This is a very important local issue. Kolbe school has served the families of Laois for many years, but it has been left far behind while all other schools, like ourselves, have been lucky enough to gain new school state of the art facilities for our mainstream and ASD students. The recent decision to further delay  a new school cannot be accepted by the people of Laois. Please see the information below about the public meeting next Wednesday evening. All are welcome. Thank you.

As we celebrate the neurodiverse among and within us, at CPI, we'd like to take a moment to just ask - how do we think about neurodiversity? And how do the assumptions we make impact on these children?

For the past few months, I have been conducting research with parents of children with Dyspraxia/DCD and through these interviews, there have been so many revelations about how society treats these children in Ireland and the UK. These is a strong sense that children with Dyspraxia/DCD are not as capable as others, not worth including and not as intelligence.

While these children certainly have their "limitations" when it comes to certain fine and gross motor skills, for example, they are also a bounty of skills, traits and potential.

We all have a lot to learn about what we should be doing to ensure their needs are really met, and therefore reduce the impact of these limitations.

It is ONLY through educating our educators that these children can receive an education that will stand to them and can significantly improve their futures. It's about understanding their reality, looking at the world through their eyes and embodying the experience of their bodies and minds.

However, sometimes when it comes to neurodiversity, we can also tend to think that these children will be fine because they may excel in certain areas. So if they're genuii at math, does that automatically mean that we should put all their eggs in that basket?

What's the issue?

We are actually still limiting children's overall potential when we hone in on one talent as almost defining them.

And here's the thing with neurodiversity - it's not a tidy topic. There's overlap and exceptions and individuality, the same as everything else in psychology. And these neat little labels cannot be stuck on to Individual Children.

We all know the saying "If you've met one child with Autism, you've only met one child with Autism". The thing is Children rarely only have one neurodevelopmental issue. They USUALLY have a cluster of them happening at the same time (co-morbidity). Add that with individual interests and aptitudes, and serve with a dollop of completely different families, schools, social groups and communities...and we can begin to see how neurodiverse individuals are as diverse as neurotypical individuals.

So let's take some time this week to think about the limitations we might be putting on children with differences in our lives. Let's think about adapting ways they can do and try new things. You might be pleasantly surprised!
 

2-Hour Self-Paced Online CPD Course

Understanding what Dyspraxia is and how it impacts children physically, psychologically, socially and educationally.

Enrol in Understanding Dyspraxia »

2-Hour Self-Paced Online CPD Course

Understand how children's learning is directly and indirectly impacted by Dyspraxia

Enrol in Managing Dyspraxia in the Classroom »

“Lorraine, this course has changed my life! I was able to relate to the content on so many levels – as a person, as a teacher, as a principal, as a parent and as someone who loves children. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
 
Deirdre, Primary School Principal Enrol in Working With Children With Dyspraxia NOW 

Understanding how trauma impacts children, how this presents and how professionals can support children who have been impacted

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Understand how children have been directly and indirectly impacted by the war, through media exposure, and learn how we can ease their anxiety

Enrol in Supporting Children Through the Ukrainian Crisis »

Learn about the physical, emotional, social and educational impact of Dyspraxia or DCD on the whole child

Enrol in Managing Dyspraxia at Home »

Learn useful strategies including gratitude, informal mindfulness, de-cluttering, journaling, gut-health and creating boundaries to ensure effective work-life balance

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A reminder that the extra day off this bank holiday weekend was changed to Monday 20th March due to the skiing trip not returning until Tuesday. All students should attend tomorrow, Thursday as usual. They will return on Tuesday, as usual. 

We wish all our families a very enjoyable weekend.