Special Education Book Directory
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.
Transition: A New Class
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.
Assessment for PMLD
Rethinking Assessment for PMLD learners. In 2015, Cherry Garden School decided their assessment and reporting procedures were no longer fit for purpose. Although we had just received our third consecutive Outstanding judgement from Ofsted, we were aware that our assessment ‘data‘ wasn’t always meaningful, and that many of our children didn’t make typical linear progress. […]
Invisible Hurdles: PE and SEND
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 students with a range of needs […]
The SEND Acronym Guide
This guide will provide information about the meaning of over 100 widely used acronyms.
Special Education Interview Guide
Whether you are a newly qualified teacher or an experienced educator, we will be able to help you secure positions working in one of the most rewarding sectors of UK education.
Sensory Learning Activities: An A-Z.
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 […]
Spring 2019 SEND blog roundup.Â
There were so many important developments in the world of special education during the first part of 2019. Many seem to be focussing (and about time) on humanising the stories behind the labels and pushing for accountability of those in positions of power.
SEN Parents: An Essential Educational Partnership
Every successful placement requires the best possible communication and working relationship between parents and carers and schools
An Essential Guide to Teaching Phonics in Early Years
Written for us by an Early Years leader, this post outlines a suggested phonics session, the activities and routine will be appropriate for all mainstream settings, and with a little imagination to any SEN setting. The phonics session mirrors what I taught to my class. Keeping the same routine really helped my autistic learners and is the key takeaway from this post.
Emotional Regulation in SEND: Resources
Recognising your own emotions and identifying effective strategies for managing these is a key skill for any child.
Behaviour: Debriefing and Post-Incident Support
You can call it challenging behaviour but these events really demonstrate is a highly anxious,frustrated or traumatic reaction to stress, Autistic children are not any more prone to behavioural incidents than other children so we need to look deeper if our interactions or environment is leading to issues.
Special Education: Life beyond school
f teaching is a vocation then working in the field of special needs is a calling.
Top Tips for an SEN NQT
It is that time of year when trainee teachers are finishing their placements and looking for a school to begin their teaching career in. I hope some of you consider moving into the SEN sector. It is a great opportunity to build so many essential skills. It is also a great way to get to know the child behind the label, behind the stereotypes and textbook generalisations.
Why is Inclusive Education Essential?
Inclusive education is at the heart of education thinking in the UK but seems constantly challenged by policies such as Zero Tolerance behaviour and spending cuts that remove the support so important for our children to thrive in school.
Inclusive teacher: Engaging the failed child.
I am aware this blog is quite niche to special education settings but I hope teachers from all settings will be able to find use for these suggestions.
Making your classroom Inclusive for all learners: Approach
This is part two of our post on making sure your classroom is accessible to all learners. Part one looks at making the environment right for all learners. This post looks at the essential human aspect that changes a room into a learning space that your children want to be in. Remember the biggest influence […]
Sibling relationships in Neurodiverse families
The interactions, bonds and relationships of a family unit are so diverse that what may help one family will insult another.
13 Questions to ask to ensure you are an inclusive school.
This is blog post is primarily school-based and SEND focused, but can any education or care setting that strives to be truly inclusive should be able to use this as an environmental and relational approach based checklist or simple inclusion audit tool. Before you start looking at strategies or labeling a child’s actions as challenging […]
The Mental Health crisis facing our most vulnerable children.
There are many many children out there who are crying out for help. There are many dedicated, enthusiastic, creative and compassionate people who are desperate to help. These people need help, we are increasingly facing highly complex issues that very few educational professionals are equipped to deal with. I am writing this as a teacher but I know there are CAMHS workers, social workers and support staff throughout the country who are feeling like this.