The SENDcast

Away in a Manger, Holly & the Ivy, We three kings, Jingle Bells and Silent Night are all traditional Christmas Carols, but have you ever considered the connection they have with SEND? In Part 2 of 'SEND Christmas Crackers', Susie bases her discussion on a range of topics linked to a variety of Christmas carols, connecting fascinating stories to neurodiverse case studies.

About Dr Susie Nyman

Dr Susie Nyman is passionate about discovering how children learn and supporting them in ways which enable them to succeed. She was appointed as a Biology teacher at The Sixth Form College Farnborough in 1995, and subsequently as Curriculum Manager for Health and Social Care where she has worked ever since.

Susie strives to raise students' achievements and support them in ways which enables them to succeed. She works with her students deploying a range of innovative and Multi-sensory teaching techniques to assist their learning including her 'Equality and Diversity Tree' and famous puppets!

Additionally, she has provided training to PGCE students at Kingston University, and in a number of local schools and colleges on teaching strategies. Since February 2017, Susie has presented seminars on 'Multi-sensory Techniques' at The Learning Differences Conventions in Australia, Richmond College, The Helen Arkell Centre, Bell House, The Oratory School, The National Education Show and The Tes SEN Shows in London and Manchester.

Recently, she was filmed 'in action' for The British Dyslexia Association as well as Oaka Books, and the footage is available on YouTube. Subsequently, she has written a chapter about 'Multi-sensory Teaching' in the BDA Dyslexia Friendly Schools Good Practice Guide and 'The Multi-sensory Teaching Toolkit' by Oaka Books.

In recognition of over 21 years continued service at The Sixth Form College Farnborough, Susie has been nominated three times by the College for the 'Tes FE Teacher of the Year Award'. This is an honour of which she is immensely proud.

Contact Dr Susie Nyman:

Website – drnymanconsultancy.co.uk

Email – [email protected]

Twitter – @DrSusieNyman

Useful Links

• Eastap, L. and Gregory, J. (Ed's) (2018) Dyslexia Friendly Schools Good Practice Guide 2nd Edition, British Dyslexia Association.
• Nyman, S. (2020). How to become a Grade Riser. Chichester: Oaka Books: https://www.oakabooks.co.uk/collections/revision-extras/products/how-to-be-a-grade-riser-by-dr-susie-nyman-teacher-must-have
• Nyman. S. (2019) The Exam Question Task Board. Chichester: Oaka Books: https://www.oakabooks.co.uk/products/task-board-by-dr-susie-nyman?_pos=1&_sid=cf1663598&_ss=r
• Nyman, S (2019). Sensory Support for Dyslexia. Retrieved from The SEN Magazine issue 103: https://issuu.com/senmagazine/docs/sen103
• Nyman, S (2020). How to get an A* in English. Retrieved from The Studying with Dyslexia Blog: https://studyingwithdyslexiablog.co.uk/blog/oakabooks-bambi-gardiner-how-to-get-an-a-in-english-dr-susie-nyman-confirmed-for-the-bda-good-practice-in-dyslexia-and-literacy-conference
• Nyman, S (2022) 'Student Icebergs with Dr Susie Nyman'. SENDcast Special Needs Podcast: https://www.thesendcast.com/student-icebergs/
• Nyman, S (2021). Scanning Pens: 'Live Literacy Strategies with Julia and Susie': 'https://youtu.be/vlgw2O2-SPg
• Nyman, S (2022). OCR: Preparing students for exams tips for teachers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ch3JuRQsyVo

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental difference with the key traits of Hyperactivity, Impulsivity and Inattention. Medication can be prescribed to support these traits for both adults and children, but in the UK, historically, medication is often used as the last resort – is that a good or bad thing?

In this episode 'Medication for Supporting children with ADHD: Chemical cosh or reset button', Fintan O'Regan joins Dale to discuss the:

• range of medications available
• pros and cons of medication
• possible side effects
• attitudes and opinions
• national and international differences

There is no doubt that the issue of medication divides opinions amongst professionals and parents. It's always a personal decision to be made by the child and family, based upon what is right for them.

About Fintan O'Regan

Fintan was the Head teacher of the Centre Academy from 1996 -2002, which was the first specialist school in the UK for students between the ages of 7-19 specialising issues related to ADHD, ASD and ODD.

He is an associate lecturer for Leicester University, the National Association of Special Needs, the Institute of Education, the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre and the former Vice Chairman of the UK ADHD Network and of the European ADHD Alliance.

Fintan now works as trainer and consultant for schools and school support systems including, Social Services, Health, the Police and Foster carers with regards to providing behaviour management strategies for children and families struggling with SEND and behaviour issues.

Contact Fintan O'Regan

Website – www.fintanoregan.com

Email – [email protected]

Twitter – @fintanoregan

When people are 'triggered' they often enter what's known as fight or flight, their ability to reason and respond pragmatically to situations evaporates and it can feel as if you're left with no way to communicate with them. What they still have is their senses. Knowing about sensory communication can offer you ways of reaching across that seemingly insurmountable divide.

But do you know what sensory communication is? Joanna Grace joins Dale in this episode 'Sensory Communication' to explain everything you need to know about what it is, how it's relevant across the board and how we can use it.

All of us will have unknowingly been implementing sensory communication in stressful situations by offering a cup of tea (taste) or putting a hand on another's (touch). Communication is so much more than words and gestures, having sensory strategies up your sleeve to support communication, particularly in a crisis situation can be a game changer.

About Joanna Grace

Joanna Grace is a sensory engagement and inclusion specialist, doctoral researcher, author, trainer, TEDx speaker and Founder of The Sensory Projects.

Joanna has worked with people with learning disabilities and neurodivergent conditions aged from 0-100 (well 1 day old – 87 years old to be precise) in a range of settings and context.

Through all she does Joanna is seeking to contribute to a future where people are understood in spite of their differences.

Contact Joanna Grace

Website - www.TheSensoryProjects.co.uk

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - @Jo3Grace

Facebook - www.Facebook.com/JoannaGraceTSP

Useful Links

I run a course called Exploring the Impact of the Senses on Behaviour both online and as an in person event. www.thesensoryprojects.co.uk has more details.

Reading and writing are areas that many teachers and parents are concerned that children need to 'catch up' on due to the pandemic. But what about play?

In this week's podcast, Georgina Durrant joins Dale to discuss 'Boosting Reading and Writing Through Play'. Georgina is acutely aware of the impact the pandemic has had on children's emotional wellbeing and time to play with others, so we need to find a way to boost children's literacy skills whilst focusing on nurturing play skills and emotional wellbeing.

"Just stepping away from your traditional views of how you think, reading and writing should be done and making it more accessible for the kids."

Georgina Durrant

Play makes learning fun, memorable, motivating and builds confidence. Listen to this episode to understand:

• Common barriers to reading and writing and how we can help children with these
• Why play is important for literacy
• Simple hacks to weave reading and writing into every day at home and at school

About Georgina Durrant

Georgina Durrant is a former teacher/Special Educational Needs Coordinator and is now Director of Cheshire SEN Tutor LTD. She is also a mum of 2. Georgina runs the award-winning site The SEN Resources Blog - www.senresourcesblog.com, which provides learning activities, recommendations, resources and advice for parents and teachers of children with Special Educational Needs. Twinkl Resouces awarded the site as one of their Top Ten SEN Blogs in 2019. Georgina is author of '100 Ways your Child Can Learn Through Play (Fun Activities for Young Children with SEN)'.

Contact Georgina

Website - www.senresourcesblog.com and www.cheshiresentutor.com

Twitter - @senresourceblog

Facebook - www.facebook.com/senresourcesblog and www.facebook.com/groups/3463317840363473

Email - [email protected]

Useful Links

How to Boost Reading and Writing Through Play https://amzn.to/38ZKbH0

100 Ways Your Child Can Learn Through Play (my first book) https://amzn.to/302NJAx

Georgina's podcast 'SEND in the experts with Georgina Durrant' https://redcircle.com/shows/send-in-theexperts-with-georgina-durrant

Reading is high on the educational agenda due to the impact that it can have upon the mental well-being and academic success of children and young people. Recent documents have placed a renewed focus on the teaching of reading for all learners, this includes those with the most complex needs. The issue for professionals is that there is a lack of clarity about what this means for these learners, in particular those learners attending special schools and specialist facilities. This has led to confusion for all involved.

Dr Sarah Moseley, Educational Consultant, joins Dale for this week's podcast 'Creating an inclusive reading curriculum for all learners'. Sarah discusses the why, what and how of teaching reading to all learners and provides ideas and strategies to create an inclusive reading curriculum framework.

Listen to find out how we learn to read and the foundation skills involved that support learners to develop an understanding of the world around us. Understanding the importance of literacy rich environments and experiences will enhance the learning opportunities for everyone.

About Dr Sarah Moseley

Dr. Moseley has over 30 years' knowledge and experience within special and mainstream education from teaching assistant to Headteacher, as well as a solid research background rooted within the psychology of learning. Her Masters and PhD were in Special Education and focused specifically on the teaching of reading and self-esteem and she has presented nationally and internationally on raising outcomes for learners with SEND and am a published author of my research. Sarah has just finished writing a book on the teaching of reading to all learners for Routledge Publishers.

Now an independent Educational Consultant at www.drsarahmoseley.com, Sarah provides face to face and online training, coaching, keynote presentations, information and support for professionals and families from all sectors, specialising in SEND focused school improvement and raising outcomes for all learners. She is passionate about making a positive difference to the lives, attitudes, and outcomes of those who may struggle to learn, based on a belief that every action can make a difference and aims to bridge the gap between theory and learning, to create a culture where high expectations thrive, improving outcomes for all pupils.

Contact Dr Sarah Moseley

Website - www.drsarahmoseley.com

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - @drsarahmoseley

Facebook - Facebook.com/Drsarahmoseley

Dyspraxia or Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD) is often thought of as clumsiness, but it is quite misunderstood and incorrectly used. Dyspraxia is far more than just the way you're moving, it's your ability to plan what you're doing and being able to come up with ideas. These executive function difficulties can have a huge impact on children, especially in secondary school. If you don't have the capacity to plan, or have imagination of what that looks like, that can lead to anxiety and fatigue as an outcome.

Kim Griffin is an Occupational Therapist and joins Dale for this week's episode to discuss 'Dyspraxia – more than just clumsiness'. Kim gives great insight into the impact of dyspraxia and breaks it into a 'triple cause' where you can have difficulties in one or all three areas – ideation, planning and doing.

"One of the most helpful things I think I can teach a child with dyspraxia is to ask for help and also to say I don't understand."

Kim Griffin

Listen to hear real-life, first-hand examples and top tips on how you can support pupils in your setting.

About Kim Griffin

Kim is an occupational therapist with 20 years' experience supporting children, young people, their families and teachers to participate successfully in their daily lives. Her interest areas are sensory processing and autism. Kim provides online training for those who want to learn more about sensory processing, motor skills and handwriting along with programmes that show you have to help children improve their skills.

Contact Kim Griffin

Website - www.GriffinOT.com

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - @Griffin_OT

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/GriffinSensoryOT/

Whenever there's a big change on the horizon, whether it's moving from nursery to primary school, primary to secondary school or even new clubs, it can cause anxiety. Children with SEND, particularly those with communication needs, can find transition very difficult. Children benefit hugely from predictability. Preparing children for transition helps them to understand what is happening next for them, what to expect and who will be there to help them. Visual resources are a practical and powerful way to support transition. In this week's episode, Sarah Billingham joins Dale to discuss 'Using Visuals to Support Transition'. "What's important is that we are essentially representing something visual, rather than just relying on our spoken language to tell children about things that are coming up." Sarah Billingham Visual resources reduce the language and memory demand placed on children and when they are well prepared, they are calmer and better able to succeed. Listen to find out how you can use visual resources to support children during transition. About Sarah Billingham

Sarah Billingham is a specialist teacher, she runs Confident Kids, a unique Early Years service. She equips parents, carers and practitioners with expert knowledge and the practical tools they need to offer their little people the very best communication support they can.

Sarah has been working with children with speech and language needs for over 16 years in mainstream and specialist settings.

Sarah has recently decided to focus on Confident Kids full time. She most recently ran a multi-disciplinary assessment centre for children with SLCN in the charity sector. In 2020 & 2021 she ran an online focus week for parents and practitioners sharing videos on supporting young children transitioning into school (or back into school following lockdown).

Contact Sarah Billingham

Website - www.TheSensoryProjects.co.uk

Email - www.confidentkids.co

Facebook - www.facebook.com/confidentkids.co

Useful Links

https://widgitonline.com

http://www.inclusive.co.uk/product-reviews/boardmaker-7-standard#

www.facebook.com/groups/ConfidentTransitions

Yoga has many connotations, but is actually a philosophy, a way of living. Yoga is a therapeutic intervention that works for everyone, you don't have to be able to touch your toes - if you can breathe you can do yoga!

Jyoti Jo Manuel joins Dale for today's episode 'What Yoga, Why Yoga?'. Jyoti discusses how yoga can benefit everyone, both teachers and pupils. Its focus is to bring balance and regulation to the nervous system so that everyone practising is in the optimal state to thrive.

"Your biggest tool for emotional regulation is when we regulate our breathing. Once you build that relationship with your breath and you understand how to use it, you can use it anywhere at any given moment in time."

Jyoti Jo Manuel

Did you know that the benefits of yoga include:

• self-regulation
• self-awareness
• improved quality and quantity of sleep
• improved motor planning and coordination
• strength and balance

Listen to this podcast to find out how yoga is helping children meet their targets at school and teachers feeling less stressed. Jyoti shares her first-hand experience of how yoga has helped children with SEND and how it has enhanced the quality of life for everyone who practises.

About Jyoti

Jyoti has been practising yoga since 1974 and teaching since 1989. She is one of the leaders in the training and application of yoga as a therapeutic intervention for children with special and additional needs. She pioneered children's yoga in the UK. She set up the global training school Special Yoga in 2002, to provide sustainable and accessible training programmes, and to support practitioners delivering the work. She works with local education authorities, the NHS, academies and individual schools, parents/carers and paediatric professionals. She has travelled globally to extend Special Yoga in Sri Lanka, Thailand, India, Australia, Mexico, Peru, Russia, and many countries in Europe. She is currently training 45 psychologists in Ukraine to support their traumatised children.

Contact Jyoti:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: www.instagram.com/sarahjanecritchley/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/differentjoy/

Useful Links

https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/professional-practice/yoga-schools

https://www.peacefulpathwaysyoga.com/articles-and-research.html

Special Yoga's Website

With 8 weeks to go and preparations underway for Christmas, now's the time to highlight the challenges Christmas can bring for families, especially for children with SEND. Children return to school in September to a new term, new environment, new subjects, new friends and coping with everything causes their energy levels to decrease. After half term it's Halloween, Bonfire Night and then before we know it we're in the Christmas period. By then children have the least possible capacity to deal with it. Everything changes at Christmas, and that can send some of our young people into a complete tailspin! Sarah-Jane Critchley joins Dale in this week's episode 'Surviving Christmas' to discuss why Christmas isn't always fun for everyone and how to support children with SEND through Christmas. Listen to find out what we can all do at school and at home to make it more fun and less stressful for everyone! Sarah-Jane gives us some tangible ideas and some useful tools that you can use to make the season as joyful as we can for everyone.

About Sarah-Jane Critchley

Sarah-Jane is an Author, Speaker, Consultant and Coach from Different Joy Partnership. She was previously the Programme Manager for over 10 years at the Autism Education Trust. Pupils with autism often struggle with attending school for a number of reasons. Her daughter Beth is autistic and also suffers from migraines which meant from Year 3 onwards she missed a lot of school and missed over 50% of her GCSE classes, eventually dropping out of school in year 12.

Contact Sarah-Jane:

Twitter: @SarahJaneCritch

Instagram: www.instagram.com/sarahjanecritchley/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/differentjoy/

Useful Links

Learn from many autistic people at the NAS Christmas Grotto Christmas Grotto (autism.org.uk)

Relaxed performances of pantos in many places this year e.g.

• Tunbridge Wells – Aladin Assembly Hall Theatre — Relaxed performances this Christmas
• English National Opera! Yeoman of the guard
• The Old Vic – London A Christmas Carol Relaxed Performances | Old Vic Theatre
• Official London Theatre - LOADS Of options here: Relaxed Performances (officiallondontheatre.com)
• My personal favourite: Zoo Co Theatre: Perfect Show for Rachel - Step into Rachel's world in this experimental show as a learning disabled artist has the power to lead the creation of her 'Perfect Show'. –

For more podcast episodes from the SENDcast click below… https://sendcast.wpengine.com/sendcast-episodes/

There are various opinions on ways to use the SEN Register and differs from one school to another and across local authorities. SENCOs can end up with multiple registers; SEN Register, additional needs, medical and disability. As soon as a register is created it needs maintaining and updating, therefore increases workload. There is no written rule so everyone has their own interpretation which is part of the problem – so let's get back to basics.

Abigail Hawkins joins Dale for the first time on the podcast to discuss the 'SEN Register:

"I think sometimes it's just, it's not necessarily having a register, it's being aware of your students, aware of who you've got and who can advocate for themselves."

Abigail Hawkins, SEN Consultant

Listen to this episode to find out who goes on the SEN register and how to reduce your workload by:

• understanding the SEN register
• looking at policy and practice, legal guidance and the code of practice
• reducing the number of registers
• understanding who to include on the register - diagnosis, medical and 'need'
• knowing what being on the register means
• discussing why the SEND Green paper proposals are welcomed

About Abigail Hawkins

Abigail runs SENDCOSolutions, an SEN consultancy and SENsible SENCO CIC, a not-for-profit networking support group. She has been a SENCO for over 25 years and has taught a multitude of subjects across all phases from 2-year-olds to adults. She works with software companies developing supportive software for SEN and Safeguarding purposes, has developed and delivers on a teaching assistant apprenticeship programme, authored several books on SEN and exclusions and runs a support network for over 9000 SENCOs.

Until recently, she was the Chair of Governors for 3 schools in the East Midlands and she still works as a SENCO for part of her week. Abigail has a no-nonsense, practical approach to SEN issues faced by schools. Abigail was one of the three lead voices on a series of SEN webinars delivered over the lockdowns amassing an audience of over 12000 viewers and she uses modern approaches to share SEN-related information including a successful YouTube channel.

Contact Abigail Hawkins

Website – www.sendcosolutions.co.uk

Email – [email protected]

Twitter – @sendcosolutions

Useful Links

Books:

• Approach It, Map It, Manage It - https://amzn.to/3ab59Do
• The SENDCO - https://amzn.to/3yFCYGt
• School Exclusion - https://amzn.to/3by6ULj

Weekly SEN Network/CPD meetings for the SENsible SENCO community. Details available on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/sensible-senco-33587615959