2022 Term 1 Conference

Our Term 1 Conference was held in the Premiership Suite at the Adelaide Oval. Our keynote speaker was Lorin Nicholson who, at the age of four, was diagnosed with a genetic disease disorder called Retinitis Pigmentosa RP and has only 10% vision. Lorin's presentation was inspirational and he delighted us with many of his life stories and experiences. He told the story of a teenage bike ride several hundred kilometers across mountain ranges to the east coast because he wanted to go to the beach. He has written a children’s book about his adventure that we would highly recommend you purchase. The book is called “The Amazing Bike Ride”. He said “never be afraid to fail, adversity reveals character. He also showed amazing showmanship in his guitar playing. He has won many awards in this area.

Debbie Price and Marni Best from Flinders Uni spoke about the links that can occur between SASEPLA and the University. They also elaborated on their role in the development of research particularly in Inclusion. They have a focus on Mental Health in young people and the safety and care of children with a disability.

The departments Health Education Interface team, Dr Jenny Curran, Dr Tash Elsley and Kerry Rye presented on student mental health and its effect on families and student learning. They talked about the function of the areas of the brain and specific diagnoses ie ADHD, Autism. They discussed the variety of medications that were available for each diagnosis. They shared resources and showed the Social, Physical, Intelligence, Communication, Emotion and Sense of Connectedness profile (SPICES) and discussed each area. We looked at case studies and collaborated on aspects of the student’s behavior and strategies we would use to support the student and family.

The day was productive, informative and inspirational.
Thank you to everyone who attended, and to the sites who allowed for your staff to attend during these challenging times. Our thoughts are with everyone.

Our next conference, which will also be our AGM and will be held at The Function in Glenelg with a strong focus on Leadership/ Building Culture. We hope to see you there.

Access to our Term 2 Conference will be posted to Facebook when registrations are open.