Sue Larkey Blog

Celebrating Diversity in The Classroom  With The Gift of Understanding Celebrating Diversity this Holiday SeasonWhat this Newsletter Contains ✅ 14 tips for Christmas / Holiday Season✅ Promoting Understanding✅ Using Picture Books to Educate the Whole Family✅ Sharing Diagnosis - Why, When and How to tell my Child✅ Holiday Reading✅ Using Cooking to Teach - Teaching Diversity through Food✅ 6 Key Strategies for Creating a Calming Area at School and Home✅ 12 Essential Tips for Concerts and End of Year Celebrations✅ Stocking Filler Ideas✅ Give the Gift of Visual Time - Using Timers to Minimise Stress Great ideas for Presents for Children with AutismThis is all about celebrating diversity this holiday season, with a focus on providing plenty of tips for end of year activities, such as concerts and big gatherings. In addition, the podcast will cover gifts for autistic children (and other neurodiversity), offering advice on how to choose sensory-friendly toys, books, and puzzles that will...

  Time management = anxiety management STRATEGIES FOR STUDENTS WITH AUTISM, ADHD, PDA & ODD Time Management for Neurodiverse Students  Why is time management important in the classroom?Remember waiting for a taxi before ride-sharing apps, with no idea when it would arrive? That anxious feeling where one minute felt like an hour? For many neurodiverse students, this is their daily classroom experience. Without visual time markers, every activity becomes an uncertainty-filled waiting game. As an experienced educator who transitioned from mainstream to autism-specific education, I discovered that visual timers aren't just helpful tools – they're essential classroom accommodations. Think about it: we wouldn't expect adults to navigate a workday without time references, yet we often expect students to manage their day with just a basic timetable and verbal cues. Consider this real classroom scenario: A mathematics teacher sets a 10-minute timer for problem-solving. "Here's the...

Teaching Plan for Transitioning  Free Downloads Strategies for Teachers and Transitioning  Transitioning children with neurodiversity successfully is an important part of a child's education. Transitioning children with neurodiversity successfully is an important part of a child's education. With the right strategies for teachers and parents, children can transition from one school to another, or from preschool to school, with ease. Parents, teachers, and aides can work together to create a successful transition plan, using transition cheat sheets, self advocacy, and calming strategies. Knowing 10 things about the child, as well as any sensory issues, can help teachers create a supportive environment for the child. Here are five tips for teachers to help children transition successfully: 1. Create a transition plan with the help of parents, teachers, and aides.2. Use transition cheat sheets to provide key information about the child.3. Encourage self advocacy by having the...

 Transition Strategies from Pre-School to Post-School FREE e-book transition strategies for neurodiverse studentsIt's starting to get to the end of 2024, and you might already be starting to think about how you will ease the transition for the children you know. Or if you are just coming out of learning from home and moving to in-person teaching, these transition tips will help reduce anxiety and stress! Transition can be big or small changes: it includes change in teacher, change in room, change in students in the class not just starting preschool, school, high school and beyond. The nature of autism is such that transition can be extremely stressful, no matter what age or how BIG or SMALL the change maybe. Changing Teacher is like…. Moving to a Foreign Country   For children with autism, moving to a new teacher, classroom or campus is like moving to foreign country. There is a different language (e.g. old teacher says ‘pack away’, new teacher says ‘clean up’). Teachers and...

Empowering children through mindfulness, this podcast explores how using a fun, magical approach can help children self-regulate and understand emotions.

Behaviour Solutions for Kids is a great way to help children with Autism, ADHD, ODD, and all other neurodiversity. By understanding behaviour and putting in place strategies to help children regulate their emotions, you can help them cope with meltdowns and shutdowns. Proactive and reactive strategies can be used to help children learn how to self-regulate and choose their battles. With the right tools and strategies, you can help children with behaviour issues find solutions that work for them. It's never too late to start helping children with behaviour issues, and the rewards are worth it.

Starting school for neurodiverse STUDENTS Top Tips for teachers & Carers Starting School for Neurodiverse Students also includes changing teachers, changing year levels, changing primary to high school and moreDiscussed in this Episode: ✅ Preparing neurodiverse children for the transition from early childhood to primary school ✅ Teaching essential practical and social skills for school readiness ✅ Addressing sensory and motor skill challenges in the school environment ✅ Importance of explicit instruction for social interactions and school routines ✅ Strategies for managing separation anxiety and new school experiencesby Sue Larkey, B Spec Ed, Ma Spec Ed A key role at Western Autistic School in Melbourne, facilitated the integration of students with autism into mainstream primary schools. Her responsibilities included initial planning and ongoing support to ensure smooth transitions and successful inclusion. The podcast ‘Sue Larkey’ has over 1.3 million downloads Sue Podcast is...

Top Tips for Early Childhood Educators - Where to start and what to do Teaching Strategies for Neurodiverse StudentsWhen working with any child with ASD it is critically important that the programme implemented is realistic, both for the child and for the family. By realistic I mean setting everyone up for (achievable) success and that everyone across all environments has the time to implement it. I believe the best way to create a realistic programme is to only address one or two ideas at any one time. I recommend in the early years you always have visuals of the goals you are working on in a prominent place (e.g. fridge or preschool office) so ALL people engaging with the child know the week’s two goals. Over the years I have found by displaying the goals ensures consistency and everyone creating opportunities to reinforce the goal. As children with autism spectrum disorders are highly individual, not all strategies may work with every child. If you find this to be the case,...

Helping PDA Teens Thrive: A Guide for Parents & Educators Helping PDA Teens Thrive  Strategies for Teaching PDA Students✅  Show genuine interest in a teen's interests without an agenda✅  Use the "GPS" approach: stay calm and redirect without reacting to anger✅  Offer choices and suggestions rather than direct commands✅  Provide "get out" options for social situations to reduce anxiety✅  Use various communication methods (e.g., Zoom, email, voice notes) to accommodate preferences✅  Create a safe space for honest feedback and expression✅  Avoid making assumptions based on past behaviors or interests✅  Stay steady and consistent in your support, even when faced with challenging behaviors✅ Recognize and respect the need for autonomy in PDA teens✅  Educate extended family and professionals about PDA to create a supportive networkPathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) in the Classroom: Understanding and Teacher Strategies for EducatorsDownload 'Laura Kerbey's 10 top tips for supporting...

Transition from Primary to Secondary School    This Weeks Podcast is an interview with the Joan Shanahan: Joan  has been involved in education all her life and experienced from early childhood to tertiary. She finally worked as a consultant in 24 schools  in northern NSW before moving to  the Sunshine Coast and establishing her business Behaviour Solutions 247. She brings to this Podcast over 20 years of experience in developing transition plans for students moving from primary to secondary school. Discussed in this Podcast: ✅ When to Start Transition ✅ How Long should you do Transition ✅ Must Do for successful Transition ✅ Ideal to Do as part of Planning ✅ Extra Ideas to support Transition ✅ What do to if Transition wasn’t Successful ✅ Plus information on Vaping, Catching the Bus and more More Tips and Information from Joan Shanahan https://behavioursolutions.wixsite.com/australia/home  1. Must doThese are the MUST DO for Transition to Secondary School: Visit the school...

Teacher Assistants Toolkit: A Comprehensive Guide to Supporting Neurodiverse StudentsTeacher Assistant Neurodiverse SupportDiscussed in this Podcast: ✅ Implement a "you have a go, then I'll have a go" approach to encourage student independence ✅ Use visual cues like highlighters to break down tasks into manageable parts ✅ Teach coping strategies such as deep breathing or offering choices for self-regulation ✅ Create a cup system (green, yellow, red) for students to signal their need for help ✅ Utilize students' special interests (e.g., number plates) to engage them in learning activities ✅ Encourage peer support by teaching students to ask classmates for help before turning to adults ✅ Provide preventative breaks and movement activities throughout the day ✅ Use timers to manage student expectations when waiting for teacher assistance ✅ Implement a "see two, then see me" policy to promote problem-solving skills ✅ Adapt support strategies based on the time of day when students are...