BSA webinar – Understanding and supporting Autistic pupils in boarding schools

• Date: May 09, 2022
• Time: 14:00 – 15:00
• Cost: Full Member – £60 / Additional Full Member – £15, Affiliate Member £90 / Additional Affiliate Member – £20, Non-member – £120
• Audience: Deputy Head, SENCo, Inclusion Lead, Head of Boarding, Teaching and Boarding staff.
• Platform: Zoom (online)

This presentation will demystify autism in terms of learning, behaviour and socialisation issues. Focussing on the traits and not the label we will consider the developmental differences of autism in order to support pupils in terms of living and learning.

Training topics will include:

• The key traits of autism
• Systems and strategies for support in all aspects of boarding school life.

Learning outcomes:

All attendees will develop a much greater understanding and awareness of how children with autism may relate to the world around them in learning and social settings. Systems and strategies outlined will inform, confirm and “spark” innovative ways to enhance supporting pupils with autism within boarding schools.

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Speakers: Fin O’Regan MA. PGCE, BSc Hons, ADHD and Neurodiversity trainer and consultant

Fin is one of the leading behaviour and learning specialists in the UK. He is currently an ADHD and Neurodiversity consultant and trainer for number of schools and organisations, an associate lecturer for Leicester University, NASEN, the Helen Arkell Charity and the Institute of Education.

He was the Headmaster of the Centre Academy School, regarded as the first specialist school within the UK for children with ADHD/ODD from 1996 -2002. Prior to that, he was a Deputy Head Teacher, the Head of the Science Department and a Science/PE teacher in London, Newcastle and Washington DC.

He is a current member of the Special Education Consortium, the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee, and The London CDC and is a council member of CReSTeD.

Fintan is an internationally acclaimed presenter has presented over 2000 seminars throughout Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, Australia, New Zealand and North America and has published over 10 books on learning, behaviour and socialisation issues.

www.fintanoregan.com

Linzi Williams, Head of Teaching and Learning Support, SENDCo, Christ’s Hospital School

Having qualified as a History teacher at secondary level in 1999, I moved into the area of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in 2005 more by luck than judgement. It was not something that I had planned on doing but it has been the most rewarding, challenging, exasperating, wonderful move that I could have made. My special needs teaching (and learning) journey started in a special school in the South Wales valleys and has taken me to Dubai, Bristol, back to Dubai and now to Christ’s Hospital.

I am a qualified SENDCO, Teacher of the Deaf (although I use more of the language acquisition skills from this qualification than the hearing-impaired information) and a specialist assessor. I have developed a keen interest in all things neurodiverse/divergent over recent years, in particular autism. However, I see myself as a ‘jack of all trades’ as a SENDCO with experience across a broad range of needs from specific learning differences through to profound and multiple learning difficulties. I have also had experience of working in Early Years and Primary levels which has enabled me to see how support can happen throughout a young person’s education. I am keen on supporting and enabling colleagues to develop their own skills in working with our young people and am very much an advocate of ‘good teaching for SEND means good teaching for all.’

Christy Ward BSc, PGCE, PGDip SpLD, AMBDA

Christy has spent the last 25 years teaching in the independent school sector, working across the Prep and Senior age range. With a background in Design, she has used problem solving and innovation to break down barriers for neurodivergent learners. As a SEND specialist and experienced Boarding Houseparent, she has gained a unique perspective on special educational needs in a boarding setting.