Public and private school teachers
recently attended a seven-hour autism awareness training workshop at the Grand
Cayman Marriott Beach Resort.
Nearly 100 teachers arrived for the
workshop, which was originally only intended for a group of 25.
“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,”
said Wellness Centre Director and Workshop Facilitator Shannon Seymour. “Their
overwhelming response also tells our government that they are on the right
track in terms of funding this kind of training. And 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.”
The workshop was developed to meet
the needs of teachers who have autistic students in their classrooms. It was
funded by the Ministry of Education, Training and Employment, and The Special
Needs Foundation of Cayman.
The unique needs of students with
autism spectrum disorders was one of the topics. An introduction to behavioural
management strategies, and methods to address social skills and sensory issues
in the classroom, were additional topics.
“Participants learned a lot about
students with autism,” Ms Seymour said.
“Hopefully, they now have a renewed sense of the challenges so typical
for an autistic child.”
Some of the teachers who had
already been trained to teach special needs students found the workshop
refreshing.
“There are definitely some key
points that I will take back and use in my classroom,” one Lighthouse School
teacher said. “However, I already use
many of these techniques, so this course was more of a reminder for me. Reinforcement is always great though.”
Teachers who found the material new
to them also said the workshop was helpful.
“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,” a 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.”
The Early Intervention Programme
also offers helpful tips on helping children with autism spectrum disorders.
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