WEBVTT

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Hi, my name is Jordan. I am a special education

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teacher from the UK. I share my passion for everything

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communication, sensory regulation and fun lesson

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ideas for my classroom of disabled pupils aged

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4 to 11. Each week I am joined by experts in

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the field answering your questions and sharing

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our knowledge and experience working alongside

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our beautiful young people. Let's get started.

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First of all, a message about our sponsor. Today's

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link in the description below to make the switch

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today. Now to the episode. Hello everybody and

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welcome to the Sensory Classroom podcast. My

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name is Jordan and today I am joined by Sophia

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and Ellie from Regulate to Communicate to talk

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about their system that they have developed and

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how that may be able to. help you and your students

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or your children. Hello ladies. Thank you for

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having us, it's very nice to be here. Of course,

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I've been looking forward to it. We've had a

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little mini chat before haven't we and it all

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sounded really exciting and I tried not to delve

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too much because I wanted to learn it all now

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but it was really difficult because it all sounds

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amazing. Would you like to describe a little

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bit about what you do and who you are? What Regulate

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to Communicate is? yeah absolutely so regulate

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to communicate is an approach to learning that

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we've developed and it sort of works on the understanding

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that in order for students to be able to engage

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when they're at school they have to be regulated

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and they have to have the means to be able to

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communicate and when you've got those two things

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it can really support um you know students who

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be able to engage better when they're at when

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they're at school yeah it's very much been a

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a massive passion project for us so I'm a speech

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and language therapist and Ellie's an occupational

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therapist And we were both working in the same

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setting and we were working on the same cases.

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And quite organically, we created this whole

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approach because I was finding as a speech therapist,

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you can't just look at speech and language. You

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can't just look at communication in isolation.

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Because a lot of the young people I was working

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with were really struggling with their sensory

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processing. And Ellie was finding the same. So

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Ellie was... trying to support young people to

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stay regulated and look at their sensory processing

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needs. But actually, you can't look at that without

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communication. So we started working together

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more and more. We thought, oh, this works. If

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you put both of these approaches together and

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work on them in a really holistic way, the outcomes

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you're getting is so much greater. So from that,

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we kind of designed Regulate to Communicate.

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The programme made the three stages, kind of

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gave it a lot, tried it out a lot, didn't we?

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With a lot of different young people in a lot

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of different settings. And we found the impact

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is, it was huge. It was really huge. And engagement

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really increased. So we're really keen just to

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kind of share that with as many people as possible,

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really, because we know it can make such a big

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difference in classrooms, but also at home. What

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were you seeing before you started this system,

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before you were together? I suppose this is a

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question for both of you separately. You know,

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what were you seeing in speech and language that

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really needed that regulation input? And what

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were you seeing in your sensory system work that

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really you felt like needed that communication

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input? Yeah, I mean. I would often go into the

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classroom and say, for example, we've got a child

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that's really dysregulated. They're not accessing

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anything in the environment. They're just spending

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a lot of the time kind of moving around the space,

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not really doing anything purposeful, kind of

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quite distressed. And they'll sort of call me

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in to go, oh my word, they're really dysregulated.

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What are we going to do? And I'll go in with

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all my strategies around deep pressure and proprioception

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and using a gym ball and how we can kind of make

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that movement more purposeful to help calm and

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regulate. the young person. Had nothing to tell

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them what I was going to do, if that made sense.

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So I kind of go in and be like, right, well,

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this is what I want to do. We need to get to

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here. But how am I going to communicate this

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to this young person? And if the classroom didn't

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already have a communication system in place

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for that young person, which was often the case,

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you know, you'd go in and you'd go, OK, what

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are we using here? Are we using a choice board?

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You know, are we using symbols? Are we using

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Makaton? And sometimes, you know, that wasn't

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there. So it was really difficult. to do without

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having that foundation of communication and certainly

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see that i've seen that in my room for sure that

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yes they're very you know sensory seeking children

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and they need that proprioception but also it

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wasn't just that that was called that lack of

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that that was causing dysregulation it was anxiety

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over not knowing what's next over not understanding

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or not feeling understood so i guess that kind

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of comes in there would you agree Yeah, I mean,

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from my point of view, I was often called in

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to say, we need to give this young person a voice.

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That's, you know, we're trying everything. But

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actually this child just isn't engaging in it.

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He's throwing these symbols in their face. We've

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got sim, we've got choice balls, we've got alien

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language displays. But this child isn't responding.

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And often what I was seeing was this child whose

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needs just weren't being met. So they were in

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this state of dysregulation. They were seeking

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things out, whether that was more movement, whether

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that was deep pressure. So because they were

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feeling dysregulated, because they weren't feeling

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comfortable in their body, they weren't feeling

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safe in their body, they're not going to communicate.

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We know how the brain develops, that if we don't

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feel safe, the language part of our brain isn't

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doing all that lovely firing that we want it

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to. So by putting in those sensory strategies,

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you can make your child feel really safe and

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give them the best chance to engage in communication

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systems. So often I was being called in saying,

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OK. Can you help us put in a communication book?

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I thought, we need to take a couple of steps

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back here because this young person does not

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feel safe. And until they do, we could use all

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the best symbols in the world, but they're not

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going to because we're exactly the same. If I'm

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feeling anxious, if I'm nervous about something,

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I don't really want to have a chat about it.

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I want to go and hide under a blanket usually.

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We're exactly the same. We don't want to communicate

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when we feel anxious. And then what you're ending

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up with is if you do go in with, oh, well, yeah,

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we could use a communication book and you've

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handed that strategy over to the teaching assistant

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or the teacher, then it doesn't work. And then...

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you know then that's really demoralizing for

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the staff that are trying to implement this thing

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that this therapist has come in and said to use

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but actually there's a bit before that that we

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need to do before we even get to that communication

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and i think that's where the ot and the speech

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therapy works nicely hand in hand and the regulation

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the communication it's so complementary and you

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really can't do one without the other you've

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got to do them both together and that's where

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we've seen it work most effective is when we

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both go in the classroom together and we see

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that young person and we use the strategies together

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and then pass that over to the teaching staff

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and they use the strategies together and that's

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what they've shared is that it only really works

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when we're using it jointly. I think it's really

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hard as well for teaching staff and also for

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parents because they have all these professionals

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come in. gives them all this advice and then

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the pressure is on them to pull it all together

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and to think and sometimes like that is all great

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advice and it's all needed yeah but maybe it's

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not possible all at once to do everything as

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much as you want to do so you might be given

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a new AAC system you might be given a full sensory

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diet thing to follow you might be given strategies

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like it's so overwhelming but it's all great

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stuff and yes it is all needed But maybe not

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all at the same time. So if the therapists are

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coming with one approach, they're also coming

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with one target. And I feel like as teachers,

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teachers and parents, that is so much less overwhelming.

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And we can celebrate those small steps rather

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than being judged by that. It does often feel

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like judgment from therapists about not doing

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everything that they've asked us to do. When

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actually, when you look at the whole picture,

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what you're asking is so much, even though it's

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great. It's so much. And we've seen it. We've

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both been practicing for a very long time in

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our sort of separate fields. And we have seen

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teachers in this really difficult position where

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they have all the demands of the curriculum.

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They have the demands of multiple professionals.

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And it's their job to try and put all of that

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in this young person's day. And that young person

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might come in absolutely exhausted, hasn't eaten

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breakfast, you know. really stressed after being

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on the bus and they have to put all these things

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into their seven hour day and and it's it kind

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of sets teachers and staff up to fail yeah and

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as you say can we really demoralize them because

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you know these teachers are teaching assistants

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and parents are trying their best but you can't

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do everything all the time. Well, what happens

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is if you're trying to do everything, you just

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do a little bit of everything and then you end

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up giving up because you burn out. And I feel

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like that's what we're seeing lots of actually.

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I see it a lot on social media. I think we're

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bombarded with all these amazing ideas and actually

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you can't do it all all at once. And I think

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I'm contributing to that, honestly, because I'm

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sharing 16 years of experience of things that

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I've been working on. daily for all of those

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years and almost expecting or people are watching

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expecting to just pick it up when actually you

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need to start somewhere yeah and build up over

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time and that's the same with everything isn't

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it it is and I think that's what we um feel regulate

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to communicate does is it is that foundation

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of therapeutic practice within the classroom

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it is a therapeutic approach to learning you

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know it's coming at it from a totally different

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angle and we really feel that if there you know

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schools are able to get this this basic level

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of provision within classrooms then you can expand

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on that and you can then go on and create a really

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lovely more complex piece of communication tool

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that you can then use to um you know really open

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the lines of communication with your students

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you can do that once the basics are in place

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and what we're finding more and more in all these

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schools we're going into whether it be mainstream

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whether it be resource bases whether it be specialists

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we're not we've not even got that basic level

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there anymore because staff are so overwhelmed

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so stressed you know and there's a lot of very

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complex needs in the classroom at the minute

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that are really challenging to meet how do you

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meet all of these needs you can't do an OT program

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for every single young person in your class it's

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just not possible to do you've got to be realistic

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about it and we have to be realistic as therapists

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as well and we need to be realistic about what

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we're expecting teaching staff to do and not

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be judgmental when they've not followed our program

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so we're trying to make it easy you know we see

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the struggles on the ground and we you know we

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feel it and we want to make it easier for teaching

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staff so that they can feel like they're doing

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some you know that they're making a difference

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in their job and that the young people are getting

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something out of it as well yeah and they've

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got they've got a plan ultimately let's talk

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about the system then uh is there a reason why

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you called it regulate to communicate and not

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communicate to regulate let's start there such

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a good question come with the juicy question

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um there's no i mean when we kind of started

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designing um the approach and the way it worked

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when we are looking at developing a lot of people

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come to us as speech therapists and say we want

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to hear their voice we want to get them using

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a communication system it's great in the modern

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world but you see ipads with all these apps and

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it makes it seem so accessible it's like it's

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just on the tip i could get there but in order

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to get there you have to deal with the regulation

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first so because of what people were coming to

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us and asking for which was for this end result

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the end result of having a complex communication

00:12:38.580 --> 00:12:42.080
system or having a um a young person who is able

00:12:42.080 --> 00:12:43.919
to express themselves fluidly and confidently

00:12:43.919 --> 00:12:48.019
we can't look at that until we do that regulation

00:12:48.019 --> 00:12:51.259
until we get them feeling safe and we talk a

00:12:51.259 --> 00:12:54.580
lot about on our training around safety and around

00:12:54.580 --> 00:12:57.080
signs of safety because i think we have to take

00:12:57.080 --> 00:12:59.860
it back to that we can get all in our head with

00:12:59.860 --> 00:13:02.200
sensory processing and communication all these

00:13:02.200 --> 00:13:05.279
jargon words that people fly around actually

00:13:05.279 --> 00:13:08.159
what our goal is is that our young people come

00:13:08.159 --> 00:13:10.440
into our settings or they're at home and they

00:13:10.440 --> 00:13:13.419
feel as safe as possible because if our young

00:13:13.419 --> 00:13:16.139
people aren't feeling safe we can't do anything

00:13:16.139 --> 00:13:18.299
there's not gonna be any learning going on not

00:13:18.299 --> 00:13:19.820
gonna be any social interaction going on it's

00:13:19.820 --> 00:13:23.460
not gonna be play going on so that regulation

00:13:23.460 --> 00:13:26.710
is also really another word to kind of make our

00:13:26.710 --> 00:13:28.889
children feel safe before we're expecting them

00:13:28.889 --> 00:13:31.809
to communicate to us. And it really goes back

00:13:31.809 --> 00:13:35.570
to the theory around Maslow's hierarchy of need

00:13:35.570 --> 00:13:38.690
and that pyramid. At the base of that pyramid

00:13:38.690 --> 00:13:42.029
are all your sensory systems. And if those basic

00:13:42.029 --> 00:13:45.090
needs are not met, then you're not able to work

00:13:45.090 --> 00:13:48.639
your way through that pyramid with the... The

00:13:48.639 --> 00:13:50.860
end destination being those, you know, really

00:13:50.860 --> 00:13:54.120
complex functional skills and communication is

00:13:54.120 --> 00:13:57.100
much higher up on that hierarchy of needs. So

00:13:57.100 --> 00:14:00.679
that's why I think we sort of termed it regulated

00:14:00.679 --> 00:14:03.539
communication. And I suppose for lots of children,

00:14:03.620 --> 00:14:05.940
the reason why communication is so difficult.

00:14:06.700 --> 00:14:09.600
comes from proprioception needs and fine motor

00:14:09.600 --> 00:14:12.519
skills needs. You know, if they're not able to

00:14:12.519 --> 00:14:15.000
know where their fingers are in space, then they're

00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:17.039
not going to be able to use the AAC or to point

00:14:17.039 --> 00:14:19.799
or sign or to manipulate their mouth in order

00:14:19.799 --> 00:14:22.379
to make sounds, for example. So it's almost preparing

00:14:22.379 --> 00:14:26.820
their body to do those quite complex skills for

00:14:26.820 --> 00:14:29.379
our children if they've got those regulation

00:14:29.379 --> 00:14:33.019
needs as well, isn't it? It exactly is. As we

00:14:33.019 --> 00:14:34.600
call it, regulate to communicate. But as part

00:14:34.600 --> 00:14:36.320
of that regulation is also about what you're

00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:38.820
doing with your voice. So a lot of the time,

00:14:38.879 --> 00:14:41.340
the way that we use language, whether it's verbal

00:14:41.340 --> 00:14:44.899
or symbols or sign, can really impact our child's

00:14:44.899 --> 00:14:47.100
feeling of how safe they feel. Because unfortunately,

00:14:47.419 --> 00:14:49.000
because of all the reasons you've just listed,

00:14:49.019 --> 00:14:51.440
Jordan, language is a really high demand for

00:14:51.440 --> 00:14:53.340
a lot of our kids. It's a really, really high

00:14:53.340 --> 00:14:56.000
demand. So we're coming in with these really

00:14:56.000 --> 00:14:58.159
high demands, even if we want it to be quite

00:14:58.159 --> 00:15:00.620
nurturing or proper. solving or whatever you

00:15:00.620 --> 00:15:03.220
know the language might be using and if we're

00:15:03.220 --> 00:15:05.059
not using our communication right we're not going

00:15:05.059 --> 00:15:06.980
to be able to regulate them either so we've kind

00:15:06.980 --> 00:15:09.799
of got to get all of that right first we've got

00:15:09.799 --> 00:15:11.340
to get all of those things around the sensory

00:15:11.340 --> 00:15:14.360
system and also look at our adults and think

00:15:14.360 --> 00:15:17.159
about what can you do with your language to regulate

00:15:17.159 --> 00:15:19.279
the children that you're working with would you

00:15:19.279 --> 00:15:23.049
be happy to share what these three stages or

00:15:23.049 --> 00:15:26.610
three steps entail because it sounds really exciting

00:15:26.610 --> 00:15:29.070
i'd love to learn more if you're happy to share

00:15:29.070 --> 00:15:33.809
that so there's three stages to the approach

00:15:33.809 --> 00:15:36.570
sort of actually before you kind of start the

00:15:36.570 --> 00:15:39.830
approach you're looking at identifying when a

00:15:39.830 --> 00:15:42.590
young person isn't ready to engage basically

00:15:42.590 --> 00:15:45.250
so that's really and you know if you come on

00:15:45.250 --> 00:15:48.750
our training that first part is identifying people

00:15:48.750 --> 00:15:51.370
that need this approach so is this young person

00:15:51.370 --> 00:15:54.730
ready to engage are they in a place to access

00:15:54.730 --> 00:15:56.990
this activity whatever that might be at school

00:15:56.990 --> 00:16:01.230
um or are we seeing signs that they're dysregulated

00:16:01.230 --> 00:16:04.129
and that is a really important first part there

00:16:04.129 --> 00:16:07.710
is that identifying who needs this approach because

00:16:07.710 --> 00:16:09.909
often dysregulation doesn't look the same on

00:16:09.909 --> 00:16:12.309
all of our i think sometimes we see the big dysregulation

00:16:12.309 --> 00:16:15.399
but they're actually Kids can not be ready to

00:16:15.399 --> 00:16:17.679
engage, but be very quiet and actually be just

00:16:17.679 --> 00:16:21.679
a little bit withdrawn. And by kind of spending

00:16:21.679 --> 00:16:24.559
that time identifying what does that look like

00:16:24.559 --> 00:16:26.539
in your child, what does that look like when

00:16:26.539 --> 00:16:28.240
they're ready to engage or not ready to engage,

00:16:28.440 --> 00:16:31.179
really helps you look at the whole broad spectrum

00:16:31.179 --> 00:16:33.360
of our young people rather than just those ones

00:16:33.360 --> 00:16:36.659
that might be louder or more physical. Because

00:16:36.659 --> 00:16:38.820
actually some of our kids... are really quiet

00:16:38.820 --> 00:16:40.899
and they're not ready to engage and we they need

00:16:40.899 --> 00:16:43.139
this approach so we spend a lot of time kind

00:16:43.139 --> 00:16:46.200
of exploring that and I just wanted just to you

00:16:46.200 --> 00:16:48.039
know when we talk we talk about engagement and

00:16:48.039 --> 00:16:51.419
not learning because engagement could be using

00:16:51.419 --> 00:16:55.259
the toilet eating going outside playing with

00:16:55.259 --> 00:16:58.720
their friends could be anything it doesn't have

00:16:58.720 --> 00:17:03.000
to be sitting at a table doing a task so Our

00:17:03.000 --> 00:17:05.119
approach can be used just to help young people

00:17:05.119 --> 00:17:06.799
kind of engage with the routine a little bit

00:17:06.799 --> 00:17:08.839
better or engage in play a little bit better

00:17:08.839 --> 00:17:10.940
or, you know, engage with the climbing frame,

00:17:11.000 --> 00:17:13.819
whatever it might be for that young person. We're

00:17:13.819 --> 00:17:16.720
aiming for engagement, not, you know, sit down

00:17:16.720 --> 00:17:20.480
at a table, you know. Yeah. Do you have strategies

00:17:20.480 --> 00:17:24.960
for if they are and if they aren't showing readiness

00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:29.869
or engagement? would you carry on to stage one

00:17:29.869 --> 00:17:32.930
if they are or aren't ready i suppose is my question

00:17:32.930 --> 00:17:36.269
and so the approach so stage one really is kind

00:17:36.269 --> 00:17:38.470
of our universal approach it's appropriate for

00:17:38.470 --> 00:17:42.269
all children and young people and our goal with

00:17:42.269 --> 00:17:44.470
regulate to communicate the three stages is that

00:17:44.470 --> 00:17:46.170
if it's readily available within your provision

00:17:46.170 --> 00:17:48.710
what you're actually doing you're kind of preventing

00:17:48.710 --> 00:17:52.890
any dysregulation as well so if we if stage one

00:17:52.890 --> 00:17:56.910
is well um well established You might not need

00:17:56.910 --> 00:18:00.170
to move on to stage two and stage three for children,

00:18:00.269 --> 00:18:04.029
but they will always be having that basic level

00:18:04.029 --> 00:18:06.769
of provision that maintains that engagement because

00:18:06.769 --> 00:18:09.410
things change as the day goes on. People get

00:18:09.410 --> 00:18:11.990
tired. People, you know, we get a little bit

00:18:11.990 --> 00:18:15.710
fed up from all the input. establishing stage

00:18:15.710 --> 00:18:17.529
one having that really well established within

00:18:17.529 --> 00:18:20.309
your setting what you find is that some kids

00:18:20.309 --> 00:18:22.109
might not need to move through the whole program

00:18:22.109 --> 00:18:24.410
but they're always going to have that basic level

00:18:24.410 --> 00:18:26.990
of support to maintain that engagement brilliant

00:18:26.990 --> 00:18:30.569
so it really works with a two -pronged effect

00:18:30.569 --> 00:18:32.509
really doesn't it you know it is that prevention

00:18:32.509 --> 00:18:36.490
but it is also that reaction as well you know

00:18:36.490 --> 00:18:38.609
when there are times when young people are dysregulated

00:18:38.609 --> 00:18:42.190
so once you have identified we would advise that

00:18:42.190 --> 00:18:44.640
all you know people in the classroom will benefit

00:18:44.640 --> 00:18:47.519
from stage one. And that stage one focuses on

00:18:47.519 --> 00:18:51.460
regulation. And a big part of regulation of that

00:18:51.460 --> 00:18:55.000
stage is using that whole class approach to get

00:18:55.000 --> 00:18:57.920
everyone regulated. Something that we teach in

00:18:57.920 --> 00:19:01.000
that stage is how to deliver sensory circuits.

00:19:01.989 --> 00:19:04.650
But really effective sensory circuits, because

00:19:04.650 --> 00:19:06.609
I think sensory circuits is something that could

00:19:06.609 --> 00:19:08.670
be a lot more popular now. You know, there are

00:19:08.670 --> 00:19:10.329
a lot of OTs out there that are doing sensory

00:19:10.329 --> 00:19:13.569
circuits. But have we got the speech and language

00:19:13.569 --> 00:19:15.690
and the communication element of sensory circuits?

00:19:15.990 --> 00:19:19.230
Are we doing them, you know, at the right time,

00:19:19.230 --> 00:19:22.569
in the right format? Are we pitching the activities

00:19:22.569 --> 00:19:25.589
to meet the specific sensory needs of the young

00:19:25.589 --> 00:19:28.130
people that are doing the sensory circuits? Where

00:19:28.130 --> 00:19:29.710
are we doing the sensory circuits? You know,

00:19:29.710 --> 00:19:32.160
there's all these things that we... sort of problem

00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:36.059
solve through stage one and we often work on

00:19:36.059 --> 00:19:39.160
the premise that most schools kind of know about

00:19:39.160 --> 00:19:42.140
sensory circuits now so it's more about refining

00:19:42.140 --> 00:19:44.680
those and making those really good so that they

00:19:44.680 --> 00:19:48.430
actually work and also teaching staff to recognise

00:19:48.430 --> 00:19:50.829
when they don't work. Because that's often, you

00:19:50.829 --> 00:19:53.089
know, you can be going along with something because

00:19:53.089 --> 00:19:55.170
you've been, you know, this is your sensory circuit

00:19:55.170 --> 00:19:57.369
and this is what we do and just do it and you're

00:19:57.369 --> 00:19:59.329
doing it, but it's not having the effect you

00:19:59.329 --> 00:20:01.890
want it to have. Well, there's no point in carrying

00:20:01.890 --> 00:20:04.250
on doing it. We need to look at how we can change

00:20:04.250 --> 00:20:07.450
it to make sure we are achieving that regulated

00:20:07.450 --> 00:20:10.750
state. And that's something we do in our training

00:20:10.750 --> 00:20:15.099
is we upskill staff to problem solve. which I

00:20:15.099 --> 00:20:17.380
think is something that, you know, there are

00:20:17.380 --> 00:20:20.000
lots of training packages out there and that's

00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:22.430
not always something that's covered. within the

00:20:22.430 --> 00:20:24.269
training package you get a lot of knowledge a

00:20:24.269 --> 00:20:27.170
lot of theory a lot of strategies but how do

00:20:27.170 --> 00:20:30.529
we problem solve and we give teachers and teaching

00:20:30.529 --> 00:20:33.509
assistants time in the training sessions to do

00:20:33.509 --> 00:20:36.569
that problem solving so that they can work through

00:20:36.569 --> 00:20:38.930
that themselves okay well why did that activity

00:20:38.930 --> 00:20:41.569
not work why did blowing bubbles you know when

00:20:41.569 --> 00:20:44.029
we're trying to calm them down not work why was

00:20:44.029 --> 00:20:46.210
that oh maybe it's because actually for that

00:20:46.210 --> 00:20:48.809
young person it's really exciting when the bubbles

00:20:48.809 --> 00:20:51.029
come out so we're not calming them down we're

00:20:51.029 --> 00:20:52.809
actually ramping them up and getting them really

00:20:52.809 --> 00:20:54.970
excited and it's sort of working through those

00:20:54.970 --> 00:20:56.710
things and figuring out okay what is going to

00:20:56.710 --> 00:20:59.890
work for your class for your students so um that

00:20:59.890 --> 00:21:02.670
sort of stage one is getting that baseline everybody

00:21:02.670 --> 00:21:06.390
is set for the day regulated we've done our sensory

00:21:06.390 --> 00:21:08.369
circuits we've accompanied that with the right

00:21:08.369 --> 00:21:11.910
communication the visuals ourselves how we use

00:21:11.910 --> 00:21:14.170
ourselves as a therapeutic tool to communicate

00:21:14.170 --> 00:21:22.039
um and then obviously stage two yeah stage one

00:21:22.039 --> 00:21:24.220
goes down really well i think because as we've

00:21:24.220 --> 00:21:25.960
said there's so many sensory circuits but we

00:21:25.960 --> 00:21:28.279
also talk about how you'd make them individualized

00:21:28.279 --> 00:21:31.400
how you would if we're often here we do that

00:21:31.400 --> 00:21:33.799
sensory circuit but it doesn't really work doesn't

00:21:33.799 --> 00:21:36.000
they're not actually ready to engage and that's

00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:37.440
because we have they don't want to that's what

00:21:37.440 --> 00:21:39.359
i hear all the time they don't really want to

00:21:39.359 --> 00:21:41.859
do it and i'm like why why are you doing things

00:21:41.859 --> 00:21:44.559
that they don't want to do like If they don't

00:21:44.559 --> 00:21:45.940
want to do it, then it's obviously not meeting

00:21:45.940 --> 00:21:48.900
their sensory needs because these children want

00:21:48.900 --> 00:21:50.519
to meet their sensory needs. The reason they

00:21:50.519 --> 00:21:52.539
are ripping paper and climbing on your furniture

00:21:52.539 --> 00:21:55.640
and dropping to the floor is because they are

00:21:55.640 --> 00:21:57.640
finding suitable ways of meeting their sensory

00:21:57.640 --> 00:21:59.559
needs. They might not be the safest way, but

00:21:59.559 --> 00:22:01.140
they're meeting their sensory needs. So kind

00:22:01.140 --> 00:22:03.420
of take what they're already doing. That's my

00:22:03.420 --> 00:22:05.750
mind. Take what they're already doing. Put it

00:22:05.750 --> 00:22:08.630
somewhere safer. Yeah. Keen to kind of establish

00:22:08.630 --> 00:22:10.390
you're protecting this time for doing sensory

00:22:10.390 --> 00:22:13.390
circuits, which a lot of our staff, their time

00:22:13.390 --> 00:22:16.230
is so tight. Yeah. So those 10, 15 minutes doing

00:22:16.230 --> 00:22:18.150
that sensory circuit are actually really precious.

00:22:18.490 --> 00:22:20.569
So we're like, when you're doing it, make sure

00:22:20.569 --> 00:22:23.170
you're doing it well and it's having the desired

00:22:23.170 --> 00:22:25.809
impact. And also while you're doing it, get your

00:22:25.809 --> 00:22:27.950
speech and language in as well. You don't have

00:22:27.950 --> 00:22:30.630
to separate them because, especially in our mainstream

00:22:30.630 --> 00:22:34.369
settings. Spending those 15 minutes is so hard.

00:22:34.750 --> 00:22:37.490
So let's work, let's do all our sensory processing,

00:22:37.509 --> 00:22:40.150
but let's establish all our really good speech

00:22:40.150 --> 00:22:42.309
and language practice as well. Start as we mean

00:22:42.309 --> 00:22:44.829
to go on. And then for those kids who actually

00:22:44.829 --> 00:22:46.750
twice a day isn't enough for sensory circuits.

00:22:47.289 --> 00:22:49.630
do an individual sensory circuit, top them off,

00:22:49.869 --> 00:22:52.869
top their tank up as they go. And as Ellie said,

00:22:52.910 --> 00:22:54.569
we spend a lot of time in the training doing

00:22:54.569 --> 00:22:56.809
the practical element, writing those sensory

00:22:56.809 --> 00:22:58.829
circuits, practicing those sensory circuits,

00:22:58.849 --> 00:23:01.410
troubleshooting. So people aren't going away

00:23:01.410 --> 00:23:04.250
thinking, I've got all this work to do. I need

00:23:04.250 --> 00:23:06.109
to create a sensory circuit. I need to create

00:23:06.109 --> 00:23:08.009
symbols. Actually, it's all done in the training.

00:23:08.109 --> 00:23:10.849
So the next day, they're kind of good to go.

00:23:12.430 --> 00:23:16.130
um so stage two stage two is really then about

00:23:16.130 --> 00:23:18.369
how are we getting our young people communicating

00:23:18.369 --> 00:23:21.710
so now we've kind of established a good foundation

00:23:21.710 --> 00:23:25.309
across the day so our sensory circuits are well

00:23:25.309 --> 00:23:27.430
established in the routine and are working well

00:23:27.430 --> 00:23:29.910
now we go okay well what's the next stage up

00:23:29.910 --> 00:23:34.759
so we use what we've created a speedometer So

00:23:34.759 --> 00:23:37.680
what we find is that a lot of emotional regulation

00:23:37.680 --> 00:23:40.740
check -ins are really hard for young people to

00:23:40.740 --> 00:23:43.180
access. So we've created a speedometer which

00:23:43.180 --> 00:23:46.920
adults use firstly just to kind of show young

00:23:46.920 --> 00:23:50.099
people where their speed is. Are they feeling

00:23:50.099 --> 00:23:52.640
a bit fast? Do they kind of need a lot of movement?

00:23:52.700 --> 00:23:55.000
Are they bouncing around the space? Are they

00:23:55.000 --> 00:23:57.559
kind of seeking more and more and more? Are they

00:23:57.559 --> 00:24:00.500
feeling a bit sleepy? Are they kind of, is it

00:24:00.500 --> 00:24:02.420
getting a lot for them to, is it taking a lot

00:24:02.420 --> 00:24:04.880
for them to engage in a task? Or are they go

00:24:04.880 --> 00:24:07.480
kind of ready to work, ready to engage, ready

00:24:07.480 --> 00:24:11.259
to play, ready to do the task? So a big part

00:24:11.259 --> 00:24:14.119
of stage two is teaching staff how to use this

00:24:14.119 --> 00:24:17.960
speedometer. And it is staff first, like all

00:24:17.960 --> 00:24:20.420
communication. We're not going to put it in front

00:24:20.420 --> 00:24:24.700
of our kids and go, off you go. Really coaching

00:24:24.700 --> 00:24:27.660
our adults to use the speedometer well to talk

00:24:27.660 --> 00:24:30.240
about how they're feeling, what their regulation

00:24:30.240 --> 00:24:33.500
is like for us. Because some days I start the

00:24:33.500 --> 00:24:35.799
day and I'm feeling pretty slow. I need something

00:24:35.799 --> 00:24:39.160
to wake me up. But then we're also going to use

00:24:39.160 --> 00:24:41.559
it to create a shared language with our students.

00:24:41.599 --> 00:24:43.839
So when we're talking about sensory regulation,

00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:47.700
let's use this visual and let's use the same

00:24:47.700 --> 00:24:51.799
terms and the same colours so we can communicate

00:24:51.799 --> 00:24:55.369
about this together. So our adults start modelling

00:24:55.369 --> 00:24:59.690
this speedometer and we start looking at individualised

00:24:59.690 --> 00:25:01.849
bespoke strategies. So if we've got a child that

00:25:01.849 --> 00:25:04.430
we know tends to be fast, as part of stage two,

00:25:04.490 --> 00:25:07.369
we upskill staff to understand what does that

00:25:07.369 --> 00:25:09.990
child need? So just as you said, so instead of

00:25:09.990 --> 00:25:12.950
running around the playground and climbing the

00:25:12.950 --> 00:25:16.190
fence, how can we kind of redirect it to get

00:25:16.190 --> 00:25:19.190
their sensory needs in a safer way? But we teach

00:25:19.190 --> 00:25:21.990
staff how to do that and parents. So if you identify

00:25:21.990 --> 00:25:24.809
your child is... more on that side, use that

00:25:24.809 --> 00:25:26.890
speedometer to tell them and create that shared

00:25:26.890 --> 00:25:30.549
language and then put in those specific individualized

00:25:30.549 --> 00:25:33.289
strategies to support them. And a big thing we're

00:25:33.289 --> 00:25:35.650
doing today too as well is we look at visuals,

00:25:35.849 --> 00:25:38.490
especially now in next boards because they're

00:25:38.490 --> 00:25:41.490
a personal bookmare of mine. Just because I find

00:25:41.490 --> 00:25:44.609
now our next boards historically have been used

00:25:44.609 --> 00:25:47.650
as... Do what I say and then you can do what

00:25:47.650 --> 00:25:50.170
you want. Control and compliance, right? Yeah.

00:25:50.309 --> 00:25:52.829
Yeah. And it makes me feel really uncomfortable.

00:25:53.130 --> 00:25:56.250
And I think, how is that real engagement? How

00:25:56.250 --> 00:25:58.869
are we working on intrinsic motivation for our

00:25:58.869 --> 00:26:01.529
young people to go, oh, I really want to do that.

00:26:01.650 --> 00:26:04.630
I really want to. This is fun and it's engaging.

00:26:04.890 --> 00:26:07.269
I don't want to do anything else because that's

00:26:07.269 --> 00:26:11.519
so good. so a lot in stage two we pull apart

00:26:11.519 --> 00:26:13.859
those visuals that are now really widely used

00:26:13.859 --> 00:26:16.660
our next boards you know visual timetable symbol

00:26:16.660 --> 00:26:19.759
boards but how are we making sure we're putting

00:26:19.759 --> 00:26:24.500
making it child motivated, child first. How are

00:26:24.500 --> 00:26:27.980
they going? I really want to do this task. And

00:26:27.980 --> 00:26:30.380
then I want to do that other task as well. And

00:26:30.380 --> 00:26:32.779
then while I'm doing those things, all of my

00:26:32.779 --> 00:26:35.240
sensory needs are being met at the same time.

00:26:35.539 --> 00:26:38.420
So we do a lot of work and a lot in the training,

00:26:38.420 --> 00:26:41.099
we really pull it apart and around what current

00:26:41.099 --> 00:26:43.779
practice is. And through no fault of anybody's,

00:26:43.779 --> 00:26:46.759
you know, this is just historically how things

00:26:46.759 --> 00:26:50.890
have been. And I think. thankfully twisted don't

00:26:50.890 --> 00:26:56.329
they so like how something could be used as a

00:26:56.329 --> 00:27:02.390
collaboration tool can be used as a control tool

00:27:02.390 --> 00:27:06.930
yeah uh sand timers are a classic example right

00:27:06.930 --> 00:27:12.519
sand timers can be used to show a child tangible

00:27:12.519 --> 00:27:14.839
passing of time so that they understand that

00:27:14.839 --> 00:27:17.119
passing of time so maybe they feel less anxious

00:27:17.119 --> 00:27:20.640
about what that means how they're actually being

00:27:20.640 --> 00:27:24.099
used in school is a control and compliance tactic

00:27:24.099 --> 00:27:26.920
of i don't know you sit still for this lol or

00:27:26.920 --> 00:27:29.339
you can't have this until this is done that kind

00:27:29.339 --> 00:27:33.400
of thing so i guess it's not the tools fault

00:27:33.980 --> 00:27:37.980
But it's how it's put across and how it is being

00:27:37.980 --> 00:27:41.019
used, isn't it? So like you said before, if you're

00:27:41.019 --> 00:27:45.279
educating these users on the why it's important

00:27:45.279 --> 00:27:50.500
to do that and how to do it in a firming way,

00:27:50.819 --> 00:27:53.559
then you can be rest assured that the speedometer

00:27:53.559 --> 00:27:56.279
won't be used as a negative thing. Exactly, yeah.

00:27:56.359 --> 00:27:58.619
Just as, you know, traffic lights, for example.

00:27:58.619 --> 00:28:00.539
I mean, I'm so pleased that you use a speedometer

00:28:00.539 --> 00:28:03.960
because... So many children have such negative

00:28:03.960 --> 00:28:08.880
attachment to past traumas, past classrooms of

00:28:08.880 --> 00:28:11.839
traffic lights being used in order to publicly

00:28:11.839 --> 00:28:14.440
shame their sensory needs. Honestly, it's just

00:28:14.440 --> 00:28:16.660
horrendous what's going on out there in many

00:28:16.660 --> 00:28:18.940
classrooms. That's a massive bugbear of mine.

00:28:19.099 --> 00:28:24.250
So to be able to use a speedometer. Yeah. it's

00:28:24.250 --> 00:28:27.609
completely different it's modeled by the adults

00:28:27.609 --> 00:28:29.869
the adults are showing they can be anywhere on

00:28:29.869 --> 00:28:32.630
there and it's all okay yeah and i think that

00:28:32.630 --> 00:28:36.210
is so important because if it looked like a step

00:28:36.210 --> 00:28:40.049
program yeah it could be even though it's it

00:28:40.049 --> 00:28:41.589
is an affirming function we're doing all things

00:28:41.589 --> 00:28:44.410
right we're modeling it just because the child

00:28:44.410 --> 00:28:47.869
has learned in past classes or past years what

00:28:47.869 --> 00:28:51.549
that might mean by public shame humiliation feeling

00:28:51.549 --> 00:28:54.339
less than low mental health and not being understood

00:28:54.339 --> 00:28:56.779
and all those things it's going to be really

00:28:56.779 --> 00:28:59.480
hard to use that fantastic approach because it's

00:28:59.480 --> 00:29:02.019
already been learned that that's a negative thing

00:29:02.019 --> 00:29:04.900
I've had it before using a similar approach and

00:29:04.900 --> 00:29:06.900
children just wanted to be on green for example

00:29:06.900 --> 00:29:10.000
because it's good good green's good good green

00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:12.039
I don't get told off I don't get shamed and actually

00:29:12.039 --> 00:29:15.339
you could be doing all the right things and it's

00:29:15.339 --> 00:29:18.759
just really hard to unlearn that so by having

00:29:18.759 --> 00:29:20.539
something completely different a completely different

00:29:20.539 --> 00:29:23.730
system it kind of refresh isn't it let's do everything

00:29:23.730 --> 00:29:26.430
how we how you want to go ahead and go forward

00:29:26.430 --> 00:29:31.789
with this we try and um help people to understand

00:29:31.789 --> 00:29:35.009
the how to use these systems by looking at yourself

00:29:35.009 --> 00:29:38.430
first so in our training a lot of the activities

00:29:38.430 --> 00:29:41.670
are very practical and they involve looking at

00:29:41.670 --> 00:29:44.329
your own regulation state and your own ways of

00:29:44.329 --> 00:29:47.589
communicating because when you experience it

00:29:47.589 --> 00:29:50.480
yourself you can then have a greater understanding

00:29:50.480 --> 00:29:53.019
of how you can help these young people that we're

00:29:53.019 --> 00:29:55.900
working with who have many, many, many barriers

00:29:55.900 --> 00:29:59.599
to being able to access the environment. So I

00:29:59.599 --> 00:30:02.660
think when you feel it yourself, it can really

00:30:02.660 --> 00:30:05.259
help you to deliver the strategies better and

00:30:05.259 --> 00:30:07.480
using that speedometer and showing that it's

00:30:07.480 --> 00:30:09.880
okay to be, you know, wherever you are on that.

00:30:10.019 --> 00:30:13.720
And actually, at some points in the day, we need

00:30:13.720 --> 00:30:16.420
to be a bit more fast or we need to be a bit

00:30:16.420 --> 00:30:18.240
more slow. Because, you know, when we're doing

00:30:18.240 --> 00:30:20.940
a PE session, there's no good being go. We need

00:30:20.940 --> 00:30:22.380
to be a bit more fast. Otherwise, we're never

00:30:22.380 --> 00:30:24.619
going to get jogging around that field. Or if

00:30:24.619 --> 00:30:27.339
it's time to do our yoga session or if it's time

00:30:27.339 --> 00:30:30.099
to go to bed, no good being go. We need to be

00:30:30.099 --> 00:30:32.579
slow because we're winding down now. So it's

00:30:32.579 --> 00:30:35.500
recognizing those different regulation states

00:30:35.500 --> 00:30:39.880
or speeds. Yeah, I love that. Different speeds,

00:30:40.279 --> 00:30:43.720
whether we're going fast, slow, go, or our end

00:30:43.720 --> 00:30:46.319
is stop where we're kind of in like meltdown.

00:30:46.380 --> 00:30:48.680
overwhelmed that's like everything just needs

00:30:48.680 --> 00:30:50.859
to stop and we've got some really good strategies

00:30:50.859 --> 00:30:53.119
for you know any young people that are in that

00:30:53.119 --> 00:30:56.880
speed so yeah i think it's just kind of removing

00:30:56.880 --> 00:30:59.740
all these little things that kind of come along

00:30:59.740 --> 00:31:01.940
the way through no like we say for no fault of

00:31:01.940 --> 00:31:05.259
anybody but it's it's just picking apart how

00:31:05.259 --> 00:31:07.400
can we deliver this in a way and we're not teaching

00:31:07.400 --> 00:31:09.400
anything new this is the thing with our approach

00:31:09.400 --> 00:31:11.380
nothing that we're going to teach is actually

00:31:11.930 --> 00:31:14.369
like a new tool that we're giving you or a new

00:31:14.369 --> 00:31:17.450
strategy that we're giving you. It's how we deliver

00:31:17.450 --> 00:31:20.450
the strategy, which is really the important thing

00:31:20.450 --> 00:31:23.640
because we know. how to do it because we've done

00:31:23.640 --> 00:31:25.279
it for years as therapists and that's what we've

00:31:25.279 --> 00:31:27.559
you know we've spent years at university studying

00:31:27.559 --> 00:31:29.960
how to do it we're now trying to empower you

00:31:29.960 --> 00:31:33.019
as teachers who don't get that therapeutic training

00:31:33.019 --> 00:31:35.880
at uni you don't get that opportunity to do all

00:31:35.880 --> 00:31:37.859
the lovely learning that we've had the opportunity

00:31:37.859 --> 00:31:40.460
to do but we want to try and empower you so you've

00:31:40.460 --> 00:31:43.779
got those skills to be able to meet the the needs

00:31:43.779 --> 00:31:46.839
of the young people yeah yeah i think I think

00:31:46.839 --> 00:31:49.259
that's a real big thing in stage two, isn't it?

00:31:49.259 --> 00:31:51.099
It's kind of using what you've already got, using

00:31:51.099 --> 00:31:53.500
things you might be familiar with, but changing

00:31:53.500 --> 00:31:55.480
your approach, changing the way you see things

00:31:55.480 --> 00:31:57.279
to take into account all of that regulation.

00:31:57.400 --> 00:31:59.960
And also what we know about communication, your

00:31:59.960 --> 00:32:02.119
child's not going to communicate if it's not

00:32:02.119 --> 00:32:04.880
motivating, if it's not fun, if it's not engaging,

00:32:04.960 --> 00:32:07.420
if it doesn't help them feel safe and secure.

00:32:07.700 --> 00:32:10.119
So it's kind of trying to change the attitude

00:32:10.119 --> 00:32:12.980
when we look at these different approaches. And

00:32:12.980 --> 00:32:14.559
on the same as you, Jordan, we could probably

00:32:14.559 --> 00:32:18.019
record another podcast all about it. and emotional

00:32:18.019 --> 00:32:20.819
regulation but i think a lot of the time we've

00:32:20.819 --> 00:32:22.460
got a lot of staff we've got a lot of parents

00:32:22.460 --> 00:32:25.200
this is all they've known yeah and they think

00:32:25.200 --> 00:32:27.420
okay well if i don't do that what do i do yeah

00:32:27.420 --> 00:32:30.440
what do i do also there we are still having therapists

00:32:30.440 --> 00:32:32.539
come into our schools and recommended these strategies

00:32:32.539 --> 00:32:36.519
so it really could be teachers and parents taking

00:32:36.519 --> 00:32:41.519
yeah expert advice and not knowing that it could

00:32:41.519 --> 00:32:44.579
be harmful or damaging to the relationship with

00:32:44.579 --> 00:32:47.400
their child ultimately you know so it's really

00:32:47.400 --> 00:32:50.059
important just like this holistic approach of

00:32:50.059 --> 00:32:53.039
one approach that all works together rather than

00:32:53.039 --> 00:32:54.680
taking a little bit from this and I watched an

00:32:54.680 --> 00:32:57.319
American podcast doing that and I watched a social

00:32:57.319 --> 00:32:59.720
media thing doing this naturally it doesn't quite

00:32:59.720 --> 00:33:03.519
fit for your child or your setting or together

00:33:03.519 --> 00:33:07.170
it's kind of a bit of a muddle And actually,

00:33:07.289 --> 00:33:09.990
sometimes you find that these strategies can

00:33:09.990 --> 00:33:12.950
contradict one another. And then that's when

00:33:12.950 --> 00:33:15.230
you really get in a bit of a sticky situation

00:33:15.230 --> 00:33:19.349
because you've got things that clash and have

00:33:19.349 --> 00:33:21.329
a lot of contraindications, which can actually

00:33:21.329 --> 00:33:23.690
be damaging. So you have got to be careful about

00:33:23.690 --> 00:33:25.910
what approach you use. And it's all got to align.

00:33:26.250 --> 00:33:28.849
Your OT approach, your speech, your communication

00:33:28.849 --> 00:33:32.440
approach. has all got to sort of come to one

00:33:32.440 --> 00:33:35.059
and what you were saying um before Jordan about

00:33:35.059 --> 00:33:39.200
using the tool as a collaborative tool rather

00:33:39.200 --> 00:33:42.059
than a control that is really what stage three

00:33:42.059 --> 00:33:44.380
has been built on hasn't it so it leads nicely

00:33:44.380 --> 00:33:47.279
onto our stage three which is all about engagement

00:33:47.279 --> 00:33:52.819
and how engagement should be built on that collaboration

00:33:52.819 --> 00:33:55.240
so once we're in a place where we're regulated

00:33:56.109 --> 00:33:58.849
We've got that shared language of our regulation

00:33:58.849 --> 00:34:01.529
speeds and we've got those tools in place to

00:34:01.529 --> 00:34:04.390
communicate. Now, how are we really building

00:34:04.390 --> 00:34:06.990
on that so that, you know, your voice is definitely

00:34:06.990 --> 00:34:09.889
heard and so you as a student can advocate for

00:34:09.889 --> 00:34:12.110
yourself. So when I'm not here as the therapist

00:34:12.110 --> 00:34:14.329
or your one -to -one that knows you really well,

00:34:14.449 --> 00:34:18.090
you still know what to do to communicate that

00:34:18.090 --> 00:34:19.989
I'm not feeling okay or I'm feeling a bit faster

00:34:19.989 --> 00:34:21.889
than I need to go and bounce on a gym ball or,

00:34:21.889 --> 00:34:26.960
you know. it's giving that voice isn't it it

00:34:26.960 --> 00:34:29.789
stays so you kind of Stage one is our kind of

00:34:29.789 --> 00:34:31.550
universal approach. Stage two, we're kind of

00:34:31.550 --> 00:34:33.449
looking a little bit more bespoke, but we're

00:34:33.449 --> 00:34:36.190
still trying to kind of empower adults to co

00:34:36.190 --> 00:34:38.690
-regulate with our children and to put those

00:34:38.690 --> 00:34:41.409
things in place. Stage three, we really want

00:34:41.409 --> 00:34:43.650
to encourage our students to advocate, give them

00:34:43.650 --> 00:34:45.590
the tools to advocate for themselves, really.

00:34:45.710 --> 00:34:48.730
So we're looking at working collaboratively with

00:34:48.730 --> 00:34:52.210
our students to empower them to say, this is

00:34:52.210 --> 00:34:54.690
what I need right now. I don't need to be sitting

00:34:54.690 --> 00:34:57.010
at that chair. That is not what I need right

00:34:57.010 --> 00:34:59.750
now. I need to be bouncing on that gym ball while

00:34:59.750 --> 00:35:02.489
I do this activity. I actually really need to

00:35:02.489 --> 00:35:04.579
be. having a little run around before I come

00:35:04.579 --> 00:35:06.960
into the classroom. I need to be wearing my ear

00:35:06.960 --> 00:35:09.400
defenders when this is happening. So we pull

00:35:09.400 --> 00:35:11.920
apart lots of specific communication systems

00:35:11.920 --> 00:35:15.139
that will enable our children to use those. And

00:35:15.139 --> 00:35:17.219
think about how does that look in the classroom

00:35:17.219 --> 00:35:19.800
for you or your daily routine as a parent? Because

00:35:19.800 --> 00:35:22.659
we want our kids to be able to advocate, but

00:35:22.659 --> 00:35:25.519
that takes us working collaboratively and maybe

00:35:25.519 --> 00:35:28.420
changing things up, changing how we see things,

00:35:28.539 --> 00:35:31.139
changing our expectations, changing what things

00:35:31.139 --> 00:35:34.079
might look like in a box. because if we're encouraging

00:35:34.079 --> 00:35:35.880
our children to say, you know what, I don't want

00:35:35.880 --> 00:35:38.159
to sit on that chair, what are other options?

00:35:38.539 --> 00:35:40.619
Can they lie down on their tummies when they

00:35:40.619 --> 00:35:43.659
access it? Can they be standing? Can they be

00:35:43.659 --> 00:35:46.440
bouncing? Can they be rolling? You know, can

00:35:46.440 --> 00:35:48.440
they be having something in their hand to give

00:35:48.440 --> 00:35:51.179
them that feedback? But by establishing stage

00:35:51.179 --> 00:35:54.019
one and stage two first, you've put all of that

00:35:54.019 --> 00:35:56.619
work in as the adults to co -regulate them and

00:35:56.619 --> 00:35:58.829
now stage three is about what. getting children

00:35:58.829 --> 00:36:01.949
to say what they need, ask for what they need

00:36:01.949 --> 00:36:04.329
and ultimately be provided that by the setting.

00:36:04.469 --> 00:36:06.949
Two is also preparing the environment to feel

00:36:06.949 --> 00:36:09.250
safe enough that they can ask for those things

00:36:09.250 --> 00:36:12.630
and know they'll be received. Because they might

00:36:12.630 --> 00:36:16.050
already be trying stage three before your system,

00:36:16.269 --> 00:36:19.329
but it's not being heard or they're not sure

00:36:19.329 --> 00:36:22.550
how to ask in a safe way. So it's not being received,

00:36:22.610 --> 00:36:24.409
it's being received as, I don't know, a negative

00:36:24.409 --> 00:36:27.739
or unsafe behaviour. And the adult isn't honoring

00:36:27.739 --> 00:36:30.679
that attempt to communicate. So I suppose stage

00:36:30.679 --> 00:36:33.179
one and two is also preparing the adults and

00:36:33.179 --> 00:36:35.639
preparing the room for receiving that language

00:36:35.639 --> 00:36:38.300
and communication as well as preparing the child

00:36:38.300 --> 00:36:41.980
on how to ask for that safety. yeah definitely

00:36:41.980 --> 00:36:44.400
and going back to our child that might be meeting

00:36:44.400 --> 00:36:46.440
their sensory needs by running around by climbing

00:36:46.440 --> 00:36:48.800
a fence in stage two what we've given them is

00:36:48.800 --> 00:36:50.960
we've empowered them with other options actually

00:36:50.960 --> 00:36:53.400
this is what you need and that's okay but we

00:36:53.400 --> 00:36:55.719
can climb this climbing front we can bounce on

00:36:55.719 --> 00:36:58.099
this trampette so when we get to stage three

00:36:58.099 --> 00:37:00.280
it's like i know what's available for me now

00:37:00.280 --> 00:37:03.179
i know what's available i know that that adult

00:37:03.179 --> 00:37:06.300
is going to co -regulate with me he's going to

00:37:06.300 --> 00:37:09.300
honor that request so instead of going out and

00:37:09.300 --> 00:37:11.619
climbing that fence outside i'm going to ask

00:37:11.619 --> 00:37:13.440
to go to the climb that climbing frame or go

00:37:13.440 --> 00:37:15.980
to that trumpet wherever it might be yeah um

00:37:15.980 --> 00:37:18.780
we talk about the golden thread throughout our

00:37:18.780 --> 00:37:21.619
approach and you've already sort of um delved

00:37:21.619 --> 00:37:24.940
into that the environment and making sure that

00:37:24.940 --> 00:37:28.159
the environment supports all those stages and

00:37:28.159 --> 00:37:30.440
when we talk about the environment we're talking

00:37:30.440 --> 00:37:33.300
about the physical environment, but also the

00:37:33.300 --> 00:37:35.940
people in that environment. And that's so important.

00:37:36.059 --> 00:37:38.820
You are the environment. You know, we say that

00:37:38.820 --> 00:37:41.320
to teachers, you are this young person's environment.

00:37:41.440 --> 00:37:43.920
So we've got to make sure that that is ready

00:37:43.920 --> 00:37:47.400
and in a place where then these tools can be

00:37:47.400 --> 00:37:51.500
used to the best of their ability and that students

00:37:51.500 --> 00:37:54.460
can access them readily. So that's a really important

00:37:54.460 --> 00:37:55.960
part. I mean, obviously, that's something that

00:37:55.960 --> 00:37:58.190
I look a lot at. As an occupational therapist,

00:37:58.269 --> 00:38:00.489
it's the environment. But thinking about it in

00:38:00.489 --> 00:38:02.969
that regulation and communication way, making

00:38:02.969 --> 00:38:05.909
it accessible. Have you got that regulation equipment

00:38:05.909 --> 00:38:08.909
out there and accessible? Do they know where

00:38:08.909 --> 00:38:11.829
it is? Do the staff know how to use it? Are they

00:38:11.829 --> 00:38:14.269
confident in using it? If I get a gym ball like

00:38:14.269 --> 00:38:17.409
now or a trampette, are you going to be able

00:38:17.409 --> 00:38:19.630
to confidently lead a young person to use that?

00:38:19.650 --> 00:38:22.889
And I think sometimes you take the granted when

00:38:22.889 --> 00:38:25.489
you know how. that you know whether you're a

00:38:25.489 --> 00:38:27.389
therapist or whether you're a you know a teaching

00:38:27.389 --> 00:38:31.130
staff but there are a lot of teachers teaching

00:38:31.130 --> 00:38:33.710
assistants especially you know if they're new

00:38:33.710 --> 00:38:36.150
to the profession and they've not practiced using

00:38:36.150 --> 00:38:38.030
this equipment and they're not sure and they're

00:38:38.030 --> 00:38:40.369
not very confident in helping a young person

00:38:40.369 --> 00:38:42.909
to be able to physically get onto a gym ball

00:38:42.909 --> 00:38:46.150
or onto a wobble board and knowing well how do

00:38:46.150 --> 00:38:48.769
I do it how do I help them how where do I touch

00:38:48.769 --> 00:38:51.369
them what can I do what can I not do and it and

00:38:51.369 --> 00:38:53.809
it's sort of you know busting all those fears

00:38:53.809 --> 00:38:56.829
and giving them the confidence that that is really

00:38:56.829 --> 00:38:59.210
what we're very passionate about through the

00:38:59.210 --> 00:39:01.849
approach and through our training is to upskill

00:39:01.849 --> 00:39:04.090
and give staff the confidence that they feel

00:39:04.090 --> 00:39:06.469
okay i know what i'm doing here you know i do

00:39:06.469 --> 00:39:08.750
this this and this and this is how i do it and

00:39:08.750 --> 00:39:12.369
um you know that that's it's lovely to see when

00:39:12.369 --> 00:39:15.230
you when you see staff come through that process

00:39:15.230 --> 00:39:17.590
and then you know they are confidently supporting

00:39:17.590 --> 00:39:20.250
a young person and seeing the impact I feel like

00:39:20.250 --> 00:39:22.849
that clarity will only make it more successful

00:39:22.849 --> 00:39:25.329
because everyone knows where they're at. And

00:39:25.329 --> 00:39:27.849
if you walk into the room and you see something

00:39:27.849 --> 00:39:30.389
happening because the whole school is doing this

00:39:30.389 --> 00:39:32.809
approach, they're not going to question it because

00:39:32.809 --> 00:39:35.070
they just know, oh, they're obviously feeling

00:39:35.070 --> 00:39:38.610
fast or they're obviously feeling slow. And it's

00:39:38.610 --> 00:39:40.630
not going to be, well, why are they rolling around

00:39:40.630 --> 00:39:44.230
on that and not doing their work? It's clear.

00:39:44.670 --> 00:39:46.809
Everyone's doing the same. The expectation is

00:39:46.809 --> 00:39:48.909
the same, whether they're in assembly, whether

00:39:48.909 --> 00:39:50.170
they're in the playground, whether they're in

00:39:50.170 --> 00:39:52.530
the lunch hall, whatever. Everyone's using that

00:39:52.530 --> 00:39:55.269
language. Everyone's using those visuals. I suppose

00:39:55.269 --> 00:39:59.769
ultimately our aim is to have this system in

00:39:59.769 --> 00:40:04.110
every school from nursery to what? Year six and

00:40:04.110 --> 00:40:07.170
beyond? Is that kind of your thinking? Is that

00:40:07.170 --> 00:40:10.849
it's possible for everybody? In practice, when

00:40:10.849 --> 00:40:12.809
we've implemented it, we've implemented it in

00:40:12.809 --> 00:40:14.530
both specialist provisions and also mainstream

00:40:14.530 --> 00:40:18.090
settings. Within mainstream classrooms of 30

00:40:18.090 --> 00:40:20.349
kids or within specialist provisions of five

00:40:20.349 --> 00:40:24.110
kids. And it's just as effective. It works just

00:40:24.110 --> 00:40:26.369
as well. We've collaborated with a lot of mainstream

00:40:26.369 --> 00:40:29.650
teachers around what does stage one look like

00:40:29.650 --> 00:40:32.409
with 30 year five kids? what does that look like

00:40:32.409 --> 00:40:36.469
and what we have found the need is there we have

00:40:36.469 --> 00:40:41.130
a lot of very bouncy very fidgety year five year

00:40:41.130 --> 00:40:45.530
sixers who are seeking more regulation and maybe

00:40:45.530 --> 00:40:49.809
being marked as disruptive or naughty or you

00:40:49.809 --> 00:40:51.789
know more of a behavioral approach has been used

00:40:51.789 --> 00:40:55.090
actually when we have put in some really solid

00:40:55.090 --> 00:40:58.110
stage one work some of those really solid sensory

00:40:58.110 --> 00:41:00.469
circuits but that's individual as a whole class

00:41:00.469 --> 00:41:03.510
the turnaround in the class is significant and

00:41:04.300 --> 00:41:06.340
We go on about this a lot, but the well -being

00:41:06.340 --> 00:41:09.699
of the staff is higher because it's hard to manage.

00:41:10.400 --> 00:41:13.559
You've got 30 kids who are all being a bit wobbly,

00:41:13.679 --> 00:41:17.380
a bit bouncy, a bit fidgety. It's really difficult

00:41:17.380 --> 00:41:20.059
to manage. And I think in mainstream settings,

00:41:20.159 --> 00:41:22.539
we've had things in the past like movement breaks.

00:41:23.539 --> 00:41:27.420
But actually, staff haven't been given the opportunity

00:41:27.420 --> 00:41:30.280
to understand. or everything you need to do in

00:41:30.280 --> 00:41:32.280
terms of a sensory circuit to get them grinded

00:41:32.280 --> 00:41:33.860
again. It's all well and good getting them up,

00:41:33.860 --> 00:41:37.280
jumping in the chair. Then they're up here. Exactly,

00:41:37.739 --> 00:41:39.860
yeah. And then you try it through a maths lesson.

00:41:40.019 --> 00:41:43.860
Yeah. But actually upskilling all staff to kind

00:41:43.860 --> 00:41:46.460
of understand that we need to kind of do the

00:41:46.460 --> 00:41:49.659
alerting, do the organising, then really making

00:41:49.659 --> 00:41:51.699
sure we grind. And if the adults are joining

00:41:51.699 --> 00:41:54.599
in too, which I'm sure you suggest is that the

00:41:54.599 --> 00:41:57.039
adults are doing this, then the adults are regulated

00:41:57.039 --> 00:41:59.539
too. And then they're making better choices for

00:41:59.539 --> 00:42:02.940
themselves, their body, how they're talking to

00:42:02.940 --> 00:42:05.000
the child, their expectations of the child is

00:42:05.000 --> 00:42:08.059
all regulated too. Because I feel like in my

00:42:08.059 --> 00:42:12.190
room, I've got 14. teaching assistants very very

00:42:12.190 --> 00:42:16.610
very big team to manage and their mood what's

00:42:16.610 --> 00:42:19.190
happened earlier in the morning how they're feeling

00:42:19.190 --> 00:42:22.510
has well it's an environmental issue just as

00:42:22.510 --> 00:42:25.510
you were saying it affects the whole environment

00:42:25.510 --> 00:42:27.489
so you could have the best equipment in the world

00:42:27.489 --> 00:42:30.210
you could have 14 adults i mean god what a luxury

00:42:30.210 --> 00:42:32.750
you could have all the space in the world we've

00:42:32.750 --> 00:42:36.650
got all of it But if they're not regulated, then

00:42:36.650 --> 00:42:38.630
our best resource, which is our teaching assistants,

00:42:38.889 --> 00:42:40.889
is our most expensive, but also best resource,

00:42:40.909 --> 00:42:43.849
is actually doing more damage than good, ultimately,

00:42:43.869 --> 00:42:46.570
because they're not receiving that communication

00:42:46.570 --> 00:42:49.309
attempt. They're not honoring what the child's

00:42:49.309 --> 00:42:51.130
saying. They're not joining in. They're not,

00:42:51.130 --> 00:42:54.530
you know, collaborating or any of those things.

00:42:54.610 --> 00:42:57.170
So I suppose it's making sure that everybody

00:42:57.170 --> 00:43:00.250
is regulated as well, isn't it? Adults included,

00:43:00.550 --> 00:43:04.110
almost. just as important from my view of teaching

00:43:04.110 --> 00:43:07.309
is that we're regulated we're doing the movement

00:43:07.309 --> 00:43:10.070
right we're not finishing until we're grounded

00:43:10.070 --> 00:43:13.230
and ready to teach maths just as much as the

00:43:13.230 --> 00:43:16.429
children you can't co -regulate if you're not

00:43:16.429 --> 00:43:18.630
regulated you can't do it and in our training

00:43:18.630 --> 00:43:21.909
we always put out a box of sensory toys in the

00:43:21.909 --> 00:43:24.010
middle of the table. Because if I'm sitting on

00:43:24.010 --> 00:43:25.789
the train, I want to fiddle with something. I

00:43:25.789 --> 00:43:27.510
want to squeeze something. I want to stretch

00:43:27.510 --> 00:43:31.130
something so I can maintain my optimum engagement.

00:43:31.550 --> 00:43:34.429
And we talk a lot in our workshops and our training

00:43:34.429 --> 00:43:37.829
around you've got to get yourself into a regulated

00:43:37.829 --> 00:43:40.230
state first. And I think another thing that helps

00:43:40.230 --> 00:43:43.210
staff being regulated is when they can see they're

00:43:43.210 --> 00:43:46.610
making a difference. They're not just... with

00:43:46.610 --> 00:43:49.909
unreal expectations from 20 different therapists

00:43:49.909 --> 00:43:53.730
if staff feel like i've put this in place and

00:43:53.730 --> 00:43:56.150
i can see the impact that is making on that young

00:43:56.150 --> 00:43:59.170
person the more regular staff are happier staff

00:43:59.170 --> 00:44:01.670
are more regulated the well -being of the schools

00:44:01.670 --> 00:44:05.469
just yeah higher they'll feel ironically they'll

00:44:05.469 --> 00:44:08.889
feel more in control yeah so they won't need

00:44:08.889 --> 00:44:11.469
feel the need to put in these control and compliance

00:44:11.469 --> 00:44:14.010
measures because they're in control they're in

00:44:14.010 --> 00:44:16.840
control of their bodies they know what expectations

00:44:16.840 --> 00:44:19.659
are on them they're realistic they're grounded

00:44:19.659 --> 00:44:23.639
the class is easier to manage because they're

00:44:23.639 --> 00:44:26.920
regulated you're more in control than all the

00:44:26.920 --> 00:44:29.000
sound timers and all the traffic light systems

00:44:29.000 --> 00:44:31.500
in the world which actually just make it more

00:44:31.500 --> 00:44:34.579
dysregulated and actually it comes down to wanting

00:44:34.579 --> 00:44:36.179
control doesn't it whereas actually you're going

00:44:36.179 --> 00:44:38.900
to be more in control if everyone's regulated

00:44:38.900 --> 00:44:41.159
you've got a system it's really clear you know

00:44:41.159 --> 00:44:43.639
what the next step is you know what happens if

00:44:43.639 --> 00:44:45.300
this doesn't work well we just go back to that

00:44:45.300 --> 00:44:48.679
you know whatever it is it's really clear it's

00:44:48.679 --> 00:44:50.199
supported by senior leadership teams i think

00:44:50.199 --> 00:44:51.579
that's the most important thing you know if teachers

00:44:51.579 --> 00:44:53.699
are listening like i really want to start this

00:44:53.699 --> 00:44:55.579
in the class go to your senior leadership team

00:44:55.579 --> 00:44:58.989
because this isn't they can't be isolated I don't

00:44:58.989 --> 00:45:01.190
think. I mean, I'm sure it will still help. I

00:45:01.190 --> 00:45:03.570
mean, do it better. Do it in one class than none,

00:45:03.590 --> 00:45:06.159
of course. Ultimately, I really do think this

00:45:06.159 --> 00:45:08.400
needs to be a whole class strategy so that wherever

00:45:08.400 --> 00:45:10.900
your children are in the school, whatever adult

00:45:10.900 --> 00:45:12.460
they're working with, whether it's a supply teacher,

00:45:12.579 --> 00:45:15.139
whether it's an HLTA, whether it's they're bumping

00:45:15.139 --> 00:45:18.199
into a TA in the hallway, they're all using this

00:45:18.199 --> 00:45:20.500
language, they're all using this system. Just

00:45:20.500 --> 00:45:22.280
so it's honoured, it's really respected and it's

00:45:22.280 --> 00:45:24.420
kind of embedded in the school so that as children

00:45:24.420 --> 00:45:26.599
are moving up the school, this language is the

00:45:26.599 --> 00:45:28.639
same so that, gosh, when they leave year six

00:45:28.639 --> 00:45:31.820
or year 11, whatever you're doing. They're going

00:45:31.820 --> 00:45:34.940
to be so efficient at meeting their sensory needs,

00:45:35.059 --> 00:45:37.860
aren't they? That's ultimately what we want for

00:45:37.860 --> 00:45:42.260
these children, don't we? And that's why we've

00:45:42.260 --> 00:45:45.900
created an approach to learning versus a specific

00:45:45.900 --> 00:45:49.159
intervention or a specific strategy, is because

00:45:49.159 --> 00:45:52.539
we really want this approach to be embedded within

00:45:52.539 --> 00:45:54.920
schools. And some of the skills that we've worked

00:45:54.920 --> 00:45:58.610
with who have... really you know have done that

00:45:58.610 --> 00:46:00.949
have embedded it within all their classrooms

00:46:00.949 --> 00:46:03.349
so that when children are transitioning to each

00:46:03.349 --> 00:46:06.650
classes they've got that same basis foundation

00:46:06.650 --> 00:46:10.150
that's when it's worked the best and you know

00:46:10.150 --> 00:46:13.670
even having like the visuals all to remind them

00:46:13.670 --> 00:46:15.349
of the different stages that they're working

00:46:15.349 --> 00:46:17.670
through so everyone knows oh yeah we're doing

00:46:17.670 --> 00:46:19.409
regulate to communicate we're working through

00:46:19.409 --> 00:46:22.210
the stages yeah we've just done stage one okay

00:46:22.210 --> 00:46:24.769
or we think that young person might need stage

00:46:24.769 --> 00:46:26.809
one again you know later on in the day can we

00:46:26.809 --> 00:46:29.090
everyone's using that shared language and we

00:46:29.090 --> 00:46:31.190
know what we're talking about and something else

00:46:31.190 --> 00:46:32.769
that just made me think of as well when you were

00:46:32.769 --> 00:46:35.170
talking about um i remember what what you were

00:46:35.170 --> 00:46:37.110
saying georgia boy made me think about permission

00:46:37.110 --> 00:46:40.650
about the permission to be able to oh yeah about

00:46:40.650 --> 00:46:43.969
co -regulation and how you're feeling and if

00:46:43.969 --> 00:46:46.429
you're not feeling okay you can't co -regulate

00:46:46.989 --> 00:46:49.449
It's about giving that permission to say, well,

00:46:49.590 --> 00:46:52.250
if you do need to have a moment or if we do need

00:46:52.250 --> 00:46:54.949
to slow things down or actually if we do need

00:46:54.949 --> 00:46:57.510
to spend a bit longer on that sensory circuit.

00:46:57.550 --> 00:47:00.110
So we are eating to a bit of, you know, maths

00:47:00.110 --> 00:47:02.769
time lesson. But if it means then that actually

00:47:02.769 --> 00:47:04.730
everyone, including yourself, are going to be

00:47:04.730 --> 00:47:07.210
regulated for the rest of that maths session,

00:47:07.329 --> 00:47:08.989
if we've just spent a little bit longer on sensory

00:47:08.989 --> 00:47:14.309
circuit, then do it. And it's not, it's not rigid.

00:47:16.030 --> 00:47:19.070
the approach in terms of well if you do this

00:47:19.070 --> 00:47:20.650
and you do this and you do this and you do this

00:47:20.650 --> 00:47:22.389
then it'll always work out like this because

00:47:22.389 --> 00:47:25.090
life isn't like that the young people we work

00:47:25.090 --> 00:47:27.389
with are not like that we're not like that are

00:47:27.389 --> 00:47:30.230
we So it's about looking for, OK, when do we

00:47:30.230 --> 00:47:32.849
know? We know when they're dysregulated, but

00:47:32.849 --> 00:47:35.449
when do we know when they're regulated and ready

00:47:35.449 --> 00:47:37.550
to engage? How do we know that we're at that?

00:47:37.630 --> 00:47:39.869
If we're not there yet, then we need to keep

00:47:39.869 --> 00:47:43.630
going. We need to try something a bit differently.

00:47:43.829 --> 00:47:46.530
And it's really allowing that permission, isn't

00:47:46.530 --> 00:47:50.309
it? Saying that's OK. What would you say to,

00:47:50.449 --> 00:47:52.389
I don't know, a year six teacher that says...

00:47:52.639 --> 00:47:55.059
We're preparing for SATs. We don't have time.

00:47:55.179 --> 00:47:58.019
We don't have 15 minutes twice a day to do this.

00:47:58.079 --> 00:48:01.920
What would you say to that teacher? So we've

00:48:01.920 --> 00:48:04.460
had that. We've had those conversations, Jordan.

00:48:04.639 --> 00:48:07.460
And we have spent a lot of time with those teachers,

00:48:07.619 --> 00:48:09.940
problem solving, troubleshooting. And it might

00:48:09.940 --> 00:48:13.969
be five minutes in seat sensory circuits. What

00:48:13.969 --> 00:48:17.269
we really try to do is sit in the class and look

00:48:17.269 --> 00:48:19.789
at those moments. So sit in the class. We spend

00:48:19.789 --> 00:48:22.730
a lot of time in classrooms alongside our teachers,

00:48:22.849 --> 00:48:26.210
sitting and watching a lesson and watching the

00:48:26.210 --> 00:48:28.449
amount of times that year six teacher is saying,

00:48:28.590 --> 00:48:31.829
right, everyone stop. You're not listening. You

00:48:31.829 --> 00:48:34.090
sit down. You need to come and sit at the front

00:48:34.090 --> 00:48:36.650
because you're not listening. Over there at the

00:48:36.650 --> 00:48:39.090
back, where's your pen and paper? We look at

00:48:39.090 --> 00:48:43.110
all of those times, all of those micro moments,

00:48:43.210 --> 00:48:45.329
those two minutes there, that one minute there.

00:48:45.570 --> 00:48:50.030
And we say, if we just spent five minutes in

00:48:50.030 --> 00:48:54.179
seat sensory circuit. When you feel as a teacher

00:48:54.179 --> 00:48:56.360
that you're losing the class, the class are getting

00:48:56.360 --> 00:48:58.900
a bit fidgety, they've sat down just on a big

00:48:58.900 --> 00:49:01.460
sat paper and they're all getting a bit wibbly

00:49:01.460 --> 00:49:03.900
wobbly, use those five minutes to do a really

00:49:03.900 --> 00:49:08.000
fantastic in -seat sensory circuit. The engagement's

00:49:08.000 --> 00:49:10.170
going to... goes for the roof you're going to

00:49:10.170 --> 00:49:12.150
be saying a lot like come here sit at the front

00:49:12.150 --> 00:49:14.150
you're going to be repeating yourself a lot less

00:49:14.150 --> 00:49:16.449
you're going to have better engagement you're

00:49:16.449 --> 00:49:19.969
going to save yourself time in the long run but

00:49:19.969 --> 00:49:23.150
it is looking at those micro moments that teachers

00:49:23.150 --> 00:49:27.039
are spending desperately to maintain the engagement

00:49:27.039 --> 00:49:30.079
of our kids who just want to move. Actually doing

00:49:30.079 --> 00:49:33.599
a really robust, really fantastic in -seat sensory

00:49:33.599 --> 00:49:37.019
circuit for five minutes will save you so much

00:49:37.019 --> 00:49:40.760
time in the long run. Save your voice. Looking

00:49:40.760 --> 00:49:44.219
at the transitions and maximising those transition

00:49:44.219 --> 00:49:48.679
times, we did a really lovely piece of work with

00:49:48.679 --> 00:49:52.380
that transition from playtime in the playground.

00:49:53.199 --> 00:49:55.940
into the classroom. Because the playground, I'm

00:49:55.940 --> 00:49:59.639
assuming, is the alerting stage. Exactly. Yeah.

00:49:59.639 --> 00:50:02.059
Hold on a minute. You've got half your sensory

00:50:02.059 --> 00:50:04.280
circuit already done. You know, they've been

00:50:04.280 --> 00:50:06.500
out at break time. They've had a run around.

00:50:06.699 --> 00:50:08.960
They're coming in. And what was happening, it

00:50:08.960 --> 00:50:12.019
was taking them ages to get going with a lesson

00:50:12.019 --> 00:50:14.389
because they were so... kind of ramped up with

00:50:14.389 --> 00:50:17.949
with um the sensory experience of playtime they

00:50:17.949 --> 00:50:20.550
needed more of that organizing and more of that

00:50:20.550 --> 00:50:22.969
calming and grounding and they were able to do

00:50:22.969 --> 00:50:25.690
that literally by you know when they were coming

00:50:25.690 --> 00:50:29.329
in we um did some organizing activities on on

00:50:29.329 --> 00:50:32.110
the way in and then when they came in the first

00:50:32.110 --> 00:50:34.300
thing that they did was all sat down on the carpet

00:50:34.300 --> 00:50:36.400
and they did some grounding, some deep pressure

00:50:36.400 --> 00:50:39.320
activities. And that just helped everyone to

00:50:39.320 --> 00:50:42.159
be in that ready to learn state and ready to

00:50:42.159 --> 00:50:44.880
engage state. I also wonder if they were doing

00:50:44.880 --> 00:50:48.440
these regular micro circuits, whether they wouldn't

00:50:48.440 --> 00:50:52.079
need to go, whoa, at playtime either. So it's

00:50:52.079 --> 00:50:53.980
like, actually, it's taken us so long to calm

00:50:53.980 --> 00:50:56.039
down after playtime. But actually, if we did

00:50:56.039 --> 00:50:59.360
it a few times before then, they might not have

00:50:59.360 --> 00:51:05.039
the need to, you know, go mad. playtime and then

00:51:05.039 --> 00:51:07.559
you know spend the time else i suppose because

00:51:07.559 --> 00:51:09.599
the answer is we're already spending the time

00:51:09.599 --> 00:51:12.300
we're just not sending it effectively are we

00:51:12.300 --> 00:51:16.960
exactly exactly yeah but it does i think sometimes

00:51:16.960 --> 00:51:20.119
it takes that outsider to come in yeah totally

00:51:20.119 --> 00:51:23.679
observe and go hold on a minute let's try something

00:51:23.679 --> 00:51:26.940
different here and you know we have the privilege

00:51:26.940 --> 00:51:29.239
of being able to do that as therapists and being

00:51:29.239 --> 00:51:31.159
someone that's not connected to the school or

00:51:31.159 --> 00:51:33.480
the class or the pupils or the staff you know

00:51:33.480 --> 00:51:36.099
we can go in with a fresh pair of eyes and and

00:51:36.099 --> 00:51:39.219
look but that's something that we encourage um

00:51:39.219 --> 00:51:41.539
you know teaching staff and class -based to do

00:51:41.539 --> 00:51:45.400
as well take that time to just stop a minute

00:51:45.400 --> 00:51:47.380
and have a look around and see whether this is

00:51:47.380 --> 00:51:49.500
working or not and then, you know, read back.

00:51:49.500 --> 00:51:50.820
It goes back to that permission, doesn't it?

00:51:50.820 --> 00:51:52.559
That permission for that one member of staff.

00:51:52.820 --> 00:51:54.539
We say it's a lot in our sensory circuits. One

00:51:54.539 --> 00:51:57.099
member of staff needs to stand away and watch.

00:51:57.199 --> 00:52:00.059
Is it actually alerting? Is it actually organising?

00:52:00.059 --> 00:52:02.500
Is it actually calming? Because when you're in

00:52:02.500 --> 00:52:04.800
it, you don't know. You're in it. You're doing

00:52:04.800 --> 00:52:07.719
the sensory circuit. You're actually not observing

00:52:07.719 --> 00:52:10.309
your students. kind of giving the permission,

00:52:10.389 --> 00:52:12.130
which we give a lot, we talk a lot about on our

00:52:12.130 --> 00:52:15.010
training, at each stage for one member of staff

00:52:15.010 --> 00:52:18.429
to be allocated to what? That's your only job

00:52:18.429 --> 00:52:21.710
is to what? Are we doing what we set out to do?

00:52:21.989 --> 00:52:24.210
And if we're not, we need to change things up.

00:52:24.210 --> 00:52:26.809
We need to change it. Yeah. Yeah. And stop that

00:52:26.809 --> 00:52:30.289
stagnant, mutinated idea of this is how we've

00:52:30.289 --> 00:52:33.610
always done it. It's time to change it up. It's

00:52:33.610 --> 00:52:35.750
a new year. I'm sure you're all seeing these.

00:52:36.579 --> 00:52:38.960
uh needs in your class and you're not really

00:52:38.960 --> 00:52:41.340
sure where to go well this would be a really

00:52:41.340 --> 00:52:44.940
great start you know what and what an amazing

00:52:44.940 --> 00:52:47.519
start to for your children and for your team

00:52:47.519 --> 00:52:49.599
to be how to be able to have these really clear

00:52:49.599 --> 00:52:52.300
strategies if people have been listening to this

00:52:52.300 --> 00:52:55.199
and thinking yep this sounds great sign me up

00:52:55.199 --> 00:52:58.500
um what do i send to my head teacher to get her

00:52:58.500 --> 00:53:01.179
on board you know what Where do people go to

00:53:01.179 --> 00:53:04.199
get this information about your system and you

00:53:04.199 --> 00:53:06.760
guys and the training? Yeah, so we've got our

00:53:06.760 --> 00:53:09.960
website, which is really informative. on there

00:53:09.960 --> 00:53:13.719
is all about who we are what we do the approach

00:53:13.719 --> 00:53:16.159
you've got the three stages on there so that's

00:53:16.159 --> 00:53:20.260
www .regulate2communicate .com and you can also

00:53:20.260 --> 00:53:23.300
look at all of our services on there and our

00:53:23.300 --> 00:53:25.639
contact details are on the website as well so

00:53:25.639 --> 00:53:28.000
you can contact us and the best way is through

00:53:28.000 --> 00:53:31.460
email and we're happy to discuss anything that

00:53:31.460 --> 00:53:34.300
your school needs and you know a lot of the time

00:53:34.300 --> 00:53:37.429
we create bespoke packages for schools so it

00:53:37.429 --> 00:53:39.050
might be that you need a bit of training it might

00:53:39.050 --> 00:53:41.690
be that you need some on -site modeling and coaching

00:53:41.690 --> 00:53:44.030
it might be might be that you need some remote

00:53:44.030 --> 00:53:47.269
coaching of staff and support or you we might

00:53:47.269 --> 00:53:49.489
need to look specifically at some more complex

00:53:49.489 --> 00:53:52.670
students that need more of a specific program

00:53:52.670 --> 00:53:55.489
so website is probably your best place but we

00:53:55.489 --> 00:53:57.909
also have our instagram where we share loads

00:53:57.909 --> 00:54:01.269
of videos helpful tips and advice and so you

00:54:01.269 --> 00:54:03.989
can have a little look at what we're doing and

00:54:03.989 --> 00:54:08.380
through there it honestly sounds amazing and

00:54:08.380 --> 00:54:12.000
as a yes special education teacher but I'm attached

00:54:12.000 --> 00:54:14.079
to a mainstream school so it's a separate class

00:54:14.079 --> 00:54:16.199
attached to a mainstream school and I see the

00:54:16.199 --> 00:54:19.599
need in my class but I also see the need in mainstream

00:54:19.599 --> 00:54:22.719
from nursery to year six it is so I know firsthand

00:54:22.719 --> 00:54:27.780
that this is definitely needed and um and I'm

00:54:28.059 --> 00:54:32.159
sure can be so impactful for for all schools

00:54:32.159 --> 00:54:34.559
so I'm really excited about it and I'm really

00:54:34.559 --> 00:54:37.059
excited to follow your journey and and see the

00:54:37.059 --> 00:54:40.079
impact this has it's really exciting to me we

00:54:40.079 --> 00:54:43.380
are just we're really passionate about it and

00:54:43.380 --> 00:54:45.719
I think we've really seen the impact you know

00:54:45.719 --> 00:54:48.260
the business is still really early we're kind

00:54:48.260 --> 00:54:51.039
of two years into the business and the impact

00:54:51.039 --> 00:54:53.539
we've had in the classrooms have been so significant

00:54:53.539 --> 00:54:57.260
and the improvement in staff well -being has

00:54:57.260 --> 00:55:00.460
been you know so fantastic to see we're just

00:55:00.460 --> 00:55:02.440
keen to share with as many people as possible

00:55:02.440 --> 00:55:04.619
whether that's within schools and settings but

00:55:04.619 --> 00:55:06.940
also with our parents at home because parents

00:55:07.960 --> 00:55:09.659
Also are looking for support and not knowing

00:55:09.659 --> 00:55:12.219
where to turn and getting mixed messages from

00:55:12.219 --> 00:55:15.019
therapists, not finding therapists that can communicate

00:55:15.019 --> 00:55:18.139
with each other. So as earlier said, we've got

00:55:18.139 --> 00:55:19.519
an Instagram, we've got a website, we've got

00:55:19.519 --> 00:55:22.360
a mailing list. We will be updating people regularly

00:55:22.360 --> 00:55:25.239
around workshops that people can book on to training

00:55:25.239 --> 00:55:27.840
sessions, coaching sessions. And we try to make

00:55:27.840 --> 00:55:30.400
it as affordable and as accessible for parents

00:55:30.400 --> 00:55:33.400
and also for schools. We just want people to

00:55:33.400 --> 00:55:35.900
know about it and know that there is an answer

00:55:35.900 --> 00:55:39.619
out there that doesn't... paying a fortune for

00:55:39.619 --> 00:55:41.820
a speech therapist paying a fortune for an occupational

00:55:41.820 --> 00:55:45.380
therapist and hoping they work together um with

00:55:45.380 --> 00:55:48.000
an approach that is you know really a fun practice

00:55:48.000 --> 00:55:51.199
as i say people keep in touch on instagram we

00:55:51.199 --> 00:55:53.179
can add you to our mailing list and there'll

00:55:53.179 --> 00:55:55.800
be lots of options to kind of collaborate and

00:55:55.800 --> 00:55:57.639
work together in a way that's affordable and

00:55:57.639 --> 00:56:01.139
also accessible amazing thank you ladies for

00:56:01.139 --> 00:56:03.659
taking the time today to be on the podcast i've

00:56:03.659 --> 00:56:06.860
loved learning more about this system Thanks

00:56:06.860 --> 00:56:07.539
so much, Jordan.