Masking: what are we missing, and how can this behaviour impact communication between school and home?
Lana Grant – Autism Specialist and Author
How can we help if we don’t know what we’re looking for? Lana identifies the meaning of the term ‘masking’ and how common it is. She identifies when and why an adult or child may be masking, highlights the power of working with parents/caregivers, and provides support strategies. Lana is autistic and she’s the parent of an autistic child. She has worked within the field of autism for 20 years supporting and educating autistic young people from 3 years into adulthood.
Positive experiences and approaches with autistic girls in school and community group settings
Jo Dilworth – CEO, APPEER Community Interest Company & Zara Wright – Strategic Lead for SEND, Weydon Multi Academy Trust
Jo and Zara highlight real life experiences of autistic girls and teens and explain why a positive approach is so important. Jo gives an overview of Appeer’s positive peer-based approach to support autistic girls in the community to connect, share interests and understand and support themselves. Zara shares examples of positive effective practice she uses in schools.
Neurodiversity ‘traits’ for children and adolescents – challenges and opportunities
Fintan O’Regan – Behaviour and Learning Trainer and Consultant, Sf30 Ltd
Fintan focuses on understanding and celebrating differences and not deficits within neurodiversity. He demystifies the terms ASD, ADHD, BD, CD, Dyslexia, DCD and ODD. Concentrating on traits and not labels, he explains how to support and nurture the differences that non traditional learners present within learning behaviour and socialisation.
These training videos for teachers will help you to identify masking, understand the impact of a positive approach and nurture the differences that non traditional learners present to ensure the best outcomes for your pupils with Autism.
These sessions were originally presented at one of our online Virtual SEND Conferences.
