Autism, Neurodiversity and Me

Steph Reed
  • 4.4 (7)
  • EDUCATION

Join Autism Specialist Teacher Steph Reed as she dives into the world of autism and neurodiversity in education. With a deep passion for enhancing teaching practices and outcomes for autistic and neurodivergent learners, Steph shares practical insights, expert advice, and real-life experiences. Alongside inspiring guests, she also shares her own journey with neurodivergence. Whether you’re an educator, parent, or advocate, this podcast offers valuable tools to create inclusive and supportive learning environments.

  1. 03/27/2023

    PECS: Collaboration between home and school with Louise Maggs

    Transcription coming soon... Join the free live online PECS workshop on Thursday the 30th March. Information on how to save your free spot over on the pinned post in my Facebook group Autism and Inclusive Teaching.  The post Podcast #14 PECS: Collaboration between home and school with Louise Maggs appeared first on Autism Spectrum Teacher.

    50 min

  2. 01/27/2023

    Neurodivergent teachers: ADHD with Lynn McCann

    Lynn McCann, autism specialist teacher, trainer, author and business lead of Reachout ASC, joins me on the podcast to explore ADHD from the perspective of professionals with lived experience, who have gone down the career route in specialist teaching! A great discussion on how our own neurotypes may have an impact on our work (positives and challenges), and on our understanding of ourselves and the young people we support.  Episode transcript: Steph: Lynn, thank you so much for joining the podcast. I’m really excited for our conversation today. And let’s just start with, can you tell us all about the wonderful work you do? Lynn:  Okay. Well, I think it’s wonderful because I really enjoy it! But then I’m an autism specialist teacher, so I set up an independent service nine years ago now, on my own here in Lancashire and we provide a service to schools. So they buy us in and we work around providing very individual support programmes for children who are autistic. And now over time that’s developed into children who also have ADHD and PDA and things like that. But it’s really good. And in these nine years there’s now a team of five specialist teachers working with us and we have some support staff as well, some of who are autistic. So I love my team, they are amazing and I love the work. So alongside that we also do training. Anybody who wants to know about autism or ADHD, we will do training and that’s anywhere in the country or the world. Just ask us. We’ll do it.  Steph: Brilliant. And you shared on your wonderful blog about your ADHD diagnosis. Was it last year that you received your diagnosis?   Lynn: July 21. Steph: Yes and how did you, I mean, how did you find the process? How did it, you know, help you, I guess, understand the way that you learn and or how did it impact you? Lynn: Yes, it’s interesting, isn’t it? Because it started off because I’m now 54 and it started off around 50. And I think everybody gets, you know, what’s going on in my life? middle aged crisis thing. But I’ve been doing a lot of work around girls and autism and the research and I kept coming across ADHD in girls and I kept having like shivers through me thinking, Oh my gosh, it sounds like me. This sounds like me. So near my 50th birthday, I went to my doctors with a 4 page essay of why I thought I had ADHD. Because I can hyperfocus, and I said, please send me for a referral. And I made the specific choice to go down the NHS route, partly because I want to help the kids and young people and people that I work with understand that process. And I know it takes a long time and you’ve got to work out what you do while you’re waiting. So I thought, well, if I’ve experienced that myself, I’ve got something to share. So in the first year they didn’t send my referral off, said they lost it. And so I went back after a year and said I’ve heard nothing, so made them send it off this time and so that took. Then I was on a two year waiting list and in July 21 I finally had my online assessment which took an hour and a half, very intense right to the end of it. I said, Yeah, I’ve no doubt that you’ve combined ADHD, so but in the meantime I’ve done that hyper focusing and I’d done a university certificate in ADHD. I’d looked and researched everything and I talked to my family and my friends, even an old school friend actually, to kind of get all the evidence together of of whether that was true or not. Because obviously you think, am I right? Have I got it wrong with all that doubt that you have. So I had enough evidence, but it wasn’t until he said yes that I really believed it. Steph: I can resonate with that and, and especially around like thinking, you know, am I doing this? You know, why am I doing this? Is there is there a reason behind it? I was the same when I was diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD and kind of I it was kind of like, okay, I mean, I, I guess I already knew. But actually when you hear it from somebody, you know, it just kind of confirms your understanding. And then I guess, therefore, for me, trying to work out is there, you know, is there other ways I can do things that’s actually going to help me? I’ve been trying to do it as a certain way. I may be. I don’t know. I’m thinking maybe specifically with learning. I, I knew at that point why I was I had had previous difficulties in, in my education and then thinking, okay, okay, how can I because I was 19 when I was diagnosed. So I then went to university and was able to do things slightly different. But having that kind of understanding really kind of helps, I guess in terms of yeah, that understanding of yourself. Is there anything like do you think back to your education and you’re like, Oh, okay!  Lynn:  I’ve spent a lot of my life and get so badly exams. So I was top of the class in so many subjects. So it’s obviously quite clever, but my exam results were quite poor for what I should have achieved really. I mean, I’m obviously a bit older, so I think, you know, I did my exams in the eighties and there was no kind of extra help or even discussion about why that might be. And then when I went to university, to do my teacher training, I was always on the last minute with everything. And again, you know, I just felt like I never achieved what I could have done. And I didn’t know what that barrier was. And I, I kind of grieved for that a little bit since, you know, thinking and you can’t go back and change things. But I know now that, you know, I’m a voracious learner. I love learning, but I’ve kind of never even gone for to do a masters, for example, because I’m too scared of failing with my so I probably could do it now, but I think it just hangs around, doesn’t it? Yeah, but I’ve been a lot kinder to myself. Just been all that looking back on everything. You reevaluate everything, don’t you? I bet you’ve done that as well. Yeah. And then you kind of helps you be more kind to yourself, I think. Steph: Yeah. Yeah. And it was, I mean it took me quite a while, like to link why I do the work that I do back to my own personal experiences. I don’t know why it took so long. It wasn’t until I actually had started doing my autism specialist teaching business. I went on a business course and we were asked the question about why, why do you do the work you’re doing? At that time, I you know, I was thinking I just love, I love interacting with autistic individuals. I just, I just love it. I love it. And then and I was really questioned on it. But why do you love it? Why do you love going into schools? And then, you know, I really thought about, okay, when I’m, when I’m in the classroom, I see, I feel like I see things that maybe other other teachers might not see or they might not pick up on. Why? And then I’m thinking, you know, I can, I can feel it, you know, like really kind of thinking, hang on a minute, there is a reason why I’m so passionate about the work, the work I do. And I wonder whether it’s similar with you. You know, I really I can go into a classroom and I just like advocating for the child just comes so natural to me. And I wonder if I’m, you know, deep inside there is I’m thinking of myself as well. Like, you know, maybe things could have been different if there would have been these adaptions when I was at school or, you know, just seeing things where the seemingly little adaptions can make such a difference. Um, do you feel or do you think about, well, maybe the question is how do you think maybe your own personal experience of ADHD helps with the work you do? Lynn: I think very similar to you actually. Right from the first when I went into teaching, I was always really had a big heart for children with special educational needs. And when I started teaching autistic children and then I went into a specialist school as well, I went on supply and never left for eight years, but it was just about I could see something about the children, which was great potential and getting to know each child individually and like the spark of intelligence that was there, that was not recognized by other people and what what was not bring in, that was the barriers they were experiencing around them. So it could be a communication barrier or sensory barrier. And I just got it, you know, and I think, yes, it does come up here in experience because if you’ve had to experience barriers yourself, then that does give you that empathy. And you know, I got a lot of empathy back from autistic young people as well. And just by that connection, so I was able to advocate for them and, you know, just bring to the teachers who were working with them and insight into, you know, their potential. And if we just did this and that, would, you know, allow that and so on. And yeah, I really love it for that reason. And because they have helped me in being very accepting, very adapting as well. It’s a two way relationship, isn’t it? And that’s kind of where it comes from, if that all makes sense. Steph: Yeah, yeah. I have met quite a few teachers and probably you because I know you’ve been doing your, is it a neurodivergent teach meet? I mean I’ve I’ve met many teachers who are in the, you know, the field of special educational needs and, you know, maybe they can also relate some of the things we’re talking about maybe through their own personal experience or, you know, something, teachers go into this this field because they’re really passionate about about children and supporting children’s learning. I would love to hear about how your work around the the the teach meets have been going, have you been doing many?  Lynn: No, we just try to as an experiment because you know when we do training with schools, we’re very often getting teachers coming to us afterwards and say, you

    28 min

  3. 01/10/2023

    The Value of Neurodiversity with Gareth Jones

    Welcome to Series 2 of the Autism Spectrum Teacher Podcast! Back with a new name: Autism, Neurodiversity and Me. Still exploring autism in the context of education, whilst opening up the conversation to a broader discussion about neurodiversity and being neurodivergent. Transcription Steph Reed: Hello and a big welcome to the new series of the Autism Spectrum Teacher Podcast! And it has a new name: Autism Neurodiversity and me. I am your host, Steph Reed. I’m a neurodivergent, autism specialist teacher and school consultant, and also a DJ and I work with a variety of mainstream and specialist settings focused on enhancing provision and practice for autistic students. So the first series of the podcast focused on autism and teaching. And what I want to do with this series is open up the conversation a bit more about neurodiversity especially with the more that I learn, the more I understand my own neurotype and the link to mental health, the more I understand about how to help myself as well as the students I so fondly dedicate my time to and I’ve got some really exciting guests coming up on the podcast to explore these themes, which I really cannot wait for you to hear! So my first guest is very special because he really gave me the boost I needed after not releasing a podcast episode for two years. I can’t believe it’s been that long! Believe me, I really wanted to do this so much sooner. But here we are and I’m so grateful for today’s guest. The wonderful Gareth Jones also known as Gaz Top. He’s a TV presenter, producer, director, podcaster. You may remember him from the children’s TV series such as Get Fresh, How To and the Big Bang. And he was also the first person to swim across Wales from south to north whilst making a documentary series and Gareth is just generally a ray of sunshine who I’ve had the absolute pleasure of spending time with. And so enter the podcast, Gareth Jones and his insights on neurodiversity!  Oh, Gareth, thank you for coming on the podcast. And first of all, I just want to say a big thank you because you’ve really helped me to kick start this second series of the podcast. I’ve wanted to get started with this second series of the podcast for two years, and that’s actually quite embarrassing for me to say. And it’s been on my board and I’ve got all of these ideas, I’m doing all of these, lots of different things at the same time, and I’ve wanted to do it. But I think one of the things I really find difficult is, being dyslexic, having ADHD, that task initiation or, you know, just getting something going. I’ve got the ideas. But yeah, getting it going. And actually, you know, I’ll just say that we met at a party and we were talking about lots of different things. Everything Wales, dialect and autism came up and then we were talking about podcasts. Gareth does a podcast and I guess just talking about it really, really helped. And then, yeah, thank you for sending, of course that email because you broke it down for me. Really, it really, really helped. And here we are. Gareth Jones: Well, thank you very much indeed for taking my advice. Advice is easy to give, but I see this more of a collaboration than an advice. You know, I’ve made podcasts for eight years, so I know what’s involved in planning starting, and completing a task, and it’s something that I’ve learned to do. And it’s not something that everybody has the ability to do. And sometimes you need a bit of encouragement, a bit of guidance, and a list, often a list is the answer. You know, if you can write a list, then okay, just do one thing on the list. Starting is always a problem. And I think for people with ADHD, you’ve started 100 things in your head. Yeah, just trying to fix it down to the one thing you have to do in the real world doesn’t come easy always for people of that. Structure, let’s say. My experience with autism goes way, way, way back. I remember I said, I’m very old now. I’m 61 years old. So I remember way back in the, I think this was a very late 1960s. My mother was reading the Sunday Times supplement and there was an article in it about children in America who you could not reach. I don’t think they said, “locked in”, but you could not get through to these people. My mother read it and had a eureka moment. At the end of it she says, Oh my gosh, this is Keith, over the road. And she ran into the house with the newspaper supplement still in her dressing gown and went to visit our neighbours who lived across the road, knocked on the door and said, “Syril, this is your Keith”. Now their Keith sat in front of the television with it tuned to no channels. So was just sort of interference and gash on the screen. And he rocked back and forward and shook his head and moaned and just did that 10, 20 hours a day. He would do it all the time if he could. And the family and the people who’d been speaking to in the health service at that time had no idea. And I’m going to use this in quotes. What was ‘wrong’ with Keith? There was nothing wrong with Keith. We now understand that Keith was very, very, very much at one end of the autistic spectrum. And through that diagnosis, he got help and lived a functioning life, a good life. And that was the very dawn of my understanding of autism. So it’s always been there for me. These are people growing up in North Wales who I knew were different and I valued the difference because I think there is value in neurodiversity. I remember I used to make a television programme, I used to produce and direct a TV show with my company, Whiz Bang TV that was about video games. This was some 18, 20 years ago now. And one of the guys who worked on the team was one of those people who had what you might describe as special interest. And a slightly faraway look in his eyes. My and I realized his thorough and extensive knowledge of some facets of video gaming were going to be a real benefit to our program. He helped us provide content, you know, so neurodiverse people are essential in not just social society but in work society. Yeah, as well. And I value people who are different. I’m different, I’m a bit odd. I’m not quite sure where I am in the world, but I am a bit odd. And so I gravitate to other oddballs. Perhaps that’s why I’m on this program with you! I think. And it’s it’s never been a problem. It’s been an asset to me. I think people are often confused about people on the spectrum. They kind of expect people with autism to be savants, to have a superpower. And that’s not always the case. A friend of mine who is diagnosed with a who’s diagnosed with autism late in life when she was 60. Is now coming to terms with her behaviour as a child. And her continued behaviour is an adult and sometimes can modify that behaviour. But most of the time we just love her the way she is. Steph Reed: Yes. And I guess what you just mentioned there was I mean, especially after the film Rainman came out, I guess that really, you know, made people think about autism in a specific way. You know, you know, do maybe most autistic individuals have have these savant abilities? but of course, that’s not, not the case. And for many people, you know, everyone is so different. Everyone has their own unique abilities. Their own unique interests. But yes, it’s just understanding that autism is a big kind of vast spectrum and I guess, you know, not even just with two ends, but just, you know, there’s just an infinite amount of possibilities. But I guess what we’re saying is, you know, we, everybody brings value and, you know, everyone has their own strengths. So, you know, if we were all the same, gosh, that would be boring! You wouldn’t get anywhere. Gareth Jones: I’m a big fan. I mean, Star Trek, we believe in what’s called infinite diversity in infinite combinations. And I genuinely believe that. I genuinely believe that, you know, the successive bridge of the Star Trek was the fact that there were, you know, black women, there were Russians, there were Chinese, there were white American males. And there was an alien to put it all in context, you know, and I think that that that diversity even exists within my experience of the people I’ve met with autism. It’s a sort of pick and mix. You have some of the traits, but you have a different set of traits and it’s a very broad set of markers that you might find that different people have in different ways. Let me tell you a story, I’m full of stories today. A dear friend of mine many years ago said, Oh, you’ve got to meet my friend Radar Jim and wait, what Radar Jim? Oh, you’re going to love Radar Jim. I said why’s he called Radar Jim? I said, Well, you’ll know when you meet him. And she introduced me to Jim and Jim had a far away look in his eyes and carried a scrapbook under his arm all the time. And that scrapbook was full of pictures of radar installations at military bases around the UK that he’d gone and taken pictures of and radar Jim was called Radar Jim because he loved radar. He knew everything about radar. He knew the scientific principles on which it worked. He knew the names of the people who developed it. In Britain during the Second World War, he knew the names of the people above them in the Ministry of Defense. He knew how the war played out. He knew how peace came about and how the United Nations came about as a result of that and the names of the people in the initial member states of the United Nations. So whilst Radar Jim’s

    24 min

  4. 04/10/2020

    Ideas to help children at home during the COVID-19 crisis

    Last Updated on January 30, 2023 by Steph Reed Podcast Episode Notes This is a live recording from a Facebook Live I hosted this week. It took place in a group aimed at general support through the Covid-19 Crisis, in the island of Jersey, where I am from. I took this opportunity to talk to parents and carers about potential strategies that could be helpful for families with children with special needs, when spending all day at home. I also answered questions that came up during the Facebook Live. We are living in difficult and unpredictable times. This is very challenging for all of us, most especially those with additional needs. Every family has very different needs, as well as access to different sized space and resources. We all have very different circumstances and therefore we need to think about what is manageable for our unique circumstances. We want to try to avoid becoming stressed. Stressed parents and carers equals stressed children. Recognise how we are modelling being calm and if there is anything we can do further to support the children to be calm. If we show that we are anxious, our children will inevitably also be anxious. Do what is manageable in our own, unique circumstances Go back over previous advice from professionals, this will be specific to your child’s needs and there may be helpful strategies that you can implement at home. Everyone’s needs are so different. Creating calm times throughout the day Do some calming activities together. Examples of calming activities could be: listening to soothing music, massage on hands or feet with cream, sensory play or looking at a book. What are some activities that have a calming effect on your child? Is this something you can do together? Is this something the child prefers to do alone? Can you structure this into the daily routine at specific times, to create a familiar and predictable pattern? Movement activities throughout the day Alerting and energising movement activities are great to get the body moving, get children exercising and also using any hyperactive energy! It can be helpful to structure in times throughout the day where movement activities take place. At school, I would often structure movement activities before we took part in learning, to get the children’s bodies all warmed up and regulated. This would often get them ready to focus on the learning task. For some children, I would have very regular movement breaks, such as every half an hour. It depends on the needs of the child, but for some very active children, this can be very helpful for them to keep their bodies moving. Ideas for movement breaks include: a circuit or a visual structure of different exercises (such as star jumps and stretches), rolling the ball to each other, a dancing, yoga or exercise video on YouYube. 5 minutes movement break examples: Brain Breaks children’s yoga  Shake Your Sillies Out dancing song Structure of the day Implementing a consistent routine can help the children become familiar with what will happen in the day. For example, planning ahead when you and the children will do calming activities and do movement activities. Over time, a predictable routine can help children feel safe and in control, as they know what will be happening. Any school learning that has been planned with your teacher can be timetabled in at a specific time in the day. Break down the tasks that you know will happen in the day. Visual structure It can really help children to know what they will be doing through visual structure or a ‘visual timetable’. How effective a visual support will be will depend on what meaning a child will take from the pictures (or text). Pictures, images and symbols can be very helpful in giving meaning. Therefore a timetable of pictures can be very supportive. Lets take all of the above information and put it into a visual structure. For example, a following schedule of a session with the following routine: Rolling the ballReading a bookCounting socksHand massageFinding these images on Google, taking photos or even drawing images and putting them in a clear structure, can help the child by showing them what is coming next. Over time you can change these images, as and when necessary. Visual structure helps give the child a clear beginning, ending and helps them to know what they will be doing. Here is a visual schedule I made using images from Google. If a child can read text confidently, a written list of upcoming tasks will support them to have a clear idea of what they will be doing. Perhaps they can tick or cross them off as they move through the activities to clearly show where they are up to. If your child is familiar with using symbols at school, Widgit Online are currently giving free access to their online symbol writing program. The Code is WIDGIT30. A dedicated ‘work’ space Having somewhere in the environment that is dedicated to ‘work’ can be helpful for autistic children by making it clear what will take place there. This could be a desk, a table or a corner of cushions in a specific part of the room. It can be set out in a way to make things clear to the child, showing them what they need to do. For example, having the work task in a basket to the side  of the desk. Do what is manageable – you might start with 1 learning task, building up to 2 after a few days and 3 tasks after a week, depending on what is achievable for your child. Don’t be afraid to repeat tasks. Repetition allows a child to become more familiar with the learning activity and over time, build up confidence and enable them to do the task more independently. Practical learning There are lots of opportunities at home for practical learning throughout the day, supporting a child to generalise the learning, to different contexts. Think of any task or activity as a learning opportunity! For example, depending on your child’s learning outcomes, there can be opportunities throughout the day to work towards these learning outcomes. For example:  – if turn taking is one of their specified learning outcomes, could they do a turn taking activity with you or their siblings each day? – If they are learnign to count, could you count with them during practical activities such as cooking or gardening? – problem solving and life skills tasks such as pairing socks, folding clothes and cleaning are important skills and sequences with lots of learning opportunities. Question: Any tips for an autistic 7 year old who now won't leave the house at all? What could be the reasons why they don’t want to leave the house? Understanding the reasons behind a behaviour, can help us know what strategies will be helpful to support the child. Could it be anxiety related to the COVID-19 situation? Is it in understanding what is happening right now? Social Stories can be really helpful in increasing understanding about a specific situation. They can be personalised to the child to further help understanding. Here are some great free Social Stories and resources about the COVID-19 crisis, to help children to understand what is happening and why they cannot do their usual activities or see their friends. Ensure that we are truthful We do not want to give misinformation in uncertain times as this will cause anxiety. Avoid saying anything you are not sure of. For example “we will go back to school in May”. We do not know this, so we must not say this to the children. This would only cause further frustration. We can however say phrases such as “it is ok to feel a bit worried. We are not sure when we will go back to school yet”. Using children's interests to engage them Excite and motivate children through their interests or favourite toys. For example, if they love playdough, you can do lots of different learning activities through playdough such as counting, making words, size, shape, role play, fine motor skills and so on. Cooking: following a sequence, measurement, counting, fine and gross motor skills, creative decorating and so on Gardening: fine and gross motor skills, sequencing, counting, shape, size, colour and so on. It may be they have a favourite character or story that you can use to do dif

    47 min

  5. 03/26/2020

    Learning through technology with Zafer Elcik Co-Founder of Otsimo

    Last Updated on January 30, 2023 by Steph Reed Podcast Episode Notes Zafer Elcik is the Co Founder of the Otsimo app, which has over 100 educational games created specifically with the needs of autistic learners in mind.  It was great to speak to Zafer as my special guest in this episode of the podcast, and hear about the story of Otsimo! Zafer works alongside educators, speech and language therapists and families to develop educational games aimed at learning different concepts, as well as a free open source AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) tool for nonverbal children, in Turkish and English. Zafer is from Ankara, Turkey, where it is estimated that 90% of autistic children do not get an education. The Turkish government offers children with special needs only 12 hours of education per month. When Zafer got his first smartphone, his autistic brother Alper took a special interest and quickly learnt to navigate the phone. Zafer realised that this was an excellent opportunity to use the smartphone to teach his brother. At the time, Alper was 6 years old, non verbal and could not read or write, however he could find pictures on the smart phone to communicate. There wasn’t many apps which focused on the learning priorities of children with special needs in mind. For example, they had too much information, animation or colours on the screen, which can be visually overwhelming and cause distraction. Alongside his university friend and Alper’s teacher, Zafer created simple educational games. The first game he made was aimed at teaching colours and he was so impressed with how Alper learnt through the app, where other methods had not seemed successful. More educational games followed with concepts such as money, reading, mark making, shapes and Social Stories. Otsimo also now has a free AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) app to help non verbal individuals to communicate. A lot of children are really motivated by the cause and effect elements of using tablet and smartphone apps and this can be really engaging for them. Otsimo wants to give families an opportunity to be part of teaching concepts through the use of the app. Supporting families to be part and sharing the educational journey with giving a framework of teaching concepts, social skills and communication. The app also aim to tech vocabulary can then be further taught and extended in practical  contexts, which will help children to understand and generalise vocabulary. Zafer is working with the Ministry of Education in Turkey, trying to close the gap by giving a tool to support teaching using the app. Watch Zafer and Alper in the BBC world hacks video BBC World Hacks ‘How brotherly love led to an app to help thousands of autistic children’ I hope you enjoyed this episode of the podcast! For more information about Otsimo, visit: A personal message about tablet and smart phone use With the ever increasing concerns over the amount of screen time children are having, it is important to note that the use of smart phone or tablet apps must be controlled and structured. There is a big difference between using educational apps for learning and apps for entertainment.  At school, we must ensure that tablet apps have a learning purpose and most importantly, that children are accessing a range of different practical learning experiences to support generalisation of learning. Steph Reed The post Podcast #10 Learning through technology with Zafer Elcik Co-Founder of Otsimo appeared first on Autism Spectrum Teacher.

    35 min

  6. 03/04/2020

    The need to chew! Sensory needs with Jenny McLaughlan, founder of Chewigem

    Last Updated on January 30, 2023 by Steph Reed Podcast Episode Notes In this episode of the podcast, it was a pleasure to speak with Jenny McLaughlan, the founder of Chewigem. As well as being a support community for different sensory needs, Chewigem have designed and created a range of chewing, fidget and sensory aids for children and adults. Sensory needs Our brain processes the sensory information around us; what we see, hear, smell, taste and touch, as well as how it makes us feel; temperature, balance and pain.  Some people, including many autistic individuals, may experience extremely heightened senses where sensory input is exceptionally amplified, or on the other hand, barely registered.  This differs from person to person and presents differently in each individual. Sensory seeking For individuals with under sensitive senses, they may seek out different sensations in order to get the sensory feedback. Examples of sensory seeking behaviours include chewing or repeatedly seeking out sensations such as smells or touch through hugs, tight clothing or feeling specific textures. Chewigem In the podcast episode, Jenny tells us the story behind Chewigem. How it started as a baby chew and expanded to support people of all ages. ‘Chewies’, ‘chew toys’ or sensory supports can help those to receive sensory input, in a safe way. For example, I have taught children who will chew on their clothes, toys or anything around them. Jenny explains how Chewigem is supporting the community by providing supports that have been purposely made for the function of giving sensory feedback, such as wearable chewing resources such as these: Chewigem also provides support to help those needing advice on how to find the right supports for individual sensory needs on their website and Facebook group. Jenny describes how a lot of people find Chewigem by searching ‘how to stop chewing’. When people learn that chewing has a sensory function and begin to accept chewing, there are different types of chew supports available that can help. When chewing is managed in a safe and controlled manner, this can support someone to focus and be better regulated. This can therefore have a positive impact on learning, confidence and wellbeing. Jenny tells us some very positive success stories! Chewigem are supporting the community to embrace their needs, not feel bad about it and instead, feel confident in talking about it. Subscribe for free in any podcast app!Apple PodcastsAndroidby EmailRSS Free Supporting Sensory Needs Guide window.fd('form', { formId: '636e7d13cfd22dc2be6a9a23', containerEl: '#fd-form-636e7d13cfd22dc2be6a9a23' }); The post Podcast #9 The need to chew! Sensory needs with Jenny McLaughlan, founder of Chewigem appeared first on Autism Spectrum Teacher.

    24 min

  7. 02/19/2020

    Enhancing communication opportunities: Autism and learning disabilities

    Last Updated on January 30, 2023 by Steph Reed Podcast Episode Notes How can we ensure we provide lots of opportunities for communication!? The Environment Total Communication encompasses all the different ways we can communicate: speech, body language, gesture, eye contact, Makaton sign, body sign, symbols, pictures, photos, words, facial expressions, tone of voice etc. A Total Communication approach should be used at all times, giving as much opportunity for individuals to communicate and to understand your communication. Ensuring an individuals preferred means of communication is encouraged and they have access to the needed resources at all times. Knowing the communication behind the behaviour of our children and young people is essential to support their communication. It is also important to understand how much meaning the individual is taking from communication supports around them, for example, do they recognise a symbol or photo. Would an object have more meaning to them?   Examples of personalised communication supports easily accessible on the table Enhancing communication by adapting the environment Classroom/Home Think about the individuals access to needed communication supports (i.e. visual prompts for physical needs such as ‘toilet’ and ‘drink’. These need to be placed in accessible places such as on the wall and on the child’s table for easy access. Encouraging the individual to want to communicate through highly stimulating and engaging resources and toys. Providing choice i.e. giving a choice of 2 objects or a choice board of a selection of resources. Ensuring there is an element of choice in each lesson for those learners who are able to make choices or learning to make choices. Using dedicated spaces in the environment to communicate what happens there (i.e. a calm space with bean bag or work space with table. Visual structured systems that communicate a message i.e. a numbered system that an individual works through numbered activities 1 – 4 at the table or 3 cups in the bathroom with the sequence of resources such as toothbrush, toothpaste and flannel. Maybe its a photo of the individual on a chair showing that it is their chair or a circle on the floor showing where to sit. Playground/Garden Does the individual have access to needed visual communication supports? Do we need to put laminated photos or pictures outside as visual prompts or an outside vocabulary board to support communication? Are the resources outside stimulating and engaging? Do the individuals want to communicate or request for specific resources? Intensive Interaction: an approach to developing early fundamentals of communication through interactions with individuals at their level of communication. Engaging in an interaction following the lead of the individual and taking turns in playful exchanges for example, joining the actions, sounds of the individual, playfully imitating them in a communicative exchange. I have written more about Intensive Interaction here. You can find further information about this highly effective approach to early communication development for autistic individuals or those with complex needs at the Intensive Interaction website. Relaxing Time Choice of relaxing or sensory resources or trays to request. Perhaps choice of activity such as doing stretches or  jumping on the trampette. This can be presented visually for learners who can access this type of communication. Massage on a choice of body parts for example leg or fingers. This could be presented using photos or symbols perhaps. Story Time Making the story come to life with different multi-sensory props. Having the opportunity to request for these probs and interact with them. Using switches, photo, picture or object boards to interact with different parts of the story and support in answering questions. Think about the individuals you support and how the environment or our teaching approach can be adapted to further enhance communication and interaction. Inclusive Teaching Strategies Guide window.fd('form', { formId: '636e7ac8e224ff21ae4bf56e', containerEl: '#fd-form-636e7ac8e224ff21ae4bf56e' }); Online Training Courses Take a look at our online courses full of videos and resources to empower you with knowledge, strategies and skills to enhance children's learning and development Show Me More! The post Podcast #8 Enhancing communication opportunities: Autism and learning disabilities appeared first on Autism Spectrum Teacher.

    31 min

  8. 02/05/2020

    Supporting reading with Angela Charalambous from the Workshop Reading Centre

    Last Updated on January 30, 2023 by Steph Reed Podcast Episode Notes This episode of the podcast is all about supporting children with reading and my special guest is Angela Charalambous, a reading specilaist from the Workshop Reading Centre in Johannesburg.   A child’s reading ability will have a huge impact on all areas of learning.  Angela discusses different strategies to support a child to enjoy reading and feel more confident! Classroom strategies to support children who have reading difficulties Making learning multisensory Using visual supports such as pictures and objects Enabling children to present their work in different formats Using the child's interests Accommodating sensory needs and ensuring child is comfortable Breaking down work into manageable chunks Revisiting learning Giving an outline of lesson and tasks Giving explicit instructions Maintain a love of reading Read with the child in 3 different areas:  Easy material for the child such as a simple book below age level, in order to boost confidence  Reading age appropriate material  Reading at a challenging or above age level, perhaps in the child’s area of interest to ensure their motivation Parents and carers, continue reading with your child as long as you can, especially themes that are of interest to the child. Spending time reading with parents supports to manifest a love of reading. Ensuring children’s confidence in their reading is key   Thank you Angela! Visit the Workshop Reading Centre website to find out more information about the assessments, dyslexia screening, Cellfield intervention and workshops for parents and teachers that Angela mentioned in the podcast episode. Inclusive Teaching Strategies Guide window.fd('form', { formId: '636e7ac8e224ff21ae4bf56e', containerEl: '#fd-form-636e7ac8e224ff21ae4bf56e' }); Online Training Courses Take a look at our online courses full of videos and resources to empower you with knowledge, strategies and skills to enhance children's learning and development Show Me More! The post Podcast #7 Supporting reading with Angela Charalambous from the Workshop Reading Centre appeared first on Autism Spectrum Teacher.

    21 min
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About

Join Autism Specialist Teacher Steph Reed as she dives into the world of autism and neurodiversity in education. With a deep passion for enhancing teaching practices and outcomes for autistic and neurodivergent learners, Steph shares practical insights, expert advice, and real-life experiences. Alongside inspiring guests, she also shares her own journey with neurodivergence. Whether you’re an educator, parent, or advocate, this podcast offers valuable tools to create inclusive and supportive learning environments.

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