Nic

My Summary

My Experience

I have a wide ranging knowledge of learning disability and autism, having studied intellectual and developmental disabilities for my degree and having worked in a number of roles supporting and educating children, young people and their families living with a range of disabilities. In particular I have extensive experience of working with children and young people on the autistic spectrum and have worked with them in a variety settings, including their own homes and school environments. I have also worked with children and young people with Down’s syndrome, global developmental delay and cerebral palsy.

I have a person centred approach to supporting the children I work with, which helps individuals to reach their full potential. I have a particular interest in behaviours that challenge, with much of my degree and work experience being focused on this. In particular throughout my career, but especially when working with children and young people with autism, I have always taken the time to try and understand the function of behaviours that challenge. In my experience behaviours are exhibited because the individual is trying to communicate something and may feel frustration at not being able to make themselves understood. So I have found it important not to take behaviours that challenge at face value, but to take the time to try and understand the personal perspective of the individual.

When I worked at a special needs school we had a diverse range of pupils who exhibited a variety of behaviours that challenge. Part of my role at the school was around providing leadership and coaching to the tutors working on my team and with the school staff team as a whole. This included providing training to staff on behavioural interventions, data collection, school policy and relevant theory and therapeutic approaches. Also while working at the school I put in place new initiatives to increase the efficacy of our person centred practice.

I have experience of providing information and advice. For example, when I was a portage worker part of my role was working in partnership with parents and professionals to ensure maximum opportunity to access services. I supported families with a variety of issues such as housing, benefits, gaining childcare and nursery places and gaining access to other services within the area in which they live.

I have experience of working alongside a range of other professionals and stakeholders and maintaining positive relationships. For example when I was a SEN Nanny I frequently liaised with other professionals such as a physiotherapist, occupational therapist and portage workers. This was also an important part of my role as a self-employed tutor, as parents would often ask me to go into school settings and nurseries, so I had to build positive relationships with the leadership and staff teams to facilitate this This was invaluable as it allowed me to provide support and advice to nursery staff on managing specific behaviours and targeting particular areas of development to the benefit of the child I was working with.

I have excellent written communication skills, as all of my roles involved writing weekly activity records, reviewing progress, defining behaviours for the purpose of data collection and writing reports.

My Qualifications

BSc with First Class Honours in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities from the Tizard Centre, University of Kent.

NVQ: Level 3-Caring for children and young people.

My Availability

Depending on travel' times I am available on a part time basis working mornings, afternoons and afterschool, Monday to Saturday.

My Fees

• Tutoring from £20.00 per hour

My fees are negotiable depending on the role requirements and location