Posture Management, a Holistic Multi-Disciplinary approach

This seminar will highlight the importance of working with multiple clinical disciplines to achieve most efficient outcomes for posture management from Paediatrics to Adults.

The objectives of this presentation are to:

• Understand the importance of thorough postural assessments
• Understand the importance of pelvic and spinal stability as fundamentals of achieving good posture
• To highlight the benefits of working with an MDT

And will cover case stories from paediatrics to adults, highlighting positive outcomes of MDT approach. By the end of this presentation, delegates will have an awareness of various clinical disciplines that can support clients’ posture and lifestyle, and increase confidence for hands-on assessment.

Awarded and Autistic Insights into Autism, Thriving, Sensory Intensity and Emotional Extremes

Cry and be inspired by Joely’s unique story and discover world-award-winning insights into the Autistic spectrum’s hidden depths. This seminar focuses on thriving with an Autism disability – or a gift – overcoming challenges and enabling Autism quirks. Discover the raw truths of hidden hardships, processing diversity, emotional extremes, and sensory intensity – and how to empower.

• Understand the causes and the detrimental impact Sensory overwhelm and shutdowns have on development and wellbeing.

• To appreciate the diverse aspects of Autism, challenge misconceptions, cultivate understanding of our Defence Modes to enable us to be our best.

• Be inspired by autism’s hidden gifts in kindness and quirks, and empower autism acceptance in a healthy way for you.

On completion of the presentation, it is hoped that you will gain an in-depth personal account of thriving with autism or a hidden disability, understand sensory overwhelm, shutdown and emotional intensity, and how to empower.

Sensory steps to toilet success

Skill development for toileting is challenging for many children and their families. Sensory issues often contribute to difficulties. This session will consider the skills required for toileting and adaptations to promote success with toileting for children with different learning and sensory needs. It will take a step-by-step approach to skill development and to managing any sensory differences so that children feel safe and supported while learning. Signposting to additional resources will be included.

• To promote toilet skill development
• To increase understanding of how sensory differences impact learning for toileting.
• To provide some strategies to assist families and professionals who support children with toilet learning. To signpost to resources that may offer support

Visitors attending should:

• Understand the skills required for successful toileting, and the impact that sensory differences make
• How to make adaptations
• Where to find sources of help so that families and professionals can support children, and that children reach their potential in this area of development

Education Outside the Box: Home schooling, EOTIS and Alternative Provision

For some pupils with EHCPs, full-time attendance at a traditional school setting is not an accessible education. This could be due to complex needs, emotional based school avoidance, or a lack of places in local specialist settings, and it can leave parents unsure of where to turn next.

In this seminar, we will consider other kinds of accessible education. We will provide attendees with an overview of the options available (namely home schooling, EOTIS and Alternative Provision), explain the differences between them, and help parents and professionals understand how to secure the right package for the children they care for.

The objective of this seminar is to increase awareness amongst parents, professionals and other attendees of alternative education options for pupils who cannot access education in a more formal school setting.

The law surrounding alternative provision, EOTIS and home-schooling is complex and often misunderstood. This seminar will provide clarity on the legal position, both generally for each specific option explored (i.e. elective home education, EOTIS and Alternative Provision), and it will equip attendees with the understanding of how to identify the right package of the pupils they support, and how to secure it for them.

By the end of the seminar, attendees will:

1. Have a greater understanding of the law surrounding elective home-education, EOTIS and Alternative Provision.
2. Understand the differences between different kinds of alternative education packages, and how to identify the right package for their child / the child they support.
3. Understand how an EHCP should be amended to secure an alternative package of education.
4. Have greater confidence to advocate for their child through the EHCP annual review process, if they believe an alternative package of education is required for them.
5. Be able to identify incorrect information presented to them when they are navigating the process of securing alternative education.
6. Understand how to challenge a Local Authority decision to refuse to secure an alternative package of education, e.g, through an appeal to the SEND Tribunal and/or a claim for Judicial Review.

Dreaming Of A Good Night’s Sleep?

A seminar suitable for parent/carers and practitioners exploring sleep issues in youngsters with SEND. Evidence-based strategies are discussed, giving participants practical tips to take away to improve sleep and well-being.

Objectives:

• To enable participants to understand basic sleep physiology. To increase awareness of common causes of sleep issues in children with SEND.
• To equip participants with practical strategies to improve sleep.A seminar suitable for parents/carers and practitioners exploring sleep issues in youngsters with SEND. Evidence-based strategies are discussed, giving participants practical tips to take away to improve sleep and well-being.

By the end of the session, participants will:

• Understand basic sleep physiology.
• Be aware of common causes of sleep issues in children with SEND.
• Be able to identify practical strategies to improve sleep.

Unleashing the Power of Language with AAC

Language is more than words; it’s how we connect, learn, grow, and stay safe. For many disabled children and adults, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is the key that unlocks this vital part of being human. In this session, we’ll explore how AAC can bring language to life for those who cannot always rely on speech. We’ll discuss why language access is not a luxury, but a fundamental right, one that empowers individuals to express who they are, build relationships, and navigate the world on their own terms.

Objectives:

• To highlight the fundamental importance of language access as a human right for AAC users.
• To demonstrate how AAC supports language and communication across all stages, from foundational to advanced expression. To introduce innovative AAC tools and AI features.
• To inspire attendees to advocate for inclusive communication strategies in their own settings.

Understand the difference between ‘speech’, ‘language’, and ‘communication’. Explore examples of how language assists personal development, safety, and connection. Identify key features of AAC systems that support both emerging and advanced communicators. Describe how AI technology is being used within AAC tools to enhance user expression and independence. Apply principles from the session to better support individuals on their AAC journey in educational, clinical, or caregiving contexts.

Optimising Seated Posture in Complex Disability: A Holistic Approach

Postural care aims to preserve or even restore body shape for individuals with movement difficulties and complex presentations, of which specialist seating is a key element. Specialist seating is a prescriptive medical device; it is complex, it is challenging, and it can be overwhelming, but it can also change the lives of individuals for the better. We will explore the world of seating and how it can aid optimum 24-hour postural care for individuals with complex disabilities. Fundamental guidance will be provided to navigate common postural challenges and their seating solutions for effective equipment provision within your clinical practice.

Objectives:

• Establish a clear understanding of the role of specialist seating within 24-hour postural care for people with complex needs.
• Build clinician confidence in recognising and analysing key postural challenges that undermine comfort, function, and long-term health.
• Equip participants to identify and apply appropriate seating features, adjustments, and prescription strategies in clinical practice. • Strengthen decision-making so seating interventions are clinically defensible, person-centred, and integrated into effective care plans.

Outcomes:

1. Demonstrate understanding of how specialist seating contributes to 24-hour postural care and apply the six guiding principles – comfort, function, postural support, pressure care, health and safety, and overall wellbeing – to clinical scenarios.
2. Identify and critically analyse common barriers to optimal seated posture, including pelvic instability, spinal asymmetries, and limb deformities, with awareness of their functional and health implications.
3. Select and justify appropriate seating configurations or features that meet defined seating objectives and support safe, effective, person-centred care planning.

Autism and Mental Health

This seminar explores the relationship between autism and mental health, focusing on experiences that are frequently misunderstood or mislabelled. The session will examine autistic shutdowns, burnout, masking, and anxiety, and how unmet needs can impact emotional well-being across childhood, adolescence, and transition into adulthood. Emphasis will be placed on recognising early signs of distress and understanding protective factors, including the development of a positive autistic identity and psychologically safe environments. Practical, strengths-based strategies will be shared to support mental health in ways that reduce harm, validate lived experience, and promote long-term wellbeing.

By the end of this session, attendees will:

• Develop a clearer understanding of common mental health presentations in autistic children and young people
• Differentiate between autistic shutdowns, burnout, anxiety, and depression
• Understand the impact of masking on mental health
• Recognise how environments and expectations can contribute to psychological distress
• Explore protective factors that support well-being, including identity, acceptance, and autonomy
• Consider practical adjustments that promote emotional safety across home and education.

Following this presentation, attendees will be able to:

• Explain key differences between shutdowns, burnout, and anxiety-related distress in autistic individuals
• Identify how masking and prolonged stress contribute to mental health difficulties
• Recognise early indicators of deteriorating mental health in autistic young people
• Apply trauma-informed and neuro-affirming approaches when responding to distress
• Support the development of positive autistic identity as a protective mental health factor
• Adapt support approaches to reduce risk, promote resilience, and sustain long-term wellbeing

Access to Work

This seminar will help attendees understand how the Access to Work scheme can support young people with disabilities or health conditions as they transition into employment. It explains employer responsibilities, how to identify workplace support needs using the Health Adjustment Passport, and how to apply for Access to Work grants. Attendees will gain practical knowledge to help advocate for someone’s needs and ensure they receive the right support to thrive in the workplace.

The objectives of this seminar are to:

• Raise awareness of the support available through the DWP’s Access to Work programme for individuals with disabilities or health conditions.
• Explain employer responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 relating to reasonable adjustments.
• Introduce the Health Adjustment Passport (HAP) as a tool to help individuals identify and communicate their workplace support needs.
• Outline the Access to Work application process, including eligibility criteria and what to expect.
• Empower parents and carers to advocate for young people transitioning into employment by understanding available support options.
• Provide practical examples of workplace adjustments and funded support through Access to Work.
• Encourage early engagement with employers and support services to ensure smooth transitions into work.

F-Words in the Bathroom: Using the ICF to Guide Bathroom Participation from Childhood to Adulthood with physical disabilities

Bathrooms are small spaces with big challenges for people with physical disabilities and those who support them. This session uses the F-Words for Child Development (Function, Family, Fitness, Fun, Friends, Future), grounded in the ICF framework, to reframe bathing and toileting as meaningful occupations that evolve from childhood into adulthood. Through case-based examples, attendees will explore how occupational therapy reasoning can anticipate transitions, protect dignity, and reduce carer strain.

What attendees can expect to learn/ take away:

• A clear understanding of the ICF and F-Words frameworks, applied to bathroom practice.
• How to reframe toileting and bathing as participation-focused occupations, not just hygiene tasks.
• How to link clinical reasoning to carer safety, postural support, and energy conservation.
• Practical case studies show how Products can support bathroom participation from childhood to adulthood.