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Some useful videos and website resources
Some useful videos and website resources
Here are some resources for creating personalised productivity toolkits for autistic students:
"Sensory Solutions: Building Effective Toolkits for Autistic Children" - This resource focuses on creating sensory toolkits tailored to an individual's needs. It includes strategies such as offering tactile items (e.g., stress balls or fidget toys), visual aids (e.g., schedules), and auditory tools (e.g., noise-cancelling headphones). These toolkits help autistic individuals manage sensory sensitivities and improve focus and self-regulation. While this guide is primarily aimed at children, the concepts can be easily adapted for adults. The toolkit's approach to self-regulation and sensory support is just as relevant for students or professionals, helping them cope with sensory overload in academic or work environments. Tailoring tools and techniques to an adult’s specific needs and preferences can lead to improved productivity, focus, and well-being in a variety of settings. You can explore this in more detail through Achieve Center’s guide
."Autism Motivation: This Video Will Keep YOU Productive! (3 Hacks)" - This YouTube video offers three productivity strategies aimed at autistic individuals, focusing on simplifying tasks, creating structured routines, and leveraging personal strengths to maintain motivation. These can be useful for students in managing their academic tasks effectively. You can watch the video on YouTube here
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Both resources emphasise the importance of personalisation and regular updates to support individual needs effectively.
Creating Personalised Productivity Toolkits for Autistic students with Spectrum First
Creating Personalised Productivity Toolkits for Autistic students with Spectrum First
This workshop is open to anyone who feels they would benefit based on the description below. An autism diagnosis is not required.
Productivity looks different for everyone. One student working at their ‘best’ might appear entirely differently from another.
Similarly, what one student needs to thrive, be supported, and feel a sense of belonging will be unique to their individual and intersecting experiences.
So, how do we work to support and embrace this diversity?
This two-part session, in collaboration with Spectrum First, is designed to help better understand the experiences of autistic PGRs and develop personal strength-focused approaches to find ‘what works’.
From this, you can start to design a personalised productivity toolkit tailored to how you like to work and what you need to thrive!
Whether you want to consider your time management, focus, or organisation style, this workshop will introduce strategies and potential adjustments that align with how your brain works, making productivity more achievable and less stressful.
Aims:
To empower autistic postgraduate researchers with tools that support their individual productivity needs.
To provide practical strategies and resources that help manage time, focus, and organisation in a personalised way.
To consider possible requests and adjustments to share responsibility with supervisors and departments for accessing meaningful support
Objectives:
Understand the specific barriers autistic PGRs may experience
Explore different tools and techniques that can be adapted to each participant's needs, strengths, and preferences
Techniques to regulate and utilise different attention styles to bring joy to a working day
Guide participants in creating a customised productivity toolkit that they can use in their academic and personal life.
Join us for this hands-on session to discover how to build a productivity system that works for you.
The Facilitators:
The Facilitators:
Adele Beeson is AuDHD and a specialist in sensory processing in autism. She was originally a primary school teacher but has worked across all age ranges and found her place working with students with complex presentations in HE. Adele has worked for Spectrum First Education Ltd since 2011. As well as her teaching qualifications, she has an MA in Autism and was winner of the NAS Best Educational Professional award in 2018 for her work on developing a sensory curriculum to support autistic and ADHD students in their studies.
Beth Donnelly joined Spectrum First Education in 2018 as an autism specialist mentor and specialist study skills tutor. She passionately believes in Spectrum First’s person-centred, neuro-affirming practice, using her lived experience and knowledge to support the students she works with in building a positive autistic/neurodivergent self-identity. She is dedicated to raising awareness of neurodiversity, promoting acceptance, and advocating for a more inclusive world for the neurodivergent community, where all individuals can belong and thrive.
Jamie Williams is a director at Spectrum First Education, which supports over 600 autistic and ADHD students in Sheffield each year. With a background in critical psychology, literature, and music, Jamie leads a team of study skills tutors and mentors, using strength-based strategies to help neurodivergent students overcome barriers in higher education. Jamie is passionate about collaboration and also contributes to international projects like ‘Think Like A Scientist,’ teaching scientific skills in prison settings. He returns to lead the workshop, bringing his expertise and dedication to supporting neurodivergent students.
The Session:
The Session:
Part 1 12:00-12:45
12:00 - Facilitator introductions and session overview
12:05 - Joy-based learning and activity scheduling
12:15 - Flow states: recent research, benefits, challenges and effective working
12.20 - Activity session: Sensory management to improve flow
12.40 - Introduction to affirmation scrapbooking activity
Part 2 13:45-14:30
13.45 - Knowing yourself, autism pathways and the neurodiversity paradigm
13.55 - PGR experiences: RSD awareness, supervisor communication & VIVAs
14.05 - Activity session: affirmation scrapbooking activity and discussion
14.25 - Closing thoughts and sharing resources
The slides:
The slides:
Creating Personalised Productivity Toolkits for Autistic students .pptxPage updated
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