Susan

I have over 20 years' experience of working with primary-aged children. I have enormous experience of teaching English and am passionate about the subject, bringing it alive for the children I teach. I also help children who find maths challenging, boosting their confidence in the subject and making it fun, using practical resources, including Numicon. At present I am working part time in a small independent school supporting children 1:1 or in very small groups.

I have over 20 years of experience of teaching children on the autistic spectrum both in mainstream and in special schools.  I have worked with children in school and all professionals to ensure a ‘joined up’ programme.  I have had a lot of success using specialist attention sessions with children to encourage them, through exciting activities, to become more active and enthusiastic about their learning.

I have specialist skills working with children with sensory processing disorder, enabling children in mainstream and at home to have access to practical sensory experiences, making sensory corners and sensory rooms in all sorts of places.  I have a wide knowledge of resources that support children with sensory issues.

In the school I was based at for over 15 years, we used reward based strategies and I was able to use these in mainstream settings, adapting each system for individual children.  These reward systems can also be used in the home and some parents would have mobile reward systems to take out shopping and on outings etc.

I have experience with children who are non-verbal or minimal verbal and have been trained in using Makaton and PECs. I also help parents and carers to use PECs at home.

I always make my sessions full of fun and laughter, varied, creative using games and role play to engage the child. When I walked in to the school, the children would run up to me and ask, ‘Sue, Sue, are you taking me out today?’

As well as supporting the children emotionally, I would be able to help them to overcome academic anxieties they had too; by enabling them to feel confident with a concept that they had not previously understood, their self-esteem would improve.

I have been also been a special needs teacher, SENCo and more recently, an outreach teacher for 15 years. The school that my service was attached to specialises in social/ communication, behaviour and emotional well-being.

The children I supported in my Outreach role were mainstream, many with low self esteem, emotional and behavioural difficulties, language delay and needing support with flexibility of mind. Most children I supported had EHCPs.

I worked closely with the schools, the families and other professionals. I worked closely with Speech and Language Therapists, often delivering programmes designed collaboratively.  I  supported the children in 1:1 sessions, concentrating on boosting self-esteem, using a variety of strategies and resources. I also worked with small groups and specialise in developing social skills, social language and interaction.

Worked with the children, all professionals and parents to ensure that placements were successful. Regularly held training sessions for professionals and parents. Attended meetings and was involved in obtaining and reviewing EHCPs.