The past few weeks have seen a huge shift in how we as a society function, which has of course impacted Studio 3 as an organisation. It has long been our goal at Studio 3 to spread positive ways of thinking and methods of supporting individuals who can often be very distressed and traumatised. Due to the current health crisis and global lockdown, we all – practitioners, family members, and vulnerable individuals alike – find ourselves in a world that has become overnight a chaotic and uncertain place. In light of this, we feel it is more important than ever to continue providing support, advice and information to help navigate these stressful and challenging times. We have already begun doing this by hosting a series of free weekly webinars every Tuesday for anyone who wishes to join and share in live discussions and informative presentations from a range of highly skilled and experienced speakers, all from the comfort of their own home. You can also now catch up on past webinars from speakers, including Professor Andrew McDonnell, Gareth D Morewood and Peter Vermeulen! We will continue to host these free weekly webinars for as long as you, our audience, find them helpful. The next free webinar will be delivered by Studio 3 Director and practitioner David Walker, who will be presenting on how best to support distressed children and young people, emphasising that 'The Relationship is the Therapy'. Register for free now and join us at 3pm UK Time (BST) this Tuesday 21st April for what is guaranteed to be an informative and inspiring talk. In addition, we have adapted all of our training programmes for online delivery, as well as now providing clinical supports, counselling and assessments in a web-based format. The first delivery of the new Online LASER Programme in May is now available to book, delivered by Gareth Morewood and adapted to suit the needs of families, carers, and teachers navigating the new educational circumstances brought on by the closure of mainstream schools across the UK and abroad. As many of you will know, we have also made the decision to post-pone our International ‘Fostering Hope and Optimism’ Conference, scheduled for May in Ireland, until October this year. However, in its place we will be running a series of Web Conferences every three weeks in an endeavour to make information, advice and support widely available to anyone in need during this period. The first of these live, online conferences will take place in the same week in May our original conference was scheduled. Titled 'Making Sense of a VUCA World: Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous', this web-based conference will run from 10am - 3pm on Tuesday 19th May. There will be a series of talks from speakers Professor Andrew McDonnell, Peter Vermeulen and Adam Harris (AsIAm Ireland), with interactive discussions and a live question and answer session. A full programme of online events will be available on our website shortly. More information about our first Web Conference this May 19th and how to book can be found here! We hope that this post finds you all well, and that, despite these unprecedented and frightening circumstances, we can still find ways to connect with one another, share our ideas and support our continued professional, and human, development. Stay Safe, The Studio III Team

'Trauma-informed practice' is a phrase we hear more and more in our work, but what really is trauma, and how can we learn to recognise it? This simple guide illustrates how trauma can affect the body, and how to support distressed individuals. This is a basic guidance note to support understanding and highlight some potential physiological effects of trauma. This is not an exhaustive note and is not specific to any individual. What is Trauma? Trauma is the result of singular or repetitive exposure to a deeply distressing or disturbing experience or event. Typical memories are reconstructions of past events and so they change and fade as time passes but traumatic memories do not follow this same pattern. Traumatic memories remain as horrible and vivid as when they were formed. Trauma leaves an imprint on the body and so it is not simply experienced as a memory but as disruptive physical reactions caused by the emotions and physical sensations imprinted by the initial trauma. Traumatised individuals regularly report the sense of reliving these past experiences. What Effects Can Trauma Have? A traumatised individual is changed by their experiences, and their baseline state might be to interpret the world around them as unsafe. The resulting constant vigilance and assessment of threat is mentally and physically exhausting and means that relaxation does not come easily. Individuals with trauma can be hyper-vigilant which makes them more sensitive to environmental stimuli, increases their anxiety levels, and can be exhausting. Sensory sensitivity may increase, resulting in extreme reactions such as fear at loud and unexpected noises. Individuals can be stuck in ‘fight or flight mode’ or they may appear to chronically ‘shut down’. In either of these states the body’s main purpose is survival and defence which does not leave room for the ability to learn, play, imagine, plan, and pay attention to the needs of others, which can have a negative effect on relationships. Everyday pleasures of life can be hard to enjoy or even recognise for an individual who spends each day in a hyper-vigilant state. Similarly, other traumatised individuals can be too numb to absorb new experiences. Traumatised people can struggle to accurately detect when they genuinely are in danger because their alarm system is essentially in a dysregulated and malfunctioning state. This can leave them more vulnerable in unsafe situations. Just as it can be difficult detecting what is truly dangerous, it can equally be difficult to detect what is genuinely safe and nurturing. Trauma can present in very physical ways. The emotional brain manifests in physical reactions such as a pounding heart, fast and shallow breathing, sensations such as heartbreak or a gut-wrenching feeling, speaking differently or being unable to express yourself, and body language that communicates rage, defensiveness, collapse, or rigidity. Somatic symptoms for which no clear physical basis can be found are a pervasive factor reported in traumatised adults and children. These symptoms can include and are not limited to; chronic back and neck pain, fibromyalgia, migraines, digestive problems, spastic colon/ irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue, and some forms of asthma. Studies have shown that calm and mindful people have high Heart Rate Variability (HRV) while traumatised people have very low HRV. A low HRV indicates that the body is under stress which can be caused by internal or external stimuli such as physical exercise, psychological events, and environmental stressors. Traumatised individuals also might regularly experience disconnection with their body, muffled senses, and not have a fully integrated understanding of how they physically feel. In an attempt to shut down the terrifying physical sensations brought on by undergoing trauma, their capacity to fully feel and experience can be dulled. In the struggle to cope with intense emotional responses a person might feel numb or turn to strategies such as self-harm, alcohol, drugs, and binge eating. Sleep may be chronically disturbed and food can lose its sensory appeal. An impaired sense of self and reduced sense of personal purpose and direction is also commonly reported. This can result in difficulty around decision making, even when faced with seemingly small choices. Alexithymia is regularly present in traumatised individuals, meaning that they struggle to identify or express how they feel emotionally. These feelings can be expressed physically though remain beyond the individual’s comprehension. Social engagement can also be severely affected by trauma. An encounter which would usually activate a social engagement response in a non-traumatised brain can send a traumatised brain into survival mode. Many traumatised people experience feeling very disconnected and out of sync with the people around them. It is natural to seek comfort and safety from the people around us, but many traumatised people are unable to do this, meaning that they lack a key coping mechanism many of people rely on. What Can Be Helpful in Supporting Individuals with Trauma? When supporting traumatised individuals, it is important to remember the stress and difficulties they constantly endure and take this into account when reflecting on their emotional and behavioural reactions. The way we interact with a person with trauma can have a significant impact. Our inherent social reciprocity means that being spoken to in playful tones results in relaxation and comfort in opening up. Regardless of what is being said, vocal tones indicate a sense of safety or danger. Shouting or speaking loudly to someone who is out of control will only result in further dysregulation. Reliable and predictably positive, engaging, and empathic interaction will help create a sense of safety. Furthermore, knowing when to speak is important, and, when dealing with trauma, the need for talking is greatly reduced. Trauma impacts the area of the brain related to expressive language and articulation. This means that when an individual is caught up in a negative emotional response, their capacity for language is greatly impaired. Language becomes ineffective when an individual is in this state and so it is important to think about how to bypass this and to address the trauma on a physiological level. This means that when an individual is having an emotional reaction, it is not the best time to ask them to sit and explain what they are thinking and feeling. Appropriate distraction and redirection can be useful. Practitioners should be mindful that an individual cannot learn or effectively process information when in a state of high arousal and dysregulation. Trauma removes the feeling of being in charge of yourself, and so regaining a sense of ownership over mind and body is important in the recovery process. Physical activities can be used to reconnect individuals to their body and improve mindfulness. Activities such as yoga have been identified as particularly effective in this but any form of regular, sustained, and engaging physical exercise will help with this. Physical exercise is a well-established method of stress management and reduction. Due to the high level of baseline stress as a result of trauma, cardiovascular exercise in an important part of regulation and well-being for traumatised individuals. Stress hormones typically provide energy to help us deal with extreme situations that generally require action. Traumatised individuals are regularly and unnecessarily producing these hormones and physical movement is the only way to effectively dispel and benefit from this. Emotional regulation is helped by the relief of physical tension and active social engagement that tends to occur naturally with most physical activities. Cardiovascular exercise also aids in increasing Heart Rate Variability. It should be noted that the benefits discussed will not occur over night and so regularity and persistence is key. You can work with the traumatised individual to identify activities, sports, and games that they can enjoy and enthusiastically engage with. When supporting traumatised individuals it is also important to consider the opportunity for relaxation. As discussed, trauma can result in a high level of baseline stress, hypervigilance, increased anxiety, and sensory sensitivity which does not foster relaxation. When building a routine for a traumatised individual, downtime should be scheduled in. It is useful to think about when specifically encouraging relaxation may be helpful, such as before going to bed or around an activity usually found to be stressful. The use of positive sensory experiences can also greatly benefit stress reduction and sense of well-being. Identifying smells, tastes, sounds, touch, and visuals that are soothing and calming for an individual can help in accommodating relaxation. Identifying any negative sensory triggers can also be of use but the focus should be on utilising sensory strengths. Examples of relaxing sensory experiences can include taking a hot bath, drinking a cup of hot chocolate, having your hair brushed. This will be very individual and time should be taken to help in identifying relaxation aids and ensuring that they are employed appropriately. With time, empathy and compassion, traumatised individuals can be supported to lead happy and fulfilling lives. If you are supporting someone who has experienced trauma and would like to speak to a member of our clinical team, please contact us at info@studio3.org or 01225 334 111. Written by Aylish McFarlane, Studio 3 Assistant Psychologist, and illustrated by Terry Culkin.

Educational adviser Gareth D Morewood interviews Claire Ryan of ChatterPack, a voluntary-run special education needs and disability online resource, on how best to support SEN pupils during the Covid-19 crisis. Due to the Coronavirus lockdown in the UK and abroad, many young people are now being educated at home or remotely. This is a particularly challenging period for children with special education needs and their supporters. Claire Ryan, founder of ChatterPack - an amazing online tool for educational resources - spoke to our Educational Adviser Gareth D Morewood about how to turn this potentially stressful and challenging change of circumstance into a positive learning environment. Gareth: Claire, what would you say is important to think about with regard to young people who have language and communication needs when educating remotely? Claire: Identifying potential barriers and making reasonable adjustments for all young people with additional needs is a vital part of accessing education, and this process is just as important when educating remotely. Recent events have caused a huge shift in the processes and methods we use to communicate, particularly in relation to education. Therefore, it is highly likely that any adjustments already in place for young people with language and communication needs will require reviewing and adapting. However, potentially, they could end up being replaced with different adjustments entirely. The starting point for identifying barriers and adjustments should always begin with the pupils’ individual needs, and, where possible, discussing difficulties and ideas with the pupil and their families. Co-production is always the key to successful and appropriate access for young people with additional needs. Gareth: How can we make sure that the use of technology enhances and supports pupils rather than provides an additional barrier? Claire: If the young person struggles with elements of spoken language, they will also struggle with those elements within written texts. Therefore, when using technology in remote education, try thinking about it from the perspective of what works in the school environment. For example, you might rephrase or simplify instructions, or ‘chunk’ information when teaching new topics or explaining complex concepts. Do you provide demonstrations and/or encourage the young person to learn through hands-on/practical methods? How do you check that they have understood what they need to do? Once you have this information, you could discuss possible adaptions and options for how you might offer similar but adapted support remotely. One idea could be to provide rephrased explanations or ‘chunked’ information through audio recordings. This method would allow the young person to rewind, pause and repeat instructions as often as they needed to, as it is common for young people with a vast range of additional needs to also struggle with auditory memory and retaining information. Gareth: Some families may thrive on the ability to support routines without external factors having to be considered; others may really struggle. What advice or key elements do you think are important to consider? Claire: As a parent to a young person with additional needs, I have decided to throw out the rule book, because it does not apply for us during this period. We are embracing the fact that learning can happen everywhere, in all situations, and focusing on our mental health and stress levels. This has helped us to settle and to figure out what our new, unique ‘normal’ is. So, my advice to families is to remember that there are no standard or typical paths to navigate through this period, only individual ones. You do not have to attempt to recreate school at home, unless that is what your child needs. If that is what they need, please remember that no one expects you to become a teacher of multiple subjects overnight. There are lots of online tools that can help you. We are grateful to Claire for her insights, and for sharing a list of free online resources for anyone who may be struggling with their well-being during this period, parents who are homeschooling their children (with or without special education needs) and ways of beating self-isolation boredom! List of Free Resources Available on Chatterpack.net 1) Free home learning resources for all ages and for learners with and without special educational needs and disabilities, including resources to support well-being, anxiety, and information and training for families and teachers: https://chatterpack.net/blogs/blog/resources-list-for-home-learning 2) Free speech and language, occupational therapy and learning resources for young people with SEND, including accessible resources for well-being, fun online and offline activities, and advice and support for families: https://chatterpack.net/blogs/blog/list-of-free-speech-language-communication-and-send-resources-for-schools-and-parent-carers 3) Free boredom busting activities for adults isolated at home, including arts/culture, music, learning, literature, virtual tours, well-being, etc: https://chatterpack.net/blogs/blog/list-of-online-resources-for-anyone-who-is-isolated-at-home Read our review of 'ADHD and Me!' by Claire Ryan here, a useful tool for informing children and young people about their diagnosis in a positive way! Sign up for the free monthly newsletter from ChatterPack here and follow Claire on Twitter @ChatterPackUK

Education Adviser Gareth D. Morewood fills us in on the development of the LASER programme in the last few months, and how the face-to-face programme has been adapted for online delivery to support families and teachers during the lockdown. 2020 has been a very busy year so far for our Educational project here at Studio 3. January saw the launch of The LASER Project at the Seashell Trust in Stockport. A fantastic mix of local and international delegates attended the programme delivered by our CEO, Professor Andy McDonnell and Educational Advisor, Gareth Morewood for the first time. Read the training evaluation report here. Shortly afterwards, Gareth and Andy headed to Dubai to work with our partners at Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS) in delivering two further LASER courses to their staff and external delegates. You can hear what Emma Dibden, JESS Inclusion Champion, thought of the training by listening to the podcast interview. In addition to delivering the LASER programme, Gareth has continued to offer direct support and advice to individual families, schools and organisations, alongside delivering a range of training, keynote addresses and CPD days. One of the highlights was the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Mental Health Event, at which Gareth’s lively final keynote was ‘live drawn’ by the fabulous Rebecca Osborne. Since the recent changes in working arrangements due to the Covid-19 lockdown, we have been hard at work making our services available online, either as free webinars or low-cost training and clinical support. As part of this shift, The LASER Programme has been re-worked for online delivery, in a way that we hope will support parents educating their children at home, as well as teachers continuing to work in a school setting. Gareth will deliver the first of these sessions in May - find out more information here. There continues to be a significant amount of ongoing and exciting new work with families, young people and educational settings, and even a pandemic cannot stop us maintaining high impact and low cost support for schools, professionals, parents/carers & young people. Written by Studio 3 Educational Adviser, Gareth D Morewood (@gdmorewood). Read Gareth's exclusive interview with Claire Ryan of ChatterPack UK on how best to support children and young people from home!

A review of The Real Happy Pill: Power Up Your Brain By Moving Your Body by Swedish physician and psychiatrist Anders Hansen Anders Hansen, a physician and psychiatrist from Stockholm, Sweden, takes the slightly unusual stance in the world of psychology that we can and should run away from our stress – literally. Research has long supported the hypothesis that regular physical exercise leads to greater physical fitness. Hansen takes this a step further and highlights the positive effect physical exercise has on the brain. This book provides further evidence to support the effectiveness of physical exercise, with the aid of additional neuroscientific evidence, as a support mechanism when coping with the stress and anxiety of everyday life. By engaging in regular physical exercise, Hansen states, you may even improve your cognitive functioning across your lifetime. Hansen explore the finite details of the brain- body interaction in a way that is both easy to understanding and powerful. Crucially, Hansen explains the relationship between brain cells, neuronal signalling and hormone release in the context, firstly, of stress responses produced by artificial stressors and secondly by physical exercise. Most importantly, Hansen highlights how relevant these context changes are to stress, and how these neurological changes can impact all aspects of our cognitive functioning; including concentration, memory consolidation, memory recall and overall stress tolerance. Whilst examining the power of exercise for stress and anxiety, Hansen also offers positive advice surrounding the benefits of physical activity for other mental health conditions, including depression, ADHD and panic attacks. Hansen gives a wide range of clinical case studies that support these findings, and clearly explains for the general reader how they can reap the benefits of physical exercise. Examining the role of physical activity across the lifespan, Hansen discusses the key role exercise has during the latter stages of life and the protection it provides against prematurely aging and some health conditions. He also discusses this in his TEDx Talk on 'Why the Brain is Built for Movement.' Critical, from a clinical perspective, is Hansen’s debate on the use of medication versus physical exercise to treat and manage stress and anxiety. Hansen explores how the use of common medical intervention for stress and anxiety, focusing on how they can negatively affect brain chemistry over time, and can cause great consequences in the long-term. This book is brilliant for anyone wishing to learn more about the neuroscientific relationship between their brain and their body, and simple changes to their daily life to reduce stress and anxiety and create the space necessary to flourish. Simple but effective, Hansen shows that sustained exercise can positively support cognitive functioning and mental well-being across the lifetime. Hansen also advocates for increased use of physical exercise in a clinical context, and argues that it should be promoted more as a primary form of treatment above short-term solutions such as medication. As Hansen says, “Do you feel down in the dumps, even if you are not depressed? Then get out and run!” That, he concludes, is the right prescription for the brain. Reviewed by Studio 3 Assistant Psychologist Chelsea Smart

All of our recent staff news from the past few months, including news from our colleagues and associates, and welcoming new trainers to the Studio 3 team! A Re-Cap of the Year So Far The Studio 3 team spent an informative two days at the NAS Autism Professionals Conference in Birmingham from Thursday 27th-28th February. With the help of PERMA Bear, we spoke to many other professionals passionate about working positively to support individuals with autism and other additional support needs. Our Educational Adviser Gareth was amongst the team of experienced and inspiring speakers at the event, where he spoke about the importance of inclusion within school and educational settings, and in particular stressed that the language of stress needs to be used more to re-frame the narrative around behaviour in schools, and move towards a solution-focused approach. Gareth asked, ‘We wouldn’t take a wheelchair or a hearing aid off of someone, so why should we stop someone from engaging in behaviour that helps them to cope or self-regulate?’ In addition, the ‘Good Life’ Foster Care Project, led by Studio 3 director David Walker, is expanding in the UK, and seems to be making a real difference in the lives of looked after children and their foster families. This therapeutic approach combines the best aspects of Low Arousal Approaches and other crisis management principles to ensure the best outcomes for children in foster care, centred around preventing placements from breaking down. The second in a new series of practitioner articles is now available to download from our website, in which Professor Andrew McDonnell discusses a more empathic therapeutic approach to supporting distressed individuals than what he refers to as ‘radical behaviourist’ methods. This article outlines some of the guiding principles to what he calls Empathic Stress Support (ESS), an approach which grounds itself in humanism, reflective practice and an understanding of the transactional model of stress. Read the full article here! Studio 3 Trainers, Old and New! We would like to dedicate this section to our trainers – some of whom have been with us for years, and others who have newly qualified! Firstly, a big thank you to the team of trainers who attended our recent CPD Event - a Physical Skills Refresher - on 21st February 2020 at Peamount Hospital in Dublin, Ireland. This event was attended by a great team of practitioners, which made for a very enjoyable and informative day brushing up on gentle physical skills and low arousal approaches, whilst sharing experiences and reflecting on practices. (Standing) left to right: Caroline Farrell, Daughters of Charity (DoC), Dublin; Gillian Callan, DoC, Dublin; Mark Talbot, DoC, Roscrea; Elaine Ryan, DoC, Roscrea; Margaret O'Friel, DoC, Dublin; Noelene Mullen, HSE Southside; Tony Mulvihill, HSE Southside; Omotayo Apara, HSE Southside; Damian O'Neill, Studio 3, Kerry; Eugene McGinley, HSE Donegal; Mary Maher, Studio 3 Dublin; Keith Hayes, Camphill Communities, Dunshane; Bridget Ryan, SOS Kilkenny; Marian O'Shea, Studio 3, Dublin; Bernard Collins, DoC, Limerick; Kieran Murray, HSE Donegal. (Kneeling) left to right: Tina Kellegher, DoC, Limerick; Sonia O'Donnell, HSE, Donegal; Martin Galvin, Studio 3, Dublin; Brid Dempsey, DoC, Dublin; Brid Costelloe, SOS Kilkenny; Hnnah McAuliffe, Studio 3, Dublin; Barry Newell, Brothers of Charity, Galway. Secondly, congratulations to the following group of newly qualified Studio 3 trainers, here celebrating their achievements at a meal in Leixlip, Dublin on 27th February, 2020. Pictured left to right: Ian McNulty, Gateway, Sligo; Katy Gaughan, Ability West, Galway; Lorraine McGarry, DoC, Limerick; Paul Phillips, Studio 3; Elizabeth McGrattan, Peamount Hospital; Emma Coughlan, WALK, Dublin; Jency P John, Peamount Hospital. (Not pictured: Rita Leamy, Peamount Hospital & Barry Moore, Positive Futures.) Congratulations also to the Atlass Group in Ireland who graduated in January 2020! The standard of work submitted was highly commended by Birmingham City University, and we look forward to hearing more from these participants in the future! Pictured from left to right: Emily Boylan, Bernadette O Reilly,Dillon McMahon, Funmi Fatunbi, John Fassen, Gemma Byrne, Edele Donnelly, and Martin Carter. This year we also welcome new team members Jenette Allmark and Jenny Lindte, who recently joined us as Studio 3 trainers in Sweden! We are excited to help them spread the Studio 3 philosophy throughout Sweden! News from Our Associates We would like to congratulate our colleague Daniel Rippon on the publication of his PhD thesis, a research article looking at work related stress in professionals who provide health and social care for people who exhibit behaviours that challenge, available to read online here! This study has massive implications for carers working with distressed individuals, and suggests that more needs to be done to ensure carer stress is monitored and managed. We would like to take this opportunity to draw attention to two recent surveys by Studio 3 associate Dr Georgia Pavlopoulou. The first, for parents and carers of autistic children, looks at understanding the personal and social circumstances that may pose unique opportunities and challenges during the current global pandemic. Take the survey here. The second study looks at the impact of sleep difficulties and the effect it has on loneliness in siblings of disabled children aged 12-25. This survey is hosted by the University College London (UCL) in consultation with Sibs and The Sleep Charity, and there are 10 £10 amazon vouchers up for grabs for siblings who complete the survey, which can be found here. To keep up with more Studio 3 news, subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn!

Studio 3 reviews a new online digital tool for developing visual timelines to support children with additional needs. Picturepath is an easy to use app that constructs a digital visual timeline for your child or student. Developed by Richard Nurse in collaboration with Nova, this app allows parents, teachers, and children to collaborate on creating an easy to edit visual timeline for the day, helping children to understand their day, make it as predictable as possible, and reduce anxiety. Richard was inspired by his son Freddie, who is autistic, to create a clear, concise and cost-effective means of creating a visual timeline to help Freddie understand and predict daily events, thus reducing his anxiety. Not only is the app fun for kids to use and interact with, it can also be shared between schools and homes and interactively edited as the day progresses. There can be a sense of achievement when an individual has completed a task on the timeline, and the app is tailored to be easily navigated by child and parent alike. ‘Children are at the centre of picturepath. Children can see changes to routines from parents and school timelines, relieving anxiety caused by an unexpected change in plans.’ - Picturepath Visual supports have been used more and more often with autistic pupils to aid learning, as research has shown that autistic individuals tend to learn best using visual supports as opposed to solely auditory input. Maureen Bennie, from the Autism Awareness Centre in Canada, states that, ‘Seeing it, rather than saying it, helps the person retain and process information’ (2017). Temple Grandin’s book, Thinking in Pictures and Other Reports from My Life with Autism, demonstrates her personal experience of perceiving the world in an entirely concrete and visual way. Grandin’s work, and that of other autistic advocates, stresses the importance of teaching individuals based on their levels of ability and understanding. There is a huge body of research that supports using concrete and visual stimuli to aid learning, not just for autistic students (Rao and Gagie, 2006). Using visual supports can help to add structure and security to a child’s day, particularly around unpredictable and new activities that may cause stress and uncertainty for the child. The following short video demonstrates how a visual timeline can allow the child to take control of their day and reduce anxiety and uncertainty surrounding events which can be difficult to predict: As demonstrated by this video, visual supports can encourage independence and planning. However, Richard identified a fundamental flaw in the production of physical visual support plans, being that they are time consuming and costly to produce, can easily be mislaid, and cannot be altered to accommodate for unexpected changes. Particularly for schools producing hundreds of individualised timelines for specific students, this can amount to a huge amount of time and money being spent on producing visual supports. Hayes et al. (2010) states that, while visual supports are useful cognitive tools for learning, they are challenging to create, distribute and use. Hayes advocates a simple mobile interface for the production and distribution of visual supports, being less time consuming, easier to share between individuals and devices, and that is user-friendly for autistic individuals. That is where picturepath comes in. In essence, the app works with you to create a visual timeline for a specific event or a full day. There are in-built activities such as ‘bed time’ or ‘brush teeth’ to help plan for daily routines, as well as allowing the option to add your own activity if there is not one specifically tailored to your needs. The activities are accompanied by a visual symbol – here, you can add your own images – to help make the step easy to understand. One school that uses picturepath to support children with additional needs took pictures of the classrooms that the children would be in for each lesson so that each child could see in advance where they would be that day. This reduced anxiety and confusion for each individual. These images are then displayed as a full day, or in a ‘now and next’ format, which can often be less overwhelming. The child can then themselves swipe to dismiss an activity when it has been completed. The benefits of having this timeline available in a digital format means that it can not only be easily edited, readily available and exciting for the child to use – it is also extremely convenient and available to hand. The Autism Awareness Centre notes that whether we have additional support needs or not, all of us use some kind of visual tool to create schedules and keep ourselves organised. When faced with the question, ‘When should you stop using visual supports with a child?’, the answer they give is ‘Never’: ‘We use iPhones, daytimers, desk calendars, and checklists. We use these tools to create visual schedules for our folks on the spectrum because they create predictability which lessens anxiety. Do you stop using your daytimer, calendar or iPhone? Do you shop without a list? The answer is no, so don’t stop using visuals with people on the spectrum.’ Visual supports are undoubtedly an incredibly useful tool to use with autistic and non-autistic individuals alike, and picturepath makes this not only easy but fun. We would recommend this as a tool for families and schools alike to collaboratively reduce anxiety and uncertainty in everyday life. For families, the app is free to download from the App Store and Google Play, with the option to upgrade to access special features. For schools, the first 30 days are free of charge, and timelines can be displayed on whiteboards, computers, tablets or phones (or printed off to be used where internet access is limited). An entire term of lessons can be programmed quickly and easily amended if there are special events. School timelines can be shared with home carers to give a view of what’s been happening in school and enabling pupils and teachers to see what the child is doing after school, reducing uncertainty that often surrounds the transition from school to home. If you’re interested in trying picturepath for free or if you have any questions or suggestions for improvement then email support@mypicturepath.com or go to their website www.mypicturepath.com. Written by Rachel McDermott Studio 3 Digital Content Editor References Bennie, M. (2017) 'Visual Supports for Autism: A Step by Step Guide', Autism Awareness Centre. [Available from: https://autismawarenesscentre.com/visual-supports-best-way-use/] Grandin, T. (1995) Thinking in Pictures and Other Reports from My Life with Autism, London: Bloomsbury Publishing. Hayes, G.R., Hirano, S., Marcu, G., Monibi, M., Nguyen, D.H., & Yeganyan, M. (2010). ‘Interactive Visual Supports for Children with Autism’, Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, 14: 663-680. Rao, S.M. & Gagie, B. (2006). ‘Learning Through Seeing and Doing: Visual Supports for Children and Autism’, TEACHING Exceptional Children, 38(6): 26-33.

‘ADHD and Me!’ is the latest resource available through ChatterPack, which aims to help children and young people with a diagnosis to develop an understanding of what ADHD means to them, without the use of medicalised language and social stigmas. ‘ADHD and Me!’ is a user-friendly guide to exploring what ADHD means for young people and those close to them. Written by Claire Ryan, who herself has a diagnosis of ADHD and is the parent of a child with SEND (Special Education Needs and Disability), this book is a clear and insightful guide for any child or young person struggling with difficult feelings surrounding their diagnosis. Claire is a senior paediatric Speech and Language therapist TI, and has worked in the NHS for 16 years, providing therapy for children and working with parents, carers and schools to ensure the child’s targets are understood and met. Claire developed ChatterPack as a means of sharing the knowledge gained through her work and lived experience to support parents and young people with SEND. Run entirely in Claire's personal time, ChatterPack provides information, resources and training to parents, carers, teachers and professionals working with children and young people who have learning differences. ChatterPack offers a wide range of resources to use with young people both online and through a free monthly SEND newsletter, such as tools for developing conversational and language skills, developing an awareness of emotions and triggers, and exploring ‘What makes a good friend?’ This specialised book on ADHD is the latest resource available through ChatterPack. The tone of the book is extremely positive, and seeks to reassure the young person about life with ADHD. The author celebrates the individual thinking that ADHD can inspire, and the positive sides to having a unique brain. The book touches on many issues surrounding ADHD, such as emotions, impulsivity, hyperactivity and sensory processing, explaining them in a simple, easy to understand way. The guide emphasises that everyone with ADHD is different, and that it is important to understand how it affects each reader differently. The book also defines some terms associated with ADHD that can be confusing, such as ‘hyperactivity’. The author assures readers that their urge to move and feelings of both physical and mental restlessness are perfectly normal for people with ADHD, and that they should not feel bad for being unable to control these unconscious impulses. The key message throughout the book is a positive one of embracing difference rather than focusing on how to behave in a more ‘acceptable’ manner. The author emphasises that ADHD means differences on a neurological level, and an individual’s inability to focus on one thing or to sit still in a classroom is not a marker of their bad behaviour or lack of control – it is not a choice, nor is a it a bad thing. Indeed, the focus of the book is on the positive side of ADHD, such as having a broad imagination, ability to hyper-focus for periods of time, and being able to notice things that other people may miss. The author sheds a light on the reality of ADHD, whilst also illuminating the positive factors to having a unique brain: ‘ADHD is a neurological difference or disorder, but it definitely doesn’t mean that you are broken, ill or faulty in some way. It simply means that your brain works differently’ (45) Rather than focusing on changing behaviours that may be seen as socially unacceptable, such as interrupting and being impulsive, the author explains that these are directly linked to ADHD, and should not be changed but understood and accepted by both the individual themselves and their supporters. The book also includes practical advice for young people and adults, including how routines can be helpful for anticipating change and reducing stress, and how to overcome difficulties with reading and attention. The author also touches on the subject of medication, and answers questions young people may have, such as: ‘If I take medication for my ADHD, does that mean that I am ill?’ The final section of the book is targeted specifically towards adults, and how parents, carers, teachers and professionals can better understand and support individuals with ADHD. This section also provides practical advice to help engage and support individuals with ADHD, whilst stressing that every person is different and will therefore need support with some things and excel in others. The key message here is helping adults to understand that certain behaviour cannot be controlled, and whilst it may seem that the young person is acting impulsively at will, this behaviour is not within their control. It emphasises the importance of staying calm, particularly in situations where the individual may be dealing with difficult emotions such as anger, and struggling to regulate their impulses. The author encourages what we at Studio 3 would call a low arousal approach when interacting with young people with ADHD, and emphasises that our own actions and emotions as supporters can contribute negatively to what is already a difficult situation for the young person. Understanding how ADHD can affect behaviour is important for understanding that some behaviours are outwith the individual’s control, and that they may need support to navigate more difficult emotions and situations, not to be punished for behaviours they cannot control. This is an incredibly important cornerstone of the low arousal approach, as ultimately the greatest support we can offer a young person with ADHD, autism, developmental disabilities or other additional needs is our empathy, compassion and understanding. Overall, this book is a helpful guide for young people with ADHD and the adults who support them. The book really emphasises the importance of understanding ADHD beyond the behaviour that can sometimes come with it, and stresses that ADHD is not about behaviour, but about understanding what each individual needs to cope, particularly when it comes to learning. As well as addressing concerns young people might have about their diagnosis, the book also contains plenty of practical advice for parents and teachers on how best to facilitate learning using tools and methods such as mindmaps, sentence starters, thought diaries, routines and movement breaks. This is a guide not only to understanding ADHD, but to building meaningful relationships between young people and adults built on mutual respect and trust. We recommend this as an incredibly useful tool to give to a young person struggling with difficult feelings surrounding their diagnosis, as well as a resource for teachers, parents and professionals. If you are interested in learning more about improving outcomes in ADHD, our Educational Adviser Gareth D. Morewood is teaming up with Claire Ryan to provide a unique training day in January. Get your tickets for this exclusive event here, with a signed copy of 'ADHD and Me!' included in the ticket price! Order your copy now! Reviewed by Rachel McDermott Studio 3 Digital Content Editor

In October, we had a special visit from Studio 3 associate Peter Vermeulen at our headquarters in Alcester, Birmingham. With 30 years of experience in the field of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), Peter is a uniquely qualified expert in all things Autism. In a series of talks spanning two days, Peter took us on a journey through the autistic brain, examining what we think we know about autism and behaviour. Firstly, Peter disputed popular definitions of autism, arguing that autism should not be defined by behaviours that could be described as ‘challenging’. The way we see autism in society and popular culture is far too focused on stereotypical behaviours, and less on why autistic individuals are engaging in those behaviours. As Andy McDonnell states in his book The Reflective Journey, all behaviour is communication, and it is our role as practitioners to interpret what an individual is trying to communicate when their behaviour becomes challenging. ‘There is no such category as ‘autistic behaviours’, only human behaviours’ – Barry Prizant, Uniquely Human As supporters of autistic people, and particularly as practitioners, we must look beyond behaviour and seek their cause within. For example, everyday stress is a huge factor when it comes to behaviours of concern. Peter asked us, ‘How flexible are you under high levels of stress, and why do we expect more of autistic people?’ He then went on to explain the predictive brain, and why autistic thinking can often lead to stress and loss of control on a neurological level. The Predictive Brain Research into the predictive mind has shown that we are not as logical as we often think ourselves to be, and that intuition often trumps reasoning when it comes to our brain processing information (Vermeulen, 2012). Rather than meticulously combing through and analysing sensory information in order to reach conclusions about our environment, which would expend a lot of mental energy, our brain functions mainly on predictions, which occur constantly and unconsciously on a neurological level. This unconscious, fast processing, termed ‘System 1 Thinking’ by Daniel Kahneman, is the primary means by which our brains process information in our daily lives (Kahneman, 2011). The predictive mind is successful with the use of contextual clues and feedback from the senses, which either confirms or denies the predictions the brain has already made (again, this all occurs on an unconscious, cellular level). It is now clear to scientists that perception does in fact start in the brain, and is not dependent on external stimuli from the senses. Prediction error is the term given to instances in which feedback from the senses suggests that the prediction the brain has made is incorrect (den Ouden, Kok and Lange, 2012). Prediction errors are an unpleasant experience for the brain, and can lead to stress and uncertainty about the validity of future predictions. Therefore, the brain seeks to minimise instances of prediction error by looking only for information that contradicts its predictions. It does so by filtering feedback from the senses to only include information that the brain did not expect to find. It will then adapt its prediction, or interfere with this information, in order to make it fit its expectations. The weight given to prediction errors - how broad or narrow the margin of error is - is context-specific. Unknown environments are more stressful because they cannot be reliably predicted. Therefore, in unfamiliar environments, more weight is given to sensory information in order to check the validity of predictions. Conversely, when the brain is relaxed and in a familiar environment, the margin of error is wider and less sensory information is required to make accurate predictions. Context Blindness So, how does the predictive brain affect individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs)? Autistic individuals often see the world as a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) place. This is in part due to the autistic brain’s difficulty when it comes to making consistent and reliable predictions. 90% of the predictions autistic brains make are either too broad or too vague (Van de Cruys et al., 2014). In both instances, the predictions are inaccurate, leading to more prediction errors, uncertainty, and stress. The autistic brain is easily surprised, and with that shock comes stress and decreased confidence in its predictions. When the brain lacks confidence in its predictions, it allows for a very small margin of error and places more weight on sensory input, unsure of itself. This means that the autistic brain is often working at the same level of stress and uncertainty as a neurotypical brain would be in a highly stressful and threatening environment. Everyday environments can be highly complex for an autistic brain, and cause a great deal of neurological stress. This is what Peter refers to as ‘context blindness’ in his book Autism as Context Blindness (2012). Context blindness here refers to a deficit in the flexible adjustments of predictions and their precision in context. The world is incredibly complex for a context-sensitive brain, which can be very inflexible. Autism has been described as ‘absolute thinking in a relative world’, which Peter feels is a more fitting description than behaviour-focused definitions of autism (Van de Cruys et al., 2014). A context-blind brain is over-focused on details and specifics where a more flexible brain is able to recognise consistencies in things that are not distinctly similar. Peter gave an example, stating that dogs differ massively in appearance due to the variety of breeds. Whilst an atypical brain can easily recognise dissimilar looking dogs due to their shared characteristics, an autistic brain is over-focused on their differences, and could fail to recognise that a great dane and a chihuahua are from the same animal family. Peter stressed that autism is not related to IQ or intelligence – a brain can be context blind and still highly intelligent. Theory Influences Practice Peter then went on to examine ways in which we can reduce neurological stress for the people we support by seeking to minimise context blindness and thus prediction errors. Contextual lexical priming is one way of putting what is about to happen, e.g. a lesson or an outing, into context, helping the brain to correctly predict outcomes. ‘Pushing the context button’, as Peter refers to it, is a simple way of allowing more processing time as well as narrowing down the type of information being referred to. The key goal is to reduce prediction errors by making things as predictable as possible, and thus making processing less stressful. This can include making schedules and visual plans for the hour, day or week ahead, allowing transition time in between tasks or even ideas to allow for context priming, and speaking in concrete terms to ensure clarity. For example, rather than saying ‘We will go to the park later’, say ‘We will go to the park in half an hour’ or ‘After lunch’. By making things concrete and absolute, you can reduce the stress of searching for the correct context. Context blindness is also a factor in the social sphere, as a lack of contextual sensitivity in social navigation leads to a lot of what are viewed as ‘autistic behaviours’. For example, facial expressions are highly misunderstood by most people. As with information processing, we read INTO facial expressions what we predict we will see based on the context and how we believe a person will be feeling. Testing an individual’s ability to identify emotions based on close-up images of people’s faces is, Peter explained, teaching them autistic ways of reading facial expressions by ignoring all other stimuli! Instead we should be helping autistic people to identify emotions based not on how they look, but how they feel. Peter went on to state that, in situations that cannot be controlled or predicted, planned escape scenarios should always be in place to allow coping. Avoidant or escaping behaviours are often a means of communicating an overload of sensory stimuli or limited processing ability. Stress and coping are key to relaxing the context-blind brain, and any intervention should involve mindfulness, palliative (emotional) coping and relaxation methods. Relaxing the brain itself by minimising prediction errors can also reduce overall stress, for example by generating sound. Whilst unpredictable sounds can be stressful for autistic people, generating sound themselves can be soothing, as they are in control of the sensory input their body receives and can therefore reliably predict it. As an example, Peter talked about applause, and how the uncertainty of applause is more stressful for autistic brains than the sound itself. Having spoken to a group of autistic individuals at a conference, Peter discovered that if applause had a set start and end time, it would not be so uncomfortable for the autistic brain. Peter then developed Predictable Applause, a simple solution to this problem which has since been used at autism conferences such as the AsIAm Ireland Conference in 2019! Knowing what is coming lowers prediction errors, and consequently stress. This is also true for stimming and other physical coping mechanisms, they key being that the individual is in control of their immediate sensory world. Peter reminded us that control is the enemy of anxiety, and giving as much control as possible to the individual will greatly help to reduce their stress. Professor Andrew McDonnell also asserts the importance of relinquishing our control as practitioners in times of stress, and instead enabling the distressed individual to feel as in control as possible (McDonnell, 2019): ‘As someone becomes more stressed, their world becomes more and more narrow until they feel as though they can only control themselves by controlling the world around them. Supporting someone in times of heightened stress to regain a sense of control is fundamental.’ (p. 122) In conclusion, Peter finished off by saying that autistic brains are ‘precise minds in an uncertain world’. In an autism-friendly world, clearness enables autistic individuals to be in control. Prediction errors on an unconscious, neurological level lead to surprise and stress, which can result in sensory overload and ‘shutdown’. It is important that we as practitioners take stress and sensory discomfort seriously, and address the stress and arousal first before the sensory stimuli. Ask the individual, ‘What would help?’, using positive, problem-solving language. Reduce uncertainty by making the environment more predictable rather than less stimulating. Empower the individuals you support to help them to cope with more experiences rather than teaching them to avoid them altogether. Give (the feeling of) control over the environment, and – most importantly – Peter says we must ‘Give people the freedom to choose what they think is necessary for their needs’. We finished up the incredibly informative and thought-provoking day with some predictable applause! We would like to offer a huge thank you to Peter Vermeulen for sharing his knowledge with us all here at Studio 3, and look forward to hearing more from him at our very special 2020 Conference in Kerry, Ireland! Find out more here: www.neart2020.org Written by Rachel McDermott Studio 3 Digital Content Editor References den Ouden, H. E., Kok, P., & de Lange, F. P. (2012). How prediction errors shape perception, attention, and motivation. Frontiers in Psychology, 3: 548. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00548. Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. McDonnell, A. (2019) The Reflective Journey: A Practitioner’s Guide to the Low Arousal Approach, Studio III Publications. Available to order now: www.studio3.org/product-page. Prizant, B.M. and Fields-Meyer, T. (2019). Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism. Souvenir Press. Van de Cruys, S., Evers, K., Van der Hallen, R., Van Eylen, L., Boets, B., de-Wit, L. and Wagemans, J. (2014). Precise minds in uncertain worlds: Predictive coding in autism. Psychological Review, 121 (4): 649-75. doi: 10.1037/a0037665. Vermuelen, P. (2012). Autism as Context Blindness. United States: Autism Asperger Publishing C0. Available here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Autism-Context-Blindness-Peter-Vermeulen/dp/1937473007

With the Studio 3 LASER Programme due to launch later this month, we consider the impact our education project has already had on schools throughout the UK and internationally. The Studio 3 LASER Programme was developed specifically for schools and other unique educational settings. This programme seeks to implement low arousal approaches to managing crisis situations within classrooms. Key goals include reducing stress and increasing staff confidence, thus creating calm environments optimal for learning. This new training, developed by Studio 3 Director Professor Andrew McDonnell and Educational Adviser Gareth D. Morewood, is now available to book for your setting in 2020! The LASER Programme will be launched in Stockport at an exclusive 2-day event from the 20th-21st January, 2020. Here, lead trainers Andrew McDonnell and Gareth Morewood will provide a full day of training followed by a second day of workshops, for just £50 per day. There are limited spaces available for this event, so book now by contacting us at admin@studio3.org. Further deliveries of the programme have already been booked in Dubai, Sweden, Denmark and Ireland. In 2019, our Educational Adviser Gareth Morewood was exceptionally busy, working across the UK and abroad with families, young people, and educational establishments. Most recently, work with Parenting Special Children Charity saw workshops for young people and families on stress and well-being delivered in Reading. These were extremely well received, as was a one-day course attended by almost 100 delegates. Gareth also continues his work with St Dominic’s International School in Portugal, working directly with young people themselves as well as delivering training for staff and workshops for families. There has been significant positive impact within this school culture since we have undertaken this long-term partnership with the school. In addition, Gareth and Elly Chapple both recently attended the Barking and Dagenham School Improvement Partnership (BDSIP) Conference in London. Elly kicked off the annual SEND conference with a keynote speech on flipping the narrative within school cultures, and the importance of seeing one another as equal human beings, all deserving of a seat at the table. Gareth also presented at the event, discussing low arousal approaches in school settings, the need for co-production and the importance of inclusion. Gareth stressed that there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and that what works in one school may not transfer well to another setting. Gareth also ran a workshop on the importance of stress and coping in schools, which can be very challenging places. Stress support plans should be about ensuring a calm and relaxed space for learning to occur for all pupils. The demand for family and educational support is great, both here in the UK and abroad. It is our goal here at Studio 3 to provide high impact, low cost strategies for schools and families alike. In addition to the LASER Programme, we can provide specialist support for individuals and staff training in low arousal approaches. For more information on how we could help in your school or setting, contact Gareth at garethm@studio3.org.

Guest blogger Elly Chapple reflects on the Raising the Bar III National PMLD Conference at the University of Birmingham, and how we can continue to #flipthenarrative in our work as parents, supporters and professionals. I had the honour of attending the latest Raising the Bar event at the University of Birmingham. Last year, I had shared our journey to #flipthenarrative and been inspired beyond words by the focus of the people attending on the day to will the change in attitudes towards those within our society who may need our help the most. People with Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD) are often missed within our daily view, and as the whole view is critical to all of us developing as humans, their presence and being is key to everyone understanding themselves more. The work that Annie Fergusson, Joanna Grace, Michael Fullerton and Thomas Doukas have put into ensuring these people have a voice should be highly commended and followed. I know they would all say that’s not necessary, but they as a four took it upon themselves to raise the bar in our human view and ensure that everyone has a seat at the table. The Core and Essential Service Standards for supporting people with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) that they have created and shared widely are a must for everyone to read across education, health and social care – indeed life. I attended with my reflective Studio 3 head on this time to listen and learn. In our busy world, sometimes being part of the background is essential to understand what we are doing daily. In fact, I’d go so far to say it’s a critical part of our understanding developing further. Really taking the time to reflect upon things develops our sense of our own states of stress, well-being, empathy and the understanding we afford to others, whose journeys differ to our own. In his book The Reflective Journey, Professor Andrew McDonnell really focuses our thoughts on what we need to be truly empathic and reflective practitioners, or indeed human beings. As Andy says, ‘If we are part of the problem, we are part of the solution’. A theme that ran throughout the day was the message that people are not what we always assume, and often we aren’t listening or reflecting enough. It sounds simple, but listening to the parents that shared their stories, there was a commonality around the often lack of understanding of what their child could do, who they were and what we should expect. Sally Phillips (@sallyephillips) shared poignant thoughts that resonated with so many on the day – how we could #flipthenarrative around the public perception of people who are seen as different, because those walking with them know how amazing their life is: ‘Being in the world of learning disability can give you a whole new understanding of life. 'You think you've gone down a snake but actually you've gone up a ladder and the board was the wrong way round.' The way we reflect as humans about others really is key to unlocking our understanding further, and seeing the world through enriched human eyes, hearts and minds. This is further highlighted within Standard Five, as Jo Grace echoes the same message Andy gives throughout his book – that often it is about what we bring to the table, and how we respond that will inform the next step of the journey. The relationship we have with those we support, or live with and love, and our awareness of our own state within that, is critical to understanding the human connection that can thrive. When we remain conscious about how much we affect a situation with our responses, be those verbal or non-verbal, we see things differently. Although my own daughter started out life being termed PMLD, she later lost this label, and I’ve thought a lot about what that meant and why. I often think the drive to understand something we do not, via an individual’s presentation – which is often how our children are seen - in medical appointments or during ‘assessments’, the whole context of their being isn’t captured. There can be many assumptions made due to the presentation of certain ‘behaviours’ which take us down one route, but we may have then missed critical information which was available had we remained reflective and curious. This starkly reminds us to be more human, and remember that those we are trying to understand are too. In Ella’s case, missing the vital information that she was Deafblind meant that assumptions replaced reflective considerations about her behaviour. Mark Gray, who was the first person to see Ella for who she was, also presented on the day, reminding us about the importance of sensory loss and how that changes our understanding of communication, informs our view of ‘behaviour’ and presents situations that we need to be far more aware of to support our fellow humans well. Instead of connecting the dots about Ella’s visual and hearing impairments, the focus became about her behaviour, because that was what was seen first, rather than the whole human she is, or asking ‘why?’ That loss in both senses meant that the world did not make sense, unless she was supported to learn experientially by working with her, not doing to her. Our sense and understanding of who we are, and who others are, is linked to our feelings of acceptance by one another in shared spaces. Do we belong? Professor Melanie Nind from the University of Southampton Education School discussed the importance of belonging during her talk, and our societal view of what this actually means. Often, we are excluding those who are perceived or assumed to be ‘too impaired’ or, to term it differently, those who we do not yet know enough about. Being reflective about our understanding of who people are and their being in this world should not just focus on behaviours that challenge, but also our ability to see more than we did upon first glance. When your practice is reflective habitually, you will find that the world is not as it was originally. It is such a simple thing to do, yet it can be inordinately difficult to reframe our view and reflect, connect, listen and see more. Once we have more information and have considered where we sit within the view – our societal view, our ‘norms’, our experience - we stretch. In doing so, fellow humans that perhaps we viewed through one lens, become absolutely ‘worthy of moral parity’, as Eva Feder Kittay discussed, like anyone else. In essence, she states that what we then see is ‘the environment of inclusion: of welcoming many sorts of bodies and minds, seeing the world as enriched by this diversity, and embracing the possibilities as well as the challenges’. Alison Pettitt’s talk will stay with me for a long time. She described painfully the journey that they had taken with their son, and the danger of not listening to parents who know their child, nor being reflective about why someone’s behaviour is changing. In her son’s case, his behavioural changes were due to inordinate levels of pain. He screamed daily in agony, but this was referred to as ‘behaviour’ and therefore his physical distress was ignored. After two years, his family were finally heard, and the few people who made a huge difference saw him as a whole person, recognising his distress. By working together with the family, his life and theirs was changed for the better. Sally Phillips echoed the need to listen more, and shared that her son will play video games to block out pain, but to someone who doesn’t know him, this can be interpreted very differently. These stories drove home the critical need for our human reflective practice that encompasses the whole human view, listening not just with our ears but working with those who have the relationships and understanding that we have yet to gain. I’m reminded of something Dr Tim O’Brien (@Doctob) shared recently: ‘Listen’ is an anagram of ‘Silent'. When someone is distressed, listen. Sometimes you don’t even need to talk. You can just be present and listen. Be there for them.’ Our ability to listen comes in so many forms, and when we really attune ourselves the people we are trying to understand, the door is opened wider, furthering our understanding of one another. It was a day that brought about so many differing views, conversations and reflections. A day that put humans first and assumptions last. The depth of understanding what we are about and how we are together in the shared space was quite overwhelming, and the rich diversity of thought and discussion created many links to so many things we face. It’s a reminder to remain committed to our reflective journey as human beings, to focus our efforts on understanding what we do not, and to continue to strive to see beyond a societal lens that is not yet stretched enough to encompass all of us and give everyone an equal seat at the table. It was also a poignant and uplifting reminder that we can do that - we will do that – because humans are hard wired for change and we can re-frame our view. We can be better, and we were made for continuous development and improvement. This isn’t something that is solely for those we support in life. It is for all of us to remember that the lessons our fellow humans teach us every day are key to our own reflective, human journey. Follow Elly on Twitter @elly_chapple!

2019 was an incredibly busy year for Studio 3 staff and our associates, with new members joining the team and the opportunity to attend informative events! Firstly we would like to welcome our new members of staff, Holly Dennehy and Cathy O’Shea in Kerry and Hannah McAuliffe in Dublin, who have joined our team of assistants in Ireland! We wish them the best of luck in their new role in the year to come and value their contributions to the Studio 3 team. In recent months, our team members have attended some very interesting and informative events. Trainer Paul Burbage was invited to attend four Autism Learns events in the UK, where he spoke about the causes and management of self-injurious behaviour. In addition, Professor Andrew McDonnell attended the Restraint Reduction Network (RRN) Conference, which focused on reducing restrictive interventions on an individual and institutional level. Recent changes to the RRN Training Standards in the UK are supported by Studio 3, and should help to reduce reliance on restrictive practices across the board. Andrea Page, whom Studio 3 works closely with at Birmingham City University (BCU), recently published a new article on ethics and holding for children’s nurses in the UK, alongside Bo Heijskov Elven. Bo continues to work on his PhD at BCU, and we wish him continued success with his research! In November, Professor Mark Wetherall of Northumbria University delivered the stress and coping segment of the Studio 3 Atlass Masterclass to a group of delegates from the UK, Ireland and Canada. The group greatly enjoyed learning from ‘Professor Stress’ himself, and took much away from the course as a whole, led by trainer Rob Whiskens. Upcoming course dates for the Atlass Masterclass in the UK and Ireland can be found here. To hear Mark talk about stress and well-being in musicians, tune in to Chris Hawkins’ Radio 4 segment, ‘Playing Well: Very Loud Science’ now, featuring Mark and his colleague Professor Catherine Loveday. Our latest training, available for delivery now, is the Studio 3 LASER Pogramme, which we will be hearing more about in the months to come! The Studio 3 team look forward to launching the training in Stockport on the 20th-21st January, led by key trainers Gareth D. Morewood and Professor Andrew McDonnell. To join us at this event, contact us at admin@studio3.org! We are also excited to share that Professor McDonnell’s latest practitioner article, The Recovering Behaviourist, is now available to download in German thanks to Reinhard Rudolph who has kindly translated the article! The first of a series of articles on best practice in empathic behaviour support, this is a first-person account of Professor McDonnell’s personal experience as a psychologist in the 1990's and his journey from a ‘radical behaviourist’ to an eclectic, low arousal practitioner. Read the full article here: https://www.studio3.org/practitioner-articles. To keep up to date with all Studio 3 news, follow us on twitter @studioiii.