Abstract

“Research in the neuroscience of social emotional development has helped us clarify that a child's brain development does not lead to stronger social connections and social engagement, it is actually the other way around. All children need frequent and positive social connections and engagement to fuel their brain development and learning. These positive social relationships fuel a child's interest in the social world, a child's ability to learn by watching and imitating others, develop language skills to connect and share experiences, and ultimately a child's higher-level executive functioning. A discussion of the neurobiology of engagement will be followed with a discussion of how positive social connections and relationships, in fact, build strong learners at home and at school. Critical priorities can be derived from contemporary neuroscience that guide us as educators, therapists and parents when children are beginning to communicate, developing language, and striving to succeed in a range of social situations at the conversational level.
 

Abstract

“Think Bright” is the first-of-its-kind, evidence-based thinking skills programme which is culturally appropriate for pre-schoolers aged 4 to 6 in Hong Kong. The “Think Bright” Project is sponsored by the Alfar Charitable Trust, and is developed by our professional team of educational psychologists and special education teacher. “Think Bright” aims to strengthen the cognitive and language abilities as well as the higher order thinking in young children.

This workshop gives an overview of the “Think Bright” project with the aim to enlighten peer practitioners with the concept of Dynamic Assessment and Mediated Learning approach through sharing on educational applications, as well as summarizing the recent findings of a local research study.
 

Abstract

This 2-day workshop will review our knowledge about adult outcomes for individuals with ASD with a focus on identifying childhood factors that predict a higher quality of life.  We will discuss methods for (1) assessing transition readiness; (2) developing goals to support a successful transition to adulthood; and (3) intervention techniques targeting executive function, social communication skills, emotion regulation, and daily living skills.  Interventions supporting transition to adulthood for both concrete learners with ASD and learners graduating with a general education diploma will be discussed.
 

Research in the neuroscience of social emotional engagement fosters our ability to support students with autism while supporting a universal design for learning for all students with and without SEN.  When we gain knowledge of a social and emotional scope and sequence of skills and how to facilitate growth in these domains, we create a supportive learning environment that is focused on the success of every student.  The outcomes of the Social Emotional Engagement – Knowledge and Skills (SEE-KS) program will be introduced and linked to a universal design for learning framework (UDL).  UDL ensures that we begin to consider how to foster social emotional engagement in multiple ways, present information in multiple ways, and promote student participation in different ways.  

By increasing student independence, emotional investment and initiations across a range of settings, we can promote better outcomes.  In order to ensure sustainability of the SEE-KS framework, participants will learn teacher-to-teacher mentorship techniques that can be implemented to appreciate effective practices and collaborate with one another to determine next steps.  This course will be relevant for children who are before words, emerging language, and conversational levels in both special education and inclusive classroom settings.  Case examples will include kindergarten and mainstream school settings.