This course is designed with Teaching Assistants and subject teachers in mind, but is also relevant to parents of students with difficulties.

This 90 minute training considers the most common conditions associated with Neurodiversity. The term Neurodiversity takes the view that differences in brain function and ways of thinking are quite normal, rather than representing deficits. The term is now often used in place of ‘Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD).

• Dyslexia
• DCD/Dyspraxia
• Dyscalculia
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
• Speech, Language and Communication Needs,
• Autism Spectrum Disorders

Delegates will examine:

• The main difficulties linked to each condition
• How each difficulty may impact on learning
• Practical suggestions for the support of neurodiverse students

The course tutor is Lia Castiglione.

Lia Castiglione

Lia Castiglione is Head of Training at Communicate-ed. She has been teaching and supporting learners of all ages for over 25 years and in varying educational settings. She is a specialist teacher who is highly experienced in all aspects of access arrangements, has held a current Assessment Practising Certificate since 2008 and regularly assesses in schools and colleges. Lia is the co-creator of a postgraduate access arrangements assessor course and is the author of the Patoss/JCQ book, ‘Assessing the Need for Access Arrangements.’ Lia serves on the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee (SASC) Board of Directors.

Courses can be viewed in either of the following ways:

1. Each member of staff has an individual login and accesses the training on their own device. This has the advantage of flexibility, as the course can be accessed at a time/place to suit the individual (in school/college or at home). OR
2. A group of staff accessing the course together at the same time. For this we recommend that you use a digital projector and large screen with speakers to amplify the presentation. This has advantage of group interaction and monitoring of involvement.

Each login will give access to the chosen course for 10 consecutive days and the course (or parts of the course) can be accessed as many times as required within this 10-day period.

Our course tutors can come to your school or college to run the training face to face. Please email for more information (admin at communicate-ed dot org dot uk).

To view our 5 minute Introduction to Communicate-ed Online video please CLICK HERE.

For over a decade we have been running courses across the country, aiming to provide high quality, value for money training for education professionals working in the area of special needs. Many of our delegates are telling us that it is increasingly difficult for busy professionals to take the opportunity to attend courses ‘off-site’. In response to this, we now offer a number of online training courses, focusing on Examination Access Arrangements, Assessment, and Supporting SEN Students.

With the internet now so accessible, the advantages of online courses are clear:
Courses can be viewed at any time, and in any venue where there is a good internet reception.

• They can be accessed at the delegate’s convenience, in the workplace or home
• Delegates don’t need to travel, saving time and transport costs
• Running costs are lower, allowing us to pass savings on to our delegates
• We can offer significant discounts for colleagues accessing the same course

As standard, you will have 10 days (or for some courses 20 days) from the start date you choose, to login and view the course. You can run the course as many times as you want to within this 10/20 day period.

There is an optional multiple choice assessment to participate in after accessing the training.

There are 15 questions randomly chosen from a bank of 30 and you will have 15 minutes to
complete the assessment. There is no pass mark, this is simply an activity to help
consolidate the information you have learned on the course. If you choose an incorrect
answer you will be able to see the correct answer when you have completed the
assessment.