Adaptive Teaching and Anxiety

Adaptive Teaching and Anxiety: As anxiety becomes an increasingly common barrier to learning, adaptive teaching offers a proactive way to support students' emotional and academic needs. This session, delivered by Child and Educational Psychologist Dr Pippa Busch, will delve into how anxiety presents in educational contexts and how flexible instructional approaches can reduce stress and enhance student participation. Blending established research with emerging insights from neuroscience and trauma-informed education, we will explore how to recognise signs of anxiety and adapt tasks, feedback, and environments accordingly. Teachers will leave with actionable techniques to support all students while maintaining academic challenge and emotional safety. Autism and ADHD: It is essential that teachers understand the unique profiles of students with Autism and ADHD. This workshop, by Dr Pippa Busch, will unpack the distinct and overlapping characteristics of both conditions, grounded in both classic studies and the latest research on executive function, sensory processing, and social communication. Emphasis will be placed on moving beyond stereotypes to practical, inclusive strategies that support regulation, focus, and peer interaction. Teachers will gain insights into how to create structured, supportive environments that allow neurodivergent learners to thrive academically and socially.