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Deborah Hutchinson
Booking closes
Autism, the Facts and How to Help
This online webinar will explain what autism is and consider the impact of autism on a child’s daily life and development. This session is the foundation for understanding the differences in social communication, often heightened anxiety, and difficulties with sensory processing.
Expected Outcomes-
Parents and family members will have an increased understanding of:
• How autistic children perceive the world.
• How they think and learn.
• The difficulties faced by some autistic children in learning, social interaction, and communication.
• Strategies that may benefit when engaging with, supporting, and teaching autistic children.
Deborah Hutchinson
Deborah Hutchinson is a Specialist Teacher in Middletown Centre for Autism. She has a Post Graduate Certificate in Education and a Master's degree in Research. Deborah gained experience teaching and supporting autistic children and young people in Primary, Post Primary and Learning Support Classes across Northern Ireland, prior to commencement of her current post.
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Breiffni O'Reilly
Booking closes
Autism, Learning Styles and Visual Methodologies
The premise of this online webinar is to increase parental awareness of how their child may perceive, think, and learn, while recognising the autistic child as a predominantly visual learner and supporting the use of visual teaching strategies to assist them across settings.
Expected outcomes-
Parents and family members will have an increased understanding of:
• The importance of visual teaching methods and how they complement the child's learning style.
• How visual supports can improve the child’s learning and his or her experiences at home, at school and in the wider environment.
• How visual supports can be introduced alongside other intervention strategies.
• The visual strategies that could be used to support the child.
Breiffni O'Reilly
Breiffní O’Reilly is specialist teacher with the Learning Support and Assessment team at Middletown Centre for Autism. Breiffní has worked as a class teacher with autistic children and young people since 2006. In addition to teaching roles in Ireland, she worked for two years in an autism specific Post Primary School in London and in autism specific Primary Schools in Australia. Breiffní has a Masters in Autism Spectrum Disorders from Queens University, Belfast.
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Tracey McGovern
Booking closes
Autism and Social Communication
Building on the knowledge gained in the first two sessions, this online webinar aims to increase parents’ understanding of how autism affects communication and will provide strategies that can help.
Expected Outcomes-
Parents and family members will have an increased understanding of:
• The core feature of social communication and how it can be impacted in autism.
• Communication and attention development in autism.
• Practical strategies to support joint attention and communication at home and school
Tracey McGovern
Tracey is a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist dedicated to supporting autistic children and young learners Communication. With nearly 30 years of experience across special educational needs (SEN), primary, and early years settings, she is passionate about helping to encourage and support opportunities for autistic communication and engagement across all environments.
Throughout her career, she has worked extensively within and across health and education, conducting comprehensive assessments and delivering tailored therapeutic supports. Additionally, she has designed and supported the delivery of training and guidance programmes within Middletown Centre for Autism, empowering educators, support staff, families, and peers, with practical tools within a Neuro affirmative framework.
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Tara Vernon
Booking closes
Autism and the Promotion of Positive Behaviour
This training session builds on the information previously learned and provides further information on how to manage behaviours of concern by applying parents’ knowledge of autism and learning.
Expected Outcomes-
Parents and family members will have an increased understanding of:
• The underlying reasons for the display of behaviours of concern.
• How to apply pro-active strategies to reduce the likelihood of the occurrence of behaviours of concern.
• The stages leading to behaviours of concern and how to manage these stages proactively.
• How to apply autism specific strategies to better support the child.
Tara Vernon
Tara Vernon is an Autism Trainer Advisor with Middletown Centre for Autism where a key element of her role is to holistically, support autistic children and young people in their education.
Tara’s work is neurodiversity-informed and autism affirming. Prior to joining the Middletown team, Tara worked across home, school, and external agency settings to provide autism specific specialist teaching, training, and emotional regulation support in these environments.
She is a member of both the Psychological Society of Ireland and the Teaching Council of Ireland and is a certified Sleep Counsellor. Tara recently completed a Master of Arts in Autism Studies.
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Aideen Ruttledge
Booking closes
Autism and Sensory Processing
This training will promote parents’ and family members understanding of how autistic children process sensory input whilst providing practical examples and information on how to help.
Expected Outcomes-
Parents and family members will have an increased understanding of:
• How autistic children process sensory input.
• Characteristics of over and under-responsiveness to sensory input.
• Strategies and ideas that may help children with sensory processing difficulties.
Aideen Ruttledge
Aideen Ruttledge is a Specialist Occupational Therapist for autistic children and young people. Aideen has worked in a variety of education and health services in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. This has involved working with children and young people in mainstream schools, special schools, respite and home settings. She has been involved in the diagnostic process for autistic children and has training in a variety of specific therapeutic approaches including therapeutic listening, attachment theory and handwriting approaches. Aideen has a Master of Science Degree in Sensory Integration from Ulster University. She has carried out research in the area of Sensory Integration, which was recently published in the Irish Journal of Occupational Therapy. Aideen is a Clinical Mentor for the Sensory Integration Network.
