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Every Child Matters
Today’s children are living in a world that moves so quickly, expects so much and develops at speed, our practice needs to consider all of that.
Play is the answer, however play for the children of today needs to be shaped and scaffold differently. No more so than for children who have needs special and specific to them.
We are delighted to share our day with three amazingly knowledgeable and experienced educators.
Each will offer insights to their thoughts, ideas and evidence of how we can create environments to support our children with Additional Special Needs.
Alice and Marie Workshopping
During the day delegates will be invited by our team to engage in a range multisensory play ideas to capture thinking and doing for every child.
Carol Allen – education advisor for Inclusion and ICT https://hirstwood.com/associates/carol-allen/
This lively session will focus on accessible, inclusive teaching and learning opportunities in the earliest stages of education. Beginning with an exploration of the importance of understanding the coordinating role of sensory information in the brain and what to do with imbalance, we will move to aligning this with developmental processes, especially the role of Executive Function.
This will be followed by an understanding of UDL (universal design for learning) which aims to provide inclusive offerings proactively in our settings rather than always playing ‘catchup’ and having to use reactive responses to need. There will be a plethora of practical examples and ideas to take away and try in your setting.
Finally, we will focus on student voice. Speaking and listening are the core skills for later communication. They are also the way we create relationships; make our wants and needs known and establish our understanding of the world. Yet communication difficulties, of all types, are a primary barrier for so many starting play group, nursery or school. So we will look at how a communication friendly setting can work to support every child that joins it. From simple classroom accommodations to early technology you will gain ideas and hopefully be empowered to try these out yourself.
Tanya Tennant – Autism Training and Consultancy http://www.tanyatennant.co.uk
This session will support attendees to;
Cheryl Warren – Early Years Neuroinclusion Specialist https://www.aperiontraining.co.uk/about
Becoming a neurodiversity affirming educator
All children need our support, our understanding and the opportunity to connect with us. But what if children are playing and behaving in a way that we haven’t seen before, in a way that is different to their peers, and we are unsure how to connect with them, play with them or know how best to support them? In this session Cheryl will explore the reasons why neurodivergent children react and respond differently in our environments, provide us with an understanding of their sensory needs and their impact on how they navigate an early years space. Cheryl will help us all to know why we should be and then how we can become a neurodiversity affirming educator, one who provides safe environments for neurodivergent children and their families to thrive.