Visual prompts, e.g. First-Then boards, support communication, language development and the processing of information. They also encourage the development of independence, confidence and self-esteem.

What is a First-Then board?

A First-Then board is a visual prompt ...

Ask your child why they are doodling and you might be surprised at the answer.

Our first response when we see kids doodling is often, "Stop doodling and listen." Recently, I asked a child why they were doodling. Their answer,

"It keeps me calm and helps me to listen,"

reminded me that everyone ...

This is part of a series of blog posts about how Will has developed learning and organizational strategies that have helped him succeed both academically and socially. A short introduction to this series of posts can be found here

Will ...

Will finds copying text and diagrams from a whiteboard, book or print-out challenging. He never completes the copying task in the allocated time and his copied work is full of errors.

Hardly surprising as copying is a cognitively demanding task that involves switching between attentional processes.

Before Will can begin ...

This is the third in a series of blog posts that have helped Will develop learning and organizational strategies that have helped him succeed both academically and socially. A short introduction to this series of posts can be found ...

In previous posts, we have talked about some of the effects of Will's poor working memory on his academic progress but it has impacted his social development too.

Poor working memory can delay the development of higher order pragmatic language skills, empathy and understanding.

Will's inefficiencies in switching attention ...

Will has always has been just Will! A cheeky grin, a great sense of humour and the gift of the gab. Will was an inquisitive toddler, intrigued with all things vehicular. His continual questions, "Why is...?," "What is…?”, whilst exasperating on long car journeys, had us congratulating ourselves as parents that Will was obviously eager ...

This is the second in a series of blog posts that have helped Will develop learning and organizational strategies that have helped him succeed both academically and socially. A short introduction to this series of posts can be found ...

This is the first in a series of blog posts that have helped Will develop learning and organizational strategies that have helped him succeed both academically and socially. A short introduction to this series of posts can be found ...

Somewhere during the process of discovering that our son Will, has a poor working memory, dyslexic tendencies and ADHD, we actually sat down and asked Will what he thought that he struggled with, both in and out of school.

His responses were eye-opening, and to be honest shocking, how on earth had we managed to be parents who had totally ...