Decoding the Spectrum - Dr Valerie Hu

Hi Everyone,

Watch the video and then follow the link to a pdf, which provides more information about the amazing research of Dr Valerie Hu.
Here is the link.

John Elder Robison - Being Different

Learn more about Autism because there are two sides to every story : - )

Apps for Children with Special Needs

Click here to visit the site

Hi Everyone,

If you are beginning your app shopping journey for a child with special needs this is a sensational place to start.

Don't waste any more time searching on Google.

Just click on the link above.

Rhett Syndrome On The View

Your Therapy Source Magazine - January Edition

Open publication - Free publishing

Coffee Klatch Podcasts on Blog Talk Radio

Hi Everyone,

If you have been following me on Twitter, you will have noticed that I have spent a great deal of time listening to Podcasts on The Coffee Klatch Blog Talk Radio Show this week.

Here is how they describe themselves:

'The Coffee Klatch is an interactive forum on Blog Talk Radio and Twitter bringing you expert guests including award winning authors, doctors, psychologists, advocates and representatives from the world's most respected children's organisations. We feature topics for all disabilities both physical and emotional'

You can also visit The Coffee Klatch at the iTunes store and download shows, which is what I do, because they are so full of great information and ideas ; I will want to listen to them over and over again.

American Speech Language Hearing Association Podcasts(ASHA)

HI Everyone,

I have spent some time this morning, listening to Podcasts produced by ASHA. Each podcast features interviews with people that are making news in the professions of speech -language pathology and audiology.

There are currently 20 free podcasts in the series which cover a wide range of topics. Written transcripts for each podcast and links to key research papers are provided on the ASHA website.

The podcasts can be downloaded from the ASHA website or from the ITunes store.

Is Technology wiring teens to have better brains?

Let me tell you about Asperegers Syndrome

Hi Everyone,
I use this video when I am working in Middle Years and Secondary settings, when I am invited to speak to groups of students and staff about Aspergers Syndrome.
It is a great tool to loosen tongues and open minds.

What is Twitter - How can I use it?

What is Twitter? - Explania

Hi Everyone,

Jennifer ( my Twitter mentor) has taken me on a crash course in Twitter this week.

I am definitely hooked but need to find a way to keep it manageable.

I have a busy online life as it is!

I have decided to use Twitter to post links, to all the professional reading that I do online, during the week.

If you would like to see what I've been reading all you need to do is join Twitter and look for me under the user ID : Teachersspace

Jennifer has also introduced me to a sensational site called Bitly, which shortens website links. This is a very handy site to have access to, when you have a lot to say and need to say it in 140 characters or less.

I'm already plotting how I might use this tool to encourage reluctant writers with language disorders...?

Innovation In Education - Special and Inclusive too!

Hi Everyone,

I belong to the Educators Guide to Innovation Ning. It is another important part of my professional learning network.

I haunt the discussion posts, I have participated in online, seminars, webcasts, Elluminate sessions and discussion topics for months. I've clicked on 100's of links that have lead me to amazing resources . I have learned so much!

The one thing that is missing from this site, is the strong presence of special and inclusive educators. This means that there is a gap in the innovation process. I think it is time for that to change so I am on a bit of a campaign, to sign up teachers in inclusive and special education settings.

I have created a group on the site called, the 'Special and Inclusive Education Teachers Support Network.

Would you like to join us ?

Follow this link to sign up for the Educators Guide to Innovation and join my group today.

New to teaching a student with additional Needs? -Misunderstood Minds

Hi Everyone,

One of the most difficult aspects of my role as a coach and mentor to other teachers, in both the special education and mainstream settings, is finding ways to help teachers understand the that a specific learning disability or difference in 'cognitive wiring, ' can have a huge impact how a student learns and how successful they will be as learners.

Until I can demonstrate that, and get the teacher to look at the class setting or curriculum from the student's perspective, I have little no chance of convincing teachers to make accommodations for students or adjusting their teaching and learning practices, to create an accessible and inclusive environment for all students.

The Misunderstood Minds website is a great tool for changing the mind set of teachers and or parents who may be struggling to accept that, or empathise with a student who needs support.

This is what the creators say about their own site:

'This site is a companion to the PBS special Misunderstood Minds, and profiles a variety of learning problems and expert opinions. It is designed to give parents and teachers a better understanding of learning processes, insights into difficulties, and strategies for responding.'

The feature that I use the most is the 'Try it for yourself' activities that are included in each of the learning difference topics. These are simple simulations that allow the user to experience completing a task as if they had the learning disability, difference or sensory distortion themselves.

I would encourage all teachers to visit the site and try the activities. They have been the catalyst for many 'Aha moments' for the teachers that I work with.

Understanding the Parent Perspective : AUTISM IS NOT THE BOSS

Hi Everyone,

If you a teacher who visits this blog, I can't emphasise enough how important it is to understand that parents of students with special or additional needs, need you to understand how the education system looks, from their perspective.

I read loads of parent blogs, every week. They help me to keep my teaching real, relevant and transparent. You will find lots of links to parent blogs, in blogroll section below. You will need to scroll a long way down to find it : - )

Today, while getting a grip on Twitter ( see yesterday's post) I found a blog called 'Autism is Not the Boss' . Please go and read it. The writer is so open and honest about her experiences of raising a child with an autism spectrum disorder, and how she deals with an education system that is evolving, but not always ready to provide what her child needs.

There is no time like the present - Take a look now : - )

Free language Stuff

Hi again,

My friend Lauren, a speech pathologist in training, has just sent me this link to the 'Free language Stuff ' website. Paul Morris is a speech pathologist with a special interest in teaching language. His site has over 200 free learning activities in worksheet form.

While I am not a big fan of worksheets, especially when a teacher goes to the copier and hits 25 so that s/he has enough of the same worksheet for every student in the class ; I am not opposed to providing resources in a variety of ways, to meet the individual needs of students during each lesson.

Check it out. You might just save yourself a lot of time and find exactly what you have been looking for.

Connecting, sharing and being what tomorrow needs

Hi Everyone,

I would like to introduce you to a few of the latest members of my professional learning network (PLN).

First, go over to the 'Eliminating the Box' blog and find out what Monica has to say on the topics of special education and inclusion. I have been sharing resources from her blog, with other members of my network, all week. Watch the Aimee Mullins - Ted Talk on the Opportunity of Adversity. Also check out the Youtube series called ' Children full of life'. Click on the comment section and discover why I watched it with a box of tissues near by. Perhaps you could leave a comment yourself while you are there, to encourage this amazing blogger to keep writing.

I have also been watching loads of podcasts from the K12 Online Conference 2010, via the iTunes U store. I'm all fired up to ensure that my teaching is providing my students with the tools that they will need to be successful communicators and consumers of information and resources, in the technology driven world they will inherit.

I particularly enjoyed the key note presentation by Dean Shareski, which encourages all teachers to share ideas and practices with others, using Web 2.0 technology.

To expand your PLN, join the K12 Online conference Ning.

I would also like to thank Jennifer, an Australian early years educator, for encouraging me to take a leap into the world of Twitter, which is a minor miracle, because I swore I would never do it!

However, if I really believe teaching is all about being what tomorrow needs, I could hardly refuse Jennifer's generous mentoring.

Click on the twitter button above, to keep me company on my Twitter journey : - )

You will find a link to Jennifer's professional learning network there, because at this stage, she is my first and only follower. Thanks, Jen.

Lastly, on sharing, if anyone can tell me how to attach a hyperlink to a photo in blogger using a Mac, I will be most grateful. I have clicked, fiddled and Googled but still haven't been able to figure it out !

Multiple Sclerosis Online Information - National Multiple Sclerosis Society

Hi Everyone,

You learn something new every day. At risk of doing serious damage to my credibility as a special education teacher, I must admit that I was unaware that children and teens could have multiple sclerosis (MS). It is an autoimmune disease that I have aways associated with people over 20 and I have never had to deal with the issues around the impact of MS in my teaching practice.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has produced an excellent handbook to support the knowledge of school personnel. You can download a copy for your self by clicking here.

I would also encourage you to have a good look around their website which has some terrific online training materials in both written and video format.

I get excited about a discovery like the one I made today. Although my professional and personal life is as overcrowded and busy as any other teachers' , I am a great believer in being prepared. Lighthouse educational practice involves being ready to meet a need before it presents as an issue in the school or in your classroom.

Take some time to read through this 36 page document and browse through the website today.

It never ceases to amaze me, how often I have done that and then needed that information, to support a student, colleague or family, shortly afterward.

Special Education Apps

Hi Everyone,

The Autism Speaks website, has a great list of iProduct Apps that you might like to explore.

I have just put a big dent in my iTunes account so be warned. There are some amazing resources for parents and teachers on this site. Take some time to look around by following this link.

The Proprioceptive Sense in children with Hearing and Vision Impairment

Hi Everyone,

You might have guessed that I am taking some time this week, to up skill myself in the area of vision and hearing impairments and the impacts that they have on learners.

As an autism consultant, I am finding that I am frequently in the position of supporting teachers with students with a co-morbid hearing and/ or vision impairment.

This article by David Brown, is a very informative and easy read. It describes what the proprioceptive sense is, how it impacts our ability to learn and strategies teachers can use when this sensory system is challenged.

If you want to join me in some quick professional learning, follow this link to the article.

Auslan Tutor App - Free from the iTunes Store

Hi Everyone,

I am in the process of becoming 'Mac literate'. I bought a Mac book just before Christmas. It is taking me twice as long to write posts and anything else, that I would normally do with a computer. Perhaps it is a foolish thing to do, when I have just committed to being more prolific on my blog this year.

Got to love the journey though - right?

Today though, I want to draw your attention to the Auslan Tutor App for Apple iProducts such as the iPad and iPhone. You don't have to have a hearing impaired student or family member, to benefit from using this application. I use key word signing daily in my work; primarily to provide visual cues to support the receptive language skills of my students. I encourage teachers that I support and mentor to do the same.

Some of these teachers have taken the use of this application one step further and are using it as their text and resource to teach their students Auslan too. The students love it and it is creating an inclusive culture in schools in preparation for a child with a hearing impairment, choosing to sign, who may be enrolled in that school down the track.

Using the video reference library, you could learn a word a day, or add signs to class songs. As they say, 'From little things big things grow'.

The best bit is that it is free! So, follow the link to the iTunes store for more information and to download it today.

Auditory System and Hearing Impairment - Free E-learning Course

Hi Everyone,

Today I completed a free E-Learning course, offered by the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children - Renwick Centre, which is part of the University of Newcastle.

The Course ' Auditory System Hearing and impairment' is aimed at people looking for an introduction to hearing impairment and the auditory system. I found it interesting as a teacher and as the middle aged daughter of elderly parents, adjusting to hearing loss that is the result of the normal ageing process.

The topics covered are:

• The anatomy of the ear
• Causes of hearing loss
• Types and degree of hearing loss
• Audiograms
• Hearing aids
• Cochlear implants
• Tactics to help when communicating with people who have a hearing loss.

Check it out for yourself by clicking on the hyperlinks.

Happy New Year

Hi Everyone,

It is hard to believe that another year has passed and I am sitting here making plans for the new school year.

I am feeling a bit embarrassed, that I have neglected this blog during the past 12 months. I plan to make amends for this, over the next few weeks before the Australian school year starts again.

2010 was a very busy year. Too busy in fact!

I had three jobs and spent lots of time working on Nings and websites to support those roles. I loved working for the Positive Partnerships Team, travelling all over Victoria, teaching teachers about inclusive practices for working with students on the autism spectrum.

It was also my first year working for the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, as an autism coach. That involved visiting teachers in mainstream and special education settings 3 days a week; providing support and guidance to meet the needs of specific students in their natural environments. I have a two year contract now, to continue that work, so I must be doing something right!

I did miss having a class of my own last year. I will be in the same position this year. However, in my 2 day a week role at Belvoir Special School, this year, I will be able to get back into the classroom again and work with some sensational kids, with a wide range of learning strengths and challenges. I am so much looking forward to that!

I am trying hard to get my work life balance in order. It has been an ongoing issue with me. Every year it tops my New Year's resolution list and I am making some headway. It is a small steps process for me though.

Thanks to all of those people who visited my blog in 2010. There were over 96 000 of you. I really appreciate you sticking with me . Many thanks to all of the parents, therapists and teachers, who have kept me informed and 'real' in the way that I view 'differbility' and inclusive practice. I love reading your blogs, so please keep writing them.

Have safe a sensational New Year : - D

The Specials - A series exploring young adulthood

I love this british TV Series called 'The Specials'. The series follows the lives of a group of young people with special needs, as they make their own way in the adult world. All of the episodes of Series 1 are available via YouTube.I can't wait to share this series with our teens at my Special School and I am really looking forward to Series 2!

Your Therapy Source News

Click here to read the magazine

Autism Help - Autism Information

Hi Everyone,
If you have a new diagnosis of Autism and you looking for a website that will provide you with easy to read information, that is simple to navigate through, Autism Help is the site for you.
Autism Help covers all the information , that you will need to understand both the strengths and impacts of an autism diagnosis, from pre-school through to the tertiary years.
I wish you well on your journey.

Science Bob - Science experiments for kids

Hi Everyone,
I had a great time working with the junior classes, at Belvoir Special school today. The highlight was making a home made lava lamp, during the science lesson. Joanne, their amazing classroom teacher, found the lesson plan on the Science Bob website. What a sensational find! It is full of simple and highly engaging science experiments and multimedia presentations, suitable for primary aged kids, in both special education and inclusive classrooms. I will definitely be adding this site to my science links.

What is Communication Shutdown ?

Social communication is one of the biggest challenges for people with autism. Shutdown Facebook or Twitter on Nov 1 to have some idea of what it's like.

Safe 4 Kids - Protective Behaviours Resources

Hi Everyone,
I have been on a web quest all year, trying to get my hands on the 'Sing Yourself Safe' CD. I posted a plea for help to locate the CD, earlier in the year, and it was read by the owner of Safe 4 Kids , Holly -ann Martin, during the week.
Hooray ! Not only is that quest now over but I have also found a terrific range of other resources, to support my protective behaviours program in mainstream and special education settings.
Visit the Safe 4 Kids website to check them out for yourself.
Thanks so much for getting in contact, Holly-ann. : - )

White noise Improves memory in children with attention disorders

Hi Everyone,

I have just read an interesting article, on the Pediastaff blog, about studies at Stockholm University in Sweden, indicating that white noise can have a significant impact on concentration and on task behaviours, for some people with attentional disorders and difficulties like ADHD.

The studies also showed, that white noise was extremely distracting for people who do not usually have any trouble concentrating. So, the quest for this morning was scour the Internet to find some iProduct applications, that kids could use in class, on their iTouch, iPad or iPhone, via the App shopper website, as white noise adjustment strategies.

There are loads!

These are free and easy to use:

Mood Tweak

Yoga Sound

Tuneout Sound Blocker

Here is a link to the Stockholm University research paper, if you would like more specific details about the research project.

IN THE NEWS & ON THEIR LIPS

Hi Everyone,

The Dogo News and BBC Class Clips sites, host some terrific current affairs resources, to help stimulate oral language and comprehension activities in the classroom. I am always on the look out for short length, highly engaging texts, to use with my non and reluctant readers and/children with language disorder, in upper primary and secondary settings. Both of these sites really fit the bill.

Although I have used them during the literacy block, I do find that students sneak off to have a quiet read and think about them on their own - which tells me that I am on to a winner!

Arts Alive Virtual Dance Studio and the Help Kids Learn Train Tracker Game

Hi Everyone,

What do the Arts Alive Virtual Dance Studio and The Help Kids Learn Train Tracker game have in common? For me, it's that they are two online programs that I use regularly, with kids needing some quiet time to self regulate, when the classroom environment becomes too overwhelming. A five minute stint on one of these programs can mean the difference between a 'meltdown' and being able to successfully re-engage in classroom activities, for some of my students.

I use lots of interactive software programs in my work with children on the autism spectrum. These two, are my most often requested recreational or calming activities for mainstream primary students. The key seems to be that they provide children with the opportunity to make simple choices, which helps them gain a sense of control over their environment again.

Both are great fun to play and I must warn you that they are highly addictive. You may want to set yourself a time limit before trying them out. A timer is a definite must when using them with kids in the classroom.

Free Children's Stories.com - Daniel Errico

Hi Everyone,

I received this email from Daniel Errico this morning.

Dear Sue,
My name is Daniel Errico and I'm owner of the site freechildrenstories.com. I've been reading up on your Teacher Space and Junior Crew Book Shelf sites and enjoyed them.
If you have any interest, my site offers free stories for kids and includes a fully illustrated and narrated online storybook, The Journey of the Noble Gnarble. Hope all is well. Thanks,

Daniel Errico

Daniel's site is terrific for recreational reading, as well as a fabulous resource for teachers wanting to encourage students to write and illustrate their own stories. I know a few art teachers who would definately use the site to teach story telling through art. Go and check it out for yourself.

Free eBooks for Kids

Hi Everyone,

Kathy from Ireland, sent me an email asking if I knew of any good free book sites that kids could access online.

I had to chuckle because I have spent many hours over the past 3 years, building up a collection of sites to use and share in my own teaching practice. My aim was to provide a resource that students in my special education class could access independently. I set up a blog page so that the kids could just click on a picture of a book that appealed to them or access favourite sites by clicking on a link in the margin. The site hosts are wide range of text types that would appeal to Pre-School and Primary aged students.

I'm not on class this year but the site is still available for use if you would like to check it out. There is a permanent link to the Junior Crew Book Shelf in the right margin of this blog or you can find the sites by clicking here or on the picture above.

Thanks for the email, Kathy and good luck with your reading centres project.

What happened to the Priory Woods Website?

Hi Everyone,
The Priory Woods website has a new look. I was a huge fan of the old Special School site's cause and effect programs and was disappointed to see, that due to legal issues, many of my favourites are missing from the new line up. The new site is still in the process of being built but the pre-build teasers look very interesting. Click on the picture to check out their program resources to play online or download.

Into the Book

Hi Everyone,
I spend a lot of time talking to teachers about how to assist students in developing reading comprehension skills. I am also a big fan of providing kids who need extra support, with the opportunity to work independently . This morning I was visiting the Tips Tools and Technology for Today blog and found this sensational reading comprehension program - Into the Book.
The program is a free, highly interactive, multi-media package which focuses on these eight learning strategies:

•Using prior knowledge
•Making connections
•Questioning
•Visualizing
•Inferring
•Summarizing
•Evaluating
•Synthesizing

I can see this program being put to great use in Grade 3 + classrooms and can't wait to see it in action with the kids I am currently supporting in inclusive classroom settings.

Individual Learning Plans Dr. Seuss Style

ILPs Dr. Seuss Style
(author unknown)


Do you like these ILPs?
I do not like these ILPs
I do not like them, Geez Louise
We test, we check
We plan, we meet
But nothing ever seems complete.

Would you, could you
like the form?

I do not like the form I see
Not page 1, not 2, not 3
Another change
A brand new box
I think we all
Have lost our rocks.

Could you all meet here or there?

We could not all meet here or there.
We cannot all fit anywhere!
Not in a room.
Not in the hall.
There seems to be no space at all.

Would you, could you meet again?

I cannot meet again next week
No lunch, no prep
Please hear me speak.
No not at dusk. No, not at dawn
At 4 p.m. I should be gone.

Could you hear while all speak out?
Would you write the words they spout?

I could not hear, I would not write

This does not need to be a fight.
Sign here, date there,
Mark this, check that
Beware the student's ad-vo-cat(e).

You do not like them
So you say
Try again, try again!
And you may.

If you will let me be,
I will try again
You'll see.

Say!

I almost like these ILPs!
I think I'll write 6003.
And I will practice day and night
Until they say
"You've got it right!"

Telling others about Aspergers Syndrome - Kids Health Website

Hi Everyone,
This week I had the opportunity to speak to some parents of a 10 year old student with a brand new diagnosis of Aspergers Syndrome. The couple shared that the Kids Health website was helpful in explaining the diagnosis to their child's brothers, sisters, cousins friends and classmates.
Of course, I had a look and discovered that it is also a terrific site to explain all sorts of health and well being issues to kids. Definitely worth checking out for yourself.

90 Ways to help Students with ADHD - Darren Tagliarini

Hi Everyone,
I was just visiting 'The Behaviour Guy' website which is maintained by Darren Tagliarini, a psychologist specialising in challenging behaviour. The site is amazing. It is full of resources which are in line with evidence based research, to read and download.
One of the things that caught my eye today, was this nifty brochure of 90 Ways to Help Students with ADHD. It is definitely going to be part of my travelling resource pack as so many of the children I support in schools have a dual diagnosis of autism and ADHD.
The thought that goes through my mind so often when I am recommending resources for students with special and additional needs, is that if they are implemented as whole class structures and embedded in regular teaching practice, they are common sense strategies that will assist all students. That is what inclusive education is all about!
Here is a direct link to the brochure

Life with Autism - A Student Perspective

Open publication - Free publishing - More 09

Click on the book to read it in full screen mode.

Tots & Tech - Early Years Resource

Hi Everyone,
I have been spending a lot of time this morning checking out resources on Tots and Tech . I am going to spend the next 20 minutes emailing the URL to every Early Years professional I know.
This terrific site contains loads of very practical ideas to help students with disabilities engage in functional and play activities at home and alongside their peers in Early Years settings. The 'Ideas to Share' section is amazing!
I wish I knew about this site when I was teaching in an Early Years Classroom but I am so glad that I am in a position of being able to share the site with others. Check it out. It will be well worth your time and effort.

ZuiTube - For Calming and Learning

Hi Everyone,

I use video footage a great deal in my teaching as most of the students that I work with are visual learners.

The ZuiTube website is like a gigantic, well organised filing cabinet of student friendly material, covering a massive range of topics.

I go to ZuiTube to find material on every topic that I teach as well as for visuals based on students' special areas of interest. I can use the footage as motivators or rewards for working hard, as a calming activity when anxiety levels are escalating or after a meltdown to help a student regain equilibrium.

Check it out for yourself.

Inclusion is a Whole School Approach - Which character do you identify with?

This video is not about inclusion.

It is about people and their response to change.

A school staff is made up of all of the characters in this short video.

I would like to think, that most of the time, I am the person who serves as a bridge that supports others in their journey across the divide between past and future.

Some days though, I'm not. Some days I am the pessimistic, frustrated one or part of the crowd following an inspirational leader in the field.

It's okay to change roles, as long as I don't get caught up with the defeatist crowd.

Have a look for yourself and decide which character best illustrates your stage of the journey at the moment.

Thanks very much to Damien Keel, for introducing me to the video.

Whiz Kid Games - Swinburne University

Hi Everyone,
It's a week for great tips. My colleague Jessie, sent me the link to this terrific life skill focused website, for Early Years and younger students with an intellectual disability. I have had a lovely time playing ( whoops - learning) on this site this afternoon.
Thanks, Jesse : - )

Cooking for Engineers - Easy Visual Recipes

Hi Everyone,

My friend, Angela put me on to this fantastic website today. It's a cooking site! Move over Master Chef - here comes the 'Cooking Engineers'! I know that I will use this site regularly with older students I work with. The recipes are beautifully, visually represented with photographs and presented in a step by step, easy to read manner. Check out that egg! All of the images on this site are like that!

Click on the printer friendly version for a visually, clutter free look.

Now, what am I going to cook first?

Edutopia Webinar - Dr Judy Willis - Neuroscientist & Educator

H Everyone,

This one of my all time favourite Webinars. I regularly use snippets of it, when speaking to groups of teachers about inclusive educational practices and how to work with students with challenging behaviours, learning difficulties and disabilities.It helps teachers to understand, that many of the behaviours seen in children deemed as 'weak choices' are actually unconscious reactive brain activity.

It saddens me that so many students have been labelled as being 'weak in character' when the problem is neurologically based and the solution is about changing the environments in which they are struggling to learn.

This webinar has the power to change the practices of even the most rigid thinking teachers. Of course, first you have to convince them that it is worth while spending an hour of their time to watch it : - )

If you have enjoyed this video, you may like to check out the Edutopia Channel at Youtube. Visit the Edutopia website for a full range of multimedia resources and the support materials to all of their webinars.

Leadership Lessons from a Dancing Guy

I am a teaching and learning Coach in schools, working alongside teachers with students on the autism spectrum.
Over the past 30 years we have moved from a system that favoured institutionalising people on the spectrum, to including all people with a disability in mainstream life.
I think that is amazing!
Not all of the teachers I work with agree with me.
My 18 year old son, a veteran of dinner table conversations regarding the frustrations of my day, sent me a link to this fantastic video which made me laugh and motivated me to keep forging ahead.
Thanks so much to every first follower in every school I have ever visited.

ABC News - On Call + Autism

I have spent the afternoon watching videos and scanning the diverse and excellent range of quality resources on the ABC News On call + Autism website. It is a multi media feast, for people hungry for reliable information about autism spectrum disorders. I plan to share some of the short video sequences with parents and colleagues during the week. Check it out for yourself by clicking on the picture above or any of the hyperlinks.

Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome - Newsons Syndrome

I have been getting lots of email requests for information about Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome, otherwise known as Newsons Syndrome.

Here is how the PDA Contact Group explain the condition.

'Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome is a pervasive developmental disorder related to, but significantly different from, autism and Asperger syndrome. First identified as a separate syndrome at the University of Nottingham, research has continued at the Elizabeth Newson Centre. Children with PDA would previously have been diagnosed as having 'non-typical autism/Asperger' or 'pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified'; but it is important to diagnose them separately since they do not respond well to the educational and treatment methods that are helpful with autistic and Asperger children, and since appropriate guidelines for education and handling have been produced by the Elizabeth Newson Centre specifically for children with PDA.'

If you would like more information about PDA, follow the hyperlinks or click on the picture to visit the PDA Contact Group website.

Inclusive Practice in Mainstream Schools

Hi Everyone,
I am building up quite a collection of quality online resources, to support mainstream teachers develop inclusive practices. You will find them in the blue, professional readings section in right margin of the blog.
In my role as an Autism Teaching and learning Coach, I find myself working with teachers at all stages of the 'inclusive education' journey. Some teachers come on board quickly, while others require a lot more encouragement. Many are coping well, while others find it an emotional and physically exhausting journey - the inspiration for yesterday's post.
Thankfully now that we are in Term 3, all of the teachers agree that the effort to modify curriculum and teaching practices is worth it.
This morning I was sorting through some photographs, taken while visiting schools, and this one caught my eye. Neither of the children in this picture have an autism spectrum disorder or any kind of learning disability. Their teacher uses BoardMaker, to support the learning of all of the children in her class, as an inclusive strategy.
In this picture, the BoardMaker cards are acting as role cards. One child is listening and the other is reading, according to the visual prompt they have in front of them. When they have finished they will swap roles.
There is a student with autism in the classroom . He is able to independently read with his typically developing classmates every day because he understands the process. It is the same for everyone.
Love your work, Jenny ; - )

Teachers and Paraprofessionals - You are Important !

I am important.....
"...I am the decisive element in the classroom. My personal approach creates the climate. My daily mood makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt, or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or de-humanized."
~~Haim Ginott~~