A thought-provoking, interactive, and empathy-building workshop for providers who work with students with special needs, including learning disabilities, head injuries, attention deficit disorder, and sensory integration disorders, aspbergers, autism and nonverbal learning disabilities.  For the inclusive educational setting, this workshop is an absolute MUST for teachers of today’s students. Participants leave this workshop with an understanding of what it feels like to experience different disabilities, as well as a formula for developing easy practical strategies for working with these children in the classroom.

Objectives
At the end of the workshop, participants will:

• Learn the characteristics of different disorders
• Learn first hand what  it feels like to have a ‘hidden special need” through empathy  activities
• Learn simple strategies for working effectively with children who have
  • ADHD
  • Behavioral problems
  • Learning disabilities
  • Minor Head Injuries
  • Language disorders
  • Sensory integration problems
  • Aspbergers syndrome
  • Fetal Alcohol spectrum disorder
  • Nonverbal learning disabilities
• Develop simple accommodations and modifications for practical use in the classroom that include modification of the environment
• Examination of direct teaching styles most conducive to special needs
• Schedules/routines and effective materials that work with these learners

Outline
Day 1:

• Introduction    
  • Paradigm, Shift   Work Smarter not Harder 
• Language Disorders
  • Empathy Exercise –
    • What this means to you
    • Characteristics and Signs
    • Strategies for working with them
• Dyslexia (Reading Disorders)
  • Empathy Exercise – Poetry Reading
    • When this will be an issue
    • Characteristics and Signs
    • Strategies
• Attention Deficit Disorder
  • Empathy Exercise
    • Characteristics
    • Signs of Escalation
    • Strategies
• Written Language Disorders
  • Empathy Exercise
    • How to identify
    •  What to do — strategies for intervention
• Head Injuries
  • Empathy Exercise
    • What did you do?
    • How did you feel?
    • What signs to watch for
    • Characteristics
    • Strategies for intervention
• Learning Log     Individual Reflection
• Question and Answer

Day 2:

• Aspbergers and the Autism Spectrum
  • Empathy Exercise
    • What this means to you
    • Characteristics and Signs
    • Strategies for working with them
• Sensory Integration Disorders
  • Characteristics and Interventions
    • Auditory
    • Visual
    • Motor Planning
    • Vestibular
    • Tactile
    • Taste and Smell
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
  • Characteristics
  • Learning Difficulties
  • Strategies for Intervention
• Nonverbal Learning disabilities
  • Characteristics
  • Behavioral and learning difficulties
  • How this plays out in the classroom
  • Strategies for Intervention
• Learning Log
• Conclusions     Closing activity

Trainer’s Profile
Kathryn is an internationally recognized presenter, consultant and author with more than 30 years of experience in education.  Her background includes teaching at all levels – preschool through university, behavioural and academic consultation, staff development and strategic planning for schools in working with special needs students.

Kathryn is a published author, consults with more than 100 school districts throughout North America each year as well as the ministry of education in the US. She speaks to more than 150 audiences a year and has trained over 14,000 educators in the last five years.   She has published nine books school professionals, including Successful Strategies for Working with Challenging Elementary School Children, A Smooth Ride: Management for Bus Drivers and Ideas that Work for Students with Sensory Processing Disorders. She is also the commentator on a full length DVD produced by the United States Bureau of Education and Research. She has made several radio and television appearances throughout the United States regarding a variety of current issues in education.

Kathryn has been providing workshops on learning issues for special needs students for over 30 years.  Her expertise of the content area is interwoven with videos, group activities, story telling, humour, and a plethora of practical strategies with hands-on examples.  A skillful educator, Kathryn recognizes that adult learners require a multi-modality approach with real life experiences, opportunities to practice and timely topic

Methodology
Multi-media including videos, role plays, small group work, lecture, slide presentations, individual reflection, case studies, and activity-based instruction.  Humor, reflection, and question-answer are formatted to the unique needs of adult learners.

Target Audience
Preschool teachers, ancillary personnel, administrators, educational assistants, mental health consultants, behavioral and education specialists, coordinators, support staff and parents.

Duration: 2 days, 12 hours
Closing Date: 1 Apr 10