Adventures in Social Skills

Rachel Holmes works as special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) within a specialist campus for secondary students with autism and associated mental health diffi culties. She has previously set up a specialist unit for secondary students with autism within a mainstream setting and has led on primary curriculum development within an all-age special educational needs (SEN) school. Rachel has significant experience of providing in-service training (INSET) in both specialist and mainstream settings on a range of topics such as social communication, access to learning and sensory difficulties.

• Introduction Section A: Making Sense of My World 1. Making Sense of My Feelings (anger, anxiety, worry, fear) - Mission Control ….. or Out of Control - My Control Barometer - Avoiding the Panic Button - Controlling my Superpower - Treasure Chest 2. Making Sense of My Environment (stressful/relaxing places, sensory information) - A Sense of Place - Super Senses! 3. Making Sense of What I Hear (verbal processing, communication skills, idioms) - Mumble Jumble? - More Than Words Can Say …. - Conversations…Now You’re Talking - Talking in Riddles 4. Making Sense of What I See (facial expressions, body language) - Emotions: Spotting the Clues - Emotions: Putting the Clues Together - Lights, Camera, Action! Section B: Connecting With Others 1. Me (promoting a positive sense of self) - Marvellous Me - A Mind Of My Own -Being Me 2. Making Connections (interactions with others, friendship) - Interactions and Connections - Talking My Language - Making Friends: A Balancing Act …. 3. Managing Difference and Disagreement - Two Heads are Better than One? - Agree to disagree? - Are You Having a Laugh? - When Friends Get It Wrong - Thinking Positively