21TRA415 Meeting The Needs Of Children With Dyspraxia / DCD - 4 Part Webinar Series for SNAs

 

 

 

 

 

DATE:       Thursday, 23 September, Thursday, 7 October, Thursday, 4 November & Thursday, 18 November 2021
TIME:        6pm to 7pm (4 x 1 hour sessions)
VENUE:    Online - Zoom

This Webinar Series is suitable for Primary and Post Primary SNAs  

Dyspraxia/DCD affects approximately 1-in-10 children in Ireland. Dyspraxia/DCD impacts each child uniquely with areas impacted including gross and fine motor skills, balance, sensory regulation, balance, co-ordination and executive function. 

This 4-webinar module aims to provide SNAs with a greater understanding of dyspraxia/DCD, how it may impact children and what we can do to meet these needs.
This module will review ideas, skills and strategies to help meet the needs of children with Dyspraxia/DCD in the school setting. 

Areas to be covered across the 4 webinars include understanding of Dyspraxia/DCD, Fine motor and handwriting, gross motor and co-ordination, attention and organisation and sensory processing and self-regulation. 

Webinar 1 - Thursday, 23 September 2021

This webinar is the first of four webinars. This webinar will provide an introduction to Dyspraxia/DCD and aims to provide SNAs with a greater understanding of the lives of children with Dyspraxia/DCD.  This webinar also looks at how Dyspraxia/DCD can affect children in a variety of ways and how these factors may affect these children in the classroom. In this webinar there will be a focus on how Dyspraxia/DCD affects fine motor skills and practical strategies and ideas for helping children with handwriting difficulties.

Areas to be covered include: Defining and understanding DCD, The potential impacts of Dyspraxia/DCD can have for children, the importance of knowing each child, fine motor considerations and handwriting ideas and strategies.

Learning objectives

By the end of the webinar:

• Participants will have a greater understanding of Dyspraxia/DCD and the varying impacts it may have on children’s school and occupational performance
• Participants will have developed tools to help inclusively meet students with Dyspraxia’s fine motor and handwriting needs in the school setting.
• Participants will have a knowledge of a number of strategies and techniques to aid the student with Dyspraxia/DCD in the classroom setting

Webinar 2 - Thursday, 7 October 2021

This webinar is the second of four webinars. This webinar will focus on the impact dyspraxia/DCD can have on children’s co-ordination and balance as well as strategies and ideas to help develop these areas. There will be a focus on practical and implementable gross motor skills development strategies in the classroom.  This webinar also looks at the importance of movement and brain breaks throughout the school day as well as how mindfulness and self-care strategies.

Areas to be covered include: Balance and co-ordination, gross motor skills, the importance of movement breaks and practical mindfulness strategies.

Learning objectives

By the end of the webinar:

• Participants will have a greater understanding of the physical impacts Dyspraxia/DCD may have on children’s school and occupational performance
• Participants will have developed strategies to inclusively and practically meet the gross motor needs of children in the school setting.
• Participants will have a knowledge of a number of brain and movement breaks to help meet the sensory needs of the children they are working with.

Webinar 3 - Thursday, 4 November 2021

This webinar is the third of four webinars. This webinar will focus on the impact dyspraxia/DCD can have on children’s organisation and planning as well as strategies and ideas to help develop these areas. Participants will develop their understanding of executive functioning. There will be a focus on practical and implementable of the co-op approach and the benefits of the strategy for children with dyspraxia/DCD. This webinar also looks at the importance of positive self-image and developing a growth mindset.  

Areas to be covered include: Cognition and attention, Organisation skills and strategies, Executive functioning, The Co-Op approach and developing a growth mindset.  

Learning objectives

By the end of the webinar:

• Participants will have a greater understanding of theimpacts Dyspraxia/DCD may have on children’s organisation and planning in the school environment.
• Participants will have developed strategies to inclusively and practically help children engage with the co-op approach to develop planning and organisation.
• Participants will have a knowledge of the importance of positive self image for children with dyspraxia/DCD and how growth mindset can be a starting point for developing this.

Webinar 4 - Thursday, 18 November 2021

This webinar is the fourth of four webinars. This webinar will focus on the impact dyspraxia/DCD can have on children’s self-image and experience of the world. Participants will develop their understanding the importance of children developing self-awareness as a foundational skill. There will be a focus on understanding of our feelings and developing self-regulation strategies. This webinar also looks at the importance sensory processing and integration. With a final recap on the module also.

Areas to be covered include: The importance of developing self-awareness as a foundational skill, understanding of our feelings and developing self-regulation, the changes in our senses and sensory processing and integration and a recap on the module.

Learning objectives

By the end of the webinar:

• Participants will have a greater understanding of the impacts Dyspraxia/DCD may have on children’s self-image and self-awareness.
• Participants will have developed strategies to inclusively and practically help children understand their emotions and self-regulation.
• Participants will have a knowledge of the importance of sensory processing and self-regulation for children with sensory processing difficulties.

 

Tutor: Stephen Hodnett

Stephen is a qualified occupational therapist and primary school teacher with over 10 years’ experience in the classroom, working in both mainstream and SEN settings. Stephen has worked with Dyspraxia/DCD Ireland and their members in recent times, including the development of the ‘Our say in our schools’ resource for schools by children with Dyspraxia/DCD.