Transcription
I don't know about you, but I love going into a bookshop and seeing what's new. And I love when websites send me the what's new or back in stock or bestsellers. So, I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite new resources and some of the things that are back in stock and why I love them and how I use them. So, I am super excited.
I have created a whole PDF to go with this. So check your email so you can have a look at all the fabulous new things and things that are back in stock. So one of the things is digital timers. I absolutely love digital timers. As you know, I love all timers and I highly recommend you listen to podcast number 157 because on that I actually share how to create independence for students using three key ingredients. And the three key ingredients is actually a schedule plus a visual plus a timer. So actually children knowing where they're going, what they're doing, and for how long.
Now Dean Beetle recently on Facebook shared how the reason he finds transition so hard is he just feels like he got settled and enjoying something and then boom, he has to move. And this is why a timer and a schedule is so important because it pre-warns the child where they're going, what they're doing, because often we just go pack away. That doesn't tell the child where they're going and what they're doing, and it makes them anxious. But also remember, many of our students have time blindness, which means when they're doing something they love, time disappears. But when they're doing something hate, it drags on.
So, one of my little boys, we actually put the time time at assembly on the stage so he could see how long he needed to sit for and he used to try and beat his record every week to see how long he could sit. Now, when you have time, you can push through. When I have a timer at the gym, I can push through. Um, today at the gym I was really tired because some of you may know I've taken up pickle ball and I played pickle ball last night and I haven't played at night before and then gone to the gym the next morning and I was a little bit tired and I can tell you by the fourth pod like we do little training pods the fourth pod I was like oh but because I just knew I only had 15 minutes to go I was able to push through. So time management is anxiety management.
I do love my at the gym, I have a group of guys I train with who I love. And when we training, we have a visual of what we're doing, where we're going. How many of you love a visual? So, time timers I highly recommend you use. They are designed for neurodeiverse children. They visually move back. The new ones come with a card as you will see on the um the new and back in stock. Um, but the one of the things that are back that I'm so excited about are portable digital schedules.
Now, these were actually made for reading. And when my kids were in primary school, they came home with these schedule portable schedules for to mark your time timers to record how long they were reading for. And they're digital and you can count up or count down. Now, me being me, I'm like, "Oh, these are perfect for my kids because their digital schedule, and most children know digital time because of their microwaves, their ovens, their um games, all those things. So, I'm using something they already have a concept of. So, if a child likes microwaves, microwaves count down. Whereas, if they like DVDs, YouTube, that tends to count up. So, that's how I work out which way to use the timer to count up or down. or you can just use it as the digital time. Okay? And then you're going to add your visuals. So for some children, one of my little boys, we actually added a Lego block like so he knew how long until he could play with his Lego. Another one of my boys, we added a dinosaur, one of my stretchy dinosaurs, for how long until he was going to be on his dinosaur. So, it was like assembly, sitting down, and then he could have his dinosaur. So, make sure you check them out. It doesn't come with the visuals. You've got to add your own. But I think they are amazing. And I mean, they used to be a range of colors. We can only get them in blue now. But you can still cover them in contact or add like pictures to them, whatever works for you. But I highly recommend the digital schedules. And in that episode that I mentioned, episode, sorry, I'm going to be flicking a lot of papers today. I apologize. Episode 157, I have a whole lot of um information on how to use those portable schedules and timers. So, they are the first thing. If you have not got if if when I go in the bookshop and I'm like read it, read it, Reddit, I want you to be got it, got it, using it. If you're not using it, get it out of your cupboard and put it in place. I promise you, you will love this. Oh, the digital portable schedules.
One of the ways I have found them most effective is for children who need to know like their whole day. How long they're going to be at long daycare, how long they're going to be at after school care, and get it to countdown until they go home cuz some of my children want to know when they're going home. And you can set the timer for like 8 hours. I know it's a long time.
The other thing, if you haven't got my mega book and you love my emails and if you print out all my emails and tip sheets, the mega book has all of them in one easy reference. I would say that any I used to send a printed newsletter. Some of you, my OGs that my old older people will remember I used to post out a newsletter back in the day before postage became so expensive. Um, and now I send it to you, but you need to print it out yourself. But if you want everything printed out in full color, the mega book would be great to add to your resource library in your school or home.
And then the next one is the Red Beast Anger Workbook, which is my latest book that I wrote with K. Alani. Now, many of you know the Red Beast book picture book, which helps children understand anger, or Winston the Wallaby about ADHD, about bouncing, or the disappointment dragon about disappointment. Are you feeling cold? Yuki is about intraception, which is, you know, the kid who on a boiling hot day is wearing a jumper or children who don't know they need the toilet or haven't toilet trained for poo because they don't even know and they back up and get really constipated. Sorry if you're eating. But anyway, the super shamali is about PDA. Oh, sorry. So, Yuki is new and the super shamali about PDA is new. The greeneyed goblin is about jealousy. And can you guess what the panicosaurus is about? Panic. Yes, anxiety. So, I highly recommend those picture books. They are my absolute favorite. The kids love them. They really help them understand all these different emotions and they not only give them help them understand, they give them strategies.
So, because I love those books, Kay and I wrote the Red Beast anger workbook together because I had been using the Red Beast book to teach children about anger. So, the workbook is actually a beautiful book again with lovely stories, a boy called Danny. Well, actually, we don't he's gender they are gender neutral. We changed it to Danny D a ni to be gender neutral. So D gender neutral um Danny sharing about anger um and how their teacher Mr. Parker I love it's his Mr. Parker says he he says everyone gets angry from time to time but when I get angry it's like a switch flips so really on really quickly. Mr. Parker says I need to try and change that flip switch to be like a dimmer switch. And then we've got a picture which Kay's son who has autism drew of a slitch compared to a dimmer. If I can do that, he says it will give me time to try to get control of my anger and to make better choices. So, I love that. And the pictures in the book are beautiful. And you don't need the Red Beast picture book to to go with it, but I would recommend you do have it. And then we've got certificates and downloadables and it talks about sensory things that can make you angry. And we talk about sensory bowls that sometimes things are like the the Goldilocks and the three bears. How some children things are too small, some are just right, and some are too big. So some children they overstimulate. They have big sensory reactions and some have small. So I think you'll love that. But there's heaps of activities that you can do with a whole class or a group of children. Talks about different ways to take a break. You can download the um printables like take a break, a relaxation break. I could count backwards from 7 to 1, do breathing, listen to smoothing smoothing soothing music, go to my imaginary world for 15 minutes or take a break too, a sensory break. I could chew gum or a chewy tube, watch a liquid timer, which by the way are back in stock, sit in a pop-up tent, or wear a weighted vest or blanket. So, there's all these different ones that you can get children to use and help them realize that they need different ways to regulate. Um, we also have a downloadable Red Beast thermometer from Calm to Furious. So I highly recommend if you know a child who gets angry, this book is perfect for them. The Red Beast Anger workbook.
Now other books for teaching children about emotions is a beautiful new picture book called The Mindfulness Magician and The Trip to Feelings Town. Now back in episode 217, I had Lauren, who is Lauren Buckner, the author, come on and share about that book and how to use it. And then my beautiful Bella who has come on the podcast and shared about her ADHD. She made a whole lot of wands and fun things to do with the class from that episode. So all children make their own way to calm. So some might be a love heart, some might be a butterfly, some might be a star, and then we use our wand for our feelings and we go down a trip down feeling lane. And it's just beautiful. Um, and I highly recommend that book. I think every school should read that book. It's just divine.
And then Lauren also has her kids guide to being awesome, the self-control to the rescue, and the superhero called self-control, which again, she's an occupational therapist. So, she works through with children different um feelings, but you know, you can be tired, you can be um sorry, I'm just looking in her book. So, in the kids guide to being awesome, which I love, like sometimes you can be wriggly, sometimes you can be tired, sometimes you can be oh um sorry, label that feeling. Are you slow and tired, fast and emotional, fast and wiggly? And then she talks about what are the tools you need when you feel that way. And getting children to actually create their own menu for when they are feeling these different ways. So, I personally use that kids guide to being awesome with all primary age children. I think it's amazing. Um, but she also has a beautiful new book called um, Getting Your Words on Paper because so many of our children have disgraphia and struggle with motor skills. And it's a great book with lots of activities and ideas to help children get their words on paper, which is beyond just coming up with the words. It's that whole um working memory about writing and a whole lot of great things to do. So if you know a child with disgraphia, I highly recommend that book because sometimes when our children get so frustrated, then they can't get their words down. So it combines both that regulating your emotions and how to get your words on paper. And as an occupational therapist, it is jam-packed with ideas. And so many of us don't have access to an occupational therapist. So, it's like having an OT in your classroom. And dare I say, with more and more children using devices and when you use your device, you don't need a pinser grip. A lot of children I'm meeting can't even do buttons or um pull apart their barbecue shapes. Their pinser grip is so so weak. How are they going to pick up a pencil and write? So, highly recommend that a book. You might want to do it with the whole class.
Then I've got a whole lot of beautiful sensory tools from the new morphs which I love to the key liquid chain timers to porcupine balls to the stretchy smiley um key rings. And those of you who have been to my workshops know I love using key rings to add a visual. It might be weight, it might be finish um or helping the child with transition, giving them a tool to help them regulate. And also the tokens. And I'm a big fan of tokens. Oh, I should have looked up which episode. Oh, actually, I don't know if I've done a whole episode on tokens, but I absolutely love using tokens because neurodyiverse children probably don't want a certificate or a stamp or a well done. Actually getting a token to work towards something that they are going to get as a reward is such a good thing. And it's a life skill, you know, building up those tokens to get 5 minutes to do what something you want to get that reward. So, I highly recommend that.
And then, of course, you've heard me talk a lot about PDA. So, I have a whole page of the PDA books. So, we have um Laura I always get Laura and Lauren confused. I don't know why. So, one's American, one's English, so there's no reason I should confuse the two. But Laura's the educator's experience of PDA. If you don't know what PDA is, it isn't public display of affection. It's pathological demand avoidance. And I highly recommend that book by her, the educator's experience, episode 291, if you want to hear more about that. But there is also a beautiful book called Can I Tell You About Pathological Demand Avoidance. Honestly, I think every school should have that book because I'm getting more and more children with PDA as young as four. All about PDA is a beautiful picture book by um Kathy Hoopman. You probably know her all cats, her all dogs. great book and if you've got any children who can't not won't get to school then Eliza Fricker's book and again she came on the podcast episode 258 highly recommend that book it's just fantastic both for the young people and the families so I love it and then I have some other PDA books at the bottom there collaborative approaches to learning for pupils with PDA the defiant child that when I asked on my Facebook page does anyone have any recommendations for ODD. So many people recommended that book. Even though it's for parents, so many educators love that book. And the teens guide to PDA is by Laura and Eliza. And they consulted teens and got that book um really through that lived experience of both Eliza as a parent, Laura as a teacher, and the young people themselves. That's wonderful. I have also included top 10 tips for supporting students with PDA because if any of you don't know about PDA, I think seeing Laura's tips on PDA would be really helpful. And if you haven't done the PDA course, it was my most popular course last year. The reviews were outstanding. It's just 2 hours. So, I want you to reflect in the last week. How much time have you binged TV shows or binge Netflix or whatever streaming you use? How about 2-hour course to give you insights and understanding on PDA both to support yourself and the children you know. So check out that course if you haven't done it already.
And then I'm so excited we're finally getting some amazing books for our girls with neurodeiversity. As you know in the last year so many women have come out sharing their ADHD diagnosis. I mean, it's wonderful how many people are embracing their neurodiversity and sharing it with the world and being out and proud, which I am so excited about. So, there is a book called Understanding ADHD in Girls and Women. Highly recommend that as a real insight to really understanding the difference between the girls. I absolutely love I am an autistic girl which was called I am an Aspie girl previously but it had Denut has updated that to I'm an autistic girl. Every school should have that book. Girls on the spectrum love that book. It really helps them understand friendships and their different way of thinking. And I think it's invaluable for girls on the spectrum and siblings and their peers because just like when children see someone with a nut allergy, even though they don't have a nut allergy, they need to understand it. And then if you have teens, I just think this is a must-have for young girls and women on the spectrum. It's called the Spectrum Girl Survival Guide. Okay, it is amazing. It's by Si Sienna Castellan. I heard her interviewed on the BBC and she's just so inspirational. And this book is just so so so helpful for helping the girls understand from embracing who you are, the importance of being yourself about masking, managing your sensory sensitivities, taking care of your body like the dentist or shaving or periods, understanding your emotions and looking after your mental health, finding your fashion style. I love that section. Um, socializing and making friends. Um, things like avoiding gossip, asking friends for support, um, don't force yourself to socialize. Oh, and then I love this one, crushing and dating. I love the word crush. When my kids were teenagers, they called it something. Every state uses something different. I know. Tuning. Yeah. No, I like crushing. There's nothing, you know. And then it talks about consent and safety. So many good things. But I love this one on page 142. Staying single is fine. You know what? Young people need to know this. It's amazing. And then a whole section on gender identity, which was brilliant. And then celebrating neurodeiversity. So, and sharing a whole lot of websites on bullying, mental health, sexual and gender identity. So, that is called the Spectrum Girl Survival Gride, how to grow up awesome and autistic. I highly recommend any of you in secondary school should have that book in your library for our young people to really support them to understand themselves. And you know, children don't know what to ask. This book, all those things I just mentioned, it actually answers so many of their questions without knowing they need to ask it. I know some of you have heard me say this before, but it was it's like Dolly Doctor. I love Dolly Doctor. I didn't want to go and ask my mom and I didn't even know half the questions in there were questions. If any of you don't know what Dolly is, sorry. It was a magazine back in the 80s that was full of such fabulous questions that Dolly Doctor asked. And also, you would have heard Madonna King and Rebecca Sparrow come on and share at the end of last year the out of the box book, which is amazing, where they interviewed thousands of teachers and professionals and and shared what's working. So good.
And also, I know this a bit different, but it's a book, a new Kathy Hoopman book called All About Dyspraxia. Now, many of our children do have dyspraxia and and as part of their neurodeiversity and their comorbidity. So, I've included that one, too. So, I hope you are feeling inspired to go and download the PDF with all the new books, check and resources, check what's in your school, and think about what else you can add. I've also included in there some podcast episodes just like I've referred to some. Um, oh actually no, sorry I didn't. That was something else I was working on. Oh my goodness, I'm working on so many things at the moment. But anyway, it's that time of the day. Actually, I'm recording this in the afternoon with a cup of tea and my brain is feeling a bit overwhelmed. So, I hope I haven't overwhelmed you, but I hope you've got some good ideas. And I've also included at the back four ways to learn. I hope you can join me for a live virtual on Zoom if that's your preferred learning style. I know I'm a bit of a I like a live Zoom because it forces me to turn up and I don't procrastinate. Of course, I have all the online on demand from myself to Tony Atwood to Dean Beetle to Laura Kirby um Temple Grandon um Dean Beetle so many amazing online on demand courses and as I say you can watch those instead of binging something else. Um, or if you want me to come to your school, my diary is filling up. I'm already taking bookings for next year. I can't believe it. But yeah, the start of the year is looking pretty busy. So, if you are thinking about doing a PD in your school, I highly recommend that you reach out ASAP to my PA Deian, just go to my website and go to the support or just even reply to any email I send you, even this email. So, I hope you've got some top ideas of some resources. And I always say we can't support the children unless we feel supported. So, if you haven't got a budget maybe to do a course, maybe a book's for you, maybe you're a reader, maybe um listening to a podcast and then getting the timer for you. There's so many ways I'm hoping I can support you. But armed with the tools and the understanding, we can achieve so much. So, thank you for being a podcast listener. I hope I haven't overwhelmed you with too many things. I've never done this sort of thing as a podcast before really where I'm just talking through my favorite resources. I hope it was helpful. And don't forget to embrace difference to make a difference. I hope you've got some great tips and strategies from this podcast. If you enjoy learning with me, I highly recommend you think about doing a course this year. Not only do I have courses by me, I have them with people with a lived experience, Temple Grandon, Dean Beetle, or other educators like Laura Kirby on PDA. I have a wealth of courses that will make a difference to you. So, make sure you check out all my online courses cuz you can learn online, anywhere, anytime, in a place that suits you at a speed that suits you. So check out all the online courses that are available to make a difference to you and the children you know.