Georgina is a hub of information. In this session she will describe her Special Educational Needs support journey and why she felt it was so important to help parents and teachers focus on the most effective resources available. Supports for learners with special educational needs are plentiful but this can mean that teachers and parents struggle to see what might really work. There are many adverts for potential solutions, and hundreds of potential supporting resources – it can be hard to decide what might really be effective and supportive. Georgina will be helping us to navigate the most effective resources to help ignite a love of reading for children with reading difficulties including dyslexia.

She enjoyed a long career in education and recently retired from teaching as a Specialist Advisor and SEN teacher.
Following the 2009 Rose Review, she took part in the National Training Program for dyslexia assessment, identification and intervention that was designed to support the evolution of dyslexia teaching practice across UK schools.
Julia’s depth of knowledge and genuine interest in dyslexia stems from experiences of dyscalculia and literacy difficulties in her own education and life. Her personal and professional experiences result in insightful and dynamic conversation.
As a #SWD presenter Julia interviews and shares the lived experiences of guests who have harnessed or overcome their dyslexia differences to become successful. She also talks with educational professionals, training providers and employers who are working to improve accessibility and equity of opportunities for people who are learning, working and living with dyslexia across the world.
You can find interviews and festival broadcasts on YouTube #succeedwithdyslexia and by exploring the Past Dyslexia Learning Festivals

• The experience of failure in the classroom
• Undiagnosed needs, the repercussions
• Misdiagnosed need, camouflages the problems
• Negative coping-defence mechanisms start very early, and last a lifetime
• Strategies to overcome learned helplessness
• What works for young dyslexics
• Homework and helicopter parents
• Strategies for parents
• Rebuilding resilience, skills for life

What can we do at Home and at School to Help Children with the challenge of Reading?
Who are the children who find reading challenging?
At what point are reading difficulties likely to be recognised?
What sort of training do teachers receive to help them to identify reading problems?
How can schools best support parents of children with reading difficulties?  
What can parents do at home?
What is the Is toolkit approach to supporting reading / dyslexia?
What should be on every schools wish list to help them close the reading gap?