A common challenge for all practitioners working in SEN care and education setting is how to engage the person they support. Through participation in an enjoyable series of games and creative activities, including storytelling, poetry and music-making, this unique and experiential course offers delegates a new practice underpinned by the principles of play and self-determination theory. This autonomy-supportive practice enables practitioners to adapt current activities and develop new activities that meet the needs of the people they support and find more engagement through play, improvisation and reciprocity.

This session will explore:

• The nature of engagement

• Why engagement is an aim and a challenge

• Qualities of activities that make an activity more engaging

• Group reflective practice for insight and learning

• How imagination supports engagement and play

• How creativity and autonomy affect engagement

• Principles of play theory

Matthew Laurie has worked in care and education settings for people with additional and complex needs for over twenty years. He works in special schools on a weekly basis embedding person centred approaches to communication and music and teaches regular training days both online and in person. Matthew is a consultant trainer for leading special needs consultants Concept Training and specialises in working long term with care settings to develop communities of practice around person centred care.