Cayman’s racing champ meets with young fans

(CNS): The number of students which teachers are encountering with special needs was reflected in the oversubscription of a training session recently that had to be expanded. Nearly 100 public and private school teachers turned out for an autism awareness training workshop which was originally planned for 25 classroom teachers. The workshop was specifically developed to meet the needs of teachers who currently number autistic students among their pupils. “We exceeded our registration target by nearly 300 percent,” Wellness Centre Director and Workshop Facilitator Shannon Seymour explained.

“This response is a clear indication that teachers want this information. They want support and resources so they can do what’s best for their students,” she said adding that the overwhelming response says government needs to fund this kind of training. “It tells our schools, parents and guardians that everyone needs and wants to work together to try to improve the educational success of autistic children,” she added.

Topics included the unique needs of students with autism spectrum disorders; an introduction to behavioural management strategies; and methods to address social skills and sensory issues in the classroom. “Participants learned a lot about students with autism,” Seymour said. “Hopefully they now have a renewed sense of the challenges so typical for an autistic child and recognise that there is much they can do to help manage these students. They should now be better equipped to address some of the disruptive behaviours that are typical.”
Some teachers, particularly those who had already been trained to manage special needs students, found the workshop refreshing.
One teacher explained why so many were interested in the workshop. “We do get kids with different behaviours and I want to be able to identify what those behaviours are, what they might mean and what I can do to help those children cope,” the First Baptist School teacher said. “This has been tremendously helpful and I’ve learned some great techniques that can be applied to all kids in the classroom.”