Attention seeking is a major problem, easily confused with ADHD and extremely difficult to manage.

This session will enable you to:

• Examine the causes of attention seeking behaviour
• Distinguish between ADHD and attention seeking
• Reduce the potential misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment of ADHD
• Develop an action plan and link to outcomes of the ECM agenda
• Make more time for other pupils in your care
• Recognise the pitfalls of superficially simple strategies

The approach will help you to:

• Reduce your stress levels at work
• Develop a calmer, happier learning environment
• Build a co-operative classroom
• Facilitate the emotional development of pupils
• Acquire a clear and simple set of strategies to:
  • assess the problem
  • reduce unwanted behaviours
  • increase desired behaviours
  • troubleshoot your approach

Includes a 10 step programme and 7 key practical points and take-away ideas for creating whole-school change.

I came to qualitative research with a background in physics and psychology. At the start of my practitioner PhD as an educational psychologist, I had a clear, safe, fairly classic design planned. But "the world would not go away". I discovered that I was in the middle of working in the "swamp", while researching, right from the beginning.

Wanting to capture this confused period and make it a legitimate part of inquiry, I ended up researching the process of researching. I then found myself in uncharted territory, questioning every notion I held of what constituted valid research.

My part of the session is to offer insights from my own doctoral studies into some of the problems of research in the real, messy world that I encountered - not to give answers necessarily, but perhaps to stimulate ideas.

Your part of the session is to take from this material what you can, and apply the concepts to your own situation.

This is a new, practical workshop, very well received by trial groups of doctoral candidates.

It employs a number of strategies designed to help free up thinking around writing

Be prepared to be flexible and tackle a range of activities, some less formal than others!

The course will focus on the challenges thrown up by children who display excessive, inappropriate attention seeking behaviours. The day will explore in depth a highly structured method of working with parents and will also address issues around working with teachers and the children themselves. The population sits in the 'relatively neglected middle' of the 'pyramid of need' identified by both Sigston and Dyson at DECP annual conference 2003.

Professor Irvine Gersch noted at AEP annual conference 2001 that most psychologists would prefer to work with fewer cases in depth. As well as being very practical, the approach which is offered takes account of the associated emotional stresses and cognitive confusions of the parents. The techniques have been continuously refined over many years - they help the practitioner to make a real difference (see "TIPS" in DECP Debate Dec 2004). This work is very rewarding. Parents value the input tremendously and schools are happy to make time for it.

The actual interventions work on many levels and draw on a range of influences in a strictly time-limited format . Although directive, they are delivered in a very parent-friendly manner and help to change punitive approaches and narratives of despair into effective action. The long term effects of this work clearly meet the outcomes of "Every Child Matters" - see case studies in "The Good the Bad and the Irritating" and "Attention Seeking, 2nd edition" (2008 in press) both from Sage/Lucky Duck.

The day will involve a range of activities and will draw on real life video resources. Delegates will also be provided with CDs (to 'Drive and Learn') and DVD and extensive written materials on the day. Follow-up support is readily available. The aims of the course are partly to give practical experience of the techniques, develop delegates' understanding of the field and explore concerns. Mainly, however, we hope to share enthusiasm for the ideas - by the end of the day we hope you will be keen to "have a go".