Exploring local best practice supporting emotional regulation and wellbeing

Joan is a second level science teacher working independently as Posautive.
Following many years teaching in mainstream classrooms, Joan worked on individual planning in centres for adults with learning disabilities and those with mental health struggles.
She, then, became one of the first SENOs in Ireland, observing and providing school supports for students with atypical needs across eighty rural schools.
While studying for an M.Ed. in Autism, Joan was taught by and met a variety of autistic adults, which ultimately led to her own autism assessment. Prior to meeting such a diverse range of autistic people, Joan would only have recognised autism in people with profound and complex support needs.
Joan is passionate about using students’ interests to support autistic learners of all levels of cognitive ability to access education and contented lives.
She currently works on a variety of projects with agencies such as Middletown Centre for Autism, Dublin City University, Nua Healthcare, Fingal Libraries. In recent years, creating and delivering the Posauteen and Posaudult courses to help autistic people understand and advocate for themselves has been a major focus of Joan’s time.

Billy Redmond is the Principal of North Wicklow Educate Together Secondary School, where he has championed Universal Design for Learning over the past five years. As a consultant, he collaborates with educational partners such as AsIAm, Ireland's National Autism charity, supporting the Autism Friendly Schools Project.

His previous roles include National Co-ordinator for Teacher Induction (Post-Primary) at NIPT and Regional Development Officer with the National Behaviour Support Service (NBSS). Billy is a qualified Home Economics teacher with credentials in Guidance & Counselling and has pursued postgraduate studies in School Development Planning, Educational Management, Mentoring, Induction, and CPD.

His school has shared their expertise on Universal Design for Learning at national and international levels, working with the NCSE, Middletown Centre for Autism, and the European Schools Network.