Presenters: Staff from RIDBC Renwick Centre and Children’s Services
Dates: 7 August and 9 October
Fees: $200
Information:
This course is intended to provide participants with the competencies required to assist in supporting learners with vision loss in the learning environment. Upon successful completion of the program participants will be able to:
Demonstrate an understanding of vision loss and its effect on learning,
Use the knowledge of the role and duties of a teacher aide working with a student with vision loss, and
Apply skills and strategies to assist in the support of a learner with vision loss across a range of learning environments.
Intended Audience:
The course would suit people already employed or who are seeking employment as teacher aides, child care workers, or care assistants.
Intended Program:
The program is offered in mixed mode, requiring two days of attendance, one at the beginning of the program (7 August) and one at the end (9 October 2014), together with a series of self-paced learning activities to be completed on-line.
Working with Young Hearing Impaired Children with Additional Disabilities Where do we Start?
Date: 2-3 August Fees: $300 Information:
The aim of the workshop is to provide professionals with the belief and understanding that children with hearing loss and additional needs are able to develop auditory skills provided there are no contraindications, develop social interaction and play skills to enhance communication, language and maximise educational outcomes. The aim will be met through the delivery of presentations that address a unique model of early intervention that is holistic and yet targets the importance of auditory development for these children. The presentations will address the critical need to develop individual programs and structured small group programs for each child through a transdisciplinary approach to habilitation empowering parents and caregivers.
The objectives will address the unique needs children with hearing loss and additional needs have and how professionals can meet those needs by providing information and an understanding of:
how to enhance the role of the parents and caregivers Sensory Integration and the Floor Time/DIR Model
attachment and relationships
shaping meaningful listening behaviours
the need to adapt each child’s communication requirements
when, how and what augmentative systems of communication can be used
the role of story telling, experience books - practical ideas to make these powerful tools
the role of play and cognition
Meeting each child’s fine and gross motor needs
Meeting the needs of each child’s behaviour
Gaining an understanding of where and how to begin.
Presenter: Rocky Biasi Date: 15 August
Fees: $300
Information:
The Accidental Counsellor Training is a practical mental health training that teaches basic counselling skills and concepts to people who are not trained counsellors but often find themselves in a “counselling role by accident”. This one day program is based on a ‘train the trainer’ model and after attending, participants will have developed the skills to work with staff in their own site to build skills in this area. Participants are provided with access to the full day of training and 1 license to access the online training. Full site access (multiple staff members) to the online training program is available upon enquiry.
Accidental Counsellor Training
How to maintain boundaries and prevent burnout and enhance self-care.
How to direct your questioning so the client identifies possible solutions.
How to listen to verbal and non - verbal communication to build rapport and trust quickly.
How to assist clients to set goals and consider new possibilities.
How to influence clients to develop and implement positive action plans.
Content:
Positive Psychology 4. Reflective listening
Psychology of Influence 5. Solution Focused Brief Therapy
Boundaries, burn out and self care
Supercharging Education for Students who are Blind and Vision Impaired
Presenter: Dr Kim Zebehazy Fees: Full Day $300
One Day $200
Remote Access $200
Parents $100
Information: Day 1: Self-Determined Super Thinkers: Promoting Problem Solving and Critical Thinking within the Educational Environment for Students who are Blind and Vision Impaired
A major component of quality education is preparing students to be good thinkers. Regardless of the content, successful students will be able to apply problem-solving skills to situations they encounter in and out of school. This is a skill area that should not be left to chance, especially for students who are blind or vision impaired who may have fewer incidental opportunities to practice good thinking skills. This full-day session will focus on two topic areas: problem solving/critical thinking and self-determination. Both topics are interrelated and support a student’s ability to self-assess, set-goals, and manage and address challenges. During the session, we will consider how to foster thinking skills by examining learning theories and strategies that promote problem solving and then specifically relate those to the educational needs of students who are blind and vision impaired, both in the academic curriculum and within disability specific areas. A portion of the day will also focus on how teaching style, questioning practices, and reflection factor into how we structure the learning environment for students who are blind and vision impaired to become problem-solvers, including for students who have additional disabilities. We will also examine components of self-determination and discuss ways that building in a specific focus on self-determination within the educational environment can further support the development of thinking skills. The session will include videos, activities and discussion. Handouts for practical application of the strategies and ideas will also be included.
Day 2: Graphical Sense or Nonsense? Supporting Meaningful Access to Graphics for Learners who are Blind or Vision Impaired.
Drawing on some of the major take home ideas from Day 1, this workshop will examine the importance of graphics in the classroom and the considerations for making graphics accessible for the inclusion of students who are blind or vision impaired. The first part of the workshop will focus on the strategies that both tactile and print users who are blind or vision impaired use to gather meaningful information from math graphics and maps, with a heavier focus placed on strategies for tactile graphics reading. A comparison of strategies of more and less successful graphics readers will be shared with discussion around its implications for how to improve the graphic reading skills of all students who are blind and vision impaired. The second half of the workshop will expand on the use of graphics to the use of other modes for accessing information and concepts including descriptions and movement. Based on a current research study in which the presenter is involved, inclusive multi-modal intervention possibilities, particularly the use of movement and vocalizations to understand graphical concepts in mathematics, will be shared. The workshop will wrap up by considering the assessment aspect of graphics with discussion about what to look for in terms of accessibility in classroom and other assessments as well as ways to monitor a student’s progress in using graphics to develop concepts and thinking skills. Videos, discussion, and handouts will be part of the presentation.
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