Event summary
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Coláiste Íosagáin,, Portarlington, Offaly
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Supporting Autistic Learners
This training session is designed to build understanding of how autistic children may perceive, process, and engage with the world around them.
It acknowledges the strengths many autistic children may have in visual processing and explores how the use of visuals can support learning, reduce anxiety, and promote inclusion across a range of environments.
Participants will gain insight into:
- The value of visual teaching approaches and how they can align with an individual child’s natural learning preferences.
- How visual supports can enhance communication, learning and wellbeing across home, school, and community settings.
- The integration of visual supports with other approaches to create consistent and supportive environments.
- A range of adaptable visual approaches that respects each child’s unique strengths, needs, and interests.
Location
Coláiste Íosagáin,
Kilmalogue
Portarlington
Offaly
R32 HV25
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Joan McDonald
Following many years teaching in mainstream classrooms, Joan worked on individual planning in centres for adults with learning disabilities and those with mental health struggles.
She, then, became one of the first SENOs in Ireland, observing and providing school supports for students with atypical needs across eighty rural schools.
While studying for an M.Ed. in Autism, Joan was taught by and met a variety of autistic adults, which ultimately led to her own autism assessment. Prior to meeting such a diverse range of autistic people, Joan would only have recognised autism in people with profound and complex support needs.
Joan is passionate about using students’ interests to support autistic learners of all levels of cognitive ability to access education and contented lives.
She currently works on a variety of projects with agencies such as Middletown Centre for Autism, Dublin City University, Nua Healthcare, Fingal Libraries. In recent years, creating and delivering the Posauteen and Posaudult courses to help autistic people understand and advocate for themselves has been a major focus of Joan’s time.
Event summary
Date
Start Time
End Time
Coláiste Íosagáin, , Portarlington , Offaly