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).
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