Page 2 - Maria Beard

Parents and carers will be aware that there are often some tricky daily transitions where you ask your child to do something and you get pushback. In particular, bedtimes, mealtimes, and playtimes can cause issues and stress.  

Visual aids like reward charts are great for communicating to children how much progress they've made and to reinforce positive behaviour with the idea that this will be repeated. In our experience, visuals can be excellent for helping children with SEND refocus on their positive actions and build self-esteem. 

What are reward charts? 

A reward chart works on the basic understanding that a child will be rewarded for doing something they don’t enjoy or find difficult, such as doing their homework, trying a new food, or going to bed on time. 

Reward charts are a powerful way of: 

• encouraging positive behaviour, like saying please. 
• discouraging challenging behaviour, like hitting. 
• rewarding your child for practising new skills, such as playing an instrument.

There are many different types of sensory toys, and a lot of them have a bad reputation for being a distraction with children focusing on their toys rather than the classroom content. We think that’s unfair. We want to show you how these toys can be a positive addition to the classroom.

Different people have different experiences of the festive season. Some people associate it with excitement and fun, while for others it’s difficult. For lots of autistic people, and for families with an autistic member, Christmas can bring challenges.

People with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) often report auditory sensitivity, meaning they’re highly sensitive to noise. It can make everything from shopping to fire drills difficult to manage. Unpredictable sounds, such as a dog barking, horn blaring, or sounds of a certain frequency, can be very overwhelming. It’s not always possible to avoid sounds, especially unpredictable ones, which is why it’s important to identify the signs, causes, and symptoms of overload, and how to help.