This activity was developed when working on employability skills and identifying that many learners were unaware and / or unable to say what they were good at. Many learners also struggled to engage with peers outside of their friendship group. The activity encourages positive interaction between learners, makes it easier to discuss personal strengths, and if done effectively, nurtures positive self esteem. The activity consists of a range of 12 editible ‘bingo cards’. Instructions are below and included in the word document. You will need One bingo sheet per learner (there are 12 different cards provided, so you may need to print more than one set). One pen per learner Introduction Invite learners to verbally contribute a range of skills we use in school / college, especially those that will also apply in the work place. Discuss the difficulties we often have in identifying and verbalising our own skills. E.g. We are taught not to show off, so it feels uncomfortable doing what might be seen as boasting. Explain that in preparing for employment (CV writing, application forms and interviews) we need to gain an understanding of our own strengths and weaknesses and then be able to explain them to others. **Teacher Demonstration: ** • Pick one skill listed in the 3x3 table. Look around the class for someone who has that skill. • Approach the learner and tell them “I think you have this skill, because…” • Ask the learner to sign their name in the relevant box on your sheet. • Ask the learner to record the same skill in the 3x2 table at the bottom of their page. They have now “collected a skill / compliment”. Learners should now do the same, mixing with others in the group, paying them compliments by telling them what skills they have noticed. Each learner records the skills they have collected, potentially building confidence and self-awareness. Teacher notes: • Promote positive relationship building, build confidence by getting each learner noticed and encourage social etiquette in responding to compliments. • Encourage participation, aiming for the first to get 3 in a row, full house etc. • If some learners are not getting matches, lead the activity by reading out (or thinking of your own) skills and giving all learners the chance to claim them. The activity continues until one person has 6-9 different names on their sheet and all learners have 6 of their own skills identified. Extension activity: Develop employability vocabulary e.g. Do you know a better word for “being on time?” Follow up activity: Start or build on own CV by downloading and editing a skills-based-cv-template.

This resource was inspired by the Inside Out film and has been used to help autistic learners label, make sense of and respond to their own and others emotions. It links to PSHE relationships, interpersonal skills, communication, emotional literacy, reflection and much more.

A list of words to describe the necessary behaviour for building independence. Words are accompanied by their opposites. The format is designed to be printed, cut out and laminated for future use. The words can be used to help build sentences with varied vocabulary when discussing independence in class. The can be used to represent two ends of a continuum for learners to self assess against the behaviours.

This is a lesson plan for a 20 minute microteach on the subject of socially appropriate behaviour for increasing independence. For example, if we are hygienic we will be given more responsibility on our work placement. If we are cautious what information we give away to strangers we will be able to spend more time at the shops etc without supervision and guidance. There are resources to accompany this lesson plan.

The following pages provide a timeline of key events and attitudes related to disability and education from the 1760s through the years to the SEND Code of practice in 2014. The resource has been designed to get participants thinking about perceptions of disability through time. Each participant has a page to work from (12 pages available). They should use the prompts provided in the footer to make notes. They should then contribute in turn to a group discussion, starting with the oldest page, leading up to the present day, making comparisons and observations on each other’s time periods. Key questions: • Has any language surprised you? • At what point was inclusive education getting on the right track? • Is education ahead of society or the other way around? • Which disabilities are understood best? • Which disabilities are least understood? Why might this be? • When were people with learning disabilities considered teachable? • What do you think about the sterilisation proposals • Consider how parents would feel if they had a child with a disability • Consider how self-esteem may be effected by societies attitudes • What are the advantages and disadvantages of special schools? • What are the advantages and disadvantages of seeking inclusion in mainstream? • Is true inclusion possible? Further discussion: • Have we now achieved best practice in terms of inclusion? • Describe a perfectly inclusive classroom / learning environment / school.

Force Field Analysis was created by Kurt Lewin in the 1940s. Lewin originally used it in his work as a social psychologist. Today, however, it is also used in business, for making and communicating go/no-go decisions. Having used elements of this theory a lot when working with autistic learners, I find it to be a really effect way to add structure to the process of decision making that can otherwise be too open ended. I have uploaded my most recent version of the worksheet activity.

A simple matching activity to begin exploring the age you have to be to legally do various activities in the UK. The Word document is easy to edit so you an add topics suited to your group. This has been used as part of independent living skills, Citizenship and exploring Emotions and Behaviour.

This ‘social story’ style resource is designed to help ease some anxiety associated with lockdown by explaining why we are expected to ‘Stay at home’ to ‘Save Lives’. It will need editing to meet your individual needs.