Dr. Claire Griffin

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Dr. Claire Griffin

Dr. Claire Griffin is an Educational Psychologist, lecturer & leader of the B.Ed in Education & Psychology programme at MIC, Limerick, Ireland.

This page is to provide updates on webinars & applied work with teachers, SNA's and parents. Claire is passionate about bringing evidence-based research and practical strategies to schools, teachers, SNAs and parents to empower children and adult's work with them. Claire originally trained as a primary school teacher with a degree in Psychology. She worked within primary and special education settings and in residential care centres for persons with intellectual disabilities. Claire subsequently engaged in further training in special education and thereafter, trained as an Educational Psychologist. She has been lecturing in Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, Ireland since 2012. Claire is programme leader of the B.Ed in Education and Psychology programme. She also supervises trainee Educational Psychologist on the Doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology programme. Claire completed her PhD in 2018 through University College London. Her research interests include inclusive education, psychological and educational assessment, positive behaviour support and the voice of the child in education. Claire has presented at a range of national and international conferences and has over 30 publications in the areas of Education and Psychology. Claire is passionate about lifelong learning and sharing her learning with others. Feel free to contact me by private message if you have any queries.

14/01/2022

Thinking and praying for Ashling, her family and friends tonight, including all of her MIC friends and classmates. The sadness of her loss is beyond words or understanding.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam dílis.

21/12/2021

🚨🚨 Yesterday, I introduced you to the Psychological Society of Ireland’s () tips for self-care resource.

📝📝 Here are four tips the resource offers for supporting children’s wellbeing and our own concurrently:

1️⃣ Listen to what children have to say.

2️⃣ Focus on children’s inner strengths.

3️⃣ Emphasise learning and enjoyment over winning for children in sport.

4️⃣ Educate children about the media and in particular, social media.

📎📎 Check out the resource here:https://www.cuidiu.ie/userfiles/file/40%20tips%20for%20mental%20health,.pdf

20/12/2021

🎄🎄 We’ve almost made it to the end of a challenging and stressful first term.

😴😴 Now, as we face into an uncertain Christmas period and New Year, it’s important to prioritise our own self-care.

📝📝 The Psychological Society of Ireland () provides an excellent resource with 40 practical tips for mental health, well-being, and prosperity.

🚨🚨 These range across a number of topics including daily routines, dealing with children, and managing challenging times.

📎📎 Check out the resource here:https://www.cuidiu.ie/userfiles/file/40%20tips%20for%20mental%20health,.pdf

16/12/2021

🎄🎄 This week, we’ve been looking at supporting autistic children with the challenges of Christmas time.

✋✋ Here are five key tips to support children/adolescents during the festive period:

1️⃣ Create a Christmas calendar which details time off school, planned activities, and family visits. This helps to keep things predictable and avoids unnecessary surprises or anxiety.

2️⃣ Christmas decorations can lead to sensory overstimulation. Consider limiting decorations to one room/area, so familiarity is maintained elsewhere. Don’t forget to take pictures of the decorations to help prepare for next year!

3️⃣ Receiving multiple gifts can be overwhelming. Consider opening gifts throughout the day. Accept open reactions to presents - either positive or negative.

4️⃣ Prepare for direct questions about Santa. As autistic children are often logical thinkers, Santa can be a difficult concept to comprehend.

5️⃣ Consider doing Christmas or January sales shopping online rather than in busy shopping centres or streets. This can be an overwhelming sensory experience.

children

15/12/2021

🎄🎄 At Christmas, changes from the usual routine can sometimes lead to autistic children feeling bored.

📝📝 This great resource from , which is useful for all children, offers a range of ‘Christmas Bored Board Choices.’

🚨🚨 They suggest different fun activities in which children can engage over the festive period!

📎📎https://www.middletownautism.com/files/shares/Resources/Wed_16_Dec_Christmas_Themed_Bored_Board_-_FINAL.pdf

children

14/12/2021

🎄🎄 Yesterday, we looked at a great social story to support autistic children at Christmas.

🚨🚨 Today, we are looking at another excellent social story resource from .ie

It makes reference to important topics such as counting down to the Christmas holidays, not liking particular gifts, and leaving snacks for Santa.

📎📎https://littlepuddins.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Christmas-Social-Story-1.pdf

children

13/12/2021

🎄🎄 Christmas can be a particularly challenging time for autistic children and their families.

🚨🚨 Interruptions to usual routines, more crowded public spaces, and increased sensory stimulation are amongst the sources of this challenge.

offers a very useful social story to support autistic children at Christmas time.

📎📎https://asiam.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/AsIAm-Christmas-Social-Story-A4-Document.pdf

children story

09/12/2021

📝📝 ‘A Volcano in my Tummy: Helping Children to Handle Anger’ by Whitehouse and Pudney is a practical resource for helping children and adults alike understand and deal constructively with children's anger.

😡😡 This resource helps to teach communication skills to children related to big emotions, as well as distinguish between the feeling of anger and related behaviours.

❤️❤️ I particularly like the stories used within the book which detail scenarios of children experiencing anger. Based on these stories, children are asked to critically reflect on the story and consider how they would react in a similar scenario.

On other occasions, children are asked to role play the stories in groups. These strategies help to build children’s cognitive capacities for dealing with similar scenarios in the future in a pro-social manner.

08/12/2021

🚨🚨 ‘Anger Management: A Practical Guide (2nd Edition)’ by Faupel, Herrick and Sharp is an excellent, practical resource for supporting children with difficulties understanding and managing feelings of anger.

📚📚 The book contains a range of information, practical strategies and photocopiable resources for teachers, parents and children.

😡😡 The resource helps to support children to recognise feelings and physiological signs of anger and replace them with more solution-focused means of expressing these big feelings.

📝📝 Sample worksheets explore:
1. What makes me angry?
2. What do I think?
3. How do I feel?
4. Keeping calm.

📈📈 The resource also provides a range of data tracking resources for teachers to aid in pre/post intervention planning.

🎆🎆 I particularly love the book’s use of the Firework Model, where the authors liken ‘a match’ to the trigger of anger for an individual and discuss means of ‘dampening the fuse’.

07/12/2021

🚨🚨 ‘The Chill Skill’ by Niall Breslin is an accessible picture book that explores feelings of anger and frustration in children.

📚📚 Couched in a child-friendly story, the main character learns to recognise feelings of anger and frustration, as portrayed through the analogy of a ‘fire in your belly’. With the help of his Grandad, the little boy learns how to quench the fire and feel calm again by rubbing his belly and engaging in deep breathing.

😡😡 The main anger management strategy is encapsulated in the story’s rhyming mantra which states:
“When you feel the angry flame,
calm it down with this game.
Don’t get mad or scream and shout, ten deep breaths will put it out”.

06/12/2021

🚨🚨 When supporting children at home or in school, have you ever used applied psychology resources?

📚📚 In particular, I love picture books that address big feelings/emotions and provide children with strategies for dealing with the same.

📝📝 ‘The Invisible String’ by Patrice Karst is a beautiful picture book that addresses feelings of loneliness, separation anxiety or loss.

The book highlights the unbreakable connections between loved ones, even when separated.

❤️❤️ My favourite line within the book…“People who love each other are always connected by a very special string made of love. Even though you can’t see it with your eyes, you can feel it with your heart and know that you are always connected to everyone you love”.

02/12/2021

🚨🚨 Have you ever encountered students who lose interest in reading?

🤔🤔 Have you considered how to motivate these reluctant readers to get back into reading?

📝📝 Ruth Concannon from Children’s Books Ireland offers five great tips for getting back into reading in her article for the Irish Learning Support Association.

1️⃣ Try short(er) reads:
This helps with concentration!

2️⃣ Try a talking book:
Audiobooks can stimulate the brain in a similar way to actually reading.

3️⃣ Picture books are for all ages:
Comics and graphic novels offer a way to quickly get reluctant readers through a book without realising!

4️⃣ Re-read an old favourite:
This can be relaxing and reassuring.

5️⃣ Make an appointment with a ‘Book Doctor’:
Young readers can make an appointment for a ‘Book Clinic’ with Ruth at

01/12/2021

🚨🚨 Selecting books which are engaging for children is vital to motivating reluctant readers.

It is important that the books you select reflect the interests and ability-level of the reader for whom they are intended.

1️⃣ Reading Rockets offers an excellent ‘Book Finder’ tool which allows you to search for books based on age range, reading level, genre, format, topic, and country/region.

📎📎 https://www.readingrockets.org/bookfinder

2️⃣ In addition, check out this superb document from ‘Children’s Books Ireland’ which recommends “Great Books for When You Really Don’t Feel Like Reading.”

📎📎 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iv3Lx0SxAmHBcT0QTVHeCfUE9ief7ISU/view?usp=sharing

30/11/2021

🚨🚨 eBooks and audiobooks can serve as an engaging resource to motivate reluctant readers.

🤔🤔 Have you ever tried using tablets or iPads as an alternative to physical books with your students?

Have you ever encouraged a struggling reader to track words while listening to an audiobook?

📎📎 The following websites offer a huge range of eBooks for readers of all ages and abilities:

1️⃣Libraries Ireland: https://www.librariesireland.ie/services/reading/childrens-ebooks

2️⃣ Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/free-ebooks/ebooks-nook/kids/_/N-ry0Z8qaZtu1

3️⃣ Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/free-kids-ebooks-Books/s?k=free+kids+ebooks&rh=n%3A283155

4️⃣ Oxford Owl (includes books from Oxford Tree levelled readers and more): https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/find-a-book/library-page/

📝📝 In addition, members of any Irish library have free access to the BorrowBox app which offers an inexhaustible collection of eBooks and audiobooks for all readers!

29/11/2021

🚨🚨 This week, we will be focussing on motivating the reluctant reader.

Do you find it difficult to find engaging books for struggling readers in your classroom? Is the content of some low-ability books too childish for older students?

📝📝 High/low books offer highly engaging, age-appropriate subject matter at a low reading level for struggling readers.

They can help build reading fluency, vocabulary, background knowledge, and interest in reading.

📎📎 Explore a range of recommended high/low books from the National Behaviour Support Service and below!

https://www.nbss.ie/sites/default/files/publications/READ_-_hilow_books.pdf

https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/list/share/72464741/100345981

25/11/2021

🚨🚨 Mindfulness and self-compassion activities can help promote focus and calm for children and adolescents.

These could be used at the start and end of the day, or as transitions between lessons.

📝📝 This resource from offers a range of links to YouTube videos of mindfulness moments, meditations, breathing exercises, and more!

✌️✌️ They are appropriate at both primary and secondary levels!

📎📎 Explore the whole range of resources at this link:
https://www.otb.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Creative-Mindfulness-Free-Material-for-Teachers-and-Parents.pdf

24/11/2021

🚨🚨 Four weeks ago, we looked at positive psychology and the PERMA model in supporting teaching wellbeing.

👍👍 PERMA is an abbreviation for Positive emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment (Seligman, 2011).

This model could also be used to promote mental health and wellbeing in children.

😁😁 Ideas include gratitude journaling, identifying positive things that happened at school, engaging in physical activity/team sports, and artistic pursuits.

📎📎 This excellent resource from ‘The Printables Fairy’ offers a printable gratitude journal for kids, as well as alternative gratitude activities.

https://www.printablesfairy.com/printable-gratitude-journal-for-kids/

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YaUGyz6wYxqEn_7hH6TffNtZ88dHRnYc/view?usp=sharing

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http://www.drclairegriffin.ie/

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