Inclusion Training Project

The Me2 Club has been supporting children and young people with additional needs into mainstream activities for many years. 

Following a successful pilot last year,  we are please to announce we will be continuing our Inclusion Training Project. The project offers  leaders of mainstream activities (anything from Brownies to Drama Club to Rock Climbing!) a series of FREE workshops on Disability and Inclusion, as well as bespoke workshops and tailored advice to groups.  We are able to provide this training free of charge as the project is subsidised by funders including The Big Lottery and Wokingham Borough Council.

The sessions below are open to any leader, volunteer, play worker, young leader, youth worker, sports coach, etc.  working in an out of school activity that is based in Wokingham Borough (or has children from Wokingham Borough attending).

Groups can already be involving children with additional needs, or not - all are welcome!

The Me2 Club also runs a library of books relating to Inclusion.  For details of books available please download the list here. Books are free to borrow, but a deposit cheque is required,  please get in touch if you would like to borrow any books.

Feedback from our workshops last year included:

‘I feel more confident to plan activities where everyone can be involved’ Youth worker

‘Helpful discussions and learnt new things’ Guide leader

‘The Strategies were really useful, they tell us what we can actually do to help and these will be put into practise in our setting’ Playworker

‘I have a greater empathy and awareness with ASD young people’ Volunteer youth worker

‘I have the confidence to try changing things’ Beaver leader

‘The information and strategies are good to know’ Ice Hockey Coach

Please see below for an outline of the training offered, full details of the courses can be found in the Training Guide

Adapting Activities

An interactive session  looking at approaches and strategies that can be used to adapt group activities and ensure all are able to be actively involved, without detracting from the experience for mainstream children

Autism

An introduction to autism, looking at the difficulties someone with autism may experience, and learning useful strategies to support and include them.                                           

This workshop is delivered in partnership with the Wokingham Autism Partnership

Communication

A workshop looking at communication, particularly with people with little, no, or different verbal communication. The session will cover communication skills, and explore non verbal communication and recognising people’s needs.

Supporting Behaviour Difficulties

This workshop will discuss working with children with behaviour difficulties. It will explore ‘challenging’ behaviours and strategies to include these children. It will include behaviour management theory and practical scenarios.

Introducing Disability

Looking at how differences and  disability can be introduced to a mainstream group. This workshop will include discussion of different settings and explore methods and   activities to make understanding difference accessible to mainstream children.

Epilepsy

An introduction to the different types of epilepsy, understanding what is happening, how to recognise different seizures, and what to do (and not to do) if a child has a seizure.

Makaton

Makaton is a language programme using signs and symbols to help people communicate. It is often used with children and adults with communication difficulties and is designed to support spoken language.

This will be an introductory session,  teaching some commonly used words, and some specific to activity group.  You wil have opportunity to learn approximately 30 signs and symbols.  This fun and interactive session also provides the opportunity to discuss ideas on how you could use Makaton in your setting.

Strategies

A discussion session to address the particular needs of groups attending. Bring along a real life difficulty or scenario and the group and facilitator will work together to come up with strategies and ideas of how to address them. 

Are you already involving young people with additional needs? Do you need support and ideas on how best to do this? Have you had to turn someone away because you didn’t have the knowledge to include them?

The Me2 Club can also offer you individual advice and guidance by visiting your setting and sharing our skills and experience.  Contact us to find out more. 

Dates: