I am an experienced and highly motivated practitioner and have been working with students with complex needs aged between 4 and 19 years for over 20 years. I have taught students with a range of additional needs including ASD, communication difficulties, medical conditions such as epilepsy, global delay and often with children and young people that have a combination of difficulties.
I have led teams and set up bespoke settings in special schools including nurture units and classes for complex and challenging behaviour with a focus on calming and alerting including proprioceptive supported and independent regulation in educational and residential establishments in private and public settings. My career and qualifications also include visual art elements and I consider the benefits of art as therapy and as a tool for promoting independence and skills to be very important. I taught art to students working alongside independent artists (wire work, graffiti art, sculpture) artists and independently to develop student skills culminating in several exhibitions within school and college settings as well as in commercial art venues – local and national (as part of Baltic stars exhibition).
I have a wide range of specialised qualifications spanning my career including; PECS, TEACCH and numerous qualifications relating to behaviour and communication to ensure that I have an understanding of current practice and developments. I hold an active tutor qualification at Intermediate level for Team Teach – a holistic approach to supporting children and young adults with complex and challenging behaviours and have led and supported training for other professionals.
I have lectured other professionals and advised and supported in several settings both in the UK and UAE. Covering a range of subjects from – behaviour as language, co-morbidity and communication, understanding behaviour,
I have worked with multi agency professionals and supported families including setting up parent support groups to strengthen information and signpost to other agencies.
I have written and implemented policies relating to behaviour, physical intervention and use of withdrawal spaces and strongly believe that the priority in any formal or dynamic implementations need to be based in practical applications with a focus on supporting primarily the individual children and young people and the support network around them.