Sue Larkey Blog

STRATEGIES AND INSIGHTS TO INFORM YOUR TEACHING PRACTICE WITH TEMPLE GRANDIN AND SUE LARKEY Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite app Join my newsletter for more awesome information about ASDThis FREE Ebook and Webinar are focused on Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum - Strategies & Insights to Inform your Teaching Practice with Temple Grandin and Sue Larkey. They are designed for Educators to use lived experience and evidence-based research to increase engagement and participation for their students with Autism Spectrum. The free Webinar is also the first lesson in my BRAND NEW Temple Grandin and Sue Larkey Course - check it out if you enjoy the Webinar!   Another FREE E-book with 100+ Tips & Strategies! Download the free E-book so you can read along while I explain in this week's Podcast. What you will learn: An Inspirational Story: Strategies Behind Temple Grandin’s Amazing Successful Life. The 9 Compelling Reasons To Use Visuals to Communicate How to...

Webinar Replay - SENSORY STRATEGIES FOR EDUCATORS - THE ​OFTEN OVERLOOKED CAUSES OF BEHAVIOUR Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite app Join my newsletter for more awesome information about ASDMy Live Virtual Webinar last week was a success! But it's not too late if you missed it - sign up HERE to watch the Replay of the hour of power! Available for a limited time FREE sign up includes:  E-book  Webinar Replay  Handout    What will you learn in the Webinar? 🌟 What Role do Sensory Solutions have in De-escalating Behaviour & Increasing Participation?🌟 Benefits of a Simple Sensory Programme in your Classroom🌟 What is SPD?🌟 How to Identify Students who could have SPD🌟 Checklist to Identify Underlying Sensory Causes of Behaviour🌟 The MOST Overlooked Sensory Tools & How to use🌟 Quickfire Solutions to Implement this WeekJoin me for a Live Workshop this...

SENSORY STRATEGIES TO INCREASE ENGAGEMENT IN A BUSY AND COMPLEX CLASSROOM Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite app Join my newsletter for more awesome information about ASDTeaching in a busy and complex classroom can be very difficult, but this term I have collated my top Proven Sensory Strategies to increase engagement and participation. A sensory focus is crucial to maximse class engagement, as well as to understand the often overlooked causes of behaviour. So I am hoping to help you with a New E-Book, Webinar & Podcast - ALL FREE - filled with quick tips and strategies to make sure your kids are getting the most out of the amazing work you do! I am also running live FACE TO FACE workshops again this term! Check them out below.   Brand new FREE E-book with 100+ Tips & Strategies Download the free E-book so you can read along while I explain in this week's Podcast. What you will learn: ✅ Simple Classroom Adaptations That Make a Huge Difference to students and...

TOP TIPS FOR TEACHING CHILDREN WITH AUTISM IN THE EARLY YEARS Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite app Join my newsletter for more awesome information about ASDWhen 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...

TEMPLE GRANDIN - ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE'S MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN THE WORLD - SHARES HER INSIGHTS INTO SENSORY, SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOUR Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite app Join my newsletter for more awesome information about ASDIn this podcast, I take inspiration from my exclusive interview from Temple Grandin - one of Times Magazine's most influential people in the world - and share her insights on sensory processing, social skills and behaviour. I discuss the amygdala and it's impacts on behaviour and sensory processing. Many people with autism - including Temple Grandin - have an enlarged amygdala, causing an increased emotional response to stimuli. Sensory tools can be a huge help - jump here for more information. The Amygdala and ASD Have you heard of the ‘Amygdala’? Did you know it is thought that an enlarged amygdala could be causing anxiety, sensory processing differences, and more. The amygdala is part of the limbic system within the brain, which is...

WHAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM LIVED EXPERIENCES OF AUTISM AND ADHD Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite app Join my newsletter for more awesome information about ASDWhen I first started working in Special Education 30 years ago I always sought out Personal Accounts of people with autism, as I found it so insightful and helped me understand the children I worked with. Lived experiences allow a valuable and genuine perspective that I find very eye-opening. There are lots of great ways to access information on lived experiences. Here are some of my suggestions:1. Youtube There are many great channels out there. I follow Jessica McCabe who has an amazing channel on ADHD called "How to ADHD".2. Ted Talks So many fabulous ones and new ones coming out all the time. The button below brings you to a list in order of most viewed so if you are not sure where to start, this is an easy way to find the great ones. 3. Facebook I follow lots of facebook pages run by Autistic people. I highly...

Making Friends and Being One Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite app Join my newsletter for more awesome information about ASDOne of the biggest myths about children with ASD is they all like being on their own. Children with ASD often desperately want friends, and in fact worrying about friends can cause them anxiety. Many children show this stress by becoming more withdrawn, which of course makes the situation worse. For students with ASD a little extra support may be required to create friendships. For instance, when teachers allow children to select their own partners, children with ASD often are left out. Instead staff should consider who will be a good partner/friend to the child and be pro-active in pairing them. Good examples of opportunities for schools to support friendships are in seating arrangements, partner activities and group work. Parents, I would encourage you to support the school by organising some out of school activities such as having children over...

HOW TO HELP KIDS WHO STRUGGLE WITH HANDWRITING Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite app Join my newsletter for more awesome information about ASDMany children on the spectrum can have dysgraphia (see Podcast Episode 86 for more information). The Kids’ Guide to Getting Your Words on Paper by Lauren Brukner is an excellent resource that acts as a self-help guide to writing for kids. I would absolutely use this book with my whole class as it has great reminders of how to help students with their writing. Jump to: info for adults.My Top 5 Takeaways From The Kids' Guide to Getting Your Words on Paper by Lauren BruknerHand warm up exercisesMenu of writing strategies - big body stuff i.e. foot stool, exercise band, pencils, cushion and more!Importance of our eyes to make wiritng easier. Try different types of paper - colours, line sizes, even graph paper. One of my favourite activities in the book is I-Spy Bean Bags (page 41)There are lots of other fun activities, including a...

DE-ESCALATION STRATEGIES TO USE BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER A MELTDOWN Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite app Join my newsletter for more awesome information about ASDRecognising and managing meltdowns / shutdowns is vital to support people with an ASD. Every child with an ASD will experience very individual symptoms that are unique to them. Not all individuals with an ASD will experience a "meltdown" and instead may "shut down". It is very important you are familiar with each child’s triggers and responses. Use the student profile on page 31 of The Ultimate Guide to School and Home to record the information so everyone is aware of triggers and signs of meltdowns. Check out Podcast Episode 70 on Understanding Meltdowns with Jed Baker for more information!We hate Spam was well. You can unsubscribe at anytime. LIMITED SALE: $10 OFF The Ultimate Guide to School and Home - 1 WEEK ONLY (offer ends 23rd May)Meltdowns Meltdowns are extreme emotional and/or behavioural responses to...

Webinar replay - TEACHING NEURODIVERSE STUDENTS ​IN YOUR BUSY AND COMPLEX CLASSROOM Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite app Join my newsletter for more awesome information about ASDMy Live Virtual Webinar last week was a success! But it's not too late if you missed it - sign up HERE to watch the Replay of the hour of power! FREE sign up includes:  E-book  Webinar Replay  Handout   What will you learn in the Webinar?  Key Limitations in Inclusive Classrooms & How to Address Theory of Mind & Impact in your classroom 3 Essential Requirements for Success in Busy Classrooms Tips to Promoting Understanding in your class What is Neurodiversity & How does that look for your students? Smart Goals and Why Important 11 Top Tips to Keep Neurodiverse Students on Task in Busy & Complex classroomsTHE TRAFFIC LIGHT STRATEGY Excerpt from the free E-book Teaching Neurodiverse Students in your Busy and Complex Classroom by Sue LarkeyMy favourite technique for class work...

SUPPORTING CHILDREN WITH IMMUNISATION AND THE COVID VACCINEIn Australia, COVID-19 vaccinations are in the process of being rolled out. If you are worried about your children getting vaccinated, I have found an amazing social story resource from Centre for Dignity in Healthcare for People with Disabilities which I have been given permission to share. Don't forget to bring your timer! Check out my book below for more information.Check out the original pdf here! These social stories have also been adapted to include audio narration. Centre for Dignity in Healthcare for People with Disabilities has so many other great resources too, including: ✅ COVID-19 Vaccination Allocation Plan for people with disabilities ✅ FAQs on the COVID-19 Vaccine ✅ And more!Don't forget you need to wait for at least 15 minutes after getting your vaccination before leaving - make sure you have your time timers so you are ready! Time management = anxiety management!I am always sharing stories and new content...

UNDERSTANDING AUTISM: COMMON CONFUSIONS AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS - WITH PSYCHOLOGIST EMILY HANLON Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite app Join my newsletter for more awesome information about ASDThis week I am joined by guest, Emily Hanlon, a Psychologist who completed her Clinic Masters Research on the well-being of siblings of children with ASD compared to children with typically developing siblings. The results showed that ASD siblings reported lower scores on emotional efficacy and positive affect, and reported higher scores on negative affect than did the comparison group siblings. To summarise, the findings indicated that having an autistic sibling resulted in lower overall levels of psychological well-being than siblings of typically developing individuals. The full article is available here. She is also the daughter of Randa Habelrih, a guest on the podcast in Episode 107. Check out her website here!Diagnostic labels Labels are difficult, but they do have benefits...