Complex Needs in the Primary Classroom

The article on pages 1 -6 of the Special Education Resource Journal ( Special Issue), documents research carried out in a Primary Classroom, as part of the National DfE funded Project on Children with Complex learning Difficulties and Disabilities. Professor Carpenter presents the work with the Primary Class Teacher, Debbie Wiggett, and two members of the CLDD Project Research Team, Bev Cockbill and Jo Egerton.

The article can be accessed through this link

Implications of new DfE Guidance for children born Prematurely

Implications of new DfE Guidance for children born Prematurely

Professor Carpenter’s response to the Advice given by the DfE, published in Children and Young People now, can be on their website.

The original advice from the DfE can be found on the DfE Website

Special Needs in the Early Years – an International Early Intervention Conference.

This conference, a joint congress of the Annual Conference of the European Association on Early Childhood Intervention (EURLYAID) and the 2nd National Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Intervention Conference of the Turkish Association on Early Childhood Intervention invites you to participate in:

INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTION
“Bridging Research & Practice in Early Childhood Intervention”

For conference information, please go to: http://www.iceci2014.com/eng/index.php

April 3 – 6, 2014

AKKA Hotel Antedon
Antalya, Turkey

Preterm children need special attention in school

On average a primary school class will have four children born preterm, and many of them will have reduced cognitive capacity, social and behavioural difficulties and learning disabilities. Up to 70% of very preterm babies will require special educational needs services. But according to the National Forum for Neuroscience in Special Education, reported in an article in the latest issue of Children & Young People Now, few teachers are aware of this.

Barry Carpenter, visiting professor at the University of Worcester, is studying the educational outcomes and needs of preterm children in special schools, in partnership with SSAT and premature babies charity Bliss. He says addressing the educational needs of preterm children has become more urgent as advances in medical science have boosted survival rates – from 23% in 2000 to 63% today.

Vision is one sensory area that tends to get damaged. So teachers need to be aware that these children’s visual processing – the ability to read and decode – can be delayed, as can their language development.

SSAT will share the findings from Barry Carpenter’s studies in special schools for the benefit of mainstream schools, for example with a families workshop to share the strategies schools can use to meet this group’s needs. Stay informed by signing up to SSAT’s SEN e-forum.

The Promise of Neuroscience

We have so much more to understand about how the brain functions. As our knowledge increases, so our insights into the new generation of children with disabilities will grow, and we will better understand how they learn , and how we , as teachers , can better match our teaching styles. Indeed some creative and innovative pedagogy may be required!

A great leader in the area of Neuroscience is Professor Colin Blakemore. As a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine , I commend to you this lecture he gave recently at the RSM.

http://www.rsmvideos.com/videoPlayer/?vid=393&class=videoThumb

Through the National Forum for Neuroscience in Special Education, we endeavour to stimulate a dialogue between Neuroscientists and Teachers working with children and young people with SEND.
There are two forthcoming events which may be of interest.

On November 7th , there will be a Seminar on the Neuroscience of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders .
On February 6th, 2014, the Annual Conference will focus on Mental Health, and the insights neuroscience can bring to this most co occurring of Complex Needs.

Both events will be held in London , and further details can be obtained from Natalie Eccles,

New Autism Research Report Launched

A Future Made Together

A Future Made Together: Shaping Autism Research in the UK

Autism research has taken great strides toward understanding autism, its causes and its consequences. This research has the potential to transform the everyday lives of those with autism and their families. Yet there is still a huge gap between knowledge and practice, which means that, for the most part, the advances in research fail to impact upon those who need them most: autistic people, their parents and carers and those who help support them.

Commissioned by the charity Research Autism, this project aimed to describe the current landscape of autism research in the UK, embedded within an international context, and to compare the nature of the research being conducted with the views and perspectives of key stakeholders.

The resulting Report is the most comprehensive review of autism research in the UK ever undertaken. It also sits alongside a large-scale consultation of autistic people, their families, practitioners and researchers about what the research agenda means to them.

The Report highlights the many strengths of UK autism research. It also suggests that, for the UK to maintain its position as one of the world’s leaders in autism research, it needs greater investment in under-researched areas and in under-served populations, new strategic oversight and coordination and the involvement of autistic people and the broader autism community in decisions about research.

The Report was written by Liz Pellicano, Adam Dinsmore and Tony Charman, supported by members of an Advisory Group: Chris Atkins, Virginia Bovell, Baroness Angela Browning, Barry Carpenter, James Cusack, David Ellis, The Goth,Sarah Shenow, Helen Pearce and Simon Wallace.

http://newsletters.ioe.ac.uk/A_Future_Made_Together_2013.pdf

Download full report

Download executive summary