The Big Autism Play Day 2023
with Chris Barson, Richard Hirstwood, Clive Smith, Carol Allen and Bex Watton
3 March 2023: 9 am – 3 pm
Play provides some of a child’s first opportunities to explore the social world and work out the meaning and use of language. When solitary play becomes side-by-side play and then progresses to joint/cooperative play with another little human, we have lift-off! Social experts in the making. But all of this might not come so easily to an autistic child.
On the BAPD, we’ll explore the barriers to play and learning in autism and how you can help your learners over them!
But children with autism do play. Of course, they do. But don’t mistake playing ‘differently’ from others as ‘can’t’ or ‘won’t’ play. Autism comes with a pattern of learning strengths and preferences.
The BAPD will explore the uniqueness of autism and show you how to harness it to get great play and learning outcomes.
Engaging in play is driven by curiosity. Therefore, creating intrinsic motivation to play for learners with autism is critical.
On the BAPD, we explore how to build intrinsic motivation in your classroom!
There is an increasing recognition that sensory differences are a big part of autism. However, the sensory sensitivity difficulties sometimes mean that classrooms aren’t always optimal learning environments for autistic children.
The BAPD will show you can harness outdoor play’s power to engage children on the spectrum with outdoor fun!
Our learners with autism often fixate on certain types of play or specific play activities. These form a safe place of predictable pleasure.
We explore the nuts and bolts of creating a tempting play diet for your learners with autism!
Sensory play engages the senses and allows learners to strengthen and develop their sensory systems and learn.
Let’s add a broader range of play opportunities to our classroom repertoires to hook our learners in!
9 am Admissions, welcome and introductions!
9.10 am Warm-up!
9.20 am Session 1: ‘Autism, play and communication – Making connections’ with Chris Barson
Speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) run right through the middle of autism. Responding to them is job number one for play practitioners, parents and therapists. The building blocks of early communication start getting put into place from the moment we are born (and there is good evidence that they begin even before that!) So how does autism impact the development of speech, language and nonverbal communication? What’s the latest thinking? What works? This session will try to answer these questions and guide practitioners through:
Effective language learning through play
Adapting our communication to get the best fit for autism
Moving from functional communication to emotional connection
9.55 am Session 2: ‘Breaking down the barriers to play with children with autism’ with Clive Smith
The BAPD sounds terrific, but many commentators on children with autism tell us that this group of children don’t play. Well this session is intended to confirm that they do indeed play but often, differently to other children. We will look at stages of development as they are linked to play and then consider how children with autism will play in these stages. Finally, we will consider how children with autism react to their environment and the objects within it in their own unique way. Parents, carers and teachers find their intuitive play skills don’t work and often opt out and leave their child alone. Therefore, this session will offer some suggestions of how you can productively join them in their play yet also have some influence on their development through play and enjoy the time together.
10.30 am Session 3: ‘Sensory Play!’ with Richard Hirstwood
‘Play is something I do when they have stopped telling me what to do’ is a mantra for Richard. But how do we encourage engagement in play with the senses, how do we recognise the importance of play, and what is sensory play? The transition from play to learning is essential and people who are autistic need to play to learn. Richard will share lots of practical ideas and insights into sensory play. His session will be fun but with serious messages about why you should look out for play in your classroom.
11.05 am Coffee and mini online learning activity
11.45 am Session 4: ‘Can I tempt you?’ with Carol Allen
Our learners with autism often fixate on certain types of play or specific play activities. These form a safe place of predictable pleasure. Whilst respecting the need for this, this session will consider different types of play that form part of daily life. Is it possible to create a play diet? What would a taster menu of play activities look like? Should we move learners beyond their comfort zone when play is involved?
12.20 pm Session 5: ‘If it’s fun, they will come: building intrinsic motivation in the classroom’ with Bex Watton
12.55 pm Morning Plenary & housekeeping
1 pm LUNCH
1.45 pm Session 6: ‘Outdoor Play’ with Richard Hirstwood and Carol Allen
Designing your outdoor space to use effectively for play and learning is essential if we advocate anytime/anywhere learning. Planning what is going to happen (or what you would like to happen) may be crucial, but observing free play and understanding its impact is a skill you will need. This session will show you how to offer opportunities for mastering skills and encourage the learners to be themselves away from the restraints of the classroom. We will provide a wide range of ideas to utilise the opportunity for creating better physical health and motor skills, stress relief, creativity, stronger communication skills, increased attention and cognitive abilities.
2.25 pm Plenary, Q & A & ‘Share a tip!’
3 pm Thank you and goodbye!
Richard Hirstwood
Chris Barson
Clive Smith
Carol Allen
Bex Watton
This course will be appropriate for classroom practitioners from special schools and colleges, mainstream settings with specialist SEN provision and early years settings, and working with pupils with autism, and severe/complex learning needs or both.
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.
£150 plus VAT per place
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.
NEW FOR 2022!
