WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.680
Hi, my name is Jordan. I am a special education

00:00:02.680 --> 00:00:06.139
teacher from the UK. I share my passion for everything

00:00:06.139 --> 00:00:09.099
communication, sensory regulation and fun lesson

00:00:09.099 --> 00:00:11.640
ideas for my classroom of disabled pupils aged

00:00:11.640 --> 00:00:15.279
4 to 11. Each week I am joined by experts in

00:00:15.279 --> 00:00:17.620
the field answering your questions and sharing

00:00:17.620 --> 00:00:19.559
our knowledge and experience working alongside

00:00:19.559 --> 00:00:22.600
our beautiful young people. Let's get started.

00:00:23.800 --> 00:00:26.359
So these episodes are going to be a little bit

00:00:26.359 --> 00:00:29.359
different over August. We are going to re -look

00:00:29.359 --> 00:00:32.500
at my favourite moments from the podcast from

00:00:32.500 --> 00:00:36.000
Series 1. We've had such amazing conversations

00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:38.340
this year and thank you so much to everybody

00:00:38.340 --> 00:00:41.079
who has been on the podcast. You've been incredible.

00:00:41.320 --> 00:00:43.500
And thank you so much for all the listeners for

00:00:43.500 --> 00:00:46.100
your support so that we can continue this for

00:00:46.100 --> 00:00:49.359
Series 2 from September. I hope you enjoy taking

00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:52.320
a look back at... yeah my favorite moment that

00:00:52.320 --> 00:00:55.380
particular year of Hallie going to school me

00:00:55.380 --> 00:00:58.280
leaving my job that first year of the school

00:00:58.280 --> 00:01:01.479
refusals and then the amount of meetings and

00:01:01.479 --> 00:01:04.519
it's just I can't I can feel even talking about

00:01:04.519 --> 00:01:07.280
it I can feel the tightness like of just having

00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:09.500
to go to those meetings and have a try and advocate

00:01:09.500 --> 00:01:12.879
for myself because again I don't think teachers

00:01:12.879 --> 00:01:15.400
mean to do it I really don't I don't think they

00:01:15.400 --> 00:01:17.519
mean to do it at all but because of the process

00:01:17.519 --> 00:01:19.680
that they've got in place of you've got to do

00:01:19.680 --> 00:01:21.430
this and you've got to do that it makes as a

00:01:21.430 --> 00:01:24.810
parent you feel like that's blaming you and it

00:01:24.810 --> 00:01:26.989
is just so it's like bring her in this time bring

00:01:26.989 --> 00:01:29.030
her in that time so they're obviously there's

00:01:29.030 --> 00:01:31.250
an attendance policy and obviously that's what

00:01:31.250 --> 00:01:34.129
they're trying to meet and I'm like I'm not going

00:01:34.129 --> 00:01:36.150
to bring her in in her pajamas I'm not going

00:01:36.150 --> 00:01:38.049
to bring her in screaming without a head and

00:01:38.049 --> 00:01:40.290
without a teeth brush like it's just not not

00:01:40.290 --> 00:01:43.799
fair yeah she really doesn't want to come to

00:01:43.799 --> 00:01:45.459
the point that she's not even allowing me to

00:01:45.459 --> 00:01:47.900
meet her basic needs so but then there's that

00:01:47.900 --> 00:01:49.780
then like say there's that attendance policy

00:01:49.780 --> 00:01:52.879
that then yeah but ultimately I think you made

00:01:52.879 --> 00:01:55.519
the right decision though because she was communicating

00:01:55.519 --> 00:01:58.980
that she wasn't happy there wasn't she that's

00:01:58.980 --> 00:02:02.090
what she was communicating if that behavior and

00:02:02.090 --> 00:02:05.489
all that output of what she was doing whatever

00:02:05.489 --> 00:02:09.169
it was was words it would have been saying I

00:02:09.169 --> 00:02:12.370
don't feel safe there I can't be myself there

00:02:12.370 --> 00:02:14.650
or whatever it was you know she was communicating

00:02:14.650 --> 00:02:16.949
that she wasn't happy so you had to be her voice

00:02:16.949 --> 00:02:19.229
in that moment didn't you and it sounds like

00:02:19.229 --> 00:02:21.909
you did that really well is there anything looking

00:02:21.909 --> 00:02:25.009
back now the fog's cleared a little bit one year

00:02:25.009 --> 00:02:29.050
on is it one year one or two September was when

00:02:29.050 --> 00:02:31.889
I took them out of school. Okay, so it's nearly

00:02:31.889 --> 00:02:33.530
a year. I think I've been at my job about a year.

00:02:33.849 --> 00:02:37.389
Okay, okay, so maybe nine months. Now the fog's

00:02:37.389 --> 00:02:39.479
cleared a little bit. And you're a little bit

00:02:39.479 --> 00:02:41.400
more settled in what you're doing now, and we'll

00:02:41.400 --> 00:02:43.560
get into that in a bit. Looking back, is there

00:02:43.560 --> 00:02:45.719
anything that you wished you could have done

00:02:45.719 --> 00:02:49.080
or that the school could have done differently?

00:02:49.560 --> 00:02:53.219
I think for me, because I was at the time such

00:02:53.219 --> 00:02:56.360
a worrier and cared so much about what everyone

00:02:56.360 --> 00:02:59.580
was thinking about me, I don't think I was as

00:02:59.580 --> 00:03:04.849
transparent as what I could have been. Especially

00:03:04.849 --> 00:03:07.449
when it came to sort of how Hallie was struggling

00:03:07.449 --> 00:03:10.789
and I think sometimes I wanted to go along with

00:03:10.789 --> 00:03:13.289
things, be a bit of a pleaser, be like, yeah,

00:03:13.310 --> 00:03:15.189
we can try that, we can try that, even though

00:03:15.189 --> 00:03:17.069
I know deep down that's not going to work, I

00:03:17.069 --> 00:03:19.789
know it's not, but the pleaser in me was wanting

00:03:19.789 --> 00:03:22.069
to go along with that to make them happy and

00:03:22.069 --> 00:03:25.020
look like a good person, I guess. And now I feel

00:03:25.020 --> 00:03:27.699
like I've gained that confidence. I wish I had

00:03:27.699 --> 00:03:29.759
it back then. I wish I had that voice back then

00:03:29.759 --> 00:03:32.740
to be a bit braver and to say exactly what I

00:03:32.740 --> 00:03:35.120
was thinking. Yeah, I would have definitely done

00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:37.379
that differently. I would have been just, yeah,

00:03:37.460 --> 00:03:40.199
more transparent in what we needed. From the

00:03:40.199 --> 00:03:43.580
school's point of view. I'm really not sure because

00:03:43.580 --> 00:03:46.400
I felt, I did feel like they was trying really

00:03:46.400 --> 00:03:50.000
hard. They had, you know, even if they didn't

00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:52.219
have a member of staff for her all the time because

00:03:52.219 --> 00:03:54.439
she wasn't, I can't remember how many hours it

00:03:54.439 --> 00:03:57.039
was now, but it wasn't all the time. But they

00:03:57.039 --> 00:03:59.419
would always try to accommodate for her. So they'd

00:03:59.419 --> 00:04:01.740
take her outside. And so I always felt like they

00:04:01.740 --> 00:04:03.900
were trying and they'd like done a little corner

00:04:03.900 --> 00:04:06.960
for her. They'd got her a swing for outside as

00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:08.719
well. So I always felt like they were really

00:04:08.719 --> 00:04:11.620
trying. I think what it comes down to is money.

00:04:12.240 --> 00:04:14.919
i really think that's what it is it's that there

00:04:14.919 --> 00:04:17.779
wasn't enough money and they just couldn't do

00:04:17.779 --> 00:04:20.639
it but they don't know if it feels it feels like

00:04:20.639 --> 00:04:23.259
sometimes that they want you to make you this

00:04:23.259 --> 00:04:25.680
might just be a parent thing but like they make

00:04:25.680 --> 00:04:28.379
you want to feel like everything's okay so you

00:04:28.379 --> 00:04:31.779
don't ask so you don't want more and yeah you

00:04:31.779 --> 00:04:34.399
feel like you can't ask for anything like what

00:04:34.399 --> 00:04:38.300
you're getting is amazing and you yeah you can't

00:04:38.300 --> 00:04:39.839
ask for anything more than that I don't know

00:04:39.839 --> 00:04:42.680
if that makes sense it definitely makes sense

00:04:42.680 --> 00:04:44.839
that the idea is well you're already getting

00:04:44.839 --> 00:04:46.980
so much already you're already getting more than

00:04:47.610 --> 00:04:50.449
more than most there isn't anything else even

00:04:50.449 --> 00:04:53.370
if yeah even if that baseline isn't meeting your

00:04:53.370 --> 00:04:55.050
child's needs which of course shouldn't be the

00:04:55.050 --> 00:04:57.610
case should it like every child should be able

00:04:57.610 --> 00:05:00.870
to access education and be included it sounds

00:05:00.870 --> 00:05:03.589
it sounds good to me that they were making reasonable

00:05:03.589 --> 00:05:06.990
adjustments and and yeah doing that to support

00:05:06.990 --> 00:05:09.209
Hallie and being there did did you feel at the

00:05:09.209 --> 00:05:11.790
time that they wanted her there did you feel

00:05:11.790 --> 00:05:15.680
like they were really trying to include her and

00:05:15.680 --> 00:05:19.759
involve her in school as much as they could yeah

00:05:19.759 --> 00:05:23.139
i definitely think that they were I know, like,

00:05:23.220 --> 00:05:25.879
she had a few friends and things like that. Like,

00:05:25.920 --> 00:05:28.819
it was actually quite strange because even, like,

00:05:28.839 --> 00:05:30.660
when I'd gone in for, when I'd gone to watch

00:05:30.660 --> 00:05:32.819
my older daughter's sports day and I could see

00:05:32.819 --> 00:05:35.740
her in the outdoor area playing and she did look

00:05:35.740 --> 00:05:38.240
so, when she was there, she looked happy. Like,

00:05:38.240 --> 00:05:41.579
I saw her, she looked happy. And, yeah, they

00:05:41.579 --> 00:05:44.480
would do all sorts for her. And it was just then

00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:48.079
when she was at home and then in the mornings,

00:05:48.139 --> 00:05:53.240
it was this extreme. didn't want to go so and

00:05:53.240 --> 00:05:55.279
I know there was a lot of masking going on even

00:05:55.279 --> 00:05:58.240
though she wasn't a complete masker so she didn't

00:05:58.240 --> 00:06:00.519
always she would she would like sort of get upset

00:06:00.519 --> 00:06:03.060
and lay in the floor and refuse to do things

00:06:03.060 --> 00:06:05.240
and she would do all of that if she really didn't

00:06:05.240 --> 00:06:07.339
want to do anything like PE I know at times was

00:06:07.339 --> 00:06:09.939
a real struggle So I know she would express herself,

00:06:10.079 --> 00:06:12.259
but there's also times where she would mask as

00:06:12.259 --> 00:06:15.339
well. Because even though she would have like

00:06:15.339 --> 00:06:17.420
her nappy and her pushchair and things that other

00:06:17.420 --> 00:06:19.319
children didn't have, as soon as we got into

00:06:19.319 --> 00:06:21.639
the school, she would literally want me to like,

00:06:21.740 --> 00:06:24.040
you know, the pushchair not to be in sight. So

00:06:24.040 --> 00:06:26.100
I knew there was things like that, that she was

00:06:26.100 --> 00:06:28.620
actually masking. So maybe it was that there

00:06:28.620 --> 00:06:30.459
was a lot of, in school, maybe there was more

00:06:30.459 --> 00:06:33.639
masking going on than what I know. And then that

00:06:33.639 --> 00:06:35.040
makes sense, doesn't it? That she'd have found

00:06:35.040 --> 00:06:38.910
that exhausting. trying to suppress all of these

00:06:38.910 --> 00:06:41.670
things that are just you must have just been

00:06:41.670 --> 00:06:45.269
absolutely exhausting for her. And often transitions

00:06:45.269 --> 00:06:47.810
are really tricky too, you know, that transition

00:06:47.810 --> 00:06:51.329
between home and school, crossing those thresholds,

00:06:51.329 --> 00:06:56.069
the walk -in. You know, school can't be predictable

00:06:56.069 --> 00:06:59.269
all the time, however much we try to be. We try

00:06:59.269 --> 00:07:01.310
to have a solid routine, we try to have visuals,

00:07:01.449 --> 00:07:04.480
but there are things that we can't. foresee like

00:07:04.480 --> 00:07:07.680
people being absent or a special day or a non

00:07:07.680 --> 00:07:10.740
you know non -uniform day that it happens and

00:07:10.740 --> 00:07:13.819
that bubbling up inside you must be really anxiety

00:07:13.819 --> 00:07:15.899
provoking not knowing what you were coming into

00:07:15.899 --> 00:07:18.800
if that is what was happening yeah like you say

00:07:18.800 --> 00:07:20.699
it's no reflection on the school necessarily

00:07:20.699 --> 00:07:23.319
it just isn't maybe the right environment for

00:07:23.319 --> 00:07:25.319
her as well like the more i've learned about

00:07:25.319 --> 00:07:28.180
pda he would have been there would have been

00:07:28.180 --> 00:07:30.899
so many demands there that she would have been

00:07:30.899 --> 00:07:33.279
going along with even though there were times

00:07:33.279 --> 00:07:35.120
like p i know there was certain things i could

00:07:35.120 --> 00:07:38.300
say that she just she would not do and whether

00:07:38.300 --> 00:07:40.779
that was more a sensory or something was more

00:07:40.779 --> 00:07:43.480
triggering for her but there must have been so

00:07:43.480 --> 00:07:45.870
many demands that she was going along with all

00:07:45.870 --> 00:07:48.250
day every day because she would I would pick

00:07:48.250 --> 00:07:51.050
her up from school and sometimes she would as

00:07:51.050 --> 00:07:53.290
soon as she saw me she would just burst into

00:07:53.290 --> 00:07:55.850
tears and she would either just like sort of

00:07:55.850 --> 00:07:57.970
run over to me she'd put herself in the push

00:07:57.970 --> 00:08:00.170
chair at that point at the end of the day morning

00:08:00.170 --> 00:08:01.829
she wouldn't but end of the day she didn't put

00:08:01.829 --> 00:08:04.209
her hood over she don't want to see no one and

00:08:04.209 --> 00:08:06.629
then it could take me 20 minutes half an hour

00:08:06.629 --> 00:08:08.370
to get her to the car because then she might

00:08:08.750 --> 00:08:11.709
try and get out of the push chair so it was after

00:08:11.709 --> 00:08:14.550
school was just such a difficult time to get

00:08:14.550 --> 00:08:17.569
her home and then she would get home and she

00:08:17.569 --> 00:08:20.209
wouldn't even even still a little bit now but

00:08:20.209 --> 00:08:22.589
it was a lot worse then like she wouldn't eat

00:08:22.589 --> 00:08:25.110
food with people and she would just completely

00:08:25.110 --> 00:08:27.389
isolate herself and it would just be from the

00:08:27.389 --> 00:08:29.129
moment of getting her home from school until

00:08:29.129 --> 00:08:31.310
whenever she went to bed because she goes to

00:08:31.310 --> 00:08:33.570
bed quite late it would just be meltdown after

00:08:33.570 --> 00:08:36.960
meltdown or isolation because she'd been holding

00:08:36.960 --> 00:08:40.720
it together all day hadn't she she'd been you

00:08:40.720 --> 00:08:43.139
know following the instructions and holding it

00:08:43.139 --> 00:08:45.120
together all day all day all day and all of a

00:08:45.120 --> 00:08:48.080
sudden she's with her safe people you her family

00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:51.519
she can go oh but then she's got nothing where

00:08:51.519 --> 00:08:54.700
she can't follow any she can't keep herself safe

00:08:54.700 --> 00:08:57.600
she can't follow instructions or direction it's

00:08:57.600 --> 00:09:02.720
too much i'd love to hear your thoughts on sensory

00:09:02.720 --> 00:09:05.259
circuits. Yeah, you're right. So much behaviour

00:09:05.259 --> 00:09:08.460
is sensory driven. Not all of it. Of course,

00:09:08.460 --> 00:09:10.860
there's umpteen reasons why children behave the

00:09:10.860 --> 00:09:13.700
way that they do. And partly why I love working

00:09:13.700 --> 00:09:16.059
with kids so much is because I'm investigating

00:09:16.059 --> 00:09:19.120
what could it be? because I need to know what

00:09:19.120 --> 00:09:21.480
it could be so that I can try and solve the problem.

00:09:21.659 --> 00:09:24.259
But a lot of the time, yes, it is sensory. It

00:09:24.259 --> 00:09:27.399
has a huge impact on somebody's ability to participate

00:09:27.399 --> 00:09:29.799
in their day, enjoy their day, enjoy the things

00:09:29.799 --> 00:09:31.559
that they're doing, enjoy the environment that

00:09:31.559 --> 00:09:34.019
they're in. And if we can meet their sensory

00:09:34.019 --> 00:09:36.460
needs, then we can just make that whole day nicer

00:09:36.460 --> 00:09:39.220
for them. We've all got sensory needs, all of

00:09:39.220 --> 00:09:41.919
us. We all have our individual sensory preferences.

00:09:42.240 --> 00:09:45.620
For example, I like to work in silence. I like

00:09:45.620 --> 00:09:48.320
a really quiet environment. My teenage daughter

00:09:48.320 --> 00:09:51.100
likes to listen to music while she works. We're

00:09:51.100 --> 00:09:53.000
in the same room together. If we were in the

00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:55.299
same class, it becomes very hard because her

00:09:55.299 --> 00:09:57.440
needs are to listen to music. My needs are to

00:09:57.440 --> 00:10:00.820
have silence. So when we're doing sensory diets,

00:10:00.899 --> 00:10:03.059
for example, that's about trying to meet the

00:10:03.059 --> 00:10:05.179
individual needs of somebody and give them what

00:10:05.179 --> 00:10:08.240
they need to make that environment right for

00:10:08.240 --> 00:10:10.840
them. So give them more of the sensations that

00:10:10.840 --> 00:10:13.620
they need. Take away some of the sensations that

00:10:13.620 --> 00:10:16.320
they don't need and maybe give them more of sensations.

00:10:16.549 --> 00:10:19.029
that they would find calming or regulating or

00:10:19.029 --> 00:10:21.629
grounding, whichever word you choose to use to

00:10:21.629 --> 00:10:24.490
apply that to. Where were we going there, Jordan?

00:10:24.570 --> 00:10:26.769
I've just gone off on a tangent there and gone,

00:10:26.870 --> 00:10:28.789
oh, hang on, bring me back to the question that

00:10:28.789 --> 00:10:30.789
you asked. Sensory circuits and sensory diet.

00:10:30.909 --> 00:10:33.129
So that was a way of making it individual, isn't

00:10:33.129 --> 00:10:35.690
it? So the music one is great, is a great example

00:10:35.690 --> 00:10:38.009
because you've either got music on or haven't.

00:10:38.049 --> 00:10:40.370
But what if we offer headphones maybe for a child

00:10:40.370 --> 00:10:41.870
that does want music? That is something that

00:10:41.870 --> 00:10:43.710
you could do in class that doesn't impact everybody

00:10:43.710 --> 00:10:46.860
else. Yes. So, I mean, like musical headphones

00:10:46.860 --> 00:10:49.500
or headphones for a learner that doesn't want

00:10:49.500 --> 00:10:52.039
the music. Or maybe be careful about what music

00:10:52.039 --> 00:10:53.679
you have on. Or maybe it's actually white noise

00:10:53.679 --> 00:10:55.379
that helps them. And then actually that helps

00:10:55.379 --> 00:10:58.539
everybody maybe. You know, it's all about experimentation,

00:10:58.600 --> 00:11:01.899
isn't it? It is. And see what happens. It's not

00:11:01.899 --> 00:11:04.259
an exact science. So I can't look at a child

00:11:04.259 --> 00:11:06.259
and go, ah, they need X, Y and Z and everything

00:11:06.259 --> 00:11:08.580
will be fine. It is trial and error to try and

00:11:08.580 --> 00:11:10.480
figure it out, especially if they can't tell

00:11:10.480 --> 00:11:13.039
us what it is that's going on. And lots can't

00:11:13.039 --> 00:11:14.950
because they may not have the cognitive. cognitive

00:11:14.950 --> 00:11:16.549
ability. They may not have the verbal ability.

00:11:16.730 --> 00:11:18.809
If their interception isn't good, they may not

00:11:18.809 --> 00:11:21.070
know why it doesn't feel right. They'll just

00:11:21.070 --> 00:11:22.929
know that it doesn't feel right. And we've got

00:11:22.929 --> 00:11:25.950
to help them unpick that. And then, so that sensory

00:11:25.950 --> 00:11:28.789
diet, that's more individual. What about sensory

00:11:28.789 --> 00:11:32.029
circuits? How does that fit in as part of that?

00:11:32.790 --> 00:11:35.049
conversation yeah if we can get things right

00:11:35.049 --> 00:11:38.169
on an individual basis that's brilliant and i

00:11:38.169 --> 00:11:40.429
know you're using the term sensory diet it's

00:11:40.429 --> 00:11:42.590
quite like there's a few other terms being floated

00:11:42.590 --> 00:11:45.330
around quite like sensory lifestyle as a bit

00:11:45.330 --> 00:11:48.090
of like that yeah because that means it's more

00:11:48.090 --> 00:11:51.049
consistent yes and it's what you need in the

00:11:51.049 --> 00:11:53.490
environment around you for your life so that

00:11:53.490 --> 00:11:56.190
one feels quite nice to me sensory circuits are

00:11:56.190 --> 00:11:58.590
a really good way of meeting the needs of a lot

00:11:58.590 --> 00:12:01.519
of children most of the time because we're giving

00:12:01.519 --> 00:12:04.559
them the input that regulates most children most

00:12:04.559 --> 00:12:06.919
of the time and sometimes when we're in schools

00:12:06.919 --> 00:12:10.200
we can't do all of the individual needs all of

00:12:10.200 --> 00:12:13.139
the time because it's the real world things don't

00:12:13.139 --> 00:12:15.860
always work that way so sensory circuits can

00:12:15.860 --> 00:12:18.919
be a fantastic way of getting lots and lots of

00:12:18.919 --> 00:12:23.279
regulating movement input in for a child to really

00:12:23.279 --> 00:12:25.980
sort their nervous system out if you like so

00:12:25.980 --> 00:12:28.120
that the rest of the day becomes okay becomes

00:12:28.120 --> 00:12:30.460
things that they can cope with so it's a great

00:12:30.460 --> 00:12:33.879
almost one size fits all with a few little tweaks

00:12:33.879 --> 00:12:36.360
and sometimes we have to do the best we can with

00:12:36.360 --> 00:12:38.940
what we've got to work with don't we and movement

00:12:38.940 --> 00:12:41.879
sensory circuits sensory movement breaks whatever

00:12:41.879 --> 00:12:44.779
we're calling them can work brilliantly for that

00:12:44.779 --> 00:12:48.960
yeah there's like a maybe a three -step approach

00:12:48.960 --> 00:12:52.340
so alerting and then organizing and grounding

00:12:52.340 --> 00:12:54.899
i've spoken about this lots before on my account

00:12:54.899 --> 00:12:58.100
if you're if you're not sure do all children

00:12:58.100 --> 00:13:01.840
necessarily need to start with alerting though

00:13:01.840 --> 00:13:03.919
that's a brilliant question i might have to kiss

00:13:03.919 --> 00:13:06.679
you now for raising that one you know only because

00:13:06.679 --> 00:13:11.259
it's something i've been experimenting with if

00:13:11.259 --> 00:13:16.259
they're already alert do they need more alerting

00:13:16.259 --> 00:13:21.679
to like let it go in a safe way or do you are

00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:24.600
they already alert and you do organizing yeah

00:13:24.600 --> 00:13:27.830
it's a really good question so I totally agree

00:13:27.830 --> 00:13:30.470
your traditional circuits have those three areas

00:13:30.470 --> 00:13:33.070
and if you don't know where to start that's a

00:13:33.070 --> 00:13:35.769
really great place to start do some alerting

00:13:35.769 --> 00:13:38.509
do some organizing then do some grounding or

00:13:38.509 --> 00:13:41.429
calming activities but no you're right not all

00:13:41.429 --> 00:13:44.610
children need it and like all good rules they

00:13:44.610 --> 00:13:47.490
are there to be broken aren't they so not all

00:13:47.490 --> 00:13:50.470
children do need the alerting activities if you've

00:13:50.470 --> 00:13:52.690
got a child who's already looking like they're

00:13:52.690 --> 00:13:55.940
a little bit in that fight flight zone then actually

00:13:55.940 --> 00:13:58.480
an alerting activity might be really wrong for

00:13:58.480 --> 00:14:01.220
them it might even take them further along that

00:14:01.220 --> 00:14:04.379
fight or flight response because it's scary and

00:14:04.379 --> 00:14:06.840
they're not in a good place to do it so no you

00:14:06.840 --> 00:14:09.139
can mix and match you might have somebody that

00:14:09.139 --> 00:14:11.320
just wants some grounding activities or some

00:14:11.320 --> 00:14:13.759
calming activities you might have somebody that

00:14:13.759 --> 00:14:17.299
needs lots more alerting activities it might

00:14:17.299 --> 00:14:20.620
depend on the child it might depend on the time

00:14:20.620 --> 00:14:24.090
of day maybe we arrive at school and we're sort

00:14:24.090 --> 00:14:26.409
of hyper alert because the transition and the

00:14:26.409 --> 00:14:28.929
morning has all been quite stressful and we need

00:14:28.929 --> 00:14:30.669
to come in and have a little bit of a calming

00:14:30.669 --> 00:14:32.590
session, a little bit of a grounding session

00:14:32.590 --> 00:14:35.669
to feel okay to then go into class and carry

00:14:35.669 --> 00:14:38.509
on. Maybe after lunch we've had a big dinner,

00:14:38.590 --> 00:14:40.990
we're a little bit sleepy, we need some more

00:14:40.990 --> 00:14:43.929
alerting stuff to wake us up and tune us in to

00:14:43.929 --> 00:14:46.529
what's going on on the world around us. So those

00:14:47.559 --> 00:14:51.039
Yeah, you can mess around with them and test

00:14:51.039 --> 00:14:53.840
it. See what happens. See what's right for the

00:14:53.840 --> 00:14:58.600
child. Our organising stuff is brilliant. It

00:14:58.600 --> 00:15:01.200
comes back to that proprioceptive input. We can't

00:15:01.200 --> 00:15:03.679
really go wrong with those on the whole. If somebody

00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:05.779
was in crisis, I perhaps wouldn't do it. But

00:15:05.779 --> 00:15:08.320
on the whole, they work for everybody. So they're

00:15:08.320 --> 00:15:10.500
a really good place to be. And it's quite a wide

00:15:10.500 --> 00:15:12.399
span of organising activities, isn't there? There

00:15:12.399 --> 00:15:15.500
could be obstacle courses. So you're moving quite

00:15:15.500 --> 00:15:18.879
gross motor. wise rolling and all those kind

00:15:18.879 --> 00:15:21.620
of things balancing but also it can be some quite

00:15:21.620 --> 00:15:24.340
fine motor stuff we do some threading and puzzles

00:15:24.340 --> 00:15:28.419
and sorting is is also organizing so also within

00:15:28.419 --> 00:15:31.779
organizing have a think about does it look like

00:15:31.779 --> 00:15:34.139
gross motor balancing that they need or does

00:15:34.139 --> 00:15:37.730
it look like quiet organizing and sorting alphabet

00:15:37.730 --> 00:15:40.870
for example maybe that grounds them I always

00:15:40.870 --> 00:15:43.610
like to explain it to my teaching assistants

00:15:43.610 --> 00:15:46.490
as when I'm stressed I like to write a list on

00:15:46.490 --> 00:15:49.090
my phone like a little tick box because that

00:15:49.090 --> 00:15:51.750
helps me see everything that I need and feel

00:15:51.750 --> 00:15:54.110
organized and in control and that's basically

00:15:54.110 --> 00:15:56.389
what the organizing is offering for our children

00:15:56.389 --> 00:15:58.049
whether that's getting their body in control

00:15:58.049 --> 00:16:00.490
in a quite a physical way or sorting out all

00:16:00.490 --> 00:16:02.690
the thoughts in their mind and lots of my learners

00:16:02.690 --> 00:16:06.019
find either sorting colors by rainbow order or

00:16:06.019 --> 00:16:08.039
sorting the alphabet or sorting numbers makes

00:16:08.039 --> 00:16:11.659
things feel in control because ultimately lots

00:16:11.659 --> 00:16:13.899
of our learners have so little control over their

00:16:13.899 --> 00:16:16.440
lives and their bodies and their voice and everything.

00:16:16.759 --> 00:16:19.279
But actually by giving them those opportunities

00:16:19.279 --> 00:16:22.799
to practice control within their special interests

00:16:22.799 --> 00:16:26.120
can be really regulating, even if they don't

00:16:26.120 --> 00:16:28.279
need the alerting and the grounding. So I really

00:16:28.279 --> 00:16:30.759
do like the organizing part of it actually. And

00:16:30.759 --> 00:16:33.259
then for me, the alerting and the grounding are

00:16:33.259 --> 00:16:36.470
very quiet. quite child specific I can think

00:16:36.470 --> 00:16:38.049
of some learners that I certainly wouldn't want

00:16:38.049 --> 00:16:41.750
to finish with grounding because they they're

00:16:41.750 --> 00:16:44.230
so they're sluggish and slow normally that that

00:16:44.230 --> 00:16:46.470
certainly wouldn't help them focus or concentrate

00:16:46.470 --> 00:16:48.470
in whatever we're doing next if we were to finish

00:16:48.470 --> 00:16:50.429
with grounding but same for lots of my learners

00:16:50.429 --> 00:16:52.710
I've got lots of climbers and jumpers and throwers

00:16:52.710 --> 00:16:55.470
in my room that if I was to do too much alerting

00:16:55.470 --> 00:16:57.710
then we also weren't going to get focused and

00:16:57.710 --> 00:16:59.610
still either so it is also about knowing your

00:16:59.610 --> 00:17:02.720
class and And that flexibility within that as

00:17:02.720 --> 00:17:05.160
well, isn't there? Absolutely, yes. Feel free

00:17:05.160 --> 00:17:08.559
to break the rules sometimes and do what works

00:17:08.559 --> 00:17:11.319
for your individual learner. And remembering

00:17:11.319 --> 00:17:13.619
their individual preferences as well, because

00:17:13.619 --> 00:17:16.539
what might be calming to one person might not

00:17:16.539 --> 00:17:19.509
be fun. Digging the garden. That would be a great

00:17:19.509 --> 00:17:22.029
proprioceptive input. I don't want to do that.

00:17:22.089 --> 00:17:24.109
Thank you very much. I really, really don't want

00:17:24.109 --> 00:17:26.210
to do that. I'd rather go and do something else.

00:17:26.269 --> 00:17:28.730
So again, it's recognizing that although it might

00:17:28.730 --> 00:17:32.940
be a grounding activity. for somebody that might

00:17:32.940 --> 00:17:35.140
really wind them up because they don't like it.

00:17:35.279 --> 00:17:37.599
Yeah, so it could meet their needs on a practical

00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:40.059
level really well, but actually if it's not of

00:17:40.059 --> 00:17:42.559
interest to them and it feels forceful in a way,

00:17:42.660 --> 00:17:44.160
then that's actually not going to be regulating.

00:17:44.339 --> 00:17:45.779
In fact, that's going to be quite heightening,

00:17:45.799 --> 00:17:48.799
even if the actual thing is grounding. And that's

00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:51.339
sometimes where I see things go wrong in classes

00:17:51.339 --> 00:17:54.220
because you do something that the textbook says

00:17:54.220 --> 00:17:57.119
should do this thing and it doesn't and you don't

00:17:57.119 --> 00:17:59.490
know why. And it's always worth thinking about

00:17:59.490 --> 00:18:02.329
individual preferences and how the activity's

00:18:02.329 --> 00:18:04.309
been done. I suppose it's about approach as well,

00:18:04.309 --> 00:18:05.829
isn't it? You know, how are you approaching it?

00:18:05.849 --> 00:18:07.769
Is it, what are the adults doing in that situation?

00:18:08.029 --> 00:18:10.569
Are they controlling the activity and kind of

00:18:10.569 --> 00:18:13.650
forcing the activity? Or are they just doing

00:18:13.650 --> 00:18:17.529
the activity and making it as fun and as motivating

00:18:17.529 --> 00:18:20.490
as possible? Are they planning for activities

00:18:20.490 --> 00:18:22.130
that they know the children will like because

00:18:22.130 --> 00:18:24.089
they're really similar to what they're already

00:18:24.089 --> 00:18:28.170
naturally doing or their special interests? it's

00:18:28.170 --> 00:18:31.569
how it's sold as well I think if I was to say

00:18:31.569 --> 00:18:34.069
like my children love the obstacle courses they

00:18:34.069 --> 00:18:37.230
really love it but if I was to say to lots of

00:18:37.230 --> 00:18:39.230
my people if I was to stand there and say right

00:18:39.230 --> 00:18:41.789
off you go like and treat it like a work task

00:18:41.789 --> 00:18:44.680
or treat it like a you know, this is something

00:18:44.680 --> 00:18:47.160
for you to do and you have to do it and then

00:18:47.160 --> 00:18:49.440
you can get what you want. It wouldn't work.

00:18:49.500 --> 00:18:51.079
It wouldn't be fun. It wouldn't be motivating

00:18:51.079 --> 00:18:52.819
and they wouldn't get anything out of it. In

00:18:52.819 --> 00:18:54.839
fact, they find it really heightening or boring.

00:18:55.000 --> 00:18:56.900
Whereas if all of the supporting adults are doing

00:18:56.900 --> 00:19:00.740
it and being silly and modelling how fun it is

00:19:00.740 --> 00:19:03.319
and adapting to whatever the children want to

00:19:03.319 --> 00:19:05.839
do and being quite child -led in that way, it

00:19:05.839 --> 00:19:09.359
makes the exact same activity a very, very different

00:19:09.359 --> 00:19:12.640
outcome. Absolutely, yes. Children learn through

00:19:12.640 --> 00:19:15.180
play. They want to engage in things that are

00:19:15.180 --> 00:19:18.200
fun. Yeah, release your inner child, I always

00:19:18.200 --> 00:19:20.599
say in my training. This is your license to release

00:19:20.599 --> 00:19:23.599
your inner child. Get in there and play and enjoy

00:19:23.599 --> 00:19:29.779
it. Do you battle or configure the whole age

00:19:29.779 --> 00:19:33.099
appropriateness conversation? I know some people

00:19:33.099 --> 00:19:36.539
have quite strong opinions on it being age appropriate

00:19:36.539 --> 00:19:39.880
or stage appropriate. Like how do you, with secondary

00:19:39.880 --> 00:19:41.960
school pupils, I can imagine it comes up a lot

00:19:41.960 --> 00:19:44.779
and is in your mind quite a lot. How do you navigate?

00:19:45.289 --> 00:19:47.589
that it's so good like it's so true especially

00:19:47.589 --> 00:19:50.369
when it comes to stories because i think that

00:19:50.369 --> 00:19:54.049
actually stories in english you know the children

00:19:54.049 --> 00:19:56.509
where they are in terms of their levels you'd

00:19:56.509 --> 00:19:58.170
be like but then that's the book and i'm like

00:19:58.170 --> 00:20:00.009
well that's not really age appropriate like early

00:20:00.009 --> 00:20:02.569
years early years or preschool kind of even stuff

00:20:02.569 --> 00:20:05.890
yeah definitely um and then the books are sometimes

00:20:05.890 --> 00:20:08.049
just they're not appropriate at all because they

00:20:08.049 --> 00:20:11.789
are so young in age and also i'm like you've

00:20:11.789 --> 00:20:13.869
now in secondary you've probably potentially

00:20:13.869 --> 00:20:16.109
seen this book as well a significant amount of

00:20:16.109 --> 00:20:18.150
time why are you going to bother listening to

00:20:18.150 --> 00:20:22.049
me we're going on a bear hunt is like yeah exactly

00:20:22.049 --> 00:20:28.390
yeah so um we have like i think me and like my

00:20:28.390 --> 00:20:30.829
co -teacher next door we work really hard on

00:20:30.829 --> 00:20:33.589
trying to find books that are not only giving

00:20:33.589 --> 00:20:36.589
that sensory well we can allow it to give them

00:20:36.589 --> 00:20:39.029
that sensory experience but we just adapt it

00:20:39.029 --> 00:20:41.250
so like the book now for example is such a good

00:20:41.250 --> 00:20:43.589
example of a book that has a lot of language

00:20:43.589 --> 00:20:45.410
in if you were to look through the book it's

00:20:45.410 --> 00:20:47.190
got quite a lot of language in but the first

00:20:47.190 --> 00:20:49.170
look i think to be fair the first look i always

00:20:49.170 --> 00:20:51.369
give any book is like oh my gosh right okay challenge

00:20:51.369 --> 00:20:54.049
acceptance because it's like oh not again but

00:20:54.049 --> 00:20:56.910
it's just taking it and stripping it back so

00:20:56.910 --> 00:20:59.250
it's still a book about deadly animals and it's

00:20:59.250 --> 00:21:01.329
still a book about animals but rather than all

00:21:01.329 --> 00:21:03.529
the other language in between it's just you know

00:21:03.529 --> 00:21:05.720
what does the shark Where's the shark live? What's

00:21:05.720 --> 00:21:08.099
his deadly feature? Sharp teeth. Done. And then

00:21:08.099 --> 00:21:10.859
in that, on our PowerPoints, we'll make a PowerPoint

00:21:10.859 --> 00:21:13.559
for it. We'll sort of just scan the book in.

00:21:14.119 --> 00:21:16.839
And it just has really simple using widgets,

00:21:16.859 --> 00:21:19.900
using symbols. Has very much as a sentence. Done.

00:21:20.119 --> 00:21:22.359
Because then the book is still appropriate. It's

00:21:22.359 --> 00:21:25.480
then not sort of a early years style book that

00:21:25.480 --> 00:21:27.799
just isn't appropriate. It's got real pictures

00:21:27.799 --> 00:21:29.779
in. You know, it's got all of those things. Yeah,

00:21:29.839 --> 00:21:31.700
I love that it's non -fiction. That's so great.

00:21:32.569 --> 00:21:35.549
so three stories can be non -fiction yeah exactly

00:21:35.549 --> 00:21:38.430
and i just think like we then just do a lot of

00:21:38.430 --> 00:21:41.289
adapting just to make it meet the needs and you

00:21:41.289 --> 00:21:42.650
know we have had battles before we're like no

00:21:42.650 --> 00:21:44.970
this book we can't do that book it's not it's

00:21:44.970 --> 00:21:47.730
not appropriate because it's far too advanced

00:21:47.730 --> 00:21:50.789
the language in it is so complex actually our

00:21:50.789 --> 00:21:53.069
journey to try and make that it just wouldn't

00:21:53.069 --> 00:21:54.869
work so let's try and think about a different

00:21:54.869 --> 00:21:57.049
book So I suppose if you're focusing, what are

00:21:57.049 --> 00:21:58.430
we actually getting out of this? What are the

00:21:58.430 --> 00:22:00.609
kids getting out of this? What is our main aim

00:22:00.609 --> 00:22:02.609
here? Okay, it's for sentence building, right?

00:22:02.650 --> 00:22:05.230
Does this motivate the children in order to do

00:22:05.230 --> 00:22:06.890
that? And if the answer is yes, like about Deadly

00:22:06.890 --> 00:22:08.450
Annals, I find that it's incredibly motivating

00:22:08.450 --> 00:22:12.349
and interesting. It's great. if it's a classic

00:22:12.349 --> 00:22:14.609
book that isn't really interesting them isn't

00:22:14.609 --> 00:22:16.890
keeping their engagement you're not even really

00:22:16.890 --> 00:22:20.190
enjoying like it's it's gonna be pointless isn't

00:22:20.190 --> 00:22:22.829
it and equally so a preschool book that might

00:22:22.829 --> 00:22:25.130
be stage appropriate for them as far as their

00:22:25.130 --> 00:22:27.609
understanding goes yeah like if they've heard

00:22:27.609 --> 00:22:29.630
it before it's not going to engage them because

00:22:29.630 --> 00:22:32.569
it's not exciting to them it doesn't engage them

00:22:32.569 --> 00:22:34.630
in that way yeah and i think it's really interesting

00:22:34.630 --> 00:22:36.230
actually like literally on friday we had some

00:22:36.230 --> 00:22:39.069
talk for writing um training And we were talking

00:22:39.069 --> 00:22:40.690
about that, about like the propriety of some

00:22:40.690 --> 00:22:43.990
of the books and that age, because it is really

00:22:43.990 --> 00:22:46.210
tricky because, you know, you have to look at

00:22:46.210 --> 00:22:49.109
like, right, they are secondary. We've got to

00:22:49.109 --> 00:22:50.990
make sure that we are fitting it right for them,

00:22:51.029 --> 00:22:52.369
but also it meets their needs, but it's also

00:22:52.369 --> 00:22:54.490
engaging enough. And it's not something that

00:22:54.490 --> 00:22:56.089
is just on repeat all the time. It's not just,

00:22:56.089 --> 00:22:58.269
let's just give them this book. And the one that

00:22:58.269 --> 00:22:59.950
they use is Little Red Riding Hood. And I just

00:22:59.950 --> 00:23:01.269
thought it was a really nice example of the fact

00:23:01.269 --> 00:23:03.779
that actually, There's so many adaptations of

00:23:03.779 --> 00:23:06.759
that book and, you know, the classic story. It

00:23:06.759 --> 00:23:08.579
doesn't have to just be the classic story. We

00:23:08.579 --> 00:23:11.240
can adapt it just like we do everything else.

00:23:11.259 --> 00:23:14.000
You know, we adapt everything. So why don't we

00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:15.460
just adapt it to make sure we're meeting the

00:23:15.460 --> 00:23:18.200
needs and their age range rather than just...

00:23:18.490 --> 00:23:20.390
yeah yeah we're going on a bear hunt or the gruffalo

00:23:20.390 --> 00:23:22.230
you know well that's almost the lazy way out

00:23:22.230 --> 00:23:25.509
isn't it gruffalo bear hunt yeah exactly that

00:23:25.509 --> 00:23:27.210
it's the lazy belt because it's just hand of

00:23:27.210 --> 00:23:29.329
surprise there's another one yeah because it

00:23:29.329 --> 00:23:32.009
lends itself so well to sensory of course and

00:23:32.009 --> 00:23:34.049
it does make a great sensory story but i think

00:23:34.049 --> 00:23:36.309
what you said is a really great point yes they

00:23:36.309 --> 00:23:38.069
might be into in the night garden yes they might

00:23:38.069 --> 00:23:40.190
be entertained hubbies too that's cool like that's

00:23:40.190 --> 00:23:42.529
awesome i'll celebrate all them all their interests

00:23:42.529 --> 00:23:45.190
that's awesome but it's the idea of that actually

00:23:45.759 --> 00:23:48.480
They've repeated this so many times. Is this

00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:50.859
engaging or interesting to them? What else can

00:23:50.859 --> 00:23:53.200
they get out of it? And actually, that's quite

00:23:53.200 --> 00:23:55.740
lazy, I think. Quite lazy teaching. Whereas how

00:23:55.740 --> 00:23:59.039
exciting to get a new book in a new way, but

00:23:59.039 --> 00:24:01.680
actually taking all the fundamentals that Gruffalo

00:24:01.680 --> 00:24:03.940
and Bearhander are so great for is repetitive

00:24:03.940 --> 00:24:08.380
language, simple sentence structure, it's predictable.

00:24:08.819 --> 00:24:12.039
All of those things you could put into any book

00:24:12.039 --> 00:24:14.819
if you put the time in. Yeah, and I think that's

00:24:14.819 --> 00:24:17.740
the thing, you know, it's not easy. And, you

00:24:17.740 --> 00:24:20.680
know, I do think that's where in SCN, you know,

00:24:20.799 --> 00:24:22.799
there isn't just, well, you're lucky if it's

00:24:22.799 --> 00:24:25.019
not just you and there is a team of you. And

00:24:25.019 --> 00:24:26.420
I think that's the thing, you know, me and my

00:24:26.420 --> 00:24:28.700
co -teacher, it is just great because I'm like,

00:24:28.740 --> 00:24:31.240
right, this term wasn't my term, it was her term.

00:24:31.339 --> 00:24:33.730
So obviously we... work together but she's the

00:24:33.730 --> 00:24:35.410
one that goes through the books all out and i

00:24:35.410 --> 00:24:36.630
just think it really helps them because it's

00:24:36.630 --> 00:24:38.930
like yeah we can make this work it's just we

00:24:38.930 --> 00:24:40.829
just got to put that teacher hat on that we do

00:24:40.829 --> 00:24:43.650
have to and we know our students so well as to

00:24:43.650 --> 00:24:45.630
what bits about this book are they going to really

00:24:45.630 --> 00:24:48.269
really love and what parts can we you know they've

00:24:48.269 --> 00:24:50.549
loved it and the sensory elements as well you

00:24:50.549 --> 00:24:53.269
know we've got tongues to stick out for the frogs

00:24:53.269 --> 00:24:55.569
we've got like a lion tongue that we have this

00:24:55.569 --> 00:24:57.890
all like spiky and they just loved it and also

00:24:57.890 --> 00:25:00.569
so many of them just love animals anyway it's

00:25:00.569 --> 00:25:03.309
such a you know like little they just love it

00:25:03.309 --> 00:25:04.930
like and there's so many different things you

00:25:04.930 --> 00:25:07.589
can link it to yeah um and i think i say like

00:25:07.589 --> 00:25:09.750
you know lots of the children here as well we

00:25:09.750 --> 00:25:12.829
do have those obsessions in other areas and it's

00:25:12.829 --> 00:25:14.529
about celebrating that in a different way you

00:25:14.529 --> 00:25:17.069
know or bringing that into the curriculum in

00:25:17.069 --> 00:25:19.750
another way you know for example doing big and

00:25:19.750 --> 00:25:22.230
small bringing up big and small of symbols of

00:25:22.230 --> 00:25:24.349
things like the teletubbies you know why don't

00:25:24.349 --> 00:25:25.930
we just do a sorting activity being as well with

00:25:25.930 --> 00:25:28.309
teletubbies like that's fine we can introduce

00:25:28.309 --> 00:25:31.450
whatever your likes are into the curriculum but

00:25:31.450 --> 00:25:33.470
we can also inject other things it doesn't mean

00:25:33.470 --> 00:25:36.690
it just just has to be that let's expand your

00:25:36.690 --> 00:25:41.079
interest let's expand your knowledge yeah rather

00:25:41.079 --> 00:25:43.960
than getting stuck like that's cool we can celebrate

00:25:43.960 --> 00:25:46.319
that but also have you seen this like this is

00:25:46.319 --> 00:25:49.119
also so fun i think you'll love this absolutely

00:25:49.119 --> 00:25:51.960
i think that's just what's really like yeah it's

00:25:51.960 --> 00:25:53.680
really powerful and really good and it's also

00:25:53.680 --> 00:25:56.200
it's also important and and you know what if

00:25:56.200 --> 00:25:58.059
it's like well okay it's clear that you do not

00:25:58.059 --> 00:26:01.200
like this that's fine because that's that's also

00:26:01.200 --> 00:26:04.519
you know good life skills to go right i don't

00:26:04.519 --> 00:26:06.720
like this book or i don't like this part i've

00:26:06.720 --> 00:26:08.099
made it very clear i don't like this and that's

00:26:08.099 --> 00:26:10.660
okay like we hear you we listen to you yeah protest

00:26:10.660 --> 00:26:13.420
and rejection is great communication right yeah

00:26:13.420 --> 00:26:15.680
a lot of times like right i hear you like you

00:26:15.680 --> 00:26:18.160
don't like this that's absolutely fine i'm gonna

00:26:18.160 --> 00:26:20.380
stop we don't have to carry on we'll do something

00:26:20.380 --> 00:26:23.390
different But it's also about just getting that

00:26:23.390 --> 00:26:25.990
fine balance, I think, of injecting new things

00:26:25.990 --> 00:26:29.269
so that it is exciting for them and we can give

00:26:29.269 --> 00:26:31.589
them some new experiences, whether that be through

00:26:31.589 --> 00:26:34.250
storytelling, whether that be through our curriculum,

00:26:34.390 --> 00:26:37.569
but also celebrating themselves and what their

00:26:37.569 --> 00:26:40.589
likes are and how we can bring that into it as

00:26:40.589 --> 00:26:42.369
well. If you were changing your story weekly,

00:26:42.569 --> 00:26:46.269
there is absolutely no way you could build a

00:26:46.269 --> 00:26:49.049
story so rich and engaging and spend all that

00:26:49.049 --> 00:26:52.079
time creating that. Getting the resources, buying

00:26:52.079 --> 00:26:54.319
the resources, making it so suitable to them

00:26:54.319 --> 00:26:57.319
and also getting them to know it enough and hear

00:26:57.319 --> 00:26:59.220
it enough that they know what to do and find

00:26:59.220 --> 00:27:01.740
it predictable every week. Like you just couldn't

00:27:01.740 --> 00:27:03.299
do that. It's only because you're doing a story

00:27:03.299 --> 00:27:05.839
a term that you're able to invest your time and

00:27:05.839 --> 00:27:08.420
energy and finances in to make the story like

00:27:08.420 --> 00:27:10.960
the best thing ever using all these incredible

00:27:10.960 --> 00:27:13.599
resources. So if you're a teacher hearing this

00:27:13.599 --> 00:27:15.900
thinking, I'd love to be able to do this, maybe

00:27:15.900 --> 00:27:18.809
just look at it. your timetable maybe look at

00:27:18.809 --> 00:27:21.009
your planning your long -term planning and stretch

00:27:21.009 --> 00:27:24.329
it out a little bit give yourself that time to

00:27:24.329 --> 00:27:28.210
really focus and open up what this topic could

00:27:28.210 --> 00:27:30.369
really offer yeah and i think also when it comes

00:27:30.369 --> 00:27:32.369
to things like sensory stories you've got to

00:27:32.369 --> 00:27:34.710
just go with it you know you've got to just allow

00:27:34.710 --> 00:27:36.450
that time you know however long that might take

00:27:36.450 --> 00:27:38.779
because there'll be parts of the story where

00:27:38.779 --> 00:27:41.160
it's very clear my students aren't a big fan

00:27:41.160 --> 00:27:43.259
of that page they don't quite like the part of

00:27:43.259 --> 00:27:45.259
the okay that's fine we can move on or there's

00:27:45.259 --> 00:27:47.259
another part of the book that they absolutely

00:27:47.259 --> 00:27:49.980
love that sensory immersed experience like we're

00:27:49.980 --> 00:27:51.279
going to sit in this for a little bit because

00:27:51.279 --> 00:27:53.519
you're enjoying it and it's nice to see and we're

00:27:53.519 --> 00:27:55.059
getting some feedback we're getting a to and

00:27:55.059 --> 00:27:57.539
from here and i think like literally say like

00:27:57.539 --> 00:27:59.880
it is it is good and it is it does take time

00:27:59.880 --> 00:28:02.359
and it does take resourcing you know like it

00:28:02.359 --> 00:28:04.279
won't be probably next week that i'm like right

00:28:04.670 --> 00:28:06.410
what's next term's book let's start putting it

00:28:06.410 --> 00:28:07.849
all together because that is and you know that

00:28:07.849 --> 00:28:09.549
is just part of teaching we just constantly are

00:28:09.549 --> 00:28:12.269
looking at me next but having that time and i

00:28:12.269 --> 00:28:13.930
just think that's also really important just

00:28:13.930 --> 00:28:17.210
to sit sometimes in that time you know i do sensory

00:28:17.210 --> 00:28:18.690
day of the week which you might have seen on

00:28:18.690 --> 00:28:21.289
my instagrams before and like my children just

00:28:21.289 --> 00:28:23.150
love that and we just sit we just sit in that

00:28:23.150 --> 00:28:26.089
sensory experience put on the relaxation music

00:28:26.089 --> 00:28:29.279
we have the bubbles we have all the the toys

00:28:29.279 --> 00:28:32.200
and the smells associated with that day and we

00:28:32.200 --> 00:28:34.480
just sit and just enjoy that whole sensory experience

00:28:34.480 --> 00:28:36.559
and i just think i get i get that asked a lot

00:28:36.559 --> 00:28:38.740
to be fair on social like how do you find the

00:28:38.740 --> 00:28:41.000
time for this and we're just it just a 10 minute

00:28:41.000 --> 00:28:42.839
pocket like if that's all you can find is a 10

00:28:42.839 --> 00:28:45.700
minute pocket in your timetable i guarantee you'll

00:28:45.700 --> 00:28:48.039
see some incredible things because i just those

00:28:48.039 --> 00:28:50.839
amazing things are set up Yeah. Repeat it, right?

00:28:50.859 --> 00:28:53.240
So do you do that every morning, that day of

00:28:53.240 --> 00:28:55.319
the week? Yeah, we'll either do it in the morning

00:28:55.319 --> 00:28:58.480
before, sort of like in before lunch, or we'll

00:28:58.480 --> 00:29:00.420
do it when we come back after lunch. It's very

00:29:00.420 --> 00:29:02.440
much, but it's all there. So like, you know,

00:29:02.460 --> 00:29:05.079
there's a pocket. And again, it did take time

00:29:05.079 --> 00:29:07.839
to set up. It does take time to print the visuals,

00:29:07.960 --> 00:29:11.380
get that together, find as many red themed fidget

00:29:11.380 --> 00:29:13.859
toys as you can, and then go back to it and go,

00:29:13.920 --> 00:29:15.519
right, yeah, they've been chewed. We need to

00:29:15.519 --> 00:29:16.960
make sure we're changing those up and all that

00:29:16.960 --> 00:29:20.240
kind of stuff. And the scents. but it's now it's

00:29:20.240 --> 00:29:22.880
there it's done you know we just add to it that's

00:29:22.880 --> 00:29:24.700
all i'm doing now is just adding to it and yeah

00:29:24.700 --> 00:29:26.720
we do it every day and it's just a really lovely

00:29:26.720 --> 00:29:28.759
experience for them and it was something i started

00:29:28.759 --> 00:29:30.160
last year and i was like gosh and i was just

00:29:30.160 --> 00:29:32.950
seeing like a complete almost like zen like relaxation

00:29:32.950 --> 00:29:35.069
like everyone's shoulders sort of just drop like

00:29:35.069 --> 00:29:37.970
yeah nice so they find it relaxing and also it

00:29:37.970 --> 00:29:40.029
is helping them to feel grounded in the week

00:29:40.029 --> 00:29:42.130
right they know what day of the week it is which

00:29:42.130 --> 00:29:44.269
gives them some comfort and some they can predict

00:29:44.269 --> 00:29:47.170
what might happen that day yeah it's a blue friday

00:29:47.170 --> 00:29:50.150
and it's coconut and it's a swimming day and

00:29:50.150 --> 00:29:52.730
they were like yeah i know that blue and coconut

00:29:52.730 --> 00:29:54.769
now means swimming and they're kind of slowly

00:29:54.769 --> 00:29:56.950
piecing those things together i can be excited

00:29:56.950 --> 00:29:59.400
that it's a swimming day now whereas maybe I

00:29:59.400 --> 00:30:00.640
don't know, maybe if we come in on a Monday,

00:30:00.799 --> 00:30:02.539
they might be predicting it and then we might

00:30:02.539 --> 00:30:04.160
think, oh, where does all this behaviour come

00:30:04.160 --> 00:30:05.640
from? Where does all this anxiety come from?

00:30:05.740 --> 00:30:07.339
Well, they thought it was a swimming day, whereas

00:30:07.339 --> 00:30:09.519
we're telling them, aren't we, this isn't a swimming

00:30:09.519 --> 00:30:12.579
day. Hopefully it will ease their anxiety and

00:30:12.579 --> 00:30:15.859
help their understanding. Absolutely. And then

00:30:15.859 --> 00:30:21.099
maybe reduce unsafe behaviours. I've worked in

00:30:21.099 --> 00:30:23.740
special needs schools and obviously the range

00:30:23.740 --> 00:30:26.460
of need is so high, but it always comes down

00:30:26.460 --> 00:30:29.859
to there's... autism sessions or there's sensory

00:30:29.859 --> 00:30:31.460
processing sessions and there's quiet sessions

00:30:31.460 --> 00:30:34.410
but even still she still couldn't get in And

00:30:34.410 --> 00:30:36.349
I always remember specifically, we went to a

00:30:36.349 --> 00:30:38.309
local trampoline park and they were advertising.

00:30:38.509 --> 00:30:39.890
There's a scent session, there's a scent session,

00:30:39.890 --> 00:30:41.150
there's a scent session. I was like, great, because

00:30:41.150 --> 00:30:43.069
she loves rebound at school. We have a trampoline

00:30:43.069 --> 00:30:45.130
in the garden. We can make it work between us.

00:30:45.150 --> 00:30:47.029
If we take enough people, we can lift her up

00:30:47.029 --> 00:30:49.009
out of her chair and onto a trampoline. And she'll

00:30:49.009 --> 00:30:50.950
love that. And we turned up and they were like,

00:30:51.029 --> 00:30:53.289
OK, you're here for the session. We were like,

00:30:53.329 --> 00:30:55.609
yeah, let's sign in, whatever. Did all the waivers.

00:30:56.089 --> 00:30:57.890
Walked through the door. And the only way to

00:30:57.890 --> 00:30:59.609
get to the trampoline was up steps. And I said,

00:30:59.690 --> 00:31:01.430
well, she can't actually get in. And they went,

00:31:01.490 --> 00:31:03.210
oh, well, you have to carry her up. And I said,

00:31:03.230 --> 00:31:04.519
but you were... wouldn't say that to someone

00:31:04.519 --> 00:31:06.720
else you wouldn't say that to a child who was

00:31:06.720 --> 00:31:09.460
walking and yeah you just wouldn't say that um

00:31:09.460 --> 00:31:11.279
so things like that were really important that

00:31:11.279 --> 00:31:13.279
actually if a child's coming in a wheelchair

00:31:13.279 --> 00:31:15.640
be that powered a small one self -propelling

00:31:15.640 --> 00:31:17.680
whatever they're doing that they could get in

00:31:17.680 --> 00:31:20.180
the venue initially but then even still once

00:31:20.180 --> 00:31:22.299
they're in that the point of access wasn't just

00:31:22.299 --> 00:31:23.940
that they can get in the venue the doors need

00:31:23.940 --> 00:31:25.839
to be double doors they need to be automatic

00:31:25.839 --> 00:31:27.960
there needs to be buttons there needs to be a

00:31:27.960 --> 00:31:30.380
change in places mobile hoist ceiling hoist whatever

00:31:30.380 --> 00:31:33.099
that kind of setup is there needs to be an option

00:31:33.099 --> 00:31:35.700
and yes even now we don't have a ceiling hoist

00:31:35.700 --> 00:31:38.380
in half the rooms because we hire a local send

00:31:38.380 --> 00:31:41.329
primary school and obviously they not as adapted

00:31:41.329 --> 00:31:43.049
as they possibly can be because they're suiting

00:31:43.049 --> 00:31:44.910
a massive range of needs. But if a child wants

00:31:44.910 --> 00:31:46.869
to get out in soft play, we have a mobile hoist

00:31:46.869 --> 00:31:48.890
that we can take to soft play. And in an ideal

00:31:48.890 --> 00:31:50.529
world, we'd just have ceiling tracking everywhere.

00:31:51.349 --> 00:31:53.269
But obviously we can't do that unless we had

00:31:53.269 --> 00:31:55.910
our own venue. But at the same point, they can

00:31:55.910 --> 00:31:57.809
still get out in a mobile hoist. I can take it

00:31:57.809 --> 00:31:59.690
outside. We can take it into the hall. We can

00:31:59.690 --> 00:32:01.470
take it wherever we need to. But if they need

00:32:01.470 --> 00:32:03.450
to change in places, we've got the bed with sides.

00:32:03.589 --> 00:32:06.809
It's comfy. It's not just a massage bed that's

00:32:06.809 --> 00:32:08.710
been put in the cupboard and gone, oh, that's

00:32:08.710 --> 00:32:11.430
suitable for you. get changed on it's private

00:32:11.430 --> 00:32:13.890
it's bespoke we've got all them things and that

00:32:13.890 --> 00:32:15.910
for me especially because my sister I always

00:32:15.910 --> 00:32:18.509
say if she can't get in and access it to the

00:32:18.509 --> 00:32:20.789
way we'd want to go somewhere and access it then

00:32:20.789 --> 00:32:22.849
there's no point doing it because yeah there's

00:32:22.849 --> 00:32:24.769
going to be children with needs just as high

00:32:24.769 --> 00:32:26.809
as hers but also children that need even greater

00:32:26.809 --> 00:32:29.390
need and if we can't even meet at that level

00:32:29.390 --> 00:32:33.470
it's not it's not inclusive basic needs of toilet

00:32:33.470 --> 00:32:36.950
access you know then you can't call yourself

00:32:36.950 --> 00:32:39.109
a send session can you and I can see totally

00:32:39.109 --> 00:32:41.690
see where that frustration comes from years of

00:32:41.690 --> 00:32:44.029
attending these oh finally there's a session

00:32:44.029 --> 00:32:46.890
that we can both enjoy and then you can't even

00:32:46.890 --> 00:32:50.089
get through the door yeah it's it's false advertising

00:32:50.089 --> 00:32:52.869
isn't it and yeah I know they call it green washing

00:32:52.869 --> 00:32:55.630
when it's about eco stuff maybe it's a disability

00:32:55.630 --> 00:32:58.210
washing you know they're just ticking a box to

00:32:58.210 --> 00:33:00.269
say they're doing a send session and actually

00:33:00.269 --> 00:33:04.569
there is so much more to meeting that if you

00:33:04.569 --> 00:33:06.849
actually cared about the disabled community that

00:33:06.849 --> 00:33:08.750
you would make fully accessible sessions and

00:33:08.750 --> 00:33:11.690
also can we just say not on a random time on

00:33:11.690 --> 00:33:14.049
a saturday that no one else wants anyway i was

00:33:14.049 --> 00:33:16.930
gonna say this so yeah the trampoline center

00:33:16.930 --> 00:33:18.789
and i'm sure families who listen to us who are

00:33:18.789 --> 00:33:20.170
local first will know exactly what i'm talking

00:33:20.170 --> 00:33:22.710
about their center is on sunday at four till

00:33:22.710 --> 00:33:25.859
six My sister's like on wind down time. She loves

00:33:25.859 --> 00:33:27.799
to see Bibi's bedtime story every night. She's

00:33:27.799 --> 00:33:30.420
ready to watch that. She's not ready for a day,

00:33:30.599 --> 00:33:33.460
like an hour trip out to trampolining. Yeah.

00:33:33.660 --> 00:33:36.180
Like even me as an adult, I'd be like, oh, that's

00:33:36.180 --> 00:33:38.079
a bit much for me on a Sunday, especially if

00:33:38.079 --> 00:33:40.240
she has school the next day. It's totally inappropriate,

00:33:40.660 --> 00:33:42.759
isn't it? It's just, it's not appropriate at

00:33:42.759 --> 00:33:44.480
all. And the amount of sessions we've been to

00:33:44.480 --> 00:33:47.400
where it's on like a Wednesday night at eight

00:33:47.400 --> 00:33:49.200
o 'clock at night. And it's like, well, no, she

00:33:49.200 --> 00:33:52.089
wants to go to bed. If you actually saw how much

00:33:52.089 --> 00:33:54.029
she's done today, when it's physio, swimming,

00:33:54.210 --> 00:33:56.289
she's done all these things. She's exhausted

00:33:56.289 --> 00:33:58.509
come four o 'clock, let alone then finding the

00:33:58.509 --> 00:34:01.190
energy to come out again. But also then on us

00:34:01.190 --> 00:34:04.690
as a family to extend our day even more so, because

00:34:04.690 --> 00:34:06.910
I think they often forget that actually parents

00:34:06.910 --> 00:34:08.989
and siblings who are supporting with the care,

00:34:09.170 --> 00:34:11.329
when they go to bed, that is usually your time

00:34:11.329 --> 00:34:13.710
off and that's your bit of respite. But if we're

00:34:13.710 --> 00:34:16.170
then dragging the day even longer, as much of

00:34:16.170 --> 00:34:18.650
that experience is nice, we've then not had that.

00:34:19.219 --> 00:34:21.659
decompressing time or maybe we're preparing medication

00:34:21.659 --> 00:34:23.659
or doing food prep or something in that time

00:34:23.659 --> 00:34:26.079
we've had to shovel that back and then maybe

00:34:26.079 --> 00:34:27.960
we're not going to bed for two hours later because

00:34:27.960 --> 00:34:30.260
we've wanted to do something nice and then probably

00:34:30.260 --> 00:34:33.159
had an issue anyway or she's then tired because

00:34:33.159 --> 00:34:35.440
of it so it's kind of yeah but that still happens

00:34:35.440 --> 00:34:37.619
everywhere every session we see the times are

00:34:37.619 --> 00:34:40.139
just so inaccessible if you could use this platform

00:34:40.139 --> 00:34:42.699
or imagine you're in a room and all of these

00:34:42.699 --> 00:34:46.829
big businesses are listening From a sibling's

00:34:46.829 --> 00:34:50.809
point of view, what would you say to them to

00:34:50.809 --> 00:34:53.909
help them understand the importance of having

00:34:53.909 --> 00:34:58.130
accessible, realistically timed, fully accessible

00:34:58.130 --> 00:35:01.369
sessions for you as a sibling and you as a family

00:35:01.369 --> 00:35:03.650
and for your sister? Yeah, I think they need

00:35:03.650 --> 00:35:06.769
to look at it in a sense that her needs are not

00:35:06.769 --> 00:35:09.610
separate from our needs and that it should suit

00:35:09.610 --> 00:35:12.929
us, not her. And that isn't a way of saying,

00:35:13.030 --> 00:35:15.460
OK, well, she can come at this time. but you

00:35:15.460 --> 00:35:17.679
get to tag along as well actually no we want

00:35:17.679 --> 00:35:19.739
to come on our schedule which is on a Saturday

00:35:19.739 --> 00:35:22.280
afternoon or on a Saturday morning or we've just

00:35:22.280 --> 00:35:24.280
been out for lunch on a Sunday afternoon and

00:35:24.280 --> 00:35:26.099
we want to go and do something afterwards we're

00:35:26.099 --> 00:35:28.679
not the second fault we shouldn't be that have

00:35:28.679 --> 00:35:30.719
to fall to your normal session, which I think

00:35:30.719 --> 00:35:32.619
is what they often see it as. There's, oh, we

00:35:32.619 --> 00:35:34.420
can't make as much money on this session. Yeah,

00:35:34.440 --> 00:35:36.280
but you could if you actually put it at the right

00:35:36.280 --> 00:35:38.719
time. And they often don't see that point of

00:35:38.719 --> 00:35:40.800
view. But I always say you have to have lived

00:35:40.800 --> 00:35:43.860
experience and businesses should be consulting

00:35:43.860 --> 00:35:47.780
local schools, local parents, care and care forums,

00:35:47.960 --> 00:35:49.659
whatever that looks like, to say actually what

00:35:49.659 --> 00:35:51.840
does work because they're just doing it as a,

00:35:51.860 --> 00:35:55.489
we've made it. inclusive but not accessible so

00:35:55.489 --> 00:35:58.150
you're completely missing the point um but yeah

00:35:58.150 --> 00:36:00.730
i think they need massive massive input from

00:36:00.730 --> 00:36:03.429
families siblings even the young people themselves

00:36:03.429 --> 00:36:05.909
because i know so many young people who could

00:36:05.909 --> 00:36:08.110
say i don't want to do that at eight o 'clock

00:36:08.110 --> 00:36:10.269
at night i want my bedtime routine i want whatever

00:36:10.269 --> 00:36:12.329
that is and that they need to move that to the

00:36:12.329 --> 00:36:15.429
daytime and ultimately try it if it doesn't work

00:36:15.429 --> 00:36:17.329
fair enough that's completely fine because not

00:36:17.329 --> 00:36:19.670
everyone wants to do those things but arguing

00:36:19.670 --> 00:36:22.630
that oh it's not gonna sell it's not gonna because

00:36:22.630 --> 00:36:25.130
there's much money well how do you know you don't

00:36:25.130 --> 00:36:27.409
know until you try and we always say that at

00:36:27.409 --> 00:36:28.789
Ladybug Lodge we don't know if something's going

00:36:28.789 --> 00:36:30.829
to work until we try and that has been things

00:36:30.829 --> 00:36:32.530
that haven't worked or families haven't enjoyed

00:36:32.530 --> 00:36:35.309
but if we didn't do that we wouldn't get the

00:36:35.309 --> 00:36:37.510
feedback whereas all these companies get now

00:36:37.510 --> 00:36:40.329
is negative press because families aren't happy

00:36:40.329 --> 00:36:41.949
with it but then they don't do anything about

00:36:41.949 --> 00:36:44.210
it so yeah it's a it's an interesting one they

00:36:44.210 --> 00:36:47.289
need to yeah really kind of see it as a if this

00:36:47.289 --> 00:36:50.449
was a normal family for example what would they

00:36:50.449 --> 00:36:52.500
do they'd come on a tour Come at two o 'clock

00:36:52.500 --> 00:36:54.880
on a Saturday, eight o 'clock. Looking back to

00:36:54.880 --> 00:36:58.119
when you were a child and a young teen, if you

00:36:58.119 --> 00:37:02.119
had really great and broad access to those activities

00:37:02.119 --> 00:37:04.800
that you could enjoy with your sister at a suitable

00:37:04.800 --> 00:37:06.960
time that were totally fun for both of you, just

00:37:06.960 --> 00:37:08.760
like you offered yours, you know, if you had

00:37:08.760 --> 00:37:10.699
a really broad section, if that was available

00:37:10.699 --> 00:37:12.760
to you when you were younger, what difference

00:37:12.760 --> 00:37:15.880
and impact would that have had on you as a sibling?

00:37:16.679 --> 00:37:18.659
and for your sister and maybe your parents as

00:37:18.659 --> 00:37:21.179
well yeah well i think it'd just be massive like

00:37:21.179 --> 00:37:24.139
we we offer in the holidays especially um which

00:37:24.139 --> 00:37:26.519
is so loved is swimming in a hydrotherapy pool

00:37:26.519 --> 00:37:28.820
um and it's private session there's only six

00:37:28.820 --> 00:37:30.400
people in the pool at a time the pool is heated

00:37:30.400 --> 00:37:32.739
which is such a key thing for my sister that

00:37:32.739 --> 00:37:34.940
if we go to a standard swimming pool it's too

00:37:34.940 --> 00:37:37.079
cold and she wants to get out and because of

00:37:37.079 --> 00:37:38.820
her needs she can obviously do a bit of physio

00:37:38.820 --> 00:37:41.380
in the pool and she needs hoisting in if we could

00:37:41.380 --> 00:37:44.300
have done that every weekend since she was little

00:37:44.300 --> 00:37:47.590
the difference in her leg mobility her arm ability

00:37:47.590 --> 00:37:50.090
all of that could be astronomical now but we

00:37:50.090 --> 00:37:52.510
will obviously never know um which I think is

00:37:52.510 --> 00:37:55.690
really hard because she can swim nearly which

00:37:55.690 --> 00:37:58.949
is incredible for her but if she had that regular

00:37:58.949 --> 00:38:01.829
input all the time we could go swimming all the

00:38:01.829 --> 00:38:04.809
time and not be thinking about oh we're working

00:38:04.809 --> 00:38:06.349
we're not playing actually she probably could

00:38:06.349 --> 00:38:08.909
play and join in with some activities and games

00:38:08.909 --> 00:38:10.949
whereas now because we haven't had that time

00:38:10.949 --> 00:38:12.949
we're so quick to go let's do a bit of physio

00:38:12.949 --> 00:38:14.690
let's do this and it takes the fun out of it

00:38:14.690 --> 00:38:17.099
whereas if we'd been doing this forever now it

00:38:17.099 --> 00:38:19.199
would just be fun which we're kind of getting

00:38:19.199 --> 00:38:21.739
to that point now but when I was 12 I would have

00:38:21.739 --> 00:38:23.840
loved to have got in the pool and been diving

00:38:23.840 --> 00:38:25.460
around and smashing her and soaking her and not

00:38:25.460 --> 00:38:27.219
worrying that oh she's going to swallow too much

00:38:27.219 --> 00:38:29.639
water or she's not going to react in time or

00:38:29.639 --> 00:38:31.099
we're going to need three people in the pool

00:38:31.099 --> 00:38:33.820
actually she would have just been able to play

00:38:33.820 --> 00:38:37.019
um and I think for me when I was younger because

00:38:37.019 --> 00:38:39.739
I didn't have other siblings I very much relied

00:38:39.739 --> 00:38:43.460
on friends to get like fun moments with and yes

00:38:43.460 --> 00:38:45.639
we've had amazing experiences and memories that

00:38:45.639 --> 00:38:48.280
I will never forget but there's things that I'm

00:38:48.280 --> 00:38:50.300
going oh but I've never done that with her and

00:38:50.300 --> 00:38:52.179
I've only done that with my friends or she's

00:38:52.179 --> 00:38:54.079
never seen me do this or we've never done that

00:38:54.079 --> 00:38:56.309
together And I think that would have been the

00:38:56.309 --> 00:38:58.449
big difference. But I think especially for my

00:38:58.449 --> 00:39:02.010
mum, trying to split that time was so hard because

00:39:02.010 --> 00:39:04.070
my sister's needs are obviously so much greater

00:39:04.070 --> 00:39:06.650
than mine. But for her to have maybe had some

00:39:06.650 --> 00:39:08.690
times where she can just sit and watch us play

00:39:08.690 --> 00:39:11.090
and not be thinking, I need to do this soon,

00:39:11.150 --> 00:39:13.429
or I've got to do this, or I'm starting to think

00:39:13.429 --> 00:39:15.309
about this, or I've got to drop Josie here soon

00:39:15.309 --> 00:39:17.849
because I need to take Rosie to there. She wouldn't

00:39:17.849 --> 00:39:21.059
have had that constant kind of monologue. blocking

00:39:21.059 --> 00:39:23.119
in her mind that she has to do all these things

00:39:23.119 --> 00:39:25.179
she might have just been able to sit and go this

00:39:25.179 --> 00:39:28.059
is really nice i'm they're playing i can do something

00:39:28.059 --> 00:39:30.239
leisurely because i'm not thinking about it too

00:39:30.239 --> 00:39:33.539
much um but yeah i we did have obviously amazing

00:39:33.539 --> 00:39:36.320
experiences but even now i think it's only been

00:39:36.320 --> 00:39:38.619
in the last four or five years that we've done

00:39:38.619 --> 00:39:41.400
things that rosie's really loved like we went

00:39:41.400 --> 00:39:43.340
kayaking for the first time she went rock climbing

00:39:43.340 --> 00:39:45.679
and she loved that and we have traveled further

00:39:45.679 --> 00:39:47.909
to do that But we would have done that every

00:39:47.909 --> 00:39:50.190
single year if we knew it was an option, whereas

00:39:50.190 --> 00:39:52.449
it's only really started to come up now, which

00:39:52.449 --> 00:39:53.969
I think is a shame because obviously as she's

00:39:53.969 --> 00:39:56.550
got bigger, her needs have got bigger and things

00:39:56.550 --> 00:39:58.730
are now less accessible because she's heavier

00:39:58.730 --> 00:40:01.230
and we can't lift. Whereas when she was five

00:40:01.230 --> 00:40:03.309
or six, we would have easily done these activities

00:40:03.309 --> 00:40:05.889
quite often, whereas now we have to be limited

00:40:05.889 --> 00:40:09.369
because of her tiredness or... our backs or whatever

00:40:09.369 --> 00:40:11.309
that is or manual handling equipment whereas

00:40:11.309 --> 00:40:12.690
if she could have done that when she was really

00:40:12.690 --> 00:40:14.510
young it could have been something that she's

00:40:14.510 --> 00:40:16.449
done every single year every month or been an

00:40:16.449 --> 00:40:19.010
activity that she actively chooses for actively

00:40:19.010 --> 00:40:22.349
wants to do whereas now she hasn't really had

00:40:22.349 --> 00:40:24.449
that and it's a bit more sporadic like oh we're

00:40:24.449 --> 00:40:26.110
going to try this and so i think that would have

00:40:26.110 --> 00:40:31.070
just been massive for us to have do you have

00:40:31.070 --> 00:40:34.030
any advice for anxious for an anxious child not

00:40:34.030 --> 00:40:39.190
wanting to attend school so many oh so many many

00:40:39.190 --> 00:40:41.929
i know i mean my advice first thing is whether

00:40:41.929 --> 00:40:45.150
it's their own child is or or you know there's

00:40:45.150 --> 00:40:47.469
no child in your class it's just trying to work

00:40:47.469 --> 00:40:50.510
out what it is that is causing that anxiety is

00:40:50.510 --> 00:40:52.050
it something that's happening on the transition

00:40:52.050 --> 00:40:54.510
is it something that's happening at school take

00:40:54.510 --> 00:40:56.289
the learning out of the equation at the moment

00:40:56.289 --> 00:40:58.730
we need to make sure this this person is feeling

00:40:58.730 --> 00:41:00.730
safe at school and obviously at the moment they're

00:41:00.730 --> 00:41:03.000
not and it's trying to identify Definitely. And

00:41:03.000 --> 00:41:06.139
I'm assuming if they're a parent, it's advocating

00:41:06.139 --> 00:41:09.840
for them, almost fighting their corner of, look,

00:41:09.940 --> 00:41:12.760
can we just not wear uniform? Can we just come

00:41:12.760 --> 00:41:14.800
an hour late and just come for half an hour?

00:41:14.880 --> 00:41:17.519
Can they just see, work with this teacher in

00:41:17.519 --> 00:41:20.659
the corridor under the table? Can they just wear,

00:41:20.760 --> 00:41:23.199
you know, trainers and bring their teddy? Can

00:41:23.199 --> 00:41:25.679
they, I've got a student that comes in with a

00:41:25.679 --> 00:41:27.960
blanket over their head. Yeah, I've got someone

00:41:27.960 --> 00:41:30.139
who comes in with a dressing gown, dark glasses,

00:41:30.179 --> 00:41:34.000
with a bag. What does it bother me if I try?

00:41:34.139 --> 00:41:36.340
It doesn't bother me. It really doesn't. You

00:41:36.340 --> 00:41:38.340
know, but that's not what we should be doing.

00:41:38.440 --> 00:41:42.139
No, no, no. Make the timetable desirable for

00:41:42.139 --> 00:41:44.599
them. Maybe they just joined PE if that's their

00:41:44.599 --> 00:41:47.079
thing. And then we work up from there. Backward

00:41:47.079 --> 00:41:50.440
chain it. You know, just do the... do start with

00:41:50.440 --> 00:41:53.119
the things that you know they can achieve and

00:41:53.119 --> 00:41:55.739
then hopefully they build confidence and we build

00:41:55.739 --> 00:41:57.739
confidence because often they're feeling the

00:41:57.739 --> 00:42:00.099
parents anxiety because there's so much pressure

00:42:00.099 --> 00:42:02.820
because they've got to go to work and then the

00:42:02.820 --> 00:42:04.960
teacher's anxiety because they've got to keep

00:42:04.960 --> 00:42:07.219
them here because mom said we can't call her

00:42:07.219 --> 00:42:09.119
because she's at work today or whatever you know

00:42:09.119 --> 00:42:11.940
there's so much anxiety around it that's not

00:42:11.940 --> 00:42:14.659
even anything to do with the child let's see

00:42:14.659 --> 00:42:17.300
what works let's see how we can work with that

00:42:17.300 --> 00:42:18.789
because otherwise the alternative is they will

00:42:18.789 --> 00:42:21.889
be home all the time so so if we can get them

00:42:21.889 --> 00:42:23.389
into school even for half an hour at first and

00:42:23.389 --> 00:42:25.809
work and then build on that that would be good

00:42:25.809 --> 00:42:29.150
but but have it be because of the child's best

00:42:29.150 --> 00:42:30.829
interest to have half an hour be at half an hour

00:42:30.829 --> 00:42:32.929
school not because it's in the school's best

00:42:32.929 --> 00:42:38.590
interest let me be really clear about that this

00:42:38.590 --> 00:42:41.750
is the child leading the time and the child leading

00:42:41.750 --> 00:42:45.090
the timetable not the staff can't cope for more

00:42:45.090 --> 00:42:46.670
than half an hour that's not what i'm talking

00:42:46.670 --> 00:42:50.019
about that is that's another that's a whole If

00:42:50.019 --> 00:42:53.480
the child can only cope with short stints, certain

00:42:53.480 --> 00:42:56.079
lessons, certain teachers, certain areas, start

00:42:56.079 --> 00:42:59.539
there. Take the demand off, definitely. And it

00:42:59.539 --> 00:43:01.539
might just be the transition alone is enough.

00:43:01.579 --> 00:43:03.960
So it might just be the first few days of just

00:43:03.960 --> 00:43:06.159
driving to the gate, giving a high five to the

00:43:06.159 --> 00:43:08.539
teacher and going home again. And that is seen

00:43:08.539 --> 00:43:13.019
as a success. I've had a couple of refusers that

00:43:13.019 --> 00:43:15.500
have dropped siblings off and then expected to

00:43:15.500 --> 00:43:18.300
go home again. And it ended up as it was too

00:43:18.300 --> 00:43:20.900
loud. class or it's too busy or they weren't

00:43:20.900 --> 00:43:24.159
being seen heard played with understood they

00:43:24.159 --> 00:43:25.800
wanted a break from their sibling you know there's

00:43:25.800 --> 00:43:28.280
so many reasons why they'd want to and it's just

00:43:28.280 --> 00:43:30.480
about unpicking that isn't it and again like

00:43:30.480 --> 00:43:32.659
we started right at the beginning creating that

00:43:32.659 --> 00:43:35.789
heaven for them creating that that amazing environment

00:43:35.789 --> 00:43:38.369
that of course they want to be in and feel safe

00:43:38.369 --> 00:43:41.289
in and yeah if you're a parent you could know

00:43:41.289 --> 00:43:43.250
all of this stuff and you're like yeah i know

00:43:43.250 --> 00:43:46.070
but the school aren't listening hammer the school

00:43:46.070 --> 00:43:48.610
with with information you know keep keep at it

00:43:48.610 --> 00:43:50.889
yeah i mean that you know you always hear you

00:43:50.889 --> 00:43:52.869
know staff saying we've got a difficult parent

00:43:52.869 --> 00:43:55.170
here and it's like no no no they're advocating

00:43:55.170 --> 00:43:59.130
you know yeah i always say to parents don't worry

00:43:59.130 --> 00:44:01.869
about being that parent no no that's the only

00:44:01.869 --> 00:44:05.679
way to get things done And actually, part of

00:44:05.679 --> 00:44:08.099
the role of the SEN parent, you find you don't

00:44:08.099 --> 00:44:09.920
choose this role, but you kind of find yourself

00:44:09.920 --> 00:44:14.079
in this never -ending fight, basically. And unfortunately,

00:44:14.340 --> 00:44:16.659
that does come with the role. And lots of you

00:44:16.659 --> 00:44:20.119
do it incredibly well. Unfortunately, it shouldn't

00:44:20.119 --> 00:44:23.070
be the case, but it is. yeah it's always a fight

00:44:23.070 --> 00:44:24.909
isn't it for parents and it's yeah it breaks

00:44:24.909 --> 00:44:26.750
your heart you know that the system's broken

00:44:26.750 --> 00:44:29.429
at the moment but yeah I always think you know

00:44:29.429 --> 00:44:31.070
if I've got a parent who I know of who's you

00:44:31.070 --> 00:44:33.230
know managed to win this support and get this

00:44:33.230 --> 00:44:36.210
access to this and that and my response was good

00:44:36.210 --> 00:44:39.329
for them yeah yeah absolutely good for them yeah

00:44:39.329 --> 00:44:42.210
and can I email them to find out how everyone

00:44:42.210 --> 00:44:46.190
else yeah I've done it before actually if I hear

00:44:46.190 --> 00:44:47.829
a parent that's you know written this letter

00:44:47.829 --> 00:44:50.670
whatever and got funding or got this open the

00:44:50.670 --> 00:44:52.449
doors for something that they couldn't or whatever

00:44:52.449 --> 00:44:54.869
i say can i see your your email thread can you

00:44:54.869 --> 00:44:57.250
forward it to me because and do you mind if i

00:44:57.250 --> 00:44:58.769
share it with other parents that are in a similar

00:44:58.769 --> 00:45:01.650
situation to you and very rarely will they say

00:45:01.650 --> 00:45:04.250
no because they know exactly where they're at

00:45:04.250 --> 00:45:06.329
i did it with my year sevens and that didn't

00:45:06.329 --> 00:45:09.170
have the school place the child before in our

00:45:09.170 --> 00:45:11.150
car and our school didn't have a year seven place

00:45:11.150 --> 00:45:13.210
and they his parents sent me everything there

00:45:13.210 --> 00:45:15.730
was legal statements there was the people cc'd

00:45:15.730 --> 00:45:17.590
into it all need to you know it just makes it

00:45:17.590 --> 00:45:19.119
so much easier easier doesn't it if we're all

00:45:19.119 --> 00:45:21.800
kind of helping each other out in that way yeah

00:45:21.800 --> 00:45:23.659
but you're right it's a shame that we have to

00:45:23.659 --> 00:45:26.559
do it in the first place um okay i think this

00:45:26.559 --> 00:45:31.519
might be our last one um maybe you pick one and

00:45:31.519 --> 00:45:33.760
i pick one yeah i've got one to finish up yeah

00:45:34.730 --> 00:45:37.929
okay okay um what advice do you have for when

00:45:37.929 --> 00:45:39.789
a child starts to recognize their differences

00:45:39.789 --> 00:45:42.469
to their peers are self -conscious of it they

00:45:42.469 --> 00:45:44.369
don't want differentiated work or they don't

00:45:44.369 --> 00:45:46.590
want to wear ear defenders or they don't want

00:45:46.590 --> 00:45:48.829
a fidget i personally use my supporting adults

00:45:48.829 --> 00:45:52.170
so not not to mock or mimic but genuinely my

00:45:52.170 --> 00:45:55.030
supporting adults in my class um are neurodivergent

00:45:55.030 --> 00:45:59.489
so i've got some adults that like fidgets i've

00:45:59.489 --> 00:46:02.809
got some adults that need weighted blankets i've

00:46:02.809 --> 00:46:04.780
got some adults that find noise overwhelming

00:46:04.780 --> 00:46:07.639
so we model the strategies that we would want

00:46:07.639 --> 00:46:10.019
our children to use ear defenders weighted blankets

00:46:10.019 --> 00:46:13.019
fidget tools taking a break and saying it but

00:46:13.019 --> 00:46:15.500
saying it verbally refusing consent when i ask

00:46:15.500 --> 00:46:17.159
them if they want to have a turn in attention

00:46:17.159 --> 00:46:19.260
autism if they don't want a turn they say no

00:46:19.260 --> 00:46:23.019
thank you and stay in their seat I think utilising

00:46:23.019 --> 00:46:26.360
those supporting adults as models to genuinely

00:46:26.360 --> 00:46:28.980
meet their needs. I mean, fake it too, I suppose,

00:46:29.079 --> 00:46:31.159
but actually it's even more powerful if they

00:46:31.159 --> 00:46:35.480
genuinely have those needs and avoiding the whys

00:46:35.480 --> 00:46:37.900
and what they're doing. then the children, it

00:46:37.900 --> 00:46:40.619
might embed a culture of this is actually perfectly

00:46:40.619 --> 00:46:43.179
okay. Yeah, and building the self -esteem of

00:46:43.179 --> 00:46:44.639
that child as well, isn't it? I was about to

00:46:44.639 --> 00:46:46.719
say, yeah, role modelling completely and knowing

00:46:46.719 --> 00:46:48.840
that it's okay and it's, you know, and it's so

00:46:48.840 --> 00:46:51.900
hard to, it's easy for me to say, you know, to

00:46:51.900 --> 00:46:53.420
boost their self -esteem and to know that it's

00:46:53.420 --> 00:46:55.780
okay to be different because, you know, peer

00:46:55.780 --> 00:46:58.900
pressure, you know, growing up as a young person

00:46:58.900 --> 00:47:01.980
in day and age. It's hard enough in this world

00:47:01.980 --> 00:47:04.579
anyway, let alone when you're aware. I often

00:47:04.579 --> 00:47:09.039
say to people that, um um i know non -speaking

00:47:09.039 --> 00:47:11.619
level three autism is a challenge it comes with

00:47:11.619 --> 00:47:14.800
lots of its challenges but my heart always breaks

00:47:14.800 --> 00:47:18.760
for those that are different enough but aware

00:47:18.760 --> 00:47:21.960
and aware of it but be aware that they're different

00:47:21.960 --> 00:47:24.320
and what they're missing out on is heartbreaking

00:47:24.320 --> 00:47:28.019
and also they're so vulnerable because like the

00:47:28.019 --> 00:47:31.380
children in my class will always have carers

00:47:31.380 --> 00:47:33.599
they'll always have advocates they'll always

00:47:33.599 --> 00:47:36.960
have people fighting their corner and they'll

00:47:36.960 --> 00:47:38.860
always be so loved and almost in a safe little

00:47:38.860 --> 00:47:42.199
bubble of love actually alongside all of the

00:47:42.199 --> 00:47:44.400
other things they've got you know and got to

00:47:44.400 --> 00:47:46.980
deal with actually they're always in this safe

00:47:46.980 --> 00:47:50.599
bubble of love often i'm attached to a mainstream

00:47:50.599 --> 00:47:53.800
school and i see learners with the same diagnosis

00:47:53.800 --> 00:47:57.820
masking Having to cope, being treated as behaviour,

00:47:58.460 --> 00:48:01.360
struggling to make friends, struggling to meet

00:48:01.360 --> 00:48:04.400
their needs, struggling to communicate. And my

00:48:04.400 --> 00:48:07.699
heart breaks for them. And I think it's what's

00:48:07.699 --> 00:48:09.420
also important. It's not, you know, what advice

00:48:09.420 --> 00:48:12.119
do you have for the child? It's for, you know,

00:48:12.179 --> 00:48:15.420
they are who they are and that is OK. Right.

00:48:15.480 --> 00:48:17.900
But everyone else, it's time for you to learn

00:48:17.900 --> 00:48:20.840
empathy and understanding about people around

00:48:20.840 --> 00:48:22.960
you and how everyone is different. And that is

00:48:22.960 --> 00:48:24.880
OK. So it's not just about the child fitting

00:48:24.880 --> 00:48:27.320
in. It's no, no, you fit around everyone else.

00:48:28.489 --> 00:48:30.909
I've always said, I mean, I did work, my previous

00:48:30.909 --> 00:48:34.929
job was an ASD manager for a mainstream, an autism,

00:48:35.130 --> 00:48:37.989
alongside a mainstream. And I'll be honest with

00:48:37.989 --> 00:48:40.050
you, I was there for two and a half years. I

00:48:40.050 --> 00:48:41.949
set it up and it was a massive challenge. I was

00:48:41.949 --> 00:48:45.050
literally late 20s and it was a big role to go

00:48:45.050 --> 00:48:49.449
to, to be a role. But what I found the most challenging

00:48:49.449 --> 00:48:52.289
was exactly what you just said. I found it heartbreaking

00:48:52.289 --> 00:48:55.369
that, you know, teenagers, 13 year olds coming

00:48:55.369 --> 00:48:57.840
to me going, I know I'm different. and I don't

00:48:57.840 --> 00:49:00.039
and it yeah I used to come home and just be in

00:49:00.039 --> 00:49:02.039
tears because I just don't know how to help and

00:49:02.039 --> 00:49:05.099
I found that the most mental health is the biggest

00:49:05.099 --> 00:49:09.099
risk for an autism diagnosis but it was But my

00:49:09.099 --> 00:49:12.199
viewpoint was always, right, assemblies, tutor

00:49:12.199 --> 00:49:15.139
time, every single day for these others, for

00:49:15.139 --> 00:49:18.599
the other students in class, you learn kindness,

00:49:18.739 --> 00:49:22.559
empathy, compassion. And it's shown, they will

00:49:22.559 --> 00:49:25.559
follow the adult's lead. Yes, and it did work.

00:49:25.719 --> 00:49:28.519
Every day, an activity, learning that empathy,

00:49:28.699 --> 00:49:30.880
compassion for other people and the understanding

00:49:30.880 --> 00:49:33.519
when you saw... Because if they're seeing, if

00:49:33.519 --> 00:49:36.179
the students are seeing a child getting told

00:49:36.179 --> 00:49:38.719
off or whatever, for using their fidget or for

00:49:38.719 --> 00:49:41.340
making noises, not giving eye contact, all of

00:49:41.340 --> 00:49:44.000
those things that we probably hear all the time,

00:49:44.280 --> 00:49:47.280
they're going to learn that that's not normal.

00:49:47.320 --> 00:49:49.719
That's bad behavior. These children are put on

00:49:49.719 --> 00:49:53.280
red and all of those things. It breeds a culture

00:49:53.280 --> 00:49:58.579
of you must mask your needs, doesn't it? Whereas

00:49:58.579 --> 00:50:01.000
actually, if the teacher at the front is supporting...

00:50:01.199 --> 00:50:04.239
um assistants are supportive of it encouraging

00:50:04.239 --> 00:50:07.380
of it understanding of it it just breeds a culture

00:50:07.380 --> 00:50:11.179
that that it's okay for everybody to meet their

00:50:11.179 --> 00:50:12.960
needs because let's face it even if you're not

00:50:13.289 --> 00:50:15.469
haven't got sensory regulation needs if you've

00:50:15.469 --> 00:50:17.230
had some really bad news in the morning or you've

00:50:17.230 --> 00:50:19.389
had a really bad weekend or there's a you know

00:50:19.389 --> 00:50:21.849
safeguarding concern or whatever you might need

00:50:21.849 --> 00:50:23.949
a fidget that day you might need more breaks

00:50:23.949 --> 00:50:25.949
that day and it's almost like reading the culture

00:50:25.949 --> 00:50:28.789
of like we all go have these times where we go

00:50:28.789 --> 00:50:30.489
through something we need something extra and

00:50:30.489 --> 00:50:32.909
we need to yeah be empathetic of all those times

00:50:32.909 --> 00:50:36.909
but in the workplace too with with staff to staff

00:50:36.909 --> 00:50:39.349
no children involved it needs to be it needs

00:50:39.349 --> 00:50:41.030
to be just part of the culture of the school

00:50:41.030 --> 00:50:47.880
i think definitely that's it for this week's

00:50:47.880 --> 00:50:50.460
episode i hope you enjoyed taking a look back

00:50:50.460 --> 00:50:53.000
at some of my favorite moments from series one

00:50:53.000 --> 00:50:55.760
if you would like to be on my podcast for series

00:50:55.760 --> 00:50:58.679
two then please get in touch you can email me

00:50:58.679 --> 00:51:02.139
at our sensory kids at gmail .com or just send

00:51:02.139 --> 00:51:05.059
me a dm on social media and i'd love to have

00:51:05.059 --> 00:51:06.500
you on see you next time