Autism
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how a person communicates and relates to people around them. People with autism can often have accompanying learning disabilities, but everyone with the condition shares a difficulty in making sense of the world. Reality to an autistic person is a confusing, interacting mass of events, people, places, sounds and sights. Asperger syndrome is a form of autism at the higher functioning end of the autistic spectrum.
The National Autistic Society runs courses, workshops and conferences, including:
* An introduction to autism and Asperger syndrome, a half-day course in London on 15 January.
* Helping children with semantic and pragmatic learning difficulties to learn and communicate in the classroom, in Edinburgh on 28 January.
* Practical ideas for the management of children with autistic spectrum difficulties in a school setting, in London on 3 February.
* Educating children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD), in Guildford on 7 June.
The Autistic Spectrum Disorder Support Service is holding a course in Brighton on:
* Communication difficulties in pupils with ASD, on 17 March. This day course will look at the communication difficulties of pupils who have ASD, and practical group tasks focusing on a range of strategies.
The British Institute of Learning Difficulties (BILD) has a conference on:
* Good autism practice, in Nottingham on 13 March. This day conference will explore good practice in working with children and adults who have ASD.
In Northern Ireland, Parents and Professionals Against Autism (PAPA) seeks to ensure children and adults within the autistic spectrum and their carers have access to appropriate services.
Stirling Council Early Childhood Services is running a day course on:
* Working with children on the autistic spectrum, on 20 February. This course is designed to give participants a greater understanding of autism and to suggest strategies to support staff in their daily practice.
Cerebral palsy
The Conductive Education Centre runs training courses and information mornings for professionals working with children with cerebral palsy in mainstream education. Courses include:
* Boxing clever, on 27 January. This is a course for SENCOs, teachers and learning support staff working with Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils, in mainstream and special school settings.
* A child with cerebral palsy in the classroom, on 6, 27, February and 3 April.
* Disability awareness:Cerebral palsy. This course focuses on the difficulties and solutions to communication for children with little useful speech.
* Information mornings for professionals, covering conductive education, training, and support for children with cerebral palsy.
Down's syndrome
The Down Syndrome Educational Trust runs workshops at the Sarah Duffen Centre in Portsmouth, for early years professionals, parents, teachers and health visitors, including:
* Meeting the educational needs of children with Down's syndrome in mainstream schools - covering infant and junior schools, on 27 January and 12 May. This day workshop is recommended for schools or staff new to the inclusion of children with Down's syndrome.
* The development and education of children with Down's syndrome in infancy, on 17 February. This day workshop covers social, emotional and motor development, self-help skills, speech, language and communication, early reading and number, and encouraging age-appropriate behaviour.
* The development and education of children with Down's syndrome.
Epilepsy
The National Society for Epilepsy runs:
* Epilepsy seminars from 1.30 to 4.30pm at its Buckinghamshire headquarters on 13 January, 18 February, 20 March, 24 April, 20 May and 17 June . They give participants a basic introduction to epilepsy and an update on the latest information, including seizure classification and management, and the social and psychological implications of the condition. There is a suggested donation of at least 15 per person. To book call 01494 601392. The society also welcomes queries from Nursery World readers about training in epilepsy.
Hearing impairment
The National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS) is the only UK charity exclusively dedicated to supporting deaf children and their families in overcoming the challenges of deafness. Its workshops include:
* Early years information day for families, in Peterborough on 25 January and Nottingham on 8 March. This day is free for the parents and carers of a newly-identified deaf child under the age of five. The workshop includes a drop-in advice shop, information sessions, supervised activities and a creche.
* Parenting days, in London on 8 February and Birmingham on 5 April. The focus for this day is the Parents' Toolkit, developed by NDCS, which contains resources, information and advice based on bringing up a deaf child. The day will also provide an opportunity to meet other parents of deaf children.
* Family information day, in London in March. This day will give parents an opportunity to find out more information on the needs of, and support available for, their deaf children.
* The annual NDCS conference and exhibition, in Telford on 20 June. The conference theme is 'Challenging childhood deafness - Expanding horizons'
and it will focus on the rights of deaf children and young people today and how they can develop to their potential in line with their hearing peers.
Learning disabilities
The British Institute for Learning Disabilities (BILD) is the leading organisation in the field of learning disabilities. Its courses and conferences include:
* Overview of the BILD physical interventions programme, in Worcestershire on 10 January.
* Guide to the joint Department of Health/Department for Education and Skills guidance on physical interventions, in London on 21 January and Swindon on 11 March.
* Using physical interventions in services for children, in Warwick on 17 January, Edinburgh on 23 January and Belfast on 6 February.
* Human rights and child protection, in Birmingham on 23 January.
* Risk management in physical intervention, in Edinburgh on 24 January, Birmingham on 19 March and London on 20 March.
* Quality - A person-centred approach, in Warwick on 3 February.
* Key issues in children's services, in Swindon on 12 February.
* Implementing the Learning Disability Awards Framework (LDAF), in Bristol on 3 March, London on 4 March, Kidderminster on 12 March, Cambridge on 13 March, Newcastle on 24 March and Manchester on 25 March.
* Physical interventions network day, in Worcestershire on 4 March, 8 April and 1 July.
* Developing policies in physical intervention, in Swindon on 12 March, Manchester on 1 April, London on 3 April and Birmingham on 4 April.
Portage Portage is a home-visiting service specifically for pre-school children with special needs. It is based on the principle that parents are the key figures in the care and development of their child. Portage includes weekly home visits by a trained home visitor; weekly written teaching activities designed for each individual child and parent; teaching and recording carried out by the parent; and weekly supervision by the home visitor. The National Portage Association runs:
* Basic training workshops throughout the country, covering portage history, theories and basic practice.
Special educational needs
All Together training and consultancy offers in-house training on the inclusion of young children who have special educational needs and other aspects of anti-discriminatory practice - from birth to the end of the Foundation Stage on topics including:
* Making inclusion work in early years settings.
* Good practice in making a policy on SEN/inclusion.
* Working with the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.
* Implications of disability discrimination legislation for early years settings.
* Anti-discriminatory practice in the early years.
Children in Scotland runs workshops, including:
* Promoting positive behaviour in the early years, in Stirling on 20 June.
* Participation training: Making participation meaningful, in Dundee on 25 June.
* Therapeutic play with children with disabilities, in Edinburgh on 28 June.
* Dealing with conflict, anger and aggression.
* Knowing me, knowing you: valuing diversity in the early years.
* The Mosaic approach to listening to young children.
CJ Associates in High Wycombe runs courses on:
* Special educational needs and the role of the special educational needs co-ordinator.
* Effective communication with disabled children and young people. This is a day course for those in contact with children whose disability may affect their communication.
The Council for Awards in Children's Care and Education (CACHE) Level 3 Certificate in Professional Development in Work with Children and Young People has an optional unit on:
* Working with children and young people who have special needs.
Direction Training and Management runs a course on:
* The role of special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCOs).
Kidsactive is a national charity whose mission is to ensure that the play needs of disabled children and young people are fulfilled. It offers inclusive play and childcare courses (some endorsed) for workers at all levels, as well as giving an introduction to disability legislation for policymakers. These include:
* Planning Inclusive Play (PIP). This is a 60-hour, Level 3 course that provides theoretical and practical training to enable team leaders to be confident in implementing inclusive policy and practice. It has been developed through a contract from the Department for Education and Skills.
Kidsactive publications that support this work include Side by Side: Guidelines for inclusive play, It doesn't just happen: inclusive management for inclusive play and a free bi-annual newsletter Pipnews.
The Montessori Centre International is running seminars on:
* Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), in London on 8 March. It will explore strategies for helping families and early years practitioners.
* Special educational needs code of practice, in London on 17 May. This seminar explores legislation relating to the support of children with SEN in Montessori classrooms.
* Discipline and obedience - how they work in the Montessori classroom, in London on 14 June. This seminar will look at strategies for encouraging the development of self-discipline as the key to supporting positive behaviour in any nursery setting.
The Centre also has a two-stage distance learning professional development course on:
* Special educational needs. This course is designed to provide an introduction to the theoretical and practical aspects of special needs education.
The National Association for Special Educational Needs (NASEN) has produced policies on the early years, professional development, partnership with parents, curriculum access and learning support assistants, among others.
Conferences include:
* Language development in the early years: Can't speak? Won't speak? Don't speak? Aspects of identification and intervention, in Liverpool on 25 January.
* Profound and multiple learning difficulties - interactive learning, in Cheadle, Cheshire on 15 February.
* Developing skills in special educational needs for newly-qualified teachers, in Bournemouth on 15 March.
* Getting the message across - helping children with language and learning difficulties to access the curriculum, in Milton Keynes on 29 March.
The National Children's Bureau (NCB) is running a series of day seminars on:
* Getting it right from the start: what are the implications of the Special Educational Needs Disability Act and the Disability Discrimination Act for early years services?, in Bristol on 6 February, London on 12 March, and Birmingham on 19 March.
The National Early Years Network offers a range of special educational needs workshops across the UK on:
* The SEN code of practice. This workshop looks at the implications of the code of practice for those responding to the special educational needs of individual children, and what it means to the whole nursery.
* Issues relating to specific disability groups. This workshop offers a valuable introduction to concepts of normal and atypical development in children and how it affects their families.
* SEN policymaking - Process and principles. This workshop focuses on putting policies in place that are inclusive, robust, family-friendly and meet the requirements of both the SEN revised code of practice and plans drawn up by Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships (EYDCPs).
The Northern Ireland Childminding Association runs a 20-hour course on:
* Extra special - caring for children with additional needs. This course covers the labeling and history of disability etiquette; causes of conditions; observing, planning and evaluating learning for special needs children; communication systems for special needs; and behaviour management and child protection.
NIPPA: The Early Years Organisation runs short courses in Northern Ireland for early years staff and parents, including:
* Managing challenging behaviour in children. This course is designed to give practitioners skills to support parents and carers faced with children who exhibit challenging behaviour.
* Promoting child learning through adult/child interaction. This workshop is to enhance interaction with children. Participants will learn about the importance of supporting children's play and strategies for interacting effectively with children.
* The pre-school child with autism - Developing a visually-structured approach.
* Working with children who have special needs. This 20-hour course will enable practitioners to develop the skills needed to plan structured programmes to help children who have SEN, in consultation with parents, carers and other professionals.
The Pre-school Learning Alliance runs:
* Special needs certificate. This qualification is designed for special educational needs co-ordinators and for those who, having achieved a DPP, wish to specialise in special needs. The course involves 60 guided learning hours and the equivalent amount of time on assignments. Its aim is to enable students to develop the understanding and competence needed to work with children who have special needs and their families in pre-school settings, and to increase their understanding of legislation relevant to pre-school settings and provision for children with special needs.
* Managing children's behaviour. This ten-hour course explores what is meant by challenging behaviour, its causes and the role of adults in developing a positive framework.
* A special needs introductory course. This 20-hour course provides an introduction to working with children who have special educational needs.
Students explore ways they can help all children to be included in play and learning activities. This course is ideal for staff, volunteers and parents/carers, and is essential for anyone considering becoming a SENCO.
* Legislation into practice. This introductory six-hour workshop is designed to help staff apply the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. The course will assist special educational needs co-ordinators to implement the Code of Practice.
* Workshops on the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. This 20-hour course provides a full briefing on current SEN legislation.
The Riverside Early Years Training Centre runs courses in Tyneside on special educational needs, including:
* An introduction to working with children and young people with special needs, Level 1, on 8 and 15 January, and 30 April and 7 May. This course aims to raise awareness of children's educational rights, the principles of inclusion and to raise understanding of those who have SEN. Topics include legislation, statementing, the role of the educational psychologist and the SENCO support worker, working with parents and meeting the needs of children in the classroom. Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), autism, dyspraxia and vision and hearing difficulties will also be covered. This training counts towards SENCO requirements and Foundation Stage training for those working with three-and four-year-olds.
* An introduction to special needs, identification and assessment, three to five years.
* An introduction to the new Code of Practice for Children with Special Needs. This training counts towards SENCO requirements and Foundation Stage training for people working with children aged three and four.
* A positive approach to behaviour management for the under-fives. The course gives an insight into reasons behind children's behaviour.
Speech and language I CAN is the national educational charity for children who have speech and language difficulties. It runs a number of courses relevant for early years professionals, including:
* An introduction to Autism and Asperger's Syndrome, in London on 15 January and 11 June.
* Learning language and loving it: The Hanen Program for involving early childhood educators and teachers as language facilitators, in London on 22 to 24 January. This is a three-day advanced workshop for Hanen-certified speech and language therapists to enable them to provide intensive group training for teachers in early childhood settings.
* Helping children with semantic and pragmatic language difficulties to learn and communicate in the classroom, on 28 January.
* Practical ideas for the management of children with Autistic spectrum difficulties in a school setting, in London on 3 February.
* Teaching reading and spelling to pupils with specific learning difficulties.
* Practical ideas for the management of children with autistic spectrum difficulties in a school, in Glasgow on 29 April.
* Setting the foundations of nursery-aged children with speech and language difficulties, in London on 14 May.
* The Spotlights on language communication system: focusing attention on the structure of verbal language, in Edinburgh on 17 May.
* Enabling pupils with speech and language difficulties to achieve through the National Literacy Strategy at Key Stages 1, 2 and 3, in Nottingham on 19 June.
* Code-compliant IEPs for children with speech and language difficulties, in Northern Ireland on 24 June.
* National Literacy Strategy (Key Stage 1): meeting the needs of children with specific speech and language impairments, in Birmingham on 26 June.
Stirling Council Early Childhood Services runs courses on:
* The development of effective communication - the speech and language perspective, on 23 and 30 January. Strategies on how to help children with language difficulties and the development of good practice.
* Working with children on the Autistic spectrum, on 20 February, is designed to give a greater understanding of autism and suggest strategies to support staff in their practice.
* Supporting children with special rights and special needs - The early years support service, on 20 March. This two-hour course includes the staged intervention process in the identification of children's particular needs and rights, and how to work with children with IEPs. The role played by the early years support service with children in this situation will also be discussed.
* Team teach. This course will support best practice in relation to children who have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. It will suggest and demonstrate practical ways of helping children who exhibit aggressive and challenging behaviour.
