How to use creative strategies and reduce conflict and anxiety when working with children who are on the Autism Spectrum

A one day course for teachers and freelance practitioners.

This course will demonstrate to you ways that enable your children to relax.  The Bamboozle Approach, which is a 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.

“ The project that you have designed for our children and staff 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 has led to happier pupils and much less challenging behaviour.”  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, parent on Bamboozle’s Wildings Outdoor 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 Stevenage to Shanghai and many places in between! Sharing our Approach with educators and practitioners enables more and more learning 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.

This autism-specific course covers key areas of the Bamboozle Approach which can be applied and integrated into your own practice straight away.

10:00:  Session one:  An introduction to The Bamboozle Approach,

• Beliefs and Principles of 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

11:30:  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

1:45:  Session three:  Practical application using a narrative structure

• 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.

3:15:  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

This day will 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.

Venue, Dates & times:

Next dates TBC.

Signing up:

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

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.