered to a group of 12-14 year old students with a range of needs including Autism and PMLD.
ECT Advice: Flipping the Narrative on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Collated by the inspirational Elly Chapple this list of top tips and ECT Advice (Early Career Teachers) 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 … Read more
Here you will find all the Special Education books listed in the database but with clickable links. these are all recommended by SEN teachers and professionals.
Class changes in September are a huge source of anxiety for all involved. There is a range of activities you can undertake to make this transition easier. I have written a blog about supporting learners with day-to-day general transitions and this one on supporting Autistic children with class transitions.
Inclusive Physical Education (PE) and SEN Some hurdles you can jump, you can see them, some are higher than others but generally the strategies and skills needed to complete the race are straightforward. Now for some of our students overcoming the hurdles needed to take part in that activity are huge and varied. When getting … Read more
This guide will provide information about the meaning of over 100 widely used acronyms.
Why sensory Learning? Sensory learning – Sensory activities are those designed by educators to facilitate exploration encouraging children to use all their senses while they, create, investigate and explore. This is usually conducted through play although in the settings I have worked in also through structured planned learning activities. The sensory activities allow children to … Read more
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