SWLSB Learning • Apprentissage

Workshop Description:

In an educational landscape where communication takes many forms, visual supports are not just accommodations—they are universal tools for success. Grounded in current best practices and deeply informed by neurodivergent perspectives, this practical workshop reframes how we view and implement visuals to support every learner in the classroom.

What We Will Explore

Understanding Non-Speaking Students: Shift from a deficit model to an inclusive mindset by exploring the diverse reasons why some students are non-speaking or rely on various methods of non-verbal communication.

Diverse Communication Styles: Examine how information is processed and shared, honoring the unique communication styles of neurodivergent learners.

The Universal Language of Visuals: Realize just how much we all rely on visual cues in our own daily lives (from traffic signs to smartphone icons) and how to bridge that familiarity into the classroom.

Practical Visual Toolkits: Move beyond theory with a concrete introduction to different types of visuals—such as schedules, choice boards, and environmental cues—along with step-by-step strategies on how to create and implement them effortlessly.

What You Will Take Away

You don't need a background in graphic design or endless free time to make your environment more accessible. Attendees will leave this session with an actionable understanding of how to build preventative, visual supports that reduce anxiety and foster independence.

To ensure your success long after the workshop ends, all participants will receive a  package of extra resources, ready-to-use templates, and evidence-based guides to support your daily practice. Let's demystify visual supports together and make communication and learning accessible for everyone.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition, yet its presentation shifts dramatically as a student grows. This session provides a comprehensive look at how ADHD manifests through different school-age developmental stages, spanning from the high-energy behavioral markers of kindergarten to the complex academic and executive dysfunction challenges faced by high school juniors.

What does it feel like to navigate a classroom when the world is louder, faster, or more overwhelming than it appears to others? This workshop will help educators better understand the lived experiences of autistic students by exploring topics such as processing speed, sensory processing, executive functioning, and behaviour. Through practical examples, guided experiences, and interactive discussions, participants will gain insight into the reasons behind common challenges and learn how to respond with greater empathy and effectiveness. Educators will leave with a deeper understanding of autism and practical strategies to create more supportive and inclusive learning environments for all students.

From Reports to Action: Differentiation That Drives Results for Diverse Learners is designed to help teachers confidently turn professional report recommendations into practical classroom strategies that truly support student success. This session will explore how to better understand student learning profiles, recognize how students learn best, and apply accommodations and differentiation in meaningful, manageable ways. Using real-life classroom scenarios and connections to UDL, RTI, and MTSS frameworks, participants will explore inclusive strategies that support engagement, accessibility, and achievement for diverse learners. Teachers will leave with practical tools, ideas, and approaches they can immediately apply to instruction, assessment, and classroom supports to create responsive learning environments where all students can thrive.

The presenters will begin by reviewing the developmental approach to social emotional learning. A variety of practical strategies for supporting students with big emotions will follow, with a particular focus on structuring the learning environment and fostering strong adult-child relationships.

Students with co-occurring diagnoses often present with complex academic, behavioural, emotional, sensory, and social needs, making it difficult for teachers to know what to prioritize in the classroom. This professional development session will help teachers move beyond a diagnosis-first approach and use a practical, evidence-based framework to identify students’ most immediate needs, including safety, regulation, access to learning, communication, and skill-building. Participants will learn how to interpret behaviour through a needs-based lens, select appropriate classroom supports, and respond in ways that are proactive, compassionate, and focused on helping students participate meaningfully and build independence. 

When a five-year-old flips a chair during center time, or a seven-year-old flatly refuses to line up for recess, it is easy to feel like you are locked in a deliberate power struggle. But in the early elementary classroom, what looks like a bad attitude is usually a reflection of brain architecture, not a personal attack on your lesson plan.
Wiring, Not Willfulness reframes Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) specifically through an early intervention educational lens. Designed for teachers, this session moves past traditional, punitive disciplinary models, which often inadvertently escalate behaviours in young learners, to explore how early, school-based interventions can rewrite a student's trajectory. Instead of trying to break a challenging behaviour through sheer force of will, you will learn how to decode the neurodevelopmental "wiring" driving the defiance and intervene before negative school patterns become permanent.

Perfect for kindergarten through early elementary teachers looking to trade classroom frustration for effective, evidence-based engagement strategies.

Workshop Description:

In an educational landscape where communication takes many forms, visual supports are not just accommodations—they are universal tools for success. Grounded in current best practices and deeply informed by neurodivergent perspectives, this practical workshop reframes how we view and implement visuals to support every learner in the classroom.

What We Will Explore

Understanding Non-Speaking Students: Shift from a deficit model to an inclusive mindset by exploring the diverse reasons why some students are non-speaking or rely on various methods of non-verbal communication.

Diverse Communication Styles: Examine how information is processed and shared, honoring the unique communication styles of neurodivergent learners.

The Universal Language of Visuals: Realize just how much we all rely on visual cues in our own daily lives (from traffic signs to smartphone icons) and how to bridge that familiarity into the classroom.

Practical Visual Toolkits: Move beyond theory with a concrete introduction to different types of visuals—such as schedules, choice boards, and environmental cues—along with step-by-step strategies on how to create and implement them effortlessly.

What You Will Take Away

You don't need a background in graphic design or endless free time to make your environment more accessible. Attendees will leave this session with an actionable understanding of how to build preventative, visual supports that reduce anxiety and foster independence.

To ensure your success long after the workshop ends, all participants will receive a  package of extra resources, ready-to-use templates, and evidence-based guides to support your daily practice. Let's demystify visual supports together and make communication and learning accessible for everyone.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition, yet its presentation shifts dramatically as a student grows. This session provides a comprehensive look at how ADHD manifests through different school-age developmental stages, spanning from the high-energy behavioral markers of kindergarten to the complex academic and executive dysfunction challenges faced by high school juniors.

What does it feel like to navigate a classroom when the world is louder, faster, or more overwhelming than it appears to others? This workshop will help educators better understand the lived experiences of autistic students by exploring topics such as processing speed, sensory processing, executive functioning, and behaviour. Through practical examples, guided experiences, and interactive discussions, participants will gain insight into the reasons behind common challenges and learn how to respond with greater empathy and effectiveness. Educators will leave with a deeper understanding of autism and practical strategies to create more supportive and inclusive learning environments for all students.

From Reports to Action: Differentiation That Drives Results for Diverse Learners is designed to help teachers confidently turn professional report recommendations into practical classroom strategies that truly support student success. This session will explore how to better understand student learning profiles, recognize how students learn best, and apply accommodations and differentiation in meaningful, manageable ways. Using real-life classroom scenarios and connections to UDL, RTI, and MTSS frameworks, participants will explore inclusive strategies that support engagement, accessibility, and achievement for diverse learners. Teachers will leave with practical tools, ideas, and approaches they can immediately apply to instruction, assessment, and classroom supports to create responsive learning environments where all students can thrive.

Les élèves ayant vécu des traumatismes portent souvent des fardeaux invisibles qui influencent leur fonctionnement en classe. Ces expériences peuvent affecter de manière importante leur disponibilité émotionnelle et leur capacité à s’engager dans les apprentissages.

Cette formation vise à mieux comprendre l’impact des traumas sur l’apprentissage, l’autorégulation et les relations interpersonnelles en milieu scolaire. Des pistes d’intervention et des stratégies ancrées dans une approche sensible aux traumas seront explorées. Ceci vous amènera à porter un regard différent sur les comportements des élèves et à mettre en place des pratiques qui favorisent un climat de classe sécurisant, bienveillant et propice aux apprentissages pour tous.

_________

Students who have experienced trauma often carry invisible burdens that affect how they function in the classroom. These experiences can significantly impact their emotional well-being, readiness to learn, and ability to engage in academic activities.

This professional learning session is designed to help better understand the effects of trauma on learning, self-regulation, and interpersonal relationships in school settings. We will explore practical strategies and interventions grounded in a trauma-informed approach. Through this lens, you will be encouraged to view student behaviour differently and implement practices that foster a safe, supportive, and inclusive classroom environment that promotes learning and well-being for all students.

This session will be offered in French.

The presenters will begin by reviewing the developmental approach to social emotional learning. A variety of practical strategies for supporting students with big emotions will follow, with a particular focus on structuring the learning environment and fostering strong adult-child relationships.

Students with co-occurring diagnoses often present with complex academic, behavioural, emotional, sensory, and social needs, making it difficult for teachers to know what to prioritize in the classroom. This professional development session will help teachers move beyond a diagnosis-first approach and use a practical, evidence-based framework to identify students’ most immediate needs, including safety, regulation, access to learning, communication, and skill-building. Participants will learn how to interpret behaviour through a needs-based lens, select appropriate classroom supports, and respond in ways that are proactive, compassionate, and focused on helping students participate meaningfully and build independence. 

When a five-year-old flips a chair during center time, or a seven-year-old flatly refuses to line up for recess, it is easy to feel like you are locked in a deliberate power struggle. But in the early elementary classroom, what looks like a bad attitude is usually a reflection of brain architecture, not a personal attack on your lesson plan.
Wiring, Not Willfulness reframes Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) specifically through an early intervention educational lens. Designed for teachers, this session moves past traditional, punitive disciplinary models, which often inadvertently escalate behaviours in young learners, to explore how early, school-based interventions can rewrite a student's trajectory. Instead of trying to break a challenging behaviour through sheer force of will, you will learn how to decode the neurodevelopmental "wiring" driving the defiance and intervene before negative school patterns become permanent.

Perfect for kindergarten through early elementary teachers looking to trade classroom frustration for effective, evidence-based engagement strategies.