The university’s School of Education Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Seminar Series 2020/21 will begin on Wednesday 3 March.

A number of online seminars about special educational needs and disabilities in education will be available for people to book onto, including:

Making sense of autism
Wednesday 3 February 4pm – 5.30pm
Nottingham City Autism Team
‘Making sense of autism’ is accredited by the Autism Education Trust (AET) and is nationally recognised.
This seminar will give you a better understanding and awareness of autism and the way it affects pupils in school.
The seminar will support participants to:

• Identify the four key areas of difference that need to be taken into account
• Know the importance of understanding the individual pupil and their profile of strengths and areas for development
• Identify the key areas to help pupils on the autism spectrum build positive relationships with staff, peers, families and people in their community
• Develop an awareness of the sensory and communication differences that pupils may experience

Sex and the 3Rs – Rights, Responsibilities and Relationships
Wednesday 10 February 4.30pm – 5.30pm
David S Stewart OBE D.Litt.h.c. DL – Former Head Teacher, Oak Field School, Nottingham

Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) is a compulsory part of the curriculum in England and Wales and plays an important part in the learning of young people with disabilities, yet is often neglected. This seminar, based on 35 years of experience in the field of RSE, seeks to address the issues in the delivery of this subject in schools, ensuring that young people with additional needs are enabled to lead happy, successful and safe lives. It examines the training of staff, work with parents and suitable resources for teachers to use.

Meeting the needs of the child/young person with visual impairment in the mainstream setting
Wednesday 24 February 4.30pm – 5.30pm
Gwyneth McCormack, Director of Positive Eye 

The seminar will raise awareness of the impact of visual impairment on the child’s learning and development and on their access to the curriculum. Practical strategies and application of appropriate resources to enable access and to positively support the inclusion of the child within the school or setting will be delivered through an interactive approach.

Listen up! (Raising the profile of post incident support)
Wednesday 3 March 4.30pm – 5.30pm
Dean Cotton, Positive Behaviour Strategies Ltd.

This seminar will highlight the importance of post-incident support structures, for children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties, including information from recent research studies. Dean will also outline ways to support children with communication difficulties post incident.

The impact of brain injury on education: what SENCos and teachers need to know
Wednesday 10 March 4.30pm – 5.30pm
Dr Emily Bennett & Dr Emily Talbot, Paediatric Neuropsychology Service, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

It is estimated that, by the time they leave school, the equivalent of one child per class will have experienced a brain injury of some kind. This seminar will raise awareness of the impact an acquired brain injury (ABI) on the child’s learning and cognition. It will emphasise the significance of an injury in childhood across a child’s development and time within education. Practical strategies for support will be discussed and consideration given to how educators can access further information and advice about ABI, both on a local and national level.

Meeting the needs of the children with profound and multiple learning disabilities in the classroom
Wednesday 17 March 4.30pm – 5.30pm
Laura Wyatt, Oak Field School Outreach Service 

The seminar will focus on learner centred approaches highlighting ways in which the curriculum could be adapted in both mainstream and special schools. This will include curriculum analysis with a view to restructuring learning programmes. Teaching strategies and techniques, inclusive practice, planning, assessment and target setting as well as social aspects of learning will be addressed.