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Deborah Hutchinson
Booking closes
Autism the Facts & How to Help
This training session 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 communication, often heightened anxiety, and difficulties with sensory processing.
Parents and family members will have an increased understanding of:
How autistic children perceive their world, think and learn.
The difficulties faced by some autistic children in learning, interaction, and communication.
Some strategies that may benefit when engaging with, supporting, and teaching autistic
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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Vicki Smith
Booking closes
Autism, Learning Styles & Visual Methodologies
The premise of this training session 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.
Parents and family members will have an increased understanding of:
The importance of visual teaching methods and how they can complement the child's learning style.
How visual supports can improve the child’s learning and their experiences at home, at school and in the wider environment.
How visual supports can be introduced alongside other intervention strategies.
Some of the visual strategies that could be used to support the child.
Vicki Smith
Vicki Smith is a specialist speech and language therapist with Middletown Centre for Autism. Vicki has a BSc. in Clinical Speech and Language Studies from Trinity’s College Dublin.
Previously, Vicki has worked as a speech and language therapist in childrens disability network teams, early intervention, and primary care services. She has worked with children and young people 0-19 years with complex needs and provided multidisciplinary assessments and intervention and speech and language specific assessments and interventions. She has worked across a range of home and school environments.
Vicki has experience in autism diagnostic assessments and the provision of post-diagnostic training for parents and the child or young person.
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Tracey McGovern
Booking closes
Autism and Communication
Building on the knowledge gained in the first two sessions, this training session aims to increase parents’ understanding of communication differences in autism and will provide strategies that can help support processing times and understanding.
Parents and family members will have an increased understanding of:
The core features of reciprocal communication and how it can be impacted in autism.
Communication and attention development in autism.
Their own interaction style and how this impacts the autistic young person.
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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Eleanor McStay
Booking closes
Autism and Sensory Processing
This training session will promote parents’ and family members understanding of how autistic children process sensory input whilst providing practical examples and information on how to help.
Parents and family members will have an increased understanding of:
How autistic children process sensory input.
The characteristics of over and under-responsiveness to sensory input.
Strategies and ideas that may help children with sensory processing difficulties.
Eleanor McStay
Eleanor McStay-Fearon is a Trainer/Advisor and Specialist Speech and Language Therapist at Middletown Centre for Autism. Eleanor has worked as part of the Learning Support and Assessment Service for many years, working directly with autistic children across school and home.
Eleanor holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Sensory Integration and is an Advanced Sensory Integration Practitioner.
She has worked closely with parents, teachers and health professionals to support the implementation of communication, sensory and emotional regulation supports across home and school environments.
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Dee Hogan
Booking closes
Supporting Behaviour in Autism: Understanding the Stress Response
This training session builds on the information previously learned and provides further information on how to understand and support stress responses.
Parents and family members will have an increased understanding of:
The purpose that any ‘behaviour’ may serve for their child
The internal processes that contribute to observable stress responses.
How to support yourself and your child during times of distress.
Potential strategies/new skills that may benefit your child.
Dee Hogan
Dee Hogan is an Autism Trainer/Advisor in Middletown Centre for Autism.
Dee has extensive experience teaching and supporting autistic children and young people. Her experiences include Pre-school, Early Intervention Autism Classes, Primary Autism Classes, Mainstream Primary and Special Schools.
She has written, lectured and assessed modules on the Special Needs Assistant and Level Four Autism qualifications, as professional development for parents and professionals. Dee has also worked as a part time Lecturer with University College Cork designing and delivering the Diploma in Autism Studies as well as providing training for teachers, third level students, parents and professionals.
Dee’s training specialisms are Reframing Behaviour, Early Intervention, Classroom Strategies, and Transitions. Dee holds a MEd in Special Education Autism from the University of Birmingham.
