Training Package

Middletown Masterclasses

Wednesday 23 Oct 2024 – Friday 15 Nov 2024

About this programme

This Masterclass has a limited number of places for experienced education professionals who work closely with autistic children and young people in a variety of education settings.

Location

Middletown Centre for Autism, 35 Church Street , Middletown , Armagh , BT60 4HZ

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Programme sessions

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In-Person

Autism and Emotional Regulation

Carolyn Frazer, Edel Quinn

Carolyn Frazer, Edel Quinn

Middletown Centre for Autism, Middletown

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Only 1 places remaining.

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Masterclass: Autism and Emotional Regulation
This Masterclass will focus on key considerations when supporting emotional regulation for children and young people in both Primary and Post Primary environments. This training explores interoception as a key concept when supporting autistic students learning about their body signals and promoting regulation, helping children to become aware, label and express their emotions gives them the skills to manage alongside their peers.

This Masterclass is suitable for any educational professional with previous training or experience supporting an autistic student’s emotional regulation.

Participants will:
Understand how to adapt or change the environment to support emotional regulation.

Increase understanding of the physiological basis of fight, flight and freeze responses and how this relates to emotional regulation.

Have an increased understanding of impact of sensory processing including interoception on nervous system responses.

Consider communication and gestalt language processing and links to emotional regulation.

Develop an understanding of how to individualise supports to suit the child or young person.

Use a neurodiversity affirming approach to support development of self and co-regulation skills.

About the trainer

Carolyn Frazer, Edel Quinn

Carolyn Frazer, Edel Quinn

Carolyn Frazer is an Autism Trainer/Advisor in Middletown Centre for Autism, formerly employed in Ashfield Girls High School, Belfast, where she supported autistic students to access the curriculum. She qualified in Speech and Language Therapy and has a Master’s degree in Psychology. During Carolyn’s Masters studies, she undertook research on Autism and Bullying and continues to provide training sessions and support for autistic students in this area. Carolyn’s other areas of specialisms include supporting communication and anxiety for Post Primary aged students. She is an associate lecturer on the Post Graduate Certificate in Autism Studies with Stranmillis University College, Belfast.

Edel Quinn is an Autism Trainer/Advisor in Middletown Centre for Autism. Before taking up this post, Edel worked in the National Health Service, Northern Ireland (NHS), developing and delivering home programmes for autistic children and young people, and their families. Edel holds a Psychology degree and an MSc in Autism from Queen’s University, Belfast and a Post Graduate Diploma in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. Edel's main specialisms are in early intervention and delivering training in the implementation of visual strategies and behaviour. Edel is a Certified TEACCH Trainer with Division TEACCH, North Carolina. Edel has developed and delivered anxiety trainings and anxiety research projects to parents and professionals across Ireland. She has delivered at Autism and Mental Health Conference, NAS and the Autism Congress. Edel is an associate lecturer on the Post Graduate Autism Certificate with Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. Edel is working towards accreditation with BACP as a Cognitive Behaviour Therapist.

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In-Person

Differentiating the Curriculum for a Diverse Classroom

Dr Jo Fitzsimons

Dr Jo Fitzsimons

Middletown Centre for Autism, Middletown

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Middletown Centre Masterclass:

This Masterclass has a limited number of places for experienced education professionals who work closely with autistic children and young people in a variety of education settings.

Middletown Autism Centre Masterclass Overview 

Friday 15th November 2024 

Key Aims 

  • To explore and reflect on the wide-ranging individual needs, strengths and interests of autistic children and young people. 
  • To identify and critically discuss the practical challenges in effectively meeting wide-ranging individual needs within the classroom context. 
  • To develop knowledge, understanding and skills in the use of specialist supports including the consideration of adult intervention, resourcing and classroom management and environmental design. 

Learning Outcomes 

  • To demonstrate the ability to identify the individual needs, strengths and interests of autistic children and young people using a range of case study examples. 
  • To troubleshoot how to overcome the practical challenges in meeting wide-ranging individual needs within the classroom context and identify appropriate and meaningful specialist supports to promote learning. 
  • To develop a bank of ideas and supports to support the wide-ranging individual needs of autistic children and young people within the classroom context to include adaptations to classroom design, management, adult intervention and resourcing. 

This Masterclass aims to support school leaders and experienced teachers to critically reflect on and identify with a broader range of individual need within the classroom context. It aims to develop knowledge, understanding and skills in the use of specialist supports to enhance learning including the effective use of adult intervention, resourcing, classroom management and environmental design.  

Participants will be encouraged to engage in group discussion, reflect on their own practice, troubleshoot practical challenges using case study scenarios and develop a bank of ideas and supports for use in the classroom context.  

 

About the trainer

Dr Jo Fitzsimons

Dr Jo Fitzsimons

Dr Jo Fitzsimons is the Head of Specialist Education Services at Learning in Harmony in North-East London. She has a Doctorate in Special Education from University College London (UCL), a MA in Education and postgraduate diplomas in Speech and Language Impairment and Multi-Sensory Impairment (with a specialist MSI teaching qualification).

Her previous appointments have included Deputy Head of School and curriculum management roles.

Jo has also been involved in a wide range of International and European research projects and conferences over the past 17 years offering training, support and advice on various aspects of SEND practice.

Her specialist interests include sensory learning, autism and supporting children and young people with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD).