AUTISM & ASPERGER'S SYNDROME
BRITISH INSTITUTE OF LEARNING DISABILITIES (BILD)
- Autism Awareness - a basic understanding: an introductory event aimed at everyone wishing to develop awareness and understanding of people who have an autistic spectrum disorder.
- Communication and Autism: this event will enable participants to gain insight into the complexities of communication for individuals with autism, and identify practical strategies in adjusting our language and the way in which we communicate.
CONCEPT TRAINING
- Sensory differences and the role of positive touch: gives an insight into the arena of sensory differences and addresses the need for coping strategies and positive interventions. A variety of practical ways to encourage positive touch are explored.
- Inclusive play: course for anyone working in an inclusive setting or trying to develop an inclusive approach to play.
- Success with people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder: develop effective strategies for working with people who have autistic spectrum disorder - find out the causes and effects of autistic spectrum disorder and how a person with ASD sees the world.
- Improving the Skills of Children with Asperger's Syndrome: a practical approach to the challenges and difficulties of working with children who have a syndrome.
EARLY YEARS ORGANISATION
- The pre-school child with autism - developing a visually structured approach: 12.5-hour course looking at autism and effective intervention strategies in helping children achieve their full potential.
MARIA MONTESSORI INSTITUTE
- Understanding and supporting the child with an autistic spectrum disorder: one-day workshop focusing on understanding and supporting individual children in the classroom.
NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY
- Introduction to TEACCH: one-day seminar covering the basic principles of the TEACCH approach. A general awareness of autism is required.
- Three-day introduction to TEACCH: covers the basic principles of the TEACCH approach in more detail. A general awareness of autism is required.
- First time with ASD: seminar targeted at practitioners coming into contact with autistic spectrum disorders for the first time. It looks at what ASDs are, strategies for the classroom, how to support a child with ASD and social support in and out of school.
AUTISM NORTHERN IRELAND
- Fundamentals of autism: one-day course.
- Fundamentals of Asperger's syndrome: one-day course.
- The principles of TEACCH: one-day introduction.
INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON
- Understanding Children on the Autistic Spectrum: this course will outline indications in children that should concern early years practitioners and explore implications for affected children's development and life chances. The difference between autism and Asperger's syndrome will be clarified, looking at real-life case studies, and how different children have responded to different intervention strategies.
SCOTTISH SOCIETY FOR AUTISM
- An introduction to autism spectrum disorders: one-day workshop for practitioners new to the field, covering basic concepts and theories relating to ASD.
- Asperger's syndrome - the facts: one-day course.
- Understanding and Supporting people with Asperger's syndrome: one-day course which covers interpreting the presentation of Asperger's Syndrome and the impact it has for the individual, and practical compensatory strategies to address the impact of social and psychological understanding.
- Asperger's syndrome - talking to intimacy: one day course exploring the key issues of dysfunction and perceptions of responses to dysfunctional behaviour and sense of self and understanding self in relation to others.
- Supporting People with ASD through Structured Teaching: two-day course exploring the key issues in ASD from a structured teaching perspective, and the ways in which structured teaching can be used to support people with ASD throughout the day and across settings.
- Asperger's Syndrome Encounter Forum: a structured open discussion on Asperger's syndrome and associated issues.
- Anger Management and Sensory Issues: one-day course exploring why people with autism get angry and how anger can be alleviated.
- Sex Education with ASD: one day-course which explores the qualitative differences in the socio-sexual development of people with ASD and practical strategies for sex education and counselling.
THE SCHOOL OF INFANT MENTAL HEALTH
- Behavioural signs of autism in infants: three-day course on recognising child cases of autism and early interventions.
BEREAVEMENT
CHILD BEREAVEMENT CHARITY
- A whole-school approach to bereavement: aims to raise awareness that bereavement is a whole-school issue that staff need to take on board and gives an insight into pupils' responses to loss and grief and why this might include behaviour which is challenging.
- Children and young people - loss, death and grief: one-day multi-disciplinary workshop.
- Creative ways of helping children and families: one-day workshop looking at the needs of children and creative ways of helping families communicate.
MARIA MONTESSORI INSTITUTE
- Talking about Death and Bereavement: death customs and rituals from an historical, cultural and religious perspective; there will also be an exploration of the grieving process. There will be an open-ended discussion on how our own attitudes towards death and mourning have an impact on how we react to a child's experience of loss.
NATIONAL CHILDREN'S BUREAU
- Grief matters for children: promoting effective bereavement strategies in schools: one-day conference.
DEAFBLINDNESS
SENSE
- Training for intervenors: one-week courses for those working one-to-one with the congenitally deafblind.
DOWN SYNDROME
DOWN SYNDROME EDUCATIONAL TRUST
- Down Syndrome Education Conference: expert training for early years professionals supporting young children who have Down Syndrome.
- Supporting social and emotional developoment and managing behaviour for children and young people with Down Syndrome aged three to 16 years: one-day in-depth training covering issues related to the social and emotional development and behaviour of young people with Down Syndrome.
DYSLEXIA AND DYSPRAXIA
BRITISH DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION
The BDA promotes early identification and support in schools to ensure there is opportunity to learn for dyslexic learners.
ICAN
- Dyspraxia - fundamentals and practice: practical guide for recognising signs of dyspraxia. Explores practical ideas for helping children.
MONTESSORI CENTRE INTERNATIONAL
- Helping children with dyslexia and dyspraxia: practical guide for recognising early signs of dyslexia and dyspraxia. Explores practical ideas for helping children.
EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIOURAL DIFFICULTIES
ACORN CHILDCARE TRAINING
- Working with challenging behaviour of all ages: one-day course covering topics such as prevention and crisis behaviour management.
CHILDREN IN SCOTLAND
- Dealing with conflict, anger and aggression: workshop looking at the communicative function of some challenging behaviours.
CONCEPT TRAINING
- Positive ways of changing behaviour: course about supporting children to change their behaviour rather than the carer just managing or coping.
I CAN
- Understanding and Supporting School-aged Children with Behavioural and Social difficulties (BESD) and Speech Language and Communication Needs (SLCN): this interactive course will provide theoretical and practical insight into the links between language and behaviour, and how these impact on access to education and social development. There will be opportunities to share insights and strategies.
NATIONAL SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO CHILDREN (NSPCC)
- Domestic abuse and its impact on children: Three-day training course for practitioners and managers, to help consider the issue of domestic violence and its impact upon children.
THE SCHOOL OF INFANT MENTAL HEALTH
The School of Infant Mental Health offers integrated educational and training programmes for professionals working with under-fives. Courses include career training, primary care and specialised psychotherapeutic skills.
SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIOURAL DIFFICULTIES ASSOCIATION (SEBDA)
SEBDA, formerly the Association of Workers for Children with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (AWCEBD), promotes excellence in services for children who have emotional and behavioural difficulties.
FRAGILE X SYNDROME
FRAGILE X SOCIETY
Fragile X Society supports those with Fragile X syndrome - the most common cause of inherited learning disability - their families and professionals working with them.
HEARING IMPAIRMENT
ACORN CHILDCARE TRAINING
- Deaf awareness: short course examining issues relating to deafness in childcare settings.
NATIONAL DEAF CHILDREN'S SOCIETY (NDCS)
The NDCS is the only UK charity dedicated to supporting deaf children and their families in overcoming the challenges of childhood deafness.
LEARNING DISABILITIES
ACORN CHILDCARE TRAINING
- Effective communication with disabled children and young people: one-day course for those whose role involves contact with children whose disability may affect their communication.
BRITISH INSTITUTE OF LEARNING DISABILITIES (BILD)
- Understanding learning disabilities and providing great support: explores what the term 'learning disability' means and explores the core difficulties people with learning disabilities experience. Identifies ways to provide effective person-centred support.
- Exploring sexual and social understanding: one-day course on promoting the rights of people with learning disabilities while protecting them from abuse and exploitation.
- Activities for communication for people with profound learning disabilities: one-day course which should help practitioners communicate more effectively with individuals with PLD and use a range of activities as contexts for communicationg, eg stories, social activities, sensory experiences art and music.
ENABLE
Enable is the largest membership organisation in Scotland for people with learning disabilities and for family carers. Enable's services include legal advice and direct care services for children and adults with learning disabilities.
ENABLE IRELAND
Enable Ireland's services cover all aspects of a child's physical, educational and social development from early infancy.
MENCAP
Mencap is the UK's leading disability charity working with children and adults with a learning difficulty and their families and carers, to improve their lives and opportunities.
PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENT (PSD)
Working with children who have special needs: two-day course covering legislation, what special needs are, working with and planning for children with special needs.
WALES PRE-SCHOOL PLAYGROUPS ASSOCIATION
- PLAYING TOGETHER: Dealing with the integration of children with special/additional needs into an early years setting
PORTAGE
NATIONAL PORTAGE ASSOCIATION
Portage is a home-visiting service for pre-school children who have special needs. It is based on the principle that parents are the key figures in the care and development of their child. Portage's four main activities are: weekly home visits by a trained home visitor; weekly written teaching activities designed for the individual child and parent; teaching and recording carried out by the parent; and weekly supervision by the home visitor.
- Training workshops: covering Portage history, theories and basic practice, suitable for parents and professionals working with pre-school children with special needs.
SPEECH AND LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES
AFASIC
Afasic seeks to raise awareness and to create better services and provision for children and young people with speech and language impairments.
BRITISH STAMMERING ASSOCIATION
British Stammering Association aims to help eliminate stammering in children by improving information for practitioners. Its courses include:
- BSA National Conference September 2009 - 'Making Connections: A programme of practical workshops, new ideas, time to talk and eat and special welcomes to first-timers. The programme will have two themes, education and transition.
I CAN
I CAN helps children with speech and language difficulties across the UK. It provides a combination of specialist therapy and education for children, information for parents, and training and advice for teachers and other professionals. Its courses include:
- Semantic and Pragmatic Language Disorder in the Classroom: this course will explore the typical features of pupils described as having a 'semantic and pragmatic language disorder', where social interaction is the main area of disability. The course will focus on a problem-solving approach to managing these types of communication and behaviour difficulties in the classroom.
VISUAL IMPAIRMENT
ROYAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND
The RNIB offers information, support and advice to more than two million people who have sight problems.
- For courses on inclusion, see Equal Opportunities, page 40
