Westmead Feelings Program 2: Kit & Certification (accessible from April 17 – June 26 2023)

The Westmead Feelings Program 2: Resource Kit includes:

Facilitator’s manuals

• Overview
  The Overview provides facilitators with the information and knowledge required to develop an understanding of the program in order to implement it for children, parents and teachers. It details the purpose, history and research basis of WFP, and outlines the specific teaching strategies used to address the learning profiles of children with autism spectrum disorder. The Overview also explains what each element of the program is and how it is used in sessions with children, parents and teachers.
• Facilitator’s Manual for Sessions with Children
  This manual is a session-by-session guide to the WFP 2 child program. It explains the objectives for each session and outlines which resources are required, along with any additional supplies that may be necessary. The manual is fully scripted and gives detailed descriptions of activities, games and workbook tasks, as well as instructions on how to use the video files and other visual prompts, in the order in which they appear.
• Child Workbooks: Completed Examples
  This book is a teaching tool for WFP 2 child sessions, and provides a completed example for each individual page included in the child workbooks across the three modules and the booster session. Worksheets have been completed using drawings and minimal text, and are designed to provide an example to assist children who may struggle to complete the worksheets on their own.

Facilitator’s resources

• Session schedule (x 36)
• Rules (x 5)
• Reward charts (x 7)
• Feelings Strength Bars medium (x 1)
• Feelings Strength Bars small (x 5)
• Reusable worksheets (x 2)
• Feelings faces (x 16)
• Guessing game sentences (x 7)
• Feelings Control Kit cards (x 10)
• Blindfolds (x 3)
• Posters (x 2)
• USB containing facilitator’s digital resources

Facilitator’s digital resources

• Facilitator’s Manual for Sessions with Parents (PowerPoint)
• Facilitator’s Manual for Sessions with Teachers (PowerPoint)
• Parent notes (PDF)
• Teacher notes (PDF)
• Video clips for sessions with children
• Consumable elements for sessions with children
• Templates, questionnaires and forms to set up groups and evaluate outcomes

Child materials

• Child Workbooks (x 4)
• Reusable worksheets (x 2)
• Feelings Strength Bars medium (x 1)
• Feelings Strength Bars small (x 5)
• Feelings Control Kit cards (x 10)

Parent materials

• Parent Handbook
• Reusable worksheets (x 2)
• Feelings Strength Bars medium (x 1)
• Feelings Strength Bars small (x 5)

Teacher materials

• Teacher Handbook
• Reusable worksheets (x 2)
• Feelings Strength Bars medium (x 1)
• Feelings Strength Bars small (x 5)

Delivery mode: Online; Time and duration: 20 hours of online coursework, over approximately 10 weeks.

The comprehensive online Westmead Feelings Program 2 Facilitator Certification Course enables professionals to implement the 15-month Westmead Feelings Program 2 intervention program in school, private practise and hospital settings. It is designed to provide professionals with the knowledge, skills and confidence to effectively implement the 15-month Westmead Feelings Program 2 intervention in their setting to the highest standard.

This course is suitable for teachers, special educators, psychologists and allied health and disability practitioners who intend to provide Westmead Feelings Program 2 in their setting, and wish to gain the knowledge, skills and confidence to successfully implement the program.

Intended learning outcomes

Participants will be able to:

• demonstrate the capacity to useWestmead Feelings Program 2, including all key resources, to teach children with mild ID the skills required for understanding emotions, problem solving, perspective taking and managing emotions
• demonstrate the capacity to use Westmead Feelings Program 2 to teach parents and teachers of children with mild ID how to be ‘emotion coaches’, supporting skill development in
  understanding emotions, problem solving, perspective taking and managing emotions
• analyse and critically evaluate a range of positive behaviour support strategies to be able to effectively deliver Westmead Feelings Program 2 to autistic children with mild ID
  apply knowledge to implement differentiated teaching strategies.

Course in detail

The course consists of four units and two learning assurance tasks. It covers proficiency in 22 separate areas of Westmead Feelings Program 2, through interactive tasks, activities and videos.

• Unit 1: introduction and overview
• Unit 2: Teaching ‘Westmead Feelings Program 2 Module 2: Understanding emotions’ to children, parents and teachers
• Unit 3: Teaching ‘Westmead Feelings Program 2 Module 3: Problem solving and perspective taking’ to children, parents and teachers
• Unit 4: Teaching ‘Westmead Feelings Program 2 Module 4: Managing emotions’ to children, parents and teachers.

Learning assurance tasks

The learning assurance tasks are a multiple-choice quiz and a 5−20 minute video demonstrating proficiency in one area of the Westmead Feelings Program 2 delivery. On successful completion of the course, participants will receive an accredited certificate, enabling participants to facilitate Westmead Feelings Program 1 at the highest standard with children, parents and teachers in schools, hospitals and other relevant clinical settings, and the opportunity to be listed on ACER’s online certified practitioners’ register.

AITSL Professional Standards for Teachers

The course specifically addresses Professional Knowledge standards 2.5 and 2.6.

Standard 2.5: Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities.
Standard 2.6: Strategies to support full participation of students with disability.

The Psychology Board of Australia

The course satisfies the guidelines for 20 hours of continuing professional development required for the annual registration of psychologists.