Sue Larkey Blog

top tips for Preparing neurodiverse students for camp and EXCURSIONS Learn about successfully preparing neurodiverse children for camp! Preparing Neurodiverse Children for Camp: Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite app Join my newsletter for more awesome information about ASDMany neurodiverse children 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. Learn about preparing neurodiverse children for camp today! In this episode we will discuss: ✅Why camp is so important for curriculum and social learning ✅Tips and strategies to prepare for camp and excursions  ✅ How to use social stories, pre-recorded videos or a visit to explain what camp will be like  ✅ Accommodations about food,...

To Medicate or Not to Medicate: Parents share the pros and cons of neurodiverse children using medication (for ASD, ADHD, Anxiety)  Learn about Medicating and Neurodiversity!  I am not a Dr or Specialist, but as a teacher/educator, it is important we understand different medications. In this Podcast on Medicating and Neurodiversity: ✅ Parents share their experiences of trialling medication for Neurodiverse children, including  ASD, ADHD, Anxiety ✅ What to do if your partner doesn’t want your child taking medication ✅ What are the pros and cons to weigh up when trialling medication ✅ When to change or stop the medication ✅ Sue's Top Tips from her best selling book "The Ultimate Guide to School & Home" pg 129 - 130 Medication! This is always such a hard topic for EVERYONE. So I asked my Facebook community to share their actual experiences of medication; asking what medication, what worked and it long it took to work. I know this is a HARD topic but would love people to...

Friendship, play and social interaction are all two-way – and we need to support both the child with ASD and their peers to make social skills programmes work. Using social scripts to teach children with ASD, ADHD, ODD and PDA how to engage socially can be a great strategy to improve understanding of events and situations. Social scripts describe a social situation, skill or concept. The goal of a social script is to promote true social understanding. For example, I taught a girl in Grade 1 who wasn’t doing her work, constantly getting frustrated and not staying at her seat. It turned out she didn’t know how OR when to ask for help. Creating a social script to explain the concept of ‘asking for help’, significantly changed this child’s ability complete work. Other students seem to learn these concepts without explicitly being taught, but in my experience ASD, ADHD, ODD and PDA students need support to understand expectations, rules and changes. The reason social scripts are so...

WHY YOUR WORDS CAN CAUSE MELTDOWNS AND WHAT TO SAY INSTEAD Overcome Communication Challenges Today! Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite app Join my newsletter for more awesome information about ASD Think of a child you know that struggles to follow instructions, and can you relate to any of the following? Are tired of repeating yourself constantly to a certain student?   Are you over your instructions not being followed? Does the student become anxious or frustrated when you give them instructions? When you say certain words (e.g. ’NO)  it triggers an overreaction or escalate behaviour?  Is this impacting on the rest of the class and learning time? The reason this is probably occurring is because this student doesn'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. Many students with autism have Mind Blindness, meaning they are often literal and don’t know the inferred intent of language. This...

18 essential strategies to set up your classroom: webinar relay Learn Classroom Strategies for Good Behaviour Today!  My live webinar last week was a success! If you missed it, it's not too late to sign up HERE and watch the replay of the hour of power! FREE sign up includes: 🎆 E-book🎆 Webinar Replay🎆 Handout   In the Free Webinar You Will Learn: How to Structure your Classroom to Reduce Behaviour Quick and Easy Adjustments to Implement e.g. where to position a child How to Make the Most of your Support Time Using Students’ Strengths to Reduce Their Stress Supporting Students Socially and Emotionally How to Identify the Underlying Causes of Disengagement/Behaviour 1 hour of POWER – Strategies to Make a Difference to You and the Kids you know 18 Key STRATEGIES FOR SETTING UP YOUR CLASSROOM Excerpt from the free E-book Setting Up Your Classroom For Success by Sue Larkey1. Position in ClassroomDuring seating, mat time, assembly, parades etc., make sure you have a set...

Unlocking Potential; My Top 10 Recommended Resources for Supporting Neurodiverse Students in the Classroom & Home: ASD, ADHD, ODD & PDA Learn about Supporting Neurodiverse Students today! Supporting Neurodiverse Students It's all about Supporting Neurodiverse Students. That is what we are all trying to achieve. Are you looking to create a more inclusive and accommodating learning environment for neurodiverse students? The good news is, there are countless resources available to help you do just that! With so many options, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. That's why I've handpicked the top 10 must-have resources for supporting neurodiverse learners, both at school and at home. Accommodating Neurodivergent Learners From understanding the autism spectrum to implementing behaviour support strategies, these resources cover all the bases. Not only are they perfect for personal use, but they also make for valuable additions to your professional library. So, why...

Key strategies to set up ​your classroom for neurodiverse students in 2023 Perfect Classroom Preparation and Neurodiverse Learners today! Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite app Join my newsletter for more awesome information about ASDSetting up your classroom at the start of the year for a new class of neurodiverse learners is always a challenge. Not sure what 'neurodiversity' means? Listen to my podcast on why I love this term! I always find it is so important to prepare your classroom properly for children who learn and engage differently. This helps get the best out of your students, as well as helping to reduce behaviour. I am hoping to help you set up your classroom with a FREE live webinar and FREE E-BOOK to make sure your 2023 is a success! This free E-book has over 100 tips and strategies to help you this year. Make sure you download it so you can read along while I talk through it in this week's Podcast!What you will learn: ✅ The 13 Most Important...

WHY I AM CREATING A NETWORK FOR YOU -  & HOW YOU CAN JOIN TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Join the Neurodiversity Network Today! Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite app Join my newsletter for more awesome information about ASD✅ I am concerned about the number of students not in full-time school and the number of Educators leaving or retiring. ✅ Is the system broken? What can we do about it? ✅ My passion is to support Students & Educators ✅ My proposal to help you in 2023 Sign up and more information HEREI am starting this network because I am deeply concerned about the number of students who are not in full-time school and the number of educators who are leaving or retiring. This begs the question: is the current educational system broken? And if so, what can we do about it?  My passion is to support both students and educators, and I believe that together, we can make a real difference by working together. In this podcast, I will share my proposal for how we can make a...

Sue larkey's expert series:  Innovative Approaches to Teaching Diverse Students including using play for PDA/ODD students with Specialist Ange Anderson Learn about Teaching Diverse Students Today! Expert Guest: Innovative Approaches: Teaching Diverse Students Ange Anderson was a former head of a special school for students aged 2 to 11 with conditions such as PMLD, SLD, ADHD, complex needs, and EBD. 75% of students had autism as a primary or secondary diagnosis. During her time at the school, Ange implemented a range of innovative approaches to teaching diverse students, including Autism, ADHD, ODD, and PDA, leading to significant improvements in the students and establishing the school as a leading specialist in Wales. Today, Ange serves as an SEN advisor for a global VR company and an expert in innovative approaches to teaching diverse students for both schools and families in the UK. Novel Strategies for Teaching Children with Diverse Needs In this interview, we will explore...

Sue larkey's expert series: The fabulous new screening tools to get an an earlier diagnosis with Professor Barbaro Learn about Autism Diagnosis and Screening Tools today!  Expert Guest: Professor Josephine Barbaro is a Principal Research Fellow and Neurodiversity Affirming Psychologist at the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, La Trobe University. She is co-founder of Australia's first 'Early Assessment Clinic' for autism, focusing on children under 3 years old. A/Prof Barbaro's research interests are in the early identification and diagnosis of autism in infants, toddlers, and pre-schoolers, family health and well-being following a diagnosis, and Neurodiversity Affirming research and practice. In this interview, we will discuss Autism Diagnosis and Screening Tools, including: ✅ What is autism screening/developmental surveillance? ✅ What are some of the early signs of Autism? ✅ How early can we identify and diagnose Autistic kiddos and what's the current average age of...

Sue Larkey’s Expert Series: Preparing for Post School - Tips for Navigating University & College for Diverse Students with College Founder Dr. Perry LaRoque Learn about Preparing for Life After School Today!  Expert Guest: Dr. Perry LaRoque is the founder and president of Mansfield Hall, an innovative residential college support program for diverse learners. He earned his doctorate in special education from the University of Wisconsin and has served in a variety of leadership roles serving at-risk youth and people with disabilities. Before returning for his doctoral work, Dr. LaRoque worked in an assisted-living care facility for adults with intellectual disabilities and taught special education in several public schools. In this interview, Dr. Perry LaRoque will talk about Preparing for Life After School, including: ✅ The "tsunami" of students entering college with disabilities in the years to come and what can be done to prepare for this. ✅ How colleges and universities...

Sue Larkey’s Expert Series: One-on-One Consultation with Dad on How to get his Son to do a Number 2 in the Loo Learn Expert Tips for Toilet Training Today!  Discussed in this Episode:    Why Mark calls it 'Toilet Learning' Not 'Toilet Training''   How Mark got his son to do 'wee' in toilet   Sue offers some suggestions to Mark's question: 'What to do for his son who will hold in a poo for over a day, which will become an accident in his undies; he simply won't sit on the toilet to poo.'10 TOp TIps For Toileting 1. Avoid potties! Start out with the end in mind. Children with autism have trouble generalising and the last thing you want is to have to carry their pottie around with you everywhere you go!   2. Visuals are very important. Make up some visuals to help the child understand the toileting process and to provide a prompt.   3. Prepare lots of FUN activities to do with the child. Making going to the toilet fun takes the pressure off and makes it a motivating...