At least one in seven people are thought to be neurodivergent. So what exactly is neurodiversity? What does 'executive functioning' mean? What are 'spiky profiles'? In this simple guide, expert speaker and trainer Daniel Aherne provides a clear introduction to neurodiversity and the four most common neurodivergent identities of autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia. Using an analogy of a cactus needing a desert to grow in, he emphasises the importance of getting the environment right for neurodivergent people, rather than expecting them to adapt to the neurotypical world. Daniel, who himself has ADHD, also explains how neurodivergent people often have great strengths alongside areas of difficulty, and writes about the interplay between diagnoses, as well as unpacking tricky concepts such as working memory, sensory processing, communication differences and more. Busting common misconceptions and setting out simple tips and guidance for supporting the neurodivergent people around you, whether among your family, friends or at your school, college or workplace - or if you yourself are ND and want to improve the understanding of others - this essential guide will help us all celebrate neurodiversity and foster more inclusive communities.

Young children's access to knowledge about gender, relationships, and sexuality has critical implications for their health and well-being, not only in their early years but throughout their lives. This knowledge can build children's competencies and resilience, contributing to new cultural norms of non-violence in gendered and sexual relationships. For many early childhood teachers, interacting with children about issues concerning gender and sexuality is fraught with feelings of uneasiness and anxiety. For others, familiarity with research on these topics has resulted in rethinking their approaches to sex, gender, and sexuality in their early childhood classrooms. The pedagogical project discussed in Disrupting Gendered Pedagogies in the Early Childhood Classroom examines the tensions associated with one teacher's attempts to rethink gendered narratives and childhood sexuality in her own classroom. This project illustrates that it is possible for early childhood teachers to use feminist poststructuralism and queer theory to deepen their understandings and responses to children's talk, actions, and play regarding sex, gender, and sexuality and to use these understandings to inform their professional practice.

Develop a sense of safety and connection in our youth Research shows that a sense of belonging has a profound effect on the physical, mental, and social well-being of children and adolescents. Yet, current events, including the decline of community and rising tensions over racial and economic inequalities, have endangered that fragile and critical component-and nowhere is this felt more acutely than in schools. In Belonging, the author, who has spent decades working with the most challenging students, provides research-based strategies to strengthen relationships, build inclusive classrooms, develop trust, and foster a sense of psychological safety. Readers will find: Vignettes demonstrating how belonging applies to a variety of learning contexts Research around mindsets, the development of empathy, and community-building Sections dedicated to equity and inclusion Strategies teachers can directly apply in their classrooms With his deep knowledge of education, behavior, and neuroscience, Dustin Bindreiff provides a fresh look at the troubling issues our students face and provides practical strategies for building a more hopeful future.

This book addresses the difficult challenges that children with autism present educators. By comprehensively examining the scientific knowledge underlying educational practices, programs and strategies in China and Finland, it provides valuable information for parents, administrators, researchers, and policy makers. This book examines the following fundamental issues related to the education of children with autism: *How children's specific diagnoses should affect educational assessment and planning *How we can support the families of children with autism *Features of effective instructional and comprehensive programs and strategies *How we can better prepare teachers, school staff, professionals and parents when it comes to educating children with autism *What policies at the national and local levels will best ensure appropriate education, examining strategies and resources needed to address the rights of children with autism to appropriate education

Dealing with challenging behaviour is a fundamental concern of all trainee teachers and even more so for those who are training to work with pupils' age 14+, whether within a secondary school context or post-compulsory college context.

This book will equip the practitioner with the skills required to implement change within problematic relationships and environments, and to explore a range of possible reasons as to 'why students behave in the way they do'.

"Understanding Behaviour 14+" challenges existing paradigms in order to break down barriers; substituting and encouraging professional responsibility for promoting positive relationships rather than the passive acceptance of unwanted behaviors, or a reliance on a culture of 'blame'.

Key features of the book include: A brief and effective solution-focused approach Challenging existing paradigms Consideration of the process of reflection and evaluation Effective approaches to providing an inclusive classroom This essentially moves away from thinking about difficult or 'bad' students and towards thinking about difficult relationships or environments. This process of change allows the practitioner to reflect in a far more constructive and objective manner, also allowing the practitioner to acknowledge their own feelings in this process.

""The effective management of the behaviour of 14+ learners has become a key issue across the school and lifelong learning sectors. The new Ofsted Schools, Common Inspection Framework and Initial Teacher Education Framework have behaviour management as a central focus. The raising of the participation age (RPA) will require teachers to manage the learning of a wider range of students in an increasingly broader spectrum of institutional contexts. "Understanding Behaviour 14+" will be a welcome resource for these teachers, whether more or less experienced. The authors recognize that there are no quick fixes to deal with what are extremely complicated relations and situations and avoid a 'tips for teachers' approach to behaviour management. They emphasise the importance of understanding why students behave the way they do and, with an excellent blend of theory and practice, encourage teachers to use reflection and to take solution- rather than problem-based approaches to managing behaviour. The text is highly accessible and issues are practically grounded in real life case studies."
Andy Armitage is Head of The Department of Post-Compulsory Education, Canterbury Christ Church University, UK. He recently completed a year's secondment to Ofsted as an inspector of Initial Teacher Education"

This book presents an ethnographic case study of the personal motivations, advocacy, and activation of social capital needed to create and sustain the Immortelle Children's Centre, a private school that has served children with disabilities in Trinidad/Tobago for four decades. Based on narratives by parents from the 1980's, current parents, teachers, community advocates, and the author, who was the founder of Immortelle in 1978, the study views the school within the context of a nation standing in a liminal space between developed and developing societies. It argues that the attainment of equity for children with disabilities will require an agenda that includes a legal mandate for education of all children, increased public funding for education, health and therapeutic services, and an on-going public awareness campaign. Relating this study to the global debate on inclusion, the author shows how the implementation of this agenda would have to be adapted to the social, cultural, and economic realities of the society.

This book provides a research-based overview of the use of psychotropic medications in combination with psychosocial interventions to improve learning, social interactions, and behavioral functioning of children within the school setting. It details implementation strategies for delivering multimodal treatments to school-aged children with psychiatric diagnoses while coordinating services across educational and health service sectors. In addition, it includes case studies on ADHD, conduct disorder, depression, social anxiety, autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, and psychosis, with overviews of treatment plans, targeted goals and behaviors, classroom-based medication evaluation plans, and treatment responses communicated back to the child's family and physician. The book concludes with an overview of integrated behavioral health and the benefits of care coordination to school-aged children experiencing social, emotional, and behavioral challenges. Topics featured in this text include: Legal, ethical, and professional issues related to the use of psychotropic medications in school-aged populations. Effective medications for treating mood dysregulation disorders in school-aged youth. Medications for internalizing and externalizing disorders. Common side effects of psychotropic medication in school-aged populations. The need to be culturally sensitive when considering treatment plans for school-aged youth. School Psychopharmacology is an essential resource for researchers, graduate students, and other professionals in child and school psychology, social work, psychiatry, psychopharmacology, special and general education, public health, and counseling.

This highly visual social skills book uses computer metaphors and visual diagrams to help children on the autism spectrum to understand how their words and actions can affect other people. Easily identifiable computing and social networking metaphors are used to explain how memories are saved in the brain, like files in computer folders, and how, just as files can be shared and downloaded on the internet, people learn about you by sharing their positive and negative impressions with each other. The author explains why certain actions may be 'liked' or 'disliked' by others, and offers guidance on appropriate and inappropriate social behavior. This book also features photocopiable worksheets to reinforce the guidance and lessons offered in the book.

Children with ASDs often find it difficult to identify the things they find difficult and, more importantly, to recognize the things they are good at. This colorful book provides simple self-exploration tools to help children identify their strengths and begin to tackle the things they find harder. The book explores a range of common difficulties, including communication, emotional and sensory regulation, and executive functioning, encouraging children to explore their personal challenges and abilities in an engaging and positive way. Illustrated with hundreds of cartoon-style graphics and containing a wealth of fun tools, games, activities and photocopiable worksheets, this book is ideal for children with ASDs aged 7-14, and will be equally useful at home or in the classroom.

When bad behaviour threatens to derail lessons and undermine teaching, it's easy to feel like you've run out of solutions. Enter: Nikki Cunningham-Smith. With her comforting sense of humour, wealth of experience and ability to see positives in even the most nightmarish of classroom scenarios, Nikki encourages early career teachers to reflect on their practice, take care of their mental health and implement behaviour management strategies that really work. Feel Free to Smile draws on anecdotes from Nikki's time as a teacher in alternative provision settings, as well as contributions from fellow professionals and current NQTs such as Ross Morrison McGill, Vivienne Porritt, Kemi Oloyede and Sarah Mullin. It provides practical strategies, tips and quick fixes for dealing with difficult behaviour and keeping your cool in testing situations. With advice on all aspects of behaviour, as well as reflective questions and space to jot down your thoughts, this book is the perfect companion if you're feeling daunted by challenging behaviour and looking for an experienced voice to help lead the way.

This book is the first edited international volume focused on critical perspectives on plurilingualism in deaf education, which encompasses education in and out of schools and across the lifespan. The book provides a critical overview and snapshot of the use of sign languages in education for deaf children today and explores contemporary issues in education for deaf children such as bimodal bilingualism, translanguaging, teacher education, sign language interpreting and parent sign language learning. The research presented in this book marks a significant development in understanding deaf children's language use and provides insights into the flexibility and pragmatism of young deaf people and their families' communicative practices. It incorporates the views of young deaf people and their parents regarding their language use that are rarely visible in the research to date.

Autism is a lifelong condition that requires special care and consideration right into adulthood, and has an impact on many lives. This book is aimed at those concerned with the education and welfare of children with autism; particularly at teachers in Special Education and the psychologists and care professionals who work with teachers and parents of children with autism. Although there is no miracle cure for autism, this book brings a message of hope: that early intervention is advantageous and that, by a better understanding of autism and the different ways it is experienced by individual children, more effective ways can be found to meet educational needs and improve quality of life. Understanding the development processes and problems of children with autism, and the implications of these problems for social and education learning, is the purpose of this book. The authors provide an accessible account of psychological concepts and research in social and emotional development, communication, cognition and behaviour, as related to individuals with autism. The fundamental problems of autism—relationships, communication and flexibility of thought and behaviour—are addressed, and practical guidance is offered on how these might be overcome or circumvented, in both home and school. This book specifically addresses the needs of children, but much of it will remain relevant to those working with adults who will appreciate the book’s exploration of the roles played by emotion and cognition in the autistic condition, and the way in which these affect teaching and learning.

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is a debilitating neurological condition in which the brain is unable to effectively process sounds and speech. An estimated 5 - 10% of children are affected uniquely. APD can have a significant impact on all aspects of lifelong communication. This authoritative guide includes advice on how to identify, diagnose and support the condition in children, teenagers and adults. It provides everyday strategies based on 20 years of research to try at home, at school and at work. This book aims to help families, teachers and other professionals to understand and support those living with this complex invisible disability. Containing supportive case studies, the book addresses a range of prevalent issues, including relationships, self-esteem, confidence and mental health, making this a comprehensive guide for all things APD.

Based on a collaboration dating back nearly a decade, the authors-a behavioural analyst and a child psychiatrist-reveal their systematic approach for deciphering causes and patterns of difficult behaviours and how to match them with proven strategies for getting students back on track to learn. The Behavior Code includes user-friendly worksheets and other helpful resources.

Young children's access to knowledge about gender, relationships, and sexuality has critical implications for their health and well-being, not only in their early years but throughout their lives. This knowledge can build children's competencies and resilience, contributing to new cultural norms of non-violence in gendered and sexual relationships. For many early childhood teachers, interacting with children about issues concerning gender and sexuality is fraught with feelings of uneasiness and anxiety. For others, familiarity with research on these topics has resulted in rethinking their approaches to sex, gender, and sexuality in their early childhood classrooms. The pedagogical project discussed in Disrupting Gendered Pedagogies in the Early Childhood Classroom examines the tensions associated with one teacher's attempts to rethink gendered narratives and childhood sexuality in her own classroom. This project illustrates that it is possible for early childhood teachers to use feminist poststructuralism and queer theory to deepen their understandings and responses to children's talk, actions, and play regarding sex, gender, and sexuality and to use these understandings to inform their professional practice.

Children and teenagers with autism can struggle to cope with the loss of a loved one, and the complicated and painful emotions of bereavement. This book explains death in concrete terms that the child with autism will understand, explores feelings that the child may encounter as a part of bereavement, and offers creative and expressive activities that facilitate healing. With illustrations throughout, this interactive book begins with a simple story about what happens when people die. Each chapter then expands on the issues that have been raised in the story and offers a variety of coping skills exercises including writing, art and craft, cooking, movement, relaxation, and remembrance activities. Encouraging children with autism to express their loss through discussion, personal reflection, and creative activity, the book is ideal for children and teens to work through by themselves, or with the support of a family member or professional.

Children can struggle to engage with and articulate certain emotions, which can have a profound impact on their behaviour, confidence and ability to form relationships, follow instructions and perform tasks. This resource for teachers, therapists, counsellors and parents uses children's literature and some of its well-known characters, such as the Rainbow Fish and Stanley Yelnats IV from Holes, as a basis for practical activities that enable children to express and manage these emotions. Social-emotional literacy training assists students in developing important life skills such as the ability to develop good relationships and empathy skills, as well as being able to understand, manage and communicate their own emotions. This book offers an introduction to social-emotional literacy, followed by activities related to emotions such as empathy, friendship, grief and self-esteem, aiming to embed this literacy training into daily school and home activities to increase children's chances of future success.

Um Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen einen niedrigschwelligen Zugang zum Sprachlernen im Rahmen berufsvorbereitender Bildungsangebote und -massnahmen zu ermoeglichen, geht die Autorin der zentralen Fragestellung nach, wie sich Sprachkompetenzen ausgehend von praktischer Tatigkeit erweitern lassen. Hierfur werden die komplexen kommunikativen Bedingungen in einem authentischen Arbeitszusammenhang aus linguistischer Perspektive betrachtet, um deren didaktisches Potenzial fur eine ressourcenorientierte Sprachfoerderung in (vor-) beruflichen Kontexten aufzuzeigen. Abschliessend werden die Umsetzungsmoeglichkeiten eines integrativen Ansatzes auf der Grundlage von Bedingungsanalysen in funf schulischen und ausserschulischen Untersuchungsfeldern des UEbergangssektors kritisch diskutiert.

Autobiographical memory (ABM)-the type of long-term memory that holds information about ourselves and our past experiences-is key to social learning and social communication. This groundbreaking guide shows professionals how to support ABM in children and adolescents on the autism spectrum, leading to lasting enhancements to critical social skills. A natural, strengths-based approach to autism intervention, this unique program is about promoting authentic connections by facilitating memory-not encouraging a specific set of behaviors or changing autistic habits of cognition. Ideal for speech-language pathologists and other practitioners, this book offers detailed guidance on how to assess ABM needs and implement activities that help autistic individuals encode and retrieve memories that aid in social learning. Professionals will get step-by-step instructions on using adaptable, person-centered techniques such as elaborative reminiscing, memory making activities, episodic memory draw-talks, and life stories. An innovative and practical guide that honors neurodiversity, this program empowers children to tap into and create meaning from their past experiences-and use those memories to plan, problem-solve, and form positive connections with others. Why This Program? Helps neurotypical and autistic children and adolescents develop memory retrieval and discourse strategies critical for academic and social success Evidence aligned-translates pioneering research into ready-to-use intervention strategies and activities Client centered-honors the child's interests and follows their lead without prescribing scripts or rules Adaptable for a wide range of intervention settings-home, school, and community Developed by highly respected experts on autism and communication Customizable to meet the needs of the individual PRACTICAL MATERIALS: Professionals will get downloadable assessment and intervention forms, clear scope and sequences they can easily replicate, and handouts and worksheets to share with families so they can use the techniques at home.

Das gemeinsame Lernen von Kindern mit und ohne Behinderungen in der Regelschule erscheint in den aktuellen Diskussionen um die Inklusion vielfach als etwas ganzlich Neues. Befurworter wie Skeptiker nehmen den von der UN-Behindertenrechtskonvention angestossenen Bruch mit der uberkommenen Organisationsform von getrennten Regel- und Foerderschulen je nach Standort als Ausweis einer besonders fortschrittlichen oder fragwurdigen Neuausrichtung des Schulsystems wahr. Dass es bereits im 19. und fruhen 20. Jahrhundert Versuche gab, Kinder mit besonderen Foerderbedurfnissen in die allgemeine Volksschule zu integrieren, ist dagegen fast unbekannt. Die vorliegende Studie stellt ausgewahlte historische Konzepte des Gemeinsamen Lernens in ihrem historischen Entstehungszusammenhang dar und zeichnet die ausserordentlich kontroversen zeitgenoessischen Debatten nach, die um diese Ansatze gefuhrt wurden. Daruber hinaus fragt sie nach den Ursachen ihres Scheiterns.

Shift from traditional to alternative discipline that really works As educators face ever-changing discipline laws and regulations coupled with a return to in-person learning, the second edition of Don't Suspend Me! arrives at the perfect time to guide them in everything they need to know to avoid reverting to traditional, exclusionary discipline practices. This user-friendly guidebook helps teachers and administrators use alternative discipline methods to create positive, meaningful, and long-term behavior shifts for students. Inside you'll find An updated alternative discipline toolkit with additional easy-to-use tools, templates, and processes Methods for addressing traditional beliefs and pushback from stakeholders Recommendations for bringing policy to practice Case studies, examples, and lessons learned from educators in the field who successfully used the first edition Examples of the 13 most suspendable offenses and the appropriate responses and interventions to help change student behavior for the long term Organized to help educators implement alternative discipline, this updated edition frames discipline in a practical and effective way that aligns with research, changes in educational law, and-above all else-equity in school discipline.

Praise for the First Edition:

"Bill Rogers has an entertaining style and communicates his ideas in a way that will be easily accessible to teachers." Behaviour UK

"This is an extremely readable book on children's behavior and the management of behavior in a classroom and school context. Provides a useful guide to developing a whole-school approach to positive behavior."" Amazon Review

"

In this revised and updated edition of the bestseller, the author draws on his extensive experience as an educational consultant and trainer to help teachers and managers develop a whole-school strategy for dealing with student behavior.

In a distinctive accessible and entertaining style, the book offers practical suggestions to support teachers as they face the pressures of accountability, assessment and rising concerns about student behavior.

This resource covers: Positive discipline and the importance of consistencySpecific skills in the language of discipline, both verbal and non-verbalTechniques for managing bullying, aggression, rudeness, and violenceMethods to use with behaviorally disordered studentsThe 4Rs--rights, rules, responsibilities, and routinesBehavioral consequences including 'time-out' Behavior agreementsor 'contracts' Playground managementSetting up a behavior management plan and expressing it in policy

This book helps strengthena school's capacity to work as a cohesive, cooperative unit linked with parents and the community to manage behavior successfully.

"

For difficult or challenging children and teenagers in therapeutic or school settings, creative activities can be an excellent way of increasing enjoyment and boosting motivation, making the sessions more rewarding and successful for everyone involved. This resource provides over one hundred tried-and-tested fun and imaginative therapeutic activities and ideas to unleash the creativity of children and teenagers aged 5+. Employing a variety of expressive arts including art, music, stories, poetry and film, the activities are designed to teach social skills development, anger control strategies, conflict resolution and thinking skills. Also included are character education activities and ideas for conducting therapeutic day camps, including sample schedules and handouts. The activities can be used in many different settings with all ages, are flexible, and can be adapted for use with individuals or groups. Brimming with imaginative ideas, this resource will be invaluable to anyone working with children and teenagers, including school counselors, social workers, therapists, psychologists and teachers.