ASN Conference September 2026

In response to requests from members we are running our second ASN focussed conference this year.  We have 3 keynote speakers and 4 workshops for you to choose from (details below). 

Taking place on 18th September, this conference will be a packed day with sessions running from 0900-1440. 

AHDS member rate - £65+VAT
Non member rate - £155+VAT

New member offer - Join AHDS and receive a free place at this conference. To be eligible for this offer, book your place at this conference here and complete your membership application within a week to get a free place. Invoices will be sent at the non-member rate if a completed membership application isn't received within the timeframe expressed. https://ahds.org.uk/join-ahds

Keynote 1: Peadar Callaghan – Reaching Additional Support Needs Students Through Educational Games

Games and play are fundamental to the learning process. They allow students to engage with complex topics, practise skills and interact with others. Games help to establish and reinforce social behaviours and norms. They can help a student to see themselves as capable while encouraging the sense of agency and control over their environment. Games create opportunities to build communities and foster understanding through engagement. Games by their nature provide rules and structure to interactions that can help players to be comfortable with taking chances and trying to achieve difficult tasks. Perhaps most importantly games are forgiving of failure encouraging an attitude of resilience and a willingness to try again. These features make them ideal tools to use with all students no matter their additional support needs.

However, there is a prevalent stigma associated with the use of games in an educational context. Games are often seen by parents and politicians as not sufficiently serious and so not appropriate. This is exacerbated with the struggles teachers and school leaders face in understanding the nature of educational games and where, when and how to apply them. This in turn leads to the under use of this valuable method of reaching students.

This keynote will explore the design of inclusive educational games suitable for all students. It will examine the key components of a game and how an understanding of the nature of games and gameplay can inform educational design. It will go on to discuss how to choose, adapt and use games with additional support needs students. The key takeaways from this talk will be, an understanding of the importance of games in education, a method for turning any classroom activity into a game for students, and the tools needed to advocate for a more game based or playful approach to education.

Biography

Peadar Callaghan is the head of the Digital Learning Games Masters course in Tallinn University in Estonia. In this course he lectures on the design, understanding and development of educational games for a variety of contexts from governmental wargames to card games for learning terminology. He has over 20 years of experience as a classroom teacher and teacher trainer specialising in language acquisition. He is very committed to a humanistic approach to education based on the struggles he has had throughout his personal educational journey. 

Keynote 2: Supporting Care Experienced Pupils in the Classroom

Young people from Our Hearings Our voice (www.ohov.co.uk) used their lived experience to share issues affecting pupils with care experience in schools, and explore practical approaches to support and inclusion structured around themes of privacy, pastoral support, behaviour, labelling, high expectations, and stigma.  

Keynote 3: ASN policy & priorities

Several ASN focussed commitments formed part of the new Government's pre-election manifesto.  We will end the conference with a short update from a Scottish Government representative on ASN policy & priorities. 

Workshops

1. Autism and Anxiety

This workshop will focus on understanding anxiety, think about the underlying reasons for what we see and how this may be different for someone who is autistic. We will look at some practical strategies and tools we can implement in daily life to support young people to develop and manage their anxiety and how we need think about adapting them for specific situations.

This session will be delivered by Perth Autism Support.

2. Dyscalculia: Identification and support 

This Education Scotland led session will focus on:

• Dyscalculia in the Scottish context, providing an opportunity to explore the identification process and support
• An update on ASN and the CIC developments 

3. Managing and Responding to Challenging Pupil Behaviour

This session will:

• Offer advice on how best to protect your wellbeing and that of your staff/ other pupils.
• Explore health & safety issues/concerns & the importance of risk assessments.
• Reinforce the importance of evidence gathering, recording, and de-briefing.
• Offer practical advice on managing and responding to challenging pupil behaviour.

(Delivered by AHDS Area Officers, this session has been devised with a focus on mainstream settings but will be relevant for both mainstream and ASN settings. Many of the areas covered are generic in nature and we can provide discussion opportunities throughout for those in ASN settings who wish to share examples from their own contexts.)

4. Supporting positive mental health and wellbeing in schools

Schools play a vital role in the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in Scotland. Prevention and early intervention is essential for ensuring young people grow and develop as healthily as possible and are able to get the best they can from their learning experience. SAMH is committed to supporting schools educate and support young people, as well as the staff who work with them and families who live with them.

SAMH is developing an accreditation programme to celebrate the great work of schools, and to provide tools for continuous improvement in this crucial area of school life.

This session will cover:

• Overview of the accreditation programme
• Key features of mentally healthy school communities
• Resources to support improvement
• Accreditation process

Presented by Billy Burke - SAMH Head of Children and Young People, SAMH Mentally Healthy Schools Programme

18 September 2026 - Cumbernauld

AHDS Members: £65 + VAT • Non Members: £155 + VAT