I am very excited to be leading a workshop at the SEN Jigsaw Conference on April 21st. I am excited because I get to meet some brilliant delegates who all have a focus on supporting young dyslexic talent through education. This will be our third year of running the conference and this year looks like it is going to be the most diverse in terms of topics surrounding special educational needs and what it is like for a child to experience them.
As one of the workshop leaders I also get to answer the questions about my workshop and I hope that you will be tempted to come along on the 21st April with your questions about assistive technology and how it can help kids with SEN to be more productive and less stressed when doing essays and homework.
Please could you tell our readers a little about yourself?
I'm John Hicks and first and foremost I am a father of two daughters with special educational needs, one of whom is dyslexic and the other has ADHD. For the past five years I have worked as a part time marketing professional for assistive technology companies as well as a part time parenting coach working with families touched by dyslexia. I am also an avid blogger about studying with dyslexia and about the emotional impact of having dyslexia.
Why do you do what you do?
It's simple really. I know what it is like to struggle through education and feel left behind by one's peers. I know what it is like to be told that I am clever but I don't work hard enough when the reality is that I always worked so hard just to keep up. I am 45 now and I want to help young people not go through what I did. There are resources out there that can help and I want to help families find them and for those young people to believe in themselves and discover what this life has to offer.
What will your workshop be about at the SEN Jigsaw?
I will be giving our delegates an introduction on how to use technology to make it less stressful to write essays. There is so much brilliant software out there that can make studying so much less stressful.
What will your delegates take away from your workshop (in terms of learning)?
The delegates of my workshop will experience a writing process using assistive technology and will go away with ideas on how technology can help dyslexic students to be more productive but with less anxiety so that they can focus more on learning and enjoying the learning process.
How can our readers find out more about you?
For more information about me and my work then your readers are invited to take a look at my website which can be found by clicking here, or they could simply come to the SEN Jigsaw Conference and attend my workshop. Click here to book your ticket.
