Montessori and Learning Differences – A Neurodevelopmental Approach

About the Course

By their very nature, many “special needs” courses try to mandate what you can do if a child has a “special need”. This suggests that the same approach can help all children with a particular developmental disorder. However, developmental disorders are spectrum disorders and there can be a world of difference between one child and the next.

This course, grounded in a neurodevelopmental approach, aims to address this issue. It will help participants understand how to observe differences in children and respond in a way that supports each unique child to thrive, irrespective of their disability.

It will also address how we can enable and celebrate difference whilst also supporting development, touching on when inclusion is suitable for the child and when other solutions may be more beneficial.

 Who is this course suitable for?

This course is for those with any Montessori Diploma at 3-6 years stage who have an interest in children with learning differences. You may be working in a Montessori Children’s House, a parent supporting a child between the ages of 3-6 in the home or a professional interested in the support of learning differences using a neurodevelopmental approach.

Whilst the course will impart a lot of information, it is also discussion based. Participants will carry out an observation and intervention for a child with learning differences in their own class (or home) across the academic year.

These case studies will form the basis for discussion and sharing with the whole group. It is intended that this will enable the participants to draw on the experience of many with many different children, helping them to develop a way of working with children that can be applied in a myriad of situations.

Themes and Topics Covered on the Course

• Development as an outcome of an altered developmental trajectory

• Neuroscientific approaches to understanding developmental disorders

• Educational neuroscience and neuro-constructivism

• Dispelling neuromyths about how we learn

• Enabling difference whilst supporting development

• The importance of motor skills and movement in development 

• Observation as a tool for supporting development

• Record keeping as a support to observation

 Learning Differences Covered on the Course

The course will focus on considering each child as an individual but learning differences that will be addressed on the course include:

• Neurodevelopmental disorders

• Autism Spectrum disorder

• ADHD

• Developmental language delay

• Dyslexia

• Dyscalculia

• Developmental coordination disorder (Dyspraxia)

Entry requirements

Any Montessori Diploma covering the 3-6 years age group.

Application

Applicants must write a short personal statement (500 words) covering the following:

• The reasons they wish to do the course

• The school or environment in which they will do their case study

• A brief profile of the child they will use for their case study

Details of how to submit the personal statement are included in the application process.

Please note that the intention of this course is to facilitate participants in a practical way as well as to gather and share knowledge and understanding about supporting children with learning differences.

For this reason, priority will be given to those students who intend to do a case study. If there are places available, some places may be offered to those who only wish to audit.