Have you ever considered becoming a Special Needs Assistant (SNA)?
If you have, you're not alone and you have the perfect opportunity to begin your journey on this path. Becoming an SNA offers opportunities to work in a sector you have always wanted, helping children and adults with special educational needs to achieve their potential.
Gain your SNA qualification with Portobello Institute with our upcoming Level 5 and Level 6 booking package starting on April 14.
This course will be delivered through webinars one evening a week, so you can work full-time and study the Special Needs Assisting Level 5 and Level 6 courses.
These qualifications give you the opportunity to qualify and work as a special needs assistant. By booking both courses together you can progress straight to the Level 6 course upon completion of the Level 5 and avail of a discount, making your study more affordable.
Samantha Cooney is an SNA Lecturer at Portobello.
“As a professional and researcher in the special education sector, I use examples from my own experience to guide learning. This can take the form of case studies, scenario-based tasks or even just content exemplars.
“Secondly, a multitude of learning tools are used including group discussions and collaborative tasks, online content resources and reflective exercises. The most important strategy used is relating learning to experience. Everyone comes to these courses with experience and transferrable skills. These come from working in other sectors, previous courses, parenthood etc. I work to support students in identifying these transferrable skills and finding their place within special needs assisting,” she said.
Past student of our SNA courses, Evelyn Shortall, says the results of Level 5 gave her a boost for Level 6.
“When I got the results of my Level 5, it’s unbelievable the confidence it has given me. Not working does get you down after a while especially if you’re somebody that has been working all the time. The interaction with people and the whole change I have to say it brought me on a high and I’m so delighted. I’m just sorry I didn’t do it ten years ago,” she said.
Read Evelyn’s full story here.
This course is suited to anyone who has an interest in Special Needs Education, whether to pursue it as a career or use the knowledge for personal or family reasons.
Portobello Institute’s QQI Level 5 Minor Award and QQI Level 6 Minor Award in Special Needs Assisting are qualifications that will allow you to work as a special needs assistant in schools, hospitals and care homes.
During this 20-week course you will acquire not only knowledge but empathy and understanding crucial to your future role as support to persons needing assistance in their learning.
You will attend class at a scheduled time each week and complete course work in your own time allowing you to fit learning around your busy working and family life.
The field of Special Needs Education is one of enormous variety and ever-changing needs. Portobello Institute wishes to respond to the true needs within the sector by offering a course that will equip our students not only with knowledge but with empathy and understanding crucial to their future role as support to persons needing assistance in their learning.
During the Level 5 course, you will learn about development and learning in children with special needs and about the role of an SNA.
You will learn about child development and behaviour theories and how a range of activities can promote physical, social, emotional and intellectual development in children with learning, physical and behavioural disabilities.
You will develop the capacity to work and communicate effectively with parents, families, colleagues and other professionals to safeguard, support and promote children’s learning, development and well-being.
During this programme you will cover the following topics:
The Role of the Special Needs Assistant
Equal Opportunities Child Development (Overview)
Theories of Learning and Behaviour
Physical and Intellectual Disabilities
Communications and Language Disabilities
Work Experience
The Level 6 course provides you with a greater depth of knowledge on the role of an SNA.
You will learn about development and learning in children with special needs and about the role of an SNA. You will learn about child development and behaviour theories and how a range of activities can promote physical, social, emotional and intellectual development in children with learning, physical and behavioural disabilities.
You will learn how to implement Individual Education Plans (IEP’s) and individual behaviour Plans (IBP’s) and introduce exercises that teach the child to look after themselves and their property which ultimately encourages independence, respect, self-esteem and responsibility.
You will develop the capacity to work and communicate effectively with parents, families, colleagues and other professionals to safeguard, support and promote children’s learning, development and well-being.
During this programme you will cover the following topics:
Understanding Education, Health and Safety, Teach methodologies, Educational Philosophy and Practice.
Literacy: Identifying the conditions for learning language and how to implement these according to learning programmes.
Mathematics: Learning skills to support the teaching of mathematics and to devise strategies to assess mathematical ability.
Observations: Methods and techniques for assessing, planning and evaluating.
This course runs from 14/04/21 – 25/08/21 with interactive webinar sessions held every Wednesday evening, from 6.30pm – 9pm.
For more information speak to our admissions expert George Boylan by calling 01 892 0041, email George.boyal@portobelloinstitute.com or book a consultation with George here.
Portobello Institute offers a range of courses in Special Needs Assisting. View all of our upcoming courses in this department here.
