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How to reduce conflict and anxiety when working with children who are on the Autism Spectrum – Online Course

An online course for teachers, freelance practitioners and parents.

This online course will demonstrate to you ways that enable your children to relax. The tried and tested methodology, recognised by the National Autistic Society and Ofsted, will give you strategies to implement in your lessons or workshops immediately.

We will share with you Bamboozle’s 28 years of experience in delivering long-term culture-change projects in the autism learning environment as well as our more recent outdoor work with families.

“I am writing to thank you for your involvement in our school over the last two years. The project that you have designed for our children and staff to embark upon together has inspired and motivated us to change our curriculum to meet the needs of our pupils in a much more creative and dynamic way. This in turn has led to happier pupils and much less challenging behaviour. Our staff have come to see that a non- judgmental approach which entirely values every action of the child, is the way to promote and secure good quality learning. We have also been able to have open conversations about the wellbeing and mental health of our pupils and designed ways for them to access these conversations through drama and interactive experience.”

Lynnette Johnson, Headteacher, Lakesides School, Welwyn Garden City.

“I am so grateful to you all. It has been amazing to see how quickly Lizzie has relaxed and how much she has talked! Lizzie often doesn’t talk with new people and in new situations, yet here she has chatted happily. Lizzie was allowed to open up in her own time and was enraptured with the activities. This feels a very happy, magical safe place.”

Lydia – mother of Lizzie – on Bamboozle’s Wildings Project

Our work is often described as ‘magic’. But it isn’t. It is the rigorous application of our beliefs, principles and strategies. These can be taught. We share our Approach with parents, carers, teachers and theatre practitioners in the UK and across the world – from Shanghai to Sydney; Malta to Melbourne; Sweden to Singapore. Sharing our Approach with practitioners and educators enables more and more disabled children to experience the highest quality theatre and creative education practice as well as explore their capacity to interact meaningfully with the world around them.

These autism-specific workshops cover key areas of the Bamboozle Approach which can be applied and integrated into your own practice straight away.

Session one: The Bamboozle Approach,

An introduction to the Bamboozle Approach
Creating an Enabled Space for children and young people on the autism spectrum
A practical demonstration of how putting a group at ease enables its members to engage
Praise – a discussion about the effects of praise and alternative ways to give value
Discussion and Q&A

Session two: Free exploration

How exploratory play builds trust, reduces anxiety and provides child-centred opportunities for expression and learning
How child-initiated engagement and interaction can be developed – key behavioural and linguistic strategies
Adapting free exploration into more structured learning – using narrative to diversify children’s exploration and experiences
Discussion and Q&A

Session three: The Wildings – A case study of the Bamboozle Approach used outdoors.

The added value of being in nature – The natural health service
Renewing/ rewilding exercises for relaxation and wellbeing
How the The Wildings experience has impacted the families and artists
The importance of play. Being curious, being present, accepting uniqueness with active interest and the invitation to lead
Creating a character – how they are in the space, how to co-create stories by releasing the mantle of the expert – how they create an enabled space.
Creative activities we have used and that you can easily set up for your young people.
Discussion and Q&A

Session four: Advanced communication techniques and trouble shooting

Advanced techniques for building connections with children and young people who might be described as being hard-to-reach
Strategies for working with behaviour that challenges us
The Art of Being. The impact that how we are in the room has on the children and young people
Verbal and non-verbal ways of reducing anxiety and stress
Working with children’s energy – techniques for matching and leading
Discussion of situations you have experienced and Q&A

These 90 minute sessions give you the opportunity to watch demonstrations of techniques in practice and to spend time in discussion with some of Bamboozle’s most experienced practitioners. The course will give you ideas for creative learning sessions as well as behavioural and linguistic techniques and strategies that you can apply in your practice immediately.

Dates & times:

Dates for this course were due to be in March 2024, but unfortunately we are not currently able to offer this course. Please keep an eye out for future dates and email natalie@bamboozletheatre.co.uk with any enquiries.

Fees:

For schools and organisations – £167.00 per person for the four sessions which includes reference sheets on the techniques and strategies covered.

For individuals and freelancers – £87.00 per person for the four sessions which includes reference sheets on the techniques and strategies covered.

Signing up for the online series:

To register interest for the course please contact: natalie@bamboozletheatre.co.uk.