Course Description

This two day course is designed to meet the needs of teachers who experience challenging behaviour in the classroom setting. The course aims to support teachers in understanding challenging behaviour and to examine why students engage in this behaviour. The course also explores strategies and interventions we can choose to prevent and manage challenging behaviour. In day two we look at our understanding of social skills and why pupils with SEN have difficulty developing effective social skills. We also explore effective assessment of social skills. Finally approaches to teaching social skills will be outlined and discussed.

Anticipated Outcomes

Participants will:

• Consider the many issues that influence students’ behaviour and social skill development

• Reflect on why students engage in challenging behaviour and on how this is critical in the selection of appropriate intervention strategies

• Develop enhanced understanding of approaches to preventing, managing and eliminating challenging behaviour

• Explore various approaches to assessment and teaching of Social Skills of/to pupils with SEN

Course Outline and Content

Understanding Challenging Behaviour/Social Skills:

• Reasons why pupils exhibit particular behaviours and reasons why students have difficulty developing certain social skills will be described and discussed

Assessment of Social Skills:

• Focused and appropriate assessment to identify pupils’ priority needs will be outlined and explored

Practical Teaching and Learning Strategies to ensure:

• Predictability and consistency of approach using classroom preventative practices

• Selection of appropriate intervention once the function of the behaviour is identified

Resources:

• Some related websites, books and programmes will be discussed

• Some classroom resources/interventions will be demonstrated

• Regular, structured planning and monitoring of de-escalation strategies

• Selecting appropriate teaching and learning interventions that address students’ targeted social/behaviour skills

Information for Applicants

The course is open to

• Teachers working with student(s) with special education needs in a mainstream Primary setting
• Teachers in Special Schools who are currently working with student(s) with special education needs
• Full-time Special Education Teachers who are currently working with student(s) with special education needs
• Participants will require permission from the Board of Management to attend. Typically, substitution for this seminar will only be allowed to classroom teachers with primary responsibility for students with a special educational need and if it is deemed absolutely essential by the Principal
• Typically substitution will only be allocated to non - substitute teachers
• Payment is not available to teachers in a substitute capacity

Refreshments and lunch will be provided.

Please click on Challenging Behaviour to register for this course. This course is not booked through the Education Centre. It is booked through the NCSE website.