Removing Barriers to Inclusion: Making Our Schools More Inclusive As educational leaders, inclusion should be our top priority. However, multiple systemic obstacles still prevent equitable learning environments for all. In this article, I will analyse predominant barriers to inclusion, propose evidence-based solutions, and address common questions around transforming our schools into communities where every child …
What is Attention Autism? Attention Autism is an intervention approach designed by speech-language pathologist Gina Davies to support the development of communication, social, and cognitive skills in children with autism (ASD). The program uses a progression of visually-based and highly motivating activities to teach children how to pay attention, imitate, and engage socially. The goal …
Attention Autism: A Comprehensive Guide for Teachers Read More »
The Role of an SEN TA in the U.K. Education System Special Educational Needs Teaching Assistants (SEN TAs), also known as Special Needs Assistants or Learning Support Assistants, play a crucial role in the U.K. education system. They provide support to children with a range of needs, ensuring that all students can access education in …
Effective Use of Multi-Sensory Rooms Multi-Sensory rooms are a fantastic resource but often represent a significant investment in space and money. Inclusive education is a cornerstone of modern society, and special needs teachers play a vital role in ensuring that every student receives the support they need to thrive academically and emotionally. One powerful tool …
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Introduction to Finger Gym Teaching students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) requires a unique set of skills, patience, and a toolbox of innovative teaching strategies. One of the strategies that has gained popularity in recent years is ‘Finger Gym’. This article explores the concept of Finger Gym, how it can be incorporated into your classroom, …
Embed Communication Devices in All Your Lessons Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices are becoming increasingly common in classrooms as technology advances. These devices, whether simple picture boards or sophisticated speech-generating tablets, allow students with communication difficulties to express themselves. As a teacher, you play a crucial role in ensuring students can use AAC devices …
Encouraging the Use of AAC Devices in Every Lesson Read More »
Understanding The Importance of Sensory Learning Sensory learning is a popular, creative and innovative approach to education that encourages children to explore the world around them and experience things firsthand. By engaging their senses, children can interact with new environments, materials, and textures that enrich their understanding of the world. The benefits of a sensory …
What is a tuff Tray and What Activities can I use It for? Tuff trays are an invaluable resource for early years and SEN settings, providing endless opportunities for sensory and messy play perfect for developing young minds. These durable plastic trays, filled with a variety of tuff tray activities and manipulatives, allow children to …
Sensory Processing Differences and Classroom Design ‘Sensory processing’ refers to how a person’s nervous system responds to sensory information and how they react to it. autistic individuals often find it challenging to prioritise the stimuli to process in their environment, making it difficult to focus on a single stimulus. Atypical sensory processing in autism involves …
Autism and Clumsiness: Why Does my Child Keep Falling Over? Autism, or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is a developmental disorder that affects children and adults in a whole range of ways. It is known as a “spectrum” disorder because its symptoms and severity vary among those who have it. I really liked Donna William’s Autism …
Tips for Supporting Your Child After a Diagnosis We have three children with different diagnosis. Getting a diagnosis for your child can feel overwhelming at first. Whether it’s autism, ADHD, sensory processing disorder, or another neurodiversity, the news brings many emotions. This article covers key steps to support your child after receiving a diagnosis. Seek …
Receiving a Diagnosis: Supporting Your Neurodiverse Child Read More »
How to Care for Yourself While Caring for Your SEN Child: Preventing Parental Burnout Parental burnout is reaching alarming levels among parents of children with SEN in the UK. With cuts to services, rising mortgage rates and inflation, families are under more pressure than ever. The daily struggles of raising a child with additional needs …
Effective Interventions for Pupils with SEN: What Does the Evidence Say? Providing effective support and high quality interventions for pupils with SEN (special educational needs and disabilities) can be challenging. However, research shows that evidence-based interventions tailored to pupils’ specific needs and implemented with fidelity can narrow the achievement gap. The following principles and interventions represent …
If you are supporting a child with sensory processing disorder (SPD), everyday environments can easily become overwhelming. With SPD, the brain has trouble receiving and responding appropriately to information from the senses. A child may become overstimulated by loud noises, crowds, bright lights, certain textures, or other sensory input that most people naturally filter out. This can lead …
Supporting a Child with SPD: 50 Tried and Tested Strategies Read More »
The 5 Best Free Online Autism Courses for Teaching Assistants in 2023 A common question I am asked on our Facebook page is “What are the Best Free Autism Courses for Teaching Assistants?” I will share the professional development courses our TA’s have been accessing this year. There is a lot of evidence about effective …
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The Impact of Lockdown on Autistic Children The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have had a profound impact on’s lives, including children and adolescents. At the time of writing this article, June 2023, we are seeing the challenges and outcomes of this upheaval including much-reduced attendance. It feels like there has been a subtle shift …
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What are the Learning Intentions of Sensory Stories? Sensory stories are designed to spark imagination and help students connect with learning material on an emotive and sensory level. Multi-sensory stories can be an impactful tool for students with special educational needs to learn and develop in meaningful ways. Often used with children experiencing Profound and …
Today, we’re going to delve into a topic that’s crucial for every teacher, whether you’re a seasoned professional or a fresh-faced graduate: acing the teacher interview. In fact it is so vital for our education system that the DfE are publishing guidance on it. We are in the midst of a teacher recruitment and retention …
The Teacher Interview: How to Present Yourself with Confidence & Professionalism Read More »
Evidence Informed Parenting: The Experiences of Children with ADHD Using Weighted Blankets Weighted blankets have been proposed as an intervention for children with ADHD and sleeping difficulties to improve sleep. Commonly used in many schools as well as at home. As they become more affordable, less than £20 on Amazon* or Temu* However, research on …
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Hello storytellers, our most popular page is our free multi-sensory stories page. Here we share over 20 free sensory stories all written by teachers in special schools. This post will provide an idea for a prop that can be adapted as a simple sensory resource for many sensory stories, it is an evolution of Flo …
Sensory Story Resources: Creating a Sensory Sunshade Read More »
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