Courses
Understanding Disability in the Context of Society and
Family
This session will give the participant a greater understanding of how disability may impact a family and how societal factors impact the life of person with disability, with focus specifically on the Azerbaijani context.
Medical and social attitude to disability. The current stigmas attitude to disability in the Azerbaijan
Definition of Norm.
Working With Families, Communities and Professionals – Active Listening
Active Listening is essential in order to optimize outcomes and interactions with clients and other professionals. This session will address how to adopt Active Listening techniques and provide opportunities to practice listening skills with clients. ( Tool for social workers/ psychologists/ doctors, commonly for all who work with clients)
Declarative Communication
This session will expand further on the important topic of communication by introducing Declarative Communication. Declarative Communication will be explained and practiced. Declarative Communication is a type of communication that is useful for relationship building with a client Rather than demanding specific answers, it focuses on sharing information to invite communication
Growth and Development in the Early Years – An Integrated Approach
This session will cover the foundations of early child development and how the brain develops in the early years. The term ‘developmental domains’ will be introduced as well as the relationship and interdependency of developmental domains during childhood development.
Assessments and Screening
This session will explain the different purposes for gathering information regarding a child’s development, how this affects the method of information gathering utilized (screening, evaluation, assessment) and the practical differences between screening, evaluation and assessment. Examples of different screening tools (Ages and Stages , Denver, IDIR-GMSD) and assessments tools (Activity of Daily Living Assessment, Step by Step) will be highlighted
Environment and Childhood Experience – the Impact on a Child’s Development
This session will detail how experiences and environment influence a child’s development.
Adverse childhood experiences can have a significant impact in various areas of a child’s life. The different types of adverse experiences will be presented and their potential impact on cognition, behavior and health.
Assessing Developmental Delay and Function
During this session participants will learn how to assess a child’s skills, how to use a developmental assessment form and guidelines that should be followed during assessing a child. In addition, participants will gain knowledge regarding typical child development (specific to each developmental domain and in which sequence development occurs). This will assist in determining if a child is delayed and will provide direction for further intervention/rehabilitation.
Structured Play – To Optimize Mental, Physical and Emotional Development
This session will describe how play is used as a tool to engage and interact with a child to encourage skill development. We will also discuss the different stages of play development that are seen in the developing child and how the child develops during each play stage. Participants will become familiar with the UAFA Play Assessment Checklist and how to use toys in each stages of play. Participants will be given a homework activity relating to toy creation, for participants to complete for the following session.
Skills and Ideas for Structured Play
This session will allow the participant to develop skills in analyzing a child’s development. The participant will gain skills in completing a UAFA Play Assessment Checklist to use in developing a UAFA Child Development Plan in coming weeks. Participants will share and discuss the toys/games they have created (homework). Ideas around designing play-based group sessions will be shared and throughout the session participation in activities related to development of play-based activities to promote development will create opportunities to gain skills.
Understanding Disabilities in Early Childhood
The participant will gain knowledge relating to frequently encountered disabilities including Global Developmental Delay, Sensory Processing Disorder, Prematurity, CP,ASD, ID (often not diagnosed to until after age 5) Common characteristics of each disability that are frequently seen in the community will be identified and discussed.
From Assessment to Intervention- Create a Play-Based Development Plan Using Assessment Information
After completing this session the participant will be able to use assessment findings to create a relevant and engaging play-based plan that is appropriate with regard to the age and developmental level of a child.
Language Development in Early Years
The participant will learn how communication skills typically develop in early childhood. The session will cover verbal and non-verbal communication techniques, language development in early childhood as well as outlining the importance of ensuring children can communicate effectively not only with immediate family/care-givers but with the wider community. Misconceptions about speech therapy will be discussed.
Practical Skills to Facilitate Language Development and Optimize Communication
This session will outline different tools and technology that can be utilized to support a child in their communication. Augmentative and Assisted forms of Communication (AAC) will be discussed as a method not only to replace or support speech, but also to develop and stimulate communication. Practical use of communication boards and other tools will be presented.
Understanding and Supporting the Child with Behavioral Issues
This session will assist participants to understand different types of behavior that are commonly encountered including the reasons particular behaviors may occur. It will explain reasons for unusual and challenging behavior and describe the difference between various responses to a child’s behavior.
Techniques to Promote Self-Regulation and to Support Families in Managing Behavioral Issues
This session will present a Functional Behavior Assessment and provide the participant with some tools that are commonly used to help a child develop self-regulation skills and prevent or manage challenging behavior.
Behavioral Issues and Management Approaches
This session will address the historical background of behavior modification and areas of application of behavior modification approaches. The three term contingency of antecedent, behavior and consequence’ known as the ABC’s of FBA will be addressed as well as how to observe and record behavior. Indirect and Direct methods of Functional Behavior Assessments will also be discussed.
Useful Techniques and Skills for Challenging Behavior
This session will look more closely at different reinforcement techniques that can be used to help support children. It will review positive and negative reinforcement as well as schedules of reinforcement and extinction, in efforts to reduce problem behavior.
Understanding Sensory Processing and Responses to Sensory Input
This session will introduce the concept of sensory processing. Sensory processing is a general term to describe how our brain processes the information coming from the different senses. When these systems are underdeveloped, we can see children who respond in different ways. Some over-respond to sensory input and are thus avoidant or sensitive to it. Others may be under-responsive in sensory input, causing them to miss sensory information or be under-aroused. And a third group may be seeking extra input, needing more or stronger input in their daily lives. These sessions will focus on describing these typical profiles and ways they are uniquely addressed.
Choosing and implementing classroom and home accommodations for sensory processing issues
Continuing on from the previous session on sensory processing this session will allow participants to learn and practice sensory activities that can be used in the clinical setting.
Movement to Enhance Learning Opportunities
Equipped with knowledge to assess a child’s
development and create plans for effective intervention, this session will encourage the participant to enhance a child’s opportunities to interact with and learn from their environment by promoting functional movement. Different techniques to facilitate and encourage movement and gross motor skills will be presented. The participant will become familiar with different assistive devices that exist to allow a child with a physical impairment greater mobility in their environment.