Would today be easier if the lights weren’t so bright? Children and young people in out-of-home care often have trauma and neurodiversity that impact how their sensory systems develop and respond to stimuli. When caring adults can understand the unique sensory system of the child or young person, we can lean into what makes the world easier, less stressful, and more supportive for managing difficult experiences.

This workshop has been designed to help those supporting children and young people in out-of-home care understand sensory systems and use this understanding to identify strategies that tailor to the needs of the individual child. Through attuning to the sensory needs of children and young people, you will learn to recognise signs of dysregulation, observe the effects of sensory input, and identify appropriate sensory strategies to assist with emotional regulation.
 
Whilst this webinar will be held online, to provide an experiential process and allow you to explore sensory tools for yourself, please try to collect various items you may have at home for the training session:

•  A heavy blanket/heatpack/hand weights
• Any small fidget items you may have – small ball, fidget toys
• Small materials with different textures: soft, stretchy, scratchy, etc. - bubble wrap, feathers, blu-tack
• Physioball
• Mints, sour lollies, crunchy biscuits, chewy foods, nuts
• Straw and drink
• Headphones or ear plugs
• Eye mask or sunglasses
• Colouring-in sheet, mandala, or scrap paper to scribble on

About the facilitators:
Jennifer Gay and Jessica Wright are Occupational Therapists working in Therapeutic Services at the Australian Childhood Foundation. Between them they have many years of experience specialising in sensory support in residential, fostercare and kinship care settings. They both have a keen interest in the application of sensory strategies in assisting young people in out-of-home care to adapt and function in the occupations of childhood and adolescence.

Please note: all course and workshop times are displayed in Sydney/Melbourne/Canberra time zones. Please ensure you convert the time to your current time zone. All workshop payments must be made by credit card. Invoicing is only available for group bookings of 5 or more for the same workshop date. Contact us through cetc@childhood.org.au for group bookings.

All adults who work with or care for children and young people in out-of-home care.