Engaging while apart – part 2

Resources

These resources provide ideas for play, learning and self-care and include webinars, short articles and tip sheets. If you have a child attending your setting with a particular disability not included here, you may find online resources from other organisations to share with their parents.

• AsIAm, Ireland’s national autism charity has developed webinars to replace its monthly seminars. Each webinar is approximately 50 minutes long. Parents of young children with autism may find the following webinars useful:
• Education in the Home during COVID -19 – Special needs teacher Angela O’ Connor shares some practical ideas for parents to support their child’s learning.
• Effective communication during COVID-19 – Supporting Communication in the Home – Senior Speech and Language Therapist Edel Kelly shares tips and ideas to help parents support their child’s speech and language development.
•  Self-Care and Well-being for Parents and Carers – Clinical Psychologist Dr. Eddie Murphy on the importance of taking care of yourself. 
• COVID -19 and Change – Michael Ryan Counsellor and Psychotherapist and Allison Doyle, (Careus.ie)
• January COVID-19 Restrictions Social story – written in plain language with accompanying images, this social story provides clear information about the current restriction.
• These practical resources from Saint Michael’s House for parents of children with intellectual disabilities provide suggestions for books, songs, teaching techniques, movement games, communication and play activities at home.
• “Connecting with Parents” The innovative staff at Daisy Chain Montessori and Childcare made a special booklet to support a child who was really missing going to creche. (This short article appeared in Early Childhood Ireland’s Early Pedagogy Times issue 2, 2020) 

The National Council for Special Education has a range of early years resources for parents which include:

• General support for learning
• Speech Language & communications
• Occupational Therapy
• Promoting learning and behaviour at home
• Visiting teacher support – Resources for children who are blind or visually impaired or deaf or hard of hearing
• Games
  

Enable Ireland provides a range of resources on the following topics:

• Managing some of the challenges of COVID -19 
• Tips for parenting during COVID-19
• Stress management for parents and caregivers