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@UniqueConnections-at-the-table
We post conversations with specialist, to equip you to think in trauma-informed ways, and to equip you and your teams.
Click the icons below to access this free resource.
Listen to out latest conversation
Dr Bev Samways talks to Dr Noelle Blackman, who brings her decades of experiences to talk through how trauma impacts people with learning disabilities. We talk through the principles of trauma informed practice, and the challenges of actually sustaining it in complex environments doing difficult work.
Studio III Webinar: Finding Connections with Autistic People and/or People with Learning Disabilities Who Primarily Use Non-spoken Communication
In this hour-long presentation, Bev discusses the importance of building relationships with autistic people and/or people with learning disabilities, particularly those with little or no spoken communication. These ideas are key to our practice.
Studio 3 is an independent organisation which provides a range of clinical and coaching services for individuals and organisations. Founded in the 1990s, Studio 3 promotes the ideals, philosophies and benefits of positive psychology and Low Arousal Approaches. They have a range of free webinars available: Studio III Free Webinars
Community Care Article: Grief and Learning Disabilities
‘Individuals with learning disabilities do grieve and they do not spontaneously recover: they need active support to work through their grief, just as anyone does. How can we respond?’
If you enjoy reading more academic writing, these two articles by Dr Beverley Samways are relevant to the work of Unique Connections and are open access:
Resources for young people struggling with self-harm in mainstream settings
Self-harm support resources
Jenny (Unique Connections Specialist Adviser) is a national self-harm expert. She has helped to develop a number of key resources that we would encourage you to access if you are looking for support with an individual who has mild learning disabilities and/or autism and is in a mainstream setting.
Alumina offers free online self-harm support for 10-17 year olds.
Headstrong offers wider mental wellbeing support for young people.
Books by Jenny about self-harm
A practical workbook for youth leaders, parents and those supporting young people around the issue of self-harm
A practical workbook for young people who are self-harming to help them move towards recovery.
