Courses and webinars

Complex neurological disorders, including Dyspraxia, are often reported to be more prevalent amongst Deaf people, which is why we believe it’s important to cover these in the suite of courses and resources we offer.

Dyspraxia is a Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD) which affects organisation and planning of physical movement. The essential feature is the impairment of motor function that significantly interferes with academic achievement or activities of daily living.

This easy-to-access online workshop explores several interventions you can put in place to support the needs of Deaf/SEN learners and is designed to help you:

• Gain a clear understanding of what Dyspraxia is and how it can affect the development of age-appropriate skills.
• Grasp the complex challenges facing Deaf learners who also display neurological disorders such as Dyspraxia.
• Put interventions in place to support the development of learners who are displaying common presentations of Dyspraxia.

Deafness itself is not a learning disability. However, as complex neurological disorders are often reported to be more prevalent amongst young Deaf learners. Accessing learning and clearly understanding what’s expected of them can be particularly challenging, especially if they are Deaf and have special educational needs. Naturally, this can impact on behaviour in the classroom – particularly amongst younger children at the Early Years and Foundation Stage (EYFS).

One of the primary ways to remove learning barriers amongst Deaf/SEN learners at this early stage in their educational journey is to introduce visual interventions into the classroom.

This easy-to-access online workshop explores several visual intervention strategies and is designed to help you:

• Understand the complex needs of Deaf learners who also display neurological disorders.
• Learn how to support positive behaviour in EYFS settings.
• Use visual signs and prompts to improve communication and promote positive behaviour.

Children affected by Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) can present a range of symptoms which may make learning more difficult. Typically, these can include issues with memory, attention span, communication, vision, problems interacting with others, and hearing. Any or all of these could be significant barriers to learning in school.

This easy-to-access online workshop is designed to help teaching professionals gain a deeper understanding of FASD and looks at:

• What FASD is and what areas of neurological and physical development it affects.
• How FASD presents in school and pre-school aged children.
• Other coexistent disorders which may be present.
• How FASD affects social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH), wellbeing and self-esteem.
• The difficulties that teaching and support staff may have with this when creating interventions for children with these presentations – especially those who are undiagnosed.
• Environmental and social strategies for inclusion.
• Transitions and progression for learners with FASD.

Many studies have found a lower level of attachment among Deaf learners who were born to hearing parents – especially those who used speech in their early communication.

This engaging on-demand online workshop has been created by an expert in the field to help teaching professionals gain a deeper understanding of Attachment Disorder and looks at:

• What Attachment Disorder is.
• When things go right, when things go wrong and risk hotspots.
• How children express the effects of insecure attachment.
• Emotional and social tasks and targets.
• Some supportive dos and don’ts.
• A range of attachment disorder presentations and some strategies and interventions to overcome them.
• A range of visual interventions for helping young people with attachment needs.
• Exploiting special interests to achieve positive results.
• Simplifying tasks and emotional and social situations.
• Relating to the child in a constructive manner.

With research indicating that Mental health problems have a higher prevalence in Deaf children, many deaf learners may present a range of complex conditions, including anxiety.

This engaging on-demand online workshop has been created by an expert in the field to help teaching professionals to clearly define the difference between anxiety and wellbeing. It provides a clear overview of what to look out for in the most common anxiety conditions including:

• Social Anxiety
• Panic and Panic Attacks
• Stress
• Depression
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Specific Phobias

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is a neurological disorder in which the sensory information that the individual perceives results in abnormal responses.

It’s reported that learners who are either HoH or Deaf are especially susceptible to SPD. This is because the inner ear affects the sense of balance and gravity and plays a major part in the processing of the other senses.

This easy-to-access online workshop focuses on the characteristics and effects of SPD, and is designed to help teaching professionals to understand:

• What SPD is and what it encompasses.
• How it affects interactions with others and daily functioning.
• How it can cause behavioural challenges.
• How it can affect the regulation of emotions.
• How it can impact self-esteem and learning.
• Causes of certain behaviours and appropriate interventions.

Deaf children are more likely to suffer from mental health conditions in comparison to their peers. This training will enable staff to adequately support deaf children in mainstream primary schools by:

• Exploring the tools needed for children to manage feelings of stress and anxiety, including how to build resilience.
• Learning how to foster positive self-identity in both Deaf and hearing students.

The transition to secondary school can be stressful for any child, even more so for Deaf children who may be concerned about how they will fit in to a new mainstream environment where they may be the only deaf child in the school.

Research has shown that Deaf children are more likely to suffer from mental health conditions in comparison to their peers. This training will enable staff to adequately support Deaf children in mainstream secondary schools by:

• Exploring the tools needed for children to manage feelings of stress and anxiety, including how to develop empathy skills in both staff and students.
• Understanding the different types mental health conditions that could be affecting students.

For many years, educators, who work with Deaf and hard of hearing students, have expressed their concern about their students not processing in academics as their peers. Many Deaf learners have difficulty understanding the concepts of mathematics, which makes it challenging to do well in school. This informative workshop has been developed to help SENDCos, teachers and school leaders to develop strategies for learners with Dyscalculia, including those who are Deaf, as part of a broader neurodiversity intervention programme. This workshop has been designed to help you:

• Understand what Dyscalculia is and how to define it.
• Develop awareness of other coexisting disorders which may be present.
• Conceptualise symbols in maths.
• Make the maths lesson accessible.
• Use colours to make conceptual connections.
• Investigate and evaluate a range of concrete resources to help contextualise maths.
• Use technology and online maths games.

This invaluable on-demand workshop has been developed to support SEND teachers as part of a graduated approach to teaching young learners with diverse neurological needs.

During the workshop, SEND specialist, Andrew Whitehouse takes you through the background of the condition and briefly introduces the interventions you can implement to support the needs of learners with ADHD.

It offers structured guidance on:

• How to approximately calculate the attention span of a child with ADHD and related conditions.
• How to extend the attention span of a learner with ADHD by using special interests.
• The difference between an attention seeking and an attention needing behaviour and how teaching professionals can effectively intervene.
• Effective strategies for assisting learners with ADHD in completing tasks.
• Assisting with difficulties such as short-term memory and organisational challenges.

This engaging course has been developed to support the mental wellbeing of Teachers of the Deaf. It aims to help those responsible for meeting the needs of Deaf learners to reduce the increased stress levels often associated with working in emotionally challenging educational settings by:

• Developing an understanding of the benefits of mindfulness.
• Promoting scientifically proven benefits and uses for practising mindfulness.
• Cultivating self-awareness.
• Remaining centred during times of stress.
• Developing strategies to deal with difficult emotions.
• Creating a mindful outlook.