Alternatives to Behaviourism: Supporting Young People Without Rewards and Punishments
Thursday 10 April, 7.30-9.30pm BST
In many educational settings, behaviourist approaches rely on rewards and punishments to shape behaviour, but there are better ways to support young people.
In this webinar, Andy Smith from Spectrum Gaming explores compassionate methods that foster intrinsic motivation, emotional wellbeing, and autonomy. He will introduce us to alternative approaches that are relational, low-demand and neurodiversity affirming, to support a move away from ‘managing behaviour’ and instead focus on understanding needs, co-regulation, and collaborative problem-solving.
About Our Speaker
Andy Smith is an autistic adult and the founder of Spectrum Gaming, a community which supports over 1,800 autistic young people across the UK.
Before Spectrum Gaming, Andy worked for two years as the advocate for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities at Bury Council, in addition to co-chairing the North West SEND Young people’s Co Production Steering Group and the Greater Manchester Selective Mutism Network.
Andy is also the Lead Facilitator of the Spectrum Gaming Learning Community, which provides self-directed education for autistic young people.
Event Format, Recording and Ticket Price
This event takes place online via Zoom at 7.30-9.30pm BST on Thursday 10th April. Andy will present for about one hour and then you will have the chance to ask any questions you might have.
If you have questions but can't make the date, you are still welcome to register for the event. Simply send your questions through to us at [email protected] and they will get asked in the session on your behalf. The recording will be sent to all registered participants as soon as possible after the live event.
This webinar is £20 for non-members, and FREE for members.
Become a Member and Attend for Free!
Join Us!
Would you like to join the Education Start-Ups membership community? Our membership offers:
Monthly expert webinars (like this one);
Monthly group coaching for peer support and collaborative problem solving;
Online platform for sharing resources/ideas and supporting each other between sessions.
Some extra bonuses too!
You can find out more at EducationStartUps.org/community.
Note to Members
If you are a member, you do not need to register for this event. You will automatically receive the Zoom link in your online community portal.
About Us
This webinar series is brought to you by Jo Symes at Progressive Education and Alex O’Neill from Limitless. We are education activists who have a shared passion for raising awareness of alternatives to mainstream school.
For the past couple of years Alex and Jo have been creating events and resources for start-ups, in response to the growing number of children and young people leaving mainstream education, and the urgency that parents/carers/educators feel to build new learning environments where young people can thrive.
Introducing Alex O’Neill
Alex is the driving force behind Limitless, an organisation dedicated to igniting social change with a special emphasis on revolutionising the education sector.
Through the Limitless podcast, she shares expert insights and neuroscience tips to empower changemakers to tackle the world's most pressing issues.
Alex is committed to uniting individuals who are driven to advance education and supporting them in overcoming obstacles that stand in their way.
Introducing Jo Symes
Jo is the founder of the social enterprise, Progressive Education. Her website is an inspiration hub for exploring alternatives to conventional schooling and campaigns to bring about change. She is building a global directory of jobs, events and progressive schools and learning communities.
It began with the launch of the Progressive Education Group on Facebook in 2019, which is an international community of over 10k parents/carers, educators, academics, researchers, psychologists, education innovators, changemakers and young people.
