Autism and the Primary School Programme (Professional) St. Brendan's Girls National, Co Cork

Autism, Learning Styles, and Visual Teaching Methods
This training session will provide information on supportive practices in the functional use of visual supports.

The focus of this course is in understanding the learning style, strengths, interests and needs of the autistic child and how these can be facilitated using visuals. This will assist those who support the child in the teaching of life skills, emotional regulation, and daily planning, creating opportunities for communication and independence.

Expected Outcomes

• Understand how the use of visuals can support the thinking and learning style of autistic child.
• Understand how the use of visuals can be generalised across all environments and can build on the learning experience in school, home, and the wider community.
• Learn how to develop visual supports in a practical manner to maximise the child’s strengths and provide support if necessary.
• How to develop visuals and implement supportive visual practice

Autism and Communication.
This training opportunity explores the differences between non-autistic and autistic communication styles. It equips participants with the knowledge needed to recognise and respect communication differences, as well as adjust their own communication approach to effectively assist autistic children in both home and school settings.

Participants will:

• Explore current relevant theories pertaining to communication differences
• Consider their own communication tendencies and how these can either help or hinder autistic individuals in their communication
• Explore various supportive practices to enhance both the understanding and expression of communication in a supportive manner.

This session explores the differences in non-autistic vs autistic communication styles. It provides delegates with an understanding of how to appreciate communication differences and adapt their communication style to better support autistic children and young people at home and school.

Delegates will:

• Explore current relevant theories related to communication differences
• Develop an understanding of their own communication preferences and how these might hinder or support the autistic communicator
• Explore a range of supportive practices in receptive, understanding, and expressive communication

Autism and Sensory Processing
Sensory processing refers to the ability of a child to register, interpret and respond to sensory information. This is a complex process involving all the sensory systems, auditory, gustatory, visual, olfactory, tactile, proprioceptive, vestibular, and interoception. When sensory processing is working well, a child can engage in daily activities and social interaction. Sensory processing differences are prevalent in autistic children and can affect every aspect of life and development.

This session examines the sensory processing differences experienced by many autistic children and will demonstrate how such differences impact on learning, play, social interactions, and behaviour for the primary school aged child.

Participants will:

• Develop an understanding of the sensory processing differences.
• Appreciate how sensory processing differences can affect the child’s experience at school.
• Understand how sensory processing differences can influence the child’s participation in daily activities.
• Develop an understanding of general intervention supports to accommodate sensory processing differences in daily activities at school and beyond.
• How sensory processing differences can present in an autistic child.
• Supportive approaches to address sensory processing differences in school or the family home.

Autism and Understanding Anxiety
This training course will help parents and education professionals understand the stresses autistic children and young people may experience, particularly within the Primary School environment.  We will discuss the external environmental demands and stress experienced by many autistic children which can contribute to anxiety experiences.

Participants will understand:

• The relationship between autism and anxiety, and how anxiety affects our body and mind.
• Fatigue and masking in relation to anxiety from an autistic point of view.
• How environmental, communication, sensory, emotional, and cognitive stresses can be supported to reduce anxiety experience within the school environment.
• During the course, we will explore a range of supports and resources which can be used to support an autistic child.

Autism and Reframing Behaviour
This training will introduce participants to the ongoing paradigm shift in understanding behaviour from a physiological perspective, drawing on research from neuroscience, psychology, and interpersonal neurobiology.

It will encourage participants to pause and reflect on their current beliefs and reactions to the behavioural differences presenting within their autistic students.

Participants will be supported to consider behavioural differences that are authentic to the autistic student and their invaluable role in maintaining joy in their lives.

Furthermore, participants will be supported to understand the underlying factors contributing to distressed behaviours, and how supporting professionals can help.

Specific topics will include:

• Understanding the ongoing paradigm shift in how we think about behaviour.
• Factors that contribute to distressed behaviour for an autistic student.
• Recognising the significance of neuroception and a sense of "felt safety" in promoting emotional regulation.

Participants will:

• Gain an understanding of the ongoing paradigm shift in how we think about "behaviour" presenting in our autistic children.
• To support participants to recognise their inner biases, judgements and beliefs that may be impacting upon how they support an autistic children in distress.