Disorders of Language and Literacy - where is the overlap?

Often children with diagnoses of language disorder, autistic spectrum disorder, dyslexia and dyspraxia appear to have as much in common as they do distinguishing characteristics. Maggie offers a unique model of language acquisition which has helped teachers, parents and support workers develop a greater understanding of the complex issues involved in diagnosis, and their role in providing appropriate support. For aspects of assessment, extend to a full day.

Helping Children Hang On To Your Every Word (combine with next course for a full day)

If children are opting out, switching off, passively waiting for direction or guessing randomly without focus, we need to find ways of helping them engage by making the learning experience more meaningful and rewarding. Maggie looks at ways of improving attention and concentration, and considers difficulties often masked by inappropriate behaviour.

Promoting Understanding of the Spoken Word Through Active Listening Skills

A whole-school approach to reducing the confusion and sense of failure experienced by children with comprehension difficulties. Strategies include improving concentration, helping children seek clarification and compensating for poor memory. Perhaps the most immediate effect is seen in improved self-esteem.

Order! Order! (combine with next course for a full day)

The poor oral and written narrative abilities of pupils with specific language and literacy disorders and dyspraxia are commonly associated with difficulties in general organisation, sequencing, task analysis, planning, following routines, and calendar knowledge. Maggie pulls these various threads together and offers a practical approach to intervention which supports the national Literacy Strategy.

Making the World a Less Confusing Place

Many children with special educational needs find the world a confusing place. Perhaps they have severe comprehension difficulties or cannot read the hidden language of non-verbal communication, social behaviour and normal routine that most can take for granted. Maggie considers practical ways in which children can be helped by capitalising on their visual strengths, and looks at general organisation, behaviour and decision-making.

Understanding and Coping With Dyspraxia (half or full day)

Maggie aims to make you feel dyspraxic in order to appreciate and begin to compensate for the difficulties experienced by children with developmental co-ordination disorder. The session includes consideration of the overlap with disorders of language and literacy and coping strategies for home and at school. These themes can be developed in more detail in a full day, with opportunity for group working and discussion. Please note this course covers body dyspraxia rather than the more specific verbal or articulatory dyspraxia.

Lost for Words (combine with next course for a full day)

Practical strategies to support vocabulary acquisition, concept development & word retrieval.

Phonological Awareness: the launch pad to language and literacy?

The National Curriculum recognises the importance of phonological awareness in the development of language and literacy. But not all aspects are included, reducing both the effectiveness of input during the foundation stage and the benefits of language and literacy schemes in later years. This session highlights the link between phonological awareness and language development, with practical strategies to benefit students of all ages, including those who will never perceive words as made up of individual sounds.

The Reluctant Speaker: Working with Selectively Mute Children (half or full day)

Persistent failure to communicate creates high anxiety for both families and professionals. This introductory session gives an overview of patterns of communication withdrawal, assessment and management procedures involving home, school and the wider community. The content is suitable for a wide range of professionals, including those in mental health settings. Please note, a twilight/half-day session is most appropriate for early years settings, while the full day covers the full age-range from pre-school to young adult and provides greater opportunity for case discussion and planning in small groups.

Creating a Communication Friendly Environment – Nursery? Classroom? New job?

Maggie invites us to consider what brings out the best - and worst! - in us in a learning situation and suggests that often it's the simplest changes that can make the biggest difference to a person's sense of belonging, purpose, enjoyment, success and motivation.

FULL DAY COURSES (or mix and match from the half-day courses!)

Functional Language in the Classroom

Practical strategies for identifying and supporting children with specific comprehension disorders on a day to day basis, both at home and in school. Coping strategies are covered in four themes – recognition, active listening, appropriateness and turn-taking. In response to participant feedback, this course is also offered over two days to include time-awareness, organisation and narrative skills. All areas are supported by the course manual ‘Functional Language in the Classroom – and at Home!’ (Maggie Johnson, 3^rd edition, 2005).

Functional Language in the Classroom - and More!

Offered as a follow-up, this day follows the same format as above but with a greater emphasis on individual programmes and target-setting. Participants are invited to select a particular theme to address in more depth e.g. pragmatic language difficulties (poor use of language in a social context), vocabulary development, or behavioural implications and management.