Using neuro-affirming practices to support neurodivergent children and young people in out-of-home care with their education
Description
Join the Centre and Dr Ana Garcia Melgar for an interactive workshop on supporting neurodivergent children and young people in out‑of‑home care (OOHC) with their education.
In this interactive session, participants will build their understanding of neurodivergence and how differences in sensory processing, executive functioning, and communication can affect learning and participation in education. Using a neuro-affirming, trauma-informed lens, the session will explore how to reframe behaviour as communication, identify and reduce environmental barriers, and work collaboratively across sectors to support educational outcomes of neurodivergent children and young people in out-of-home care. Through case studies and practical activities, participants will develop strategies they can apply in their own roles.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Identify how differences in sensory processing, executive functioning, and communication can affect the educational experiences of neurodivergent children and young people in out-of-home care, and recognise the impact of environmental barriers.
Apply neuro-affirming and strengths-based strategies to support the learning, participation, and wellbeing of neurodivergent children and young people across education and care settings.
Identify actions they can take within their own professional role to strengthen cross-sector collaboration and ensure the voices of children and young people are central to educational planning and support.
A light lunch will be provided.
Audience:
This workshop is aimed at child and family services professionals, child protection practitioners, professionals working in OOHC settings and other roles supporting children and young people in care with their education engagement and planning.
Registration information:
We are using a registration of interest process to manage attendees. Please submit your details to register your interest in attending. You will receive an email and ticket once your registration has been confirmed.
Places are limited. Confirmation of attendance is required prior to the event and unconfirmed registrations may be released to participants on the waitlist.
Lineup
Dr Ana Garcia-Melgar
Dr Ana Garcia-Melgar is a lecturer in Inclusive Education in the School of Education at La Trobe University. She is currently coordinating and teaching subjects within the Inclusive Education specialisation of the Bachelor of Education (Primary and Secondary). Her research interests are in the areas of inclusive education, reasonable adjustments, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and multi-tiered supports, and neuro-affirming practices. She has collaborated with La Trobe University’s Living with Disability Research Centre and Rural Health department on several projects aimed at improving the accessibility and responsiveness of mainstream services for people with disabilities.
FAQs
- Is this workshop for me?
This workshop is primarily aimed at child and family services professionals, child protection practitioners and professionals working in OOHC settings and roles supporting children and young people in care with their education engagement and planning.
If you would like to check whether this session is appropriate for you, please reach out to the event organiser via email:
Kate McLaughlin - kate.mclaughlin@cfecfw.org.au
- I can no longer attend - what should I do?
This is a free session with limited spots, we appreciate that circumstances arise where you can't attend as planned.
If you are unable to attend, please cancel your ticket to allow someone else to take your place. If you are unable to cancel your ticket please email event organiser listed below who can cancel this manually.
Kate McLaughlin - kate.mclaughlin@cfecfw.org.au
- I want to attend, but the event is sold out
This session is limited in capacity to ensure that there is appropriate room for group discussion and practice application. If anyone cancels their ticket, these will automatically be allocated to those who have registered interest.
If you're unable to attend, but interested in more events like this, follow the Centre on Humanitix to be the first to hear about future workshops for the Out-of-Home Care and Education project!
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