Dear Educators,

We hope you’ll join us for our first Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE) Teach Meet: Harnessing Perceptual Differences in the Classroom at 6 pm on Tuesday, 7 November 2023.

Our research has found that autistic children can take in more information at any given moment, e.g., are better at detecting a target sound hidden among other sounds, compared to non-autistic children. This could be useful in some situations, but problematic in others.

In this Teach Meet, we will consider how these differences could be relevant in classroom education. We will also discuss practical ways to harness the increased information processing: adjusting tasks, expectations, and environments to suit individual needs and create optimal conditions for learning and development.

We have 30 places for classroom practitioners and SENDCos in our two-hour workshop, which will include an opportunity to hear about cutting-edge research findings, meet and network with fellow educators, and take part in practical sessions. We hope participants leave this session equipped with concrete classroom strategies and a more in-depth understanding of autism in the classroom.

Date: Tuesday, 7 November 2023

Time: 6 pm – 8:30 pm GMT

Format: in-person only

Address: Lumen URC & Community Centre, 88 Tavistock Place, London, WC1H 9RS

Accessibility: full disabled access and WC

Light refreshments will be available, and dietary requirements will be requested.

Places are limited, so booking is essential. We will operate a Waitlist.

Please email: charlie.hamilton@ucl.ac.uk with any questions.

We hope you can join us!

Professor Anna Remington & Team

www.crae.ioe.ac.uk

Helpful Information

Lumen is where Tavistock Place meets Regent Square. Nearest tubes: 10 minutes walk from Russell Square (Piccadilly) and King's Cross (Circle, Piccadilly, Hammersmith & City, Northern, Metropolitan and Victoria).

Speakers’ biographies:

Professor Anna Remington is Professor of Autism Research and Director of the UCL Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE). Her work focuses on superior abilities in autism, specifically with respect to attention and perception within the condition, and how these might translate into practical benefits such as employment success. Her findings have been published in the leading journals within the field, and she is regularly invited to present her research both nationally and internationally. In her spare time, she makes short films about neuroscience (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOqdYJXIS90).

Norah Richards has a BSc, PGCE and PGCert Ed and worked as a primary school teacher with a focus on language learning and literacy difficulties. Norah completed her MSc in Language and Communication Difficulties in Education jointly at City University and at UCL Institute of Education. She completed her dissertation through CRAE under the supervision of Laura Crane.

Norah joined CRAE in 2022 as a first-year PhD student under the supervision of Laura Crane. Norah's research is focused on the experiences of autistic young people, their families, educators, carers, and health professionals as the young people transition from special education schools to adulthood.

Working agenda:

6.00 pm Arrival, registration
6:15 pm Professor Anna Remington
6:55 pm Norah Richards
7:05 pm Comfort break
7:10 pm Group activity with facilitator
7:40 pm Feedback/Q&A
8 pm – 8.30 pm: Networking

Light refreshments (cold drinks and nibbles) will be available throughout the evening. Please note: hot drinks are not available at this venue, but you may bring your own tea/coffee.

Registrations are closed

Teach Meet: Harnessing Perceptual Differences in the Classroom