Tag Archives: ADHD

Visual Thinking 101_25 So OFSTED doesn’t value visual thinking skills

Posted on March 5, 2023 by olivehickmott

I am even more bewildered today with this government contradiction. Our Prime Minister talks about wanting to promote creativity, innovation, problem-solving skills etc. At the same time, Lee Owston, Acting National Director of Education, at Ofsted, writes about the importance … Continue reading →

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Visual Thinking 101_24 A new SEN policy, but…..

Posted on March 4, 2023 by olivehickmott

So the government in the UK has finally published a log-awaited SEN policy: Transformational reform begins for children and young people with SEND. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/transformational-reform-begins-for-children-and-young-people-with-send It talks of millions being spent on more SEND schools, to cope with the large numbers … Continue reading →

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Visual Thinking 101_22 Have you heard about mental imagery and ADHD

Posted on January 30, 2023 by olivehickmott

People with ADHD often have very fast moving mental images, their brain runs like a Ferrari, without any breaks. This is great for mental gymnastics, making high speed connections between various facts and all manner of clever stuff. The only … Continue reading →

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Visual Thinking 101_19 Does this made sense?

Posted on January 20, 2023 by olivehickmott

Here is the paradox: There are many mysteries and other seeming contradictions in the world of learning differences, which don’t make any logical sense and all too often, are seldom noticed.  Neurodiversity has benefitted much from recent neuroscience, which doesn’t … Continue reading →

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Visual Thinking 101_18 Losing my visual pictures

Posted on January 19, 2023 by olivehickmott

My real passion is to alleviate and prevent much of the confusion that threatens to overwhelm students. Teachers and parents of children under 7 years old need to incorporate visualisation into any and all forms of teaching and learning, especially … Continue reading →

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Visual Thinking 101_16 How not to teach word recognition

Posted on January 17, 2023 by olivehickmott

Word recognition is essential for fluent reading.  But with an emphasis on phonics ONLY, word recognition is left either left to chance or not being taught in school, as few educationalists have ever discovered how a child develops word recognition. Empowering … Continue reading →

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Visual Thinking 101_7 Sir Ken Robinson on Creativity

Posted on January 7, 2023 by olivehickmott

The famous TED talk by the Late Great Sir Ken Robinson on the importance of creativity. In 2.5 minutes, he sums up many of the topics I am highlighting in this series Visual Thinking 101. I shall always be indebted … Continue reading →

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Visual Thinking 101_6 How visual thinking and distraction connects to ADHD

Posted on January 6, 2023 by olivehickmott

ADHD isn’t just about behaviours. Once you understand what drives the behaviours, you can create a calmer life for yourself and the whole family. In addition, there is currently an explosion of ADHD symptoms, so I ask what is causing … Continue reading →

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Visualthinking 101_2: Temple Grandin’s contribution

Posted on January 2, 2023 by olivehickmott

Dr. Temple Grandin inspired me decades ago with her book Thinking in Pictures. I learned the importance of visual thinking for everybody and especially our creative, imaginative children. I used this knowledge to work with 1000s of children and adults … Continue reading →

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#Visualthinking 101_1: The time has come!

Posted on January 1, 2023 by olivehickmott

The time has come to focus on visual thinking and learning because creative, imaginative children have an abundance of visual thinking, but these skills are neglected to scaffold their learning journey in school. I have been explaining to children and … Continue reading →

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