Special Educational Needs
shows that watching, discussing and reviewing films with their peers, under the guidance of a teacher, helps pupils to better understand complex issues and is an effective means of stimulating debate, boosting informal learning and increasing young people’s empathy and tolerance. Welcomed by teachers as “something different and a new way to introduce the topic“, the resources are available for members to download free via the website
www.filmclub.org Mark Lever, Chief Executive of the National Autistic Society, welcomes the new resource: “By giving both teachers and pupils the chance to learn more about autism, FILMCLUB’s autism guide can help tackle the lack of understanding that many children with autism face. Autism is much more common than most people think – there are around 88,000 school children in the UK with the condition, so the more people
understand about it, the better. 43% pupils interviewed for our recent education campaign felt that their teachers didn’t know enough about autism. Guides like this can go a long way towards changing that statistic. “ As well as working to raise awareness of autism among pupils who don’t have it, FILMCLUB is actively involved in providing programming advice and support for pupils with an autistic spectrum disorder and other special educational needs. Working with teachers it has put together suggestions of films, based on specific criteria, likely to be particularly enjoyed by - and of benefit to – children with: aspergers, autism, social, emotional and behavioural difficulties, moderate and severe learning difficulties, and sight and hearing problems. Members can view the recommendations and order the films via the website,
www.filmclub.org.
nasen Live 2012 – Dedicated to SEN
nasen Live returns to the Reebok stadium once more in 2012, offering educationalists, school leaders and local authority staff the opportunity to keep abreast of the latest SEN policy developments and the most targeted resources for pupils with special or additional educational needs.
nasen Live 2012 is a rich source of information for education professionals. The event has been designed to provide school leaders, teachers, SENCOs, NQTs, teaching assistants and local authority staff with the information, guidance, techniques and research to meet the needs of learners with SEN.
What’s in it for visitors?
Policy and practice – nasen Live 2012 – Dedicated to SEN will address the issues and initiatives surrounding SEN, enabling practitioners to keep abreast of the latest policy shifts and weave inclusive practice into everyday school life.
CPD - Seminars and workshops - One in five children in the UK has a special or additional educational need and legislation and practice in this area is advancing rapidly. In response to growing demand for
continuous professional development in SEN, the nasen seminar programme will focus on key areas of interest to teaching staff working with young people with special and additional educational needs and disabilities. The best SEN and disability professionals will impart and discuss the latest research and teaching techniques. They will also address local as well as national issues to help schools deliver an education that enables SEN learners to achieve their full potential. The latest resources - nasen Live will showcase the most cost-effective and up-to- the-minute SEN resource solutions to enable local authority staff and school leaders to make the most beneficial purchasing decisions in a challenging climate. With exhibitors selected specifically for their commitment to innovation in SEN, practitioners will find the very best resources for a wide range of needs all under one roof.
When and where does it take place? You can find nasen Live at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton from 23 to 24 May 2012. Entry is free and visitors can pre-register and book seminars online at
www.nasenlive.org.uk.
Chris Lovell is Clinical Director and Clinical Psychologist at Ludlow Street Healthcare, a leading provider of specialist Mental Health and Learning Disability services. She has worked in the special educational needs sector for 40 years and specialises in autism services, having started her career when people denied the very existence of autism. Chris constantly champions for people with learning disabilities and was one of the brains behind Create! Art for Autism which celebrates the creativity of young people with autism.
Talking to Education Today, Lovell said: “Throughout modern history people with a learning disability have been stigmatised. They are exposed to severe disapproval just on the basis of their difference in terms of brain development and IQ.
“The effects of stigma can be all encompassing and insidious. Stigma, if unchallenged, leads to development of prejudice and a lack of social acceptance, which excludes people from society. It also affects the individual’s identity leading to low self esteem and it can lead to discrimination in terms of their health needs, academic, educational and work opportunities and can even lead to lack of social justice. “The media can offer us enormous possibilities through positive role models. We need to use modern technology, to use social networking sites, blogs and even Twitter to get our message across that we should value all people beyond difference and disability and include them in society.
“We should also seek to ask the government to legislate to criminalise discrimination against learning disabled people, in much the same way that it is now an offence to utter a racial epithet. “Moreover, I believe that targeting and educating certain groups – in particular teenagers - could produce a real change in awareness and attitudes. They are the parents of tomorrow, so in raising their awareness we will be targeting two generations.”
May 2012
www.education-today.co.uk
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