‘These workshops have such potential that they should be available to everyone who has contact with children and adults with ASD’

Participant from one CPD event

Lady with a crown coming out of some silver material

The Beacon 2018 ‘How to Build Your Own Pod’. Credit: Jasper Bouverie.

What training is offered?

There are a number of training options available that are flexible enough to suit a variety of organisations working with autistic people and parents/carers of autistic children and adults. The training ranges from one day to five full days and can be tailored to suit your needs.

  • Understanding Autism: perceiving differently – Exercises and workshops to promote empathy and understanding of autism ‘walking in someone else’s shoes’.
  • Learning with a difference: play and creative practices – Letting autistic participants take the lead; using humour; picking up on non-verbal cues; accepting offers for contact, play and exploration.
  • Puppetry as a communication tool – Using puppets and objects to enhance emotional resilience, extending creativity and imagination, and as a tool for avoiding and managing stressed behaviours.
  • Sensory awareness in autism education – Engaging children with multi-sensory activities (sound, texture, light, smells, touch, costume) using objects and materials we find in the home and classroom.
  • Building your own iA ‘pod’ – How to set up a temporary immersive environment using everyday materials and how to use this.
  • Why not book a cluster training with or without the iA pod?

Where has the training been offered?

National Autistic Society schools throughout the UK (2014); special schools and community groups in Kent (2015), Schools and Arts Centres in Sefton, Lancashire (2017) and teachers and parents in The Beacon, Folkestone Kent (2018-2019).

A woman coming out of a tunnel covered in a white sheet.

The Beacon 2018 ‘How to Build Your Own Pod’. Credit: Jasper Bouverie.

Testimonials

 “Learning through doing and very interactive. Lots of ideas and useful information about how this could be used in class”

“Learnt a new skill set”

“Amazing!”

“Great interactive session, lots of  moving about and group exercises”

“It reinforces the importance of seeing through the child’s eye and going with the ASD not going against it…made me realise the importance of the child’s voice”

“Lots of great ideas to think about for future planning”

“Great training…brilliant, easy to understand”

“Really looking forward to Part 2!”

Staff from a CPD event at The Beacon School, Folkestone.

 

If you are interested in CPD training for your staff, please contact by emailing imaginingautism@kent.ac.uk.