Autism Creating Readiness To Learn
With Richard Hirstwood and Chris Barson
23 June 2022: 9 am – 12 pm
This practical course breaks down the topic of creating readiness to learn for pupils with autism into three main sections. These are sensory differences and their impact on learning; physical environments to support learners with autism and finding and using appropriate resources to engage learners more deeply in their learning. The focus is firmly on how to individualise creating readiness to learn strategies for each pupil and embed these in classroom practice.
9 am Admissions and virtual tea/coffee to start the session!
9.05 am Welcome & introduction to agenda. Let’s start with a warm up…
9.15 am Session 1: What impact do sensory differences in autism have on readiness to learn?
In this session you will:
understand why learners with autism experience sensory differences
understand how these sensory differences affect how your learners experience your learning environment
discover how to identify these sensory differences for individual pupils and what a calm low disruption environment means for them and your teaching potential
identify the observation skills to create an effective sensory profiling system to consistently provide the best learning environment for each pupil
9.45 pm Follow-up Task: Using an effective sensory profiling system for consistent support
10 am Session 2: Available, accessible, appropriate – creating individualised safe sensory spaces
In this session you will:
explore a set of tools to establish consistent prompts and routines to cue pupil’s into time to learn
strategies to empower your classroom team to respond quickly and decisively to recapture waning attention; to transition from one activity another or to re-establish a low arousal environment
ideas on how to create a useful sensory regulation space and strategies to support pupils awareness of when and how they can use it
10.30 am Follow-up Task: Small changes = big impact: using an audit to help recognise and identify sensory obstacles to learning in your classroom
10.45 am COFFEE BREAK and mini online learning course
11.10 am Discussion of key points from online learning course/ or environmental audit task
11.15 am Session 3: Resources to create readiness to learn – practical resources for maximum impact.
In this session you will discover:
how to gather a unique set of pupil specific resources designed to get a pupil primed for learning, to successfully and quickly engage in a learning task and to maintain concentration
strategies for calming and developing self-regulation skills
11.50 am Plenary and Q and A
12 pm Thank you and end of session
This will be appropriate for classroom practitioners from special schools and colleges, mainstream settings with specialist SEN provision and early years settings, who are working with pupils with Autism.
The following resources will be available in your account for one week after the course date: a digital recording of this event, any resources shared/signposted during the session and a transcript of Zoom chat.
Each place costs £60 plus VAT (£72 in total.)
You can choose to pay by credit card for this booking. You can also request an invoice by confirming your booking by entering a Purchase Order Number on the booking form.
To make a group booking, please select the number of places you wish to book using the drop down menu in the ‘Book event’ section. Select ‘next.’ Complete the requested fields and the name and email addresses of those wishing to attend. If you don’t know the email address for any delegate, you can email this to lois@hirstwood.com later.
‘It has been one of the best courses I have attended recently! Loved the enthusiasm’
‘It was very informative and has given me lots of further avenues to explore.’
‘The trainers are able to engage the listeners in an amusing way. Questions were answered promptly and links or resources are shared immediately.’
‘Practical ideas and a renewed understanding of sensory differences’
‘Learning about creating the learning environment and expanding use of sensory resources’