Sue Larkey Blog

Sue reviews her Favourite Resources to support Neurodiverse Children; what, why & how to maximise their impact! Learn to support neurodiverse students! Join me this week as I talk you through my FAVOURITE resources to support neurodiverse students. So, grab a cuppa and download the catalogue and let's chat. ✅ Sue Larkey books (pg 2), ✅ Visual Supports (pg 5) ✅ Social Skills (pg 6) ✅ Understanding Behaviour (pg 8) ✅ Anxiety & Mental Health (pg 9) ✅Early Years (page 10) ✅ Helping Children Manage their Emotions (pg 11) ✅ Teaching Children about Autism Spectrum (page 12) ✅ADHD- Organising & Planning (page 13) ✅ Teen Years & Beyond (pg 15) ✅ Puberty & Sex Education (page 16) ✅ Sensory Books (pg 17) ✅  Sensory Tools (pg 18) ✅ Workshops (pg 19) Support neurodiverse students today! 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...

10 Essential Tips to Share to Increase Understanding During April Embrace Neurodiversity Today! Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite app Join my newsletter for more awesome information about ASDNeurodiversity is the concept that neurological differences between people should be recognised and respected. Instead of using terms like ’dys - function’ ‘dis- abilities’ & ‘dis-orders’ neurodiversity is an enabling term that takes into account neurological differences. Neurodiversity - is not one size fits all. We are all different and neurodiversity celebrates difference. In this episode we discuss: ✅ April as an Opportunity to Celebrate & Advocate for Neurodiversity ✅ Why I love the term Neurodiversity✅ Why important to ask about people’s personal preferences for “terminology”✅ During April watch and learn from a Movie, or TV Show. ✅ Connect to Neurodiverse people online to celebrate neurodiversity✅ 10 Top Tips to Understand Neurodiversity to share with your community...

Initiatives and Ideas to Help Build Social Connections for neurodiverse Teens and Adults​ today!  Discussed in this Episode:​ ✅ Why social skills programmes need to be “driven” by individual's needs and their personal goals (HELP) ✅ How to build social capacity in teen years and beyond ✅ The importance of programmes/ relationships being  ✅ Two amazing programmes share insights and information on how programs support teens and young people to develop connections and friends ✅ Range of fabulous options available in most communities to help build social connections. ✅ Importance of building social connections for neurodiverse teensLET'S CREATE SOCIAL CONNECTION FOR NEURODIVERSE TEENS AND ADULTSThis week's Podcast comes from a question from my Facebook community. She was looking for activities for her 23-year-old son to join in as he was isolated, and lonely and wanted friends. Read below the fabulous activities that can build connection.  There are fabulous ideas from chess...

How to use Video Modelling to support Neurodiversity at School & Home (ASD, PDA, ODD, ADHD) Video Modeling and Neurodiversity!  Special Guest Mum of a beautiful boy with autism and a Primary school Principal shares about video modelling and neurodiversity, including: ✅  How she used video modelling to help her son understand a “Playdate” ✅ The power of commenting to help children understand the situation - what is happening, what to do and more ✅ Using Mr Bean to help his son go to the dentist ✅ A wonderful lesson plan to use to explain Autism to your class ✅ A beautiful Poem that would be great to share with your community too  Poem by RenaeIf you liked video modeling and neurodiversity! Check out my other related Podcasts to help understand autism: Talking to Children about ASD with Best Selling Author Kathy Hoopman Episode 150: Sharing Diagnosis with Family & Friends – Who, Why & How Episode 151: How to Share Diagnosis with an Autistic Child, Peers &...

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...