Supporting learners with concentration difficulties.

ABOUT

Supporting learners with concentration difficulties.

PRELIMINARY PROGRAM

8:00 – 8:30 REGISTRATION

8:30 – 8:45 WELCOMING

8:45 – 10:00 Concentration difficulties in children. Dr Johan Erasmus - Developmental Paediatrician

10:00 – 10:15 TEA BREAK

10:15 – 11:45 Assertive Discipline Techniques in the classroom. Brigitte Thompson - Educational Psychologist

11:45 – 12:30 BREAK

12:30 – 13:30 Sensory strategies to support learners with concentration difficulties. Christelle Koekemoer - Occupational Therapist

13:30 – 14:00 Working memory in the classroom. Antoinette Roberts - Educational Psychologist

14:00 – 14:30 CLOSING

PRESENTER CV'S

DR JOHAN ERASMUS is a developmental paediatrician in private practice in Pretoria since 1989. During specialization he served as a member of the Child Guidance Clinic at the H F Verwoerd Hospital and during military service started the Learning Problem Clinic at 1 Military Hospital under the supervision of Commandant Cecile Marais. Since he started practice he has had a special interest in developmental paediatrics, including children and adolescents with behavior and learning problems. He regularly gives lectures and addresses meetings on this and related topics. He is an extraordinary lecturer in the Department of Paediatrics at UP. He serves on the advisory committee of the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Association of South Africa, is a member of the SA Paediatric Neurology Association (PANDA), the International Paediatric Neurology Association (ICNA), the SA Academy for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (SAACAPAP), the SA Association for Learning Disabilities (SAALED) and serves on the Advisory Boards of several pharmaceutical companies.

BRIGITTE THOMPSON graduated from JCE with an Higher Diploma Education Senior Primary in 1996. Whilst teaching at Buccleuch Primary she studied further and graduated from UNISA with a B A ED majoring in Education and English. She then left South Africa to go and travel, in London she taught at 74 schools in two years before moving to Scotland to teach at a school (as part of a trouble shooting team) that had failed its Ofsted inspection because of discipline. Whilst at this school she did her first Assertive Discipline course. She was then head hunted by the principal of a Behaviour Unit where she worked for three years. The unit was a rehabilitation centre designed to work with difficult learners and because of Assertive Discipline, 80% of the learners were sent back to mainstream schools successfully. Because of the nature of this job, lots of additional training was provided for the staff and Brigitte did numerous courses in Autism, Dyslexia, Behaviour Management and Inclusion.

Brigitte then became the Behaviour Support Teacher for the area and part of this job description included visiting the schools in the area and training the staff in Assertive Discipline. She did her Assertive Discipline leadership certificate and completed courses in Assertive Management and Succeeding with Difficult Students at Glasgow University.

She returned to South Africa in February 2004 and taught at Crawford Prep Benmore until she decided to launch the Assertive Discipline Programme here in our country. She took a month to re write the programme in the South African context and piloted the programme at Buccleuch and Wendywood Primary schools with great success. From then she has trained many teachers in Gauteng, implementing the full programme at a number of schools and at various institutions like the Juvenile Offenders Centres, Cotlands, Kids Haven, Sparrow Ministries and a number of Clinic School.

In 2011 Brigitte completed her Honours in School Guidance and Counselling and is hoping to do her Masters in Educational Psychology soon.

CHRISTELLE KOEKEMOER qualified in 2004 and is the Chief Occupational Therapist at a School for learners with Special Educational Needs. She is a trained Sensory Integration therapist as well as a Tomatis Provider.  Christelle completed a short course on school readiness assessment at the University of Pretoria as well as numerous other workshops and courses.

She is passionate about making a difference in children’s lives and was involved in Powerkids Children’s ministries as well as various children’s homes. Christelle has a special interest in developmental delays, learning difficulties and sensory integration difficulties.

She is the owner of Wiggly Fidgets that create and distribute assistive devices like weighted fidget lap blankets and fidget tools that can be used in the classroom and at home. Christelle is one of the coordinators and presenters at EduGrow Training that strive to train and equip teachers and parents to better support learners. She presented at various schools and Conferences e.g. ADHASA ADHD East Rand Conference 2019 on topics such as Supporting learners with concentration difficulties and Sensory difficulties at home and in the classroom.

ANTOINETTE ROBERTS studied at North-West University where she acquired a BA degree, Higher Educational Diploma, as well as an Honours degree (Psychology), she also completed a Honours and Masters degree Educationis (Psychology) Cum Laude at UNISA. She practices as an Educational Psychologist for the past 20 years in her private practice. During this time she also consults as a psychologist at Ekurhuleni East Technical College – Kempton, Tembisa, Germiston and Boksburg Campus. She also consults for the Department of Defence in their programmes for further educational development. She does regular motivational speaking and study courses, as well as present courses to learners, parents, teachers and colleagues. She is affiliated to HPCSA, EPASSA, NeuroPsychology SA and is a registered dyslexia specialist.

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