Online Course Title:
Supporting Additional Educational Needs within Inclusive Education
For SINGLE BOOKINGS, please click HERE (not available until 01/09/2025).
For GROUP BOOKINGS, please use the ‘Choose an Option’ Dropdown menu on this page.
Please note – an iteration of this course was approved by the Department of Education (Ireland) for summers 2025, 2026 and 2027.
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Course Inspection Details:
Although this is a new online course, it’s previous iteration (a face-to-face course hosted by Mayo Education Centre) was favourably inspected by the Department of Education. Click HERE or on the Department of Education logo to read the Inspectorate’s Report (course content has been updated and enhanced since).
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Course Description & Details:
Participants in this course will gain the skills outlined below that will enhance their professional practice particularly in relation to teaching, learning and assessment:
- Provide knowledge and understanding of conditions such as autism (ASD, APA, 2013) ADHD, Dyslexia etc.
- How teachers can support SEN students in the learning environment and ensure they reach their potential
- How these conditions may affect the student in the learning environment
- Information on evidence-based strategies to support students with SEN
- An examination of assessments that can be used to assist teachers to determine the strengths and needs of the student
- An examination of how ICT can be used to assist the inclusion process
- An examination of the following DE Circulars
- DE Circular 007/2019 [Circular to the Management Authorities of all Mainstream Primary Schools Special Education Teaching Allocation]
- DE Circular 008/2019 [Circular to the Management Authorities of all Post Primary Schools: Secondary, Community and Comprehensive Schools and the Chief Executive Officers of the Education and Training Boards]
- DE Circular 0080/2024 [Circular to the Management Authorities of all Post Primary Schools: Secondary, Community and Comprehensive Schools and the Chief Executive Officers of the Education and Training Boards – Special Education Teaching Allocation]
- DE Circular 0002/2024 [The Special Education Teacher (SET) allocation model and the calculation of the SET allocation for each school from the 2024/25 school year until further notice]
- Above Circular 0002/2024 should be read above in conjunction with Circular 0064/2024 [The operation/application and deployment of Special Education Teacher resources]
- The steps in compiling a student support plan (SSP) and what should be recorded in the student support file (SSF)
- How the above DE circulars, guidelines and NEPS SEN Continuum of Support can assist school self-evaluation (SSE)
- An in-depth examination of the problem-solving process as outlined in the DE Guidelines
- Examine the language of inclusion
- An examination of universal design for learning (UDL) and how this can assist the inclusion process
Teachers will gain an understanding of using a UDL approach to lesson planning. They will gain a more in-depth understanding of the NEPS SEN Continuum of Support and the importance of the collaborative approach to classroom and whole school planning. The course includes an examination of assessments to gain a baseline of skills for SEN students. The course will examine evidence-based strategies and approaches and teachers will gain a more in-depth understanding of how these can be adapted to support individual students. To compile a Student Support Plan (SSP), teachers will require an understanding of how to assess the strengths and needs of students. From this baseline, teachers can compile a SSP with targeted supports that take account of the students’ strengths and needs. An examination of the DE and NEPS documents will provide teachers with knowledge and understanding of the assessment process. This will assist teachers in understanding how to provide targeted support at each tier of the continuum. Teachers will gain an understanding of Cosán, LAOS (Primary/Special Schools) and SSE process, particularly in the areas of Learning & teaching and Leadership and management. All this knowledge and understanding will enhance teaching and learning.
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What’s in each Module:
Module 1:
- An examination of Circular 0002/2024 (in conjunction with Circular 0064/2024), Cosán, SSE and LAOS frameworks, particularly in the areas of Learning & teaching and Leadership and management to gain an in-depth understanding of schools’ responsibilities in supporting SEN students
- An examination of The DE Guidelines to accompany the above Circular
- An examination of the NEPS SEN Continuum of Support and how this can be used to support SEN students
- An examination of Circulars 007/2019, 008/2019,0080/2024, 0002/2024 and how they should be used in conjunction with Circular 0064/2024
Module 2:
- An examination of the Language of Inclusion and how this is evolving
- An examination of how the Language of Inclusion impacts attitudes
- An examination of Neurodiversity and what it means in the learning environment
- An examination of the advantages and disadvantages of terminology
- An examination of UDL within an educational context and how UDL can be used to plan more effective lessons
- An examination of ADHD (APA, 2013) including strategies using a strengths-based approach to support ADHD students
- An examination of the six-step school self-evaluation process and the two dimensions:
- Teaching and Learning
- Leadership and Management
- An examination of how this course may help participants to assist school management of SSE and take on leadership roles in the dissemination of information gained
Module 3:
- An examination of autism Autism (ASD, APA, 2013) and implications for inclusion
- An examination of Evidence-based strategies and approaches to support autistic students in the learning environment
- An examination of Specific Learning Difficulties (SLD, APA, 2013)
- An examination of evidence-based strategies using a strengths-based approach to support the student in the learning environment
- An examination of behaviours of concern or distress and understanding its communicative intent or function
- An examination of evidence-based strategies using a strengths-based approach to support the student with behaviour of concern or distress
Module 4:
- An examination of a variety of criterion-referenced assessments that can be used to gain a baseline of strengths and needs of SEN students
- An examination of how the above assessments can be used when compiling an SSP
- An examination of a classroom environment checklist and how this can inform the SSP
- An examination of sensory checklists that can be used by teachers to ascertain if the student is hyper or hypo in any of the 8 senses
- An examination of how the above assessments can guide discussion on
- Teaching & Learning
- Leadership & Management as part of Cosán, LAOS (Primary/Special Schools) and SSE frameworks
Module 5:
- An examination of how visual supports can be used within the learning environment
- An examination of the use of students’ interests when teaching academic and life skills
- An examination of evidence-based strategies for teaching comprehension
- An examination of evidence-based strategies for teaching organisational skills
- An examination of evidence-based strategies for teaching self-management and other life skills
- An examination of evidence-based strategies using a strengths-based approach for teaching pragmatic language
- An examination of evidence-based strategies for teaching pro-social skills
- An examination of evidence-based strategies for teaching emotional self-awareness
- An examination of how the participants can empower other staff through the dissemination of information gained from this course. A strengths-based approach will be used will be used when examining teaching strategies for all SEN students
- An examination of how this course can empower teachers to become more dynamic within Cosán, LAOS (Primary/Special Schools) and SSE
About the Author and Presenter:
Dr Michele Dunleavy has worked in the area of additional educational needs and in particular Autism for a number of years. Michele has worked in special and mainstream schools, in resource teaching, as a special class teacher and was on secondment, as an SEN Advisor, to the Special Education Support Service (SESS) from 2008 to 2014. The organisation is now called NCSE: National Council for Special Education. Michele has completed a number of Post Graduate courses in Special Education including a M.St Autism and D.Ed Autism. Since 2015 Michele has worked at third level designing and presenting courses at undergraduate and post graduate level. Michele also supervises undergraduate dissertation, master’s and Ph.D. thesis.
The course designer makes every effort to strike the balance between providing accurate information and the use of non-pathologizing language. She also notes that the use of person-first and identity-first is much debated and therefore may alternate between the two. She also considers Double Empathy theory when discussing the teaching of pro-social and life skills.
Dr Michele Dunleavy, BA (UK); PGCE (UK); PGD (Trinity); PGD (UK); M St (SEN) (Trinity) & Ed D (SEN) (Trinity)
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For more details, a course preview and to book a single place on this course, please go to otblearning.teachable.com/courses/
