The SENDcast

Everyone will meet an autistic person in their lives, and autistic people are in every classroom and every work force. Having a clearer understanding of difference can give us practical insight into how to better support and engage neurodivergent learners , and perhaps more importantly how to improve their mental health. Joanna Grace is a sensory engagement and inclusion specialist, doctoral resea...

In this week's podcast Dale Pickles speaks with Alison Knowles who is an emotional therapist and the creator of the Ollie Model to build the resilience and wellbeing of children.   Resources: https://www.facebook.com/OllieandhisSuperPowers   https://twitter.com/bemoreollie   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWDj-PRjboIg2cu-KZsEMVA   https://www.instagram.com/ollie_and_his_super_powers   https://ww...

This week's guest is Fintan O'Regan. Fintan was the Head teacher of the Centre Academy from 1996 -2002, which was the first specialist school in the UK for students between the ages of 7-19 specialising issues related to ADHD, ASD and ODD. He is an associate lecturer for Leicester University, the National Association of Special Needs, the Institute of Education, the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre an...

In this week's podcast Dale Pickles from B Squared is joined by Sarah Jane Critchley. Sarah-Jane was previously the Programme Manager for over 10 years at the Autism Education Trust. Pupils with autism often struggle with attending school for a number of reasons. Her daughter Beth is autistic and also suffers from migraines which meant from Year 3 onwards she missed a lot of school and missed over...

Listening to and valuing their views has implications for children's confidence and attitude to learning, this is true for all children including those with SEN/SLCN. However, research suggests that there are inherent challenges in effectively listening to and gathering views of children with communication needs. In this episode our guest is Wendy Lee, is a speech and language therapist with over...

Have you ever thought your students are like icebergs? If not then you will after listening to this episode! We all know what icebergs are and we all know that  the largest part of an iceberg is hidden underwater . Comparing students to icebergs is a great analogy. Our special guest for this episode is Dr Susie Nyman, the Curriculum Manager at The Sixth Form College, Farnborough. Susie takes us th...

School INSET is definitely a topic that divides staff in terms of whether they believe it adds value or is a waste of time and money. In this podcast we will consider what makes a great INSET in terms of not just the content and presentation but whether the INSET provided should achieve in both short term and long term Impact. This week's guest is Fintan O'Regan. Fintan was the Head teacher of the...

The practise of mindfulness has become increasingly popular over the last few years. With the ever-increasing challenges we are facing and busy lifestyles we rush through life without stopping to notice the world around us. Mindfulness allows us to pay attention to our thoughts, sounds, reconnect with our bodies and the sensations they experience. Basically it's about becoming aware of the present...

The lockdowns imposed during the pandemic have presented immense challenges for all, especially teachers. Everyone has been affected in a multitude of ways and it has had a profound impact on children, particularly those that are vulnerable. A lot of lessons have been learnt along this rollercoaster of a journey and in this week's episode, my guest Wendy Lee, discusses the impact of school disrupt...

Over the next few years, over 25% of the school population is projected to be on the SEN register!  Teachers are under increasing pressure to be experts in multiple diagnoses, and many are feeling overwhelmed. This is unsustainable and this pressure can result in a retreat from inclusion , with an increasing number of children being positioned outside an ever-shrinking idea of a 'mainstream child'...

A classroom can be a terrifying place for a child with autism, but you might not know this and instead witness a child that's aggressive, defiant, and disruptive or a child that's passive and not engaging. Anxiety and Autism go hand in hand . Helping an autistic child understand what is happening in their body helps them gain self-control and self-awareness. Working with your own heartbeat rhythms...

We enjoy listening to and telling stories, they often reflect our own experiences or emotions and we use metaphors to express ourselves. Particularly so in young children, it's almost as though metaphor is their natural language. Very young children tend to imitate the adults around them and they try to make sense of their experience through their make believe play.  Pupils with social, emotional...

Joining Dale today is Ginny Bootman. Ginny is currently a SENCO of 2 Primary schools, but has been a teacher for a very long time (in her own words), a senior manager and headteacher. She has also found time to write articles for TES and speak at a number of events. There is often a huge divide between how a child with additional needs presents themselves at school compared to how they are at home...

Did you know that our brain is actually a kind of prediction making machine ? We essentially see the world by guessing it. What we're constantly trying to do is to stay one step ahead and the sensory information we're going to receive. We do this in order to conserve energy so this predictive processing takes less effort. The moment where learning happens is when you come across a prediction error...

Neurodiversity is a term which describes conditions such as Dyslexia, Autism and ADHD as variations or differences of the human brain, not deficits or disorders. Neurodiversity is a term that everybody in the school community should be aware of, not just the teachers but the students and the parents as well. There can be a lot of misunderstanding, because the wider community is unaware and this ca...

Children always write stories and poems, but have you thought about songwriting? It can be a fantastic activity to enhance speech and language skills, communication and literacy. It makes a great alternative to creative writing as it's more inclusive and collaborative. Singing songs and music in school engages children in a different way. It levels the playing field with children with different ab...

In this week's podcast, Dale Pickles from B Squared is joined by Dr Trisha Waters. Trisha is an educational therapist who began her career supporting pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties, after that she led the MA in SEN & Inclusion at the University of Chichester and is now the director of the Centre for Therapeutic Storywriting. Story Links is a parent partnership intervention to s...

In this week's podcast, Dale Pickles from B Squared is joined by Tessa Morton, one of the founders of Act for Autism, to discuss an approach she uses to help you connect and communicate with your autistic students. Tessa is the passionate mum of an autistic boy, and before founding Act for Autism, she had spent over 15 years supporting autistic kids in her community through drama workshops. Tessa...

Joining Dale today is Ginny Bootman. Ginny is currently a SENCO of 2 Primary schools, but has been a teacher for a very long time (in her own words), a senior manager and headteacher. She has also found time to write articles for TES and speak at a number of events. It is so easy in our busy world of schools to forget to find time to have the important conversations with parents of children with a...

Welcome to the SENDcast. The phrase 'Every teacher is teacher of SEND' is currently an ideal, not a reality. We created the SENDcast to try and help solve that problem, to help make schools more inclusive and to help teachers be teachers of SEND. The SENDCast is also a great way to get the same information to parents and other people working with young people with SEND. Dale's guest this week is A...

In this week's podcast, Dale discusses supporting pupils with dyslexia and other needs using the Science Literacy Toolkit with guest is Dr Susie Nyman. Susie teaches a range of students in a post-16 environment. She uses multi-sensory teaching strategies to cover complex topics, to help students learn. Susie is the Curriculum Manager at The Sixth Form College, Farnborough. She is passionate about...

In this week's podcast, Dale Pickles from B Squared is joined by Al Start. Al is a singer-songwriter who specialises in music for children and schools through her company Go Kid Music. Al has worked with children through creative art organisations and local authority play services. Al has also toured the UK and East Coast USA performing her music. There are different types of sign language, Britis...

In this week's show Dale is joined by Fintan O'Regan are discussing how every school leader is a leader of SEND. Fintan is a trainer and consultant for schools and school support systems including, Social Services, Health, the Police and Foster carers. He has worked with a number of organisations including NASEN, Institute of Education, Leicester University, the UK ADHD Network and the European AD...

In this week's podcast, Dale Pickles from B Squared is joined by Dr Trisha Waters. Trisha is an educational therapist who began her career supporting pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties, after that she led the MA in SEN & Inclusion at the University of Chichester and is now the director of the Centre for Therapeutic Storywriting. The use of story writing to develop both emotional re...

In this week's podcast, Dale Pickles from B Squared is joined by Al Start. Al is a singer-songwriter who specialises in music for children and schools through her company Go Kid Music. Al has worked with children through creative art organisations and local authority play services. Al has also has toured the UK and East Coast USA performing her music. Songs get stuck in your head. We remember song...