Sue Larkey Blog

UNDERSTANDING SENSORY NEEDS Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite app Join my newsletter for more awesome information about ASDMany children with ASD will be over or under reactive to sensory stimuli including touch, taste, smell, sound, sight and/or movement. By regulating the amount and intensity of stimulation it helps to keep the nervous system calm, organised and focused. Children can be under-aroused and sluggish one moment, and overwhelmed and anxious the next. Meeting sensory needs can include using sensory tools to regulate behaviour or adapting activities to reduce sensory stimulation. For example some children can sit for longer periods with a sensory tool/fidget tool. While other children may need clothing adaptations, e.g. socks with no overlocking for them to wear shoes and socks. Temple Grandin (an adult with ASD) advocates for awareness of different children having different sensory needs, she encapsulates this difference stating “One kid’s got sound...

SOLUTIONS AND STRATEGIES FOR COMMON PLAYGROUND BEHAVIOURS Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite app Join my newsletter for more awesome information about ASD Join the facebook group specifically for this podcast - https://www.facebook.com/groups/suelarkeypodcastcommunity/ The playground is often an extremely confusing environment for children on the spectrum. Playgrounds can be overwhelming in many ways; socially, sensorially and behaviourally. Children with ASD, ADHD,ODD often desperately want friends and to play with other children but don’t have the skills required. This can result in them getting in trouble for behaviour, becoming socially isolated, bullied or unable to maintain friendships. To overcome this, it is important schools implement proactive strategies to support students to engage appropriately in the playground. These can include: Using social scripts (download how to write and use social scripts here) Setting up playground clubs and activities Having...

USING COMMUNICATION TEMPTATIONS TO MOTIVATE COMMUNICATION Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite appJoin my newsletter for more awesome information about ASD Many children with ASD do not feel the need or motivated to communicate as everyone in their environment thinks for them, gives them what they want or even anticipates their needs. When you create a communication programme it is VITAL you create as many opportunities as possible for the child to communicate. Start with activities that are particularly desirable or intriguing for your child are more likely to ‘tempt’ them or provide them with sufficient motivation to communicate with another person. Encourage verbal children to use their words or extend their word i.e. “Drink” to “I want drink” and non-verbal children to use visuals/signs/gesture to communicate. 12 Ideas to Provide Opportunities to Communicate * Remember if the child is nonverbal they will need a visual to ask for help. You need to make sure their...

YOUR WORDS MATTER TO STUDENTS WITH AUTISM Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite app Join my newsletter for more awesome information about ASD *Are you tired of repeating yourself to a student(s)? * Over your instructions not being followed? * Does the child become anxious or frustrated when you give them instructions? *When you say certain words (eg ’NO')  can this trigger an overreaction or escalate behaviour? *Is this impacting on the rest of the class and learning time? The Chances are they don’t actually understand what they are meant to do. As a teacher when I realised the POWER OF MY WORDS it made a huge difference. I’d love everyone who gets my emails to print this out one-page guide and share with your colleagues (or families) to remind everyone “Your Words Matter" and the choice of words can have a HUGE difference My promise is it will make a big difference… for everyone! Extract Many students with autism have Mind Blindness, meaning they are often literal and...

DIAGNOSIS - WHAT TO DO? WHERE TO GO? WHAT NEXT? Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite appJoin my newsletter for more awesome information about ASD Autism and other related/similar conditions cannot be diagnosed using medical tests. Instead, diagnosis relies on observation of behavioural features. The criteria is constantly being re-evaluated to reflect the growing understanding of the Autism Spectrum. As our knowledge of autism grows so does the need for re-evaluation of the autism criteria, for example only recently sensitivity to sensory stimuli has been included as part of the criteria. The Autism Spectrum table above shows the complex nature of ASD, and why each person on the spectrum is so different. What to do if you notice a child engages differently? Once families, carers, teachers, educators notice the child engages differently it can be hard to know what to do next. When an educator notices this, I always think it is best to suggest to families/carers that they...

EMOTIONAL REGULATION  Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite appJoin my newsletter for more awesome information about ASD The emotional world for people on the spectrum can be very scary! Emotions often come without warning and are difficult to label and connect to a cause, which leaves the person unable to control them. “You cannot control what you cannot define, label, and understand.” ( Excerpt from The Autism Discussion Page, pg 285), therefore it is very important we give the child skills and strategies to understand and regulate their emotions. Dean Beadle, an adult with ASD, discusses how he was given behaviour cards for bad behaviour. Every term he would receive more and more cards as he didn’t know what he was meant to do. Teaching children about emotions and strategies to regulate emotions makes a huge difference to behaviour. Dean Beadle explains how when he saw himself as part of the solution rather than the problem, that he then knew what he was meant to do....

Some behind the scenes info about the making of this newsletter and some of the highlights Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite app Making it a Success in 2019 What you will learn Emotional Regulation pg 2 Ideas to help your children self regulate pg 3 Diagnosis - What to do next pg 5 My NEW Facebook Support group for Parent/Carers pg 8 NEW Online Course - Developing Early Childhood Approaches for Children with Additional Needs pg 9 Your Words Matter pg 11 Using Communication Temptations to Promote Communication pg 14 12 Ideas to Provide Opportunities to Communicate pg 15 10 Key Rules to a Successful Communication Programme pg 16 Solutions & Strategies for Common Playground Behaviour pg 18 Behaviour Solutions for the Classroom & Home pg 22 Understanding Mental Health & ASD pg 24 Understanding Sensory Needs pg 27 Recommended Sensory Tools pg 28 Recommended Resources pg 29 Online Accredited Courses - Term 2 Course starts May 13 pg 33 Upcoming Workshops pg 34...

29 WAYS FOR TEACHER ASSISTANTS TO SUPPORT STUDENTs and student Wellbeing Managing meltdowns in neurodiverse students Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite app Join my newsletter for more awesome information about ASD Discussed in the episode: ✅ Understanding Meltdown Phases and recognising the stages from buildup to crisis.✅ Calming Strategies to reduce anxiety and stress.✅ Importance of Silence and emphasis on giving space for self-regulation.✅ Communication Alternatives✅ Discusses reflection and preventive strategies for meltdowns✅ Stresses the importance of knowing individual triggers.Teacher assistants, school support officers, teacher aides, etc. – you are angels in disguise and we thank you for all your hard work with our ASD students. You are usually the person that the student with ASD may develop a great mentoring relationship with, so it is important that you start off on the ‘right foot’. Managing meltdowns in neurodiverse students is a crucial part of your role,...

WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT INTEROCEPTION AND THE IMPACT ON THE KIDS YOU KNOW Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite appJoin my newsletter for more awesome information about ASD Did you know why you need routine drink, toilet & snack breaks for children with ASD, ADHD & SPD? Interoception refers to the ability to perceive and understand your internal sensations and emotions. This occurs through receptors located throughout your body which communicate to your brain. When the interoceptive system is working properly, you are motivated to take action to restore your balance and help you feel more comfortable. For example, if you get thirsty - you get a drink; if you feel cold - you get a sweater; if you feel anxious - you seek comfort. Simply, interoception is your urge to act. For children with sensory processing issues, the brain can’t understand the sensory information their body if sending them meaning they are not able to identify their feelings. This often...

?Create a World of Understanding?to Embrace Difference   April 2nd is Autism Awareness Day and a wonderful opportunity to raise understanding of ASD within the classroom & community. Even if you don't have a chance to do an activity on April 2nd, use thisMonth to Raise Autism Awareness # Acceptance:  Embrace Difference to Make a Difference! In this "Create a World of Understanding Magazine" you will find ✅8 Key Ideas to Embrace Difference, great ideas & activities for your whole community ✅Range of Activities to Promote Understanding  ✅Fantastic Resources for ALL ages and Stages   ⭐️Use Autism Awareness as opportunity to add a few Autism Resources to your  Library for ongoing Understanding & Acceptance in your community⭐️ Want Strategies and Ideas Delivered to Your...

MANAGING SCREEN TIME FOR STUDENTS WITH AUTISM Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite appJoin my newsletter for more awesome information about ASD Screens are a wonderful tool to use with students with autism, however they are becoming increasingly difficult to monitor and manage. Here are a few great examples of questions you could ask yourself to see if the student's screen time is under control? Do you have a plan to 'manage' screen time? Is it being followed? Does screen use interfere with what your family/classroom wants to do? Does screen use interfere with sleep? Does the student easily transition between screen time and non-screen time? i.e. will they get 'off' when directed If after asking these questions you are wanting to put in place some strategies to manage screen time, below are some tips to get you started.TIPS TO MANAGE SCREEN TIME EXIT PLANMany students with autism get very engrossed with their screens making it very difficult for them to transition to...

SCHOOL CAMPS AND EXCURSIONS Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite appJoin my newsletter for more awesome information about ASD Many children with ASD can find the anticipation of camp to be a source of great stress. Letting the student know as much detail as possible from the food to the different sensory feelings they might encounter, can often help to reduce anxiety and uncertainty. Talking about expectations and concerns can allow staff to tailor their support to the child's specific needs.I asked for some tips on my Facebook page and one lovely teacher gave this great piece of advice! Don't forget to follow Sue Larkey on Facebook for more great information.   Give the student at least two weeks warning of the upcoming camp or excursions. Important Information: Where they are going. When they are going. How they are going to get there.  Download pictures of the place with maps of the area and look at the website so they can familiarise themselves and get excited.  If...