Special Education Network in Asia (SENIA) Conference #8

Official Conference Logo

Nearly everyday in almost every classroom, international school professionals in Asia have the task of providing children with special education needs access to rigorous curricula. Children with special education needs, whether they have been formally diagnosed or remain misunderstood, require advocacy in order to develop academically, behaviorally, emotionally, and/or socially in international school settings. Advocacy for these children involves facilitating awareness, acceptance, and effective interventions by creating connections with families, teachers, guidance counselors, general education students, administrators, related-service providers, community groups, and the children with special education needs. Given the unique characteristics of each international school in Asia, how do respective school professionals make effective connections and advocate for the child with special education needs?

THEME: Making Connections: Advocacy for Students with Special Education Needs in International Schools in Asia
DATES: February 26-27, 2010
LOCATION:   Brent International School Manila

Keynote Speakers:

Tina Santilli

Tina’s career experience has been divided between international schools in Tanzania, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan and Qatar, including two IB World Schools, as well as schools in the United States with instructional and leadership responsibilities in Special Educational Needs and English as an Additional Language in Pre-school through Graduate level higher education. Currently, Tina is the principal of the Learning Center School (TLCS) in Doha, Qatar. TLCS is a unique school in the region, serving students in grades 1-12 with learning differences.

Tracy Alloway, PhD

Tracy Packiam Alloway, PhD, is the Director of the Center for Memory and Learning in the Lifespan at the University of Stirling, UK. She is the author of over 75 scientific articles and books on working memory and learning, and has developed the world’s first standardized working‑ memory tests for educators published by Pearson. Her research has received widespread international coverage, appearing in outlets such as the Guardian, Daily Mail, Scientific American, Forbes, US News, ABC News, and NBC. She is much in demand as an international speaker in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. She is an advisor to the World Bank on the importance of working memory. She was recently awarded the prestigious Joseph Lister Award by the British Science Association for bringing her scientific discoveries to a wide audience.

Conference Schedule

Friday, February 26, 2010 : 7:30 AM – 4:45 PM
Saturday, February 27, 2010 : 8:00 AM – 3:30 PM

Conference Program

Keynotes

Tracy Alloway

Keynote Address:
Brain Training: Does it Work for Children with Learning Difficulties and for Working Memory?

Workshops

  1. Identification of Learning Needs
  2. Effective Strategies for Specific Special Needs

Tina Santilli

Keynote Address and Workshops:
Tales from the Silk Road: Setting the Direction for Special Education in International Schools

Workshops

  1. Teaching Outside the Lines: Successful Approaches for Learning Support Teachers in International Schools
  2. From Emotion to Advocacy: Developing Student Support Services Programs for Your International School

Workshop Topics

  • Yes, We Can! Teaching Students How to Become Self-Advocates
  • Strategies We Can Do in School or at Home to Promote Self-Awareness
  • Visual Strategies to Help Children on the Autism Spectrum
  • I LAUGH Model for Social Cognition
  • Identifying, Planning, and Implementing Social Skills Groups in the Elementary School
  • Teaching Beginning Reading to an EAL Student with Dyslexic Symptoms
  • Orton-Gillingham/Multi-Sensory Methods—An Overview
  • Handwriting from an Occupational Therapist’s Perspective
  • Making Sense of Shakespeare—and other Dudes
  • Strategies for Success in the Mainstream Classroom (Lower School)
  • Middle School – Kindergarten Buddy Program
  • Inclusive Strategies in the Mainstream Science Classroom
  • Let’s Dance (Co-Teaching)
  • Communication and Collaboration Techniques in a Multi-Cultural Meeting
  • Ten Things I Wish I Knew—A Parent’s Perspective
  • Building the Foundations for a Healthy Relationship with Your Child with Special Needs
  • Observations from a Teacher Parent
  • Helpful Internet Resources for Special Needs Teachers
  • Touch Math
  • Visual Mapping Strategies for Effective Planning and Organization of Written Language
  • When Should Schools Recognize that They Can’t Meet the Needs of a Child with Special Needs