DESCRIPTION OF TRAINING CONTENT

Statistics in Europe suggest that at least 15.4% of the school population have a special educational need which is defined thus ‘A child or young person has Special Educational Needs (SEN) if he or she has learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for him or her to learn than most other children and young people of about the same age’.

Barriers to learning range from Severe and Complex learning difficulties at the low end of the spectrum to Giftedness at the high end of the spectrum. Between these two extremes will be a range of more specific learning difficulties which include Dyslexia, Dyspraxia (DCD), Dyscalculia, ADD and ADHD; conditions nowadays common in our homes and classrooms.

Many children and young people will have special educational needs of some kind during their education. Early years settings, schools, colleges and other organisations, as well as parents, can help most children and young people overcome their difficulties by increasing their awareness and understanding of the most common difficulties encountered and learning how to identify and support the remediation of these difficulties as early as possible.

This course is aimed at all those professionals and paraprofessionals who wish to gain a greater understanding of the most common specific learning difficulties, how these can be identified, formally diagnosed and ultimately supported in a positive and effective way for all.

Main Aims

• Gain an understanding of Special Educational Needs; specifically Specific Learning Difficulties including Dyslexia, Dyspraxia (DCD), Dyscalculia, ADD and ADHD.
• Appreciate causation and the key characteristics of the various specific learning difficulties listed above
• Learn about processes towards and criteria for diagnosis
• The Pros and Cons – Develop an understanding of learning and living from the perspective of an individual with a special educational need, specifically Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia and ADD/ADHD.

Why SENI?

According to a report published by the European Commission (EC), Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, a strong
political consensus has emerged in Europe on the importance of inclusive education, and ensuring children with special educational needs (SEN) are included within mainstream education. The report goes on concluding that mutual learning and the sharing of best practice on the provision of support for children with SEN are lacking at the European level. This is complicated by a marked absence of pan-European data on the prevalence of SEN, attributable to varying definitions of SEN between countries and divergent methods of SEN identification. Correspondingly, there is a case to be made for a harmonised classification framework of SEN in Europe. A political consensus has emerged on the importance of inclusive education, reflected by a general trend towards placement of children with SEN in mainstream education, and away from special schooling. Many Member States have made good progress in developing coherent, localised and inclusive early intervention strategies, which provide for consultation with affected families. Information on the support mechanisms available to parents of children with SEN is incomplete, although examples of good practice exist for replication.

Therefore, Identifying Barriers to Learning – A Special Educational Needs (SEN) Masterclass Course is an indispensable course for all those who wish to gain in depth understanding of Special Educational Needs and the processes and criteria for early identification (diagnosis).

Who to attend SENI?

The SENI course is ideal for:

• School principals & directors (primary & secondary)
• Teachers (primary & secondary)
• Teachers working with SEN pupils
• Educational Advisors
• Paraprofessionals
• Phychologists
• Parents

METHODOLOGY OF THE COURSE – ADDED VALUE

The course methodology will ensure the active involvement of the participants in all phases, that is, prior, during and after the delivery of the course.

More specifically, upon confirmation that the course will take place, the participants will receive preparatory material (if need ed), which will cover all important concepts to be presented during the delivery of the course. The participants will have the opportunity to exchange feedback with the organiser of the course, ShipCon, and the trainer as well as to request any clarification related to the content of the course.

The methodology of the training is based on a combination of three important elements:

• Provision of knowledge required (theory)
• Use of training tools, such as case studies, videos, games, animations & exercises (practice – hands on experience)
• Feedback/reflection (review)

During the delivery of the course, the participants will receive hard copy material, which will cover the content to be presented in all five (5) days of the seminar. The material will be presented in a form of Power Point (PPT) presentations, videos & animations. Moreover, the active involvement and hands on experience of the participants will be secured through various training tools, such as case studies, worksheets, scenarios & exercises. These training tools are necessary to ensure that the theoretical knowledge gained by the participants can be used in real life scenarios; an important aspect & added value for any training course.

At the final day of the course, the participants will have the opportunity to reflect on the information received and the experience gained in the specific field of study. Moreover, the participants and their institutions will be encouraged to be members of ShipCon ‘Network of Excellence’, an international hub and forum for entrepreneurs & innovators to exchange ideas, novel concepts/approaches & best practices in the area of environment and education.

BENEFITS TO PARTICIPANTS – SKILLS & COMPETENCES

The course is ideal for school principals, teachers of primary and secondary education, educational advisors (including psychologists) and parents who wish to gain in depth understanding of the most common specific learning difficulties, how these can be identified, formally diagnosed and ultimately supported in a positive and effective way for all.

By the end of the course, delegates will have acquired capabilities to:

• Gain an understanding of Special Educational Needs; specifically Specific Learning Difficulties including Dyslexia, Dyspraxia (DCD), Dyscalculia, ADD and ADHD.
• Appreciate causation and the key characteristics of the various specific learning difficulties
• Learn about processes towards and criteria for early identification (diagnosis)
• Develop an understanding of learning and living from the perspective of an individual with a special educational need, specifically Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia and ADD/ADHD.

EVENT WEBSITE: http://shipcon.eu.com/3403-2/